CHAPTER 106: FIRST DATE

Georgia’s POV

I sank onto the bed while Nick powered on the projector. He picked up the tablet, his brows furrowed in mock concentration, as if it were a high-tech weapon in a spy movie.

"What do you feel like watching? Old movies, not-so-old movies, recent movies... or new movies?" he asked, voice light and nervousness.

I burst out laughing. "What even are those categories?"

He grinned sheepishly. "I don’t know. I don’t usually do this... but I figured you might like it. The hotel staff suggested it too."

I reached out, brushing his fingers as I took the tablet from him. "Let me see."

Nick shifted closer, his thigh brushing mine. I scrolled the list, noting every title. "Oh... they’re all romance."

So thoughtful of him. I thought the list would be something ’inappropriate’ but good things, they are all harmless, thanks god!

His expression tensed. "You don’t like romance?"

I caught the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. "I don’t have a favorite genre. I’ll watch anything worth watching. Romance is fine too," I said, though my voice softened—partly to reassure him, partly because the vulnerability in his gaze was undoing me.

"Am I... messing this up?" His voice cracked on the last word. "I’m sorry, Georgia. This is my first time doing something like this. I don’t go on dates I plan myself... I’m not even sure how this is supposed to go. If you want, we can just head back to our suite."

I cupped his face, my thumbs brushing over the faint shadow of stubble. "Nick. You’re not messing up anything. You’re doing more than fine. I like this. I like us. Don’t overthink."

A slow smile curved his lips, melting some of that tension from his shoulders.

"Here," I said, tapping a thumbnail before handing the tablet back.

"Pride and Prejudice," he read. "Hmm, classic. I like this—"

"Not that one," I interrupted, my mouth curling into a mischievous grin. "The one beside it. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies."

His brow arched. "Zombies? While we eat? Will it be gruesome?"

I tilted my head, giving him my most innocent look. "Not really. It’s more about the guy protecting the girl."

He chuckled under his breath but didn’t push further, hitting play. We rearranged the mini tables between us, settling in shoulder to shoulder.

I smiled to myself, fork in hand. Comfort food, a ridiculous twist on a love story, and his solid presence beside me—it was warm, unguarded, and unexpectedly... home.

"Holy crap!" Nick blurted out, his voice pitching higher than I’d ever heard, eyes wide as another slow-motion decapitation hit the screen. He wasn’t even halfway through chewing. "You said it’s not gruesome!"

I bit my lip to keep from choking on laughter, the sound spilling out anyway. "It’s not gruesome... to me," I teased, twirling a forkful of noodles and shoving them into my mouth, chewing exaggeratedly so he could see.

His jaw dropped. "Georgia, that’s disgusting. There’s too much blood... severed body parts—ugh. I can’t eat like this." He grimaced, setting his fork down. "You know what? I think I lost my appetite. But... fine, we can keep watching. I’ll just finish later."

Before he could slide the table away, I grabbed his wrist, still laughing so hard I could barely speak. "Okay, okay! I’m sorry. I was just messing with you." My eyes were still watering from holding in my giggles. "Let’s watch the one without the zombies."

He narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "You sure you’re okay with that?"

I softened my smile, touching his arm. "Yes. I picked the zombie one just to see your reaction." My grin widened. "It was priceless. But I’ve already seen it anyway. Let’s watch the classic. I haven’t seen that version yet."

The tension in his shoulders eased, and his frown melted into a reluctant smirk. I knew I’d been a little wicked... but damn, his shocked expression was worth it.

We finished our food quickly. He removed the mini tables from the bed and put them on the floor, and soon we were curled up together, his warmth seeping into me as we reached the halfway point.

Nick was silent, his eyes seemingly fixed on the screen, but his hands told a different story.

I rested my head against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. One of his arms circled my waist, his palm gliding slowly over my hips, then tracing up my sides in an unhurried rhythm that made my skin prickle. His other hand brushed lightly along my arm, sending faint shivers down my spine.

I didn’t stop him. I didn’t even move. I just let him... until he shifted onto his side, close enough that his breath warmed my temple. He lowered his face, nuzzling into my hair, inhaling deeply as if he could read my thoughts through my scent.

Still, he said nothing, but his right hand roamed further.

His fingers found the first button of my cardigan and worked it loose with excruciating slowness. Then the second.

My chest tightened not with fear, but with the rush of anticipation I couldn’t quite disguise. By the time he unfastened the last one, my breathing had changed.

I let him remove it, my gaze stubbornly fixed on the screen even though I couldn’t have told him a single thing about what was happening in the movie anymore. My mind was... elsewhere.

Nick’s hand drifted lower, his fingers toying with the waistband of my high-waist pants. One by one, he undid the buttons, so many buttons, each click of the fabric slipping free, making my breath catch a little more.

When the last one was open, he didn’t rush. Instead, he leaned back against the pillow, pulling me with him until I was tucked into his chest again. His arms wrapped around me, his palm moving lazily over my sides in slow, hypnotic strokes.

I stayed still, waiting, wondering if he was savoring the moment or simply... thinking.

But then his touch stilled. Completely.

I waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Finally, I tilted my head to look at him... and there he was. Sound asleep.

My jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me right now?" I hissed under my breath.

Here I was, half undone, mind racing, heart pounding, and Captain Nicholas Knight was in dreamland, breathing like he’d never been more relaxed in his life.

I stared at him for a long second before muttering, "Unbelievable. The man can sail through a storm, command a crew, and survive rogue waves, but apparently the real challenge is staying awake with a half-undressed woman in his arms while watching a classic romance movie."

I pulled the blanket over myself, glaring at him one last time. "I swear, Nick... when you wake up, you will pay for this."