CHAPTER 148: GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY (1)

"Ugh..." Georgia winced the moment she sat up, her body protesting against every small movement. Heat flushed her cheeks as a memory from the night before struck her like lightning. ’God... my back hurts, and it’s sore between my legs. That jerk!’

She glanced at the empty side of the bed. "Oh? When did he get up?" The clock read a little past seven in the morning.

Pushing herself up, she checked the bathroom—empty. A frown tugged her lips until faint voices reached her ears from down the hall. Curious, she padded out and noticed Katie’s door was open.

"You’re finally awake," Wendy greeted warmly, carefully weaving Katie’s hair into neat braids. Her eyes softened with concern. "Did you have trouble sleeping because of what happened yesterday?"

Georgia’s lips parted, but the words caught in her throat. ’Yeah, I had trouble sleeping... because a certain someone didn’t just ruin my body but tore right through my soul, too.’

Her heart skipped, her mind drowning in the memory of Nick’s touch, his relentless intensity. But she could never admit that to Wendy. ’If only I could say that it was the reason and not because of the problem in the company, so she would not worry.’

Instead, Georgia straightened her spine and mustered a reassuring smile. "Yes... but don’t worry, Wendy. This time, I have people on my side. I have help. The company won’t go under again—it won’t drown in debts like before."

Relief washed over Wendy’s face, her smile tender. "And if I’m right... one of those people helping you is downstairs." She winked playfully. "Cooking pancakes for all of us. You should check on him."

A sudden warmth curled in Georgia’s stomach. Nick—cooking? For them? For her? She shook the thought quickly before her cheeks betrayed her.

"I was so shaken yesterday that I completely forgot to ask..." Georgia turned her attention to Katie, reaching over to tickle her sides, pulling out a squeal of laughter. "...how’s my little girl doing?"

Katie giggled, her tiny shoulders shaking. "I thought you weren’t going to notice me, Aunt Georgia!"

"That would never happen," Georgia whispered, her voice soft and affectionate as she pulled the girl into a light hug. Then she leaned back, pretending to scold. "So, tell me, why are you up so early today? Do you have an activity at school?"

Katie nodded brightly. "Yes! Nanna and I are going to the farmer’s market to buy fruits for class."

"I see." Georgia smiled, brushing a strand of hair from Katie’s forehead. "Well, have fun at school, sweetheart. You look all set." She squeezed her niece’s hand gently, grounding herself in the innocence of the moment. "Shall we head to breakfast then?"

Katie’s eyes sparkled as she slipped her small hand into Georgia’s, and together with Wendy, they made their way toward the kitchen.

They walked into the kitchen and found Nick at the stove, dressed in nothing more than a plain white t-shirt and shorts that clung a little too well to his frame. He was casually plating golden pancakes, the sweet scent of butter and maple syrup filling the air.

"Good morning, Uncle Nick! Ohh, pancakes!" Katie squealed, rushing straight to the table with eyes wide in delight.

Nick’s mouth curved into an easy smile. "Good morning to you too, princess. Wendy said these are your favorite, so I thought I’d make them just for you." His gaze lingered on Katie for a heartbeat before shifting, magnetically, seductively, toward Georgia.

She froze under the weight of it.

"I’m impressed you’re awake this early," he teased, his voice low, playful. "Honestly, I thought I’d have to wait until lunch to see you." With a chuckle, he leaned over and brushed a quick kiss against her cheek.

Georgia stiffened, glaring at him, though the warmth spreading across her face betrayed her, remembering the reason why he would expect her to wake up late.

"I have work, so of course I had to get up early," she shot back, sliding into a seat as if the chair could shield her from him.

Nick only grinned, undeterred, and slid a plate in front of her. "Speaking of work..." His tone shifted, steady and assured. "I just need to stop by my office this morning, but by lunchtime, I’ll be at your company for the investment talk we agreed on last night.

Let’s have lunch together first—before business." As he spoke, he dropped a small square of butter onto her pancakes, letting it melt slowly, deliberately, as though he had all the time in the world to watch it spread.

Georgia frowned lightly, her voice cautious. "Is it really okay for you to be out of your company for that long? You just started—surely you must have a lot on your plate."

Nick gave a small shrug, casual yet confident. "It’s fine. The current CEO is still wrapping up everything before handing the reins to me. I won’t move into his office until it’s renovated. For now, I’m using a temporary one. But once everything is set, I’ll be busier than ever." He leaned back, pouring maple syrup over his stack with unhurried precision. "The official announcement will happen in less than two weeks."

Georgia nodded slowly, her fingers tightening around her fork. "I see. Then do what you need to do. Be as busy as you have to be. Don’t worry about me—I’ll be just as busy. So it’s okay if you don’t text or call."

Her tone was light, almost careless, but Nick stilled mid-motion. His eyes lifted, sharp and unyielding, locking on hers across the table.

"Who said anything about not calling you?" he asked softly, a dangerous smile playing on his lips.

"There’s no way that’s happening," Nick said firmly, his voice rich with amusement. "I already told you—I’ll bother you multiple times a day. So get used to it."

Wendy tried to stifle a smile as she watched the exchange, her heart warming at the sight. ’This feels just like the old days... when the house was full of life and laughter,’ she thought wistfully.

After Katie and Wendy finished their breakfast, Wendy stood, smoothing Katie’s dress. "Don’t worry about the dishes. I’ll take care of them when we get back. I’ll be at the school with Katie for the activity today, so lock up the house. I’ve got my keys. We’ll return around lunch." With that, she ushered Katie out, their cheerful chatter fading until the door closed behind them.

The moment the quiet settled, Nick’s gaze sharpened. He watched Wendy’s figure disappear through the window before turning back to Georgia. Together, they gathered the plates, their movements brushing and colliding in ways that made the air hum with unspoken tension... at least for Nick.

Georgia placed the last dish on the counter and turned toward the stairs, intent on getting ready for work. But before she could take a step, Nick’s hand shot out, curling around her wrist.

She froze, blinking at him. "Huh? What’s wrong?"

His answer came in action before words—his body closing in on hers, his arms sliding around her waist, pulling her flush against him. His breath tickled her ear as his voice dropped, low and dangerous, meant only for her.

"The house is empty," he murmured, the faintest edge of hunger in his tone. "Just you and me." His lips brushed the sensitive skin near her jaw. "Come to think of it... we haven’t tried the kitchen yet."

Nick pressed closer, his hardness evident as it nudged against her hip, the sheer intent of it making her knees weaken. "Seems like a waste not to take advantage of the golden opportunity," he whispered, his hand sliding lower, his body already sparking heat into hers.

*********

Author’s Note: 8/26/2025

Ladies and gents, I can’t tell you enough how happy I am today! Today, this book reached the 1,000 mark unlocked privilege Chapters! You’ll see it under the Win-win ranking tab. It means that this book earns a week-long promotion in the feature tab. I want to thank all the privilege readers who made it possible!!! I am so grateful to all of you! If I remember it correctly, the privilege readers will also get a reward in the form of a badge. You’ll get a notification about it next month. Thank you again and hopefully we can do it again next month!

As a thank you, I will release an extra Chapter for the whole week! I will also do a mass release on Monday. Thank you to all of you!!!