When they danced, her body molded against his, moving in perfect sync. She was so close he could feel her heartbeat against his chest, the warmth of her breath ghosting over his skin.
Her fingers toyed with the hem of his shirt, a teasing smirk playing on her lips as she gazed up at him through half-lidded eyes, filled with sothing unreadable.
To an outsider, there was no question—Ross and Nicole looked like lovers.
Across the room, a few mbers of the crew exchanged knowing glances. Soone let out a low whistle before chuckling.
"Let guess—soone's getting lucky tonight," one of the crew mbers joked, nudging his companion with a smirk.
The others laughed, so shaking their heads in amusent.
But as they watched Nicole press even closer to Ross, as they saw the way he responded—his hands settling instinctively on her waist, his grip tightening just slightly as if to steady himself—the joke didn't seem so far-fetched.
Ross wasn't drunk. Not on alcohol, anyway.
It was Nicole who was intoxicating tonight. The way she moved, the way she touched him, the way she looked at him—it was enough to make his head spin.
And as the night wore on, as the laughter grew louder and the music swelled, one thing beca undeniably clear.
This night would change sothing between them.
The hours stretched on, and one by one, everyone retired for the night, returning to their hotel rooms.
"Good night, Nicole. I had fun. I'll see you tomorrow—and don't puke in your bed, okay?" Ross teased, laughing as he walked her to her door.
Nicole rolled her eyes, swaying slightly from the drinks. "I won't," she muttered, but even she wasn't entirely convinced.
Ross chuckled, watching her fumble for her keycard. He was about to turn away and head to his own room when her voice, barely above a whisper, stopped him in his tracks.
"Ross?"
He turned back, eting her gaze. There was sothing different in her expression—hesitation, uncertainty, but also sothing else. Sothing he recognized all too well.
"Hmm?" he humd, waiting.
Nicole swallowed, her fingers tightening around her keycard as she hesitated. She knew what she was about to say, and yet, the words still felt foreign, unnatural coming from her lips.
"Do you want coffee?" she finally asked, her voice quieter than before. "I have so inside."
A deep flush spread across her cheeks, and she ntally cursed herself. Of all the ways to invite a man into her room, that was what she went with? The oldest, most obvious line in the book. How pathetic.
Ross smirked, his amusent barely hidden. He leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping as he asked, "Are you sure you want to do that, Nicole?"
They both knew what he was really asking. A long silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken thoughts.
Nicole's heart pounded in her chest as she held his gaze, searching for any trace of hesitation on his face.
There was none.
She exhaled softly, her lips curving into a small, almost timid smile. Then, slowly, she nodded.
At that mont, sothing shifted inside her.
She didn't know how it had happened, but she had fallen—deeply, helplessly, dangerously. Ross wasn't conventionally handso, and he was married, but none of that mattered.
His presence alone had a pull she couldn't resist. The way he spoke, the way he made her laugh—it was intoxicating, more so than the alcohol still lingering in her veins.
She knew this was wrong. She knew she was betraying Ian, her fiancé, the man who had loved her faithfully for years.
Their wedding was set to happen in a year or two. A perfect life awaited her, a secure future free of complications.
But as she stood there, staring at Ross, none of that mattered.
For the first ti in her life, she wanted to be selfish. To choose happiness over duty. Passion over obligation.
Because if she didn't—if she walked into that room alone tonight—she knew she would regret it for the rest of her life.
"I am." Nicole finally answered after what felt like an eternity. Her voice was soft yet resolute, carrying an unspoken understanding between them.
Then, without another word, she turned and stepped inside her room, leaving the door wide open—a silent invitation.
Ross watched her disappear inside, a smirk playing on his lips before he followed, his steps slow, unhurried. He had already won.
Inside, Nicole moved with a surprising steadiness. For all the alcohol she had consud, she expected to be lightheaded, nauseous even, but she wasn't.
There was only a faint dizziness, a warmth that buzzed beneath her skin—not enough to hinder her, just enough to make her bold.
She briefly entertained the thought that perhaps her alcohol tolerance was higher than she'd assud. But that was ridiculous. Tonight was the first ti she had truly indulged in drinking.
In reality, it was Ross who had ensured she stayed just at the edge—buzzed but never lost.
He didn't want a sloppy, unaware woman who wouldn't rember anything in the morning. That would be a waste of the thrill, the chase, the anticipation.
No, the ga was only fun when both players were conscious, aware, and willing… for a change.
Nicole busied herself making coffee, her hands moving on instinct as her mind whirled with the weight of her choices.
Every rational part of her scread that this was wrong, that she had a fiancé, a life waiting for her outside of this mont.
And yet…
She wasn't stopping.
By the ti the rich aroma of coffee filled the air, she turned back—and nearly dropped the cups upon seeing what she found next.
Ross was already on her bed, completely bare and utterly dangerous.
Nicole froze, her eyes imdiately locking onto his broad, sculpted chest. His muscles, taut and defined, glead under the dim glow of the hotel room lights.
His strong arms rested lazily at his sides, exuding an effortless confidence that made her breath hitch.
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