The Billionaire Desires

CHAPTER FIVE

There, right in front of me, is Josh sharing a deep and passionate kiss with a lady. Josh quickly pulled away from the kiss.

The woman, who looked stunningly beautiful with a model-like appearance, was clearly annoyed.

"How rude! Is this how your employee barges in without even knocking?"

I stood there, completely still, my gaze averted, and I stuttered. "I-I'm sorry, sir, ma'am."

Josh's eyebrows furrowed, and his expression hardened. His voice turned sharp as he said, "Harper, what do you want? Why didn't you send an email as usual?"

"Sir, I'm sorry." I quickly exited the office.

I met Amelia afterwards. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I said. Feeling overwhelmed, I returned home with a heavy heart.

Thoughts swirled in my mind as I started packing my belongings to leave for my aunt's place.

I had been avoiding Josh since the incident in his office.

Unexpectedly, Amelia came to my house and saw my packed bag.

"Where are you going?" she asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.

I told her about the arranged marriage, the tension with Josh, and the overwhelming pressure I felt. She listened and reassured me of her complete support. I'm grateful to have her as my friend.

As I drove, the gentle breeze flowed through the open windows of my car, bringing a sense of comfort.

When I finally arrived at Coupeville, my aunt hugged me warmly. Her children, Sean and Kate, greeted me with joyful smiles.

Sean, who is older than me and doing well in a tech company.

Kate, my mate, was overjoyed to have me around.

We gathered around the table, sharing stories and memories. It felt good to have their understanding and support.

We said goodnight, and I entered the cozy guest room that my aunt had prepared for me.

Lying in bed, I gazed at the ceiling. I couldn't help but think about my family and work.

********

The next day, I was alone at home. I started my day with peaceful meditation. I poured out my thoughts and emotions in my journal. Afterward, I treated myself to a self-care ritual, taking care of my body and rejuvenating myself.

As I was immersed in my day, the door suddenly opened, and Kate walked into the house, bustling with energy. "You're looking refreshed," she commented, noticing my renewed appearance. "Thank you," I replied.

"How about we go out and have some fun at a bar in town?" I asked.

Kate responded happily. "That sounds like fun, Harper!"

We got ready, choosing our favorite outfits for the night.

As we arrived at the bar, we found a cozy spot and ordered our drinks.

As we were enjoying the evening, a familiar face appeared.

I instantly recognized him from Kate's phone. "Hey, ladies!" Alex greeted us with a broad grin. "Mind if we join you? Nolan and I were in the area and thought we'd drop by."

"Of course, Nolan, it's good to see you," Kate responded with excitement.

Kate's eyes lit up with delight as she and Alex engaged in a passionate kiss.

Embracing the turn of events, I welcomed them warmly.

As Kate introduced Nolan to me, he shook my hand. I felt a jolt of electricity coursing through my veins. I pulled my hand back, my heart racing with confusion.

Nolan has a contagious and a clever sense of humor. He is tall with caramel-toned skin and soft pink lips. I couldn't deny the connection whenever our eyes met or when our hands accidentally brushed against each other. We talked effortlessly, as if we had known each other for a long time.

It was getting late, and Kate was no longer at the bar. I became worried.

"Hey Kate, where are you?" "I'm so sorry, I left with Alex. I didn't want to interrupt your time with Nolan," she said.

A blush spread across my cheeks. "Don't worry, he's a perfect gentleman. He'll make sure you get home safely," she reassured me.

I wasn't thrilled with how things turned out.

"Seems like you'll be giving me a ride home in your car since Kate left me," I said to Nolan.

"No worries," he said, his eyes filled with excitement.

There was an awkward silence throughout the drive home.

He kindly offered to walk me to the door. It made me smile.

As I got to the entrance, I realized it was locked. I called Kate immediately, but she was unreachable. The same thing happened when I tried to call my aunt. I was worried.

"You can stay at one of my hotels for the night," he suggested.

"No, thank you," I replied quickly, still trying to reach Kate on the phone.

"I understand, it's unfair for me to offer you to stay at my place since we just met," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm Nolan Bennett, I understand you for not trusting me. You can Google me. I wouldn't want to do anything to tarnish my reputation," he added.

A small smile played on my lips as I responded, "Wow! Quite arrogant, aren't you?"

Eventually, I agreed to stay at the hotel he owned. As we arrived at the hotel, I was amazed by its size.

"You own this hotel?" I asked him in disbelief. He simply smiled without saying a word.

Nolan made sure I felt comfortable in my room.

There was something about Nolan that I couldn't quite put into words. It felt like there was an invisible force drawing me closer to him, and it was both exciting and terrifying at the same time. I didn't want to take any risks, but I couldn't ignore the strong attraction I felt towards him.

My instincts told me to be cautious and not fully trust my emotions. As Nolan was about to leave, our eyes unexpectedly locked for a brief moment. In that instant, it was as if time stood still, and we both realized that we were equally lost in the intensity of our connection.