Chapter 186: Deeper Than the Oceans (2)
Nick’s POV
I’m starting to regret telling the driver to pick the girls up later. The moment I walked into this ballroom, it’s been a parade of introductions—daughters, nieces, cousins, even shameless suggestions of blind dates with distant relatives. Everyone suddenly wants a piece of me.
I wasn’t expecting this kind of reception. The last time I attended an event like this, all I got were cold stares and whispers behind my back, even after the court cleared me of David Lewis’s murder case.
Back then, I was branded guilty no matter what the verdict said. Just because I’m the prodigal son who goes left when his parents tell him to go right.
I was the only child of Benjamin Knight, who didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps in leading one of his companies. The only one who threw away his birthright to inherit money, fame, and everything else that’s attached to the Knight family name just to sail on an old refurbished ship in an unforgiving ocean.
I was the black sheep of the family, the only one different...
But tonight? Tonight, it’s as if they’ve all developed convenient amnesia. Now that the word’s out, I’m the new CEO of Knight Fleet Maritime, and they treat me like their golden ticket.
Hypocrites.
Every last one of them.
Even Reagan, Liam, and Oliver aren’t spared—surrounded by simpering smiles and sudden "chance" introductions to single ladies who’ve probably been rehearsed for this night.
And of course, my father and Violet are no help at all—subtly pointing us out like prized cattle to the men eager to parade their daughters.
I’m already tired, and the program hasn’t even started yet.
If only Georgia were here. If she were by my side, no one would dare come near me. I’d wrap my arm around her waist, kiss her just to make it clear—she’s mine, and I’m hers. End of story.
Gods, I miss her...
My eyes keep straying to my watch, every tick dragging slower than the last. All I can think about is the moment my sister walks in with Georgia and Ella. That’s when the real night will begin.
And then... the doors swung open.
At first, I thought it was just more latecomers. But then the air shifted—voices dropped, champagne glasses stilled mid-air, and every single head turned toward the entrance. My pulse kicked hard in my chest, as if my heart already knew before my eyes did.
And then I saw them. I saw her.
Vicky led the way, radiant and regal, her confidence enough to command the entire room. My lips curved into a proud smile—my sister, every bit the Knight princess.
Beside her, Ella beamed, her charm lighting up the crowd as she greeted every guest with warmth.
And then... there was Georgia.
My Georgia.
She smiled politely, but I could tell—it didn’t quite reach her eyes. It was the kind of smile you wear when everyone’s watching, when strangers try to pull pieces of you they don’t deserve.
Bastards. If only they knew she belonged to me, maybe then they’d keep their eyes—and their greedy hands—to themselves.
She hadn’t noticed me yet, too focused on handing out her business cards just like she said she would yesterday. The sight tugged a laugh from my throat. That’s her—so damn hardworking even in a room full of vultures.
I wanted to shout across the ballroom, just to make her look at me. ’Look at me, Georgia. I’m right here. I’m yours. Always.’
And as if she heard me, her head lifted. Her gaze found mine. And in that instant, everything else disappeared. We froze—two magnets caught in the pull of something no one could break.
Vicky shifted forward, clearing my line of sight. And that’s when I saw her...
Head to toe.
What the fuck...
What the hell was she wearing?!
My jaw clenched, heat rushing through me. Too damn sexy. Too damn tempting. This wasn’t right. Not when every bastard in this room had eyes.
This is so not right!
I told Vicky specifically that I wanted Georgia in something classic, elegant... understated but sophisticated.
This? This was not what I had in mind.
Her curves were framed so perfectly, the neckline plunging low enough that her cleavage was practically begging for attention. And her legs... hell, those endless legs were completely on display with every step she took.
Her hair was swept up in that messy bun she somehow made look irresistible, baring the neck and nape I loved to kiss, bite, and claim until she melted in my arms.
Her bare shoulders gleamed under the lights, smooth and delicate, and all I could think about was sinking my teeth into them just to remind her and everyone else that she’s mine.
Damn it. My woman was so gorgeous, so heartbreakingly sexy, it almost hurt to look at her. Too perfect. Too radiant.
And I knew, without even looking, that every bastard in this room was imagining things about her. My jaw tightened, blood boiling. The thought alone made me want to tear their eyes out for daring to picture my Georgia in their filthy fantasies.
She was perfection. She was temptation wrapped in satin. And she was mine alone.
Finally, I managed to wrestle back control of myself and started walking toward her, only to realize he was doing the same.
The moment her eyes found mine, her polite, practiced smile softened into something real. Something that belonged only to me.
"Hi, handsome," she whispered, low enough that only I caught it. "Advance happy birthday."
Then, she pulled a tiny box tied with a ribbon from her pouch and handed it to me. "This one’s from Katie. Mine... you’ll get tomorrow, or maybe at midnight, if we’re still together later."
Her smile. Her scent. The way her lips moved when she spoke... it was too much. I couldn’t focus on a damn word. All I could think about was how hard I was, my body betraying me just because she was near. My damn cock just can’t control itself.
People were watching, whispering about us, but I didn’t care. My eyes found the pearl necklace resting against her chest, on top of her cleavage, the one I gave her.
My fingers reached for it before I even realized, brushing the smooth pearl with my thumb while the back of my hand rested on the swell of her breasts.
"You’re wearing it," I murmured.
Georgia’s lips curved into a shy smile that made my chest squeeze. Too damn cute. Too irresistible. My sanity was hanging by a thread, and she had no idea she was cutting through it with every little thing she did.
She didn’t even realize what she was doing to me.
"Of course. I wanted you to see how much I love it. It reminds me of the good times," she said softly.
Good times...
Hell! The good times playing in my head right then were nothing innocent—just the two of us on the island, skin on skin, tangled together from sunrise until the stars came out.
That was it. The last bit of control snapped inside me.
My hand slid from her necklace to the back of her neck, my other arm wrapping around her waist. I tugged her against me, not caring that half the room was watching. And then I crushed my mouth to hers, devouring her like she was oxygen and I’d been suffocating all night.
I only had one thought left as I kissed her hard, desperate, and hungry.
God, I hope she packed that shade of lipstick. Because by the time I’m done, every trace of that red is going to be gone, and she might kill me because of it.