Chapter 42 - I Love You

"Sophie…" Nicholas let go of his hug from Sophie's body and moved back a little, so he could see her face clearly.

Tears were also forming in his eyes. He touched her cheeks with both hands and he looked deeply into her eyes. His voice sounded firm and clear when he spoke.

"I love you, Sophie. I am so worried when you fall sick. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you under my watch. I would definitely hate myself."

Sophie looked at Nicholas with bulged eyes. She thought she was dreaming. Did Nicholas really say he loved her?

"N-Nic…" Sophie bit her lip. "What did you say?"

"I said… I don't know what I would do if something happened to you under my watch…" Nicholas repeated his words. However, Sophie's confused eyes let him know that it wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"Before that…" Sophie said softly. "What.. did you say?"

"Oh…" Suddenly Nicholas's face flushed red. He got carried away and let the secret of his heart out. However, he was a man and he wouldn't take back his words. So, he looked at Sophie deeply and repeated what he already told her. "I love you, Sophie."

He initially expected Sophie to laugh or change the subject and pretended not to hear his love confession, but she instead asked him to repeat it? He hoped she would return his love.

"Oh, Nic…" Sophie wiped her eyes and suddenly wrapped her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly. Her voice was hoarse when she whispered, "I love you too, Nic…"

Nicholas was pleasantly surprised by Sophie's reaction to his love confession. She didn't reject him, didn't laugh, and didn't change the subject.

In fact, she said she loved him too?

This was the happiest day in Nicholas's young life.

"Oh, Sophie… I am so happy to hear this," he gushed. "I have loved you since the first day we met again in Hastings. You are so interesting, smart, passionate, full of life, and brave. I have never met anyone like you and I am so grateful that I could meet you again in here, and we can spend so much time together."

Then, he kissed her lips tenderly. Sophie kissed him back. Both were inexperienced when it came to making out, but after kissing several times before this, they had learned how to make the best out of the kiss, and the rest was instinct.

Their lips locked as they hugged more tightly. Nicholas's tongue slowly ravaged the inside of Sophie's mouth. She felt a jolting pleasure when their tongues met, and instinctively, she returned the favor.

Their tongues twisted and wrestled inside her mouth, while their saliva mixed. This exchange of fluid was like the seal that solidified their love for each other.

Their lips only parted to catch their breath before they continued the passionate kiss. When Sophie let out a soft moan, Nicholas' body suddenly froze… and he ended the kiss abruptly.

Sophie suddenly felt at a loss when Nicholas ended the kiss. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at Nicholas with a confused gaze.

She didn't understand why Nicholas stopped.

Did he not like their kiss? Or...

Did he suddenly realize that they were from different classes and Sophie was not from his level, so now he regretted saying that he loved her?

Was that what happened?

Those thoughts suddenly yanked Sophie down from cloud nine after she was feeling the euphoria from their sweet kisses.

The beautiful woman bit her lip and looked down. She should have known her place. She was just a poor orphan who didn't deserve the love of someone like Nicholas.

The man must have realized now that the kiss was a mistake. So was the love confession.

How dare she said she loved him too? She had no right.

"No, Sophie..." Nicholas, somehow, understood what Sophie must be thinking. She must misunderstand Nicholas's reaction to their passionate kiss just now.

Even though they had not spent too much time together, Nicholas was an observant man and he felt such closeness to Sophie, that he could understand what she was thinking. He could tell she was sad because Nicholas ended the kiss and she thought the man didn't want her.

No, it was actually the opposite. Nicholas wanted her. So badly.

"I love you, Sophie," Nicholas repeated his love confession. "That's true. Please don't misunderstand."

Slowly, Sophie raised her face and looked at Nicholas with her teary eyes.

So, he truly loved her? But...?

There must be a 'but'.

But what?

"No but," Nicholas added, as if reading Sophie's mind. "I love you so much, you have no idea."

"But... why?" Sophie pursed her lips. "Do you not want me anymore? Why did you end the kiss... so abruptly? It was as if you suddenly realize that... that I'm not good enough for you."

Sophie was referring to their difference in status. She knew Nicholas was a young master from a noble family in the capital. Even though Nicholas said he loved her, his parents might want him to find a good woman from another noble family to marry.

"Noone is good enough for me, but you, Sophie," Nicholas said quickly. He touched her cheek and looked deep into her eyes.

"I only want you in this life. I want you so badly that... " He swallowed, "That... I am worried I won't be able to hold back any longer if we continued kissing..."

His words were uttered in a shy expression. Nicholas felt his face heated when he indirectly admitted to Sophie that he was aroused when they kissed and he was worried that he couldn't hold back if he continued.

Sophie's mouth agape when she heard Nicholas' explanation. "Hold back...?"

Nicholas looked away. He was so embarrassed because his mind was imagining so many lewd things he wanted to do to Sophie during their passionate kiss.

He was imagining her naked and he pressed on her body, kissing her all over, while his hands played with her breasts, and then—

Gosh... his face flushed red.

"You are a respectable woman, Sophie. So, I shouldn't have any immoral thoughts about you, but..." Nicholas swallowed. His heart was still pounding uncontrollably. "But I can't help it. I kept thinking about you naked under me and... I am sorry, Sophie. I hope you will forgive me for ending the kiss earlier... I need to get a cold shower."

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From Missrealitybites:

What should Sophie's reaction be to Nicholas's confession? Should we have a snusnu in the next chapter? Choose 1 or 2. XD

1. Yes!

2. Nooo... it's too early.. I would rather wait 300 more chapters before they have sex.