Chapter 2 Waking Up in the Wrong Arms

I woke up with a heavy feeling in my chest, like something was pressing down on me. My eyes were still half-closed as I moved my hand, trying to make sense of what was going on.

And then-I froze.

This wasn't a thing. This was a person.

I opened my eyes fully and found Nolan's face just inches from mine. His breath was warm, softly brushing against my cheek. His body-God, his whole body-was lying on top of me. Completely. One of his muscular arms was wrapped around my waist, and one of his legs was draped over mine.

I was trapped.

Crap.

I tried to move, but it was useless. When I shifted, Nolan mumbled something in a deep, groggy voice.

"Stop moving, Kelly."

I froze again. "Nolan, wake up."

No response. Instead, he pulled me even closer, his face pressing into the side of my neck. I could feel his warm, steady breathing.

Okay. This is bad.

"Nolan, let me go," I whispered, trying to stay calm.

He muttered something in Italian-I had no idea what it meant, but he didn't sound like he cared.

I huffed and tried to gather some courage. "If you don't wake up right now, I swear I'll-"

"Swear you'll what?"

Damn it. He was awake.

His deep voice was clear now, and-wait-was he smiling?

I turned my head slightly. Yep. There it was. That smug, victorious little smile.

Heat rushed to my cheeks. "Nolan, move."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why? You look pretty comfortable."

I almost wanted to bang my head against the wall. "Nolan."

He stared at me for a long moment. Then, finally-and very slowly, like he was doing it on purpose-he pulled his arm away. But before I could move, he leaned in and whispered in my ear:

"You slept really well in my arms, Kelly."

A shiver ran down my spine. Jerk.

I quickly rolled out of bed and away from him. I rubbed my face, trying to calm down and pull myself together.

Behind me, I heard Nolan chuckling softly.

He yawned and stretched like he'd just had the best sleep of his life. To him, this was just a regular morning.

Meanwhile, my heart was still racing from what just happened.

He glanced at me, then casually got out of bed and headed to his closet like nothing had happened. "I'm hungry," he said flatly as he started going through his shirts. "You want something to eat?"

I stared at him in disbelief. Food? Seriously? After that?

I pulled my robe tighter around me and tried to keep my face calm. "How can you be so relaxed right now?"

Nolan glanced at me briefly, his expression unreadable. "Why shouldn't I be?"

I blinked. Why shouldn't he be?

God, this man.

I let out a frustrated breath. "Just now-" I stopped myself. I didn't even want to go over it again. "Don't act like you don't know what just happened, Nolan."

He gave a small smirk and slid his hands into the pockets of his pajama pants.

"I'm not pretending. You're just overreacting."

I almost choked on air. Overreacting?!

"You were on top of me, Nolan."

He shrugged. "And you're still alive."

I seriously wanted to throw something at his head.

He didn't feel guilty. He wasn't embarrassed. He didn't feel anything.

That's what drove me crazy.

I thought maybe-after something like that-he'd at least feel a little awkward, or maybe annoyed, or something. But no. For Nolan, it was probably the same as waking up with a pillow on his face.

I bit my lip, trying to figure this guy out.

"I'm heading downstairs for breakfast," he said before walking out, leaving me standing there alone.

I stared at the closed door, then flopped back down on the bed.

Eventually, I made my way to the bathroom, splashed water on my face, and looked in the mirror. My eyes were still a bit sleepy, my hair a mess-but otherwise, I looked normal. Like nothing had even happened.

Maybe that's just how he operates-by ignoring everything, treating every situation like a game.

I clenched my fists and started getting ready. I didn't want to look like someone who had just lost.

Once I was dressed, I walked out of the room and headed downstairs to the dining room.

I sat at the table, eating a piece of bread without actually feeling hungry. Across from me, Nolan was sipping his coffee calmly, as if nothing had happened earlier.

I glanced at him. He was reading the newspaper, looking completely focused. Like there was nothing strange about waking up practically lying on top of me.

Unbelievable.

I set my spoon down with a little too much force, making a sharp clink. He looked up.

"Something wrong?" he asked casually.

I crossed my arms. "So you're really going to pretend nothing happened?"

Nolan raised an eyebrow. "I'm not pretending."

I let out a short, dry laugh. "Oh really? You think waking up on top of someone is totally normal?"

He shrugged. "You're still alive."

That answer again. I wanted to throw something at him.

I leaned forward across the table, glaring at him. "Listen. I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing, but I'm not some piece you can just move around whenever you want."

Nolan slowly folded the newspaper and leaned back in his chair. His expression darkened slightly, though there was a spark of interest in his eyes.

"You think this is a game?" he asked quietly.

I smirked. "Isn't that what you're doing? Treating people like toys?"

He stared at me for a long moment, then gave a small smile. "And you think you can win?"

I lifted my chin. "I don't have to win. I just won't lose."

Silence.

Then he laughed-not mockingly, not in a mean way. It was more like... amusement.

"Interesting," he murmured, taking another sip of his coffee.

I gritted my teeth. That wasn't the reaction I wanted. I had hoped to see him flustered, annoyed, something. But instead, Nolan just seemed more entertained.

He set down his cup and leaned back again. "Alright then. Let's see how long you last, Kelly."

At that moment, I realized-I'd just lit a fire that might end up burning me.

After our little face-off at the table, Nolan stood up, calmly straightening his jacket. His face was relaxed-almost bored.

"I have a meeting," he said simply.

I leaned back in my chair. "A meeting? What, planning to pin someone else to a bed this morning?"

He turned his head slightly, flashing that smug smile. "I could... if you want."

I nearly threw the butter knife at him.

Without waiting for a reply, Nolan walked toward the door. He paused for a second. "Try not to miss me too much."

I shot him a glare. "Trust me, I'll be celebrating your absence."

He chuckled and left, leaving me alone with a head full of thoughts.

I thought he was headed to some dark, shady mafia hideout-full of guns and criminals. But instead, he walked into a sleek office building where he was listed as the CEO.

"Piquete Company," I muttered, staring at the tall skyscraper on my phone screen.

So this is his cover?

On paper, Nolan Piquete was a successful businessman, running companies in import-export, real estate, and investments. But behind the scenes... he was running an illegal weapons operation.

I rubbed my face. My life had turned into a crime novel.

While I sat in the living room, a servant came over and placed a cup of tea on the table. "Miss Kelly, is there anything else you need?"

I looked up. "I want to go out."

She looked unsure. "I'm sorry, but Mr. Nolan gave strict orders for you to stay inside the mansion."

Of course. How convenient.

I grabbed my phone, trying to dig up more information on Nolan's company. And the more I read, the more I realized-Nolan's world had two sides.

By day, he was a polished CEO admired by the media. But by night... he was a monster ruling the criminal underworld.

And me? I was stuck right in the middle.