Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 537 Nicholas' POV I took off running from Bella's room, racing down the hallway in long, fast strides. My heart was pounding. Part worry. Part something I didn't want to name. I stopped in front of Gwen's door and knocked lightly. "Miss-" The word died in my throat. I remembered what she'd said earlier. That teasing comment about how calling her "miss" sounded like a fetish. An involuntary smile tugged at my lips. It was just politeness. Nothing more. But obviously, it didn't make much sense to keep up that kind of formality when we were supposedly engaged.

"Gwen?" I called, knocking again. There was total silence. I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly, opening the door just enough to peek inside. "Gwen?" The bedroom was empty. The bed untouched. Her suitcase still open on the chair. But then I heard something coming from the bathroom. Movement. Maybe running water. Thinking about her earlier scream, I worried she might've hurt herself again. Hit her head. Slipped. Anything. I crossed the room quickly toward the bathroom. "Gwen?" I called again, coming up to the half-open door. And then I heard it. Laughter.

Loud, uncontrollable, almost hysterical laughter. The bathroom door was open. I pushed it the rest of the way and found Gwen sitting on the wet floor, completely soaked, laughing like she'd just heard the funniest joke in the world. "Are you okay?" I asked, confused. She didn't stop laughing. Just stayed there, water dripping from her hair and clothes, pooling around her on the floor. 1/4 Bonus I stepped into the bathroom and immediately slipped on the wet tile, grabbing the doorframe to keep from falling myself.

handheld shower was lying in the tub, still spraying water everywhere, soaking half the room. "Shit," I muttered, moving carefully toward the faucets. I turned off the shower control, and the water finally stopped. Not before splashing me too. Cold water soaked my sleeve, my shoulder, part of my chest. I turned back to Gwen. She was trying to calm down now, her laughter fading into shaky little breaths. "Let me help you," I said, holding out my hand. She

pressed together. My chest against hers. One hand still holding hers, the other automatically sliding to her waist to steady her. Her face inches from mine. I could feel her warmth through the soaked fabric. See every detail of those blue eyes staring up at me with an intensity that made my breath hitch. And then my gaze betrayed me. It

The shape of- I swallowed hard and forced my eyes back to her face. Too late. She'd noticed. A small smile curved Gwen's lips, somewhere between playful and seductive. "We should probably get this off," she said, her voice lower now. Huskier. I looked away out of pure instinct,

even processed what was happening. Skilled fingers finding the hem of my shirt and tugging it upward. "Your turn," she said, that same smile still in place. 2/4 "Gwen..." I started, stepping back and holding my shirt down. But she moved with me, closing the distance I'd created. Her hands returned to my shirt, trying to lift it again. "Gwen, no," I said more firmly, backing up another step. She followed. Her fingers caught the wet fabric and pulled, managing to lift it

again. My calf bumped into something. Probably the bathtub. Gwen moved closer, her eyes bright with determination and something darker. Something more intense. "Bella is in the room at the end of the hall," I managed to say, my voice rougher than I meant it to be. "We won't be loud," she replied immediately, like that solved everything. "It's an inn, after