The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 258

Holden sighed. He wasn't the type of guy who draped his coat over a woman's shoulders, not unless there was something in it for him.

But then he caught Nova glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. With another sigh, he took off his jacket and went to place it on her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" she asked, once again dodging him.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Yes, but I don't need that from you, Mr. Covington. We should... maintain a professional distance."

The words, dripping with a prim and proper tone, almost made Nova gag.

But Holden clearly enjoyed it. He chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Professional distance? Then why were you looking at me just now, sending all those signals?"

"What signals?" Nova quickly retorted. "I was looking at you because you were staring at me, and I was worried you were going to try something. Your... your cologne is too strong. It's overwhelming. I don't want it."

Though her words made Holden’s face flush, her voice remained soft and gentle. The deadliest cuts are the ones you don't see coming.

"You have no taste. This cologne... is very expensive."

It took Holden a moment to recover before he grumbled his defense.

He put his jacket back on, feeling a little self-conscious. Was his cologne really that strong?

Holden offered to drive Nova home, and she immediately refused. His competitive streak kicked in, and he promised not to lay a finger on her just to get her to agree. Only then did she reluctantly get into his car.

On the way, Holden couldn't stop glancing at Nova. She looked incredible tonight. So incredible that he was starting to feel something.

But if he actually made a move on her, Ramona would have his head. And given Nova's personality, if something did happen between them, it wouldn't be a clean break.

The thought of the trouble it would cause was enough to kill the mood. It seemed this was a fruit he was destined not to taste.

Nova stared out the window, but in the reflection, she could see Holden stealing glances at her.

He had a strong, chiseled jawline, and after a while, she had to admit he was quite handsome. But to her, that face would always be a damned face.

The silence grew, and Holden turned on the music.

When the chorus came on, he started humming along. He had a deep, magnetic voice, almost as good as the original singer. But after he had been singing for a while, Nova showed no reaction at all.

"Nova," Holden finally said.

"Hmm?" she replied without turning around.

"Am I a good singer?"

They were stopped at a red light. Holden rested one hand on the steering wheel and rubbed his nose with the other.

Nova pressed her lips together. The peacock was spreading its feathers.

When they arrived at her place, however, as she unbuckled her seatbelt, Nova turned to Holden and spoke in a soft voice.

"Mr. Covington, about tonight... thank you. Actually, if you weren't always causing trouble and doing bad things, you're quite..."

She trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging. She looked at him, and the car's interior lights dimmed.

Holden leaned in, his eyes tracing the delicate lines of her face, from her beautifully arched brows to her exquisite features, now shrouded in shadow.

"Quite what?"

His voice dropped, his breath warm and close, creating an intimate, alluring atmosphere.

Nova fought back her revulsion and gave a small smile. "Quite... a decent person."

…

Ramona stayed late at Covington Group, not because she was busy, but because she hadn't been able to concentrate all day.

Ethan had called once, but when she told him she was busy, he hadn't pressed the issue, though he sounded a little disappointed. After all, she had promised to take the day off to be with him, a promise she had yet to keep.

Now, seeing that she still wasn't home, Ethan sent her a message. His tone was gentle, subtly asking if she had left the office yet.

Ramona stared at her phone, a heavy feeling in her chest, unsure how to reply. This time, it seemed she was truly angry.