Текст книги "Truly Madly Yours "

Автор книги: Рэйчел Гибсон

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

His soft laughter filled the short distance between them. “It was a challenge, Delaney.

“Ill take your word for it. He took a step toward her, and she held up her hand like a traffic cop. “I dont want to go there with you, Nick. I thought you came up here to look at the note Helen left me.

“I did. He stopped when her palm hit his chest. Cool leather pressed into her hand. “But you make it a real hard to think about anything but your zippers.

“You're a big boy. Try to concentrate. Delaney dropped her hand and moved past him to the refrigerator. “Wanna beer?

“Sure.

She twisted off the tops, then handed him a pumpkin beer shed bought at the microbrewery. He looked at the designer brew as if he didnt quite know what to do with it. “Its really good, she assured him and took a big swallow.

Nick raised the beer to his lips, and his gray eyes watched her over the top of the bottle as he took a drink. He immediately lowered the beer and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “Jesus, Joseph, and Mary thats foul.

“I like it. She smiled and took an extra long swig.

“Do you have any real beer? He set both the bottle and the note on the counter.

“I have a raspberry ale.

He looked at her as if she were suggesting he chop off his testicles. “Got a Bud?

“Nope. But I have a Coke in that bag. She waved her bottle toward the plastic sack then moved past Nick to the living room.

“Where did you find the first note? he called after her.

“In the salon. She switched on a light above the stereo, then moved to a table lamp next to the couch. “Actually, you pointed it out to me.

“When?

“The day you changed my locks. She looked over her shoulder as she pulled the lamps chain. Nick stood in the middle of the room chugging the Coke shed bought at the Value Rite. “Remember?

He lowered the bottle and sucked a brown drop from his bottom lip. “Perfectly.

Unbidden, the memory of his lips pressed to hers and the texture of his warm skin beneath her hands flooded her senses. “I was talking about the note.

“So was I.

No he wasnt. “Why do you think Helen is responsible?

Delaney sat on the couch, carefully making sure her satin skirt didnt slide to her crotch and make her a porno star. “Who else could it be?

He set the Coke on the coffee table and shrugged out of his jacket. “Who else would want you gone?

Delaney couldnt think of anyone besides Nick and his entire family. “You.

He tossed his jacket on the arm of the sofa and looked at her from beneath lowered brows. “Do you really believe that?

Not really. “I dont know.

“If you think I sneak around threatening women, why did you let me in your apartment?

“Could I have stopped you?

“Maybe, but I didnt leave those notes and you know it. He sat next to Delaney and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Hed rolled the sleeves of his chambray shirt up his forearms, and he wore a wristwatch with a worn black band. “Someones real upset with you. Have you given a bad haircut lately?

Her eyes narrowed, and she set her pumpkin beer on the coffee table with a heavy thump. “First of all, Nick, I never give bad haircuts. And second, what do you think, that some infuriated psycho is running around leaving me notes because I trimmed her bangs too short or over processed a perm?

Nick looked across his shoulder at her and laughed. It started low in his chest and grew louder, feeding Delaneys temper. “Why are you so pissed off?

“You insulted me.

He placed an innocent hand on the front of his shirt, pushing the soft fabric to the side and exposing a slice of tan chest. “I did not.

Delaney lifted her gaze to his amused eyes. “You absolutely did.

“Sorry. Then he ruined the apology by adding insult to injury, “Wild thing.

She punched his arm. “Jerk.

Nick grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him. “Has anyone told you that youre a great-looking hooker?

The scent of sandalwood soap and warm skin filled her senses. His strong fingers sent tingling pinpricks up the inside of her arm, and she tried to pull away. He let her go only to grab her boa in both his hands and tug her closer. Her nose bumped his, and she felt herself sucked into his smoky gaze. She opened her mouth meaning to say something stinging and sarcastic, but her brain and voice betrayed her and what came out instead was a breathy, “Gee, thanks, Nick. I bet you say that to all your women of the night.

“Are you my woman for the night? he asked just above her mouth, holding her with nothing more than a string of fluffy pink feathers and his smooth voice.

She didnt think shed said that, or meant that, or something .. . “No. You know we can never be together.

“You should never say never. The feathers brushed across her cheek and neck as he slid one hand to the top edge of her bustier. “Your heart is pounding.

“I have pretty high blood pressure. Her eyelids were heavy and she felt the tip of his tongue touch her bottom lip.

“You were always a really bad liar. Then before Delaney knew quite how it happened, she was in Nicks lap and his mouth was all over hers, in a kiss that started sweet but quickly shattered Delaneys pitiful resistance. He had a hand on the back of her head, the other on the outside of her thigh, caressing her through black hose. His slick tongue stroked hers, urging a hotter, more passionate response, and she gave him a kiss that sent a shudder of raw lust through them. She slid her hands up the sides of his neck and worked the rubber band from his ponytail. The beret fell from his head as she combed her fingers through his cool, fine hair. She felt his fingers drift up her garter to the edge of her skirt, drawing a line of fire that heated the insides of her thighs and flamed the hunger deep in her abdomen. Then his fingers dipped beneath the black lace and elastic and he grasped her bare flesh. She shoved one hand inside the open collar of his shirt and touched his shoulder where he was warm, his muscles hard, but it wasnt enough and she tugged at the buttons until his shirt lay open. He was hard and smooth, his skin hot and slightly damp. Beneath her bottom, his thick erection pressed into her and she squirmed deeper into his lap. His fingers bit into her thigh, and she felt his deep groan beneath her palm.

He moved one hand to her waist, and his strong fingers squeezed her through the thin satin. A moan stuck in the top of her chest as his palm slipped upward, over her breast, to her throat. His knuckles brushed her collarbone and across the edge of her bustier. Then he slid his sensual mouth to her throat and his hand inside the tight satin top. He cupped her bare breast, and Delaney arched, pressing her hard nipple into his hot, hot palm. Her hands moved to his shoulder, and she grasped the soft fabric of his shirt in tight fists.

She ached all over and, with her last shred of sanity whispered, “Nick, we have to stop this.

“We will, he murmured as he pushed the bustier practically to her waist and lowered his head. He brushed his lips across the pink tip of her breast, then sucked it into his mouth, his tongue hot and wet and relentless. His big warm hand slipped between her thighs and he pressed his palm into her sensitive flesh. Through her damp cotton panties, his fingers felt her, and she squeezed her legs together, locking his hand in her crotch. Delaney eyes closed and his name escaped her lips, part moan, part sigh. It was the sound of need and desire. She wanted him to make love to her. She wanted to feel his naked body pressed to her. She had nothing to lose but self-respect. What was a little self-respect compared to a quality orgasm?

Then his mouth was gone and cool air swept across her breast. She forced her eyes open and followed his fiery gaze to her glistening nipple. He slid his hand from her thighs and picked up one end of her boa, slowly brushing it across her sensitive flesh. “Tell me you want me.

“Isnt it obvious?

“Say it anyway. He looked up, his eyes heavy with lust and determination. “Say it. The feathers made another downy pass across her breasts.

Delaney sucked in her breath. “I want you.

His gaze skimmed her face, then settled on her mouth. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and pulled her bustier back in place, covering her breasts once again.

He wasnt going to make love to her. Of course he wasnt. He had a lot more to lose than she did. “Why do we keep doing this? she asked when he lifted his mouth. “I never mean for this to happen with us, but it always does.

“Dont you know?

“I wish I did.

“Unfinished business.

She took a deep breath and leaned against him.

“What are you talking about? Unfinished business.

“That night at Angel Beach. We never got to finish what we started before you ran off.

“Ran off? She felt her brows lower then rise up her forehead. “I didnt have a choice.

“You had a choice and you made it. You left with Henry.

With as much dignity as possible under the circumstances, Delaney removed herself from his lap. Her left shoe was missing and her boa was stuck inside her bustier. “I left because you were using me.

“Exactly when was that? He stood and towered over her. “When you begged me to touch you all over?

Delaney tugged her skirt down. “Shut up.

“Or when my head was between your legs?

“Shut up, Nick. She yanked the boa free. “You were only out to humiliate me.

“Bullshit.

“You used me to get back at Henry.

He rocked back on his heels and his gaze narrowed. “I never used you. I told you not to worry and that Id take care of you, but you looked at me like I was some kind of rapist and left with Henry.

She didnt believe him. “I never looked at you like you were a rapist, and I would have remembered if youd said one nice word. But you didnt.

“Yes I did, only you chose to leave with the old man. And the way I see it, you owe me.

She picked up his jacket from the back of the couch and threw it at him. “I dont owe you anything.

“You better not be around here on June fourth, otherwise Im going take what youve owed me for ten years. He shoved his arms into his jacket and walked to the door. “And paybacks are a real bitch, wild thing.

Delaney stared at the closed door long after she heard his Jeep tear out of the alley. Her body still burned from his touch, and the thought of some sort of sexual payback didnt sound all that unappealing. She turned back toward the room and picked up Nicks txapel from the floor. She raised the beret to her nose. It smelled of leather and wool and Nick.

Chapter Thirteen

“Uncle Nick, did you see that movie on TV the other night about a girl who was kidnapped as a baby and she never knew it until she was like about twenty or something?

Nick stared at his computer screen, going over the budget hed projected on a home on the north shore of the lake. The foundation had been poured before the ground froze, and the roof put on before the snow. The home was close to completion, but the owner had decided on different fixtures throughout, and the finish carpentry was way over budget. Since business was slowing down, Ann Marie and Hilda only worked mornings. He and Sophie were alone in the building.

“Uncle Nick.

“Hmm, what? He deleted several figures, then typed in the new cost.

Sophie took a deep drawn-out breath and sighed, “Youre not listening to me.

He glanced from the screen to his niece, then returned his gaze to his work. “Sure I am, Sophie.

“What did I say?

He added a restocking fee and reached for a calculator on the edge of his desk, but when he glanced at his niece again, his hand stilled. Her big brown eyes looked back at him as if hed stomped her feelings beneath his work boots. “I wasnt listening. He pulled his hand back. “Sorry.

“Can I ask you something?

He figured she hadnt dropped by his office on her way home from school to watch him work. “Sure.

“Okay, what would you do if you liked a girl and she didnt know you liked her. She paused and looked somewhere over the top of his head. “And she liked someone else with really great clothes and blond hair and everybody liked her and she was a cheerleader and everything? She returned her gaze to his. “Would you give up?

Nick was confused. “Do you like a boy who dresses like a cheerleader?

“No! Geez, I like a boy who dates a cheerleader. Shes pretty and popular and has the best body in eighth grade, and Kyle doesnt know Im alive. I want him to notice me, so what should I do?

Nick looked across his desk at his niece, who was all shiny braces and had her mothers Italian eyes that were way too big for her face. She had an enormous red pimple on her forehead that, despite her best efforts, would not remain concealed with the makeup shed slapped on it. Someday Sophia Allegrezza would turn heads, but not today, thank God. She was too young to worry about boys, anyway. “Dont do anything. Youre gorgeous, Sophie.

She rolled her eyes and reached for her backpack sitting on the floor by her chair. “Youre no better help than dad.

“What did Louie say?

“That Im too young to worry about boys.

“Oh. He leaned forward and grabbed her hand. “Well, I would never say that, he lied.

“I know. Thats why I came to talk to you. And its not just Kyle. No boys ever notice me. She dragged her backpack into her lap and slumped in the chair, a lump of misery. “I hate it.

And he hated to see her so unhappy. Hed helped Louie raise Sophie, and she was the only female hed ever felt completely free to show affection and love. The two of them could sit and watch a movie together or play Monopoly, and she never pried into his life or hung on to his neck too tight. “What do you want me to do?

“Tell me what boys like in girls.

“Eighth grade boys? He scratched the side of his jaw and paused to think a moment. He didnt want to lie, yet he didnt want to spoil her innocent illusions, either.

“I thought since you have a lot of girlfriends, you would know.

“A lot of girlfriends? He watched her pull a bottle of green fingernail polish from her backpack. “I dont have a lot of girlfriends. Who told you something like that?

“No one had to tell me. She shrugged. “Gail is a girlfriend.

He hadnt seen Gail since a few weeks before Halloween, and that had been a week ago. “She was just a friend, he said. “And we broke it off last month. Actually, hed broken things off with her and she hadnt been pleased.

“Well, what did you like about her? she asked as she added a coat of green polish over an existing layer of navy blue.

The few things hed liked about Gail, he could hardly tell his thirteen-year-old niece. “She had nice hair.

“Thats it? You would date a girl just because you liked her hair?

Probably not . “Yep.

“Whats your favorite hair color?

Red . Different shades of red all streaked together and tangled up in his fingers. “Brown.

“What else do you like?

Pink lips and pink boas. “A good smile.

Sophie looked up at him and grinned, her mouth filled with metal and mauve rubber bands. “Like this?

“Yep.

“What else?

This time he answered with the truth. “Big brown eyes, and I like a girl who can stand up to me. And, he realized, hed developed an appreciation of sarcasm.

She dipped the brush into the polish and went to work on her other hand. “Do you think girls should call boys?

“Sure. Why not?

“Grandma says girls who call boys are wild. She says you and dad never got into trouble with wild girls because she never let you talk on the phone when they called.

His mother was the only person he know who had the ability to see only what she chose and nothing else. Growing up, both Nick and Louie had found their fair share of trouble without the telephone. Louie had gone on to get a girl pregnant his last year of college. And when a Basque boy got a good Catholic girl pregnant, the result was an inevitable wedding at St. Johns Cathedral. “Your grandmother remembers only what she wants to remember, he told Sophie. “If you want to talk to a boy on the phone, I dont see why you shouldnt, but you better ask your dad first. He watched her blow on her wet nails. “Maybe you should talk to Lisa about all this girl stuff. Shes going to be your stepmom in about a week.

Sophie shook her head. “Id rather talk to you.

“I thought you liked Lisa.

“Shes okay, but I like talking to you better. Besides, she stuck me at the end of the bridesmaid line.

“Probably because youre shortest.

“Maybe. She studied her polish a moment, then looked up. “Do you want me to paint your nails?

“No way. The last time you did that, I forgot to take it off and the clerk at the Gas-n-Go gave me a funny look.

“Pleeaase.

“Forget it, Sophie.

She frowned and carefully screwed the cap back on her polish. “Not only am I last in the line now, I have to stand next to you-know-who.

“Who?

“Her. Sophie pointed to the wall. “Over there.

“Delaney? When she nodded Nick asked her, “Why should that matter?

“You know .

“No. Why dont you tell me.

“Grandma said that girl over there lived with your dad, and he was nice to her and mean to you. And he gave her nice clothes and stuff and you had to wear old jeans.

“I like old jeans. He reached for his pencil and studied Sophies face. Her mouth was pinched at the corners like his mothers whenever she spoke of Delaney. Henry had certainly given Benita reasons for bitterness, but Nick didnt like to see Sophie affected by it. “Whatever happened, or didnt happen, between me and my father, had nothing to do with Delaney.

“You dont hate her?

Hating Delaney had never been his problem. “No, I dont hate her.

“Oh. She stuffed the fingernail polish into her backpack and reached for her coat on the back of her chair. “Will you take me to my orthodontist appointment at the end of the month?

Nick stood and helped her with her coat. Sophies appointment was almost a two-hour drive one way. “Cant your dad take you?

“Hell be on his honeymoon.

“Oh, yeah. Ill take you then.

As he walked her to the door she wrapped one arm around his waist. “Are you sure youre never getting married, Uncle Nick?

“Yes.

“Grandma says you just need to find a nice Catholic girl. Then youll be happy.

“Im already happy.

“Grandma says you need to fall in love with a Basque woman.

“Sounds like youve been spending way too much time talking about me with Grandma.

“Well, Im glad youre never getting married.

He reached up and pulled a hunk of her smooth black hair. “Why?

“ Cause I like having you all to myself.

Nick stood on the sidewalk in front of his office and watch his niece walk down the street. Sophie was spending too much time with his mother. He figured it was only a matter of time before Benita lured her to the dark side, and Sophie began to nag him about marrying a nice “Basque woman, too.

He shoved his hands up to his knuckles in the front pockets his jeans. Louie was the marrying kind. Not Nick. Louies first marriage hadnt lasted more than six years, but his brother had liked being married. Hed liked the comfort of living with a woman. Louie had always known he would remarry. Hed always known he would fall in love, but it had taken him close to eight years after his divorce to find the right woman. Nick didnt doubt that his brother would be happy with Lisa.

The door to Delaneys salon swung open and an old lady with one of those silver-dome hairdos ambled out. As she passed, she stared at him as if she knew he was up to no good. He laughed beneath his breath and lifted his gaze to the window. Through the glass he watched Delaney sweep the floor, then head toward the back with a dustpan. He watched her straight shoulders and back, and the sway of her hips beneath a sweater skirt that clung to her round behind. A heavy ache settled in his groin, and he thought about perfect white breasts and pink feathers. He thought of her big brown eyes, her long lashes, and the lust pulling at her heavy lids, her mouth wet and swollen from his kiss.

I want you , shed said, or rather hed coerced her into saying it like he was some lovesick loser begging her to want him. Never in his life had he demanded a woman tell him she wanted him. He didnt have to. It had never mattered if those words were whispered from a womans soft pink lips. Apparently it did now.

No maybes about it anymore. Henry knew what he was doing when he drew up that will. Hed reminded Nick of just what it felt like to want something he could never have, to ache for something held just beyond his grasp. Something he might touch but never really possess.

A few light snowflakes drifted in front of Nicks face, and he walked back into his office and grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. Some men made the mistake of confusing lust for love. Not Nick. He didnt love Delaney. What he felt for her was worse than love. It was gut-twisting lust, and it was turning him inside out. He was walking around and behaving like a complete asshole with a monster-sized hard-on for a woman who hated him most of the time.

Delaney pushed the tomatoes to one side of her plate, then speared a piece of endive and chicken.

“Hows business? Gwen asked, immediately arousing Delaneys suspicion. Gwen never asked about the salon.

“Pretty good. She looked across the table and stuck the lettuce into her mouth. Her mother was up to something. She never should have agreed to meet for lunch in a restaurant where she couldnt yell without causing a scene. “Why? she asked.

“Helen always does the hair for the Christmas fashion show, but this year I spoke with the other members of the board, and Ive convinced them to let you do the hair. Gwen poked around at her fettuccini, then set her fork aside. “I thought you could use the publicity.

More than likely it was a way for her mother to rope her into serving on some sort of dumb committee. “Just the hair? Thats it?

Gwen reached for her hot tea with lemon. “Well, I thought you could be in the show, too.

There it was. The real reason. Styling hair for the show was a bone. What Gwen really wanted was to parade around in matching mother-daughter lam é like they were twins. There were two rules of the fashion show, the dress or costumes had to be made by hand and had to reflect the season. “You and me together?

“Of course Id be there.

“Dressed alike?

“Similar.

Not a chance. Delaney clearly remembered the year shed been forced to dress as Rudolph. She might not have minded if she hadnt been sixteen. “I couldnt possibly be in the show and do the hair.

“Helen does.

“Im not Helen. She reached for a breadstick. “Ill do the hair, but I want the name of my salon printed in the program and announced at both the start and finish of the show.

Gwen looked a little less than pleased. “Ill have someone on the board get hold of you.

“Great. When is the show?

“During the Winter Festival. Its always the third Saturday, a few days before the ice sculpture contest. She set her cup back on the saucer and sighed. “Remember when Henry was mayor and we used walk beside him and help with the judging?

Of course she remembered. Each December businesses in Truly made huge snow sculptures in Larkspur Park, drawing tourists for hundreds of miles. Delaney remembered her frozen cheeks and nose, and her big fluffy coat and furry hat as she walked beside Henry and her mother. She remembered the crisp smell of ice and winter and the feel of hot chocolate warming her hands.

“Remember the year he let you choose the winner?

Shed probably been twelve, and shed chosen Quality Meats and Poultrys fifteen-foot Lamb Chop. Delaney took another stab at her salad. Shed forgotten about Lamb Chop.

“I need to talk to you about Christmas, Gwen said.

Delaney assumed she would spend it at her mothers, complete with a real tree, shiny presents, eggnog, chestnuts roasting on an open fire. The whole bit.

“Max and I are leaving on a Caribbean cruise on the twentieth, the day after the Winter Festival starts.

“What? She carefully set her fork back on her plate. “I didnt know the two of you were that serious.

“Max and I are getting close, and he suggested a warm vacation to find out just how strongly we feel for each other.

Gwen had been a widow for all of six months and already had a serious boyfriend. Delaney couldnt remember the last time shed had a serious date . Suddenly she felt real pathetic, like an old spinster cat lady.

“I thought you and I could celebrate Christmas when I get back.

“Okay. She hadnt realized how much she might have enjoyed a Christmas at home until she no longer had the option. Well, spending the holidays alone was nothing she hadnt done before.

“And now that it has begun to snow, you should park your little car in my garage and drive Henrys Cadillac.

Delaney waited to hear the conditions, like shed have to spend the night on weekends, attend a council meeting of some sort, or wear practical pumps. When Gwen didnt elaborate, and reached for her fork instead, Delaney asked, “Whats the catch?

“Why are you so suspicious all the time? I just want you to be safe this winter.

“Oh. It had been years since shed driven in the snow, and she found it wasnt like riding a bike. Shed forgotten how. Shed much rather slide through stop signs in Henrys big silver car rather than her Miata. “Thanks, Ill pick it up tomorrow.

After lunch, she took the rest of the day off and drove to Lisas to drop off some books on braids and pick up her bridesmaid dress. The red stretch velvet dress was the color of wine in one light but changed to a deep burgundy in another. It was beautiful, and if it hadnt been for Delaneys hair, it would have looked great on her, but so many different shades of red all on one person made her look like a Picasso. She ran a hand over her stomach, smoothing the cool material beneath her palm.

“I didnt think about your hair, Lisa admitted as she stood back and viewed Delaney in her bedroom mirror. “Maybe you could wear one of those big straw hats.

“Not a chance. She tilted her head to the side and studied her reflection. “I could always go back to my natural color.

“What is your natural color?

“Im not really sure anymore. When I retouch my roots, its sort of a warm blond.

“Can you change it back without having your hair fall out?

Delaney put her hands on her hips and turned to face her friend. “What is wrong with you people in this town? Of course I can remove the tint without my hair falling out. I know what Im doing. Ive been doing this for years. As she spoke, the volume of her voice rose. “Im not Helen. I dont give bad cuts!

“Geez, I just asked.

“Yeah, you and everyone else. She unzipped the back of the dress and stepped out of it.

“Who else?

The image of Nick sitting on her couch popped into her head. His hot mouth on hers. His fingers pressed into her thigh. She wished she could hate him for making her want him, for making her tell him that she wanted him, then leaving her alone to dream about him all night. But she couldnt hate him, and she was so confused about what happened that she didnt want to talk about it with anyone until she figured it out. Not even with Lisa. She laid the dress on the plaid quilt covering Lisas bed then stepped into a pair of jeans. “Never mind. Its not important.

“What? Is your mother still bugging you about being a stylist?

“No, in fact she asked me to style hair for the Christmas fashion show. Delaney looked up from the button on her pants. “She thought she could trick me and get me to do that mother-daughter thing I had to do when I was growing up.

Lisa laughed. “Remember that gold lam é dress with the big sash and that bow on the back?

“How could I forget. She pulled an angora sweater over her head then sat on the edge of the bed and shoved her feet into her Doc Martens. “And then my mother is going on a Caribbean cruise over Christmas with Max Harrison.

“Your mother and Max? Lisa sat next to Delaney. “Thats weird. I cant picture your mother with anyone but Henry.

“I think Max is good for her. She tied one boot, then worked on the other. “Anyway, this is the first time Ive been home for ten Christmases, and she leaves. Thats pretty typical, when I think about it.

“You can come to my house. Ill be living with Louie and Sophie, and well have Christmas there.

Delaney stood and reached for her dress. “I can just see myself breaking bread with the Allegrezzas.

“Youll be breaking bread with us at my wedding dinner.

Apprehension settled in Delaneys stomach as she slowly put the dress on the hanger. “Its a buffet, right?

“No. Its a sit-down dinner at the Lake Shore Hotel.

“I thought the dinner was after the rehearsal.

“No, thats the buffet.

“How many people will be at this dinner?

“Seventy-five.

Delaney relaxed. With so many guests, it would be quite easy to avoid certain members of Louies family. “Well, dont seat me by Benita. Shell probably stab me with her butter knife. And Nick? He was so unpredictable, she couldnt guess what he might do.

“Shes not that bad.

“Not to you. Delaney gathered her coat and headed outside.

“Think about Christmas, Lisa called after her.

“Okay, she promised just before she drove away, but there wasnt even a remote chance she would sit across the table from Nick. What a nightmare. Shed have to spend the entire time trying not to get drawn in by him, looking anywhere but his eyes and mouth and hands. You better not be around here on June fourth, otherwise Im going to take what youve owed me for ten years .

She didnt owe him anything. Hed used her to get back at Henry, and they both knew it. Exactly when was that? When you begged me to touch you all over ? She hadnt begged him. More like asked. And shed been young and naive.

Delaney pulled her little car next to Nicks Jeep and bolted up the stairs. She wasnt prepared to see him. Each time she thought of his mouth on her breast and his hand between her thighs, her cheeks got hot. She would have had sex with him right there on her couch, no doubt about it. All he had to do was look at her and he sucked her in like a Hoover. All he had to do was touch her and she wanted to suck him like a Hoover. He had the ability to make her forget who he was. Who she was, and their past together. I told you not to worry and that Id take care of you, but you looked at me like I was some kind of rapist and left with Henry . She didnt really believe him now any more than she had the other night. He had to be lying. But why would he lie? It wasnt like hed been trying to sweet-talk her out of her clothes. Shed pretty much abandoned all modesty by that point.