“Is that a yes?”
She barely heard his question over the pounding of her pulse in her ears.
Nick cursed under his breath and glanced over his shoulder.
“It isn’t a no,” she murmured, spreading her fingers, marveling at the sleek skin over the firm muscle.
“Damn! It couldn’t be your sister again, could it?”
She felt his tension in the stiffening of his arms. It took a moment to realize it wasn’t because of what they were doing. The pulse in her ears grew louder, sharper, as if someone were knocking on... She drew in her breath. “Someone’s at the door.”
He swore again and turned to face her. “Of all the times to—”
“Lauren?”
At the hesitant call, Lauren’s blood froze. “Oh, my God.”
Nick snatched her blouse from the counter and thrust it into her hands. “Why the hell didn’t we chain that door?”
Clutching her blouse over her bare breasts, Lauren looked toward the kitchen door. “Nick, you have to hide,” she whispered desperately.
Grasping her by the waist, he helped her down, steadying her as her feet hit the floor. “Too late.”
“No, it’s not. I’ll head her off and—”
The kitchen door swung open. Nick turned around, stepping in front of Lauren to shield her with his body.
Angela moved into the room, her breath hitching on a sob as she dropped her suitcase to the floor and rubbed her eyes. Tears glistened on her cheeks and her chin trembled. “Lauren, I don’t know what to do,” she said, fumbling in her pocket to withdraw a tissue. “We had a terrible fight and...” Her words trailed off as she raised her gaze. The tissue fluttered to the floor. “Good Lord. Lauren?”
Her cheeks burning, her body still throbbing with unfulfilled desire, she closed her eyes and dropped her forehead against Nick’s back.
Chapter 10
It didn’t happen immediately, probably because Angela’s vision was still blurred with tears. For a split second, Nick considered bolting past her before she had a chance to recognize him. But he didn’t move. The harm had probably already been done, and it would be better to deal with this now when they still had an opportunity to control the damage.
And there was another reason he didn’t move, one that had nothing to do with this hoax he was playing. He couldn’t leave Lauren to face this alone. Not like this, not when she was so vulnerable and exposed. If they hadn’t been interrupted...
This wouldn’t have happened if he’d been able to keep his hands off her. He should have heard that knocking at the door earlier. It could have been anyone. What was it about Lauren that made him lose his sense of caution? Was it only their circumstances, a natural consequence of being cooped up together? Was it the same for her?
Nick fought down his frustration and crossed his arms over his chest, watching Angela’s changing expressions, knowing it was only a matter of time.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, taking a step back. “I never should have barged in like this. I never dreamed ... oh, I’m so sorry.”
He heard the soft rustle of silk behind his back and guessed that Lauren was pulling on her blouse. She cleared her throat, but her voice when she spoke was far from steady. “Hello, Angela.”
“I’m sorry,” she repeated again, backing toward the kitchen door.
“You had no way of knowing,” Lauren said, moving to Nick’s side as she fastened her last button.
“No, I...” Angela inhaled shakily, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Oh, Lord, I feel so stupid.”
Nick glanced at Lauren, taking in her tangled hair and her swollen lips. She was struggling hard to regain her usual composure, but it was no use. She looked like a woman who had been long and thoroughly kissed. A surge of protectiveness took him off guard. “Are you all right?” he asked quietly.
She smoothed back her hair, pressing her lips together as she met his gaze. She looked as frustrated as he felt, yet there was something more in her eyes. Confusion. Regret. And a need that wouldn’t be satisfied by merely a quick release.
He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her securely against his side before looking back to Angela. “Could you give us a minute?” he asked.
“Oh, of course. I’ll just go in the other room and...” Her words trailed off. For a moment she didn’t move.
“Angela,” Lauren began, “I think we should—”
“Oh, my God,” she whispered, the shock on her face slowly giving way to recognition. “Oh...my...God. I know who you are. You’re...you’re...him.”
“Angela, please,” Lauren said. “I can explain.”
“You’re the hero, the one from the crash. I saw you on TV.” She pressed her hand to her mouth. “Oh, Lord,” she mumbled, twisting around quickly and heading for the living room.
“Wait,” Lauren called, slipping out of Nick’s embrace to go after her sister. “Angela!”
Nick watched them go, then raked his hands through his hair. He spotted the crumpled lace of Lauren’s bra, still lying on the floor where he’d tossed it. Less than a foot away was the suitcase Angela had dropped. Through the swinging door to the living room came the sound of feminine voices raised in rapid conversation.
Hell, when things started to go wrong, they just didn’t know when to stop.
Lauren sat on the edge of the bed, drawing her legs beneath her as she turned to face her sister. Angela had propped a pillow behind her back and sat cross-legged against the headboard, the same way she had liked to do more than twenty years ago when they’d shared their childhood secrets.
Resolving to be completely honest, Lauren kept her explanation as short as possible. She gave only the barest details of the crime Nick was investigating, and she didn’t reveal Duxbury’s name. By the time she had finished, Lauren was relieved to see that Angela seemed to accept her sister’s participation in Nick’s hoax relatively easily. From the sidelong glances she continued to give her, it was clear that it was the scene she’d interrupted in the kitchen that shocked her the most.
“How long has he been staying here?” Angela asked.
Lauren sighed, pleating the hem of her blouse between her fingers. “A week.”
“A week?” Her curls bounced as she shook her head in disbelief. “You mean he was here when I came over the day after the crash? And last night, during my shower?”
“He went out last night.”
“But how could you do this? What about your job? And if his life is in danger, is it safe for you to be involved?”
She dropped the ends of her blouse and leaned forward to take Angela’s hands in hers. “Don’t worry about my job. This story is going to be worth it. And the danger’s minimal as long as no one knows Nick’s alive. You can’t tell anyone, Angela,” she said firmly. “Please, promise me.”
“Of course, if that’s what you want.”
“I mean it. No one. Not even Eddy.”
At the mention of Eddy’s name, her chin trembled. She pressed her lips together and nodded.
“I’m trusting you, Angela. We’re hoping this won’t go on for much longer, but until Nick can get some firm evidence in his case, we can’t end the hoax.”
“I understand.”
Lauren squeezed her fingers. “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry about ... walking in on you.”
Warmth tingled into her cheeks. “Please, forget it.”
“I simply had no idea....” She shook her head again. “I should have known it would happen sooner or later, though.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You. Meeting a man.”
She dropped her hands and slipped off the bed. “I’d hardly consider going through a plane crash as a good way to meet men.”
“I don’t mean to trivialize what happened, but—”
“Don’t let what you saw give you the wrong idea. Nick and I are working together, that’s all.”
“It’s more than that.”
“Where’s he sleeping?”
Sucking in her breath, she tucked her blouse back into her pants. “On the couch. Let’s drop the subject, all right?”
“I know it’s none of my business, but this is the first time since Harper that you’ve shown any interest in anyone.”
Shown any interest? Lauren thought, glancing down at the way the silk fabric clung revealingly to her breasts. That was putting it mildly. She pulled a light cotton sweater from her closet and slipped it on to preserve what was left of her modesty. “I’d really prefer not to talk about this, Angela.”
She slumped back against the headboard. “Sorry.”
“What happened tonight with Eddy?”
“We had a fight.” She pulled a tissue from the pocket of her skirt and blew her nose. “I thought I could stay with you, but I’ll find a hotel.”
Lauren returned to the side of the bed. Now that Angela’s initial shock was wearing off, her tears were returning. “Oh, Angie, is it that bad?”
“I don’t know. I just needed some time to think.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“It’s not that complicated. I’m just not sure I’m ready to get married.”
Lauren sank down heavily on the edge of the bed, her jaw going slack. Angela? Not wanting to get married? She and Eddy had been engaged for almost a year. They’d bought a house together. They’d been living with each other for the past six months. Of all people, she was the last one Lauren would have expected to get cold feet.
Angela gave a watery laugh that ended on a sob. “Now it’s my turn to shock you.”
“But you two are so...happy together.”
“I love him so much it scares me. All my life, I wanted to belong with someone. Now that I think I’ve found him, I keep remembering what happened to Mom. What happens if he leaves me? What happens if we have kids and he abandons them?”
“Is this about Dad? I thought you understood—”
“Sure, I understand why he left, but it still hurt.”
“He did the best he could, but his job kept him away most of the time even before he divorced Mom. Those two were never meant to be married. They made each other miserable and were happier apart. Are you saying that’s how it is for you and Eddy?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
She hesitated. “All this started over that big band music he listens to. He keeps changing the station on my car radio.”
“Is his different taste in music that important to you?”
“I know it sounds petty, but that’s how it began. One thing led to another and then we were yelling at each other. Oh, Lord,” she mumbled, covering her eyes. “I thought I knew what I wanted.”
Lauren stared at her helplessly. She was scarcely qualified to give advice on problems of the heart. And she was no advocate of marriage, so she certainly wouldn’t try to talk Angela into going back to Eddy.
And she’d never forget how her sister had been there for her when she’d had nowhere else to go.
“Stay here as long as you want, Angela,” she said finally. “It’s a big bed. It’ll be like when we were kids.”
“I don’t think an all-night pajama party is going to solve my problems,” she said on another choked laugh.
“You need to talk. We should have done this earlier.” She leaned forward, handing Angela a fresh tissue. “I’ve just been so wrapped up in my work lately, and then there was the crash and all this business with Nick....” She stopped, realising she was only making excuses. She’d been avoiding Angela the same way she’d been avoiding dealing with her feelings about the wedding. “I’m sorry.”
“Maybe it’s the permanency that’s scaring me. Maybe Eddy and I should forget the whole wedding and go on living together the way we were. We were getting along fine until now.”
“Perhaps you’re just getting overwhelmed by all the wedding details.”
“Do you know what a mess it would be if I backed out at this point?”
“Actually, I know exactly what a mess it would be.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Of course you’d know,” Angela said hurriedly. “I didn’t mean to bring that up.”
“Canceling the ceremony and everything that goes with it is only a matter of a few phone calls.”
“But it’s taken months to plan. Eddy’s parents are flying in from Dallas. Uncle Jim and Aunt Kate said they’d be here by Friday, along with all their kids. It took me weeks to track Dad down, and I don’t even know if I’d be able to contact him to tell him not to come. And as if that weren’t enough, everyone from work is talking about the reception we’ve got planned, and—”
“It still can be stopped,” she said firmly. “Don’t let what other people might think force you into doing something you don’t want to do.”
It sounded so easy, the way she said it. For Angela’s sake, she didn’t mention the rest of what canceling a wedding entailed. She didn’t bring up the humiliation, the awkward explanations or the looks of pity she’d had to endure afterward. She omitted the crushing blow she’d felt to her pride, and how she’d had to accept a large part of the blame for her failure.
She also didn’t mention the six years of self-imposed celibacy that had followed her fiancé’s betrayal. Six years of refusing to let herself get close to another man, doubting her judgment, fearing her own emotional inadequacy too much to free the natural, physical reactions of her body.
But as Nick had said, there was a big difference between marriage and...and what? Fooling around? Enjoying each other?
She drew her lower lip between her teeth, rubbing the tip of her tongue over the still-sensitive flesh. Despite the time that had passed, it felt slightly swollen from the kisses they had shared.
There hadn’t been time to think about what they had done together, or where it had been leading. It was just as well they had been interrupted. If Angela hadn’t pushed open that door when she had...
It isn’t a no. That’s what Lauren had said. She’d been half naked and wanting more. All her caution, all her common sense had simply melted away when his lips had touched hers. No, it had happened sooner than that. All he needed to do was to look at her in that certain way. Or stand close enough for those pheromones of his to short-circuit her reason.
“God, I wish I knew what I wanted,” Angela said on a sob.
Lauren brought her attention back to her sister with a guilty start. “Give yourself more time away from Eddy. You might be able to think more clearly.”
“You’re right. I can never think too clearly whenever he’s around. His idea of solving an argument is to...” She halted, her cheeks going pink. “Well, he makes me forget what I wanted to say.”
Some men have a talent for that, Lauren thought wryly.
As usual, Nick was already up and dressed in his customary T-shirt and jeans by the time Lauren walked into the living room. Morning light bathed his strong features and highlighted his lean body where he was standing beside the window. With one arm braced against the edge of the frame, his body angled so that he wouldn’t be visible from the street, he gulped a mouthful of coffee and glanced at her over his shoulder. “Is your sister calmer now?” he asked.
“Yes, she’s feeling much more herself this morning,” Lauren replied, coming over to stand on the other side of the window.
“Is she going to keep quiet about me?”
“I explained the situation to her, and she said she would.”
“Do you trust her?”
“Of course.”
He drained his coffee and tapped his fingers against the empty mug. “You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. But we don’t have much choice.”
“Who was on the phone?”
“Eddy.” She tipped her head toward the bedroom. “They’re still talking.”
“Is there going to be a wedding?”
> “I don’t know. I think so.”
“My parents used to argue,” he said. “Their fights were legendary in our neighborhood. Mom would lapse into Russian and Dad would answer in Spanish, and they both had enough lung power to vibrate the windowpanes.”
“But you said they had a happy marriage.”
“They did -They were just the kind of people who needed to let off steam every now and then, their way of not letting the little things build up.”
“I see.”
“The way they made up afterward used to vibrate the windowpanes, too,” he said, his mouth curving into a smile. “It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I figured out why.”
“There’s a lot more to marriage than physical compatibility. Angela has some very real, very valid doubts about what she’s getting into.”
His smile faded. “Yeah, I can understand that.”
“She’ll be staying here for a while, at least until she comes to a decision.”
“When I saw the suitcase, I figured that’s what she’d had in mind.”
“We’ll find someway to manage. As I said, she won’t reveal your presence.”
His jaw tensed as he turned his gaze back to the window. “This whole thing is getting too damn complicated.”
There was no disputing that, Lauren thought.
He set down his mug on the windowsill and pushed his hand into the back pocket of his jeans. Seconds later he had withdrawn the bra she had been wearing last night. He looked at it for a moment, then hooked his forefinger through one strap and held it out toward her. “Here,” he said.
She’d told herself she wasn’t going to dwell on what had happened. She’d almost convinced herself that they could continue with business as usual. But at her first sight of that cream-colored lace against his strong fingers, her mouth went dry. “Where...” She cleared her throat. “Where was it?”
On The Way To A Wedding Page 15