by Judy Duarte
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.” She blew out a shaky little breath. “I had a nightmare.”
Talking about the past had probably triggered it.
Nick felt a bit guilty for prodding her to reveal those memories, for his part in creating the demons that plagued her sleep. Lord knew he’d had his own share of night demons.
If he was lucky, he had a woman beside him, because sex usually took his mind off his troubles—at least momentarily. But he wasn’t about to suggest that to Hailey.
Still, the thought seemed to hang in the air. But he wouldn’t go there. Not without a push.
Her eyes scanned the length of him, halting when she reached his waist.
Oh, cripes. He was only wearing his shorts. Now what? Did he turn around, go back into the living room and grab his pants? Or ignore the fact he was practically naked. And damn-near-fully aroused.
Maybe he should act like comforting distressed women was no big deal. Just all in a night’s work.
His feet seemed rooted to the hardwood floor, but a streak of decency commanded his voice. “I, uh…had a gut reaction to your scream. I didn’t take time to put on my pants.”
“It’s all right,” she said. “I’m sorry for scaring you.”
Yeah, she’d scared him. Initially. But now his blood-pumping reaction was caused by the sight of her sitting in the midst of a rumpled bed, a whisper of white satin draped over nipples that seemed more pronounced as the seconds ticked.
Nick had always been partial to those satiny fabrics on women. He liked the way slinky material slipped through his hands, slid along the skin. His heart pounded like a runaway steam engine, even though there was no longer a chance of physical threat.
And there was only one place his blood seemed to be coursing. Could she see his erection? Sense the sexual awareness that zapped through the room like a Fourth of July fireworks display?
Hoping to dispel the star-spangled, sensual aura, he said, “I thought someone broke in.”
“I’m okay.”
Yeah, well he wasn’t.
Shoot. The initial adrenaline rush from her scream had long since been replaced by an unwelcome case of desire.
“I’m sorry for waking you. Will you be able to go back to sleep?” she asked.
“I doubt it.” But not because of the adrenaline. Testosterone was a bigger problem right now. Of course, he wasn’t going to let his hormones take over. He and Hailey were both adults. They didn’t need to act on their desire. Or acknowledge it.
“Want to talk for a while? To get your mind off the nightmare?” Nick asked, trying to be a nice guy, even though he didn’t feel like much of one right now.
She nodded, then scooted over, making room for him. “Yes, I’d like that. Thanks.”
The mattress sank, as he sat on the edge of the bed. In an effort to give himself something decent to do, he flipped the switch of the bedside lamp, but nothing happened. “Electricity is still off.”
Hailey ran a hand through the strands of her hair. “I’ve got plenty of candles. Do you want more light?”
Heck, no. He liked the soft, sexy glow of the candle burning by her bedside. But the candlelight, among other things, was doing a real number on the nice-guy persona he was trying to tap into. More light would be better, he supposed. But maybe he should toss the decision back in her lap. “Whatever you’re comfortable with is fine with me.”
He’d better think of something else to chase the desire away. Something to get his mind off white-satin-draped breasts and nipples begging to be touched. Something to get his mind off a demanding erection.
“I haven’t had that dream in a long time,” she said. “But it always leaves me feeling frightened and alone. I can’t explain it.”
“You’ve had it before?”
She nodded. “And it’s always the same scenario. I’m a kid. The sun is going down, and the house is getting dark. I can’t find my mom. Then the wild dogs or coyotes start howling until they shriek like banshees. And then something starts scratching at the door.”
He suspected she was still dealing with feeling abandoned, but what the hell did he know about dreams and their meanings?
“You’re safe, honey.” He placed a hand on her jaw, and his thumb caressed her cheek. “It was just a dream.”
She leaned into him, and in a move that seemed perfectly natural, he wrapped an arm around her and gave her a comforting hug.
Hailey slipped easily into Nick’s embrace and rested her face against his lightly bristled cheek. She inhaled the scent of man and musk, relished the feel of her breasts against his chest, the beat of his heart against hers.
Never had she felt so safe, so alive. So aware of herself as a woman.
As wrong as this might be, she held him close so he couldn’t release her before she’d had enough time in his arms.
Enough time for what?
Her body wasn’t craving comfort any longer, but something more. Something a school librarian concerned about her reputation had no business thinking about.
But maybe she shouldn’t think. Maybe she should only enjoy the feel of the handsome man in her arms.
The memory of the hot kiss they’d shared earlier in the evening came crashing to the forefront. The kiss that had set her blood boiling and her body yearning for fulfillment.
Maybe she needed to forget about the little girl who’d been left alone, the organized woman dead-set on landing the perfect husband, the school librarian who wouldn’t dream of inviting a strange man into her home or her bedroom.
Unable to help herself, she nuzzled his cheek, placed a kiss along his jaw. Heaven help her, she wanted more than comfort. A lot more.
Nick moaned, as though struggling with his own thoughts and feelings, fighting his own temptation, then turned and caught her lips with his.
He slid his tongue inside her mouth, kissing her like she’d never been kissed before, promising something she’d never experienced and wasn’t likely to ever have again.
The kiss deepened, and raw need took over. Hands explored, stroked, caressed. Breaths mingled, and heat exploded in a sexual rush.
If Hailey had any reservations about making love with a man she would never see again, her apprehension quickly dissipated in the sexually charged room. She’d never been so fully aroused or felt so wanting.
Never had a lover made her feel so powerful, so special. So desired.
She was unable—and unwilling—to stop the runaway passion, the mind-robbing assault of her senses.
There was no turning back. She lifted her night-gown and slipped it over her head, to allow more skin-to-skin contact, to feel Nick’s flesh against hers. She wanted him. Badly. And nothing else seemed to matter.
He loved her with his hands, his mouth. Slowly, as though savoring each touch, each kiss, each flick of the tongue, he drove her wild with need.
And when he finally entered her, she was lost in a storm of overwhelming desire and hunger. She arched to meet each thrust, until they reached a mind-shattering, body-shuddering climax.
As the last wave of pleasure passed, they both lay still, quietly hanging on to each other as though afraid to move, to break the tenuous connection between them.
As Nick held Hailey in his arms, still amazed at the climax they’d shared, his mind began to clear. And he realized how careless they’d been.
Where were those damn condoms she’d bought?
He rolled to the side, taking her with him. “I…uh…we forgot to use any protection.”
Her eyes widened, as though her brains had left town, too. “It’s in the drawer.”
“Yeah, well they’re not going to do us any good in there.” A heavy sense of guilt washed over him. Why hadn’t he been more thoughtful? More responsible?
Because he hadn’t been thinking about anything other than how much he wanted to have sex with Hailey. About how damn good it felt to run his hands along her skin, to kiss her, to bury himself deep within h
er.
But his brain was finally starting to kick in. And so was his conscience. “I hope we didn’t make a big mistake.”
“I think it will be okay,” she said. “I’m due to start…well, you know. I just bought the condoms to be on the safe side. I don’t normally do this—”
“I don’t normally do this without being careful.” Nick didn’t want to ponder how stupid he’d been. “Do you want me to go back to the living room now?”
“Not unless you really want to. But if you wouldn’t mind staying the rest of the night, or at least until I fall asleep, it wouldn’t feel like a…”
Her words trailed off, but he knew what she meant. If he held her during the night, it wouldn’t feel like a one-night stand, even though that’s exactly what it had been.
“Long-distance relationships don’t work very well,” he said to make her feel better about what they’d done. But the fact was Nick wasn’t too good at making a relationship work, no matter where a woman lived.
He kissed her cheek and held her close, which, for some crazy reason, felt like the right thing to do. Maybe the gesture would make up for not using his head before letting his libido take over.
Hopefully, the best sex he’d ever had wouldn’t come back to haunt him later.
One way or another.
Nick, who didn’t normally have any qualms about having sex without a commitment, had just made love to Harry’s daughter, a woman he’d meant to befriend. A nester who wanted more out of life than he was prepared to offer anyone.
And as Hailey snuggled against him for the rest of the night, regret settled in for a long winter’s stay.
Hailey woke to sunlight pouring through her window and the sound of her doorbell, but when she tried to throw off the white, goose-down comforter and climb from bed, an arm and a broad shoulder held her down.
Nick.
She’d asked him to sleep with her. And apparently he’d taken her up on the offer. Slipping out from under him, she climbed from the bed, snagged her robe from the closet, stepped into a pair of slippers and padded down the hall to the front door.
Her mouth nearly dropped to the floor when she spotted Steven on her front porch. He was bundled in a red parka with a hood, a bright-yellow muffler, blue mittens and a pair of black galoshes. A bit on the chubby side, anyway, the rosy-cheeked accountant looked like one of those blowup balloon figures used in the Macy’s parade.
She pulled the edges of her robe together at the neck, trying to hide the fact she wore nothing underneath. “Hi, Steven.”
“Roads cleared earlier this morning,” he said, offering her a shy smile.
“Good.” She looked over her shoulder, hoping that Nick didn’t come wandering down the hall.
“You got company?” Steven nodded toward the snow-covered rental car in her drive.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Well, I won’t keep you, then. Looks like I woke you up.” He glanced at his watch. “Nearly noon. I thought you were an early bird.”
“I didn’t sleep well,” she said, although she’d slept great, once Nick had joined her in bed.
“Just wanted to let you know that I was sorry about not making it last night. I’d stayed late at the office, trying to finish an audit I was preparing for a firm.”
“I understand,” Hailey said, wanting to rush him off before Nick sauntered into the room and complicated things.
“I got to visit my mother, though.” Steven flashed her a grin. “She lives in Mankato, and since I couldn’t make it home, I stayed there. Mom invited the gal who lives next door over for the evening. And we all ate popcorn and watched a movie.”
Under normal circumstances, Hailey might have asked about the “gal” who lived next door, gotten an age or description of her. But right now, it didn’t seem to matter whether Steven’s mother was doing a bit of matchmaking or not.
Hailey’s relationship with her neighbor—what there was of one—had hit a brick wall. At least for the time being.
Hailey wouldn’t be asking Steven to dinner again anytime soon. Switching gears—or men—didn’t come that easy to her. And even if it did, something told her poor Steven would pale in comparison to Nick Granger.
“I’m glad you had a nice evening,” she told the accountant. “Maybe you and I can try dinner another night.”
“Okay.” Steven adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “Let me know when. You’re a good cook.”
“Thanks.” Hailey didn’t wait for him to step off the porch before closing the door.
Why did she feel guilty? It’s not as though she and Steven had more than a neighborly relationship at this point. He’d never even kissed her, although she suspected he’d wanted to. Once.
But she felt like a cheat, just the same.
By giving herself to a stranger, she’d cheated herself. Cheated herself of the dreams she had, the plans to have a stable family and loving husband.
And Nick wasn’t merely a stranger. He lived clear across the country from her. And worse, he was a cop. There wasn’t anything about him that made for a stable relationship.
Other than the best sex she’d ever had.
She’d told Nick not to worry about forgetting to use the condoms. And she was due to start her period. But as a woman who always prepared for the unexpected, pregnancy weighed heavily on her mind. How could she have been so caught up in the heat of the moment that she’d neglected to use birth control?
“Who was at the door?” Nick asked from the hall.
She turned to face him, saw him wearing only a towel—another reminder of the intimacy they’d shared. “No one in particular.”
Now why had she lied? Why not just tell him it was her neighbor?
Because Nick knew exactly what she’d planned for last night—a premeditated sexual romp with Steven. And she didn’t want to bring up the subject, didn’t want to even think about it.
“Did Steven say the roads were clear?”
So, Nick knew—or assumed, with his cop’s intuition—who she’d been talking to.
She crossed her arms and leaned her weight on one foot. “How long have you been listening?”
He shrugged and slid her a Brando smile. “Not long.”
“I guess you’ll be leaving, then.” She tried to conjure a smile, tried to ignore the memory of hot sex that lingered in the air. Tried to distance herself from the man who’d taken her to a place she’d never been before last night.
“I’d like to shower first.” He raked a hand through sleep-tousled hair. “And talk to you about a few things.”
About the future? she wondered.
What future? Whatever they’d shared was over. Done. Gone with the storm that ended as quickly as it had struck.
Hailey hoped Nick wasn’t trying to make this into more than it was. She was a big girl and knew better than to pin her dreams on one passion-filled night. There was so much more to life than that. So much more to her hopes and plans. “You don’t need to talk to me about anything, Detective.”
“Yes, I do.” He snatched his pants from the chair he’d draped them over last night. “After I take a shower.”
Nick had meant to talk to Hailey as soon as he dressed, but she insisted on showering after him. As it was, he’d finished two cups of coffee while waiting for her to join him.
It was just as well, he suspected. Figuring out how to tell her about Harry was going to be tough, especially since making love had really complicated things.
He glanced at his watch. What took women so damn long in there?
Ten minutes later Hailey strode into the kitchen looking like a morning-after dream come true.
She’d clipped her hair into a twist of some kind. Her cheeks bore a natural color, but she’d applied a light coat of lipstick. Even dressed casually in a pair of faded jeans and an oversize white sweatshirt, he found her prettier than he had last night.
“Coffee?” he asked, while leaning against the counter.
“I�
�ll get it.”
As she poured a cup of the brew and doctored it with sugar and cream, Nick tried to find the right words to broach the subject he’d put off too damn long.
“Remember when I told you that I came to Minnesota looking for someone?”
She nodded, then removed the spoon from her cup, took a sip and studied him over the rim.
“Harry Logan is a good friend of mine.”
Her mouth dropped, and the coffee splashed as she set the cup on the countertop. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Harry said you’d hung up on him when he called you a week or so ago. And I figured you had your own side of the story. I was afraid you’d throw me out before I got a chance to speak on his behalf.”
“Don’t waste your time, Detective.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. “I have no intention of having a relationship with Harry Logan.”
“I understand that. If I were you, I’d be mad, too.”
“Oh, yeah?” she asked, voice raising. “I’ve got plenty of anger to spread around. If you think last night worked in your favor—”
Nick stepped across the kitchen and took hold of her arm, clutching just tightly enough to make a point. “Now just one minute. Let’s get something clear, honey. Last night happened because we were both too damned hot for each other. If I’d had the ability to think clearly, we wouldn’t have forgotten the condoms.”
Her gaze lanced his, and she swallowed hard. Even this morning, with voices raised and emotions ripped apart, the sexual chemistry was still there, ready to explode.
He released her—with reluctance. “Last night, as good as it was, had absolutely nothing to do with any of this.”
She opened her mouth to speak, as though she intended to argue, to put up a fight. About what, he couldn’t be sure. Then she clamped her lips tight.
The truth of their powerful attraction, he supposed, left little to dispute.
“I’d like you to come to San Diego with me,” he said. “Can you take some time off work?”
“No, Detective Granger. I’m not going anywhere. I have to work on Monday and won’t get any time off until Christmas break. But I don’t intend to waste my vacation on Harry Logan.”