“I’ve got one hidden in the back just for you,” she said with a wink as she ruffled Tony’s hair. Nick glanced over to check Dana’s reaction to Carla’s determinedly provocative display of affection. He and Carla had gone through school together. There was nothing between them—not now, not ever. But from the look on Dana’s face, he doubted she’d believe it.
As soon as Carla had gone back to the kitchen, Dana commented, “Interesting woman.”
“She and Dad are old friends,” Tony offered innocently.
“I’ll bet.”
Nick chuckled. “Her husband’s a friend of mine, too. Jack has the size and temperament of a tanker. Carla just loves to flirt outrageously with all her male customers. She says it keeps Jack on his toes.”
She grinned back. “I don’t doubt it for a minute. She’s very convincing.”
Nick feigned astonishment and leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Don’t tell me you were jealous?”
“Of course not,” she denied heatedly.
But from that moment on, to Nick’s dismay the evening went from bad to worse. Rather than the natural, somewhat aggrieved banter he’d come to expect, Dana was making an effort to be polite and pleasant. Her laughter was strained and all too often her attention seemed to wander to a place where Nick couldn’t follow. Only with Tony was she completely at ease. A lesser man’s ego might have been shattered, but Dana’s behavior merely perplexed Nick.
Even in the small, friendly crowd at bingo, Dana seemed alienated and nervous, as though torn between wanting to make a good impression and a desire to retreat. Somehow he knew she suffered from more than shyness, but he couldn’t imagine what the problem was.
When he could stand the awkwardness no longer, he suggested they take a walk. Dana glanced up from her bingo card in surprise. They were in the middle of a game and she had four of five spaces for a diagonal win.
“Now?” she said.
“Sure. I need some air.” He saw her gaze go immediately to Tony, so he said, “You’ll be okay here for a few minutes, won’t you, son?”
“Sure, Dad. I’ll play your cards for you.” He looked as though he could hardly wait to get a shot at Dana’s.
With obvious reluctance Dana got to her feet and followed him outside. There was the clean scent of rain in the air. Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.
“Seems like there’s a storm brewing,” he said, as they strolled side by side until the sounds from the fire station became a distant murmur.
“It is April, after all,” she replied.
The inconsequential conversation suddenly grated across his nerves. Nick was a direct man. Too direct for politics, some said. He had a feeling that’s what they’d be saying if they could see him now, but he couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself another second.
“What’s troubling you, Dana? You’ve been jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof all night.”
“Sorry.”
He felt an unfamiliar urge to shake her until the truth rattled loose. In fact, he reached for her shoulders but restrained himself at the last instant, stunned by what he’d been about to do. No woman had ever driven him to such conflicting feelings of helplessness and rage before. “Dammit, I don’t want you to apologize. I want to help. Did I do something to upset you?”
Astonishment registered in her brown eyes before she could conceal it. “Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just the way you went all silent after I teased you about being jealous back at Gracie’s. You haven’t said more than two words at a time since then except to Tony.”
“Jealousy is a very negative emotion,” she responded slowly, her expression distant again. “It’s not something I like to joke about.”
“I take it you’ve had some experience.”
She nodded, but it was clear no personal confidences would be forthcoming. She had that closed look in her eyes, and it tore at him to see anyone hurting and seemingly so alone. The depth of his protectiveness startled him. It hinted of the sweet and abiding passion he’d felt only once before, with Ginny, whom he’d known all his life and who had hidden a gentle heart behind a determinedly tough tomboy facade. She’d accepted his protection only at the end, when cancer had riddled her body with pain.
Somehow he knew that Dana would be just as unwilling to permit him to take up her battles. Despite her vulnerability she had a resilience that he admired. He had been intrigued by her even before they’d met, because of her kindness to Tony. It had been uncalculated giving, unlike so many attempts he’d seen by single women to reach him through his son. Tony had sung her praises for days before Nick decided to meet her for himself. Her leaky roof had been no more than an excuse at first. Now he wondered if it might be the only link she would permit.
Suddenly Nick realized that Dana was shivering. He hadn’t noticed that the wind had picked up and that the air had cooled considerably as the storm blew in. He also hadn’t realized just how far they’d walked while he tried to sort out his thoughts.
“You’re cold,” he said. “Let’s go back.”
“Would you mind terribly if we just got Tony and left?”
Nick sighed. “I hope it’s not because I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth again.”
“No. It’s just that it’s getting late and I really am tired.”
Nick studied her face closely. He wanted to trace the shadows under her eyes, run his fingers along the delicate curve of her jaw, but he held back from that as cautiously as he’d kept himself from that more violent urge.
“Fine,” he said eventually. “I’ll get Tony.”
The storm began with a lashing fury as he walked Dana back to the car. Nick took her hand and they broke into a run, hurrying to the relative safety of a darkened doorway. Both of them were soaked through, and as they huddled side by side, Nick’s gaze fell on the way Dana’s dress clung to her breasts. The peaks had hardened in the chilly air and jutted against the damp fabric. Tension coiled inside him. Dana shivered again and before he had a chance to consider what he was doing, he drew her into his arms.
She went absolutely rigid in his embrace. “Nick.” His name came out as a choked entreaty.
“Shh. It’s okay,” he murmured, wondering how anything that felt so right to him could possibly scare her so. And he didn’t doubt that she was afraid. He felt it in her frozen stance, saw the startled nervousness that had leaped into her eyes at his touch. “I just want to keep you warm until we can make a break for the car.”
“I—I’ll b-b-be fine.”
“Your teeth are chattering.”
“N-n-no, they’re n-not,” she said, defiant to the end. She struggled against him.
“Dana.” This time his voice was thick with emotion and an unspoken plea.
Her gaze shot up and clashed with his. Then she held herself perfectly still, and he felt her slowly begin to relax in his arms.
The rain pounded down harder than ever, creating a gray, wet sheet that secluded them from the rest of the world. Nick could have stayed like that forever. Holding Dana in his arms felt exactly as he’d imagined it would. Her body fit his perfectly, the soft contours molding themselves to the hard planes of his own overheated flesh. He felt the sharp stirring in his loins again and wondered if he could fight it by concentrating on the distant sounds of laughter and shouts of victory drifting from the fire station down the block.
“Nick?” Her tentative voice whispered down his spine like the fingers of an expert masseuse.
“Yes.”
“I have to get home.” The words held an odd urgency. At his puzzled expression, she added, “The roof.”
“The roof,” he repeated blankly, still lost in the sensations that were rippling through him.
“I put the pots and pans away. The whole place will be flooded if this keeps up.”
“Right. The roof.” Reluctantly, he released her. He looked into the velvet brown of her eyes and saw that miraculously the panic had fled, but he was
n’t sure how to describe the complexity of the emotion that had replaced it. Surprise, dismay, acceptance. Any of those or maybe all of them. Relief and hope flooded through him.
“You wait here. I’ll go back for Tony and the car.”
“I’m already drenched. I can come with you.”
With her words, his eyes were drawn back to the swell of her breast, unmistakably detailed by her clinging dress. He held out his hand, and after an instant’s hesitation, she took it.
“Let’s run for it,” he said, and they took off, her long-legged strides keeping up with his intentionally shortened paces. Rain pelted them with the force of hailstones, but they splashed through the puddles with all the abandon of a couple of kids. For the first time all night Dana seemed totally at ease.
When they reached the car, she moaned softly. “Your upholstery.”
“Will survive,” he said. “Now get in there. I think I have a blanket in the trunk. I’ll get it for you.”
He found an old sandy beach blanket and shook it out before draping it around her shaking shoulders.
“Is that better?”
“Much, thanks.” She smiled up at him with the first unguarded expression he’d seen on her face all night. It had been worth the wait and he was tempted to stay and bask in its warmth.
Instead, he nodded. “Good. I’ll be back in a minute with Tony.”
He walked into the fire station and scanned the room for his son. Water ran down his face in rivulets and squished from his shoes. Puddles formed where he stood.
Betsy Markham sashayed up and gave him a sweet, innocent smile. “Been for a walk?”
“Something like that.”
“And here I always thought you have sense enough to come in out of the rain, Nicholas. Must be a pretty girl involved.”
“Could be, Betsy.”
Suddenly her expression turned serious and she wagged a finger under his nose. “You see to it that gal doesn’t get pneumonia, Nick Verone, or I’ll have your hide.”
A chuckle rumbled up through his chest. He grabbed Betsy by the shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek. She smelled of talcum powder and lily of the valley, just as his mother always had. His hands left wet marks on her shoulders, but she gave him a wink as she went back to her place beside her husband. Nick watched as the intent expression on Harry’s face changed to delight when he looked up and saw Betsy. He saw Harry’s arm slip affectionately around her waist for a quick squeeze before his attention went back to the game.
“Hey, Dad, what happened to you?” Tony regarded his father with astonishment. “You’re dripping all over everything.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, it’s raining outside. Dana and I got caught in it. We’ve got to get her home.”
“Aw, Dad, come on. It’s early. Why don’t I wait here? You can come back for me.” He cast an all-too-knowing look up at his father. “You and Ms. Brantley probably want to be alone, anyway, right? I mean that’s how you got wet in the first place, trying to be alone with her.”
Nick managed a stern expression, though he was fighting laughter. Ignoring Tony’s incredibly accurate assessment of his desires with regard to Dana, he said firmly, “You’ll come with us now.”
Tony knew that no-nonsense tone of voice. He shrugged and headed for the door without another protest. Nick stared after his son and wondered what perversity of his own nature had made him insist that Tony come with him.
“It’s for the best,” he muttered under his breath and he knew it was true. He wanted Dana Brantley, and without Tony along he might very well ruin things by showing her that. Whatever trust had just been born was still too fragile to be tested by any aggressive moves.
The rain let up as they drove to Dana’s place. When he pulled up in front and shut off the engine, she turned to him. “You don’t have to walk me in.”
“Yes, I do. You could have a foot of water inside.”
“I can take care of it.”
“I’m sure you can, but why should you, when Tony and I can help?” He was out of the car before she could utter another protest. “Son, you wait here a minute until I check things out. If we need you, I’ll yell.”
“Right, Dad,” Tony said agreeably, though there was a smirk on his face.
Dana was already up the walk and around the side of the house. He caught up with her as she tried to put the key in the door. It was pitch-dark and her hands were shaking. She kept missing the lock. Nick nudged her aside. “Let me.”
“I forgot to leave the light on.”
“No problem.” The door swung open. He reached in and flipped on the kitchen and outdoor lights. “Let’s check the damage.”
There were pools of water on the floor in at least half a dozen places. “Where’s your mop?”
“I’ll do it,” she insisted obstinately, a scowl on her face. “It’s not that bad.”
He planted his feet more firmly and glowered down at her. “You are without a doubt the stubbornest woman I have ever met.”
Dana glared back at him. “And you’re the stubbornest man I’ve ever met, so where does that leave us?”
“With a wet floor, unless you’ll get the mop.”
She whirled around and stomped away, returning with the sponge mop and a bucket. He grinned at her. “Thank you.”
She perched on the edge of a chair and watched him work, a puzzled expression in her eyes. “I’ve been perfectly rotten to you all night and you’re still hanging around. I don’t understand it. Are you afflicted with sort of damsel-in-distress syndrome?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Then it must be a straightforward, macho mentality.”
“Maybe I’m just a nice guy. You don’t have to be macho to wield a mop.”
“Exactly my point. I could have done this.”
“Do you have some sort of independence syndrome?” he countered.
“As a matter of fact, I do,” she said so softly that his head snapped up and he stared at her. Suddenly he realized that whatever was wrong went far beyond who mopped the floor.
“What happened to you that makes you want to close out people who care about you?”
She appeared disconcerted by the directness of the question. “That’s none of your business.”
“It is if I’m going to get to know you better.”
“Like I said, it’s none of your business.” She got up and walked back into the kitchen, leaving Nick to mop alone and mull over the conversation. He’d just been granted an important clue to Dana’s personality. Now he had only to figure out what it meant.
When he finished, he found Dana sitting at the kitchen table, her chin propped in her hand. She was staring out the door, a faraway expression in her eyes. Nick wanted to pull up a chair right then and finish their talk, but with Tony in the car, he couldn’t. He’d already left him out there alone too long.
“I’ll come over tomorrow and work on the roof,” he announced quietly. Dana looked up at him, and for an instant, a challenge flared in her eyes. Then it died. She nodded, and for some reason Nick considered her acquiescence a major victory. He had the strangest sensation that she’d been unconsciously testing him all evening and that without knowing exactly how, he’d passed.
She stood up and walked him to the door, standing on the top step so that her eyes were even with his.
“Thank you,” she said in a low whisper, pitched to match the night’s quiet serenity now that the storm had gone.
“Did you have a good time, really?”
“Of course. It was my first chance to meet so many people. I enjoyed it.”
The words were polite, the tone flat. Nick pressed a finger to her lips, wanting to silence the lies. He smiled. “Then maybe next time you’ll look a little happier.”
Dana flushed in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…” She sighed. “I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have made such a big deal of it. Maybe
sometime you’ll tell me what really went wrong tonight.”
“Nick—”
“Shh.” He rubbed his finger across the soft flesh of her lips. “Don’t deny it. Please.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she swiped at them with the same angry motion as a child who shows weakness when he craves bravery. She would have turned away to hide the raw emotion in her eyes, but Nick caught her chin and held her face steady before him.
“You’re so beautiful, Dana Brantley. Inside and out. How could any woman as lovely as you have so much to be sad about?”
He caught a tiny flicker of something in her eyes—surprise, perhaps, that he’d guessed at the sadness that hid under her cool demeanor and quiet laughter. She licked her lips nervously and he couldn’t take his eyes from the ripe moistness.
But when he leaned forward to kiss her, his heart pounding and his pulse racing, she pulled away, turning her face aside. Intuitively he knew it wasn’t a coy reaction. There had been a real panic in her eyes. Again. He felt a hurt, one he imagined was every bit as great as hers, building up inside. God, he’d give anything to make things better for her, to make those smiles come more frequently, to hear the laughter without the restraint.
But Nick hadn’t made a success of himself in business without knowing when to back away, when to let a deal simmer until the other person was just as hungry for a resolution. In time Dana would acknowledge that her hunger for him ran just as deep, was just as powerful as his was for her.
He brushed away a lone tear as it glistened on her cheek. “Good night, pretty lady. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He had nearly turned the corner of the house before he heard her faint response carried by the breeze.
“Goodbye, Nick.”
There was a finality in her voice that sent a shiver down his spine. It also fueled his determination. This would not be an ending for them. It was just the beginning.
Chapter 4
“Don’t you like my dad?” Tony asked Dana with all the disconcerting candor of an irrepressible ten-year-old. She came very close to choking on the glazed doughnut they’d just shared as they sat on her back step.
Edge of Forever Page 5