“Wow, that’s a sad story, Nick.”
“Where I come from, there are a lot of worse scenarios than that.”
“Still, it must have been tough on you. What happened to your mother?’
“She went to live with her sister, up north, when I left school, so I rarely see her. We don’t have much to say to each other when we do meet. It’s pretty awkward. I guess that makes me sound selfish.” He shrugged and looked across the meadow to where some kids were kicking a ball around.
“No, it doesn’t, though it does explain why you hold yourself back from people, why you appear so aloof and distant.”
“And what does all that prove, Dr. Freud?’
“That you’re scared of getting hurt - in case you love someone more than she loves you.”
“Are we still talking about me?’ Nick raised one eyebrow.
“Yes. My situation is completely different. I loved my family without reservation, and I know how much my parents loved my brother and me. I would have done anything for them. I saw the love my parents had for each other, and I wanted that for myself, more than anything else.”
“Okay, you know far more about love than I do - you’ve made that abundantly clear - but don’t feel sorry for me. I laid those ghosts to rest a long time ago, and I’ve moved on.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Nick, and you might make it so one day.”
“Now you’re just being smug.”
She looked away but not before he saw a sad smile. “I have a daughter who I love more than life, and when we meet up again, I’m never going to let her out of my sight.”
“Sounds a bit claustrophobic.”
“You’re right, it does, and it just might take a while for her to get used to having me around again,’ she said sadly.
Hating to see her depressed, he stood and held out his hand. “This is all too serious for such a nice day. Shall we make a move since the food’s all gone? I think I ate most of it. You hardly touched a thing,” he acknowledged guiltily. “Do you want me to get you something else?”
“How about ice cream? I think I saw a sign for the homemade kind not far from here.” She gave him a grateful smile and took his hand once more.
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s go.”
They eventually found the vendor, who sold them ridiculously large cones. Then they wandered to a roped-off area reserved for people to enjoy their food in a more relaxed manner. It was thoughtfully away from the bustle of the stalls. The scene was idyllic. They sat down on the grass under the shade of a large oak tree. A small stream ran across the bottom of the field, and children were feeding ducks with their leftovers.
“This is delicious. I haven’t eaten anything like it for years.” Talia tucked a few wayward strands of hair behind her ear so they wouldn’t fall into the ice cream.
“It certainly looks like you’re enjoying it.” Nick was transfixed as she began licking the cone in rapture. He studied the movements of her mouth and tongue while his ice cream melted quickly in the heat. The tantalizing way she ate had his loins throbbing madly.
He knew that if they were on the island for another reason, he might have the courage to see where these feelings would take them.
Chapter Sixteen
Talia was wiping the corner of her mouth with a finger when she noticed Nick’s gaze following her movement. It was impossible to mistake the look of unadulterated lust in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat as he gulped, then forced his eyes to meet hers.
She inhaled his musky cologne as he leaned forward. His lips slowly parted, and she was pulled towards him as if an invisible thread was tightening between them. The air grew warmer the closer they got, and in seconds, there was no space at all. The coldness of their lips was in stark contrast to the sizzling heat of their mouths. Tentative at first, their kiss soon deepened into a need for more - more of everything.
The erotic kiss was something neither of them wanted to end, though Nick was the first to move. He yelped and jumped up simultaneously. His crotch held the majority of his forgotten ice cream. Shaking the offending mess onto the grass, he studied his pants helplessly.
Talia couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up and out of her. Ferreting in her bag, she located a handful of tissues, then, she pulled herself up onto her knees and wiped at the mess. Nick sucked in a breath but did not move as her hands dabbed, not too delicately, in very personal areas.
As she was despairing of getting any more off with the soggy tissues, a woman, holding the hand of a small boy, stalked past.
“Well, really, and in a public place!” she muttered.
Talia was surprised until she realized how this must look. Nick reacted by yanking her to her feet and all but dragging her from the area. When they had gone a fair distance, they turned to each other and burst into laughter.
“Fancy a nice girl like you, creating a spectacle like that!” He pointed an accusing finger at her.
“She must have thought we were a couple of degenerates.” Talia grabbed her ribs.
“Speak for yourself. I was the one being manhandled,” Nick said, trying to sound scandalized, and spoiling it by laughing again.
“Well, I hate to mention this, Nick, but you still look as if something nasty has happened to your trousers, and I’m guessing these people walking past don’t imagine it’s just innocent ice cream!” Talia doubled over with glee at his mortification.
People were definitely staring at him. Some were even smirking.
“I’m so glad you find this amusing. You better wait here while I go to the toilets and see if I can fix this mess.”
“Take as long as you like,” she said and waved him away, still clutching her sides.
He stalked off but had a smile on his face. It had been a long time since he’d enjoyed himself so much. Talia was beautiful, and when she laughed, she became stunning, and that made him want to hear the sound again and again. It lifted his heart and, as crazy as it sounded, made him feel full of life, and something more that he couldn’t put a name to.
When he had done the best he could with his pants, Nick returned to the spot where he’d left her. Talia was no longer alone. Bent over a young girl who’d lost her balloon in a tree, Talia was consoling her. They began to peer through the branches, deciding if it could be reached or not. She saw him coming towards them and looked at him hopefully.
Without a word, he swung himself up onto the lowest branch and, with a bit of a stretch, managed to reach the string. Jumping to the ground, he presented the little girl with her prize.
“Thank you, mister,” she said, shyly hiding behind Talia’s skirt.
“You are most welcome. Now, where’s your mother? I bet she’s looking for you.”
At this, the child’s lip trembled, and she turned her head frantically up and down the field. “I don’t know. My balloon ran away, and I chased it.” A fat tear rolled down her cheek.
“Hey, it’s no problem. Your mom won’t be far away. I tell you what? How about you get on my shoulders, and we’ll see if we can find her or maybe someone else who can help.”
“I’m not supposed to talk to strangers,’ she sniffed.
“Your mother is very right to tell you that. I’m Nick, and this is my friend Talia. What’s your name?”
“Rebecca Torrance.”
“How do you do, Rebecca? There, now we aren’t strangers anymore. Let’s go find your mom.” He held out his hand, and she allowed him to swing her up on his shoulders. “Which way did you come from, Rebecca?”
She turned, using his ears as a handhold while she studied the area.
“Over there, I think. A man was playing the guitar.” She pointed vaguely.
They managed to push through the crowd and found the place where the guitarist had been. Now a young woman was playing the flute.
“It was here. We were standing right by that sign. Where is she?”
He heard the quiver in the girl’s voice and appreciated this might be harder
than they thought.
“What’s your mom’s name?” Talia asked.
“Donna Torrance.”
“Let’s find the information tent, then we can send her name out over the loudspeaker,” Talia whispered in Nick’s ear as she stood on tiptoes.
“Great idea. I think I saw it over by the café.” He slipped the girl from his shoulders and, placing her on the ground, took her hand. She looked up at him trustingly but gripped his hand tightly, as if afraid he might let her go.
“Come on, sweetheart, we think someone over here can help us,” he said encouragingly.
Sure enough, the tent was not too far, and they found a harassed young man in it trying to field a dozen questions by several people.
“Excuse me, please.” Nick tried to press through the crowd of people who were equally determined not to let him pass.
“Just one moment, sir.” The man didn’t even look up.
“There is a queue, you know?” An older woman waved a sun umbrella at him menacingly.
“I’m afraid I can’t wait. This little girl has lost her mom, and naturally, she’s distraught. I wondered if someone could put her name over the loudspeaker.”
Immediately, the other people let him through, and the old lady fussed over the little girl, who hid her face in Talia’s skirt, overwhelmed by all the attention.
Talia gave the information to the man, who looked relieved at the sudden change in atmosphere and immediately picked up a microphone. It seemed like mere seconds before a woman pushed her way into the opening.
“Becky, Becky! Oh my goodness, there you are. Where did you go? I’ve been so worried.” The poor woman began to cry, and that set Rebecca off.
It was a touching and noisy scene with everyone pleased at the outcome.
“I think we should go before we get any more attention,” Nick whispered.
Talia nodded and followed him outside. “Another case solved, Mr. Detective,” she joked.
“Naturally. You’re dealing with the best here.” He pulled her arm through his, and they meandered through the stalls and crowds for quite some time. “We should get going soon. Do you feel like another wine before we leave?”
“No, thanks. What about you? I can drive home if you want to try some more.”
“As I’m supposed to be working, it wouldn’t be a good idea. Besides, who needs alcohol when the day has been delightful without it?”
“Yes, it has. Who would have thought a wine festival would be so much fun with only one glass of wine?” She smothered a yawn.
“It looks like someone’s had too much of a good thing. I suppose we should head on back now if you’re all done here.” Nick said, wondering if she was as reluctant as he to end the day.
“I guess so.” For some reason, Talia felt sad. Everything would change as soon as they crossed that doorway, and she wasn’t ready to let this wonderful day go. Not yet.
Nick must have sensed her mood. “Did you have something else in mind?” he asked her softly.
“How about taking a drive around the whole island? It doesn’t take too long, and it would be nice to see how things have changed since I was last here. Only if you have the time, that is.”
They’d arrived at the car park, which was still full, even though it was late in the afternoon. Nick opened her door but hesitated. Then, looking into her eyes, he smiled. “Sure, it might be the only chance I get to see all of it, and I couldn’t ask for a prettier tour guide.”
It wasn’t long before they cruised the main road on the island with the windows open and soft music playing in the background. The smell of the salty sea air became stronger as they dipped down to the beaches and around the coast.
“Do you miss your job?”
She shouldn’t have been surprised at the question, more that it had taken him so long to ask. Different answers circled her mind, but the answer was a simple truth.
“I miss it nearly as much as I miss Chloe.”
“You’d been there a long time.”
“Since I graduated. It was my first job, and it felt like I was born to it.”
“So what will you do when you have your daughter? Will you go back there?”
“I don’t think I could. It wouldn’t be right. I’m pretty good at buying and selling other people’s work, or I might take up painting again. I love it, but I’m not sure I could make a living from it. It may be just a hobby if that’s the case.”
“Surely, if you’ve been dealing with art, you would know if your work was good or not?”
“You can’t be objective about your own stuff, and it needs to be better than good.”
Their conversation switched back and forth on a variety of topics, but they steered clear of the more personal aspects of their lives by an unspoken mutual agreement.
“Can you turn off up there on the left?” Talia asked quietly. “I’d like to show you something.”
Without hesitation, he pulled the car off the road to a lookout. They parked on the cliff just as the sun began to set. The sight was breathtaking. The sea danced with light and changed colors before them, as the last of the sun’s rays dipped into the horizon.
Without the warmth of the sun, the air turned chilly, and, as they closed the windows, the mood also changed. Time wasn’t going to stand still for them. It was time to go back to where Nick was just a detective, and she, the woman in his way. It was useless to think otherwise.
“We’d better get back. Jack might have some news.” Nick’s voice sounded harsh in the confines of the car. Talia nodded as she turned away, vowing to keep her distance for the remainder of the trip.
Driving with an awkward silence, Nick tried to gather his thoughts about this beautiful woman beside him. She was the first to make him feel as though other things in life mattered besides his work. Without a doubt, Talia was someone he would like to take the time to get to know, but right now he had a job to do, and he couldn’t let this, whatever it was, get in the way. He would tell her firmly, and she would have to accept that there could be nothing between them until the case was resolved.
They arrived at the house, and Nick turned to tell her what was on his mind, but she spoke before he had a chance.
“I believe this is where we leave it, Nick. You’ve got a case to close, and I have to get on with my plans. Thanks for a great day. I had a lovely time. Goodnight.”
He watched her get out and go inside. His hand dropped from the door handle. He could have stopped her, but to what purpose? They both knew the situation, and they couldn’t act on their feelings right now. It was best to leave things as they were. Even if every fiber of his being wanted to go after her.
Chapter Seventeen
A few days later, Nick was finishing his cereal when the back door, straining at its hinges, was flung open. Jack entered, slightly out of breath and acting as if the hounds of hell were on his heels.
“Something’s happening next door! There are a bunch of people yelling and going in and out of the house like they’re looking for something.”
Nick tossed the bowl into the sink and grabbed his gun, dropping it into the holster already strapped to his body. He shrugged into his jacket, snatching up a small backpack, and followed Jack down the garden. When they got within a few feet of the beach, they hugged the tree line until they came to the hedge.
Nick peered around the corner, and sure enough, four men stood looking out to sea, passing a set of binoculars between them. The bulkiness of their jackets and the fact that they wore suits did nothing to make anyone think they could be tourists. One was operating a walkie-talkie, but frustratingly, they were out of hearing range.
Nick tapped Jack on the shoulder, and they crept along the hedge until the road was in sight. Gesturing for Jack to keep watch, Nick climbed up to the vantage point he had used previously. Swinging the backpack off his shoulders, Nick removed a pair of binoculars, scanned the front garden, and then focused on the main door, which was standing ajar. He took the digital cam
era from his pocket and snapped a few shots of the men patrolling the yard.
Just then, a burly security guard came out the door, dragging a woman with him. She was yelling fit to bust when suddenly Randall came up behind the pair. Nick hissed through his teeth. How had they not known he’d arrived?
The guard turned the woman to face his boss, who leaned back and smacked her across the face so hard, her head snapped back. Blood trickled from her mouth, and she cringed as he slapped the other side of her face.
Nick would have loved to shoot the bastard right then and there, but his professionalism held him back. The man he had been tracking for so long was furious, his voice carrying clearly.
“Now, you’ll do as you’re told, Sarah, or do you need some more persuading?” He raised his hand to her.
“No, Randall. I’m sorry, I’ll go right now.”
“That’s better. Dave will take you to the ferry, and you don’t come back here until I say. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Randall,” she answered to his retreating back, her eyes narrowing and her mouth ugly, even though he said the words with suitable humility.
Nick was impressed. After working with her for all these years, he hadn’t realized what an accomplished actress she was. Randall was still calling her Sarah, which meant her cover was safe. The guard pushed her into the front of the car, then drove to the automatic gates, which someone had opened.
Nick stayed hidden but nodded to Jack, who, anticipating the request, was on his way to retrieve their vehicle. Nick kept his eyes on Randall, who was issuing orders left and right. Another familiar face emerged from the house, and Randall instantly turned to him.
“Right. I want you to make sure there’s plenty of open sea when our visitors arrive tomorrow night, Steve. I don’t want to see any other boats in the vicinity. Is that clear?”
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