Betrayed Hearts (10 page)

To keep busy, she continued drying her dishes from dinner. At least the fridge blocked Nick from her line of vision, eliminating the strong temptation to stare. He'd arrived looking especially attractive in a navy suit and tie, giving credence to Maxi's gossip that he'd been out on a date with Sarah Jane.

A twinge of some uncomfortable emotion churned in Lily's stomach. Had to be the lumpy meatloaf she'd had for dinner.

“You didn't have to interrupt your date, you know. It could've waited 'til the morning.” She reached up to put a plate in the cupboard.

The noise behind the fridge stopped. Nick's frowning face appeared around the side. “How did you know I was on a date?” He pushed the sleeves of his shirt farther up his arms.

Lily quirked one eyebrow. “Did you forget I work with Maxi?”

“Maxi.” The word came out as a groan.

“Yup.” Lily picked up a saucepan to dry. “I guess Sarah Jane wasn't too thrilled when you left to come over here.” She hoped her tone sounded casual, not like she was fishing for information.

“The date was pretty much over anyway.” Nick gave her a long look, one that made her pulse trip, before he ducked behind the appliance.

Lily stared at the fridge, heat working its way to her cheeks as she imagined Nick kissing Sarah Jane good night. The thought made her twist in her sneakers. She rubbed the already dry dish a little harder, then opened the oven to store the clean pot inside. Her nose wrinkled at the charred odor that puffed out—a remnant of the pork chops she'd burned the other night. Lily straightened, hung the towel over the stove handle, and leaned back against the counter.

“This is probably none of my business, but why are you dating a woman you don't seem that interested in?”

The silence of the tools told her she'd struck a nerve. She bit her lip, wishing she could take back the impulsive question, but before Nick could answer, an electric buzz sizzled through the overhead light. The bulb flickered once, and the next second the kitchen plunged into total darkness.

“Hey—” A loud bang erupted from behind the fridge.

Instant panic seized Lily by the throat. “It's OK,” she said, more to reassure herself than Nick. “The bulb must have burned out. I think I saw some spare ones under the sink.”

Fighting to overcome her childish fear, she reached out a hand toward the lower cupboard while her eyes fought to adjust to the inky blackness. When her fingers brushed the cool metal handle, she pulled the door open.

“Hang on,” Nick said. “I have a flashlight in my toolbox.”

He came out and shoved the fridge back a bit. She could just make out his figure coming toward her. Being alone in the dark with Nick unnerved her even more than the lights going out. A thin pencil of illumination beamed into the room. Nick aimed it inside the cupboard for her.

“Found them.” She straightened with a box of bulbs. “Is there a step ladder around?”

“Sorry, no. I took it when I moved out.”

“I'll get a stool then.”

Grateful she could now see better, Lily scooted by him into the living room, turned on a lamp and grabbed one of the stools. She returned to set it under the kitchen fixture. The tiny space seemed to shrink with Nick's large frame taking up so much room.

“Here. Let me do that.” Nick tried to take the box of bulbs from her, but she shook her head.

“The stool won't take your weight. Just hold it steady for me.” She pushed one bulb into the pocket of her sweatshirt and started to climb.

Maybe she didn't want him to see her irrational fear of the dark. Or maybe she wanted to prove she wasn't a helpless female. Whatever the reason, she needed to do this. She'd been tackling far greater problems on her own for the past six years. She could certainly handle a light bulb.

Rising on her tiptoes, Lily managed to reach the metal fixture and began to unscrew the bulb, until a horrible grinding sound made her flinch and her fingers met with resistance.

“That socket can be tricky.” A hint of impatience laced Nick's voice. “Why don't you let me try?”

“I've got it.” The stool jiggled under her feet, and fear leapt into Lily's throat.

“Watch it.”

Nick's warm hands grasped her legs to steady her, but it had the opposite effect. Her hand jerked, promptly shattering the bulb. Pieces of glass rained down on them. She cried out as she lost her battle with gravity and tumbled off her perch.

Nick's strong arms broke her fall. He pulled her tight against his chest. “Are you all right?”

Lily startled at the feel of his warm breath in her hair. “I—I think so.”

Slowly he lowered her feet to the floor. She leaned back against the counter, too unsteady to stand on her own.

Glass crunched under Nick's shoes as he retrieved the flashlight he'd dropped when he caught her. In mere seconds, he replaced the broken bulb with a new one and flipped the switch. Lily shielded her eyes against the blinding glare.

“Hey. You're bleeding.” Nick took hold of her arm where a trail of blood dripped from a gash in the fleshy part of her thumb. He turned her hand over to inspect the wound. “You've got a piece of glass in there.”

She stared at the jagged shard in disbelief, amazed she hadn't felt any pain.

Nick scooped her up and deposited her on the shard-free counter beside the sink. “I have a first aid kit in my toolbox,” he said. “Don't move.” He returned seconds later with a white plastic box and flipped open the lid.

The pain had set in now, roaring to life like a fire-breathing dragon. She sucked in deep breaths to cope with the searing heat shooting up her wrist.

Nick turned on the cold water and reached for her hand, his expression apologetic. “Sorry. This is going to hurt.”

She squeezed her eyes shut at the initial burst of pain. When she opened them a second later, the stinging receded as she focused on the face so close to hers. The intoxicating scent of his spicy cologne surrounded her. Nick turned off the tap and examined the injury, tiny ridges of concentration creasing his forehead. When he raised his head, their noses almost touched. The air backed up in Lily's lungs.

For a moment, he simply gazed into her eyes. “I'm going to take the glass out now. Let me know when you're ready.”

“Got a bullet to bite?”

He chuckled. “That's one thing I
don't
have in my toolbox.”

Then with one quick jerk, he pulled the shard out of her thumb. Lily bit her lip to smother a cry of pain. Blood spurted down her wrist, and though she tried to be brave, her body rebelled with tremors that raced through her torso.

Nick clamped his hand down over the gash to stem the flow. Lily fought the longing to lay her head on his shoulder and let the warmth of his body ease the chill that made her teeth chatter. Was it the shock of her wound or Nick's touch that caused her trembling?

When the bleeding slowed, Nick patted the area dry with a towel, applied salve with careful skill, and wrapped a gauze bandage around her hand. The warmth of his steady fingers sent soothing tingles up her arm. It had been a very long time since anyone had treated her with such kindness. No one, except her beloved mother, had ever made her feel so cared for. The bittersweet memory caused hot tears to burn behind her lids. She blinked hard to keep them at bay.

At last, Nick looked up. “Do you have any aspirin? Because this is going to throb like the dickens later on.”

Her throat, thickened with emotion, made speech impossible. She could only nod.

He peered at her, apparently noticing the dampness of her eyes. “Is the pain that bad?”

She shook her head, hating this display of vulnerability. Despite her efforts, a lone tear escaped and trickled down her cheek. Nick reached over to brush it away, his thumb a whisper over her skin. The absolute tenderness of the gesture undid her. She couldn't pull her gaze from his.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You don't have to thank me.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Lily, I—”

On impulse, she jerked forward and cut off his words with a kiss. His lips were soft and warm, tasting of coffee and peppermint. She stilled, shocked by her own recklessness, but Nick folded strong arms around her and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. She fisted her hands in the soft cotton of his shirt as waves of pleasure flooded her system. Nick's gentle fingers moved to caress her cheek, as though she were something infinitely precious.

Which of course she was not.

Lily stiffened as reality crashed in, returning her to sanity. Hadn't she promised herself not to get involved with another man? She flattened her hand against Nick's chest, aware of his heart beating hard against her palm, and pushed him back.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.” Her gaze fused to the blue buttons of his shirt, unable to look at him for fear of the disgust she might see there.

“Why not?” His voice was husky. “I've wanted to do that for a while now.”

She jerked her head up. The look in his eyes, now a dark navy, told her he was dead serious. How could this man make her heart stop with one glance?

Lily shook her head. “The timing's all wrong for one thing. I've just come out of a bad relationship. And you've got a girlfriend. Or should I say fiancée?”

“Sarah Jane is
not
my girlfriend. And we are definitely
not
engaged.”

A flicker of hurt flashed across his face, but she steeled herself against it. Better to hurt him now and nip this...whatever this was…in the bud.

“Then why did you take her to
Giorgio's
tonight?” she demanded. “According to Maxi, the place isn't exactly platonic.”

He broke eye contact and stepped away. “That was a mistake.” With jerky movements, he repacked his first aid kit and snapped the lid closed.

Lily twisted the soiled towel on her lap, fighting the urge to break down and weep.

He pinned her with another searing look. “The truth is, the whole time I was out with Sarah Jane, I was thinking about you.”

Before she could wrap her brain around the implication of that statement, he turned away from the sink. “I'd better finish this repair.”

He disappeared behind the bulky appliance leaving Lily sitting on the counter, bandaged hand in her lap. Her wound throbbed in time with the headache beginning at her temples. What had she done? Initiated a mind-blowing kiss and hurt Nick's feelings all in one fell swoop.

Disgusted with herself, she hopped down from the counter, her feet crunching over the bits of glass on the floor. With a sigh, she bent to retrieve the broom and dustpan.

If only it were as easy to clean up the other mess she'd made.

 

 

 

 

8

 

“Are you guys ready for a break yet?” Maxi's plaintive voice drew Lily's attention away from the textbook in front of her.

“What's the matter? You bored?”

“As a matter of fact, I am.” Maxi wandered over to look out the front window of the salon, her arms wrapped around her waist.

Lily shrugged and returned to the books. Her second tutoring session with Chloe was going well. Peg had been a good sport about letting them use the shop when they weren't busy. “Why don't you go and grab us some burgers then?” Lily glanced up at the metal wall clock that ticked out each second. “By then, Chloe should be finished with this chapter. You want anything, Chloe?”

The girl's dark head was bent over her notebook, a well-chewed pencil clenched between her teeth. She looked up and blinked. “What?” She pulled the pencil out. “Oh, no. Thanks. Mom will have dinner waiting for me.”

“I'm not hungry,” Maxi said, “but I'll get you something if you want.”

The melancholy tone finally registered with Lily. She got up and walked over to give Maxi's shoulder a nudge. “What's up with you? You're never depressed.”

Maxi's gaze remained fixed outside. “Love stinks. That's what.”

Lily bit back a smile at Maxi's dramatic expression. “Is this about Jason?”

Misery darkened Maxi's features as she turned and nodded. “He has a new girlfriend.”

Chloe and Lily gasped at the same time. How had Lily not realized that Maxi's feelings went far deeper than a mere crush?

“I'm so sorry.” She put her arm around Maxi's shoulder. “Maybe it isn't serious.”

Maxi blinked back tears. “I think it is. You should see his face when he talks about her.”

Chloe abandoned her books and followed Lily and Maxi to the cushioned bench in the waiting area. “Who is she? I'll get the dirt on her.”

Maxi shook her head. “Thanks, but that's not necessary.”

Her friend's sorrow triggered a wave of compassion in Lily. “Have you ever thought of telling Jason how you feel?” she asked. “Maybe he feels the same way and hasn't realized it yet.”

Maxi picked at her painted fingernails. “I tried once, but I couldn't do it. I'm scared it might ruin our friendship.”

Lily threw a desperate glance at Chloe who only shrugged. Completely out of her element, Lily fell back on her own coping mechanisms. “You know what you need? A super-decadent chocolate sundae with whipped cream and cherries. That always gets me through my men problems.”

Maxi managed a laugh while dabbing a tissue to her cheeks. “Tempting. But we can't leave the store.”

“Then I'll bring the sundaes here. You watch the phones, and I'll be back with the supplies.” Lily yanked her purse out of the desk drawer. “And you,” she pointed at Chloe, “keep working until I get back.”

Ten minutes later, Lily returned with a tub of rocky road ice cream, a can of whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and cherries. “OK troops, to the lunch room. We have thirty minutes before the next customer arrives.”

They proceeded to transform the staff room into a make-shift ice cream parlor, and by the time they finished, Lily was gratified to see a smile back on Maxi's face—well worth blowing her grocery budget.