Deadly Obsession (33 page)

After Kaden left to get ready, Nic turned his attention to the speech he needed to finalize for tonight’s event. As Wish Ambassador and host, it was his responsibility to encourage attendees to open their wallets beyond the thousands of dollars they’d already spent for their tables, so that more children with life-threatening illnesses could see their dreams come true. He’d bought three tables himself so some of the children could attend. Since the gala was at the California Science Center, the kids were sure to have a blast.

Despite his desire to concentrate on the speech, his thoughts drifted to Lauren and their brief talk. She’d shared so much with him last night. He’d wanted to tell her about Rachel, about the accident. But his mouth had refused to form the words. She thought he was a “great guy.” And he didn’t want that to change.

His chest ached as he imagined the hurt and disgust he’d see in her eyes when she found out the truth.
Christ
. He was no better than Todd when he re-upped without consulting her; he was deceiving her too. Lauren had flat-out asked him about Rachel, about what had happened. But instead of owning up to the truth, he’d chickened out and told her only part of the story. The part that didn’t make him look like a total shit. Tossing tonight’s speech aside, he scrubbed his face.

I was so angry and hurt that I started to hate Todd, to hate the man I’d loved for so long
.

He couldn’t get her words out of his head. How long would it take for her to start hating him? Nic groaned. He didn’t stand a chance.

I spent years comparing every man I met to you
.

How could she not feel betrayed when he finally revealed the truth? She’d put him on a very high pedestal, and the fall when she booted him off might kill him. And if the panic in his chest at the thought of losing Lauren was any indication, he had to accept the truth: he had fallen in love with her. In fact, he’d fallen in love with the same woman twice.

Lauren shimmied into her new gown and stepped into the matching heels. The style of the dress demanded an up-do. She pulled a few pins from her makeup kit and twisted her hair into a loose bun, leaving a few wispy curls on either side of her face. Looking into the mirror, she sighed. The material draped her body perfectly, making her feel almost beautiful. She’d been raised middle-class and had never lacked for anything, but this outfit was a step beyond, almost magical in the way it transformed her from Miss Nobody to Miss Nic The Lover’s Date.

Her hand rose to rest on her chest. Seeing the emptiness where the dog tags had lain for the last five years left an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. Had she done the right thing? She’d broken her vow for Nic, a man who didn’t trust her fully. And if he didn’t trust her, could she trust him?

Hearing Nic enter the room, she turned away from the mirror. The sight of him stopped her mid-step. It was incredibly bad manners to stare, but she did it anyways. The impeccably tailored black tuxedo molded his chest and broad shoulders, while the white dress shirt contrasted beautifully with his dark hair and tanned complexion. A gray silk waistcoat and matching bow tie completed the outfit, adding a fashionable twist.
This was definitely not her father’s tux
. Closing her eyes, she pictured herself smoothing her hands over his chest, the feel of the expensive material, the hardness of his muscles….

“Lauren.” Nic cleared his throat. “Why’d you close your eyes? Do I look that bad?”

Her eyes popped open. Was he frickin’ kidding? His lopsided smile answered her question. But then she had a question of her own. Why imagine, when Nic was standing right in front of her? With a slow sway to her hips, she approached him and let her hands run wild.

His heart pounded rapidly and his chest muscles bunched beneath her palms. Relieved, she smiled. He might be upset with her for pushing him about Rachel, but at least he wasn’t turning away from her.

He gripped her wrists. “Uh-uh-uh.” Her heart plummeted. Maybe she’d been wrong after all. But then he grinned and his eyes held a promise. “There’ll be time for that later.”

Still grinning, he tugged on her wrist and positioned himself behind her in front of the mirror. “I have something for you. Close your eyes.” His words whispered against her skin, making her shiver. She squeezed her lids tight as he draped something warm around her neck. “You can look now.”

“Oh my God,” she breathed, her hand instantly going to the necklace of beautiful pink and orange crystals. “It’s beautiful.” Having worn only stainless steel for so long, she’d forgotten what it was like to wear actual jewelry. Her cheeks flushed when she saw her reflection in the mirror. “I feel like a princess.”

“And you look like one,
chérie
. But something’s missing.” His hands reached up and an earring appeared at each ear. He smiled. “Do you think these will match?”

Her eyes rounded until she feared they might actually pop out of her head. Then they welled up. “They’re perfect,” she whispered past the lump in her throat. Tears spilled over onto her cheeks as she put the earrings on. Thank God she’d bought waterproof make-up.

When she was done, he turned her around and kissed away the tears, and brushed his mouth across hers. “Not nearly as perfect as you are.” Taking advantage of her parted lips, he deepened the kiss. Her heart overflowing with emotion, she leaned into him and sighed. God, how she loved this man. Maybe she’d been in love with him since the eleventh grade. Maybe she’d been in love with him always.

All too soon, he pulled back. “I could kiss you forever,” he said, and she knew exactly how he felt. “But we’ve got to get going. I’ll wait for you downstairs.” Then, seeming unable to resist, he cupped her cheeks and gave her one last kiss before leaving.

As soon as he was out of the room, her knees gave way. Grasping the dresser, she sucked air deep into her lungs, trying to slow the thundering in her chest. Did it mean something that Nic had given her the beautiful necklace and earrings? Or was he dressing her up so she wouldn’t embarrass him at the gala? She ran the tip of her finger along the polished stones and shook her head. He’d called her
chérie
, and the heat in his eyes, the emotion in his voice…. No, it meant something to him, too.

Straightening, she dried her wet cheeks, grabbed her glittery handbag, and started for the door. The handbag began to vibrate. Pulling her phone out, she checked the caller ID. “Hi Dad.”

“Hey, Baby Girl. I’ve got some news for you.”

Thinking she might need to sit down for this, she perched on the edge of the bed, careful not to wrinkle her gown. “Okay, shoot.”

“Joe, you remember Joe, right?”

“He was on your squad.”

“That’s right. He confirmed your friend and his younger sister were involved in a car accident when you were in the eleventh grade.”

“Was she injured?”

“Actually, that’s why I was able to get the info so quickly. Joe was working the night of the accident. He said he’ll never forget the girl. He kept referring to her as the little broken angel.”

Lauren’s palms went damp. “Any idea why?”

“The whole time the team was working to free her from the wreck, she kept encouraging them, telling them everything would be all right. He says that by the time they finished, there wasn’t a dry eye to be found.”

Her breath hitched. This didn’t sound good at all. If Rachel had brought hardened rescue workers to tears, she could only imagine how a seventeen-year-old Nic would have felt. “Was Nic driving?”

Her father tsked. “Lauren, that’s his story to tell.”

“He’s so close-mouthed where his sister’s concerned.”

“Give him time. If you mean something to him, he’ll open up.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then he isn’t the one for you.” Hearing her father spell things out so bluntly made her chest ache. He was right, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

But was she expecting too much too soon? After all, Nic had admitted having a sister today and that she was paralyzed. He’d taken a very big step, a leap of faith even, in telling her. If she gave him enough time, maybe he’d tell her about the accident, too. But how long was enough?

She couldn’t stand to be shut out forever. It would be just like with Todd, all over again. Her heart wouldn’t survive another round.

As they exited the highway, Nic draped his arm across Lauren’s shoulders. He’d always thought her beautiful, but tonight she was stunning. The sight of her exposed neck made him crazy. Every time he caught a whiff of her apple-blossom perfume, he wanted to bury his nose behind her ear and stay there. If he lived to be a hundred, he’d still never get enough of her.

Kaden turned the limo into the California Science Center, and the roar of the amassed crowd grew louder the closer they got to the red carpet. Some enterprising young girls ran along the row of limos, trying to peek in at the occupants. When they cupped their eyes, hoping to see past the darkened window, he tapped on the glass and rolled it down a bit. “Good evening, ladies.”

The ensuing shrieks almost pierced his eardrums, and he felt Lauren jerk beside him. He turned to reassure her they were safe. Fans often lined up outside these events to greet him. But instead of laughing it off, she gasped and shielded her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh God! I hope I was never that out of control.”

Nic frowned, knowing full well she was exactly that out of control every time they made love. What was her problem? “They’re just a little excited.”

“No,” she said, laughing now, but her hands still firmly covered her eyes. “Turn around and look.”

He did, and had to smother the laugh bubbling in his chest. The girls had all lifted their shirts, baring their breasts like a scene from
Girls Gone Wild
. As they danced, they called out lyrics from his unofficial theme song. He cringed, hearing them sing about the man that made them moist and wet.

Forcing himself to act the way Nic The Lover would, he winked at the girls. “I’d love to invite you all into my caravan of love, but I’m already spoken for tonight.”

He closed the window, but their encouraging shouts for him to keep his woman rocking continued to filter into the car. Nic leaned against the seat and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus Christ, Lauren. I’m really sorry.”

Lauren peered at him between her open fingers. As she let her hands fall, he saw her mouth curve into a big grin, and she laughed. “So, Mr. Lover, are you going to keep me rockin’?”

He stared at her, incredulous. She thought it was funny. Laughter erupted from the front of the limo. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one. He let out a relieved breath. “Believe me, that’s never happened before.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, her tone full of disbelief. When he didn’t join in the laughter, she laid her hand on his thigh. “You’re not responsible for what your fans do.”

“Let’s just hope there’s no more breast-baring inside,” he muttered.

“Speak for yourself,” Kaden said, stopping the limo in front of the entrance.

While waiting for Kaden to come around and open the door, Nic smiled at Lauren and took her hand. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

They walked inside. Nic was pleased to see that the reception area was already filling up. He placed his hand at the small of Lauren’s back to escort her through the crowd. When his flesh met hers, electricity tingled across his fingertips.

Oblivious to the people surrounding them, he pulled her close and kissed the sweet spot where Lauren’s neck met her shoulder as his hand skimmed her bare skin. Her face flushed and she flashed him a knowing smile. If it weren’t for the kids, he’d throw her over his shoulder and whisk her away for a little rockin’.

After traversing the room and stopping many times to shake hands and make introductions, Nic grabbed two champagne glasses from a passing waiter and handed one to Lauren. She smiled and took a sip, holding his gaze. Her wet lips glistened, and all he could think of was kissing away the champagne. But children were present. They needed to keep things PG.

“Nic, darling,” Vivian called as she approached. “My, don’t you look wonderful. Ralph Lauren always looks good on you.” She glanced at Lauren and her eyebrows shot up. “You bought her Harry Winston jewelry?”