December Heat (20 page)

Tim
continued to look at her, as if in a state of shock.

“Don’t
look at me like that.” Moisture pooled at the back of her eyes. She’d miss these guys. They’d become so close, shared so much.

“Babe,
you’re taking one hell of a chance. I hope you realize what you’re giving up.”

“Yes,
guys, I do.” She sniffed and swiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “I have to do this. I appreciate all you’ve done for me, Danny. But I need to move on. Believe me, my decision has surprised me too.”

“I
hope Jake realizes what you’re giving up for him.”

“Yes,
well, um....”

“Nic?”

She cleared her throat. “He...er...doesn’t know yet. I’ll tell him tonight, after the show.”

Nic
thought of the intimate dinner they’d share in his room, of the lacy teddy she’d bought to wear at dinner. He wouldn’t be able to resist her.

“I’m
going to miss you guys terribly. But if this works out, I can still be involved with dance,” she said. “I’d like to move more into choreography, and maybe work on some future productions. I have ideas to study combinations of dance from different cultures, this is my big chance to do that—to choreograph exotic pieces intertwined with the dancing I know.”

“You
seem to have thought things through and appear happy enough about the decision.”

“I
am, Danny, I am. Though, I’m scared too. I know what a big risk I’m taking.” She half smiled then whispered, “But I think Jake will be worth it.”

“Then
you have my blessings. But remember, there’s always a place here for you.”

He
hugged her then and Nic felt tears moisten her eyes.

She
fished a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed at them, then handed him her formal resignation which he tucked into the pocket of his jeans. They linked arms and walked together, laughing and chatting excitedly, toward their dressing rooms.

“I’ll
see you guys later,” she said. “And thanks for being so supportive.”

“We
still think you’re crazy, Nic,” Tim said. “But we understand. True love and all that.” He grinned. “Jake’s a lucky guy.”

“Yes,
he is.” She smiled at them and turned away to enter her dressing room.

* * *

Shocked, Nic put down the receiver. She’d phoned Jake at his hotel only to find he’d checked out and gone to the airport. Surely he couldn’t have left the country without saying goodbye.

Her
heart sank and she realized how stupid and reckless she’d been in handing in her resignation prematurely. In hindsight, it would have been more sensible to work things out with Jake first. She’d let her heart rule her head. Stupid, stupid.

How
would she ever get through this evening’s performance? By summoning all your professional skills, how else? she told herself firmly, taking deep calming breaths, and determined Jake’s thoughtless actions wouldn’t strip away all of her dignity.

A
soft tap at the door interrupted her breathing exercises. She opened it to be greeted with more flowers. On accepting them, she thanked the delivery guy, closed the door and considered tossing the card away, unread, but something prompted her to take a look.

As
she suspected, the roses were from Jake, and as usual, they were beautiful. “Left in a bit of a rush. Sorry to miss the show tonight. Some appointments were moved at the last minute, so I’ve taken the opportunity to visit Canberra and catch up with Nat and Luke. I love you. See you in a couple of days. Jake.”

Nic’s
heart soared. He loved her! She’d done the right thing! But mindful of the precarious position she’d put herself in, she sought out Danny.

“I’ve
a favor to ask, but please, no questions. My resignation...do you still have it?”

“Yes,
I do. You’ve changed your mind then. That’s great. I...I mean, it is for us, but what about you?”

She
smiled ruefully at him. “No, I haven’t changed my mind. Just keep it as my insurance...in case things don’t work out or until everything is settled. Okay?”

“Okay,”
he smiled. “Better to be safe than sorry.”

“I’ll
miss you Danny,” she said as she gave him a big hug.

“Likewise,
babe,” he replied and held her tight.

* * *

Nic answered a knock on her dressing room door. She opened it only to be confronted with a huge bouquet of red roses which seemed to be supported by a pair of long muscular legs. “Oh, they’re beautiful.”

She
reached out to take them but the roses lowered to reveal a familiar smiling face.

“Jake!”
Her heart beat a little faster than it should and she wanted to throw herself at him and hug him tight. She opened the door wider for him to enter the room. “You’ve spent a small fortune on flowers for me. Thank you, they’re lovely.”

“You’re
worth it and it’s the least I could do for leaving without telling you where I was going. I’m sorry I had to go in such a rush.”

His
rich deep voice was like a soothing balm to her anxious heart.

“I
have to admit I got a bit of a shock when I phoned your hotel only to find you’d checked out. I...I thought you’d left to go back overseas.”

“I
wouldn’t do that to you,” he said, drawing her closer, his hand cupping the back of her head as he bent to kiss her mouth. “I missed you so much. You sure taste good.”

“So
do you,” she whispered.

“You
drive me crazy in that outfit.” Appreciatively, and ever so slowly, his gaze wandered over her skimpy leather costume and her toes curled.

He
kissed her again, more possessively and she gave herself up to his passion.

“There’s
another outfit I guarantee will drive you crazier,” she teased, breathless when he’d finally released her from his kiss.

“Have
dinner with me tonight in my room and wear it for me?” How could she not? She almost melted at the need and desire in his eyes.

“Count
on it.” She stood on tiptoes and kissed him again. “Are you staying to watch the show?”

“Wouldn’t
miss it for the world.”

There
was a sharp rap on the door. “Nic, are you decent?” Danny’s voice sounded through the wooden barrier.

Nic
pulled away from Jake and opened the door. Before she could caution Danny on the quiet not to say anything about her resignation, Danny said, “You’re a lucky dog, Jake. This woman has given up everything for you.”

Nic’s
stomach churned. She glanced at the shocked expression on Jake’s face and knew she had good reason to be concerned.

“Make
sure you take good care of her.” Jake’s gaze held hers.

Danny
turned to Nic. “It’s time, babe. Are you ready?”

She
took a deep breath and reluctantly dragged her gaze away from Jake. “Yes.”

“Sounds
as if you’ve got some explaining to do,” Jake said, frowning when she turned and planted a hurried kiss on his mouth.

“I
love you, Jake.”

She
closed the door behind her, the breath in her lungs forcing its way from her body. She said a silent prayer, hoping she’d made the right decision and that Jake actually did want to spend the rest of his life with her. For now, she couldn’t afford to dwell on his shocked expression. She had to concentrate on getting through the show.

After
the show, Jake’s arm wrapped firmly around her as they walked to the hotel in silence. The cool night air was refreshing, and the walk gave Nic a chance to settle her stomach and think about the night ahead and what she would say to Jake. She wanted to convince him, but she didn’t want to sound pleading and begging. She just hoped he wanted her with him as much as she wanted to be with him. She thought of the outfit she’d purchased, safely tucked into her bag.

Once
they were in Jake’s room, he ordered dinner while Nic headed to the bathroom for a quick shower, telling herself she was trying to avoid answering his questions before she was ready.

She
slipped on the lacy, revealing teddy, a lovely ivory shade, and pulled on matching stay-ups with lacy tops. Unsure of how the evening would go now that Jake suspected she’d been up to something without his knowledge, she slipped on her robe, as a safety measure to keep her dignity intact if necessary.

Nic
scrunched and flicked at her hair, scraping her fingers through it to give a wilder untamed look before nervously leaving the bathroom. Dinner had already arrived and Jake was opening a bottle of champagne. So far so good.

She
smiled, took a deep breath and slipped off her robe.

His
breath caught and she smiled at the longing in his eyes.

“Witch,”
he said. “Come here.”

She
took the few steps toward him, and tried not to tremble with nerves and excitement as he hauled her into his arms. Her future...their future rested on the next few moments.

“What
have you been up to while I’ve been away?”

“Oh,
nothing much, but just before you left, I had this very generous offer to crew on a yacht and sail around the world with the most wonderful man I’ve ever met.”

His
body tensed at her comment and she moved away.

“And
are you going to accept the offer?”

She
considered him, choosing her words carefully. “It’s a good offer, and I’m very tempted. However....” She was enjoying this little game, teasing him. The anxious expression on his face spurred her on.

“I
decided...that...er, crewing isn’t my thing and no, I won’t be accepting the offer.”

His
face fell and she felt guilty over playing games at his expense. She stepped closer, her body brushing intimately against his, tracing his lips with the tip of her tongue. “But I wondered if there were any other jobs available...something that might suit me better.”

She
could feel Jake’s heartbeat and pressed even closer. “You know, something that requires a little more...intimacy?” She stood on tiptoes and kissed his mouth. He tasted so good, a potent combination of vibrant male, warmth and sweetness. Why wouldn’t she consider running away to sea with him?

His
arm snaked around her and hauled her closer, his arousal pressing against her. “You are a witch,” he said. “I can’t seem to break free of your spell.” He took her mouth in a demanding hungry kiss and Nic went weak at the knees.

Jake
scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

“Get
this thing off,” he said, tugging at the lace.

“Slowly,”
she whispered, resting her hand on his to still his action. “Like this. And this.” Nic shivered with pleasure as his mouth followed the scanty piece of lace down her body.

Her
fingers moved to the lacy tops of her stockings, but he stopped her. “No, leave those on. Do you mind?”

“No,”
she whispered, her body burning for him. “I’m all yours.”

* * *

“You’ve actually resigned?” Jake clarified.

“Yes.”

“But what about your career? I thought it meant the world to you.”

“It
did, but there’s more to life than having a great career. I want something more fundamental to my well-being. I want a life of my own, love, companionship, some kind of permanency in a relationship. A family. Those things are more important to me...it’s not hard to give up a career for the right person, the right goals.”

He
looked a touch panic-stricken.

“You
did it for Mark, but you yourself said that you had reservations afterwards. I don’t want that for us. I don’t think I could handle it if things went wrong, knowing it was my fault you were unhappy.”

“I’ve
been thinking a lot about my marriage to Mark. I’m not sure it would have lasted in the long term anyway. And besides, that was different. Mark gave away a career he loved. It wasn’t the right thing for him to do. Not with his personality. You won’t be giving up something that means a lot to you, like Mark did. What I’m giving up is only a small part of what we could have together, what I want from life. I love you, Jake. I want to spend my life with you. What do I have to say to convince you that I want to take off on your crazy adventure with you?”

“But
you don’t like traveling.”

“I’ve
changed my mind. Besides, I never said anything about disliking sailing. I love the sea, being both on it and in it.”