Keeping Her Guilty Secret (Forever Yours Trilogy) (6 page)

Chapter 8

Later that evening, Nicole unlocked the door, dropped her duffle bag on the passenger seat of the car, and breathed a sigh of relief. The restaurant was packed with a steady flow of customers until her shift ended. Her stomach growled. There hadn’t been time to grab dinner. It didn’t matter. She was too tired to eat now.

She shut the door and started walking to the driver’s side of the car. A hand slammed down and tightened on her shoulder, then dragged her back against a hard body. Another hand closed over her mouth, stifling her scream.

“Shut up!” Carlo whispered furiously in her ear.

Nicole squirmed and bit down hard on his hand.

Carlo let out a harsh laugh and tightened his grip on her. “Bitch! Thought your boyfriend would scare me off, did you?”

Boyfriend, what boyfriend? A memory of Max putting his arm around her and kissing her while Carlo stood at the front door fuming flashed into her mind. She tried to tell him Max wasn’t her boyfriend, but with his hand still clamped over her mouth it came out as a muffled moan.

“Does he know what a naughty girl you’ve been? I think not, and if you want to keep it that way you’ll listen—and listen good. “I want fifty thousand dollars.”

Fifty thousand?
Her eyes went wide and she tried to protest.

“That’s right. The cost of my silence has gone up. I checked out your Max Paradis and he’s worth a good chunk of change. Besides, you owe me. I figure with interest over the last six years, fifty thousand might just about cover it.”

Interest?
What the hell was he talking about? She tried to ask, but his hand pressed more firmly over her mouth.

Footsteps thundered on the pavement. “Nicole? Are you okay?”

“Son-of-a-bitch!” Carlo let her go and took off running across the parking lot.

Nicole slumped against the car and tried to steady her breathing. She yelped when Max grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. “Did he hurt you?”

“No,” she said between ragged gulps of air.
Thank God you arrived when you did.
“What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been following that bastard boyfriend of yours.”

Her head jerked up, and she met his blazing, dark eyes. “What?”

“I spotted him parked on the street in front of the office watching for you. Did you know he followed you to this restaurant after you left work?”

Followed her?
Nicole froze. Carlo was stalking her every movement. She should have realized this when he showed up at the restaurant the last time and then at the house. “No.” She’d been concentrating on maneuvering through the rush hour traffic and hadn’t noticed anyone following her.

“You can’t keep seeing him, Nicole. He’ll hurt you.”

Her eyes rounded and she let out a soft gasp. “I’m not seeing him!”

“But I thought . . . I obviously interrupted something between you two at your house last weekend and you had a date, so I assumed . . .”

“No. I’m not seeing him. I haven’t been, not for a long time.” He gave her a curious glance. “I’m telling the truth. I’m not—”

He shook his head and pointed up at the building. “Why are you wearing an apron with this restaurant’s logo stitched on it? Weren’t you here having dinner with someone?”

Damn it.
He’d figure it out for himself so she might as well tell him the truth. At least this way she could explain. “I work here.”

He turned her around and pulled her toward the restaurant door.

“Why are we going back?”

“We’re going to sit down and you’re going to tell me what’s going on.”

He steered her toward an empty booth at the back of the restaurant. After they were seated and had ordered, Nicole asked, “Why were you following Carlo?”

“The guy is trouble, Nicole. Are you going to tell me why he keeps bothering you?”

“No, but I appreciate you watching out for me.”

He eyed her skeptically.

“Really, I do, but I can take care of myself.” She’d been doing just that for years now.

“The guy is stalking you. Look what he tried to do to you tonight. You should get a restraining order against him before he does anything worse.”

Worse?
She drew in a quick breath and let it out slowly. Yes, Carlo definitely had the connections if he wanted to harm her. But how would she manage to get the restraining order without divulging why she needed protection? She could picture how the conversation would go.
See, Officer, my druggy ex-boyfriend just got out of prison and is blackmailing me. I’m afraid he might hurt me, especially because I don’t have any money to give him. I need you to protect me.
Oh yes, she imagined the officer’s reaction when they learned the truth about her.

“I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Max reached for her hands and enveloped them with his larger, strong fingers. The gesture made her feel safe and secure and once again, she longed to confide her troubles in him. But he wouldn’t understand. No one else had. Not the police, not either of her bosses at the companies she’d worked for before landing the job at Paradis and McNamara. Heck, even her parents had doubted the truth. No, Max wouldn’t believe her, so it was better to stay silent about Carlo, and tell him what he wanted to hear. “I’ll check it out.”

He nodded. “Good.”

“In the meantime, no one knows I’m working here again and I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention it, especially to Ashley, Kate, or Reed.”

“What do you mean, working here again?”

“I started working here after my parents died to help make ends meet. I quit when I got the job working for Reed, then money got tight again so I came back about six months ago.”

Max frowned. “Why don’t you just tell them?”

“I don’t want to put any additional stress on them. They need to concentrate on finishing their education. They won’t do that if they’re worried about where the money will come from.”

“So you let them think you’re seeing some guy instead?”

She gave a casual shrug. “Yes.”

“We’re family now. Let me help.”

No way.
“I appreciate the offer, but Ashley and Kate are my responsibility. I can and will take care of them.”

He sighed. “I don’t doubt it, but I can make things easier for you.”

“Like I said, I appreciate the offer, but—”

“You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”

“No. Can we please talk about something else?”

“About Carlo, he’s bad news.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Enough about Carlo. You don’t need to worry. I can handle him.”

“You’re not going to tell me why he’s harassing you?”

“No.”

Max gazed down at her, trying to decide how far to press his point. He’d been wrong about her. She wasn’t like Angela, or Eve for that matter.

He understood her strong sense of responsibility toward her sisters. Ashley had been right. Nicole had been both mother and father to her sisters since their parents’ deaths.

He remembered the image he’d had when they’d first spoken and almost laughed. Nicole was quite the opposite of the brainless, blond bombshell he’d imagined. Her fiery brown hair and spirit to match came with a strong sense of family and integrity.

“Max?”

And her voice, even with the hesitation he caught in it now, ignited a hunger deep inside him. He’d been kidding himself to believe he could walk away from her. Besides the obvious chemistry between them, there was something more. Something he wanted to explore.

He claimed her mouth, intending the kiss to be gentle, wanting only to savor her soft sweetness. Her eager response filled a part of him that had been empty for far too long. Wanting more, he deepened the kiss, taking everything she gave.

When he lifted his head, long moments later, her mouth gaped open. He wasn’t sure if her shock came from the fact he’d kissed her, again, or her own wanton response.

He grinned. “Have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

Chapter 9

Nicole’s shift at the restaurant ended early the next evening and as she climbed into the car and drove home, thoughts of Max filled her mind. She declined his dinner invitation. She had to. There were a million excuses for her to say no, her job at the restaurant being the biggest because she’d been scheduled to work tonight. There was the wedding dress to consider as well. She had made little progress on the dress itself although the design was set. But the biggest reason she’d said no, and the one she couldn’t share with Max, was she was scared to say yes.

How could she know, for sure, if this storm of emotions swirling around her was real? She’d been so sure with the others and been wrong. And what if he still loved Angela? How could she get involved knowing she’d only be a substitute for his true love?

No, it was better to play it safe and keep her distance. That way she wouldn’t get hurt.

The sign for Jake’s Place flashed bright neon colors as she drove by.

Ashley and Reed were there right now along with Reed and Max’s parents. They’d gone to see Max play. Apparently he’d had a change of heart and decided to join his old band members at the club tonight after all, or so Reed had said when he invited her along late this afternoon.

She’d very nearly accepted, had wanted to because she liked being around him. After all, it wasn’t like they’d be out on a date together. He had a charismatic personality that captivated and bewitched her and made her laugh, not to mention he genuinely seemed to care about her well-being.

And the chemistry between them . . . It soared off the charts and that scared her, too, because her body had come to crave his touch. And how pathetic was that considering they’d only shared a few passionate kisses?

But in the end she couldn’t bring herself to accept Reed’s invitation. As much as she’d love to be there with everyone cheering him on, he wouldn’t appreciate it. Not after the way things had ended last night. Oh, he hadn’t caused a scene. In fact, quite the opposite. He seemed indifferent to the situation. Always the perfect gentleman, he paid the check, escorted her to her car, told her to drive safely and left without another word. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as he disappeared into the night.

But she had to keep her distance. It was the best thing. Wasn’t it?

A sudden impulse had her turning around at the next light. She pulled into Jake’s Place, parked the car and headed toward the entrance. She’d sit in the back where no one would notice her. Watch for a while, then leave. And no one would be the wiser. Yes, that was the plan.

“Here’s an oldie but a goodie,” the singer said and Max, one of the guitar players, strummed the opening chords of “Stairway to Heaven.” The rest of the band members joined in and the crowd cheered.

When the part for the guitar solo came, the singer walked over to Max and held the microphone toward his guitar.

Holy cow, the man could play. Really play, like as good as Page himself or maybe even better. Maybe better than Clapton, too. Or maybe she was just a little biased. Yes, definitely biased, but he was up there with the best of the best.

The solo went on and on and she couldn’t help grinning as Max lost himself in the music. Then the lead singer started in with the lyrics again. This time Max sang with him and it turned out he could sing as well as he played.

The man amazed her. On one hand, he was the consummate businessman who’d built a successful construction management company from the ground up. When the situation called for it, he morphed into her knight-in-shining-armor. His alluring charm, easy conversation, and infectious grin had her thinking about him constantly and missing him like crazy when he wasn’t around. Then, there was the generous benefactor who appreciated his success and gave back to the institution and the community that helped mold him into the man he was today. The seducer who could send her pulse rate soaring with a single brush of his lips against her skin. And last, but not least, the sexy rock n’ roller, with his spiky hair, and bulging muscles. A real bad boy a good girl wouldn’t dare bring home to meet Daddy.

She liked him, too.

At one point she thought he might have spotted her because his eyes seemed to lock on hers. They glittered, a brilliant sapphire blue and she imagined, for just a moment, his molten gaze had been meant for her and her alone, even though she knew he couldn’t have possibly spotted her in this massive crowd.

She stayed until the end of the very last song. Even let out a loud wolf-whistle to show her appreciation. When Max and the others stood up and took their final bows, she slipped outside.

It occurred to her as she drove out of the city and into the now-silent streets of her neighborhood that she had been happier over these last few days than she had been in months, maybe even years.

Could she find a way to make it last?

Chapter 10

The next evening, Nicole sat in her office in downtown Chicago staring at the document displayed on her computer screen without really seeing it. Her mind concentrated on the hushed voices coming from the office next door. What were Max and Reed talking about?

Reed’s door opened and then clicked shut. “Good night, Nicole. Don’t stay too late,” she heard him say as two sets of footsteps echoed down the hall. The ding of the elevator car a moment later signaled its arrival. The doors swooshed open and then closed. A resounding silence thundered in the empty suite.

He was gone. Her heart sank.

Pathetic fool
, the voice inside her taunted.

“Nicole?”

She glanced up. Max stood with his long, lean frame propped against the door opening, his arms draped casually across his well-muscled chest. Her heart fluttered, a shiver of excitement ran down her spine and she knew a silly grin was plastered across her face. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d left.”

“I wanted to see if you’d have dinner with me tonight?”

She shook her head. “It’s not a good idea for us to get involved.”

The breath whooshed out of her as his lithe body came toward her. He gently pulled her to her feet. His head lowered and he pressed a hot, moist kiss in the hollow at the base of her throat and, there it was, the tiny fluttering in her stomach whenever he came near. Lord, she might just go weak in the knees if he continued his sensual assault.

“You came to Jake’s Place last night to see me play.”

Heat crept up her neck and invaded her cheeks and the silly grin she’d been wearing since he appeared broadened. “You were really good.”

His eyes darkened the way they had last night when he’d spotted her and,
oh yeah
, there went the knees. His arms wrapped around her waist and held her tight. And wasn’t that exactly what she wanted?

“You couldn’t stay away.”

“No,” she admitted.

He brushed soft kisses down the column of her neck. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

His nearness made her senses spin. It was hard to concentrate. But she had to. “What about Angela?”

He stared down at her, a horrified expression on his face. “What about her?”

She swallowed hard. “You still want her and—”

“Hell, no. Whatever gave you that idea?”

“The other night. You said . . .”

His eyebrows furrowed. “You mean in the car, on the way back to your place?”

She nodded.

“Oh, honey, I meant I’d been in love with her and how could I have been so stupid? Trust me, any feelings I had for Angela died the moment I found her and Eve together.”

She let out a sharp breath.
Thank God!

He lifted her chin and waited for her eyes to settle on his. “Tell me you don’t feel anything for me, and I’ll walk away and never bother you again.”

A soft moan escaped from her parted lips, knowing she couldn’t. How could she keep denying whatever this was developing between them?

He cupped her cheek in his hand. The tenderness in his eyes pierced her hardened heart.

“There’s more than physical attraction between us. We owe it to ourselves to see where it leads,” he said.

Go for it
, the reckless voice inside her head said.

Could she take the risk?

Yes, yes, yes!
the voice inside her screamed.

Surrendering, she rose up on her tiptoes, and pulled his mouth to hers for a long, slow, drugging kiss.

Nicole eyed him curiously as Max pulled the car into the parking lot of The Capital Grille restaurant a short time later. “I’m pretty sure we need a reservation—”

He grinned. “I made one for seven o’clock.”

“You were that sure I’d change my mind?”

He shook his head. “No, but I hoped to convince you.”

She smiled. “You picked the perfect place. I’ve been dying to come here for a while now.”

Inside, a host escorted them to an intimate table set for two. Once seated, Nicole turned her attention to their surroundings: a mix of refined sophistication, quiet elegance, and Old-World luxury. Very charming, she deemed.

Her eyes settled on Max. The dimmed overhead light cast soft shadows over his chiseled features. What was it about him that affected her on the most basic level? The sizzling attraction played a huge part, sure. But there was more. Her heart beat a rapid tattoo every time he came close. She thought about him constantly, especially when he wasn’t around. He made her feel . . . special. Worthy.

Tell him about Carlo
, the voice inside urged.
Trust that you can make him understand.

Not yet. We barely know one another.
Why would he believe her when no one else had?

“Is everything okay? You seem a little distracted,” Max asked.

Her lips curved up. “I’m fine.”

He moved his chair so they sat side by side. “Tell me about Nicole Bradford. I want to know everything about you. It still amazes me how someone with your obvious skill and talent wound up working in the construction management field.” He brushed his fingers over the brown dupioni silk outfit she wore. “I assume the dress and jacket are your designs?”

She nodded. “They were one of the first things I created after I got my internship with Christina D’Agata.”

“As in the clothing designer?”

Her eyebrows arched up. “You’ve heard of her?”

He shrugged. “I recognize the name. I attended a fashion show in New York a few years ago, a charity event to raise money for childhood diseases. Christina D’Agata was one of the designers whose creations were showcased.”

Nicole remembered the event. How could she not? One of
her
gowns had been slated to be featured on the runway. Only it never happened. Yes, the show had gone on, but where was she when the opportunity of a lifetime had presented itself? Sitting in a jail cell being browbeaten by the local and federal authorities to provide the names of her accomplices, that was where. Too bad they didn’t believe her when she told them she wasn’t involved in the illegal trafficking.
“What were you doing there?”

He sighed. “Angela chaired the fundraising committee. She put the show together.” He waved a hand, dismissing the subject. “Tell me more about your internship.”

“There’s not much to tell. I interned over the summer between my junior and what should have been my senior year of college. Christina liked my work and we got along well. She offered me a permanent position and I took it. Unfortunately, my parents were not as thrilled by my new job as I was. They got angry with me for leaving school. So much so that my father and I didn’t speak for months.”

“Then you had to come home after the accident?”

She shook her head. “I came home two months before the accident happened. Ashley seems to forget that part. The truth is things didn’t work out in New York the way I’d hoped they would. So I came home. End of story. What about you?”

“What do you want to know?”

“For starters, tell me how Paradis and McNamara came to be.”

Max shrugged. “I worked my way through college doing construction and when I finally graduated I opened my consulting company. It was slow going for a lot of years. Then, with Reed’s help, I landed a major contract. Business continued to boom and I made Reed a partner.”

“Reed said you sold him your share of the business a year ago.”

A muscle in his neck jerked. “Yes.”

Max sighed. Why had he started this conversation? He should have realized she’d ask about his past when he’d asked about hers. So what was he supposed to tell her? He’d sold out and gotten the hell out of town because after making the deal with Angela he couldn’t handle facing Eve every day or the reminder of what a fool he’d been?

He’d kept his end of the bargain. Eve had quit on her own. He hadn’t fired her. And Angela . . . He shuddered. If the kiss she’d planted on Eve the other night at the college was any indication, he didn’t think she’d stay quiet about the real reason for the divorce much longer.

He’d be humiliated. Again. Bile roiled in his gut.
Not going there.

“Will you come back to Paradis and McNamara now that you’re home?” Nicole asked.

He shook his head. “I’m looking for a new business venture, although I agreed to help Reed out when the wedding comes around and while they’re on their honeymoon.”

“Do you have anything in mind?”

“I’ve got a few possibilities. I’ll have to see where they lead.” He didn’t want to talk about this anymore. “In the meantime”—he reached inside the breast pocket of his suit coat and pulled out two vouchers—“These came in the mail today. I’m wondering if you might join me?”

She gazed down into his hands and her eyes widened. “How did you get these? Tickets don’t go on sale for another week or so.”

“Not if you’re a baseball season ticket holder. They’re for Opening Day. What do you say?”

A smile lit her eyes. “Are you kidding me? I say yes, I’d love to join you.”

“I’ll walk you to the door,” he said when they arrived back at Nicole’s house several hours later.

She grinned. “And here I thought gentlemen were a lost breed.”

“Not at all.”

They walked up the short flagstone path that led to the front porch. When they reached the front door, she said, “I had a great time tonight.”

So had he. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself as much. Pulling her into his arms, he dropped a kiss on her lips. “I want to see you again, tomorrow night.”

She sighed. “I can’t. I have to work at the restaurant.”

Damn.
“Tomorrow afternoon then.”

She shook her head. “I need to spend tomorrow working on Ashley’s dress. Reed is taking her back to school on Sunday night.”

“Then have dinner with me on Sunday night.”

“Sunday is family dinner day. I’m making a leg of lamb.”

He sighed. “Right.”

“Maybe you can come over and I can teach you to cook?” she asked hopefully.

He flashed a wolfish grin. “Darlin’, I already know how to cook.”

Her husky laugh had a bolt of desire zinging through him. He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again.

“Food, Max, you can help me cook the food.”

His eyebrow winged up.

She grinned. “No, really, it’ll be fun. Besides, I’m making my chocolate lovers’ cake for dessert and I wanted to try a new little twist. I could use a taste tester.”

“Now you’re talking. What time should I be here?”

“Is nine o’clock too early? It’ll take almost three hours for the lamb to cook and we’ll have to make the cake first. Ashley and Reed have to leave by three so I need to have dinner on the table no later than one-thirty.”

“I’ll be there.”

“It’s a date then.”

He nodded, then crushed her lips with his again.

“You two really need to get a room.”

He released her and glowered as Reed moved past him. “I should probably go.”

“Yeah,” she said.

He gave her one last kiss, then turned to leave. The sound of female laughter and wolf whistling floated out the open door and made him smile.

Nicole went inside and glared at her sisters. “Oh, just shut up.”

Kate smirked. “That was one hell of a kiss.”

She flashed a satisfied smile. Oh yes, it was. “Good night, you two. Pleasant dreams.”

More laughter and wolf whistles followed her as she headed up the stairs.

Her cell phone buzzed. Maybe it was Max? She grabbed it from her purse, eager to read the new text message.

Tick-tock, tick-tock. Time is running out, Nicole. I hope
you enjoyed your dinner at The Capital Grille.
I want my money and I want it soon
or your boyfriend finds out what sort of girl you really are.

Her knees buckled and she gripped the railing for support. One thing was certain. She had to get Carlo out of her life once and for all. But how?