a good ploy. Besides, you know this guy. Will he talk if we force the issue?”
She twisted as she tried to zip the uniform. Had she put the bra back on? He realized they’d gone at it so quickly that he hadn’t had a chance to touch her breasts often enough. When this was over, when the Espositos had been vanquished, he had two goals in life. One involved many plans he had for her body. The other was to get back to his old life—a version of it. With her in it? That seemed unlikely.
That ruined the mellow glow of their sex. Because, damn, those goals most definitely didn’t align unless Ames was willing to leave her home and come with him to New York or wherever he ended up.
Or, if he were willing to stay in Arnesdale. He was actually beginning to appreciate the charms of small-town living and could imagine himself staying with Ames, but he certainly couldn’t imagine a career here.
There was no point in mulling over future plans right now. He’d concentrate on the problem at hand, getting the Espositos out of the picture.
Nick found his socks, pulled them on and decided he couldn’t leave Ames until they found Elliot one way or another. Finding her brother would be important to her. He’d keep helping her as long as it took.
When had his goals changed? While they fucked would be the perfectly reasonable male answer, but he knew he’d been caught by her before that. Maybe while he held her by the side of the road, or when she confronted a guy she thought might be a killer to find out what had happened to her brother.
Or maybe when she talked about the goddamn goldfish at the back of her family’s lost house. He pictured her swirling a hand through murky water, conjuring up the former family pets, and suddenly had a clear vision of her living in his decrepit house. The walls were freshly painted, curtains hung at the windows. The rooms were lovingly furnished, warm and welcoming. And beautiful orange fish swam in a freshly dug pond out back.
In his vision, he was with her in the house, sharing a four-poster bed in the master bedroom. But that future seemed unlikely. Sadness lanced through him as the glowing Hallmark image evaporated and the dark, complicated truth of reality took its place.
Chapter Eleven
God, she could still feel the impression of his body against hers—inside hers, but now they were hurrying in a less fun way, rushing to get their clothes back on and leave. She longed for a leisurely night to map each other’s bodies, to take him up on his offer of tasting her pussy, to measure and mold the thickness of his cock with her hands and mouth. But time was their enemy. They couldn’t sprawl in bed like lovers do, and for all she knew, Nick didn’t want that anyway. Maybe he’d rather keep this quick and casual.
But then, he’d said that thing about taking her to New York with him and showing her his city. Was that just a line? She simply couldn’t tell. Her gut told her Nick sincerely liked her and enjoyed spending time with her, but her gut had been wrong about guys before. Quite often, in fact. “Too open and trusting,” Marty had warned her time and again.
“You good?” She couldn’t see Nick’s face in the dark as he spoke, but she already knew the questioning tilt of his left eyebrow as if she’d studied his face for years instead of days. “Need anything? Water? A damp washcloth? I can find something.”
“No, I’m fine,” she said as she drew her underwear up over the wetness between her legs. “Great, in fact. I really needed that. Thank you.”
“Thank you. It was… I wish we had more time. I’d like to go again without rushing this time.” His hand stroked down her back; then he pulled her into a soft, affectionate kiss.
Relief washed through her, and the knot of tension that had started forming in the pit of her stomach released. It wasn’t her imagination. Nick had felt something too—at least enough to make him want to spend more time exploring each another.
She drew away from the kiss, pressed her lips to his rough cheek and sighed against his skin.
“Later, I hope.” She hated to feel so unsure, but who knew what would happen? “Now I suppose we’d better get over to Jake’s. I think stealth is the