Heart Ache (Bound by a Touch Novels #1)

by Morgan Kearns

  He sent the command to be happy about what he’d told her. She smiled and stood.

  “Yes, please keep me in mind if things change.” She picked up her bag from the floor and exited out the doorway into Gabby’s working space.

  Nikolai moved around the desk and leaned against the front of it. He crossed his legs at the ankles and folded his arms over his chest, a shit-eating grin on his face, and eavesdropped on the scene playing out in the room just beyond the doorway.

  “That was fast,” Gabby said as Ms. Morris stepped out. There was a feminine mumble to which Gabby shrieked, “What!? You have got to be kidding me.”

  Nikolai grinned, knowing Taylor had just informed Gabby she wasn’t quitting. The outer door to the office opened and closed. He could hear Gabrielle sucking in and blowing out exaggerated breaths. A loud crash ricocheted off the walls, followed by a curse and the sound of Gabby hopping. She’d kicked the garbage can. He’d have to massage her poor toes later and her legs and her…

  Niko composed his face into the most innocent expression he could muster just as Gabrielle stormed into the office, full of fury.

  “Who the hell do you think you are?”

  “What’s got you so stirred up, my love?”

  Her face turned the cutest shade of red. “Don’t my love me!”

  “I’ve denied my feelings for you for far too long, my love. From this moment on, I plan to tell you that I love you so much you’re going to get tired of hearing the words.” He took a step closer to her. “I love you, Gabrielle Ryan.” He let his accent caress the words.

  The outer door opened again and Gabrielle turned to retrieve what Nikolai knew would be yet another declaration of his feelings. But he stopped her. “Gabby, I’m going home. If you need me, you know where you can find me.”

  “Yeah, like I’m going to need you.”

  “Just in case.” He shrugged. “Good day, Gabrielle. I love you.”

  She rolled her eyes and walked out to meet Fred, who played flower delivery male in his retirement. Nikolai heard her sigh.

  “Thank you.”

  Fred mumbled, “You’re welcome.” The door closed softly.

  Nikolai’s heart thumped wildly in his chest. He could sense Gabrielle even stronger when her emotions got the best of her. Moments of silence passed and he wondered if this had been a mistake, until he heard his name whispered past her lips.

  Time to go.

  And he evaporated into his kitchen.

  Chapter Twelve

  Candles lit? Check.

  Strawberries covered in chocolate? Check.

  Champagne chilled? Check.

  Niko wanted everything to be perfect when Gabrielle came looking for him. Because she would. When she found him gone—even though he’d told her he was leaving—she would come.

  His cell rang and he smiled as the number came up; Gabby’s direct extension at the office. It was difficult to let the call go to voicemail, but his plan wouldn’t work if she could simply thank him—or tell him to go to hell—over the phone. That particular exchange needed to happen in person. Just in case he needed to beg.

  The phone went silent for about thirty seconds when a double set of beeps signaled a message.

  “Nikolai … I hate when you don’t answer your damned phone. You probably do it on purpose.” She sighed into the phone. Frustration or sadness, he couldn’t be sure. “I’m coming over now. I’m leaving right now. You’d better be home. Dammit, Niko! How could you just pop out on me like that?” The line went dead.

  He grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. If he had his way, she wouldn’t leave until tomorrow, when he could just pop both of them back to the office. A new set of satin sheets floated out with a snap and, with only a slight struggle, went onto the bed quickly. Nikolai replaced the black comforter, his fingers smoothed away any wrinkles that remained. He stacked all the fluffy pillows onto the bed as a final touch and stood back to admire his work. It looked good, and he hoped Gabrielle would love it. Then spend the night loving him.

  The doorbell rang and Niko nearly jumped out of his skin. Nervous energy buzzed through his veins and he took a deep breath in preparation. He wanted to vaporize directly in front of the door, but, coward that he was, he walked. As Nikolai neared the front door, his heart began to beat more intensely with each step. He rubbed at his chest, thankful to feel the sensation. Sucking in a deep breath, he opened the door.

  Gabrielle stood on the steps, only the top of her head visible from behind the flowers. In her arms was an arrangement of roses. They were just as he’d ordered; red, beautiful, and damn, they were big. Not only was the arrangement large, but he wondered how she’d gotten them here, the buds themselves were enormous with luscious, velvet petals.

  Sunlight kissed her auburn locks, turning them a shade of burgundy.

  “Why?” Her voice cracked. She thrust the vase into his hands.

  He noticed right away the card was missing. The clear, plastic stick conspicuously poked out of the vast expanse of red and green. They smelled wonderful, but were overpowered by the stifling scent of burnt rubber on wet concrete—she was angry and sad.

  “Why are you doing this to me?” she asked quietly.

  The vase of flowers met the wood of the side table with a soft thud. He gathered her into his arms, a brave move considering. She went stiff as a board, but didn’t make a move to pull away, just stood stone still in his embrace. He was beginning to feel that every moment she granted him might be his last and he was literally fighting for his life. He smoothed her hair back and kissed her just above her brow. The frustrated lines in her forehead eased.

  “I can’t help myself.”

  “I only have one word for you then.” She pushed against his chest and stepped out of his hold. “Jayson.”

  Yeah, that one word caused bile to rise up the back of Niko’s throat. He swallowed it—and a growl born of possession. She studied him, her eyes moving over him from head to toe and back again, searching his body language, devouring every twitch in his face. Her analysis wasn’t an appraisal though. She was looking for clues.

  There was doubt in her blue beautiful eyes, a doubt that cut him to the core. And he had nobody to blame but himself. He’d put the accusation there. He hadn’t committed the crime, but it didn’t matter to her. Didn’t matter to him. He hated himself, nonetheless.

  “Did you kill Jayson?” A single tear eased over her lid and slid slowly down her cheek.

  Niko took a step toward her, hands help upward as if she were a frightened animal, backed into a corner and ready to retaliate. If she ran now, it’d be over. She’d never give him a chance to explain things.

  Using the pad of his thumb he rubbed the tear away and kissed its track. She held her breath. But at least she didn’t flinch. Progress.

  He waited until she lifted her gaze before choosing his words very carefully.

  “Gabrielle, I promise you, I had nothing to do with what happened to Jayson. I didn’t order it. I didn’t do it, and I don’t know who did.” He wanted to hold onto her as she backed out of his embrace and plastered herself against the door, but let her step away. He rubbed at his chest then ran his fingers through his hair. “Yes, you are my heartmate. Yes, a male gets very … possessive of his heartmate and isn’t likely to give her up. Yes, I went to Hawaii. Yes, I saw Jayson there, standing on the balcony. But he was still very much alive when I left.”

  Her teeth bit into her lip and her eyes searched his, frantically darting back and forth, tears a steady rivulet down her cheeks.

  “Why did you go to Hawaii?” she whispered. “You would have only found a married woman there.”

  It was his turn to flinch. The words “married woman” made him physically ill. Excuses bounced around in his head. He’d asked himself that exact question and had yet to come up with a plausible, sane answer.

  He shrugged. “I guess I just needed one more stake in the heart.”

  She laughed slightly and rubbed at her nose.<
br />
  He chuckled, but only to humor her. “Okay, not the greatest choice of words, but you understand.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “No, I really don’t … understand. What reason could you possibly have to show up on my honeymoon? Seriously! Were you planning to kill him right in front of me? Or maybe you were just going to steal me from his bed?”

  “No. None of those things.”

  Her eyes narrowed a bit. “Would it have made a difference if he’d made love to me?”

  Bile shot up the back of his throat like a geyser. He swallowed hard. Even the thought of another male’s touch on her skin made him want to hit something. He uncurled his fingers and shoved his hands into his pockets to keep the drywall in its current, unmarred condition.

  “Answer me, Niko! What were you expecting?”

  Nikolai stood directly in front of her in a blink. His hands clamped onto the sides of her arms and he held her tightly. He wanted to shake some sense into her.

  “I don’t know what I expected. Since I didn’t see the actual ceremony, I guess I needed to see with my own eyes you were … with him. That you were married and forever out of my reach. But I swear to you, I did not hurt Jayson.”

  His phone rang and before he even realized what she was doing, Gabby had reached into his pocket and put the phone to her ear. That she’d taken the liberty to answer his phone stunned him. She never answered his cell, and this sure as hell wasn’t the right time to start that new administrative duty.

  “Nikolai Voinea’s phone, may I help you?” Pause. “Oh, yes, Stephon, how are you?” Another pause. “Fine, thank you. …Yes, he’s right here.” She handed Nikolai the phone and began to pace in front of the couch.

  “Stephon, this is not a good time,” Niko snapped. Gabrielle shouldn’t have answered the damned call. He would never understand females!

  She continued to pace. With each circuit, she seemed to get more agitated. Her face had turned a flaming red and he could hear her heart racing. Her hands clenched, forming tiny fists. Dammit! More agitation was not what she needed right now. Hell, nor did he. He needed something to help his cause.

  “Good time or not, I need to see you, my man. I’ve been to the morgue, got photos of the body, and you have got to see them.”

  “Fine, meet me at my office first thing in the morning.”

  “No, you need to see them now. You at home? I’ll be there…” And the doorbell rang.

  Shit! “You don’t take no for an answer, do you?”

  Nikolai growled as he opened the door to find the male in blue jeans and a white t-shirt. His blond hair was slicked back on the sides and a cigarette was tucked behind one ear.

  “Since when did you start smoking?”

  “I don’t. It’ll kill ya.” He reached up to touch the slim, white stick and Nikolai noticed the pack rolled up in his sleeve.

  “Who the hell are you today? Danny Zuko?”

  “Yep, just lookin’ for my Sandy.” Stephon pushed past Niko and entered the foyer. “Now, shut up and look at these.” He haphazardly tossed an envelope of photos at Nikolai. “Oh, hey, Gabby, it’s good to see you again.”

  Nikolai looked at one picture after the other, none of them showing anything out of the norm. Legs and arms twisted in angles not meant for living bodies. A large gash in the side of the head where it’d struck something on the way down. The last picture though stopped Niko in his tracks. His blood froze in his veins. A close up of two perfectly spaced dots on the jugular.

  He had been framed.

  It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but he’d hoped he didn’t have someone who hated him badly enough to destroy his life.

  “I can’t believe it.”

  Stephon clamped a huge hand on Nikolai’s shoulder. “Found it, I’m guessing.”

  “Found what?” Gabrielle asked.

  “Nothing.” There was no way he was going to let her see the pictures of the broken man she’d loved. Goddess, he didn’t like knowing that. He’d known some part of her had cared for Jayson—a larger part than Nikolai wanted to admit—but to acknowledge she loved him? Too much.

  He was just about to stuff the pictures back into their envelope when she snatched them out of his hands. He should have seen it coming. Should have snatched them right back. He was grateful when Stephon did it for him.

  Stephon’s periwinkle eyes twinkled as he smiled at her. If the grin had sported even a hint of attraction, Niko would have had to set him straight by introducing him to the drywall. Thankfully for all involved, the male was only trying to appease her.

  “Gabby, you don’t want to look at these. At least, not all of them. There is one you should see, though.”

  “Stephon,” Niko warned.

  Stephon shot him an annoyed glance, then turned his attention to Gabrielle. He plucked one photo from the pile and handed it to her.

  “What’s this?” She frowned, her mind refusing to answer her own question. Her eyebrows pinched and she tipped her head to the side, looking at the photo from a different angle. “What am I looking at?”

  Stephon took her by the elbow and guided her over to the couch, where she collapsed into it without an ounce of grace.

  “It’s a bite mark … on Jayson,” he explained.

  Gabrielle’s eyes glistened with tears as she glared at Nikolai. “You said, you didn’t—”

  “He didn’t,” Stephon interrupted. “Look here.” He pointed to the picture. “See, this bite? It’s much too small.” She still looked confused—and frustrated. Stephon pulled a measuring tape from his pocket. “Got an apple, Nik?”

  Nikolai had an idea of where Stephon was going with the fruit routine and rushed into the kitchen without argument. He pulled a Granny Smith from the bowl on the counter and returned in a flash, handing it to Stephon.

  “Okay, this bite is a little over an inch.” Stephon pointed to the picture, moving his finger over the ruler and the injury it measured.

  A smile stretched over Niko’s mouth. His heart skipped a beat. This was it. He’d be damned, but Stephon had found a way to prove he hadn’t killed Jayson.

  Stephon tossed the apple back to Niko, which made a solid thud when he caught it. “Bite it. Fangs only.”

  His canines shifted and elongated. Gabrielle watched intently, never taking her eyes off his teeth. When his fangs were fully extended, he ran his tongue over the tip. Her cheeks flushed and she rubbed at her neck. Maintaining eye contact he bit down.

  A combination of sour and sweet hit his tongue. He wiped at the juice on his chin with the back of his hand before tossing the apple back to Stephon. The male held the measuring tape up to the apple.

  “See here, Nikolai’s bite is over two inches. There is no way it’s his bite in the photo.”

  Her entire body relaxed, like her suspicions drained out her toes. She took the photo and once again started to pace, her auburn brows pulled down low.

  “Is the bite what killed him, you know, the cause of death?” Her gaze darted from Niko to Stephon and back again.

  Niko wasn’t sure what the look on his face said, but she laughed a bit and shrugged, adding a roll of her eyes for good measure. “What? I watch those crime shows on TV.”

  Stephon cleared his throat. “The COD is listed as blunt force trauma. The impact turned his internal organs—”

  “I think we have enough details.” Niko glared daggers at Stephon.

  Gabrielle blinked hard and looked down at the photo again, running a finger over the bite marks. “Okay, so you didn’t bite him.”

  Niko shook his head.

  “Then, who did?”

  Stephon answered, “That I don’t know. It’s my job to find out who that sick somebody is. Like I said before, Gabby, if your male over there had done it, he wouldn’t be saying he didn’t. It’s not in his nature to lie. Ever.” The male took the photo and the apple and stuck his hand out to Nikolai. “One step closer, boss. I’ll call you when I have more information.”

&nbs
p; Vindication.

  Nikolai should be elated by Stephon’s little object lesson, but his nerves were raw, totally exposed. Just because she believed the findings didn’t mean she’d forgive him for … Hell, he’d screwed so many things up he’d have to spend the rest of forever apologizing to her. A small, soft touch on his back made him jump.

  “Niko, please look at me.” Gabby pleaded. He obeyed her request and was rewarded with adoration twinkling in her green eyes. “I’m just going to ask this once. I want the truth. If I find out you lied to me, then there will be no forgiveness, do you understand?”

  He did understand—completely and right now, he would bare his very soul to her if that was what she needed. He placed his hand over his beating heart.

  “I never lie.”

  “Did you have anything to do with Jayson’s death?”

  “No.”

  “Anything, Niko? Like sending a little mental nudge to convince him to go for a walk in midair? A little lift over the banister? Anything?”

  “No. I swear on my love for you, Gabrielle, I had nothing—absolutely nothing—to do with his demise.”

  She stood, frozen in front of him with tears filling her eyes again. When the first one broke the lid, a sob broke from her throat.

  “I loved him.”

  “I know.” And that knowledge stung like a dagger to the carotid.

  “I never wanted to hurt him.”

  “I know. I’m sorry for what happened.”

  “It’s my fault.”

  “No, love, it’s not your fault.” He pulled her close, savoring the feel of her against him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight. Tears soaked through his shirt. She sniffed.

  “I shouldn’t have let it get as far as it did.” She looked up into his eyes. “You were right; I never should have said I’d marry him when I was in love with you.”

  He kissed her full on the lips and so much was released in that kiss; passion, love—an apology. She moaned into his mouth, making his taste buds dance with her flavor of coconut and lemon. His heart swelled with his love for this female. His female.