Climax: The Publicist, Book Three

by Christina George

  He walked over, opened it, and was surprised when a whole bunch of brooms fell out. They broke into a million tiny fragments when they hit the floor.

  “More inventory?” He had to stop himself from laughing.

  Kate sighed, “I don’t even know how those got here. But yeah, I was stockpiling for the big sale to the tourists. You grab the iron; I’ll clean up my masterpieces.”

  . . . .

  The fiesta was held in a town square just a block from the villa. The square was lit with lanterns in all colors and a sea of candles. Surrounding the square were a few restaurants, all of them bustling.

  “Things won’t get going for a while. Want to grab dinner?” Kate said as they walked up to the square.

  “What things?” Nick asked.

  “Dancing, mostly. It’s fun to watch. Let’s try this place. Maybe we can get a seat on the terrace so we can watch the dancing after we eat.”

  Nick put a hand on her lower back and guided her inside. Kate’s skin prickled at his touch. He used to do that all the time. It felt impossibly comforting, and it did now, too.

  Nick was here and suddenly everything would be all right.

  They were seated on the terrace at a table with a perfect view of the square. After they ordered—Nick ordered a margarita and Kate got bottled water—Nick finally spoke, “So, tell me what happened.”

  Kate blinked, “You mean what happened with Mac?”

  Nick nodded.

  “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

  He shrugged, “Curiosity has gotten the better of me. Besides, I did fly down here to rescue you. I’d like to know why.”

  Kate took a deep sigh and then began. “Well, I told you that Mac’s ex-wife has cancer. She went through all sorts of treatments and he found someone on the West coast.”

  “City of Hope, right? I think you mentioned that.”

  She nodded, “Yeah, great doctor. Anyway, so this doctor recommends this rehab center just outside of Paris. Mac makes this grand gesture and goes to Paris with his sons and his ex.” Kate looked off in the distance and said, “I knew something was up. I really did. When he left, I just thought, I don’t know, something didn’t feel right. Then I told my therapist, who said Mac is just selfish.”

  Nick held up a hand. “Wait, a therapist?”

  Kate nodded, “I know. So very New York of me, right? Andrew bought me six sessions and I hated going. She was, well is, a total quack, but she nailed Mac and she nailed…”

  “What?”

  Their dinner arrived and Kate said, “Never mind.”

  Nick frowned. “Well, was it bad?”

  “No,” she said biting her bottom lip, “it was about you.”

  Nick looked at her with a somewhat blank expression. “What did she say?”

  “She kept pointing me back to you, because when Mac told me he cheated in Paris with his ex, the first thing I thought of was that I broke your heart for this jackass.”

  Nick’s eyes darted away. He hadn’t expected that. At all. “I appreciate the concern, Kate,” he said, his voice slightly uneven. “But I’m fine.”

  He wondered if Kate could see right through his lies.

  “You’ve moved on. That’s great. Tell me about her.”

  “Let’s not do this, Kate.”

  She put her fork down and said, “Do what? I’m just asking.”

  “Let’s not pretend that nothing happened between us, that we’re just old friends catching up. Because we aren’t. I came down here because Grace asked me, and I was worried that if you ended up moving off the reservation that would be the end of my sister’s book. That’s the only reason I came down here.”

  “Fine,” Kate said as curtly as she possibly could. She blinked at him as frustration, anger, and yes, love, swirled together in her gut.

  “You know what?” she said, her voice tight. “I’m so sick and tired of being branded as the woman who dumped Nick Lavigne, I could scream. Yes, I left you. Yes I left you for Mac, but you never once, not one time, tried to stop me.”

  Nick threw her a hard and slightly confused look. “Wait, you mean you think I should have stopped you? Or better yet, showed up at your love nest in Manhattan and begged for you to come back?”

  Kate looked away. A memory flashed in her mind. It was the night she left. She’d been determined to leave quickly, because it hurt so damned much to hurt him. She remembered clicking his front door shut for the last time.

  “No,” she said finally, her voice slightly calmer. “I expected you to put up a fight. I mean, somehow tell me that we were going to work this out, that you couldn’t live without me. Instead, you just took what I said and let me go.”

  Nick sat up straighter. “You gave me no choice, Kate, and I won’t chase something that does not want to be chased.”

  “You didn’t know that.”

  “Would it have changed anything?”

  “I don’t know. I honestly don’t, but it could have.” Her voice was almost a whisper.

  “So this is my fault now? That you chose Mac because I let you?”

  Pain registered in Kate’s eyes. “No, Nick, it’s not. I just always wondered why you never tried to stop me, why you just let me walk out—let me walk off.”

  Nick turned away, and for the briefest of moments Kate could see it, that same shattered look she’d seen the night she broke off their engagement.

  “I won’t fight another man,” he paused a beat for emphasis and added, “for anyone—not even Kate, the great and powerful.”

  Kate didn’t respond. She tried to focus away from Nick but felt something settle in her chest: Crushing guilt.

  “So there it is then,” she could feel her eyes prick with warm tears, “that’s how it will always be. I left you. I’m to blame for it all. I made a bad choice, and because in your world people aren’t allowed to make mistakes I will forever be the unforgivable thing in your life, won’t I?”

  Nick scrubbed a hand through his hair and threw her a hot look. “Your mistake, Kate, nearly killed me.”

  Nick’s words stabbed right through her heart. Much to her own surprise, Kate started to cry.

  “You know what? I’m not hungry anymore. I’m going to go home and get some rest. I thought this fiesta would be a nice way to thank you or a nice way to spend time together or something, but I guess I was wrong. Enjoy your dinner. And for the record, I’m sorry, Nick. You’ll never know how sorry I am that I left you, that I destroyed your life, that I chose Mac, that I broke your heart.” Kate shoved back her chair. It screeched against the stones, and several of the other tourists looked at them. Then she marched out of the restaurant.

  “Damn it.” Nick pulled a few bills from his wallet, threw them down, and raced after her. He wasn’t about to lose her again in Mexico.

  The music had started in the square, and hundreds of people were milling about. Kate wove through the crowd, and Nick pushed his way through to catch up with her. Finally, he was within arm’s reach. He grabbed her and spun her around.

  “Damn it, Kate. Didn’t you hear me calling for you?”

  “Let me go,” she tried twisting out of his grip but he was too strong. “You got your apology, now leave me alone. You’ve now moved on. I’m trying to be happy about that, but I’m not okay. I’m not happy at all.”

  Nick’s eyes narrowed. “Why not, Kate? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

  Kate’s heart beat so fast in her chest she wondered for a moment if it would burst. Kate didn’t answer. She just shook her head.

  Nick stared at her, holding her eyes in his gaze. He always had a way of looking at her that went right into her bone marrow, making her skin thrum and buzz. Behind them, the music changed from fast-paced Mexican music to a sweet love song. Elvis Presley’s voice wafted from the speakers, “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” played in the background and couples swarmed the dance floor.

  Nick leaned into her and pulled her to him. Then he gently swayed her back an
d forth to the music.

  “Only fools rush in,” Elvis sang.

  Nick pulled her even closer. He pressed his lips into her hair and inhaled the fresh scent of it. It spun through his senses.

  Kate melted into his arms and white heat bloomed in her chest like a time elapse movie of a flower on high speed. She dropped her head onto his chest and felt his heart beat rapidly.

  “When you left, my entire world collapsed,” Nick whispered into her hair.

  Hearing those words made Kate cry a little more and she pulled him closer. Her body felt electrified being this close to him again.

  Then Nick stopped dancing. His hand tipped her head and their eyes met. Kate felt her breath shaking out of her as Nick dropped his lips to her mouth and kissed her. His kiss was soft and tender, almost shy.

  Around them couples danced and the lights threw a soft, warm glow across the square. Nick’s kiss intensified and his tongue pushed her lips apart. This is what she remembered. Now she realized, this is what she’d missed. This is how it had always been like this between them, that raw heat that practically lifted her off the ground with its force.

  “God, I’ve missed you,” he murmured into her mouth. “I want you…” he whispered. “I want you so much.”

  Neither of them could ignore the fire that sparked and then raged when they touched. Nick grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the party, down the hill and to the villa. They covered the short distance quickly without speaking; when they reached the door, Nick unlocked it quickly and gently pulled her inside.

  Once they were in the courtyard, he pulled her to him and kissed her again. His vision flashed and his breath shuddered out of him. His hands pushed her top down and he kissed her neck, then her shoulders, then that space just above her breasts that he loved so much. She unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands along his strong chest. She pushed his shirt off of him and it hit the floor.

  Suddenly, his heart felt too big for his chest. She was hot pressed against him. He pulled her even closer. He heard a voice in his head, a distant, small voice, almost a whisper telling him to pull back, but he knew he couldn’t. If he had to stop, it might ruin him.

  He drew back slightly, his breath uneven.

  “Let’s get inside,” she whispered and he kissed her again. He was throbbing for her. Every beat of his heart was telling him to get her inside and naked. He kissed her like his life depended on it, because that’s how he felt.

  Above them the stars spread across the sky in an endless, creamy sweep.

  CHAPTER 106

  They moved inside and Kate stepped out of her dress. Nick felt himself grow so hard, he thought he might burst out of his pants.

  Then, for a moment, for a split second, he thought, What the hell am I doing? And he pulled back so suddenly she almost fell to the ground.

  “Kate,” he said breathlessly. “I’m sorry, I can’t. We shouldn’t.”

  Kate stood back half naked, her lips burning from his kisses. She reached an arm out but he stepped back,

  “Nick, please. Please. I want to make love to you.”

  He said nothing and she continued, “I found my heart, Nick. I found my heart and it’s with you. It’s always been with you.”

  Nick shook his head. “No, it’s too hard to love you, Kate. I can’t live with the cloud of Mac hanging over us.”

  Kate had never felt so vulnerable. Her breath came in shallow gasps. “It’s over, Nick. He’ll never be in my life again, and I realized that there was a bigger reason behind why I never married him…because I realized that I didn’t love him, not the way I should have, not the way I love you.”

  A silence fell between them. Then Nick said, almost in a whisper, “You always go back to him.”

  Kate began to cry again, “I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. But it’s not too late for us. Please, Nick, please tell me it’s not too late for us.”

  Nick swallowed hard; he could feel a handful of tears forcing their way to the surface. He never cried, well, only a few times.

  The last time was when Kate left him.

  He shook his head, “I-I can’t.” Then he took what little resolve he had, turned, and walked into his bedroom and shut the door.

  CHAPTER 107

  Kate couldn’t sleep; her body still pulsated at the memory of Nick touching her, kissing her. She slipped on her robe, poured herself a glass of wine (who cared, anyway?), and stepped outside into the cool night air. Then she dropped herself into a chair and cried.

  . . . .

  Nick tossed and turned for an hour. His body still sparked with the passion he’d felt…that he still felt. What the hell was he doing, anyway? He loved her, but he knew that loving Kate was a costly gamble and the likelihood that she’d stay with him wasn’t good. The odds were that she’d leave him again, and then where would he be? All the better that he’d managed to find an ounce of self respect and pull away.

  But it didn’t feel great; in fact, it felt downright stupid.

  He needed a drink of water, or just a drink. He flung off the covers and walked to the kitchen. As he did, he saw a still figure outside and could hear Kate crying.

  Crap.

  He hated to hear her cry. He poured a glass of water, splashed some brandy into another glass, and threw it back. He looked outside. She was unaware that he was in the kitchen. She pulled her knees under her chin and cried harder.

  Fuck.

  Nick stepped outside, quietly walked over to her, and sat down. Kate startled for a moment and then looked away, using the sleeves of the robe to wipe her eyes.

  “I’m so sorry, Nick. You were right to pull away.”

  Nick touched her hair and something in him sparked again.

  God, how he wanted her.

  “Kate, don’t,” he said softly.

  “I’ve missed you so much. Even when I was…not with you, I missed you. That day I ran into you in New York I was so happy and so surprised, and at the same time, sad.”

  “Sad?”

  Kate nodded, “Because I realized what I’d lost, I guess, somewhere deep down. It just hit me.”

  “Then why did you leave me, leave us?” Nick was still touching her—probably not the best idea but he couldn’t help himself.

  “Because I didn’t feel I deserved you.”

  Nick sat up straighter. “Wait, what?”

  Kate nodded, “I get it now. I left and went with Mac, because you were too good, too kind, too loving, too…everything.”

  Nick leaned into her and breathed into her hair. “Kate, no…”

  His breath hitched slightly.

  Then it happened. She turned her head towards him, and those eyes. He could never resist those eyes.

  That’s when he kissed her.

  A deep, passionate, electric kiss. He kissed her until his entire being throbbed with wanting her and he couldn’t form actual coherent thoughts. He was reduced to the primal state of one need with one woman.

  His tongue moved inside her mouth. He was gone and he didn’t care. He had no reserves left and no ability to walk away, as he’d done before. Nothing else mattered now. He was wearing only his boxer shorts and felt the thin cotton being strained by his erection. Kate wrapped her arms around him and returned his kiss; he pushed her back onto the soft cushions of the expensive lounge chair and pushed the robe off of her. He reached around and with a practiced hand. He released her bra and dropped his mouth to her nipples. Kate cried out for him, then he lifted her and carried her to her bedroom.

  He set her down on the bed and stepped out of his shorts. He eased her silk panties off of her, her body naked and wanting. His mouth fell to the softness of her abdomen, lingering there for a heated moment. His passion swirled around him with the force of a warm tornado. Kate’s mouth was on him, and her soft lips kissing his warm skin sent a sensual shiver up his spine. He ached to be inside her, his body screaming out for release. Finally separating her thighs, he entered her and a whispered moan escaped her
lips as her body rose up to meet his. Nick pushed inside of her, moving slowly at first, almost teasing her with pleasure. Then his movements became more demanding as he felt her body peak in ecstasy. Suddenly, his own release engulfed him, the passion for her washing over him as he felt himself explode with pleasure, his lips still on her mouth, the scent of her perfumed skin filling his senses. He was overcome with love at that moment and a fierce longing for her that only grew more intense as their lovemaking subsided.

  . . . .

  When Kate woke, it was still dark. Her head resting on Nick’s chest, he was stroking her hair.

  “You dozed off,” he said in a soft, deep voice.

  She kissed his chest. “I have missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too, Kate.” Nick paused and then said quietly, “And for the record, I thought about coming after you every single day.”

  She took a deep breath. “It was a silly thing to say, Nick. I’m sorry. Of course I didn’t give you another choice.”

  Nick pulled her closer to him and kissed her head. “I knew in my heart that you’d end up with your life torn apart, but my pride was too big. Also, I realized that if I stopped you or tried to you might hate me, and I couldn’t bear that.”

  “I could never hate you,” she said instantly. Kate pressed her lips to his chest. His skin was warm. It felt impossibly wonderful to be here with this man. So wonderful that for a moment she literally could not image why she’d ever left him in the first place.

  Nick pressed his lips into her hair. “Now, tell me again about how you felt you didn’t deserve this.”

  Kate swallowed hard and curled herself around Nick’s body. It felt incredible. “I have spent my life in a job where people tell me I’m not doing enough for them. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job—most of it, but after a while, maybe by osmosis or whatever it starts to sink in.”

  “And now?”

  Kate could hear the tentative anticipation in Nick’s voice.

  Kate took a deep breath. “I don’t know, deal with the wreckage of my life, or as the good doctor calls it, ‘Kate’s spin cycle.’”