His laughter added to her annoyance. “Come on, I’m not going to bite you, Nicci. Open up.”
“No! Go away. Stop pestering me. Take the hint that I want nothing more to do with you, will you?”
“Then I will grant you your wish, fair maiden, and leave you in peace.”
FOUR
Nicole felt devastated when she heard his footsteps soften as he walked away from her. She desperately wanted to cry out for him to stop, to help her, but pride stubbornly prevented her from reaching out and begging for his assistance. I don’t need him, or any other man, for that matter.
When she heard the bell again, Nicole’s shoulders slumped in relief…or was it helplessness? She wasn’t clear which. There was no way she’d be able to get out of her constraints without someone’s help. She pulled the door open and hoped that she didn’t cause Mrs. Jerrard a heart attack when the woman saw her trussed up like a chicken.
However, her plans were shattered when she opened the door and a concerned voice said, “Jesus, what happened to you? Who did this, Nicci?”
All her emotions piled into one miserable heap as her eyes met his. She found it impossible to hold back the words and pleaded pathetically. “Help me, please.”
She held her arms out in front of her and wilted against the doorframe, her legs unable to support her weight anymore as she finally gave in to her confused gamut of emotions.
In one sweeping movement, he gathered her in his arms and carried her through to the salon. His strength both surprised and overwhelmed her.
“Oh my, Nicole! Whatever has happened to you, child?” Mrs. Jerrard leapt out of her chair and ran towards them to help.
“It’s all right. I’ve got her,” Josh said. “Will you ring the police please, ma’am?”
“No! You can’t!” Nicole shouted, panic-stricken.
“Why not?” Mrs. Jerrard looked flummoxed by Nicole’s outburst.
“You can’t. Please, just get this stuff off me.”
Josh lowered her carefully into a seat. She held her trembling arms out. He withdrew a penknife attached to his key fob and sliced through the plastic without too much effort. She felt foolish for not being able to break free of her constraints herself—not that she’d really had the chance to try that hard before he’d showed up. That’s what she kept telling herself anyway.
He watched as she rubbed her wrists. “Why?”
Puzzled, she glanced up at him. “Why what?”
“Why no police? And you haven’t answered my first question either. Who did this to you?” His eyes narrowed, and she could tell his mind was working at full steam.
Nicole’s gaze drifted over to her customer, who waited expectantly for the answer to Josh’s question, then her gaze shifted back to him. He understood her meaning right away and turned to Mrs. Jerrard. “I’m afraid Nicole won’t be able to style your hair today. I’m going to take her to hospital now to get checked over.”
Mrs. Jerrard picked up her handbag and patted Nicole on the back of the hand. “Of course, you take care now. I’ll give you a ring in a few days to arrange another appointment, child. I’m so glad you have someone here to take care of you.”
Great! Now I’m going to be the talk of the town, and Josh will be a hero for saving the inadequate damsel in distress! Crapiola!
“I’m fine. Give me a ring tomorrow, Mrs. Jerrard. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
“Nonsense, Nicole. You need to listen to this young man and heed his advice. I’m sorry this has happened to you, sweetie. See you soon.”
The bell tinkled again, signifying Mrs. Jerrard’s exit. The salon fell silent, and for the next few minutes, Nicole and Josh just stared at each other, as if each of them was trying hard to read the other’s intimate thoughts. Finally, Nicole stood up and walked over to the front door. Holding it open, she said, “Thanks for your help. You can go now.” Her words didn’t come out harsh, but they did seem to linger in the air before he acknowledged them.
He shook his head and smiled, that stomach-churning smile he used to give her in her teens when he was about to tease her. “I’m not going anywhere, Nicole, so get that thought out of your mind.”
She let the door go and walked to the back room, leaving him in the salon. She collected her bag and keys then returned to find him leaning against the sink with his arms folded tightly across his broad chest, his smile still firmly set in place.
She rolled her eyes. “Stay here then, I’ll lock you in if I have to.” She held up her keys and jangled them, emphasising her point.
He shrugged and moved towards her, his gaze focused on hers. He acted as if he would walk past her but stopped abruptly inches in front of her. Turning to face her, his hands reached up and gripped her arms lightly. Nicole flinched, fearing he was about to strike her. The look on his face revealed his own shock that she should think such a thing of him.
“I don’t know what went on today, Nicole, but if you’re not willing to tell me or let me help you, then there’s little I can do to alter your mindset.” He dipped a hand in his jacket pocket and handed her a business card. “Ring me if you change your mind, okay?”
Her emotions split off in different directions once more. On the one hand, she was dying to be held and comforted by him. On the other, she was terrified of breaking down, shattering the façade she’d erected—a tough woman who didn’t take shit from men anymore.
She took the card, nodded curtly, and watched him walk out the door. She switched off the lights and followed him out soon after, not wanting to be alone in the salon in case the masked man returned.
***
Josh trudged over to his car. He heard the door to the salon close behind him, and his heart sank. He’d dropped by to see Nicole on the pretence of wanting his hair cut. His heart had broken in two when he saw her hands tied up. He didn’t want to imagine what she may have been subjected to, and he dared not ask. Although Nicole hadn’t even indicated that there was an intruder, the evidence indicated that the salon had been held up. Why wouldn’t she admit to that? Did she know her attacker? Did he threaten to harm her if she called the police? Is that why she didn’t want the police involved?
He sat in his car and watched her nervously walk to her car and peer in the back before getting in, obviously checking that there were no would-be attackers inside.
What a terrible position to find yourself in.
But if she wouldn’t ask for help, what could he do to ease her stress?
He waited for her to drive off, then followed her, and was surprised when she pulled up at the school gates and got out of the car. He parked across the road in a car park and exited the car. Crouching behind a van for a better view, he waited on tenterhooks for her to appear. Maybe her boyfriend was a teacher and she was popping in to see him. His flabber was gasted when she left the building holding hands with a skipping girl who looked to be around eight or nine.
Crap, that would explain why she didn’t want to get involved with anyone all this time. She has a child. Not easy to bring a child up on your own these days. A lightning thought struck, and he clicked his fingers together. Maybe that’s why she’s being so offhand with me; she’s protecting her child.
Smiling, he observed her as she tucked the child in the back of the car and fastened the seatbelt, securing her offspring in place and planting a kiss on the girl’s forehead. Why is she taking her out of school in the middle of the day? He tapped his finger on his chin. Surely after what she’d been through that morning, she would want to be alone to recover before the little one got out of school, wouldn’t she? Pursing his lips, perplexed, he climbed back in his own car and started the engine.
Nicole, chatting away to her daughter, pulled away from the school and headed back into town. Another car passed, and then Josh took up his pursuit of Nicole, cautious to keep the other vehicle in between them. Once they’d travelled through town, Nicole indicated and turned down a narrow lane, the car that had been shielding him drove past.
Josh stopped at the top of the lane and walked down it. The lane opened out into a cul-de-sac, at the end of which he saw Nicole getting the child out. The little girl skipped her way up a path leading to a modest semi-detached house. A lady who was vaguely familiar to him stood on the doorstep awaiting their arrival. He nodded as he remembered the lady as Nicole’s mother, although this was a different house to the one he used to visit. Nicole hugged her mother tightly before all three of them walked inside the house. Josh went back to his car and waited to see if Nicole would reappear.
He didn’t have to wait long—just ten minutes, in fact. As Nicole drove away from the house, Josh had moved his vehicle farther back, out of view. He followed her again, keeping his distance, until she parked outside a small terraced house. She unlocked the front door, quickly looked around her, and then shot into the house.
Hmm…she looks more than a tad nervous. Did she spot me behind her, I wonder?
Taking the plunge, he left his vehicle and walked up the path to her front door. He rang the doorbell and waited. No response. He rang again and placed his ear against the door. He couldn’t hear anything, despite seeing Nicole arrive home moments earlier. Maybe she was in the garden. There was a small lane to the rear. He tiptoed up the lane, and Nicole’s house came into view. Josh peeped over the high gate and noted the back door closed and that the garden was empty. Where is she?
“Oi you! What do you think you’re up to?” an elderly man shouted from the house next door when he spotted Josh sneaking around.
“Shit!” he cursed under his breath, then turned to the man, hands up in the air. “It’s okay. I know Nicole. She’s expecting me,” he lied warding off further action by the old man, like ringing the police. He forced an engaging smile.
“Humph…If that’s the case, then why don’t you use the front door like normal folk do?”
The back door swung open and Nicole shouted, “Everything all right, Jacob?
“Yes, love. Do you know this gent?”
Nicole opened the gate and stared open-mouthed at Josh. “What do you want?”
Damn, she doesn’t look too pleased to see me. Get out of this one with your balls intact mate, and you’ll be onto a winner.
He chuckled at what his inner voice had just said. Nicole’s marine-blue eyes were disguised behind lids shut halfway in a scowl.
“I was in the area and thought I’d pop in to see you. Is that allowed?”
“No. Bugger off and stop stalking me,” she snapped at him.
“You sure you don’t want me to call the police, love?” Jacob called over the fence between the two gardens.
“No. I can handle this. Thanks, Jacob.”
The old man’s door slammed, and the next thing Josh knew, Nicole had grabbed his shirt and was dragging him in through the back door.
“How dare you!” she hissed.
His arms extended out to the side. “How dare I what? I haven’t done anything…yet.”
Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed a violent pink before his eyes. “Yet? You’re kidding me, right? What is it with you guys, eh? You come to a girl’s rescue—by the way, I didn’t need your help at work—and you think you’ve been given the green light to creep back into my bed. What the hell is wrong with you…?” He leaned forward, clenched his hands around the top of her arms, and pulled her to him. His lips came down heavy on hers, preventing her from talking, or more to the point, shouting at him.
At first she was stiff, unrelenting until his tongue crept through her lips and worked its magic, tickling the inside of her mouth. A guttural moan worked up from her throat and vibrated the length of his tongue. The stiffness in her body evaporated, and she fell against him, her breasts searing his chest with the radiating heat. Through two layers of clothing, he could feel the rapid rhythm of her heart, and in that instant, he knew they’d be together forever.
She surprised him by pulling her lips away from his.
Nicole spun around and darted out of the room, throwing herself onto the couch. He ran after her, and she buried her head in her hands and started to cry, rocking back and forth. His hand swept through his hair and tugged at the roots.
My God, what have I done?
“Nicci? What’s wrong?”
She ignored him and kept rocking. Sobbing.
“Nicci? Please forgive me?” He dropped to his knees as if someone had swiped his legs from beneath him and landed with a thud in front of her. Josh gently gathered her hands in his and wrapped his around them, preventing them from covering her flushed face again. “Talk to me?”
She shook her head and turned her face to the side.
“Please? What have I done wrong? You wanted that kiss as much as I did. Your response was more powerful than I’ve ever known from a woman.”
Her head snapped back to face him. “Make a habit of kissing strange women then, do you?”
“No. That’s not what I meant and you know it. Let me make us coffee and we’ll talk, yes?”
“All right, five minutes…and then get the hell out of my life.”
“Deal,” he replied, trying hard to disguise the smirk that was inching to break free. As the kettle came to the boil, his mind wrestled with his options. How do I play it now? I’ve already shown her how I feel…if only I could just break down her defences. But how?
FIVE
Nicole studied him hard during the coffee-making process. Although she felt deceived by him, an overwhelming feeling of shame gnawed at her. She drew in a large breath, determined to rein in, keep her emotions in check, and prevent getting drawn into something she didn’t want or need. Her life was complicated enough right now. This situation wasn’t fair—not fair of him to mess with her emotions, especially this tumultuous day.
How dare he kiss me in such a sensuous way? He’s stirred up feelings I thought long dead, feelings I thought were deeply buried for almost ten years. No man has ever, nor will ever in the future, kiss me the way he did…the way she remembered him kissing her way back when they were just kids.
He smiled as he walked towards her. She stiffened as he put the mugs on the table and sat on the couch next to her. She clasped her hands together in her lap, hoping that would help to restrain them, though her fingers were eager to run through his short hair. When they’d shared that kiss, she sensed how defined his muscles were beneath his shirt. She knew if he didn’t leave soon, she would be utterly helpless not to want his bare flesh touching hers.
Nonsense, I’m in shock! I have no control over my senses or my emotions right now. Stem the tide. I should push back all and every emotion I’ve ever had for this man.
“Why won’t you tell me what happened today?” He broke into her thoughts.
Nicole’s focus remained on the mug on the table. She shook her head but said nothing. On the verge of tears, she thought her voice would go missing if she attempted to speak.
He turned sideways to face her and reached out a hand for her to take. Although she kept her hands tucked in her lap, her heart pounded and she was torn. She wanted to share the heavy burden of the day’s events, but the robber’s threat lingered, reverberating constantly in her mind.
The shrill of the ringing telephone startled them both. Nicole’s eyes widened and she stared at the innocent object, caught between answering it and ignoring it.
What if it’s him?
After five insistent rings Josh got up and answered it. “Hello?”
Nicole sank back into the couch, her chin dropping onto her chest. If there had been a quilt around, she would have gladly buried her head in it. There wasn’t anything around to hide her quivering body from his concerned gaze.
“Yes, she’s here. Just a second.” Josh covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “It’s Chrissy. She’s worried about you. I think you need to speak to her…she’s already threatened to come over here.”
Nicole let out a shuddering breath and reluctantly held out her hand for the phone. “Hi, Sis.”
&nb
sp; “Nicole, my God. Are you all right? Mum told me about the incident at the salon.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. At least I will be once everyone leaves me alone.” Her eyes met his pointedly, seeking out if he’d understood the meaning behind her statement. Josh smiled and shook his head.
“What’s Josh doing there?” Chrissy asked, a playful cadence to her question.
For a second or two Nicole paused, then she answered honestly. “He just popped by to see me. He’s leaving now.”
“Oh, I see. Will you be all right on your own? Do you want me to come over and be with you?”
“No!” The word came out sharp, too sharp, and Nicole wondered where the ferociousness had come from. She’d never spoken to her sister like that before, ever.
“All right, Sis. There’s no need to snap my head off. Pardon me for caring about you.”
“I’m sorry, Chrissy. The truth is I just want to be left alone.”
No, the truth is I don’t want my family here right now. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to them. It’s bad enough me having to live under this threat for a whole week without my family being put under the strain too.
“Okay, ring me when you want to chat?”
“I will. Bye.” Nicole handed the phone back to him, and tears cascaded down her face.
Josh replaced the phone and rushed to her side. She went rigid, but it didn’t put him off trying to comfort her. It didn’t take long for her to succumb to the warmth of his arms. Melting against his chest, she cried. Her life could have ended today, just a few days after this man had returned to haunt her dreams…
There has to be some kind of connection, doesn’t there?
Her body stiffened again, and she sat up. Taking a tissue from the box in front of her, she wiped the hot tears and mascara stains from her cheek.
Standing up, she walked to the front door and opened it. “I think you better leave now.”
Stunned, he asked, “What? Why?”
“I need to be alone. You heard me tell my sister the same thing, and I need it to sink in with you now too. Please leave.”
Crimes of Passion Page 148
