What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG)

by CJ Roberts

  “That was the most unfair game in the history of bowling,” Nic grumbled as he ruffled Jason’s hair.

  “We sure whipped your butt. No city champion can beat us.”

  Lauren watched Jason trudge off to the bathroom to wash up for dinner. “I haven’t seen him so happy in years,”

  “He’s a great kid.” Nic took off the knit cap but forgot the goggles.

  Moving in close, she removed them, revealing his raccoon-ringed eyes. “Does this hurt?” she asked, rubbing the indents with her fingers. He caught her gaze. Her heart stuttered at the lust swirling in the blue depths of his eyes.

  His arms snaked around her waist, and she couldn’t resist pulling his head down, bringing his mouth close to hers. Close but not touching. His warm breath feathered her lips, making her shiver. Was she imagining the heat in his eyes?

  An emotion she couldn’t name crossed his face. He released her, as if he’d touched fire, and she stumbled.

  “Sorry.” He caught her arm.

  Jason ran into the room and took his place at the table. Nic sat in a chair next to him and handed Jason a slice of pizza. Taking his cue, she handed out the drinks.

  While Nic and Jason discussed the finer points of hockey, Lauren’s mind wandered to what Nic had told her in the car. Todd had led a dangerous life, but it had been clear who the enemy was, and he’d felt safe on American soil. How awful it must feel to always have people digging into your life, tracking your every move. Having Googled Nic many times, she knew how much private information about him was out there. Later, she’d have to check out this CelebrityStalker site.

  Refocusing on Nic and Jason, her chest tightened. Jason’s little face was flushed, his eyes bright with excitement. He was thoroughly caught up in a friendly argument about proper hand placement when executing a slap shot.

  Todd had loved hockey, and except for the few photos scattered around the apartment, it was all Jason had left of his father. Blinking rapidly, she cleared the moisture from her eyes before either man or boy noticed. When Jason got up to put his dishes away, she smiled brightly at Nic and whispered, “Thank you for talking guy stuff with him.”

  Nic frowned in mock astonishment. “What? You don’t talk guy stuff with him?”

  She put on her best pout and shook her head. “I’ve been watching hockey for years with him, but…” She looked up and batted her eyelashes. “I’m at a total loss when it comes to discussing things like jock itch and the art of the chest bump.”

  Nic’s expression morphed into a grin. “Oh, you’re good. But you can’t mock the great sport of hockey and get away with it. You may have beat me at bowling, but let’s see how you do on the ice.”

  When she remained silent, his grin faded. “Don’t tell me you were an Olympic figure skater?”

  “Okay.” She laughed. “I won’t.”

  After finishing dinner, they went to a near-by skating rink. While Lauren and Jason set up the props, Nic changed into the tuxedo pants and Montréal Canadiens jersey he’d brought. In high school, he’d often imagined skating victory laps with the Stanley Cup firmly clutched in his hands, high above his head, wearing this jersey. But when Rachel had gotten hurt, he’d given up his NHL dreams.

  Nic laced up his skates and charged onto the ice, ready to warm up. At the sight of Lauren executing a perfect double toe loop, he caught himself on the boards to keep from falling. Was there anything the woman couldn’t do?

  She finished her circuit of the ice with a few more jumps and spins, ending in front of him, flushed and pleased. At the same time, Jason completed his own circuit with a magnificent hockey stop, covering Nic in a twinkling shower of ice.

  “Gotcha!” they teased.

  Blinking the ice from his lashes, Nic pretended to glower. “You think so?” He maintained his expression until they started to fidget, then let go of his pent-up laughter. “Well, you’d be right.” With Jason’s giggling in his ears, Nic grabbed a shrieking Lauren around the waist, lifting her off the ice, the momentum carrying them forward. “You’re good at keeping secrets, aren’t you?” he whispered in her ear.

  The pretty blush spreading across her face told him he was right. Something stirred deep inside him. Maybe she was the kind of woman he could trust with his secrets. He lowered her to the ice, gently pushing on her hips, separating them. “We’d better get to work.”

  “Can you and Jason start shooting some pucks to get warmed up while I set up my equipment?”

  While Lauren got ready, Nic played goalie, and Jason shot puck after puck at him. Thank God Lauren had borrowed goalie pads from the arena equipment locker. The kid sure had a wrist on him.

  Lauren circled them, her blades silent as she snapped shot after shot. “Anything special you want me to do?” he asked.

  “Keep playing and ignore me.”

  Yeah, as if. Awareness ripped through him each time he caught a glimpse of her. Her elegance and ease was a thing of beauty as she executed flawless forward and backward crossovers and cutbacks.

  A few minutes later, Lauren instructed him to take off his jersey and helmet. As he bared his chest, he turned to Jason. “Don’t you dare laugh.” Obviously, the child had no sense of self-preservation; he laughed so hard he tipped over onto his back, a helpless turtle.

  Nic skated up behind Lauren, not stopping until her bottom pressed snuggly against him. He breathed in her sweet apple scent. He should let go before she realized how much he enjoyed holding her this way. Instead, he gave a few pushes with his feet, turning them so his back was to Jason, who had a row of pucks lined up and was busy shooting at the goal.

  Lauren looked at him over her shoulder and he twisted her around. Face to face, her breath warmed his lips. For the length of a few heartbeats, she remained silent, her eyes fixed on his mouth. Nic’s breath caught in his chest, the pressure so strong he almost exploded like a B-list actor’s career after an Oscar win. He had to kiss her. Had to taste her one last time. As they continued to glide, he pressed his lips to hers, sealing them in a sweet soft kiss. Where their first kiss had felt like an end, this one felt like a beginning.

  Tentative. Tender.

  Damn. What was he doing? A tremor coursed through her body before she finally met his gaze. Reluctantly, he released her. “Let me take a few pictures of you.” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded rough.

  She handed him the camera. “Please don’t fall. I really wanted the D3S, but this was the best I could afford.”

  Sweet. That was a good word to describe her. Most people he knew in Hollywood would have been praying for him to fall and break their camera so he’d have to buy them a new one.

  He took some photos of Lauren executing a few twirls and jumps, then he shot some of her playing with Jason. They made a beautiful family, like the one he’d always dreamed of having.

  Lauren took the camera back and asked him to change into the hockey pants. “Do you know how to do a Lacrosse shot?”

  “Of course.”

  “Don’t sound so insulted.” She laughed. “We’ll finish up with you taking some laps around the rink. We’ll need some speed on those. I’ll adjust the aperture so you’re in focus, but the boards and seats will be blurred.”

  After changing, Nic paused to watch Lauren shoot some pucks with Jason. Damn, she was good at that too. When he joined her on the ice, Lauren started chafing his goosebump-covered arms. “You’re cold.”

  Was that the only reason she was touching him? “Thank you for your concern, chérie. But I can’t feel the cold at all right now.” Nic flicked his gaze to her hands rubbing his biceps, and smiled. Lauren yanked her hands from his skin and turned away.

  After shooting some goals, Nic started taking some laps. Cool air surrounded him and wind blew on his face, tugging at his hair as he flew around the hockey rink. Swooping in, he scooped Jason up, sideways above his head. Jason’s laughter echoed as Nic lived his NHL victory dream, using the boy as his Stanley Cup. He pumped his arms up and down a few times fac
ing the seats.

  “Excellent, Nic. Keep going,” Lauren encouraged as she skated alongside them.

  Suddenly, the lights went out, plunging them into complete darkness. Jason screamed. Concerned about slamming into the boards, Nic executed a quick stop and lowered Jason to the ice. “It’s okay, buddy. I’ve got you. Lauren?”

  “Over here.”

  Jason hugged his leg and whimpered in fear. “Your mom’s coming. Call out to her so she knows where we are.”

  “Mom,” he croaked. Then louder, “Mom!”

  “I’m coming, honey.”

  Although he was braced for her to arrive from any direction, the force of her banging into his back knocked him over and he fell to the ice, taking Jason down with him.

  “Jason! Are you all right?” Lauren called.

  Jason was crying so hard, Nic couldn’t understand what he was saying. He’d tried to twist when they fell so he wouldn’t land on the boy, but maybe he’d gotten hurt.

  The generator kicked in and a few scattered emergency lights came on. Jason lay face down in his arms. “Hey, little man. Everything’s okay. Let me take a look at you.” Gently, he rolled Jason onto his back.

  Oh God! Blood. Everywhere.

  “Jason’s bleeding,” he called out to Lauren. He could barely watch as she crawled through the blood splattered all over the ice. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Not now. Nic swallowed hard, fighting to keep a steady head.

  Reaching into her pocket, Lauren pulled out a travel pack of tissues and pressed a wad of them to Jason’s nose. Together they pulled him into a sitting position so his head was bent forward. After a few minutes and almost the entire pack of tissues, Jason’s sobbing quieted and the bleeding stopped.

  Nic tilted Jason’s chin up and gently felt the boy’s nose. “It’s a bit swollen but not broken. The girls will think you’re even cuter now. They love us tough guys.” He winked.

  “Girls are gross.” Then, after shooting a quick look at Lauren, he added, “But you don’t count, you’re a mom.”

  Relieved that Jason was okay, Nic pushed to his knees. Blood was splattered on the ice, dripping from his hands, on his bare chest. The ice shimmered into a white leather car seat, smeared with great splashes of blood. Legs in pink tights were crushed against the dashboard. Rachel’s body, torn, twisted around, hung halfway out the broken window. The rink began to spin and droplets of blood swirled in front of him. Then everything went dark.

  The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Lauren’s beautiful face, and the first thing he heard was Jason’s relieved voice. “He’s back, Mom.”

  “Are you okay? You were out cold.”

  No kidding. He’d fucking passed out. Nic turned away and pretended not to have heard.

  “Nic. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” With his naked back against the ice, he should be frozen. But the heat from his full body blush warmed him up fast. At least his complete and utter embarrassment served a purpose.

  Shit. Why hadn’t he been able to control the flashback? He’d learned to breathe through them. Then again, he hadn’t seen a child bleed like that since the accident. Very few people knew about his little problem. Only three. Five now.

  “You fainted.” She smiled, gently. “I was imagining the media circus if I had to take you to the hospital.”

  He forced his lips into a cocky grin. “Nah, I was just resting.”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  “Come on. Let’s get Jason home. He’ll feel better once he’s clean and warm. I’m sure he’s looking forward to snuggling on the couch and relaxing with the Mighty Ducks.”

  As he changed into his street clothes, his phone beeped. Opening the message, he saw a photo of himself wearing tuxedo pants and no shirt, kissing Lauren. A bolt of fear shot through him. Whoever sent it had been in the arena, was perhaps still here now.

  He scrolled down to see if there was anything else.

  You’ve been naughty. Lose the bitch.

  Who the hell sent this? Was it NicsBitch?

  “Lauren, we need to leave, right now.” Her eyes widened as she caught the urgency in his voice. They hurried out to her car. “Drive to the nearest police station.”

  With shaking hands, she started the motor. “What’s going on? Is this about the message you got?”

  He indicated Jason in the back seat, and without saying a word, handed her his phone. “Oh my God! This photo was taken tonight.”

  He met her gaze. “Scroll down.”

  When the blood drained from her face, he knew she’d read the text. “Do you think this is from the person who cut the power?”

  “I’m sure of it.”

  Lauren handed him the phone and started driving. He stared at her hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. He shouldn’t have come here.

  When the car stopped in front of the police station, Jason asked in a small voice, “Mom? Why’re we here?”

  “Nic wants to tell the police about the lights going out.”

  In the police station, Lauren sat on a bench with Jason while Nic approached the front desk. “Good evening, officer.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  Nic knew from experience the police rarely did anything with stalking cases unless there was clear evidence of an imminent threat. Taking a deep breath, he prepared to make his case as best he could. “I’m Nic Lamoureux. And I’m being stalked.”

  The officer squinted at him for a moment, then nodded. “Thought I recognized you. Why do you think you’re being stalked?”

  Nic told the officer about the postings on the Internet, and the text he received at the premiere of Bad Days. “I was in the middle of a photo shoot at a local arena tonight when the lights went out. A few minutes later, I got this.” Taking out his phone, he showed him the latest message. “That photo was taken during the photo shoot. It proves the sender was in the arena.”

  The officer peered around Nic’s shoulder and indicated Lauren with a jerk of his chin. “That the woman in the photo?”

  “Yes. She’s the photographer.”

  “What happened to the kid? He looks a little banged up.”

  “He fell when the lights went out and got a nosebleed.”

  “I can send a unit to check out the arena. But there really isn’t much else we can do. The language in the message is harsh, but there’s no real threat.”

  Nic leaned on the counter, taking the man-to-man tack. “Look, you and I, we’re used to this kind of thing. But the lady, here? She’s scared. Tomorrow I have to go back to L.A. I don’t want to lead some crazy person back to her apartment.”

  “What do you want us to do?”

  Your fucking job.

  He pasted on a genial smile. “Maybe you could send a unit to watch her apartment.”

  Apparently, tonight’s performance wouldn’t be winning any Oscars. The cop bristled. “This ain’t L.A. We don’t have the resources to post a car at her door in case.”

  “Come on, man. Help me out here. What am I supposed to do? This stalker has followed me all over the country.”

  The officer sighed and grabbed a sheet from a pile on the desk and began filling it out. “If this person’s been following you, they probably already know where you’re staying. But give me her address, and I’ll send a patrol every hour until tomorrow afternoon. She should be safe after you go.”

  As they were getting in the car, Lauren asked, “Everything okay?”

  Jaw clenched, he nodded. “But take the long way home.”

  They drove in silence while Nic kept an eye on the back window. As far as he could tell, they weren’t being followed. But as the nice officer had so kindly pointed out, the stalker probably already knew where Lauren lived. Jesus Christ.

  When they got back to the apartment, Lauren marched Jason to the bathroom. “Have a shower, you’ll feel much better after.” She planted a kiss on his head.

  Nic was close enough to hear Jason say, “Please tell him it wasn’t his fault. We fell
, that’s all.”

  Eyes burning, Nic turned and went back into the living room. Seconds later, Lauren’s small hands encircled his waist, reminding him of their motorcycle ride in D.C.

  “What did the police say?”

  The warmth of her breath on his back sent shivers up his spine. “Pretty much what I expected. They can’t do much without an overt threat. But a unit will drive by every hour until tomorrow afternoon.”

  “That’s something.”

  “I’ve put you and Jason in danger. I should leave.”

  She grabbed his elbow and spun him around. “And do what, Nic? Your flight doesn’t leave until tomorrow afternoon.”

  “I could go to a hotel or the airport and try to get on the first flight out in the morning.”

  “No.” She crossed her arms under her breasts.

  Despite the seriousness of the situation, her show of fire turned him on. She was so cute, so passionate. So goddamn perfect for him.

  “You’re not leaving.” She opened her arms and gestured with her hands. “What if you leave and this person decides to pay me a visit during one of the fifty-nine minutes each hour the police aren’t driving by?”

  Good point. The stalker would probably follow him if he left, but what if he were wrong?

  She pinned him with her eyes. “You’re staying here tonight. You can take your scheduled flight tomorrow.”

  Tonight, he’d stay and make sure they were all right.

  Tomorrow, he’d leave and never see her again.

  But, right now? Right now, he needed to get this fucking blood off his chest.

  Standing across the parking lot from the photographer’s apartment, she burned, her hands clenching into fists. She could see Nic with the woman and her kid, cuddled together on the couch. A television screen flickered and she heard laughter through an open window.

  Why was he doing this to her? She’d been willing to permit the photo shoot, to overlook that he’d spent the day with the photographer and her kid, even though it sickened her.