She smiled. “That’s really sweet of you.”
“I thought so, too.”
“I better try the dress on.” She looked back at him with an arched eyebrow. “By the way, how did you decide what size to buy?”
Talk about dangerous territory. Luckily, Nick hadn’t blindly guessed, knowing it would be a disaster to get it wrong, either direction. Women were picky like that. “I called Shelley and she told me.”
“Oh? How’d you get her number?”
Shit—still dangerous territory. He shrugged, trying to make her see it wasn’t a big deal. “She gave it to me after the fiasco with Stephen, just in case I ever needed her help.”
“But you’re just as good at shooting as she is and a better fighter. Why would...?” Carlie waved her hand in front of her. “Never mind. I’ll make sure it fits.” She grabbed the dress, cradling it carefully in her arms as she disappeared down the hallway.
Nick flopped onto the couch, feeling like he’d won a small victory. He hadn’t realized calling Shelley for help would upset Carlie, but he should have. Shelley was a huge flirt and wanted to date him in the past. Luckily, Carlie decided to let that issue go. He’d hate for it to start another fight.
He had considered telling her the truth about S.A.T.O. tonight, but with Carlie’s fears about her enemies, it might ruin everything. Nick was so afraid she’d decide he’d played her, that he actually worked for the assassins. She was suspicious enough to think that.
Maybe once he got her to safety, once she was out of danger, he could risk telling her the truth. Once he knew she was deeply in love with him and wouldn’t leave.
He glanced at his watch. Past midnight now—already Sunday. The seconds ticked past too quickly. Paul’s deadline was too soon. Carlie had to start trusting him. They had to leave by Friday, before President Sharp returned from vacation. It was the only way Nick would feel safe.
***
Carlie stepped into the exquisite dress, trying not to worry about the price when she noticed the label. The tag named a popular Italian designer. It probably cost enough to pay her living expenses for a month.
The inner layer of charmeuse silk felt like heaven against her skin, and Carlie slipped the strapless top over her breasts, holding it tight against her. She could only zip it halfway, unable to contort her arm enough to close the zipper, but the fit was perfect.
She looked into the full-length mirror on her bedroom wall and smiled. The empire waistline tapered down into elegant lines, showing off her hips in a sexy way she’d never before achieve. She looked hot and had no shame admitting it to herself. The teal color of the fabric turned her hazel eyes into a bright blue, and she couldn’t wait to do her hair and makeup. Nick thought she looked great when they went to dinner before. She’d impress him tomorrow for sure.
Nick certainly treated her as if she were special. It wasn’t just the money he spent on the dress. It was the time and thought put into the gift.
Funny to think she’d talked to Shelley about new dresses earlier that evening and longed for one. Now she had this and looked forward to whatever Nick had planned that required a dress of this magnitude. It was sure to be special. While money had never been important to her, what girl could resist being spoiled?
She spun in a circle, loving the way the silk flared around her legs.
A soft knock came on the door. “Carlie? You’ve been in there forever. Do I get to see?”
“No way,” she called. “I want you to be surprised.”
He chuckled. “At least tell me it fits.”
“Perfectly.”
“Then get yourself out of it and let me in there. I miss you already.”
Carlie unzipped it and stepped out of the dress, using the silken straps sewn inside it to hang it in the closet. This was what she’d been waiting for her entire life. Romance and love and passion. Nick was the whole package. Now that he was being open and honest with her, they could truly start a relationship.
She considered putting her pajamas back on, but decided against it. “I miss you, too.” Pulling open the bedroom door, she smiled. “So let’s say we have a little reunion?”
Nick’s eyes lit with fire as he swept her into his arms.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Nick tried to escape the house before Shelley arrived to help Carlie get ready Sunday afternoon. He didn’t quite make it.
She stopped him at the doorway. “You planned something wonderful, right? I expect you to take good care of Carlie.” She lightly punched his shoulder. “Or else.”
He laughed and waved her away. “It’ll be good. I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it at work tomorrow. Don’t call looking for details before then. Tonight, she’s mine.”
“Sounds like you have everything under control.” Shelley winked and stepped past him, closing the door.
Nick hopped in the Porsche and made the short drive across town, knowing he’d have plenty of time before he needed to get into his tux. Women were notoriously slow about getting ready for a big date, and he wasn’t due back at Carlie’s for two hours.
He needed to try calling Donovan again since he couldn’t reach him yesterday. It was also time to do some research. Nick was tired of relying on S.A.T.O. for information. Maybe if he had a better understanding of who Carlie was and what her real past had been, he’d relate to her better when the time came to convince her to go to Canada with him. Back into hiding, which she was adamantly against.
He wished their budding relationship was reason enough for her to follow him, but Carlie wanted nothing more than to stay put and run Carlie’s Creations. It was easy for him to say she should give that up to leave with him. After all, he wasn’t sacrificing much. Sure, he once thought S.A.T.O. was enough to sustain him and keep him happy, but meeting Carlie changed his dreams.
Payments would continue to roll in from the restaurants he put money into, even if he was out of touch. Dividend checks went into dummy accounts under his various false names, which automatically transferred to his overseas account so S.A.T.O. couldn’t track it. He was wealthy enough that he and Carlie could open a new shop together, spending their days contentedly with each other and their nights locked in passion. At least, that’s the way he saw the future playing out.
However, that meant asking Carlie to give up all friends and her shop, and she seemed attached to both. Then again, she did miss her parents a lot. Maybe it would be enough if he flew her out to see them. She said they were in Africa. It would be easy to confuse their trail and make sure no one realized their true objective. He’d book a sightseeing tour that happened to cross paths with Carlie’s parents. No one would think anything of it.
Actually, that could be a good strategy to get her to agree to go with him—assuming what she said about her parents was true and not part of her fabricated life as Princess Stephanie. Well, that was what he needed to figure out.
Nick let himself into his room and pulled out the disposable cell phone he’d bought the night before, dialing Donovan’s number. “It’s me,” he said when his friend answered.
“Sorry I missed your call last night. I wasn’t sure if it was safe to call you back. So, how’s life treating you...Nick?” It would take a while for his friend to get used to his new name. By the time he was comfortable with it, Nick would likely be someone else.
“Things are heating up around here. I called to see if you had any idea of a timeframe on those papers.”
“About that.” Donovan chuckled. “My wife has an idea and wanted me to run it past you.”
“Okay.” He was unable to keep the apprehension out of his voice. Donovan was a good guy and Madeline seemed nice, but he had no idea what to expect.
“Madeline’s parents are on a cruise to Hawaii for the holiday, so we’re on our own. She wanted to know if you and Carlie would mind company for Thanksgiving. The IDs should be ready before we leave Wednesday, so I could bring them personally.”
That could actually work in Nick�
�s favor. Carlie wanted to know more about him. Bringing his oldest friend to a holiday dinner had to earn big points as far as sharing. Then again, they hadn’t even talked about Thanksgiving. He didn’t know if she expected to spend it with him, or maybe planned to serve food at Compassion For All. Knowing her, she probably wanted to do charity work.
“Let me run that by Carlie, but I think it should be okay.”
“Great. Maddie will be pleased. I think she’s a little bored with our life now that it’s all kids and work, and no murderers or crazy people.” He laughed. “She’s looking forward to meeting my friend, the spy.”
Panic curled its fingers around his heart. “Carlie doesn’t know about that. If you come, you can’t talk about it, and you have to call me Nick.”
“Relax. Maddie’s already talking to the kids about Uncle Nick. We won’t blow your cover.”
The more Nick thought about it, the more he liked it. It would show Carlie he wanted to share his life with her. Also, they would have the IDs ready and waiting to go before President Sharp got home.
“I like the thought of being someone’s uncle,” he said, “so I suppose you should get ready to make the trip. I’ll work it out with Carlie.”
“Just one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“If we come, will things be safe? I know Carlie’s in some trouble, and I won’t put my kids at risk.”
Nick considered that. Right now, it seemed the only danger was from S.A.T.O. agents, and Stephen was pretty much out of the picture. Carlie claimed assassins were after her, but Nick didn’t know if that was even valid, considering she wasn’t actually who she claimed to be. Either way, no one had watched her the past month except him. Nick would have noticed.
“Things are quiet here right now. I’m the one assigned to keep an eye on her as far as the organization is concerned, so I think you’ll be as safe as anyone can ever expect to be.”
“And things aren’t always secure in my little community, as much as I’d like to keep my family from harm.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you.” Nick realized it would be nice to spend the holiday surrounded by people he actually cared for. It had been too long since that happened.
“Can I call this number when we get to town?”
“Yep. It’s a disposable phone, so no one’s watching it. See you soon.” He hung up, wondering if Carlie would notice or ask about him having two phones. That was something he’d worry about if it came up.
For now, he needed to power up his laptop and start digging. After learning everything he could about Princess Stephanie’s maid of honor, he’d plan a scenic tour in Africa. It never hurt to be prepared.
***
Shelley applied more powder to Carlie’s face and then added a thin layer of gloss to her lips. “Perfect. Now, it’s time to take the curlers out of your hair.”
“I could do this myself, you know.” Carlie didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, but Shelley had basically treated her like a child since they entered the bathroom. Her friend seemed even more anxious than she was about this date.
“You don’t put nearly enough makeup on,” Shelley said. “He must be taking you somewhere super fancy, maybe the symphony or something, so you need to look your best. Oh, man. I’ll be so jealous if that’s where you go. I’d love to go to an opera or symphony.” She sighed. “I never seem to find guys who want to do that.”
Carlie shook her head as Shelley removed the bottom row of curlers. “Why not go by yourself, if that’s your dream? You don’t need a man to take you.”
Laughing, Shelley’s blue eyes met hers in the mirror. “There are a lot of things I don’t need a man for. However, most are more fun when I’m not solo.”
Fighting against her blush, Carlie changed the subject. “Nick finally shared part of his past with me last night. I think this might be more than a fling for him.” It felt nice to say that aloud to someone. “I’m really hoping it is.”
Shelley set the last curler back inside the case and grabbed bobby pins off the counter. “Well, considering you told him your story, that’s the least he could do.”
Carlie sighed, knowing Shelley was right. “He’s very secretive. I worried for a while he’d never open up, even though I begged him to.”
Shelley winked at her in the mirror. “Can’t blame a guy for not wanting to talk. Who wants to talk when sex is so much more fun?”
“Shelley!” The blush won out and Carlie stared at her hands. “I’ve been with a couple men over the years where sex was all we had between us. I’m looking for more.”
“I know, sweetie. No matter how hot the sex is, we women all wish for true love.” She took a pick to Carlie’s hair, working to tame the curls.
Carlie hoped Nick wanted more than just sex, too. He said he did, but he was hard to read. “How do you know if you’ve found real love or he’s just another guy looking for a...ummm, well, a booty call?”
“Ha! When you figure that out, let me know. Men are a mystery, but the ones I meet all want a booty call. We want love, men want sex.” Shelley pinned up some strands of hair, letting others curl around Carlie’s face. “That’s perfect. Time to put on your dress.”
She tried not to let Shelley’s view of men bother her, but worry crept back in. Shelley dated so many guys just in the short time Carlie knew her, and she still searched for something real. Nick said all the right things, but did he mean them? Then again, he did tell her about his parents.
She left Shelley in the bathroom and walked to her bedroom. Before they started working on her hair and makeup, they’d gone shopping and bought a sexy pair of panties and matching strapless bra. They were both black and made of filmy lace. She didn’t know why she bothered with the bra, since it was beautiful but not really functional, but Shelley insisted the lovely dress needed something better than her regular underclothes. A little surprise for Nick if the night went well.
As though it wouldn’t. They had no problems finding their way to the bedroom. It was communication they lacked.
She put on the dress and returned to the hallway. “Will you zip me up, please?”
Shelley did as requested and stepped back. “You look incredible. Nick won’t be able to take his eyes off you.”
“That’s good, I guess, but I really want this relationship to be about more than physical attraction.”
“I’ve upset you.” Shelley sighed. “I didn’t mean to imply that Nick’s not looking for true love. What do I know?”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
Shelley shook her head, obviously not willing to drop the subject. “I do know one thing, he’s good for you. You’ve been happier and more open since he came around.”
Her increased openness was due to Stephen beating the crap out of her. It essentially forced her into trusting Nick and Shelley, but she nodded.
Shelley wrapped an arm around Carlie and squeezed her shoulders. “I think he must care about you. Just this dress alone, not counting whatever you do on the date, Nick’s spent a lot of money to impress you.” She grinned, as though the amount he spent was directly proportionate to how sincere his feelings were.
“Yeah. I guess that’s true.”
“So let’s not worry about his motives. He must be serious. No guy would go to all this expense for a simple booty call.”
What Shelley didn’t seem to remember was Carlie already had a man spend lots of money on her. It was Ryan’s way of life and didn’t have anything to do with love or wanting to make her happy.
Nick had a lot of money too. Hopefully her trust was well placed and he really was a better man than Ryan.
Chapter Twenty-Four
As he pulled into the driveway, it pleased Nick to see Shelley’s car was already gone. That must mean his date was ready for him. He hadn’t found any additional information about Prince Rayhan and Princess Stephanie than what S.A.T.O. already provided. Unfortunately, her maid of honor was never named in the informat
ion he found, so Nick couldn’t determine Carlie’s true identity and his search went cold. Still, he decided not to let it spoil their night.
It didn’t matter who she was in the past—what was important now was the future. The goal was to let her know he truly cared for her. It was now or never. He only had a few days before all hell might break loose, depending on what the President decided. He wanted to enjoy the time with Carlie—let himself feel joy for the first time in far too long.
Tucking the jewelry box into the band of his slacks, Nick climbed out of the car and made sure his tux jacket hid it from few. He retrieved the single long-steamed rose from the dashboard and made his way to the porch. Ringing the bell, Nick smiled when he heard immediate movement on the other side of the door. Carlie was ready and waiting for him.
The door pulled open onto the most beautiful sight he’d ever enjoyed. Carlie had curled her long blond hair and pulled up on one side, soft and feminine. The dress hugged her torso like a second skin, drawing attention to her slight, but lovely, curves before flaring around her legs. Classy. Elegant.
He glanced back up and caught her gaze. Her eyes were as blue as the sky on a bright day. A grin flirted across her face and Nick smiled in return.
“You, my lady, are a vision of perfection and beauty.” He held out the rose.
She accepted the flower and raised it to her nose, her cheeks turning slightly pink. “And you look fantastic. Very handsome.” Lifting her free hand to his face, she caressed his cheek. “I’m really excited about tonight.”
“Me too.” He turned his face into her hand, kissing her palm. “But there’s a problem.”
“Oh no! What’s wrong?”
The look of dismay on her face almost made him feel guilty for worrying her. Carlie was used to things going wrong in her life. However, he was about to make it up to her. He stepped inside the door, forcing her back as he closed it behind him.
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