Damn if she didn't make him want to be better than that. That's what terrified him the most.
Nick scanned the office. Wes worked hard for his daughter, helping stain the new receptionist counter. For the first time in Nick's life, he wondered how he would've turned out if he'd had a father like Wes. He'd never focused on it before, preferring not to worry about the bastard who'd abandoned them. He'd only worried about his mother and Luke.
Wes clearly loved his daughters, and from the few times Nick had seen him with his wife, he was clearly devoted to her. If he'd had a father like that, he might be good enough for Victoria.
He really needed to focus on something else.
He focused on the work. He dripped sweat, his muscles ached, and his mind numbed to anything other than measurements and the feel of the tools in his hands. His crew eventually teased him out of his funk, making him laugh over their antics by the end of the day. After they'd rolled up all the extension cords and turned everything off, Nick checked his phone. When he saw the message icon, his heart skipped a beat. He opened it, calling himself an idiot when he saw it was from Luke. Their mom wanted them to come over for dinner.
He rushed home, showered, and headed to his mom's condo on the other side of town. It overlooked the beach, something he and Luke had fought her to accept. She loved the sound of the ocean, looking at the waves and they wanted to give her everything she loved. Even though she was in remission from breast cancer, they both worried that she would get sick again. They wanted her to have everything she wanted, whether she liked it or not.
He headed up the stairs to her second floor condo, knocked, then walked in. The smell of chicken marsala hit him, and his stomach immediately growled. It'd been a while since he'd eaten a good, home cooked meal.
His mother stood in the kitchen wearing a bright pink apron over a navy blue dress, short gray hair pulled away from her face with bobby pins. His gaze raked over her, making sure she showed no signs of sickness. Her eyes sparkled when she caught his scrutiny.
"I'm feeling great, Nick." She raised on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Before she turned back to the stove, she patted his cheek. "How's work going?"
"Good." He crossed to the counter and poured himself a glass of sweet tea. "We're making steady progress."
She smiled. "And how is Victoria doing these days?"
"Mom." Nick watched the smile blossom on her face and his heart warmed. For the longest time, he and Luke were terrified she wouldn't make it. Watching her take treatments, vomit for hours on end, and lose her hair was the most petrifying thing he'd ever faced. If talking about Victoria made her this happy, he might just bring Victoria over for dinner. Anything to keep that sparkle in his mom's eyes.
"Is she as pretty as I remember? I haven't seen her since I used to clean her parents house."
"I didn't know you cleaned their house." He commented.
"Is that going to be a problem between you two? She probably doesn't remember it either. It was just after your father left. Anyway, is she as pretty?"
"Even more." Nick thought back to the flea market. "She's feisty, too. You never told me about cleaning for them."
"You didn't need to know. Giving my baby a run for his money, is she?" Charlotte's brown eyes danced. "Good, you need it. Always having women fall over you makes you weak. You need to work for the right one."
Nick arched a brow. "Who says I want to?"
Charlotte tapped the side of his thigh with a wooden spoon. "Sit. You're making me crazy standing about."
He complied, taking his tea and sitting at the table nearby.
"Hey, Mom. Nick." Luke walked into the kitchen just in time, in Nick's opinion.
"You know Luke's still pining after Halle."
Luke stopped just inside the kitchen. Beside the yellow walls, his dirty white shirt stood out. "That's not fair. I just got here. You can't throw me under the bus that quick."
Charlotte laughed. "That's what mom's are for. Besides, I think it's sweet. One day she'll come to her senses and divorce that weasel. Then Luke will sweep her off her feet. Show her what a real man is."
"We're only real men because you taught us how to be." Luke hugged her.
Her eyes misted. "Stop that. We've had enough tears for this lifetime. Now, wash your hands and set the table."
Nick met Luke's gaze, knowing that they both thought the same thing. They were blessed to have her.
§ §
Victoria sat in her comfy chair in her pajamas while the girls watched Good Luck Charlie reruns. She wasn't going to lie, sometimes she peeked over the edge of her laptop to watch too. The girls talked quietly about school while she mulled over if she needed a receptionist when the office opened. What was the point in having a receptionist counter without someone to man it? Could she afford to pay someone or could she just do it herself?
It would look more professional if she had someone to greet the clients. She knew first impressions were important and she wanted to impress. Her livelihood depended on it.
"Mom, can I go to cheer camp over the summer?" Lucia suddenly asked. She'd finally forgotten her mom's refusal to let her go on the date, and had returned to acting like her normal self.
Victoria looked up from the computer screen and blinked. "Camp? How much is it?"
"I don't know. Some of the girls were talking about it at school today and I want to go. I think it's two weeks long." Lucia rose on her knees and put her hands together. "Please, please, please!"
Victoria laughed at her theatrics. "Get me the information on it, and we'll see."
Lucia squealed and wrapped Helena in a tight hug. "Yes!"
"Get off of me." Helena shoved at Lucia, her mouth turned in a severe frown. "No one cares about your stupid camp."
"Helena!" Victoria snapped.
Helena jumped at the sound of her mom's outburst. Tears filled her eyes. "I hate you! I hate both of you!" She darted out of the living room and stormed upstairs.
Victoria heard Helena slam her door and her stomach rolled. She didn't mean to yell at her, she just didn't appreciate how Helena acted toward Lucia. She refused to cry in front of Lucia, even if the backs of her eyelids were hot with tears.
"What is wrong with her? Why is she being such a bitch?"
"Lucia!" Victoria could feel her world spinning out of control. "Do not say that word again. Especially about your sister. Go to your room, right now!"
Lucia scowled at her, but Victoria didn't back down. She pointed to the stairs and Lucia trudged up them. Her door slammed a second later.
When did everyone start fighting with each other? When did she lose her grip on her daughters? Was it because their dad hadn't spoken or seen them in a while? Well, even if it killed her, if she had to drive the girls to his place, Roger was going to spend time with them.
She wanted to go check on Helena, but lately every time she showed even an ounce of worry or care, it made Helena's attitude nastier. Resigned, she went to bed, hoping that when she woke up tomorrow, everything would miraculously be better.
Chapter Ten
When Nick called and asked her to meet him for a business dinner later in the week, stating a problem at the office, Victoria reluctantly agreed. Even if it was only for business, it made her jumpy. Being with him again, outside of work, tested her resolve to stay away from him socially.
He picked a small seafood restaurant nestled on the boardwalk near her office. She could tell he hadn't gone home by the sawdust on his jeans. He grinned when he saw her look. "I didn't have time to change. I came straight from the office."
She shook her head, trying to resist the urge to let her guard down around him. He could obviously charm women into dropping their walls, becoming addicted to him, and then throwing them away, like the girl at the flea market. She didn't want to end up like that.
He led her to the tables situated on a deck facing the water and pulled out her chair.
Because manners were important in her family, she smiled
over at him, let him push the chair in. "Thanks." She glanced over the beach to the water beyond. The sun's setting rays cast pink light over the horizon and only a few clouds floated in the sky.
"What do you want to eat?"
Victoria turned her attention back to the plastic menu in front of her. "I have a craving for fried shrimp."
"Good choice." He grinned at her over his menu. "I'm getting the sampler platter."
Victoria's brows rose. "That's a lot of food. Think you can eat it all?"
"If I don't, I'll take it home." Nick leaned back in his chair. "Since this is a business dinner, does that mean you're paying?"
Victoria couldn’t fight her smile at the humor in his eyes. "I guess it could be a write off."
"There's no way you're paying for this dinner. My mother would be disappointed if I was so ungentlemanly."
Watching him move across the table, the cut of his muscles underneath his shirt, the easy way he smiled, awakened more sensations in her body. She wondered what it would feel like to have his weight settle on top of her. She quickly averted her eyes, just in case her thoughts were written on her face.
The waiter took their orders and disappeared into the back. A few people looked over curiously, wondering what the two of them were doing together. She'd have to make a point of letting people know it was just a business dinner. If it got around that they were having dinners, date-like dinners, the gossip would be all over the town in less than an hour.
What was she thinking? It was probably already all over the place.
"What's on your mind?" Nick asked. His head cocked to the side and she felt the intensity of his stare slide over her skin. She resisted a shiver.
"Nothing." She made a mental note to ignore the other people and focus on the business.
He looked like he wanted to say something more but instead asked, "Did your clients like the furniture we picked out?"
"We?" She laughed. "I'll go with that since you helped out. Yeah, so far. The sand dollar frame is going in a beach house I'm redecorating."
"What exactly is it that you do? I've never met an interior decorator." Nick nodded to the waiter that brought his beer and her sweet tea.
"I redecorate for clients and hunt down furniture and accessories they want. Some give me creative control. I also help out the real estate agents around here with stagings, which is basically where I decorate a house they're trying to sell. Decorated houses usually sell easier than bare ones."
"Makes sense." He looked at her over his beer, his stare assessing. She felt naked underneath it, like he was looking for something she didn't know was there. "How long have you been in the business?"
The sincerity in his voice weakened her walls. She was used to Roger's indifference, his questions had always been a roundabout way to talk about himself. "For a little more than five years. Once the girls were older, I could put the time I needed into it. It took a while, but the business grew."
"Because you worked hard." Nick's serious gaze met hers. "My mom worked hard, too. I can appreciate what that takes when you have kids."
A blush crept into her cheeks. "Thanks."
He winked at her. "Anything to see you smile."
Her smile widened and she shook her head. "What did you want to meet me about?"
"Okay, no flirting." He sat back, expression business-like. "We ran into a problem with the old bathroom. We were building your pretty bathroom around the old pipes and fixtures, but they busted when we were taking the sheetrock and wall out."
"Okay. Will that delay things?"
He shrugged. "It wouldn't have if Lowe's had the piping we needed in stock. Apparently there's a lot of construction going on right now. They ordered what we need, but it'll take a few days to come in. Whoever owned the place before you did a horrible job of taking care of it."
"Dad said it was an out-of-towner. They left it when tourism dropped and forgot about it. Apparently they had a lot of money to waste. When they finally put it up for sale, Dad and I decided to buy it."
"Your dad's a great guy." Nick told her. An expression crossed his face that she couldn't read.
"Yeah, he is." She toyed with the straw in her drink, nervous but not sure why. "Him butting in at the office isn't aggravating?"
"No." Nick smiled, all trace of whatever was bothering him gone. "He's a big help. Hell, he could run the place."
"I think he misses working. Mom probably drives him crazy, asking him to do gardening and stuff with her. Thanks for letting him help."
"It's no problem."
The waiter brought their food and set it in front of them. The smell drifted to Victoria and her stomach growled. She couldn’t remember if she'd eaten lunch or not. Sometimes she got caught up in work and didn't realize until later that she'd missed it.
"How's Helena doing?" He asked after taking a few bites of his food.
His interest in her daughters only made her attraction more intense. If she wasn't careful, she'd forget all about wanting to focus on her career and fall into bed with him. He made her crave the passion and desire that he could offer her. He'd unknowingly woken an urge in her and she had to fight not to succumb and have him satisfy it.
"She's not acting any better. Lucia hasn't said anything else about the bullies at school, but Helena still feels that I'm enemy number one and that her dad walks on water. Sometimes I wish I could tell her the truth about her dad, but I don't want to be the one that breaks her heart. Not that she would believe me anyway."
"She probably wouldn't. She's focused on her dad, and sees him the way she wants to. Trust me, it won't be long before she realizes it and you'll be there for her. She has a great family that will help her through it."
His bittersweet tone squeezed her heart. He messed with the food on his plate without eating. She wanted to ask again about his childhood, wanted to make him smile and forget it, but he'd made sure she understood that topic was off limits. She steered the conversation back to business. "How long until you start laying the floors and everything?"
His blue eyes warmed as he discussed the work he needed to do. Her heart beat rapidly every time his lips turned up at the corner and his dimple appeared. She glanced at his hands as he ate and suddenly wished for those hands to be on her. Warmth flushed her skin and the air became hotter. She had to get herself under control. Panic set in and she curled her fingers around the napkin in her lap. These new sensations overwhelmed her. How had she lived to be thirty-two and never felt them?
True to his word, he paid for the meal. She ignored more of the curious stares as they left the restaurant. His hand went to her lower back to guide her as they walked down the wooden stairs to the parking lot, and the breath left her body. The hotness of his skin against her shirt soaked through to her back and liquid fire settled between her legs.
"Thanks for meeting me." He rubbed the stubble on his cheek. His eyes roamed over her face.
"You're welcome." She leaned against her driver's side door. He stepped closer, placing his arms on the roof. She held her breath, afraid to breathe in his scent as aroused as she already was. He surrounded her and every nerve ending she had lit up.
His head dipped lower and her lips parted. His right hand came up and brushed right below her lips. Her knees weakened.
Then he leaned back, held out his finger, red cocktail sauce on the tip. "You had something there." The humor in his eyes lit up as he smiled at her, wiped the sauce on his pants. "See you soon." He stepped back.
She drew in air, tried to make it inconspicuous as her body flushed with a different kind of heat. Dear God, she'd almost melted into him and all he'd done was wipe her face. Had he figured out how he affected her? He'd probably pounce if he did, and she didn't want that.
Did she?
She stared after him for a minute as he walked to his truck, trying to get her bearings. Before he turned around and saw her watching him like a brainless idiot, she got in her car and drove home.
§ §
Helena's attitude got nastier over the next two weeks, so Victoria was happy when Roger showed up at her door to pick them up for the weekend.
"Aren't you going to let me in?" Roger stood on the doorstep in a pair of gray dress pants and a white button up shirt. His reddish brown hair glinted in the waning sunlight and his green eyes too innocent. When he brushed past her after she didn't answer, the smell of his cologne surrounded her. She hated the scent, and he knew it. She followed him into the living room, watched him survey the changes she'd made. She hoped it irritated the hell out of him. He'd never let her have the freedom to decorate the way she liked.
"I wouldn't have chosen these…" Roger waved a hand delicately in the air, "things."
Score one, Victoria thought. He gave her another reason to want her business to thrive. She could prove to him that all of the things he disapproved of could make her successful. He continued nosing around, noticing the changes, while she stood silently, arms crossed.
"Where are the girls?" He flashed a grin, one he'd told her could get any girl in his bed--and damned if she hadn't fallen for it--and walked closer to her.
Victoria refused to back down, even though his closeness made her skin crawl. He didn't control her anymore. She stepped around him to the middle of the living room, giving herself space. "They're upstairs packing their bags. They'll be done in a minute."
"Good. I'm taking them to the restaurant to have dinner."
Of course he did. He couldn’t wait to show off how he was such a good father to his twin daughters. Victoria pitied him and hated him in the same breath. He had no idea what he missed out on in the girls.
Helena flew down the stairs, beaming at Roger. Score ten to him, she thought. She tried to ignore the pain it caused her to know that she couldn't make Helena smile like that.
"Daddy!" Helena jumped into his arms, her bag forgotten at their feet. "I'm so glad you came."
Roger patted her back absently before stepping away from her. "Yes. Me, too."
Helena didn't see her dad's disinterest and Victoria sighed. When she eventually noticed, it would break her heart.
Crossing the Line Part One (A Novella) Page 6
