Read Online Only Forever by Linda Lael Miller - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Linda Lael Miller
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anything.”
“Did he?” Nick insisted.
“No,” she was forced to admit after a long time. Tears welled in her lashes. “No! I had too much wine on our second date and the next morning I woke up in his bed! Are you happy now?”
Nick closed his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely.
Vanessa sniffled and started to get off his lap, but his arms tightened around her and the thought of rebelling didn’t even cross her mind.
“Are you still in love with him?” he asked.
“No,” Vanessa answered without hesitation.
“Then come to the island with me.”
“I have a cat to think about, you know,” Vanessa pointed out, as Nick began kissing her neck in much the way he had on Saturday.
“Rodney will feed it,” he said.
Vanessa trembled. She wasn’t ready for a physical relationship, and yet she wondered how she would endure spending a whole night on an island with Nick without offering herself to him. “Our deal still holds? That I get to choose the time, I mean?”
Nick opened the top button of her blouse. “Yes, but it’s only fair to tell you that I’m going to make it hard to wait.”
“Oh,” Vanessa answered inanely as another button gave way. He slid his hand inside her blouse to caress her breast, and she thought she was going to go insane with wanting him.
As it happened, though, the doorbell rang. Vanessa scrambled to her feet and began righting her blouse while Nick strode, grumbling, across the living room to open the door.
The wonders of the jet age, Vanessa reflected, staring at the visitor in amazement.
Parker glared at Nick as he stepped back toadmit him. “It’s good to see that you haven’t changed, DeAngelo,” Parker said furiously.
Nick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Is that what you came here to say?” he asked.
Parker had already turned his attention to Vanessa, and he looked for all the world like a betrayed husband, stricken at the discovery of his wife’s faithlessness. “How could you, Van?” he rasped. “After the flowers and—”
Vanessa was incensed. “And your generous offer over national television to ‘forgive’ me?”
“I love you!” Parker bellowed.
“You don’t know what love is,” Vanessa cried, her chin high and her shoulders square. She took comfort from Nick’s presence, but it was even better realizing that she could handle the situation on her own. “Once and for all, Parker, it’s over. Now go away and leave me alone.”
Parker glowered at Nick, obviously seeing him as the villain of the piece, and then left in a rage, slamming the door behind him.
Vanessa glanced at her watch. “If we’re going to the island,” she said, “we’d better get started. I need to pick up some of my clothes and feed the cat before we leave.”
Nick grinned. “Whatever you say, lady,” he teased. “I wouldn’t dare cross you.”
5
N ick’s island house was gray with white trim and latticework, and it was enormous. Standing hardly more than a stone’s throw from the beach, the place had a friendly look about it, and Vanessa’s first impression was favorable.
Still, what she knew of Nick’s reputation haunted her subconscious, but she refused to entertain the thought. She was tired, even frazzled, and she needed the peace Nick and his grand old house were offering.
The inside was furnished in the same comfortable way as his condominium in Seattle; the sofas and chairs were soft and welcoming, the carpets deep. The paintings were watercolors in muted shades.
Nick led the way through the living room and up the stairway to the second floor. He passed several closed doors, then opened one on the right. “You can sleep in here,” he said.
Vanessa bit her lip and slipped past him into a room decorated for a woman. The curtains and the spread on the gleaming brass bed were a pastel floral print, and there were two white wicker chairs in front of the window, their seats upholstered to match.
“It’s Gina’s,” Nick said,
“Did he?” Nick insisted.
“No,” she was forced to admit after a long time. Tears welled in her lashes. “No! I had too much wine on our second date and the next morning I woke up in his bed! Are you happy now?”
Nick closed his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely.
Vanessa sniffled and started to get off his lap, but his arms tightened around her and the thought of rebelling didn’t even cross her mind.
“Are you still in love with him?” he asked.
“No,” Vanessa answered without hesitation.
“Then come to the island with me.”
“I have a cat to think about, you know,” Vanessa pointed out, as Nick began kissing her neck in much the way he had on Saturday.
“Rodney will feed it,” he said.
Vanessa trembled. She wasn’t ready for a physical relationship, and yet she wondered how she would endure spending a whole night on an island with Nick without offering herself to him. “Our deal still holds? That I get to choose the time, I mean?”
Nick opened the top button of her blouse. “Yes, but it’s only fair to tell you that I’m going to make it hard to wait.”
“Oh,” Vanessa answered inanely as another button gave way. He slid his hand inside her blouse to caress her breast, and she thought she was going to go insane with wanting him.
As it happened, though, the doorbell rang. Vanessa scrambled to her feet and began righting her blouse while Nick strode, grumbling, across the living room to open the door.
The wonders of the jet age, Vanessa reflected, staring at the visitor in amazement.
Parker glared at Nick as he stepped back toadmit him. “It’s good to see that you haven’t changed, DeAngelo,” Parker said furiously.
Nick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Is that what you came here to say?” he asked.
Parker had already turned his attention to Vanessa, and he looked for all the world like a betrayed husband, stricken at the discovery of his wife’s faithlessness. “How could you, Van?” he rasped. “After the flowers and—”
Vanessa was incensed. “And your generous offer over national television to ‘forgive’ me?”
“I love you!” Parker bellowed.
“You don’t know what love is,” Vanessa cried, her chin high and her shoulders square. She took comfort from Nick’s presence, but it was even better realizing that she could handle the situation on her own. “Once and for all, Parker, it’s over. Now go away and leave me alone.”
Parker glowered at Nick, obviously seeing him as the villain of the piece, and then left in a rage, slamming the door behind him.
Vanessa glanced at her watch. “If we’re going to the island,” she said, “we’d better get started. I need to pick up some of my clothes and feed the cat before we leave.”
Nick grinned. “Whatever you say, lady,” he teased. “I wouldn’t dare cross you.”
5
N ick’s island house was gray with white trim and latticework, and it was enormous. Standing hardly more than a stone’s throw from the beach, the place had a friendly look about it, and Vanessa’s first impression was favorable.
Still, what she knew of Nick’s reputation haunted her subconscious, but she refused to entertain the thought. She was tired, even frazzled, and she needed the peace Nick and his grand old house were offering.
The inside was furnished in the same comfortable way as his condominium in Seattle; the sofas and chairs were soft and welcoming, the carpets deep. The paintings were watercolors in muted shades.
Nick led the way through the living room and up the stairway to the second floor. He passed several closed doors, then opened one on the right. “You can sleep in here,” he said.
Vanessa bit her lip and slipped past him into a room decorated for a woman. The curtains and the spread on the gleaming brass bed were a pastel floral print, and there were two white wicker chairs in front of the window, their seats upholstered to match.
“It’s Gina’s,” Nick said,
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