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Tasha swears under her breath. “A point he demonstrated quite plainly when he pulled out that gun. My God, Avery. You and Nick are lucky to be alive. Your mom too.”
“I know.” I take a long drink of my wine, all too aware that my secrets might have taken the two people I care about most if Rodney hadn’t been stopped. “Nick saved both of us that day. I have no doubt about that. I owe him so much, Tasha. I owe him . . . everything.”
She gives me a warm, understanding smile. “Pretty sure that man is counting his blessings that he’s got you too. He loves you, you know.”
“He hasn’t said it,” I admit, tracing my finger along the rim of my wineglass.
She waves her hand dismissively. “I couldn’t get Tony to say the words out loud for six months after we started dating. But I knew. I’ll bet where Nick is concerned, you know too.”
I shrug, wanting to believe she’s right. In my heart, I know I’m the only woman Nick wants.
From the beginning, he’s been nothing if not single-mindedly consumed with me. Obsessed, even. Just as I have been with him.
He needs me. Those are words he’s given me freely, passionately. Leaving no room for doubt.
But love? That’s the one threshold he hasn’t crossed.
There’s a part of me that’s not even certain he can.
Every time I see the torment in his gaze, I wonder if it’s going to take him away from me one day. Every time I see the hauntedness—the scars that don’t ride his skin, but lurk inside of him—I worry that I will never be enough to heal him.
That he won’t ever let me get that close.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try. After all that we’ve been through these past few months, the one thing I’m sure of is that I want Nick in my life. I need him in my life, just as he needs me.
I have to trust in him.
I have to keep proving that he can trust me.
That’s a task I intend to devote myself to completely now that I have the chance.
My phone rings on the table next to me. It’s Nick, which doesn’t surprise me, even though we’ve already spoken a couple of times since he left for the office this morning.
Since the confrontation with Rodney, Nick’s been even more protective than usual. As much as I would have chafed against that kind of dominance and control at one time in my life, now, with him, it comforts me.
Tasha starts to get up. “Go ahead and take it. I have to get back to work, anyway. Tell the bossman he’s my new hero. Just don’t let Tony know I said that.”
I’m laughing as I grab my purse and slide out of the booth to answer the call. “Hi, baby.”
“I sure like the sound of your smile,” he says. “What’s got you so happy?”
“You.” I glance over my shoulder and wave goodbye to Tasha. “I miss you.”
“What a coincidence. I’m missing you too, Ms. Ross.” He pauses for a moment, no doubt hearing the clamor of the bustling restaurant in the background. “You’re still at Vendange?”
“Just leaving. I’m sure Patrick must be bored out of his mind waiting for me the past twenty minutes. You really don’t have to make him cart me around on every little excursion or errand I run.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” he replies, his tone stern. “We’ve already covered this, haven’t we? You’re mine, and I protect what’s mine.”
I smile, warmed by his possessiveness. “Yes, sir.”
He grunts. “That’s my girl.”
I step outside and nod to Patrick, whose holding the backseat door open for me. “Thanks,” I say, slipping inside. “So, Mr. Baine, where are you at the moment?”
“Sitting at my desk with half a dozen proposals to review this afternoon and wondering why I’m not spending the day with you instead. How do you feel about dinner?”
“I’m generally in favor of it. I’m pretty fond of dessert too,” I add, smiling at the memory of some of our more creative uses for sweets and toppings.
