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A lump formed in her throat, and she burrowed closer. She was suddenly so cold.
The furnace moved. Wrapped its arms around her and pulled her closer. “Hey, Jules,” a voice murmured into her ear. “You’re awake.”
Nico. She looked over her shoulder to see his face. “You’re here.”
“Of course I’m here,” he said, brushing her hair away from her eyes. “Where else would I be?”
“No, I mean you’re in the bed with me. I wanted to ask you last night, but I fell asleep before I could.”
He pressed his mouth to her hair and murmured, “I couldn’t bear to see you curled in on yourself in that bed. Alone.” Stroking his hand over her arm, he nuzzled her neck and said, “I was afraid you’d have bad dreams, and I wanted to be close to comfort you.”
Julia turned to face Nico. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, searching his gaze. She saw only concern. Caring. Tenderness. “That’s probably why I don’t remember any bad dreams.”
She pressed her body against his, and the hard length of his penis surged against her belly. Julia froze for a long moment, then moved closer. Desire swirled through her, pushing the grief away.
Sorrow would be part of her life for a very long time. She knew that. But Nico wouldn’t be here much longer. Now that Dawson had been arrested, the threat to her was gone. Nico would be heading back to Montana and the Blackhawk Security compound.
He’d move on to another job. His memories of her would gradually fade, until she was only a faint ghost in his mind.
The thought made her close her eyes tightly. Burrow closer to him.
She knew they didn’t have a future, but she wanted Nico desperately. Wanted to lose herself in him. He made her feel alive. Strong, as if she could overcome anything. Now that they’d caught Jeff, Nico would leave as soon as the case was wrapped up. She’d never see him again.
She wanted more time with him. Time when they were just Nico and Julia, instead of protector and protectee. Time when they could relax. Enjoy each other’s company. She needed time to store up memories for the future. When he’d be doing his job, and she’d be running Madeline’s.
She wanted to feel alive. Wanted to feel something besides pain. Breathing in Nico’s scent, she swallowed hard. She loved him. The bond between them had been forged in danger and strengthened by trust. Now that she had answers for all the strange things that had been happening, she could admit it to herself. Nico had brought a richness to her life she’d never experienced.
Her world would be dull after Nico left. Gray. Filled with work and nothing more.
She’d always been satisfied to keep her focus on Madeline’s. Happy to put her restaurant first. She’d never yearned for more.
Nico had ruined her. Now, every day would be a desert, bereft of fun. No laughter. No excitement.
An empty wasteland without Nico.
But she still had him for a few more days. She vowed she’d make every minute of those days count.
Before she could reach over to kiss him, he pushed himself to a sitting position. “We told Officer Houlihan we’d go see Detective Gorowski at noon. You want to take a shower first? I can order room service, so we don’t need to go to a restaurant.”
She didn’t want a shower. She didn’t want breakfast, either. She just wanted Nico. But she swallowed hard. “Sounds good.”
Sliding out of bed, she hurried into the bathroom and started the shower. The pounding of the water on the ceramic of the tub would hide the sound of her sobs.
* * *
Nico paced the room, listening to the water drumming against the tub in the next room. As he got close to the bathroom, he paused at the door. Was Julia crying in the shower?
He reached for the doorknob, but drew his hand back. If she’d wanted to shower with him, she would have said so. Julia had no problem asking for what she wanted. It was one of the things he lov… liked about her.
He couldn’t love her. There was no future for them. His job, one he loved and was uniquely suited for, was in Montana. She owned a restaurant in Seattle. There was no meeting in the middle for them.
He rubbed at the pain his chest, wondering how long it would take for him to be able to think of Julia without this crushing sense of loss. Of emptiness.
He’d be here for two or three more days, wrapping everything up. Making sure the asshole Jeffrey Stewart wasn’t working with anyone. Trying to find out what had happened to Carole. The former hostess might have stolen money from Julia, but the woman he’d fallen for would insist on finding out. Insist on getting justice for Carole, too.
When the shower finally stopped, Nico threw on clean clothes and called Mel. Filled her in on what had happened.
“Oh, my God,” she said with a sharp intake of air. “Julia must be devastated.”
