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“Or maybe he’s not gay after all,” Nico replied obtusely.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
LACEY SIPPED HER coffee as she stood and stared thoughtfully out the front window of Nico’s house. There was a good view down over the small township right through to the bay and the ocean. This room had been set up as the formal dining room and it seemed a bit of a waste to have the room with the best view relegated so that it was barely used. If she lived here, she’d rearrange things, move in a few cozy armchairs and create a nook from which to appreciate the vista below. It was cold in here—Nico usually kept the door shut—unlike in the lounge room where the open fire crackled, and Lacey wrapped her cardigan across her middle. She’d come in here while Nico was having a shower, looking for a different perspective from the usual one found through the kitchen window.
Sunday morning in Boat Harbour Beach was a quiet affair. Not a soul was around, not even the old woman who was usually prowling up and down the beach. The same gray clouds from yesterday draped across the sky, blocking out the sunshine and making everything drab and colorless. But Lacey liked the soft winter tones, they were as much a character of this coastline as the wild, bright colors of summer.
The squad car was finally gone from the front of the house. She’d watched the two police officers drive away ten minutes earlier, their shift at an end, and no one had replaced them. Nico had warned her he didn’t know how long their protection would last. The chief inspector’s patience for using a precious resource to guard her had probably run out. She felt like it’d been a waste of time; she didn’t need to be babysat around the clock. She’d already proved she could look after herself. Between her and the flock of geese and a highly trained detective, she felt pretty safe, even if the attacker tried again.
“Here you are. I was wondering where you’d got to.” Nico wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the side of her face. It was such a couple thing to do, and Nico did it with such ease but it caused a sharp pain in Lacey’s chest. Because they weren’t that easy, familiar couple. Not yet, anyway. He smelled fresh and clean and still damp from the shower.
“I like this room,” Lacey said. “It has a wonderful view. I understand why you bought this place. You can see for miles from here.”
“Yes, you can,” Nico mumbled, his face buried in her neck. Slowly, he came around in front, took the mug from her hand and placed it on the windowsill, and wrapped both arms around her waist. “I liked the view in my bedroom last night much better, though.”
She couldn’t help it, she blushed at his comment. Last night had been another exploration into an erotic wonderland. They were definitely sexually compatible; she could say that much about them as a couple.
When they’d returned from their walk along the beach, Lacey hadn’t been sure where she stood with Nico. He’d seemed taken aback by her news of a job offer at Burnie Police Station, but then who could blame him. She’d half been expecting the same awkwardness from earlier that morning to descend once they returned to the house, but it was as if a truce had been called. He said he’d cook dinner that night and not to worry about it. So, she spent the next few hours reading a book that she’d started weeks ago but never managed to find the time to finish. Nico occupied his afternoon on his computer, and then he shuffled through a pile of documents for another hour, a look of perplexed frustration on his face. When it came time to prepare dinner, Nico shooed her out of the kitchen, saying she’d done more than enough cooking over the past few days and it was his turn.
With half an hour to kill, Lacey had decided to bite the bullet and call her mother. She’d been putting it off for too long. At first, Elora had sounded pleased to hear from Lacey.Her impossible daughter, as she’d called her. But if that was the worst insult Elora could come up with, then Lacey was happy to let it slide. Her mother’s tone soon changed, however, when Lacey dove straight into the reason she was calling. To inform Elora about the incidenther impossible daughterhad unwittingly been caught up in, and how she was now a prime witness in a murder investigation. At first, Elora had been shocked, but her concern for Lacey didn’t last long. It quickly morphed into concern for how Lacey’s involvement would make the family look. How Elora herself may be implicated in the whole thing, and then finally rage that Lacey hadn’t told her about this on the very first day.
When she found out Barry had known for days, Elora had become speechless with rage. Her mother’s outbursts were hard to bear, but it was when she became silent that you really had to watch out. Lacey wasn’t in the mood to spend hours placating her mother. She didn’t allow Elora to derail the conversation and kept to the point, which sometimes worked with Elora and sometimes it riled her up more. But by this stage, Lacey didn’t care. She had a dinner date with Nico and she wasn’t going to ruin it by letting her mother get under her skin.
Lacey had been polite but direct with her mother, asking her to pass the news onto both her siblings and then telling her she’d call again in a few days. Perhaps Elora might’ve calmed down by then and they could have a half-decent conversation. Time often dulled her mother’s barbarous comments but it couldn’t be guaranteed. Lacey had given her mother one compensation. Elora had demanded she come home straight away. But Lacey wasn’t ready to do that. Yet. She agreed she needed to face her family soon, however. So she’d given her mother a solid date for when she’d return home. She only hoped she could keep that promise. Afterward, she texted her father to warn him there would be fallout from her conversation. She had no doubt Elora could be coming for her husband next, to vent her frustration on him.
Then Nico had called her through to the kitchen and she’d sat at the small table and been served delicious pork and fennel sausages from a local producer and mashed potatoes with mountains of butter. Exactly the kind of meal a lazy Saturday called for. Over dinner, her gaze had kept tangling with his, but she was unsure what it meant. She desired him. Would jump at the chance to sleep with him again, but she wasn’t sure where they stood after their conversation today—to call it an argument was too harsh a word, but they’d certainly been at odds with each other’s ideas.
And then afterward, as she was washing up the dishes because Nico had cooked, he’d come up from behind and nuzzled her neck, much the same as he was doing this morning.
“Leave those,” he’d commanded, voice husky.
And she’d suddenly known where she stood, at least for that night. He wanted her, couldn’t keep his hands off her. And she wanted him too. They’d left a trail of clothes on their way to the bedroom, and Smudge had followed along in their wake, sniffing their dropped clothing and looking confused. Nico was fast running out of condoms. He was going to have to replenish his stock soon if they were to keep this up.
Now, standing in front of the window, Nico kissed her, his mouth hungry on hers. Telling her he wanted her again. And she was happy to comply. He set her body alight with just the simplest of touches. The thought someone might see them in their lover’s tangle highlighted in the window was quickly buried by the surge of heat that coursed through her body.
Lacey pulled back to look at him. She ran a finger lightly over the scar on his face, drinking in his features. Etching them into her memory. She may as well tell him what she was thinking. It might put his mind at ease for the next little while.
“I’ve decided to stay another week,” she said, tilting her head slightly so she could look deep into his eyes. “Then I’m going to continue my travels. I’m going to head inland to see Cradle Mountain.” It was true when she’d told Gabe the other day that it was on her bucket list. It was the one place she wanted to see before she left Tasmania. “And then I told my mother I’d be home by the end of the month.” Which gave her one week to spend with Nico and another two weeks traveling before she had to be back on that ferry to Melbourne. “My family are desperate to see me. They’re worried about all this stuff going on. And I guess my mother is right. I can’t keep traveling forever. I owe it to them to go home and spend some time with them.”
A small frown line appeared between his brows at her news, but she didn’t know him well enough to understand what it meant yet. Was he irritated? Or concerned for her welfare? Or sad that she was leaving? Or all three?
“If that’s what you want to do, then I think it’s a good idea. My mother would be the same if I were in your shoes.” The frown line disappeared, and he sounded so understanding. But she wondered what was really going on behind those indigo eyes of his.
“What about the job?” Nico asked quietly.
Fair enough question, but one she had no clear answer for yet.
“I don’t know yet. That’s one of the things I need to sort out. I’d like to clarify a few things with Shadbolt first. And I was hoping a week here might give me the space I need for things to become clearer. I don’t think the job will be advertised for a few weeks yet, anyway.”
“That makes sense. Take as much time as you need, Lacey. Like I said before…you can stay as long as you want.”
“Hmm.” And there it was again. That slight hesitancy, like he couldn’t quite bring himself to ask her to stay forever. To stay for him. So they might pursue this thing between them.
Lacey stared out the window as she considered her next words, but something caught her eye. “Is that Herb and Margie?” Lacey peered at the road leading down the hill. “Are they coming up here?”
“Shit.” Nico turned his head to check out the older couple climbing the hill. “Yes,” he added with a sigh. “Just when I was hoping we could take this back to bed.”
“I’d better get dressed then.” Lacey disentangled herself from Nico’s arms and fled to the bedroom. Hopefully, their lazy Sunday morning wasn’t about to get ruined.
