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After that call from his not-so-dead father, Nico had become almost overcome with the need to track Serge down. Nico would pore over his computer for hours every day, researching Reginald Smith, his father’s moniker, when he should’ve been resting. He was sure his father meant them both harm and had become even more protective over Lacey, not allowing her to go anywhere alone, and demanding that she take Smudge, even for a short foray into the backyard.
The phone call had been like a bolt from the blue, lighting a fire of simmering hatred inside Nico. Lacey was a little shocked at the depth of his emotions until he’d finally revealed why he was acting so tense. Although he had no proof, Nico was sure the intruder in their house the other night had been Serge. At first Lacey had been reluctant to believe him, but then she thought back to her feelings on the night of the break-in. Back then, she’d had a gut feeling it hadn’t been a random break and enter. It’d felt personal somehow. And the shifting of the photo on top of her dresser had confirmed it in her mind. If it had been Serge, then the photo frame had significance. Serge wanted to see what his son looked like now. And perhaps check out Lacey as well.
But they still had no answer to the biggest question of all. Why? Why was Serge back? And why had he initiated contact with Nico after all these years? It was unsettling and even Smudge could feel the extra tension around their house at the moment. Without any solid answers, they were just going to have to keep living their lives as if nothing had changed, and wait and see.
Lacey mentioned none of this to Linc. It wasn’t his problem to bear. Nico had informed the chief inspector; it was a matter of procedure when a detective was possibly being stalked. But no one else need know. Yet.
“The couple who helped us up on the bluff, Griff and Mila, are coming over for dinner tonight,” she told him instead. It’d be nice to catch up with them again. They’d opted to continue their hike on the Overland Track after the takedown of Sandra Brown. Pederson and Saito had debriefed them on the edge of Lake Will, and happy that their version of events matched Lacey and Nico’s, had thanked them and let them get on with their trek.
“They want to come and see how Nico is doing. And catch up on all the gory details, I guess,” she added with a smile. As active officers in the force, Griff and Mila had been more than useful in helping to protect the hikers as well as tracking down Sandra, and Lacey would like to thank them personally for their assistance. It was only fair they hear the full story of Sandra’s murder spree from Nico and herself.
They wouldn’t get the information from the news, even though the media were falling over themselves to get the tiniest detail surrounding the murders with which to feed the masses. But Shadbolt was only giving them the basics, so the journalists were now hounding the poor grieving families of the murdered girls.
At least Griff and Mila knew to stay away from the media. Teresa, on the other hand, was selling her story to the highest bidder. Which rankled Lacey, but she guessed the girl had been through a lot at the hands of a crazy woman. And while Lacey would never be one to sell out to the press, Teresa stood to make a lot of money. Which wouldn’t help her get through the trauma any better, but it might help to pay for counseling if she needed it.
“Nico is cooking a roast lamb,” she added with a frown. He’d been adamant he was capable of cooking a simple meal, even though she’d offered to bring home takeaway instead. She let out another sigh.Let it go.She needed to stop worrying about him all the time.
And hewasgetting better. She could attest to that. Last night had been the first time she and Nico had made love since he’d been wounded. His stitches had come out that day, and Nico was feeling buoyant. She’d spent the afternoon at her dojo, getting rid of most of her tension by taking it out on her hapless instructor. Her muscles had ached when she got home, but in a good way. Needing a quick shower before dinner, she’d ducked into the bathroom to wash off the sweat. A few moments later, she was surprised to hear the click of the bathroom door as it closed, and then a naked Nico slipped into the shower beside her. For a second, her gaze had caught on the waterproof dressings the doctor applied to the back and front above his hip, but then his lips brushed against hers, giving her just a taste of what was to come, and she forgot about everything but this amazing man and how much she wanted his equally amazing body.
Her back had relaxed under the gentle sweep of his hand. Wet shoulder-length hair dark against the side of his face, Nico’s indigo eyes burned with intensity, and she gave into the passion he brought out in her.With soapy hands, she’d explored his body, running her hands across his shoulders, down his back, and over his buttocks to his firm thighs. Fingertips finding the ridges of his chiseled abs, careful to miss the site of his injury, then fluttering down to below his navel and beyond. He was hard for her already, and she gloried in the silken skin of his erection. Nico groaned at her touch, his kiss turning heated and demanding. When he drew back, his eyes were filled with tenderness as he planted a soft kiss on her lips.
The gesture moved her more than any orgasm could. She loved this man with all of her being. Her body ached for him.
Not able to wait even the few seconds it’d take for them to leave the shower and make it to the bedroom, he’d turned her around and took her from behind while the hot water cascaded down their bodies. It’d been fast and fierce, her climax coming quickly, surprising her with its intensity. And Nico had only been a second behind her, nearly lifting her feet off the ground as he thrust into her with abandon, then collapsing against her back, panting and spent.
Their second round had been much more leisurely. After they’d dried off and slipped between the sheets, Lacey had taken charge, just like she’d teased she would when he’d first come home from the hospital. Pushing him gently down onto the bed, she’d been the conductor, straddling him and making him watch her pleasure herself until she climaxed, driving him crazy with wanting and waiting. Then she played him the same way, loving the way he’d shouted her name as he came. It was the best sign that he was recovering well, and it made her heart light to see him like that. Knowing he was safe and recovering well was the best antidote to her heart. She loved this man so deeply and so perfectly, it was a little scary sometimes.
“Sounds like that man is a keeper,” Linc said, standing up and stretching. “He can cook the perfect roast lamb, loves dogs, can solve murder cases at the drop of a hat, and he puts up with you.” He added a wink as he gave her a sly smile.
“You might be right,” Lacey said, also standing and readjusting her vest, shooting him a cheeky smile. “He does put up with a lot from me. But I’m worth it.” She loved the way Linc was such a joker. It was good to have their easy banter going again. It was great to have Linc back by her side. Her life was pretty much perfect. She had a great partner to help her through her days at work, and a near perfect man to love her through the nights at home.
“Well, maybe you should make it permanent then. You should ask him to marry you, before some other woman snaps him up,” he said, pulling his sunglasses down from on top his head and settling them on his nose. He reminded her a little of the guy from the seventies show,CHiPs, Erik Estrada, with that handsome smile, in his aviator sunglasses, and cocky swagger.
“Maybe I will,” she declared, slipping her own sunglasses on and staring at him over the rims.
“Shall we head out then?” Linc said, turning to exit the room. “I’ve been craving one of our barista mate’s coffees all week.”
“Let’s grab one for the road,” Lacey agreed. She hadn’t been back to the little coffee van beside the road since Linc’s accident. They could both enjoy the good stuff together.
But as she followed him down the hallway, she replayed their conversation in her mind. Her reply to his quip about asking Nico to marry her had been a reflex, but a small part of her recognized a grain of honesty in her retort. Getting married wasn’t something she thought a lot about. It also wasn’t something they’d really discussed yet either, and she certainly hadn’t been waiting for Nico to ask. The episode with Marietta had brought the concept of marriage to the forefront, and not in a good way. But she also knew she loved Nico deeply and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
Perhaps shewouldask Nico to marry her. She was a strong, modern woman, and times were changing. It was no longer tradition for a woman to wait for the man to get down on one knee.
Lacey gave a secret smile as she kept up with Linc’s fast pace down the stairs. Yes. It was a good idea.
