Retribution Boxed Set (Books One and Two) (13 page)

“Yes. Someone is there!” Her voice echoed with
excitement. “It could have been the thief or someone else who may have seen
something.”

Irritation pinched him. Why hadn’t Sam caught
this? “There is definitely someone there.”

“With the timing, I think it would have had to
have been the thief.”

“You could very well be right.” Which would make
things so much better for both of them.

Her face suddenly dropped, and she put a hand on
her chest. “I can’t believe I was that close.” She glanced at him. “Do you
think whoever it was took advantage of the fact that I was in the office and
used my computer on purpose?”

“I don’t know, Nicole, but it’s starting to look
that way.”

*        *        *

“I’m going for a walk. I need to clear my head.” She
and Xander had reviewed the video so many times she was beginning to think the
world had lost its color. “Want to come with?”

“Definitely. I hope you brought a coat.”

“I did. Besides, I’m sure you won’t let me get
too
cold.”

He grinned at her flirty comment. “You are
correct, mademoiselle.”

“Good. I’ll just go grab it out of my suitcase
and be right back.”

Nicole headed up the stairs, surprised to find
Xander had placed her suitcase in one room and his bag in the other. Had she
totally misinterpreted his invitation? As far as she knew, when a guy invited a
girl away for the weekend, it usually included sleeping together. And it wasn’t
like he hadn’t shown interest in her. Their kisses had been phenomenal.

Time would tell, she supposed. It was only a few
hours until bedtime, and then she’d have her answer.

She came downstairs buttoned into her red wool
coat, her hair tucked into a soft, white cashmere hat that would not only keep
the wind from tangling it, but it had the added benefit of keeping her ears
warm. The black, lined leather jacket Xander wore set off his golden-brown eyes
and gave him a sexy, dangerous look. Rugged, yet classy. They leashed up the
dogs and headed out the back, down the stairs and into the soft sand.

A half-moon reflected off the crashing waves,
casting enough light to illuminate their way. It didn’t take long for them to
reach the compacted sand recently washed by the waves.

“The tide is out, right?” she asked as they
turned parallel to the ocean and began their way down the beach.

“Actually, it’s on its way in right now. It will
be high tide before too long.”

“So, everyday around eight-thirty it’s high tide.
When is low tide? Eight-thirty in the morning?”

He laughed. “It doesn’t work like that. The tides
are always changing according to the moon’s gravitational pull. Two high tides
and low tides every day, depending on where the moon is in its rotation of the
earth.”

She lifted her brows, feeling like an imbecile. “Of
course. I knew that.” Somewhere in the back of her mind she seemed to recall
hearing how tides worked. Maybe in a high school science class where she’d
probably zoned off. She’d used her college days studying art instead of science.
“I’ve never spent much time at the beach, so I didn’t really think about it.”

“You’re ninety minutes from the coast. Didn’t
your parents ever…” He trailed off, obviously realizing his mistake. “Sorry.”

She shook her head. “I was in Astoria once for a
couple of hours with my aunt, and we did stop at the beach, but I guess I
wasn’t interested in the tides. But now I know. Tides change with the force of
the moon.” She gave him a reassuring smile. Gone were the days where she felt
sorry for herself because of her upbringing, and she didn’t want Xander
focusing on that either. “Hey.” She nudged him with her elbow. “I’m not living
in the past, so don’t you. I have a good life.”

He stopped, turning to her so the moon was at his
back. His gaze bored into hers a second longer than was comfortable.

“What? It was great having a gorgeous guy staring
into her eyes on a moonlit beach, but something seemed off.

“I just…” He shook his head, continuing to stare
at her. “You’re not at all what I expected.”

That was an odd thing to say. “What do you mean? What
did you expect?”

“I don’t know.” He seemed to struggle, searching
for the right words. “You’re different. You have more…depth.”

She raised her brows? “Depth? That’s…great. Not
beauty or intelligence. Just depth. Exactly what a girl wants to be noticed
for.”

He smiled. “Those things are a given, but I’m
talking about how well you handle things despite your circumstances. You have
every right to hate your parents and be angry about your childhood, but you
don’t seem to be stuck there.”

“I’m not. It’s like I told you before. It
happened. There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’ve moved on.” Although life
seemed to be throwing memories of her childhood in her path more than usual.

“That’s easier said than done.”

“It’s a decision, an outlook on life.” She tilted
her head. “Why do I feel we’re talking more about you than me?”

He paused for a long moment as though hesitant to
share. “Just some old, unresolved issues with my dad.” He glanced out toward
the ocean, and, even though the moonshine didn’t hit his face, she could sense
his inner turmoil.

“Anything you want to talk about?”

He sighed. “No. Just things I wished I’d said. Things
that might have made a difference. That kind of thing.”

“And now he’s gone.”

“Yep.”

“I hate to echo the words you said to me earlier,
but it sounds like you haven’t dealt with it and maybe you should.”

“Look who’s playing psychologist now.”

She turned her lips into a consoling smile,
wishing she could ease his sorrows. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to toss it back in your
face.”

“I know. It’s something I need to do.” He lifted
a shoulder and let it drop. “It’s on the horizon. You’ve inspired me.”

“How long has he been gone?”

“Two years. Long enough for me to have dealt with
things.”

She could understand. “The man who fathered me
has only been dead nine months, and I’m not sure a lifetime will be long enough
to reconcile with his memory.”

Xander’s arm jerked as an impatient Apollo pulled
at his leash, trying to continue down the beach. “Let’s let the dogs run a bit.”
He unhooked their leashes and picked up a stick of driftwood, throwing it back
toward the house. Stormy took off on a dead run with Apollo chasing behind her.
Stormy grabbed the stick and faked a dash to the right before running off to
the left, leaving Apollo to try and catch her.

With the dogs occupied, Nicole took the
opportunity to snuggle against Xander’s chest. “It’s kind of chilly out here.” She
wrapped her arms around him, curious to see how he’d react.

Without hesitation, he tightened his grip on her,
tucking her head beneath his chin. “I warned you it was cold out.”

“I know.” She smiled. He hadn’t pushed her away. Instead,
he’d acted like a normal guy who was attracted to a girl. “But the ocean is so
magnetic, no matter how chilly it is.”

“Weather is supposed to warm up tomorrow. I
figured we could spend the morning wandering around town and come down to the
beach in the afternoon when it’s warmest. Maybe dig up some clams for dinner.”

“That sounds like fun.” Another thing she’d never
done before.

“I’ll fry them like my grandma used to do.”

“That sounds wonderful. I’ll make a salad to go
with them.”

He hugged her tighter. “I’m glad you decided to
come, Nicole.”

“Me, too.”

“I feel like I’ve known you for years. Like we
could tell each other anything.”

She turned her gaze toward him. “I feel the same
way. Kindred spirits, I guess.”

“Yeah. Something like that.”

He stared into her eyes, sending her sensations
into overdrive. She was acutely aware of the body warmth that radiated from his
thighs to hers, of how safe she felt cuddled against him, of how much she
wanted to take this to the next level.

His perusal grew more intense, but she didn’t
look away. His strong gaze had a way of making her feel vulnerable and exposed,
but she wanted him to see her. Wanted him to know how powerful their attraction
really was.

He reached up, traced a thumb down her cheek. “I
wish I could get inside your head. See what you’re really thinking.”

“There’s no need for that. I’ll tell you exactly
what I’m thinking.” She glanced from his eyes to his lips before slowly
returning to his tiger-like orbs. “Right now, I wish you would kiss me.”

Nicole’s request for a kiss was one Xander
couldn’t resist no matter the consequences.

He inhaled, trying to keep his composure as he
frantically searched for a way to extricate himself from the impossible
situation. His brain went on hiatus as every hot-blooded cell in his body
focused on tasting her lips. There was no strategizing when his subconscious
could think of nothing but following his baser instincts.

He captured the sides of her face, studying her
eyes, finding no reason to not comply. “Kiss you? Just speaking the words made
him hard for her.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Kiss me.”

His slow breath disappeared on the breeze as he
lowered his lips to hers, intent on a gentle kiss. The moment her soft, supple
lips touched his, desire inside him growled and punched its way through any
reasonable barriers he’d put in place. A moan of pleasure slipped from her
lips, and it was enough to make him lose sight of his purpose. He hauled her
against him, unable to keep from possessing her mouth. He gripped her chin,
tilting her head back. Her tongue teased against his, a taste of mint tempting
his senses.        

She dug her fingers into his hair as though to
never let him go.

An aching urge to do more than kiss her ripped
through him, and he fought to keep his restraint.

He’d tasted her. Now, he wanted to touch her.

When lack of oxygen finally broke them apart, she
released a breathless laugh.

“What’s so funny? From the look on her face, he
knew their kiss had seriously affected her, too, and he couldn’t figure out why
she’d laugh after such an intense kiss.

“Not laughing at you, at us. Just…” She held his
hand and twirled around. “Everything is
so
perfect right now. It’s a
beautiful night. I love being here with you. Stormy’s happy, and so is Apollo.”

Her delight was contagious and took the edge off
his apprehension. “It is the perfect night.” After regaining some semblance of
control over his emotions, he pulled her into his arms again. Gave her a quick
kiss on the tip of her nose as though he hadn’t had ulterior motives behind the
whole weekend. “But your nose is cold.”

A shiver rolled through her, making him shake as
well. “I wasn’t cold until you said that.”

“I’d light a fire, but it’s pretty late to scour
the beach for wood.”

“Tomorrow? After we cook clams? Promise me we’ll
make a roaring bonfire and stay out late.”

“I promise.”

She grinned and kissed him again before releasing
a vocal shiver. “If we’re going in, let’s go. I really am getting cold now.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and headed
for the stairs to his house. The dogs chased after them when they realized
their owners were leaving. By the time he and Nicole reached the deck, the dogs
were waiting at the back door, panting with exertion and excitement.

“Good thing they like each other,” he said to
Nicole.

“I knew they would.”

Once inside, Xander watched her from the corner
of his eye as they both removed their outerwear. Damn it. His internal battle
with his instincts left him weary. Everything inside him roared that Nicole was
innocent, that she couldn’t have committed such a cold and calculated crime. She
didn’t have it in her. Yet, Hunter and Sam had branded her a thief.

The minute he was home from the beach, he would
insist on sitting down with Sam and reviewing what the police had against her. Sam
had no proof, and quite frankly, he was starting to wonder about the strength
of their circumstantial evidence. Until then, he was going to lay off the
subtle interrogation. If she was innocent, he sure as hell didn’t want to treat
her like a criminal.

It
was
possible she was an excellent
actress and totally had him fooled, but he couldn’t make himself believe it any
longer.

He took her coat and hung it in the closet near
the door.

“I’m going to head upstairs,” she said with a
cryptic look that set him on edge. She would expect him to make a move on her. He
was certain of it, and he had yet to figure out how to handle it if she did. Then
again, if she was innocent, maybe he should give in to what they both wanted.

He nodded. “I’m going to check the doors, and
I’ll be up.” God help him.

“Okay.” A warm smile spread across her lips as
she headed for the stairs. At the bottom of the staircase, she looked back at
him, a pink blush on her cheeks. “I guess Stormy is going to wait for you.”

Xander looked to see her and Apollo both sharing
the large bowl of water he’d placed on the floor for them.

“Don’t take it personally. She still loves you.”

She laughed and continued up the stairs.

When she was gone from sight, he closed his eyes
and cussed under his breath. Her scent still hung in the air, her smile still
imprinted on his retinas. She wanted to make love. There was no doubt. And God
knew he wanted her bad enough to sign away his soul.

*        *        *

Nicole’s nerves chattered inside her, a mass of
excited energy as she flipped on the light in her bedroom. A soft glow
illuminated the cool sea green comforter covering the wrought iron bed and the
adjacent black nightstand. Whatever weird thing that had transpired earlier
between Xander and her had disappeared. Maybe she’d imagined the whole strange
awkwardness. He’d been hesitant a few times, but he was definitely interested
in her. Proof of his attraction had been more than evident when they’d kissed
on the beach.

She unzipped her suitcase, this time taking a few
minutes to remove her items and place them in the small black dresser or closet.
Maybe he was being cautious. Maybe he’d had his heart broke in the past and was
more careful now. There were plenty of men who showed some reserve before they
jumped in bed.

She liked that about him.

Besides, he’d proven he was a man who got what he
wanted, and she was pretty sure he wanted her. She just needed to chill and let
the man make his move.

She took her travel bag and headed into the
adjoining bathroom to freshen up. She brushed her teeth thinking about his
perfect smile. Sometimes it took a few moments for him to show it, but once he
did, his smile had the wattage to light up a room. It definitely lit up her
heart.

She rolled her eyes at her silly, love-struck
thoughts as she spritzed on perfume. She smiled as she reapplied her pink lip
gloss. He’d managed to remove what she’d been wearing when he’d kissed her
earlier. He’d probably make short work of what she’d just applied.

That was okay with her. She wanted him to kiss
her again and again, and she didn’t care if he ever stopped.

Her nerves twittered as she ran a quick brush
through her hair and slipped back into the bedroom to retrieve her nightgown. She
lifted the silky black sheath, hoping she hadn’t gone overboard. She usually
slept in a tank and shorts, but she’d wanted their weekend to be special. More
than that, she wanted to impress him enough he wouldn’t easily forget their
time together. Janie had teased her when she’d packed it, but something deep
inside told her Xander wasn’t an ordinary boyfriend. He had the potential to
make a running in the forever category, and she had every intention giving them
her best shot.

She slipped off her clothes, tingling as the
satiny black fabric slipped over her sensitized skin. She was certain she
wouldn’t have it on for long anyway.

When she’d finished getting ready, she paused.

Now what?

Did she wait for him to come to her? Did she go
to his room?

She’d heard the stairs creak a few minutes ago,
so she knew he’d joined her on the second floor. Maybe he needed a couple of
minutes, too.

She’d wait in her room. He was enough of an alpha
to want to make the first move. She climbed beneath the covers, the soft sheets
cold against her skin. A shiver raced through her, and she wished he was there
already to help warm the bed and make her forget about everything but making
love to him.

Five minutes went by and nothing. She did her
best to be patient, but it was hard not to check the time on her cell phone
every few seconds.

When ten minutes had passed, the gnarly fingers
of uncertainty crept into her thoughts. Maybe he wouldn’t come. There
had
been those few awkward moments between them that she’d rationalized away. Maybe
he was one of those people who was afraid of intimacy.

She widened her eyes. That would be just awful.

No. He was too much of a man to be like that. His
kiss had been too passionate.

She waited another ten minutes, far past the time
when the house had become quiet. She hesitated, wondering what to do. It felt
like a rejection, but then why had he invited her away for the weekend?

The intelligent side of her won over her
questioning emotions, and she tossed back the blankets, her bare feet hitting
the cold wooden floors. She crossed her room and opened the door. Light from
her lamp illuminated the hall, and Stormy and Apollo jumped to their feet.

The door to Xander’s room was shut. Hurt and
confusion threatened to gain control. It felt like he’d closed the door on
her
.
She gathered her strength, crossed the hall and knocked.

There was movement in the room, and a second
later, Xander opened the door.

“Everything okay? He stood, his chest bare, the
rest of him covered by gray flannel pants. She tried to remain focused on what
she intended to say, but it was difficult with all that hard, sexy flesh right
in front of her.

She cleared her throat and focused on his face. He’d
glued his gaze to somewhere near her forehead.

“No. It’s not okay.”

He dropped his gaze to her face for a brief
moment, then lower to the deep cleavage of her gown. A quiet groan slipped from
his lips as he closed his eyes. A second passed before he refocused on her
face, but she was certain she hadn’t mistaken the look of wanting in his
expression.

“I’m confused. I thought you’d invited me here
because you wanted to spend time with me.”

“I do.”

“So…this
spending time together
does not
include sleeping in the same bed?”

His throat visibly worked through a swallow. “You
don’t mince words, do you?”

“That’s not an answer. Am I mistaken here? I
thought you were interested in me, as in a man and a woman. But maybe you’re
only looking for friendship?”

“No. I’m interested in you.”

“Then I don’t understand. We’re both adults, and
we’re here, alone, in a romantic setting. You don’t seem like a shy person, so
what’s the problem? Don’t you want me?”

He groaned outright this time as a look of pure
torture crossed his features. “I want you, Nicole.” Fire burned in his eyes,
and she knew in that moment he did want her. She couldn’t possibly imagine why
he might be holding back.

“Then what’s the problem? She stepped closer to
him.

He widened his eyes, revealing a look of
intrigued disbelief that encouraged her. “There’s not a problem.”

They stood at an impasse, him watching her with a
badly-shielded sizzling gaze, her wishing he’d make the first move.

Something
tethered him.

Whatever it was, it wasn’t a good enough reason
for her. “Then you’re not going to care if I do this.” She lifted a hand,
placing it on the hard contours of his chest. A purr of satisfaction slipped
from her throat. He was all hot and solid and made her insides liquefy. “Or
this.” She lifted his hand and held it to her breast.

He inhaled a sharp breath, and she closed her
eyes at the heavenly feel of him against her. “Nicole.” Her name came out
breathless and ragged, and she couldn’t imagine anything better. “You’re going
to push this too far.”

That was
exactly
what she wanted. “Touch
me, Xander.” She moved his hand over the silky fabric covering her breast, her
nipple aching as it puckered, begging for his touch.

“Hell,” he whispered. He cupped her heavy breast,
his face a mixture of agony and pleasure.

She couldn’t contain her moan. He reacted to the
sound, pulling her through his doorway, her body colliding with his in a force
of desperate need. He kissed her hard, pushing her until he had her trapped
against the wall.

Her breath was lost between his rough and
demanding kisses. She wasn’t sure why he’d held back, but she’d definitely
released the beast now. “Yes,” she whispered as his hot and greedy mouth found
a ripe nipple beneath her thin layer of silk.

A sharp current trembled through her. She arched
forward, encouraging him to continue his assault. The small release he’d given
her was far from enough. She needed more. So much more.

She ground her hips against him, hoping her
movements would draw his attention to that area. He trapped her gaze with his
dark and dangerous eyes, his hands spanning, molding her bottom, pulling her
harder against his erection.

She raised her brows in a silent invitation. He
gave a slight shake of his head as though to reprimand her for what she’d
started. She grinned, knowing he couldn’t resist what she offered.

Spurred by his crumbling resistance, she slipped
her hands down his back beneath the waistband of his pants, her fingers coming into
contact with bare flesh. He stiffened as she ran her fingertips over taut skin
and muscle, and she had to hold back her laugh.

He couldn’t hope he still had a chance to resist.

She pushed down the flannel, his pants stopping
when they caught on his erection. Keeping her gaze pinned to his, she slowly
slid a hand between them.

He inhaled as she disengaged the fabric, and he
shook his head again as she encircled him. “Nicole,” he warned.

“I want this,” she whispered. “Don’t you? She
slid her hand up and down the silky steel of him.