“Which means I’ve still got a shot, right?” Sean asked with a grin as he mixed Skye’s cocktail and poured it into a martini glass rimmed in sugar.
Skye laughed. “Not unless you want that pretty face of yours rearranged by Nathan’s fist.”
Sean considered the risk for only a fraction of a second. “Nicole just might be worth it.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere with this one,” Valerie said, sounding certain of that fact.
Sean’s shoulders lifted in an unrepentant shrug. “You can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“You are trouble with a capital
Skye glanced at Nicole and Valerie as she licked sugar off her bottom lip and raised her glass in a toast. “I say we slip into our swimsuits, enjoy our drinks by the pool, and gossip about the boys.”
“Count me in,” Nicole agreed, eager to learn more about this intriguing group of people Nathan worked with.
“Me, too,” Valerie added as the three of them clinked their glasses together.
They headed inside the house to change, and met back on the patio ten minutes later with Valerie in a modest one-piece with a sarong tied around her waist, Skye in a jaw-dropping two-piece that showcased her amazing curves, and Nicole in a pink-and-white bikini that fell between the two extremes.
From behind the bar, Sean whistled a sexy catcall, drawing the attention of the other guys still playing lawn darts across the yard. The only gaze Nicole noticed was Nathan’s, whose stare held a fascinating combination of heat and pure male possession that made her heart beat a little faster beneath her breast.
Sean leaned across the bar. “If any of you ladies need help rubbing suntan lotion on your backs, or anywhere else for that matter, just let me know.”
Nicole laughed, and Valerie just lifted her eyes heavenward.
Skye, however, didn’t hesitate to put him in his place. “Dream on, O’Brien. Because that’s about as close as you’re going to get to any of us.”
Sean placed a hand over his heart and feigned a wounded look. “You slay me, Skye.”
“Someone has to keep you in check,” she replied, then turned toward Nicole and Valerie and handed them their drinks again. “Come on, girls. Let’s go and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.”
The three of them settled on lounge chairs by the pool, and the chatter began in earnest. Skye dominated the conversation with her lively, animated personality. They talked, laughed, and had a great time together, and it didn’t take long for Nicole to feel as though she fit right in and had made two new friends.
“So, how did you and Nathan meet?” Valerie finally asked when she was able to get a word in.
Nicole wasn’t sure how to answer, considering how unconventional their first encounter had been. “We met at a speed-dating event.”
Valerie’s brows rose in surprise as she placed her hand on Nicole’s arm, as if touching her was necessary at the moment. Then the corner of her mouth lifted in a slow, subtle smile, and those insightful eyes of hers gleamed perceptively.
“Ahhh, so you’re
There was something about Valerie that made Nicole feel as though the other woman could see much deeper than Nicole was comfortable with. “What do you mean,
“Nathan attended the event as a favor to me,” Valerie told her, looking very pleased with herself. “When I asked him how the night went, he told me that he’d met someone, but that it hadn’t worked out.
Nicole’s face warmed in embarrassment. “Umm, yeah. That was me. We kind of reconnected.” A nice, safe word that didn’t give away any details of how they’d
“Fate is funny that way, isn’t it?” Valerie asked. “Some things are just unavoidable, and I’m glad Nathan found a woman like you. You’re exactly what he needs in his life.”
Nicole wasn’t sure how to respond to that comment, and it appeared that Valerie didn’t expect her to. The other woman slipped on a pair of sunglasses and reclined back in her chair. Nicole pondered the odd exchange until Skye launched into a discussion about how some men were able to play hard-to-get better than women… referring, of course, to Caleb’s ability to resist their very obvious attraction.
The rest of the day passed quickly. What with gabbing with the girls, a game of volleyball in the pool with the guys, and dining on grilled hamburgers, Nicole couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a fun, relaxing day. Friendly ribbing and joking ensued among the boys, with Sean doing his best to deliberately provoke Nathan by playing the part of a philandering ladies’ man with Nicole.
There was so much laughter and such positive, cheerful energy flowing, it was a welcome mental and emotional break from all the darkness she’d witnessed at Sloane’s club the night before.
And for today, she let herself indulge and revel in the festive environment.
Chapter Thirteen
After such an enjoyable day at Caleb’s, Nathan was in no hurry to return to the quiet apartment with Nicole. With only a crescent moon in the clear night sky, he turned the Ferrari onto a deserted back road and steered away from the city toward a long stretch of isolated highway he’d found years ago while driving aimlessly to escape the haunting memory of the case that had gone so horribly wrong.
Tonight, the only thing on his mind was Nicole and how silent she’d become at the end of the evening, while they’d been saying their good-byes to everyone. Up until that point, he knew for certain she’d been having a good time, and he had no idea what had happened to change her mood.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, wondering if someone back at the house had said something to make her feel uncomfortable. Hard to imagine after how well she’d connected with the group, but it was a possibility nonetheless.
“I’m good,” she said, giving him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I had a great time today. Thanks for bringing me along.”
“I wanted you there,” he said, meaning it.
There was something more going on in that head of hers, and it didn’t escape his notice that he was able to read her so well after only a few days together-as though they had an intimate connection that went deeper than physical attraction.
“What are you thinking about that has you so preoccupied?” he asked.
“How lucky you are to have such wonderful friends.”
“They’re good people. When we get together, things just click among us.”
“I noticed.” She rested her head against the back of the seat and sighed softly. “I have to confess that I envy you that close-knit bond you all share. It makes me realize what I don’t have.”
The wistful note in her voice confused him. “You’re close to your family, aren’t you?”
“Sure.” She stared out the windshield, not questioning where he was taking her, even though they were headed in the opposite direction of the Las Vegas Strip on an isolated road. “I keep in touch with my parents, but I haven’t seen them in over a year. With my brother in the military, it’s been even longer than that since I’ve spent time with him.”
“But you have friends here in Las Vegas.”
“I do, but it’s not the same as what you have with your co-workers.” She absently smoothed her hands down the skirt of her sundress, then glanced at him, her features softened by the shadows in the car. “There’s just something special and unique about your relationship with them. It’s hard for me to explain, but it’s obvious that you all care for one another very much.”
