thong. She tossed the garment onto the end table.
“Her father said he didn’t plan on raking me over the coals. He wanted to make that perfectly clear.”
“I’m happy for you.” She walked to the door. “I really need to get to work now. It was nice to see you again.”
He didn’t budge from his spot. “It seems two hotshot, badass lawyers called him and threatened to expose a few things about him if he didn’t let the matter drop. He wanted me to call them off. I don’t suppose you know who they might have been.”
She shrugged. “No, why should I?” When he didn’t say anything she gave up the fight. “I called my parents and asked for a favor. It was no biggie.”
“I wanted to say thank you.”
“You’ve said it, now good-bye.”
He straightened, then slowly walked toward her. “Why did you ask them to do it?”
She shrugged again. “Cynthia was a bitch. I knew she would run to daddy.”
“And?”
She frowned. “And I lied right from the very start. I wanted the story and that’s all I cared about.”
“And?”
Her palms began to sweat. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
He rested his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t you?”
Man, when he went for revenge, he went for it. He wanted to know the truth. Okay, she’d give it to him. “I care for you. There, are you happy?”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Just care? Is that all?”
When she looked up at him he lowered his head, his mouth taking hers. A shiver ran through her. God, it seemed like forever since she’d tasted him on her lips. She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck.
But before the kiss could go very far, he broke it off. “Just care? Is that all you feel for me, Nikki?” He teased the back of her neck, lightly massaging.
“No, dammit, I love you,” she whispered. “There, I’ve said it. Now are you satisfied?”
“Why the hell did you let me suffer the last two weeks?” He hugged her close.
“I didn’t think you’d ever want to see me again. What I did was so wrong. It’s one thing to alert the public to dirty politicians and businesses out to fleece the innocent, but it was different with you.”
She pulled away and looked at him again as what he’d said finally sunk into her brain. “You said I made you suffer. How did I make you suffer?”
“Haven’t you guessed?”
She shook her head.
“I fell in love with you the second I answered the phone.”
Her smile was slow. “Was that before or after I told you I liked it rough?”
“Before, after, and during.”
He pressed his mouth to hers again. Her body trembled with need. God, how she’d missed this man. He was her life, her soul. He was each breath she took or would ever take.
She held him close, resting her head against his chest when they both came up for air.
“Are you going to quit football?” she asked.
“Yes. I’m spending more time at the doctor’s getting my injuries taken care of than I am playing football. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all, but after we get married will we have to live in the country?”
Cal leaned back and looked at her. “I thought you didn’t believe in marriage.”
“I changed my mind. Does that bother you?”
He grinned. “Not at all, but remember when I tell the kids you begged me to marry you, I’ll be the one telling the truth.”
She frowned. “But we aren’t going to move to the country, are we?”
“Do you want to?”
“Good Lord, no.”
“Me, neither. I’ll take the city any day. I had an offer-sportscaster with one of the stations. I think I’m going to take them up on it. So, do we have everything settled?”
“I think so.”
“Good, then call in sick, because I doubt we’ll leave your bed for the next week.”
Nikki caressed her hand across his face before sauntering toward her room. At the door, she turned back and looked at him.
“I’ll call in later.”
Damn, she liked the look of passion that flared in his eyes. She had a feeling she’d be seeing it for many years.
Chapter 29
“I’m not so sure about this,” Nikki said as she looked around at the others. Celeste was clearly excited, Brian looked hesitant, and Cal, well, he just looked amused.
Cal grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. He did that a lot-kissing her, holding her close. She rather liked it.
“We have to,” Celeste pleaded. “Her name was Aggie. Aggie Watson. I don’t know why anyone didn’t try to find out something about her years ago. It wasn’t like it was that difficult.”
“So, tell us about this…ghost,” Cal said, then grinned.
Nikki frowned at him and wondered why he was being so stubborn. “I saw the ghost and she’s real.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in anything you couldn’t touch, feel, or taste?” He ran the back of his knuckles across her cheek. She automatically leaned closer.
“Would y’all like a little privacy?” Brian asked.
“No, they wouldn’t. They want to do the seance, too.”
Brian shook his head. “I don’t think they look that enthused.”
“Nikki, help me out here. Don’t you want to set Aggie’s soul free?” Celeste said.
They were standing by the barn at the ranch. Nikki glanced toward the cabin, although she couldn’t see it because of the trees. A cold chill of foreboding clutched her in an icy grip. “How exactly did you say she died?”
“She was strangled by the man who wanted to marry her. She didn’t want to marry him because she was in love with someone else. So that’s why he killed her, and we just have to tell her to go toward the light. Please.”
Nikki didn’t want to go anywhere near the cabin, but how could she say no to Celeste when she pleaded so convincingly? “Then let’s do it,” she said, suddenly making up her mind.
Cal leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, “There are no such things as ghosts.”
Boy, was he in for a big surprise.
Celeste turned to look at Brian, giving him the same look she’d used on Nikki. Brian didn’t stand a chance. It was as plain as the nose on her face how much he loved Celeste.
“Okay, okay,” he finally caved.
Celeste smiled brightly. “We have to do it tonight.”
“Why tonight?” Cal asked as he casually draped his arm across Nikki’s shoulders. “Is there a full moon?”
Everyone automatically looked up, searching the skies.
“As a matter of fact, there is,” Nikki said.
“Even better,” Celeste chimed in. “Let’s go.”
They all piled into the double-cab pickup. Cal drove. Nikki wished she’d gone to the bathroom before they’d left. She was not about to take a chance her stickups were still working.
“I hope the psycho rooster has bedded down somewhere far away for the night,” Celeste muttered.
Nikki cringed. How could she still feel so damned guilty over a stupid bird?
