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  “I’m patrolling the area,” he said, his voice now apologetic. “The summer was full of kids with drugs at the beach. Just making sure we weren’t seeing the start of another outbreak.”

  “Nope. No drugs here,” Xander replied.

  “I can see that now.” He coughed. “Uh, good to see you, Xander. I’ll just let you get back to…I’ll just go. Stop by the station and say hi when you’re not…busy.” Humor echoed in his chuckle. “Good night.”

  “Night, Hugh,” Xander replied, and Nicole pulled the quilt over her head, sure she would die of mortification.

  “He’s gone,” Xander told her after a minute.

  She peeked out, glancing around the darkened beach. Then she punched his arm. “I thought you said we wouldn’t get caught.”

  He looked at her, his eyes full of apology. “I’m so sorry.” His voice caught on the last syllable, and he quickly buried his smile.

  But it was too late. Mirth bubbled inside her, and a small laugh slipped out.

  He expelled another half-laugh that busted through her barely contained amusement. Before she knew it, they were both laughing hard enough to cause tears to stream her face.

  “Stop,” she gasped, rolling over and pulling the blanket with her. “I can’t breathe.”

  “I’m sorry” he said, still laughing as he gathered her into his arms again. “It’s just too funny. I’d hang out with Hugh during the summers when I was younger when my family came to the beach house on the weekends. He always thought he was such a ladies’ man. Guess I showed him.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I guess you did.” Men. Always needing to prove their prowess. “And now that you’ve shown what a man you are, I think we should head back to the house before we get caught again.”

  “I don’t know. There’s always the possibility Steve Mulligan could come along. I’d really like him to see the beauty I’m with tonight.” He grinned, and she shook her head, another laugh escaping her lips.

  “Okay, we’ll head back,” he said. “You can have the quilt, and I’ll carry our clothes.”

  “Are you kidding? You’re going to run up the beach naked?” He was crazy. But she loved it.

  “Fine. I’ll put on my shorts, but there’s no sense us getting dressed when we’re far from finished.”

  A sweet thrill zipped through her.

  He quickly buried the fire with sand as she pulled the quilt tight around her. “I’m wearing my shoes. Who knows what’s between here and the house.”

  He laughed, but allowed her the one concession. Together, they raced up the sand toward his house, the dogs barking as they reached the deck. All clothes and shoes were deposited inside the back door, and they didn’t waste any time heading for Xander’s bed.

  Nicole wasn’t sure how many hours had passed when she and Xander finally settled in to sleep. She lay on his chest for a long while, listening to his even breathing, thinking about the wonderful things that had come into her life since her arrest. She couldn’t quite be thankful for the event, but if it meant having Xander, she couldn’t regret it, either.

  She closed her eyes, letting slumber come upon her. Before she’d fallen completely asleep, Xander shifted and kissed her head.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  She held still, keeping her breathing even, not knowing what to do or say. She was pretty sure he thought she was asleep. She’d thought he was, too. And he’d whispered the words that made her heart burst with happiness, which meant he cared, but he hadn’t meant for her to hear it yet.

  She couldn’t figure out his reasons for holding back, but she’d keep his secret for now and treasure it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  When Xander woke the next morning with Nicole’s silky strands spread across his chest, her breathing even as she slept peacefully in his arms, he knew he’d do whatever it took to keep her there.

  With him. For the rest of their lives, if she’d accept him. He couldn’t reconcile what had taken place between their fathers, but maybe that didn’t have to affect him and Nicole.

  He also knew without a doubt that she was innocent. He’d seen her, the real Nicole, and there was no way she could commit any kind of crime. Hell, she’d been worried they might get caught on the beach.

  Which they had.

  He grinned, suddenly in a hurry to get back to Portland.

  The first thing he had to do was arrange a meeting with Hunter and Sam. He couldn’t waste any more time before he convinced his friends of the truth. If nothing else, the surveillance video proved there was someone besides Nicole on the floor at the time of the heist. That alone was enough to keep her from being convicted if it ever did go to trial.

  He’d make damned sure things never got that far.

  He let out a slow, easy breath, not ready to wake his sleeping beauty yet.

  After he finished with Sam, he’d sit down with Nicole, lay out all the facts, and ask for her forgiveness. If there was a god in heaven, he prayed Nicole would understand and know how much he loved her.

  * * *

  “Do you mind if we stop at my aunt’s for a quick moment,” Nicole asked Xander when they were a few miles outside of Portland. “She just texted and wondered if I could pick up some groceries she has for me. She’s worried I don’t have enough money for food.”

  That spiked his concern. She had been out of a job for a few weeks. “Do you?”

  She waved away his worry. “I’m fine. Honestly, I think she’s using it as an excuse to meet you.”

  He swore he wasn’t going to have any contact with Nicole’s family unless it was for investigative purposes, but things had changed. That was when he’d believed her to be guilty. That was before he’d fallen for her. “Sure. I’d like to meet her, too.”

  Her aunt was already outside with two grocery store bags at her feet when Xander pulled in the drive. She was short in stature, frail in frame with wispy gray hair. She limped slightly as she walked forward to greet them, her gaze zeroing in on him as fierce as a trained interrogator’s.

  Nicole made the introductions, and Xander shook her hand, her aunt’s discerning gaze barely softening.

  “Did you have a nice weekend?” she asked Nicole.

  “The best.”

  “I’ll just put these in the car for you,” he said to Nicole, picking up the bags and walking away still feeling her eagle eyes lasering him in the back. Sure enough, when he returned, she watched his every move.

  “I was telling Aunt Claire about you adopting Apollo.”

  “You like dogs?” her aunt questioned.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He didn’t think she’d be able to narrow her gaze any farther, but she did.

  She folded her arms. “Where do you work?”

  “I’m a financial analyst for a firm in the city.”

  “How did you meet?”

  “Aunt Claire. You don’t need to give him the third degree.” Nicole blushed, obviously uncomfortable with her aunt’s interrogation, even though he felt he was doing a pretty good job holding his own.

  “I want to know how you met,” she insisted to Nicole before turning back to him.

  “We met at a coffee shop near her house.”

  “How did—”

  “Enough.” Nicole held up a hand. “We’re going to go now before you completely scare him away.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ms. Camden,” he said as Nicole tugged him toward the vehicle.

  “Let me know when you’re home,” she called to Nicole.

  Nicole waved and climbed into the car. “Please don’t say anything else to her. Just get in the car and let’s go.”

  Xander did as she asked, but he did send a parting wave to her aunt, which surprisingly, she returned.

  “Oh my God.” Nicole slumped in her seat as he backed out of the driveway. “I’m so sorry. She’s never acted like that before.”

  “She’s only looking out for you. Nothing wrong with that.”

  “No, that’s not like her. S
he’s usually a very pleasant person.”

  “Have you gone away for the weekend with a man before?”

  “No.”

  “There you go, then. She’s worried I’m going to steal you away in the night. Normal mother behavior.”

  Nicole glanced at him, twisting her lips as though she wasn’t quite sure she should believe him. “If you say so.”

  * * *

  Xander called Sam the moment he dropped off Nicole, letting him know he’d be stopping by with important information. His buddy wasn’t too happy about having to wait until Xander arrived to hear what he had to say, but it was too important to tell over the phone. Sam would insist on seeing the visual proof anyway.

  He tucked the surveillance video inside his jacket before heading up to Sam’s door. That was one rule their group never broke. They never, ever discussed evidence Sam had given them or had it in visual sight if there was the chance someone might see it or overhear them. Out of all of them, Sam would receive the harshest punishment if the authorities caught wind of their illegal activities.

  He knocked on Sam’s door, and his friend opened it immediately.

  “Geez, dude. You staking out the front door?”

  “You broke her, didn’t you?” Sam said as he shut the door behind Xander. Excitement etched his features, and he looked as though he’d cornered some long-awaited prey. “What did she say? What did she do?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “She’s innocent, man.”

  A dumbfounded look crossed his friend’s face, and he took a moment to respond. “You slept with her, didn’t you?”

  That pissed him off, and he got in Sam’s face. “Would you just listen to me?”

  Sam didn’t back down. “Did you or did you not fuck her?”

  Never before had he wanted to punch a person more. Instead, he pulled the disc from his pocket and shoved it at Sam’s chest. “There’s someone else on the goddamn video. She wasn’t the only one on the floor.”

  Sam widened his eyes in surprise, his posturing a thing of the past. “What?” He took the video and headed into the room that housed his TV. He put the disc in his player, effectively shutting off Sunday afternoon football.

  Xander stood next to him, anxious for his friend to see the shadow person. “Fast forward to right before she gets back on the elevator.”

  Sam did as Xander asked.

  “Watch on the right-hand side.”

  Just as Nicole appeared on screen, a portion of someone’s head was visible moving along the top of the cubicles.

  “Holy shit.” His friend haphazardly sat on his coffee table and replayed the video. “I can’t believe we missed this.”

  “Nicole and I had watched it a few times before we saw it, too. Probably missed it because it happens at almost the exact time as Nicole reappears on screen, and she steals the attention.” In more ways than one.

  “I’m going to have Clark’s ass for this.” His friend was seriously pissed. “Could you imagine if we’d presented this at trial without noticing the other person? Fuck. Her attorney would have gotten her off easily.”

  Wait. “What?”

  “Yeah, man. We need to find out who this person is. He or she could very well be an accomplice. If not that, then a witness who could strengthen our case.”

  “You’re not hearing me, Sam. Nicole is innocent.”

  Their gazes dueled for several seconds.

  “You’re pussy-whipped. You’ve lost all objectivity. Come on, you know her past. Her father was convicted for the same damn thing. How can you believe things are not tied together? It’s too perfect.”

  “Because it is too perfect. Because I’ve gotten to know her. She’d die before she’d hurt anyone. Hell, she’s afraid to do something that might be questionable, let alone illegal.”

  Sam shook his head. “My gut’s telling me different, man. And it’s never wrong.”

  “It is this time.” How would he get his friend to see things clearly? “Damn it, Sam. Why can’t you listen to me? She’s innocent.”

  Sam stared at his friend, then sighed. “I’ll tell you what, we’ll look at this as though it’s a new piece of evidence. I’ll chew out Clark, have him review what you found and see if we can identify the person in the video. We’ll go from there. But if she’s guilty…” He shook his head. “I’m going to press to have her prosecuted to the full extent.”

  “Make sure Hunter gets a copy with the updated info,” Xander said, tucking his copy of the video in his jacket. Maybe Hunter could talk some sense into Sam. “Have Clark check to see if that’s a TriMet pass in her hand when she walks out.”

  “You know I will. I’ll get back to you with whatever we find out if you can promise me right now you haven’t been compromised.”

  Xander gave his friend a hard look. “Compromised? You forget what her father did to mine. I want to see the thief behind bars more than any of you.”

  Sam nodded, satisfied.

  Compromised? Xander exhaled a sardonic laugh as he made his way to his car. He was beyond compromised. Screwed was more like it. He needed to start considering plans to get Nicole in hiding if things went south.

  There was no way he could let her go to prison.

  * * *

  Nicole stepped off the bus and extended her umbrella to protect her from the drizzling rain. Droplets splashed onto her calves as she hurried down 3rd Avenue, looking for the Irish pub named Caora Dubh. The exterior didn’t seem too impressive with several neon signs in the windows and a Celtic symbol for friendship hanging over the door.

  She pulled on one of the intricately carved metal handles that looked like it might have come from an old castle and opened the door. Her nerves were two-fold. First, she sucked at interviewing, and second, Christian Monroe was the first of Xander’s friends or family that she’d meet.

  She took a deep breath, closed her umbrella and stepped inside.

  The dim interior was the first to greet her, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust.

  “You must be Nicole.” The voice came from near the bar, and she squinted, trying better to see.

  “I am.” She stepped forward, her heels clicking on the wooden floor, as the man’s silhouette and finally his face came into focus. She first noticed his warm, brown eyes that seemed to smile even when he wasn’t. His hair was longer, pushed away from his face in a sexy, beach kind of look. She held out a hand. “Nicole Camden.”

  He took her offering, his handshake firm and warm. “Christian Monroe.” He studied her for a moment, making her uncomfortable. “Xander says you need a job.”

  “I do.” She released a breath full of anxiety, her gaze traveling over the rows of bottles stacked behind the bar. This was harder than she’d expected. “I was unfairly fired from my previous job, and I’m grateful to you for considering me.”

  “I’ve heard the story.” But he didn’t seem as understanding about it as Xander had. “Did you do it?”

  She swallowed, unprepared for his scrutiny. She met his questioning gaze with a firm one of her own. “No, Mr. Monroe. I did not.”

  He watched her for another second, then nodded. “Call me Chris.” His stance seemed to relax, and so did she. “I need someone to waitress from six to midnight on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. If you could come in at say four on those days, I could use some help with keeping stock and ordering.”

  She hadn’t worked anything other than eight-to-five since college, but she was more than grateful for the job. “I would love to.” She reached out to shake his hand again. “Thank you, Chris, for believing in me and giving me a chance.”

  He shrugged. “I trust Xander’s judgment, and everyone needs a second chance. See you tomorrow?”

  “Yes.” She nodded happily and left, walking straight into the rain before she realized she hadn’t opened her umbrella. She quickly remedied her mistake and glanced at her watch. It was barely eleven, and she had nothing else on her agenda for the day.

  She had pl
enty of time to pop in to Xander’s office and surprise him with a thank you. Now that she’d have a job, she could even splurge for lunch.

  His building was a few blocks away, but she could easily catch the streetcar and be there in a few minutes. Right before she reached the streetcar stop, a short white dress in a cute boutique caught her eyes.

  She glanced at the no-nonsense skirt and white blouse she wore, and then thought of Xander’s reaction if she showed up wearing something a little sexier. She could keep her overcoat buttoned so the staff in his building wouldn’t see what she had on underneath. She needed this, needed a bit of extravagance to counter the emotional cloud hanging over her.

  The more she thought about it, the more determined she became. She ducked into the store and was greeted by a woman near her age with blond hair and pink tips.

  “May I help you?” The woman seemed friendly and quite possibly unaware of Nicole’s recent notoriety.

  “I’m interested in the white dress in the window. How much is it?”

  The woman’s smile brightened. “Actually, it’s leftover from our summer stock, and we’re having a clearance to make room for our holiday items. Would you care to try it on?”

  The soft, silky material floated over her head and down her body. The thin straps didn’t allow her to wear a bra, and the dress was certainly more suited for a cocktail party, but she didn’t care. It fit her like a dream, leaving her feeling like a princess. She and this dress were destined to be together.

  She walked out of the dressing room, allowing the salesclerk to help her with the ties in the back. When she finished, Nicole turned, the salesclerk giving her an approving nod. “Very nice.”

  Nicole surveyed herself in the mirror. It was perfect. “I’ll take it. Can you cut off the tags? I’d like to wear it now.”

  The woman lifted her brows, obviously wondering about Nicole’s choice of clothing for a rainy, Monday morning.

  “I’m headed to my boyfriend’s office, and I’d like to surprise him.”

  An intrigued grin spread across the salesclerk’s face. “I would dare say he’ll think it’s a nice surprise.”