Branded Page 16

  Nicole paid for her purchase and slipped into her coat, her previous clothes tucked safely in her bag.

  As she waited in the rain for the streetcar to arrive, she realized his stop would only be a block away from First Freedom’s building. She glanced around her. The last thing she needed was to run into someone from work. As she got on the streetcar, she kept her head low, avoiding connecting gazes with fellow riders. She found a spot near a window and set down her bag in order to hold onto the safety rail.

  It only took the streetcar a few minutes to reach the stop close to Xander’s building. Nicole stepped off the streetcar only to realize she’d forgotten her bag. She turned and bumped into a woman wearing a dark blue rain jacket with the hood up. She was about to apologize when she recognized the woman from the computer department at First Freedom. “Mary?”

  Mary widened her eyes as though surprised to see her. Then her expression lowered to a frown. “I thought you’d be in jail by now. Excuse me.” She pushed past her and continued down the sidewalk, leaving Nicole to stare after her, the all-too-familiar waves of pain and humiliation flaring inside.

  “I forgot my bag,” she said to the driver before she hurried and snatched her sack and exited the streetcar, praying no one else would recognize her. For the past couple of weeks, she hadn’t had any incidents like this, and she’d begun to feel as though maybe her nightmare was in the past. But it was obvious she’d never escape the scars from her unfortunate incident.

  She hurried through the rain, trying to remind herself no one could make her feel inferior unless she allowed it. It wasn’t easy, but by the time she reached Xander’s building, some of her previous excitement had returned.

  He loved her and believed in her, and that was all that mattered.

  She entered the building where he worked, took the elevator to the fifteenth floor and asked for directions at the reception desk. The woman narrowed her eyes as though trying to place where she’d seen Nicole, but she gave her the information she needed without hesitation.

  As Nicole walked down the hall of the subdued office, she almost turned back. What if he was busy? What if he didn’t want people at work to know who he was dating? What if…

  She found his name on a placard outside his open door. With nervousness pulsing through her veins, she peeked inside to find him studying a paper on his desk. He looked up as though he’d sensed her.

  A bright smile hit his face, making her wonder why she’d second guessed herself. “Nicole.” He stood and walked toward her, pulling her into his arms and giving her a quick kiss. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came by to share my good news.”

  His smile grew bigger as he searched her eyes. “What is it?”

  Warmth and happiness coursed through her. “Christian hired me.”

  “Congratulations.” He claimed her lips with an enthusiastic kiss.

  She couldn’t have hid her delight if she’d wanted to. “You have a beautiful view.” She walked to his window and gazed down at the sprawling city and winding river. She turned to him. “I came to see if I could take you to lunch as a thank you.”

  He checked his watch. “Sure.”

  “And I wanted to show you the new dress I bought to celebrate.”

  He watched with fascination as she slowly unbuttoned the front of her coat, his smile turning from happy to something darker and more seductive. He glanced over his shoulder, shut the door, and locked it.

  “Maybe you should take off your coat so I can see the whole thing.”

  Her man was a smart one, and she was happy it hadn’t taken him long to figure out where her intentions lay.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Nicole opened her coat as though to remove it, and Xander quickly jumped in to help, baring her shoulders.

  An excited chill whipped through her.

  He tossed her coat aside. “It’s very nice.” He trailed a finger down the deep cleavage in the front, making her shiver and her nipples stiffen. He didn’t miss her body’s reaction to his touch, and he ran a finger over the crested bud hiding beneath her silky fabric.

  She closed her eyes on a moan, and he hauled her to him, burying his fingers in her updo.

  “Damn, Nicole. You sure know how to make a man’s day.”

  “I’d hoped you’d like it,” she said a little breathlessly.

  “Like it? I love it.” He turned from her and picked up the phone from his desk, punching a button.

  “Macey? I’m going to be tied up in a meeting for a bit. Please hold all my calls.” He dropped the handset back onto the cradle. “Come here.”

  He held out his hand, and she took it, allowing him to pull her close. “This may be the most beautiful dress I’ve seen.” He caught her eyes giving her a cryptic look. “At least so far.”

  Her heart nearly split open with love. Was he hinting at marriage? “So far?” He’d told her he loved her although he didn’t know that she knew. And now he was purposefully being obscure, but he couldn’t hide his feelings from her.

  He shrugged, cutting off any further conversation with a heated kiss. His hands cupped her bottom, pulling her tighter against him, making sure she knew how much she excited him.

  She leaned back, trying to catch her breath. “Wow. You sure know how to make a girl feel wanted.” She reached up, tugged at his tie until it loosened. He kept his darkened gaze on her as she undid the knot.

  “You’re a naughty girl, coming here in the middle of the day, distracting me from my work.”

  She laughed as she reached for the top button of his shirt and undid it. “That’s not really a complaint, is it?”

  “No,” he whispered, capturing her lips in another kiss.

  She worked his buttons while he assaulted her mouth with sweet kisses. When she had his shirt completely undone, she pulled back, running her splayed fingers up his muscled chest, enjoying each curve. “This is my fantasy.”

  He arched a brow, questioning her.

  “Meeting you here. Slipping the tie from your neck.” She pulled on one end of the lavender dotted tie, and it hissed as it slid from his collar. She lifted one of his strong hands and wrapped the silk around him twice. “Tying your hands together and having my way with you.”

  He visibly swallowed, and she smiled. She liked affecting him this way.

  “Your fantasy is my fantasy.” He slipped the silk tie from his wrist, wrapping it around both of hers. “Although I might tie you up instead.”

  A slicing spear of heat shot through her. She lifted her hands over his head, trapping him in her embrace. “You can do anything you’d like to me,” she said against his lips.

  He kissed her hard, his tongue a sweet invasion of her mouth.

  They both startled when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and swore, before pushing the speakerphone button. “Macey. I thought I explained I was in an important meeting.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Secrist.” The receptionist’s voice came across with a high, nervous pitch. “There’s a Mr. MacFarlane here to see you. I told him you couldn’t be disturbed, but he said it’s an emergency.”

  Xander’s gaze jumped to hers. All traces of desire vanished and had been replaced with something close to panic. “I’ll be out in five minutes,” he told his secretary. He hung up the phone.

  Nicole didn’t need a bus to run her over to tell her something was wrong. “Are you okay?”

  He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “I’m so, so sorry. I’m going to have to cancel on you.” He pulled away, not quite meeting her gaze as he buttoned his shirt. He looked at her then. “It’s very important that I meet with this man, but it’s killing me to send you away.”

  Disappointment flooded her, and she wiggled the tie loose from her hands, giving it to him. “It’s okay.” She’d taken a chance showing up unannounced anyway.

  He took her shoulders. “Just know, you made my week, hell, my year.” He smiled. “There’s nothing I like more than seeing yo
u.” He gave her dress a quick glance and raised a seductive brow. “Especially like this.”

  Some of the warmth came back into her body, and she tried to accept the anticlimax of her afternoon. “I can always save it for later.”

  “Sounds good to me.” He helped her into her coat, and she straightened his tie. He gave her another kiss that made her toes tingle. “Keep that in mind. Can I see you tonight?”

  “Definitely.”

  He walked her to the elevator, and her gaze snagged on a dark-haired man standing near the reception desk. He was tall, fit, his dark eyes unreadable. He looked from her to Xander and back again.

  She couldn’t help but wonder if this was the Mr. MacFarlane who’d ruined her afternoon and was waiting to meet with Xander. Either way, he didn’t seem like a pleasant person at all.

  Xander didn’t kiss her at the elevator, but he did promise to call.

  She stepped inside and pushed the button for the lobby, her spirits plummeting along with the elevator car.

  * * *

  The look on Hunter’s face put Xander on edge. The fact that he’d shown up at Xander’s work spoke volumes. They didn’t say anything until they were in his office with the door closed. The atmosphere in the room had done a one-eighty from what it had been moments before.

  “I spoke with Sam.” His friend took a seat.

  Xander walked to his side of the desk and did the same. “Did he give you a copy of the surveillance video?”

  “He did.” Hunter didn’t seem any the happier for it.

  “And you saw the shadow person?”

  Hunter shook his head, his expression sober. “There was nothing on there, man.”

  “What?” How could that be? “Wait, Sam saw it, too.”

  “That’s what he said. I’m starting to wonder if he has some issues to deal with in his own department.”

  “Like a traitor?”

  Hunter shrugged. “Something’s going on. How is an image there one minute and not the next? Sam checked the various copies the department has and the original. There was no shadow person.”

  “I still have my copy.”

  “That’s good. Sam may need it. However, it may not make any difference in this case.” He paused as though it pained him to say more. Then he removed a sheet of paper from inside his jacket, unfolded it and set it in front of Xander.

  Xander couldn’t look at it. The expression in Hunter’s eyes told him everything, but if he didn’t look, he wouldn’t know for sure.

  “We found an offshore account in Nicole’s name. It has sixteen million dollars in it. We don’t know if ten mill of it is the same money that was stolen from First Freedom or what. They’re still tracking that. But she’s definitely not the innocent person she’s pretending to be.”

  He stared at his friend, unable to speak, unable to breathe. He nodded instead.

  “Sorry, man. I hope she didn’t sucker you in too much.”

  A granite-like hardness consumed his emotions, and he shook his head. He swallowed the lump in his throat so he could speak. “Yeah.” He’d been a hell of a sucker, all right. He picked up the paper, but didn’t look at it. “Can I keep this?”

  “Sure. It’s a copy.” Hunter stood, watching him with assessing eyes. “Tough break, man. We all get taken sometimes.”

  Like his father had. Like so many other victims had as well. But that’s why their group existed. Some might say he’d taken one for the team. Better him than someone else. He’d known what he was up against, and if nothing else, it would help him be better prepared for his next assignment.

  “They’re hoping to make an arrest later today or tomorrow. Just waiting for a confirmation on the transfer of funds.” Hunter stood, and Xander followed suit. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Xander stared out his window. He’d been a fucking idiot. He’d allowed his dick to control his mind, and she’d played it to her advantage.

  But he knew now, knew the real Nicole. It mattered nothing to her whether she stole millions or his heart.

  That wasn’t okay with him. He should be happy the police would bust her, but it wasn’t enough. He needed to look in her eyes one more time without his blinders on so he could see her for the woman she really was. It was the only way he’d get over her.

  And he wasn’t going in without a plan.

  * * *

  It was nearly five when Xander parked in front of Nicole’s building, armed with a bottle of expensive champagne and a dozen red roses. A light rain sprinkled them as he and Apollo exited his car and approached the door. As luck would have it, a man walked out of her building as they drew near, letting him and his dog inside.

  He climbed the stairs two at a time until he reached the third floor. He rapped his knuckles on her door and waited. Thank God he didn’t have to worry about his heart. It was buried so far beneath hurt and disappointment it might never see the light of day again. He would approach this evening as though conducting a cool transaction. After all, that’s all he’d ever been to her.

  He heard movement on the other side, and then she opened the door with a smile. Her eyes widened at the sight of the roses and wine.

  “Oh my God, Xander.” She took the flowers, burying her nose in the blossoms. “They’re absolutely gorgeous.” When she looked at him again, a hint of wetness shimmered in her eyes.

  “We’re celebrating, aren’t we?”

  Elation colored her expression. “Yes!” She wrapped her arms around his neck, capturing his lips with her kiss. She pulled back, her eyes bright, a huge smile on her face. She obviously didn’t know what was headed her way. “Let’s open the champagne.”

  Xander played along for as long as he could. She fed him beef stew that she already had cooking along with fresh baked bread. If he had any kind of an appetite, it would have been delicious.

  He let her fuss over him, all the while watching her, trying to find even one crack in her demeanor. Maybe she truly did like him. Maybe she had no idea about the relationship between their fathers.

  After dinner, she brought what was left of the champagne to the living room, inviting him to sit with her on the couch. The dogs curled up in front of her flaming gas fireplace, content to be with each other.

  She snuggled into his arms and leaned against his chest. The intoxicating scent of her perfume wafted up to him, and he cursed his weakness when he tilted his head, inhaling deeply. He couldn’t deny there would be an invisible gaping wound in his heart when all was said and done. He caressed her arm, memorizing the feel of her soft skin, and then braced himself for the after effects of ripping off his psychological bandage.

  “Nicole, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Nicole’s heart did a weird squishing thing, as though it was preparing for the declaration of love she was sure was about to come. Then another thought jumped in. Xander had said “ask”. Was he going to ask her to marry him?

  She tried to breathe through her excitement. “What is it?”

  “Do you love me?”

  There was the question. It wasn’t a proposal, but still good. She shifted in his arms so she could see his face when she told him.

  The agony in his expression surprised her. Was he worried she might not care? She turned farther, reaching up and resting her palm on his warm cheek.

  “Xander.” She searched his eyes as his gaze bored into hers. “I wasn’t even thinking about starting a relationship when I met you. But now? I can’t imagine life without you. My future was looking bleak, but with you, I have the will to press on. You make life worthwhile. I do love you, Xander. I love you with all my heart.”

  His expression grew more pained, nailing a sharp spike of fear into her heart.

  “What’s wrong?”

  His warm tiger eyes chilled, his grip on her hand growing fierce. “Then why are you lying to me?”

  It was an effort to keep air flowing in her lungs. “What are you talking about? I haven’t lied to
you.”

  “The money.”

  He couldn’t be serious. “The money that was stolen from First Freedom?” She drew back from him as though stung. “You know I didn’t take it.” Where on earth was he coming from? “You said you believed me.”

  “Then what about the offshore account?” His steely gaze trapped her with fierceness as panic set in.

  “What offshore account?” She completely pulled away from him now. “What is going on, Xander?”

  He pulled a folded paper from his pocket and held it out to her.

  She opened it, first scanning and then looking closer at the information it contained. It was from an overseas bank in Singapore, and it appeared to be an account that belonged to her and her aunt. At the bottom left, there was an amount listed at well over sixteen million dollars.

  She glanced back at Xander, her pulse slowing to sickening thumps. “I don’t understand. What is this?”

  “The cards are already on the table, Nicole. Don’t keep trying to play me for a fool.”

  “You think this is mine?” Her voice rose to a panicked level, causing Stormy to lift her head.

  “It’s got your name on it.”

  “No. It’s not…” She glanced at the paper again, a tiny voice questioning whether her aunt knew about it. “This has to be something my father did. I didn’t take that money. I don’t want it.” She stood and tossed the paper at him.

  He followed her up, gripping her waist, forcing her to look at him. “It’s right there in black and white, Nicole. Do you expect me to believe you knew nothing about it?”

  “Yes.” Tears built behind her eyes. “Yes, I do. I love you, Xander, and I know you love me.”

  “Then why can’t you be truthful? I would have protected you, Nicole. With my life.”

  “This is wrong! All wrong.”

  His gaze pleaded with her. “Please Nicole. Just tell me. At this point, there’s probably nothing I can do to stop what’s already in motion, but if you love me, if you ever loved me, please tell me the truth.”

  Fear jumped to center stage. “What do you mean, what’s already in motion? Did you go to the police? Where did you get this information in the first place?” She glanced at her door. How long before they showed up to arrest her?