Once in the kitchen, she handed him a plate and pointed to the stove. “I don’t get all fancy. Just serve yourself. Eat all you want. If you eat it, I don’t have to store it. And, for the record, everything I’ve fixed is very healthy, so you can pretty much have all you want.” She smiled; he could tell she was proud of herself, and he was thrilled. No woman except his mother and the hired help had ever made him a decent meal.
He took the plate and forked out a hunk of roast beef; Nikki handed him a small ladle and he ladled some of the au jus over it. He wasn’t sure about the vegetables; he’d never had them roasted before, and certainly not beets, but they smelled good, so he took a good-sized spoonful. When he got to the okra, though, he almost balked. Nikki had put a spaghetti server in the pan and, when he scooped up a strainer full, a gooey substance ran down in strings. As he stared at it, Nikki laughed. “Afraid?”
“Um, no. I . . .”
She laughed again. “It’s yummy. Just wait – you’ll see!” She took her plate, filled it, and sat down at the table with him. “Let’s get it over with. Like this.” Nikki took an okra pod on her fork and stuck it in her mouth. Tony watched with curiosity as the stem end reappeared between her lips, and she bit it off and put it back on her fork, depositing it on her plate. Then she chewed the pod for a second and swallowed. “Now, you try it.”
Tony took his fork and picked up a pod. The stringy liquid dripped from it. He popped it in his mouth, then mimicked her actions and paid close attention as he chewed. It was surprisingly delicious, kind of peppery and sweet. “That’s amazing!” he smiled softly at her. “It looks so disgusting, but it tastes so good.”
“Wonder how many men have said that over the years?” She smiled down at her plate, then looked up at him from under her brows and broke a huge smirk. That made him laugh. After the okra success, he wasn’t afraid of the roasted vegetables. They were very spicy and had a warm, comforting flavor, and the taste of the roasted greens mixed into them was very unusual and sort of exotic.
Everything she’d cooked, every dish, tasted like it was full of hugs, all designed to make the people enjoying them feel cherished and loved. Tony tried to remember anything Dottie had ever cooked that had been edible – nope, nothing. He almost choked as his eyes welled up.
“Honey, what’s wrong? Don’t be afraid to tell me – is it that bad?” She wasn’t sure – had she done something wrong?
Tony put his fork down quietly, then dropped to his knees beside her chair and wrapped his arms around her waist. What could he say to make her understand what this little bit of heaven had meant to him? How could he explain to her she’d just tipped his heart toward her, that she’d spent a small amount of time to do something that made a big difference in his day, in how he saw himself, in how he felt about her? “This is possibly the best meal I’ve ever had. No woman’s ever cooked a meal like this for me – ever.” He felt himself choking up again, and he laid his head in her lap. Her fingers danced softly down through his hair, massaging his scalp to calm him, and he felt her hand shaking ever so slightly.
Then he felt her straighten up as she lifted his head and turned his face toward her. “Well, they should have. You deserve to have somebody do nice things for you, cook you good, healthy meals, go the extra mile for you. You deserve to be special to somebody. And you’re special to me,” she announced. “Now, I want you to sit down and enjoy a meal cooked especially for you. And if I fix something you don’t like, you tell me and I’ll fix something else until I find something you do like. I’ll gladly do it over and over.” She kissed his forehead and pointed at his chair.
Tony sat back down and took up his knife, then discovered he didn’t need it – the roast was so tender that it fell apart. With every bite, he smiled a bit broader, until he couldn’t contain his delight. Nikki was smiling too.
“So, how was your day?” he asked, grinning at her over a forkful of vegetables. It was the most normal thing he could think of to say. And he desperately wanted to enjoy what appeared to be the first normal meal of the first normal relationship of his previously abnormal life.
They talked and laughed for a long time at the table, occasionally touching hands or kissing. By the time he’d helped her clean up the kitchen, it was after eight.
“Want some tea or coffee? A beer?” Nikki asked.
“Nah.” Tony walked to the door, then turned and placed his hands on her hips. “Probably need to get going. Work tomorrow and all that. And if I don’t leave soon,” he murmured, kissing her forehead, “I won’t be able to. And I don’t know if we’re ready for that yet.”
Her lower lip popped out in a pout, but she fake whined, “Well, be that way!” Taking his hand and kissing it, she looked at it, really looked at it. His hands were strong but refined, with long, thin fingers, nails perfect and smooth, and a little bit of dark hair on the backs of his hands, which she found incredibly sexy. She thought about how much she’d love to have those hands on her, then reached up and ran her hands through his hair, put her fingers on the back of his head, and pulled his face to her, kissing him long and hard.
Tony couldn’t stop himself; he pressed his tongue against her lips, and they parted for him. Finding her tongue, he sucked it into his mouth, then ran his back into her mouth, probing into it over and over and never wanting it to stop. She moaned, a long, low sound of want and longing, and he felt every inch of his body start to tingle. His arms wrapped instinctively around her and pulled her tight to him, and he ran his hands down to her ass and pulled her pelvis against his. Nikki felt his erection against the softness just below her navel, and she moaned even louder and tipped her head, reaching further into his mouth with her tongue. Tony could feel the hardness of her nipples pressing into his chest, and he ran his hands back up her back to the hook of her bra; when his hands touched it, he stopped and pulled back, taking a deep breath and locking his eyes with hers. Their ocean-like blueness scanned his face and she smiled.
“Wow.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Uh-huh!” she whispered, then leaned in and softly kissed his chin.
“I, um, probably should go.” Never taking his eyes from hers, he reached behind him for the doorknob, waved his hand around until he found it, and turned the knob until the door popped open.
“Yeah, I guess so. I hope you liked dinner and, um, everything.” She blushed a little.
“I didn’t like it – I loved it. Everything was amazing. Especially you.” Tony kissed Nikki on the forehead and turned to the door. “Call you in a bit?”
She smiled. “I hope so.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips and closed the door behind him.
On the porch, Tony took a deep breath. God, he’d have trouble falling asleep. He wanted to run right back inside, grab her up, and never let her go. But when he got into the car, a pang of guilt pierced right through his chest. Should he? He decided he had to tell her – he couldn’t be that person, the one who held things back, hid things, sneaked around.
He took the front steps two at a time, hesitated, then knocked on the door. He heard a quiet shuffling, saw the peephole darken from the inside, then the security chain rattled and she opened the door. “Uh-oh – did you forget something?”
“I need to talk to you about something. It can’t wait.” His anxiety level was rising by the minute.
Nikki was confused. What in the world could’ve happened in that two-minute period? He had an odd, serious look on his face that sort of scared her. Had she gone too far with that last wild, heated kiss? “Sure, okay.” She pointed at the sofa.
Tony sat down. She could tell he was nervous, bouncing one heel on the floor.
She waited. “Tony, for the love of god, what the hell?” she finally asked, sitting down beside him.
“I have to tell you something.” He took a deep breath. “I have somebody looking into you, your background, doing a check.” His face turned deep scarlet and he met her gaze, hoping to see some forgiveness there wh
en she understood what he’d done.
Nikki threw her head back and started laughing. “Well, I would certainly hope so! You have a lot to lose, sweetie. I would hope you’d check out anybody you dated!”
“You’re not mad?” he asked, incredulous. He’d expected her to be furious, or indignant, or both.
“Of course I’m not mad! People are so devious these days that if I were one of your family members, I’d definitely want you to do that.” Nikki patted his hands reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it.”
“But, I need to know, is there anything you need to tell me before I get the report? Anything at all? Because I’d rather you told me than for me to find out the wrong way . . .”
“What I’m afraid you’ll find out is that I’m the most boring person you’ve ever met!” She laughed again. “Dull as dishwater. Not a thing interesting about me. I’m not the least bit worried.” She saw his shoulders relax.
“You’re not dull or boring. But I couldn’t keep this from you. I felt so dishonest and sneaky.” Tony took her hands in his. “As long as you’re not mad . . .”
“No, not at all. But if anything interesting turns up, please share. I’d love to know what it is,” she chuckled.
Nikki could never understand his relief. “Okay. I’m really going now. I’m sorry I startled you, took up more of your evening.” He turned to leave.
“I’ll give you as much of my evening as you want,” she replied, following him to the door.
“I’m gonna hold you to that soon – very soon!” Tony leaned over and kissed her lightly, then pulled away. “Talk to you in a bit.”
Nikki leaned against the inside of the door, hugging herself. She felt like a kid again, and her heart was slamming like a sledgehammer in her chest. She’d loved Randy and they’d been good together, but Randy had never kissed her with that eagerness or passion. She hadn’t felt alive in that way in a long time. Her nipples ached and her panties needed to be wrung out.
She readied herself for bed and climbed in with a book and a tall glass of water. Her ringing phone caused her to drop the book and answer sweetly, “Hi, gorgeous guy!”
“Hi yourself! Snuggled up in bed?” His deep, warm voice was so sexy; it gave her goose bumps and her nipples hardened yet again. Seemed they stayed that way most of the time.
“Yep, book and all. Hey, I’m so glad you came over for dinner. I enjoyed cooking for you so much.”
“I enjoyed the food – and the company. You’re an amazing cook. Let me feed you tomorrow night, okay? My house? Thai delivery? How does that sound?”
Nikki felt like she’d just won the lottery. “I’d love it. Gym first, then eat?”
“You’ve got it, beautiful girl. See you tomorrow night. Sleep tight, baby.”
“You too, sexy. Night.” Nikki hit END and sighed. She was falling, hard and fast. She hoped he was too.
Tony stared at the phone for a second or two, then put it on the charger and climbed into bed. She’d called him sexy; no woman had ever done that. He lay back and thought about the evening, his mind finally resting on the last few minutes before he left her. Remembering her arousal, the fervency of her kiss, her fingers in his hair, made his cock grow more and more rigid until his hardness wouldn’t wait anymore. He wrapped his fingers around his shaft and worked unhurriedly, remembering her delicate scent, the softness of her bright hair, her sweet breath against his cheek, her tongue working around and into his. Wanting her, needing her against him, his desperation increased, his hips thrusting upward and his breathing growing shallow as he began to pump furiously. Within seconds, he came with a groan, moaning her name, his desire for her overwhelming.
He was pretty sure he was falling in love with her. He didn’t care that it wasn’t smart or safe. It was just happening, and he wasn’t going to stop it. Besides, he wasn’t sure he could even if he tried.
Tony had cleaned up and was climbing back into bed when the phone rang – Steve. “Talk to me, great all-knowing one. Whaddya got?”
“Nothing. A whole big bunch of nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nope, not one thing. If this woman is hiding anything, I can’t find it,” Steve told him. “I’ve talked to half of that little shithole of a town, which would be about three and a half people, and no one could say one bad thing about her.”
“’Zat so?” Tony’s face broke into a huge smile. He’d worried for nothing.
“Yep. I now know virtually every medical procedure she’s ever had done . . .”
“You got into her medical records?” Tony practically screamed. “How the hell . . .”
“Don’t ask. Illegal as hell. And I got a copy of her school records . . .”
“Are you kidding? Shit, Steve, for god’s sake!”
“No, not kidding. Did you know her I.Q. is one sixty-two? And she has no college degree, even though she got four full-ride scholarships. Get this – the schools awarding them were never contacted. There was no confirmation that she ever received the notifications.” He sounded like he was chewing again. Did the guy eat all the time? “So basically, whoever got the mail at her house didn’t want her to go to college.”
What kind of people had raised her? Why would anyone hobble their child that way, especially one with that much potential? “So, did you find and talk to her parents?” Nikki hadn’t told him about them until after he’d talked to Steve.
“Funny you should ask. Yeah, I found them, or at least I think I did, Calvin and Barbara Wallace. But I called them and asked for her, and they said they didn’t know anybody by that name. I know I have the right people; I got their phone number from her cousin.” Tony wondered what kind of story Steve had told the cousin to get that information. “So I’m kinda confused by what they said. But whatever – the girl’s clean as a whistle.”
“Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. Send me the bill.” Tony felt the built-up tension drain from his neck and shoulders.
“No problem, bud. Moving forward with it?”
“Definitely. Talk to you soon.”
Tony hit END and put down the phone, then turned out the light. Everything was going to be fine.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
When she finished and came out of the locker room the next evening, Tony was nowhere in sight, even though his truck was still in the parking lot. Then she remembered – she’d left her lifting gloves on the locker room bench. Before she could replace her combination lock on the hasp, a hand grabbed her upper arm, spun her around, and pushed her against the locker.
“What the hell is going on? You’d better dish, girlfriend!” Kelly leered into her face.
“What do you mean?” Nikki asked, feigning ignorance.
“You guys are sleeping together, aren’t you? I mean, if you’re not, well . . . I think you are. ‘Fess up!” Kelly laughed.
“Nope. Not sleeping together. Yet.”
“Lying!”
“No, I’m not,” Nikki said with mock indignation. “But at the rate we’re going, it won’t be long.”
“I knew it!” Kelly laughed and plopped down on the bench. “Spill.”
“There’s really nothing to tell. We spent most of the weekend together, getting to know each other. I met his kids. We went to dinner, had a picnic, took a little road trip. Nothing overnight, just fun.”
Kelly had a dreamy look on her face. “Lucky girl. Wish it were me, but if it’s got to be somebody else, I’m glad it’s you. Keep me posted, would ya?”
“Oh, yeah.” Nikki turned to leave, but when she got to the door, she turned back to Kelly and decided to be a little bold. “Hey, would you like to get a drink sometime, maybe do lunch or something? I don’t really have any friends in Louisville.”
Kelly looked kind of embarrassed. “I don’t either. I moved here eight years ago from Nashville and I still don’t know one damn soul. So yeah, I’d like that.”
“Good. Let’s do that. See you later.” Nikki waved as she walked out.
T
ony was standing by the door, and he seemed to be waiting for her. “I’m starving. I didn’t get any lunch today. It was crazy,” he told her as she walked up. “You still up to coming to my house?”
She grinned up at him. “Thought I would, unless I get a better offer.” She sauntered out the door, and he followed and took her hand as they walked across the parking lot.
“Then how about we both go home, shower, and you come over when you’re done. Call me when you’re ready and I’ll call out for Thai.”
“That sounds perfect!” Nikki gave him a peck on the cheek and broke away to run to her car, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back, locked his hands onto her waist, and gave her a fast, deep kiss that made her suck in her breath. “At this rate, we’ll never get any food!” she laughed as he came up for air.
“Let’s go!” Tony gave her butt a playful smack, and they ran to their cars and took off.
“Hands down the best Thai I’ve ever had.” That opinion was pretty obvious, given that she said it with her mouth full. “That stir fry was incredible.”
“Yeah, I know. Golden Thai is the best place in the city.” Tony’s mouth was full too. “And I was so hungry.”
“Bad day?”
“Nothing that dinner and an evening with you won’t fix.” He smiled at her and she felt a catch in her chest knowing that seeing her made him feel better; he had the same effect on her.
After they’d cleaned up the carryout mess, Tony pulled her onto the sofa. “Let’s play a game.”
“First, tell me: Did I pass the test?”
“The test? I don’t know . . . ah, the test.” He nodded as her eyes pierced him, looking up at him from beneath her brow. “The test. Yes, you did. Steve said he couldn’t find one negative thing about you. And from what he said, it appears you’re very smart. As in crazy, wild, unbelievably smart.” She blushed a deep crimson. “Nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“Guess you’re wondering what somebody as smart as me is doing working in a florist shop, huh?” She stared down at the floor.