Solving For Nic (30 page)

He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen it until now. She was absolutely everything.

Emotion and a strange kind of joy exploded in his chest. Despite the world war going on around them, he felt it bubbling out of his chest. There was no way to stop it from happening. It was inevitable and he was so grateful he hadn’t completely blown his chance.

“I love you.” The words slipped out without the slightest hesitation. “I’m in love with you.”

The false indifference and boredom on her face melted into disbelief. “What?”

Another heartbeat passed. Asteroids did not hit the earth. The moon did not explode. No earthquakes or tidal waves or the end of the world.

“I’m in love with you, Lizzie. I think I have been for a long time. I just realized what it was and it’s amazing.”

Her head tilted and her lips parted but no sound came out.

He watched her struggle with the revelation and fell a little more in love with her because she really hadn’t expected him to ever say it. Joy exploded inside him at the same time the world crashed back in on them. Andreas was screaming for someone to call security. Angie was on her feet trying to calm him down. Red Baker was shouting into a cell phone.

Lizzie paused then suddenly spun away from him, and in a voice Nic hadn’t believed her capable of she blew back at Andreas. “Will you please give it a rest?”

Everyone froze and the room went eerily silent.

“Don’t bother with security. I’m leaving and I’m taking Nic with me. Get a good look because he’s mine now and I’m never letting you near him again. You don’t deserve him. You say you’re his father, but when did you ever act like one. He might have your name, but that’s the only thing he got from you. He’s one of the good guys, in spite of you.”

“Who do you think you are? You can’t talk to me like that.”

“I’m sorry, I thought I just did,” Lizzie shot back. “You have no idea what a father is. You’re supposed to protect your children. Not manipulate their happiness for your own financial gain. You’re disgusting. No wonder my father thinks you’re a joke. You’re not even a funny joke. You’re just lame.”

Andreas went from indignant shock to outright fury. “Get her out of my sight.”

Lizzie huffed, then turned back to Nic. “Seriously. Bored now. Can we go before I get stabby?”

“Don’t you dare walk out of here!” Andreas blasted.

Lizzie laughed with a lot more bravado than she felt. She wanted Nic out of the room and as far away from this monster as possible but she couldn’t resist one last shot. “Make up your mind. He can’t get me out of your sight without walking out of here.”

The confusion on Andreas’ face was priceless as he struggled to respond.

Nic slid his arm around Lizzie. “You are trouble, Lizzie Sellers. With a capital T.”

“Yeah, but I’m your trouble.”

“All mine.”

Lizzie’s knees went weak and she was glad his arm was around her otherwise she’d be a puddle at his feet. He leaned to kiss her. Then he stopped, straightened and turned back toward the man Lizzie was never letting near him again. “One more thing, I didn’t bail you out so you could bankroll Winston Robicheaux. Do not give him one more penny.”

“I can’t cut him off. He won’t—”

“I don’t care. You either cut him off or Mac Sellers will be sitting on the board of Maretti Oil as soon as I can arrange it.”

Andreas gasped and staggered back.

“Help him,” Nic said to Red Baker who was on his feet moving Andreas back to his chair.

“My pills.” Andreas wheezed.

Angie found a medicine bottle in the top drawer of his desk and handed him one of the pills.

“Is he okay?” Lizzie whispered.

“Yes, he has these attacks when he doesn’t get his way. Let’s go.”

They stopped when Angie interrupted them. “What did you mean about him not being your real father?”

“It’s a long story,” Nic said.

“You’re not my brother?” Angie’s voice broke.

Lizzie felt the shudder of emotion ripple through him. Before she could stop herself, she let go of him and took a couple of steps closer to the other girl. She’d never seen someone in so much pain before and as much as she didn’t like Angie, it still hurt to see her suffer. “Angie,” she said carefully, afraid to get too close. “Blood doesn’t always make family.”

Angie gasped. “You’re helping me? Why?”

Lizzie’s smile was tentative. “Because I love Rogan. Not the way you think I do, ’cause that’s just gross. You should come with us now.”

“He agreed to the divorce.” Angie choked on tears so genuine any doubts Lizzie ever had about the girl loving Rogan dissolved.

“Oh, please.” Lizzie shook her head. “He’s playing you. He agreed so you’d go back to New Orleans. He’ll have you right where he wants you. You know him. Do you really think he’s going to let you divorce him?”

Angie relaxed, new tears starting for a different reason. “No.”

“He’s waiting downstairs,” Nic said. “I had Tag keep him occupied until we got finished.”

“He’s not very cooperative.” Lizzie smirked.

Angie beat them to the elevator despite her father’s protests and threats. She kept her finger on the door-open button until Lizzie and Nic stepped into the elevator with her.

“I’ve been horrible to you,” Angie said as the doors shut. “I lied to you about Xia and I sent those roses…I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“Yeah, jealous rage will do that to you,” Lizzie teased her.

Angie laughed and cried at the same time. “Where do I start with an apology?”

“Can we start over? I’ll tell you all of Rogan’s embarrassing stories if you’ll tell me Nic’s.”

“Uh, no.” Nic interrupted their reconciliation before they got carried away. “There’ll be none of that.”

“Oh.” Lizzie beamed. “Nic must have some good ones.”

Rogan froze when they rounded the corner in the parking garage. He’d been talking to Tag and stopped midsentence. Angie froze and they stared at each other.

“This could take a while,” Lizzie whispered to Nic.

Angie was in Rogan’s arms before Lizzie finished her prediction.

“Or not.” She flinched, slightly nauseated at the way they were kissing each other. “Ew.”

Nic smirked as she turned away, shivering in revulsion. “It never occurred to you to tell Angie I wasn’t her biological brother, did it? Even when she lied to you about Xia. You could have hurt her but you didn’t.”

Lizzie shrugged. “You’re still her brother and they’re going to get arrested.” Lizzie dropped her forehead onto Nic’s chest before she had to bleach her eyes. She was glad they were happy to see each other but if they continued, she and Nic would be seeing way more of their reunion than either wanted. He must have signaled Tag because a few minutes later Tag was hustling the kissing pair into the back of an SUV.

His fingers sifted through her hair as the SUV screeched out of the parking garage. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Did what?”

“Upstairs. I’ve never seen him so angry.”

“Am I in trouble?” she asked, only half kidding because she couldn’t read his expression.

“He does wear guy-liner.”

Startled, she met his eyes. “What?”

“I never noticed it before. He’s not much of a big bad, is he? He was when I was a kid. I left Texas when I turned eighteen. He gave me a black eye the day before.”

“Oh, Nic,” she whispered, reaching for him. He caught her hand, rubbing her fingers.

“I went to Italy, thinking I was going home but it wasn’t home. Nothing was familiar. Everything felt empty. Then my uncle told me why Andreas resented me so much and all that emptiness filled with guilt and anger. I left Italy, then realized I didn’t have anywhere to go.”

She could see how difficult it was for him to talk about these things. So she listened, winding her arms around his middle. “What did you do?”

He shrugged, wrapping his arms around her. “I was eighteen, had unlimited funds, so I got a map and a dart and went wherever the dart hit. Europe at first, then Africa, spent a lot of time in New Zealand. It’s so beautiful. We should go. I ended up in Hong Kong, but I’ve been pretty much everywhere.”

“You haven’t stopped moving have you?” She pressed her cheek against his chest.

“Not until now.” The response was low and gruff. “I’ve never had a reason to stay in one place for long. I think I’ve been running from him all this time. Then you come in and take one look at the monster from my childhood, roll your eyes and announce you’re bored and I…I think you slayed my dragon.”

She swallowed hard, turned her forehead into his chest and whispered. “He wasn’t much of a dragon. More of a lizard.”

Nic laughed. “All my life, I’ve felt so guilty for what my mother’s family did to him. I’ve put up with his passive aggressive bullshit for years but today you made me see him for what he is. A sad aging bully. I almost feel sorry for him. He did get a raw deal from the De Santis family.”

“It was his own fault, Nic. He got greedy.”

“I don’t owe him anything, do I?”

“No.” Her hands moved to smooth the worry off his beautiful face. “He owes you.”

Her cell phone dinged with a familiar but unwelcome tone. Her shoulders sagged as she swiped the screen open. “Busted,” she whispered, cringing as she read the text message.

Your mother and I expect you for dinner at 7:30. Bring Nic. Not a request.

“What is it?” Nic opened her car door and waited for her to climb in.

“We’ve been summoned.”

“We?”

“Yes, my parents. Can you get us to New Orleans by 7:30 p.m.? I don’t want to explain why I’m in Houston.”

“Do you have to explain it to them? You’re an adult.”

“Yeah,” she scoffed. “Try telling them.”

Nic smiled, not looking nearly as concerned as he should. “I think I can get us there in time. Don’t look so worried.” He leaned in and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Your dad likes me. I don’t know why you think he doesn’t.”

“Something about dismemberment,” she grumbled.

Then he was kissing her again. Long and lingering it sizzled straight through her. He raised his face a fraction from hers. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it. I’m not letting you go, Lizzie. I meant what I said.”

She smiled. “I forgot something,” she whispered, holding him to her when he started to move.

“What?” Now he looked concerned.

“I love you too.”

His eyes closed and his forehead touched hers. “You’ve messed up now. I’m never letting you go. I don’t care if we’re uncountable or irrational. We’re a set, Lizzie. I love you. Don’t ever doubt it.”

“I did the math,” she whispered.

“Did you solve us?”

She shook her head. “No, but I’d like to spend the rest of my life trying.”

He kissed her and her cell phone dinged again. “Right.” He half laughed and stepped away from her. “Dinner.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “Wear something boring. I like all my limbs where they are.”

He shut her door and Lizzie watched him walk around the front of the SUV. Her chest squeezed and she didn’t think she’d ever take another breath. He loved her. Nic Maretti was in love with her.

Tears blinded her as the belief settled deep in her chest. He caught her hand when he slid behind the wheel and brought her fingers to his lips but instead of kissing her, he bit her fingertips lightly.

“Ow.” She tried to pull her hand back but he kept it against his mouth.

“See. You’re not dreaming, Lizzie.”

“I know.” Her voice was barely audible. “This is the good part.”

“Your dress is not boring.” Nic’s eyes devoured her when she joined him in the suite’s living room later that evening.

She glanced down at the simple floral crepe dress. The high boat neck covered everything and the full circle skirt went past her knees. There was nothing remotely sexy about the dress, except for the trashy underwear she wore underneath it but Nic hadn’t seen it yet.

“It’s not boring,” she informed him. “It’s demure.”

“It’s criminal.” He snorted, his arm stretching along the back of the sofa he was lounging on. He stood then and she took a step back.

“You’re one to talk,” she accused. He was lethal in the charcoal suit and power tie he wore. She knew her father wouldn’t be wearing a tie, but he would like that Nic was.