She glanced around the living space, could she live here with Nick? The apartment was bigger than her place, but she needed to be by her business for the early morning baking. Nick’s was a good ten minute drive away. It would be pretty cramped at her home for the both of them long term. There was no room for Nick and all his media bling and his mountain of clothes. She shook her head. She should not get ahead of herself. Nick hadn’t even said he loved her, let alone wanted some tight, close, exclusive relationship. In fact, he said the opposite.
Things had changed, she said she loved him. That declaration probably would send him back into his rabbit hole. They did have a lot to talk about and figure out. The next few days should prove to be interesting. Her thoughts were interrupted by the door buzzer. She ran down the stairs and opened the back door. A Fed-Ex truck.
“Veronica Barnes?” She nodded. “Sign here.” She took the pen and signed her name on the digital pad and he handed her the box. “Have a good day.”
She cocked her head.
Vintage Lingerie
, Oh my — the outfit. That’s right; she’d ordered it in her name to come to Nick’s address. Well, this should make Nick’s week. She tucked the box under her arm and headed upstairs. He’d be in for a surprise. Perhaps before she went home, she would purchase those high heeled, white shoes like the model wore on the website. Veronica glanced at the bookcase. Nick would like a few books, but she’d no idea what he wanted. Maybe he had one in his night table drawer. She pulled it open and lifted out a paperback
.
Highland Warrior Lover.
He bought a romance novel, a historical, highlander romance novel. He did it for her because she liked them. Flipping through the book, she noticed he’d underlined some of the Scottish speak. No wonder he knew those medieval Gaelic cadences. She hugged the book to her heart. He loved her. No man would go to all this trouble for a simple seduction, would they? Maybe Nick would, seeing how organized he was. She glanced at the kilt still folded neatly over the chair. He had gone to a lot of trouble, the meal, the kilt, and the sexy Scottish burr.
His actions were not mercenary. He did it for her — to make her happy. Nick cared more than he let on, more than maybe he knew. The revelation warmed her soul. She would have to bring Nick along gently here, not force him to admit more than he was willing to or he could very easily retreat back behind his protective fence.
She took the kilt, the book, and the Fed-Ex box, and walked out of his bedroom. Picking up the duffle bag, she closed the door and locked it.
• • •
Nick’s bandaged arm rested in a sling, but at least he could move it. Lorcan and Ronnie had picked him up and they just pulled into the parking lot of Titus Bakery. He felt apprehensive, not really sure why. Okay, he knew why. Staying with Ronnie — living together — even if it was for a few days or a few weeks filled him with dread. Staying overnight was one thing, but days and weeks?
Lorcan kept trying to take his arm as they walked toward the bakery.
“I’m not an invalid!” he snarled.
“Easy, mate. Just lending a helping hand. Staying in a hospital bed for days can make you shaky on your pins,” Lorcan replied.
“Yeah, right. Sorry, man.”
Lorcan strode ahead and held the door open. Nick noticed Ronnie hovering close, but she didn’t take his arm. He felt bad for snapping, but he was irritable and cranky. Not only the burns paining and itching, but the thought of his bar destroyed. He’d been questioned by fire investigators and police and got damned cranky with them too, asking if they were accusing him of torching his own bar for the insurance money. Yeah, that was a smooth move.
Thankfully, they didn’t take his cantankerous mood to heart and stated he wasn’t a suspect. That was all he needed, the cops breathing down his neck. He had enough of that back in Jersey. In the next breath, they said chances were they would never know who set fire to his bar. May have been dumbass teenagers looking for a thrill, that was their best guess. They questioned Nick thoroughly asking if he had any enemies, he couldn’t think of any. He left Jersey and
the life
years ago. If anyone wanted to settle a score they would’ve done it long before now.
He walked into the bakery. Damn, he forgot how good it smelled. Maybe waking every morning to the odor of fresh cinnamon buns baking wouldn’t be a bad thing. His mood lightened slightly. Nick inclined his head toward Julie in greeting and continued out back with Ronnie following right behind him.
• • •
Lorcan stopped and stared at Julie. Their gaze met briefly and then she grabbed the clipboard, turned her back, and began counting rolls. His mouth quirked into a smile.
Not today, darlin’.
He strode to the counter and laid his hands palms down and watched her for several minutes. “I think you’ve already counted those twice.” More seriously he said, “Turn around and look at me, Julie.”
He watched her. Julie sat still with her back straight. Finally, she laid down the clip board and turned to face him, her face devoid of emotion.
“Yes?” she said. Her voice was as cool as a Popsicle.
“I think Nick and Veronica are going to make it, as in permanent, do you agree?”
She glanced briefly at the back rooms, and then met his gaze again. Her look had softened.
“Yes, I agree. I think they’ll be a couple if they aren’t already.”
“We’ll be seeing a lot of each other if that’s the case. You’re friends with Veronica, I’m friends with Nick. We should try and be civil, don’t you think?”
Lorcan leaned over the counter. Her eyes really were quite lovely.
She bristled. “I’ve always been civil!”
“Well, I won’t belabor the point. You’ve been cool and standoffish and maybe with good reason. I’ve tried to go over in my brain what I may have done or said that offended or upset you. I can be an unfeeling sod at times. But I could think of nothing. If I did, I’m sorry. Can we start again? Who knows, maybe we can even be friends.” Her head lowered. He’d have none of that. He gently lifted her chin. “Am I such a brute then?”
She smiled tremulously. “No, Lorcan. You’re not. In fact, you’re a hero. Ronnie told me how you ran into the fire and pulled Nick out. I think you’re wonderful.”
The words warmed his heart. So much so he found it hard to reply as emotion choked off his voice for a moment. He tapped her chin affectionately, and then moved his hand away. Reaching in his back pocket for his wallet, he inclined his head toward the rolls.
“Give me a dozen of those white pan rolls, darlin’. They look just like the ones my Auntie Vera used to make. Fresh rolls with currant jam and a pot of tea, nothing like it.”
Julie moved to the rack of rolls. Grabbing a large paper bag and the tongs, she bent over. Lorcan’s hands stilled on retrieving his wallet. Sweet Jaysus, but her arse was luscious. He closed his eyes briefly as he imagined his hands roaming over her lovely curves, grabbing handfuls of that arse, pulling her in close to the hardened part of him. His cock jerked to life and strained against his zipper. He snapped his eyes back open and she stared at him with a slightly puzzled look on her face.
Thank Christ the counter stood high enough to hide his blatant hard-on. What in hell brought that on?
“That will be $4.59.”
He handed her a five dollar bill. Their fingers brushed together and he felt that roar of heat move up his arm, just as it did at the pub. She handed him the change, making sure their skin didn’t make contact again. Perhaps she’d felt it too.
“So, we’re cool?”
She smiled. The first time he had seen her smile fully, and it lit up her face.
“Yes, Lorcan. Everything is fine, we’re cool.”
“Ah darlin’, you should smile like that all the time. Lights up the world it does.” He backed up holding the bag of rolls in front of his obvious erection. “Maybe since we’re going to try and be friends, we can go out to dinner sometime. Keep it in mind. Say my goodbyes to Nick and Veronica.”
He turned quickly and exited, hurrying across the parking lot to his Navigator. He tossed the rolls on the passenger seat, climbed in, and pulled the door shut. He grunted from the discomfort, his stiff prick throbbed. He was as hard as an oak shillelagh.
Sweet Mary, what in the feck?
A little flash of luscious arse and he was off to the bloody races. She wasn’t even that pretty. But those eyes of hers, he could drown in them. His hands gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles almost white. He raised his head. Julie watched him through the window, a puzzled look on her face
.
Aye, you’re not the only one confused and all, darlin.’
He turned the ignition and backed out of the parking place. This was dangerous. Maybe he’d been without female company too long. Perhaps he should take up the invitation from a few of the dancers at the club. They certainly made their interest known. No, not a good idea, maybe he should go up to Baltimore and see to his needs there. He didn’t like people knowing his private business. He took one last look at Julie and roared out of the parking lot onto Waterloo Street.
Early evening and Veronica had closed the bakery. Julie had gone home two hours before. She mentioned her and Lorcan spoke and agreed to be civil, maybe even friends. She was glad of that. She wanted their friends to get along. Did she see a little ray of hope in Julie’s eyes? Maybe. Perhaps all Lorcan Byrne wanted was friendship. Hope Julie wasn’t wanting more than that or she’d get hurt.
Veronica shook her head and walked into the apartment. She could hear the sounds of a ballgame down the hall. Opening the bedroom door, and there lay Nick, sitting up in bed watching the Orioles and the Yankees.
He wore jeans with his magnificent chest on full display. There were still bandages on his torso. She could see a few of the lesser burns were pink, the skin puckered. She sat down next to him on the bed. Her hand moved across the burns, they were warm to the touch.
“Are they itching?”
“Like a son of a bitch. But scratching is more painful, I’m trying to keep my mind off it.”
She giggled. “Sorry, shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“Wait until they start to peel, that should be attractive. Shedding my skin like a damned snake,” he grumbled.
She kissed his cheek. “Shedding means they’re healing. It’s a good thing.”
He pointed to his arm. The second-degree burn was still bandaged tight.
“This hurts like hell. I hate taking those pain killers, but I need them. I can’t imagine someone badly burned. Jesus, it must be terrible.”
She kissed him again. “You were lucky the sprinkler system snuffed out the worst of the fire, and lucky Lorcan came back when he did. Nick, if I’d lost you. I think that’s when I realized how very much I loved you. The thought of you being taken from me — I couldn’t bear it.”
Veronica took his hand and their fingers laced together.
“Nick, the first time you came into the bakery you said you knew me from high school, or knew
of
me. How?”
“You caught my attention from the first. Sure, your looks and body sent my teenage hormones off the charts, but it was more than that. I watched you with your brother and your friends. You were everything I wasn’t. Happy, content, confident — enjoying life. I admired you. Also so brave. I was there when you stepped into that circle of girls and stood up for the fat girl they were teasing.”
“That girl was Julie.”
Nick’s eyebrow arched. “Really? I had no idea. I was ready to step in myself. I’ve seen cat fights and they are vicious. No one was going to lay a hand on you while I was around.”
Veronica’s heart clenched tight in her chest. Her protector. Her love.
“Why didn’t you approach me? Talk to me?”
Nick shook his head. “I wasn’t fit company. I was angry a lot of the time. I would have made a lousy boyfriend. Besides, the princess does not date the school misfit. It isn’t done.” He squeezed her hand. “Hell, I am probably not fit boyfriend material now. How in hell did you know of me?”
“Nick, every girl in school knew who you were. You had the bad-ass aura around you. The fact you were near six feet tall and wore black leather and rode a motorcycle just added to the appeal. We all took bets, who would gather the courage to walk up to you and talk to you? I took that bet, and chickened out like the rest of them. You were every girl’s fantasy. I watched you, too.”
Nick sighed. “I never had sex with any girls from school. It was all talk.”
Veronica smiled. “But the rumor about the school teacher was true.”
Nick winced. “Yeah. Well, as I told you before, she offered something I needed and wanted. We were adults … ”
Veronica placed two fingers on his lips to quiet him.
“She used you. She hurt you. She should have been reported. That woman crossed a line of trust. And as for you not being boyfriend material? Not true. You are giving, romantic and sexy with just enough dark, dangerous masculinity to spice things up. Also, you are an incredible lover. Handsome, insatiable and oh, so talented. You make great brunches, love old movies and make fantastic potato skins. My god, no wonder I love you so damned much.”
“Ronnie.” His voice was rough, husky with emotion. “You might want to rethink that. There are things I haven’t told you. About my past, things I did.”
She let go of his hand, swung her legs over on the bed and sat upright next to him.
“You mean New Jersey, the Lucci Family?”
“How in hell … .” His lips sneered. “Of course, your cop brother. I should’ve known. He tried to warn you off me.”
“He thought I should know everything. I knew you would tell me when you were ready. I know you don’t like talking about your past. The good thing is — it’s in your past, Nick. Did you ever kill someone?”
“What? No!”
“I didn’t think so. So the rest of its best forgotten. It’s not your life now, is it?” she whispered.
Nick shook his head. “No. It isn’t. I fenced goods, was a driver for one of the sons, did a little collecting, broke a few bones, that was the extent of my time with the Lucci’s. I was a pebble of sand on that beach. I used the money I earned to make a big down payment on the bar. I borrowed the rest from Uncle Henry. I think he felt bad he’d left me in jail all that time. What did he know about being a parent or guardian? I think the money assuaged his guilt. I may be proud, but I took the offer. He never charged me interest and let me pay it back on my own schedule.” He shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “Ronnie, Lorcan offered me a job at his club bartending until my bar’s back on its feet.”