Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MADIGAN
Neither of us slept well, and by the time the grey light of morning striped our bed, we’d already downed our first cups of coffee and were onto our second as we tried to make sense of everything that had transpired the day before.
Nick was sitting in bed with his back against the pillows and coffee in hand.
My breath caught at that gorgeous silver-haired chest on full display, the tattooed owl over his heart staring out into the grey mist hanging over the vineyard trellises.
He sported a thick scruff, red-rimmed eyes, and a troubled expression.
“Everything might be above board, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s not,” he mused. “Austin was way too defensive, for a start. He threatened us with the police, for fuck’s sake.”
Nick hummed thoughtfully as he made circles with his coffee mug on the bed. “You have to remember, he doesn’t know you’re Chloe’s son. To him you’re a stranger having tea with his stepmother”—I raised my hands at the pissy look my comment earned—“or whatever you want to call her.”
Nick sighed and slid his empty cup onto the bedside table. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I feel I’m being roped into something I didn’t sign up for. After today, I think I want some kind of relationship with Chloe. I’ve come that far. But all this stuff with Austin? It’s such a mess.”
“I know.” I put my own coffee mug aside and stretched out beside him, my hand coming to rest on his warm belly, my thoughts soft and fuzzy at the edges as they always were when I touched him.
My gaze drifted to the patio doors and the muted yellow glow of a rising sun hanging eerily behind a curtain of fog.
The curse of winter valleys cut with rivers and old marshland the world over, Blenheim suffered more than its fair share of fog.
Nick’s arms encased me as they always did whenever we lay close; the musty scent of sleep mixed with the remains of last night’s sexual exploits lingering on our skin was oddly comforting. Of all the things we did together, these quiet moments were the ones I treasured most.
Nick, no doubt, had a gazillion memories of moments like this that he’d shared with Davis.
Me? Not so much. The few relationships I’d had never seemed to progress to quiet cuddle times—as much my fault as anyone I’d been with at the time.
Having someone sleep in my bed and in my space had been a big enough hurdle to overcome without magnifying the uneasy feeling it generated.
I almost laughed, wondering where that man had disappeared to?
With Nick Fisher in my bed, I couldn’t get enough of him.
His touch. His kisses. His quiet presence.
I craved it all. I wanted to curl around him and spend every weekend doing exactly this.
Lying in Nick’s arms and talking about nothing and everything.
Planning our future together. Making a life for more than one.
Nick tipped my chin up for a kiss. “You wanna share what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”
I rolled onto my stomach and lost myself in those soft grey eyes.
Nick pulled the sheet over my naked arse, smiling as he did so. “Gotta protect the assets.” He patted my buttocks. “Now, spill.”
“It’s really nothing,” I lied, then thought better of it. “Sorry, that’s not true. Rather it’s you . . . you’re everything.”
He blinked. “That’s what you were thinking?”
I smiled at his surprise. “I was thinking how much my life has flipped on its head since I met you. Even something as simple as chilling in bed with a man. With you. I’ve never been comfortable doing that.
Like just being with me was never going to be enough to hold on to anyone.
I always needed to be . . . more. Bed meant sex.
It meant pleasing someone, usually younger, and proving I could be an interesting person, an exciting lover.
It was quite frankly exhausting. That’s partly why I decided to stop trying. ”
Nick smiled sadly. He knew the story. “And now?”
I looked up at the ceiling, gathering my thoughts before I met his gaze once more. “Now? Now, doing nothing with you is one of my favourite ways to pass the time. And that set me to wondering if that’s how you really measure what love is.”
His brow creased. “By doing nothing?”
“No.” I poked him in the chest. “By how you feel during those nothing times. And I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve never really been in love.”
He was clearly trying hard not to smile. “And that’s because of how you feel in the nothing times?”
“Exactly.” I tapped him on the nose. “Because I think the kind of love that lasts is shown by how you feel doing absolutely nothing with the other person and doing it on a regular basis. It’s about having someone who is interested in even the most boring parts of your day.
It’s about cuddling on the couch, watching movies, looking after your person when they’re sick or feeling down, or even lying in bed cursing their snores or reading a book in the same room without talking.
If that makes your heart happy, then you know you have a love worth nurturing. ”
Nick finally smiled. “Well, if that’s your measure of enduring romantic love, then it certainly takes the pressure off.”
I reached for his dick, making him yelp. “I’m serious.”
“Okay, okay. You’re serious. Got it. Can I have my cock back now?
” He cupped my face when I let him go, and he pulled me down for a kiss.
“And you’re right. It’s what I missed most about Davis after the accident.
Not the big stuff, but the little stuff.
And it’s what I love about us, you and me.
Mornings like this. Having you eagle-eye the way I pack the dishwasher and offering all those helpful suggestions.
Watching you go through your breakfast routine—”
“I don’t have a—” I stopped myself. “Okay, so maybe I do have a bit of a routine. But my dishwasher suggestions save on our water bill, you can’t deny that.”
Nick laughed. “And what about the way you slice your banana into perfectly sized circles before adding precisely half a cup of muesli and three tablespoons of Greek yoghurt?” He shook his head. “What can I say? It gets me hard.”
Heat raced into my cheeks and I gave him a shove. “Shut up.”
He kissed me softly. “I’m not joking, and don’t you dare ever change. Because it’s in those moments when I know just how much in love with you I really am. So yes, I get it. And I love you too, baby.”
“Just as well.” I leaned forward and sucked his soft nipple into my mouth, enjoying the brush of silver curls against my lips.
Nick shuddered and let out a soft groan.
I pulled off and pressed a tiny kiss to the nub.
It wrinkled and hardened so I kissed it again.
Then I tucked it demurely under the covers and gave it a pat.
“Just as well the orgasms aren’t so important then, because that’s all you’re gonna get .
. . for now. The tank is empty, my darling. ”
Nick chuckled. “You won’t find me complaining. You pumped me dry last night.” He brushed a disobedient lock of hair from my lashes. “Right now, I need food, coffee, and more coffee.”
I checked my phone. “Which means we should get going if we want to hit a café before we head over to Chloe’s. We also need to grab some groceries if we’re going to stay longer. Have you tried calling her again?”
I reached for my phone. “You shower; I’ll call.”
Two hours later, with a bag of groceries in the trunk, sated bellies, rocketing blood caffeine levels, and still no answer from Chloe, we parked the Focus a few houses down from Chloe’s driveway. Only the front yard, carport, and door of the townhouse were visible.
“Austin’s car isn’t there, so that’s one thing in our favour,” I observed. When Nick didn’t answer, I turned to face him. He’d been worryingly quiet during the drive from the café to Chloe’s. “Are you having a change of heart?”
He slouched at the wheel, grey eyes darkening as he studied the townhouse.
“No. But I don’t want to stir up trouble or make things worse for her either.
Her relationship with Austin seems tense, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care, or that she doesn’t care for him, or need him more than she’s letting on.
We get to leave and go home after this, but she doesn’t. ”
It was a fair point. “It’s your call.”
Nick chewed the inside of his cheek a moment longer. “Fuck it.” He reached for the door handle. “If we stir up a hornet’s nest, then we’ll just have to deal with it. I’m not heading home without getting some answers.”
And there it was. We left the car and headed up the driveway. An elderly man was clearing his mailbox in front of the first townhouse. He sent us a curious look as we passed and nodded his head. “Good morning.”
I returned the friendly greeting and hoped he wouldn’t tell Austin about us at a later date.
When we turned onto Chloe’s path, I looked back to find he’d moved to his stoop but still had his eye on us, which was hardly reassuring.
Caught out, he gave a short wave and quickly disappeared into his townhouse.
I remembered Austin mentioning a neighbour keeping an eye on Chloe and winced.
Maybe that was him. And maybe he was on the phone to Austin right at that moment.
If so, it was too late to do anything about it.
“Just our luck to be seen by the neighbourhood watch,” Nick grumbled, following my gaze. “Let’s keep this as short as we can.”
“Absolutely,” I agreed. “It’s far too early in the morning for a dust-up.” I knocked on Chloe’s door the same time Nick planted an unexpected kiss on the nape of my neck.
“A dust-up?” He grinned. “You are too cute for words.”