Passion(White Collared Part 4)(6)
Nick flipped off the television. “Not a thing. They just rehashed the same facts in a dozen different ways. Doesn’t matter how they paint it. Miles Joseph killed two women and tried to kill you.”
In the meantime, they’d never apologize to Jaxon for raking his good name through the mud.
She stood and the floor wobbled beneath her feet. The three hours hadn’t been enough to quell the fatigue.
Nick popped up from the couch and put a steadying arm around her. “Let’s get you to bed.”
A nervous flutter tickled the inside of her belly. “I can sleep on the couch.”
If they shared a bed, she trusted that Nick would remain a gentleman, but she didn’t want to give him the wrong idea about them.
He pushed her toward his bedroom in the back of the loft. “No. Take the bed. I’ll take the couch.”
The room was much like the rest of his place. Functional and uncluttered. The gray-marbled sleigh bed was in the middle of the room with matching nightstands on each side. A couple of framed pictures sat on the dresser.
She picked one up, smiling to see Nick in a graduation cap and gown between an elderly man and woman. “Are these your parents?”
He came up beside her. “Grandparents. I never knew my father, and my mother took off shortly after she had me. One of those stories where being strict backfired. They were really religious. Sent her to an all-girls high school. Wouldn’t let her date. And she was pregnant with me by graduation.”
“They must be so proud of you.”
“My grandfather died while I was in law school, and my grandmother died during my first year at Joseph and Long, but yes, I think they were proud.”
She put down the frame. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Mesmerized by the sight of a young Alyssa sandwiched between Jaxon and Nick, she brought the other photograph closer. They all smiled brightly, their arms slung around each other’s shoulders.
Kate’s throat tightened as she studied the love of Jaxon’s life. She was dressed casually in shorts and a blouse, but she still managed to appear glamorous with her sparkling diamond stud earrings and diamond choker. Despite Alyssa’s smile, there was sadness in her eyes.
“That was taken a month after she and Jaxon started dating,” Nick said wistfully.
Poor Nick. He’d spent so much time working since Alyssa’s murder, he probably hadn’t had the chance to mourn. She rubbed his back in a feeble attempt to console him. “You miss her.”
He took the frame from her and gently returned it to its spot on his dresser. “Every day.” He shook his head and gave her a little smile. “You’re tired. I should let you get some sleep.” After rummaging through a drawer, he handed her a T-shirt. “You can wear this to bed. If you need anything, I’ll be on the couch.” He kissed her forehead. “’Night, Kate.”
As he turned to leave, she stopped him with a hand to his wrist, her nightmare fresh in her mind. “Wait. Could you stay with me for a few minutes while I fall asleep?”
Lines around his eyes crinkled as a smile broke out on his face. “Of course. I’ll be right here while you change.”
She nodded and carried the shirt with her to the bathroom. As she slipped the large cotton shirt over her head, she caught the subtle scent of soap and musk on the fabric. It smelled . . . wrong. It wasn’t Jax’s. She couldn’t help feeling he should be the one soothing her after the nightmare.
After folding her clothes, she went back into the bedroom.
Bare-chested, Nick lay on top of the covers, his back resting against the headboard. “You look good in my shirt.”
“Thanks. You look good . . . without one.”
That was putting it mildly. Golden skin stretched over washboard abs. In the middle of his firm pecs, he had a V of blond hair and a trail of it disappeared below his pants. But as much as she appreciated his good looks, her body didn’t respond.
She padded over to the bed and slid under the cool sheets, resting her head in the crook of his welcoming arm. Warmth spread throughout her limbs, and she sighed, releasing the strain of the day’s events. She didn’t experience the feeling of home in his arms like she did with Jaxon, but it was comfortable and pleasant. Safe. Similar to how she’d feel with Caden.
Nick stroked her hair. “I’ve never been more scared than when I saw you and Miles Joseph fight over that gun. In that moment, everything I’d worked for my whole life meant nothing. Not without you.” His voice cracked with emotion.
She peered up at him. “Nick—”
“I know I’m your boss and the firm would frown on our relationship, but I have to tell you, I don’t care anymore. If I’m forced to quit in order for us to be together, so be it. Because, Kate, I love you. And I know you probably don’t feel the same, but I hope someday you will. Do you have any feelings for me?”