Branded (14 page)

“Really?”  He seemed more surprised, where all she’d
felt had been relief.

“That’s what he said.”  She reached over and
squeezed his hand.  “I can’t tell you how relieved I am.”  Now, she really
could start looking forward to the future.

He squeezed back.  “That’s great.  You won’t have
to think about it over the weekend.”

“Exactly.”  Happiness coursed through her veins. 
She’d had to go through a long, dark tunnel to get to this point, but she’d
made it.  “I have to thank you for believing in me from the start.  Not many
people would have done the same.”

The sun was nearly down when he turned off Highway
101 and headed over a bridge, crossing the Necanicum River.  A minute later, he
pulled into the drive of a quaint house covered with weathered cedar shingles
which sat snuggled between two other homes.  Tall beach grass grew in wild
clumps around it.

“Is this it?”  There was nothing but the house
sitting on a bluff and a long stretch of sand between them and the ocean.

“This is it.” 

“It’s very nice.”  Like vacation-getaway nice.  “I’ll
admit I’m a little envious.  You have two beautiful homes, and all I have is my
tiny apartment.”

He studied her and then shrugged.  “I inherited
one, and I have a mortgage on the other.  It’s the American way.”  He shut off
the ignition and exited the car, waiting until he’d helped Nicole out of the
vehicle before he let the dogs run loose.  Stormy and Apollo immediately ran
circles around the car and then chased into the front yard.

Nicole let Stormy have her way, knowing she wouldn’t
go far.  “You’re not worried about Apollo running off?”

“Nope.”  Xander closed the back of the SUV.  “He
seems to know his boundaries fairly well and comes when I call him.  Whoever
had him before obviously spent some time training him.”

“I wonder what happened to make him end up in a
shelter.”

“I’ll probably never know.”  He hefted both of
their bags in one arm before taking her hand.  “Shall we?”

She snuggled her hand into the warm flesh of his
and let him lead her to the front door.  He released her and unlocked the place
that would be their home for the next two days.  Xander whistled, and the dogs
raced in before her.  When she did step inside, she loved it instantly.  Light
walls with sand-colored carpet made her feel like she was on the beach.  Large,
picture windows showcased the amazing view of the Pacific.  Blue accents along
with seashells and old-fashioned ships completed the décor.  Even on a rainy
day, she wouldn’t feel like she was cut off from the beauty outside.

“This is amazing.”  She walked to the back of the
house and gazed out one of the windows.  “How can you stand to go back to
Portland when you could stay here?”

He shrugged.  “I’ve been known to telecommute
before, but after a while, it gets kind of lonely.  Besides, they need me at
the office sometimes.”

“Life always gets in the way, doesn’t it?”

“Understatement of the year.”  He set their
suitcases near the stairs and headed back to the front door.  “Make yourself
comfortable while I get the groceries.”

Nicole opened the back door that led out onto a
raised deck, letting the dogs out with her.  A cool, salty breeze blew in off
the ocean, and she snuggled deeper into her sweater.  Both dogs lifted their
noses, trying to catch whatever scent clung to the winds. 

The chill still found its way through her cotton
sweater, but the price was worth the view.  Beautiful reds and oranges from the
hovering sun collided with the deep purples and blues of the evening sky.  To
her left, a rocky point made its way into the water, but other than that, there
was nothing marring her view of the endless ocean.

She leaned against the wooden railing and closed
her eyes, letting the stiff breeze blow her hair away from her face and clear
out the cobwebs of anxiety that had been her constant companion for the past
few weeks.  It wasn’t like she was totally out of the woods, yet, but she
sensed she was close.  After all, it was hard to charge an innocent person.

Xander waited until he’d shut the front door
behind him before he pulled out his cell phone.  Sam answered within seconds.

“Is Nicole right?  Are you giving back her
computer?  She said the police were not likely to charge her and were
considering other suspects.”  The tiny seed he’d kept buried in the back of his
mind, wishing she was truly innocent, had bloomed like a toxic algae along the
Oregon Coast.  There was no going back, and only time would tell how deadly it
was.  “Have you found new evidence?”

Sam released a long-suffering sigh.  “Yes and no. 
We’ve searched her computer, and it’s clean.  We have no legal reason to hold
it any longer.  But that’s only one avenue shot down.  No new evidence. 
Everything else still points to her.”

His newfound hope wilted.  “No new suspects, then.”

“No.  Absolutely nothing that would lead to
someone besides her.  We’ve got enough circumstantial evidence to arrest her,
but I don’t want to take the chance it won’t hold up in court.”  He paused for
a long moment.  “
You’ve
got to get us something, Xander.  Something
substantial.  Something concrete.  A confession would be nice.”

Damn it.  He didn’t want to do this anymore.  Didn’t
want to push her.  Didn’t want to hurt her.  But if he didn’t, would more harm
come to others at her hand?  He had to see this through to the end.  He just
wasn’t sure how he’d ever let her go.  “I gotta go.  She’s waiting for me.”

“Good luck, man.”

Xander hung up, a heavy weight settling deep
inside him.  He had to get this done and over with.  If he could keep his heart
in check and play his cards right, he was certain he could break her this
weekend.

He entered the darkened house to find she’d exited
it and now stood leaning against the rail on the back deck.  He placed the
groceries on the counter and walked toward the windows, drawn to the beautiful
sight before him.  She stood, head tilted back as though facing down the
winds.  Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted as though she was
engaged in a rapturous affair with nature.  Beyond her, the untamed Pacific
Ocean crashed against the beach.

Desire slammed into him, low and hard.

He wanted her.

He crossed the floor in quick strides and left the
house, removing one barrier between them.  A tiny sliver of sun still floated
on the water as he walked up behind her.  He slipped his arms around her waist,
trapping her between the railing and him.  “Nothing like a Seaside sunset.”

She leaned into him, wrapping her arms over his.  “It’s
so
beautiful.  I can’t even begin to describe it.”

“Many have tried.  Most have failed to capture its
brilliance.”

“Sounds like you know something about it.”

“I should.  I’ve been coming here for more than
twenty years.  Although not as much during the past two.”  Even though he now
owned it, he had too many fond memories of being there with his family.  Knowing
his dad could have been around if he’d had a little faith, if he’d made better
choices made it hard to be there at times.  It was easy to blame Nicole’s
father for his dad’s death, but ultimately, his dad had made the choice to end
his life, he realized.

“You said you inherited the place.  From your
parents?”

“My dad.  He died some years back.”  Part of him
really wanted to tell her, wanted to explain how their lives were
interconnected and give her a chance to respond, to defend herself, but that
would put her on guard.  And who knew, it was possible she had nothing to do with
her father’s activities.

“I’m sorry.  Were you and your father close?”

“We were, at least when I was younger.  We grew
apart after I went to college.  Or rather, I pushed him away.  I was far too
eager to be my own man, to make my way in the world.”  He gave a derisive
laugh.  “I couldn’t wait to prove I could do as well as he did.”

She turned in his arms, facing him, her hair
blowing around her face.  Her breasts pressed into his chest.  She seemed so
feminine and harmless in his embrace.  “You miss him.”

He should take a step back, put some distance
between them.  Instead, he studied her engaging eyes now filled with concern,
her pink lips that could easily lie as tell the truth.  “I do.”

She lifted a hand, drawing her fingers along his
jaw, setting off every urge and alarm he had.  “I wish I could have met him. 
He sounds like an amazing man.”

He considered her gaze, pondered her sincerity. 
She did care about him, he could tell.  “He was.”  More than anything, he hated
that she had two sides.  If he wasn’t trying to pretend to forge a relationship
with her, it would be easy to focus on the criminal side of her.  But getting
close to her, learning her nuances like he would any other potential lover,
made it so damn difficult to keep the two separated.

“At least you have wonderful memories to cherish.”

“Something you never had.”  If only her father was
still alive.  He’d beat the shit out of him for Nicole as well as for stealing
his family’s money.

She slid her gaze from his eyes to his mouth and
back again, the gesture possibly innocent, possibly seductive.  Either way, he
couldn’t resist the invitation.

He lowered his lips to hers, a fire bolt of
attraction burning him.  He tightened his hold, her body growing soft, pliant
beneath his tender attack.  He angled his mouth to better taste her, and she
slipped her fingers into his hair, holding his head.  Her tongue met his, eager
and fervent.  She kissed him as though the same need surged through her veins. 
He pinned her against the rail, and she responded by pressing her hips against
him, her softness cradling his hard length.

It was obvious she had every intention of taking
this as far as he’d let it go.

He pulled away, both of them inhaling, trying to
refill their lungs.  Desire colored her features, left her cheeks flushed, her
mouth looking more kissable than ever.

He needed a way out.  “We should start dinner.”

A flash of disappointment sparked in her eyes, but
she quickly recovered.  “Of course.”

Her withdrawal was nearly imperceptible, but he’d
caught it.  He couldn’t tell her, but at some point, she’d be grateful he’d
ended their kiss.

Her smile was back a second later.  “What are we
having?”

“Chicken fajitas.”

“And you’re cooking?”  She lifted her brows in a
teasing look, and the awkwardness evaporated.

“Despite what you think, I really can cook.”

She laughed.  “I guess time will tell, won’t it? 
There’s no backing out of it now.”  She took his hand and headed for the house.

He opened the door, whistling for the dogs, before
shutting them all inside, away from the chilly wind and darkness.

*        *        *

Nicole sat at the bar, watching Xander pull out
various ingredients and a skillet.  He slid the package of sliced meat into hot
olive oil and added seasonings.  Sizzling sounds filled the kitchen, and she
smiled.  She liked watching her man cook.

She sipped from the bottle of beer he’d opened for
her, watching his deft fingers work chopping onions and peppers.  So sexy.  He
caught her smile and returned it, everything seeming fine between them now.

She still wasn’t quite sure what had happened on
the deck.  They’d both seemed so in tune with each other.  Their kiss had left
her smoldering, barely contained heat simmering beneath her surface.

Then it was as though they’d been doused with a
frigid, North Pacific wave.  He’d pulled away in an awkward move, leaving her
wondering if she’d done something wrong.  Yet, he still seemed happy to have
her there.

Maybe she was over-thinking things, and he was
just hungry.

When he added the peppers and onions to the
skillet, delicious scents erupted in the air, making her stomach grumble.  “That
smells
so
good.”

He grinned.  “Wait until you taste it.”

“I can’t wait.”  For dinner or for what came
afterward.

*        *        *

Xander was happy that Nicole had really seemed to
enjoy his fajitas, and for some reason, that mattered to him even if she was a
felon.  The fun, easy feelings continued as they did the dishes together, her
flicking suds at him, him grabbing her with wet hands and pulling her in for a
heated kiss.  He just couldn’t reconcile the fact that John Camden had fathered
her.  Where he was heartless and conniving, she was sweet and caring.

“I have something for you,” he said as he handed
the skillet to her to dry.

Her eyes lit up, sparking a similar response
inside his chest.  “What is it?”

“The surveillance video.”

She stopped mid-wipe, the dishtowel growing slack
in her hand.  “Really?  How did you get it?”  Then she started wiping faster. 

“My friend managed to get a copy.”

“Have you watched it?”

“No.  I wanted to watch it with you.”  That was a
lie, and it killed him to say it to her.  But he desperately needed to see her
reaction and couldn’t watch the video and her at the same time.  In his opinion
though, it didn’t do much more than show her walking inside the building.

“Let’s go then.  I can hardly wait.”  She put the
pan away as he dried his hands and drained the sink.

Xander retrieved the disc from his room while
Nicole turned on the TV.  They sat together on the couch, and he pushed play on
the remote.

“My lawyer said he had a copy, but in all this
time, he’s failed to produce it.” 

“Might want to consider another attorney if
anything else happens.”

She’d thought the same thing on more than one
occasion.  He’d done a great job when she’d first been brought in for
questioning, but then he’d turned sort of inept in her opinion.  No, she wasn’t
paying him a ton of money, but didn’t he have some personal pride or ethical
oath that made him do the best job possible regardless of pay?