Branded (15 page)

A black and white image of the front entrance of
First Freedom appeared on the screen.  A couple of people walked by on the
sidewalk.  Then Nicole approached with hurried footsteps.

“There I am.”  She scooted forward to the edge of
the couch, anxiety pouring from her into the room.

He slid forward, too, to better see her face.

“I was in a hurry because I’d forgotten my pass and
had already missed my bus.  If I really rushed though, I could make the next
one, and I wouldn’t be too late getting home.”  She glanced at him.  “Stormy
has a hard time if I’m gone too long.  She’s good for a regular workday, but
after that she starts having accidents.”

The screen flipped to inside the building, showing
her approaching and entering the elevator.

“I can’t believe there wasn’t anyone else around,”
she said as she studied the TV.  “People really do clear out of there at five o’clock.”

Another point of view screen change.

“That’s my floor.”  The camera caught her exiting
the elevator, and they watched as she walked out of view.

A few minutes later, she returned and got back in
the elevator.

“Did you only get your pass and leave?”  It did
seem as though she’d been gone longer than it would take to retrieve her pass
from her desk.

“I did, but it took me a minute to find it.  I’d
shown my pass to Mary earlier in the day, and we’d been interrupted while we
were talking.  I left my cubicle, and she’d put my pass down, so it took me a
few moments to shift through the piles on my desk to find where she’d put it.”

Could be true.  Could be the perfect reason to
have a couple of extra minutes at her desk.  Although, if it was a lie, she’d
come up with a great excuse off the fly and had delivered it without blinking. 
Her tone of voice hadn’t changed.  She hadn’t even glanced at him to see if he
believed her.  In fact, she’d given her excuse so matter-of-factly, it was hard
not
to believe it.

The video ended with her exiting the elevator and
then the building.

“Did you see my face?”

Her statement jerked him out of his speculations. 
He glanced at her, but she was still staring at the TV.

“I was happy.  I’d found my pass, and I knew I
would make the next bus.”

Or she could be happy because she’d just heisted ten
mill.  He rewound the video and replayed the part where she was exiting the
building.  She did have a smile on her face, but it was more of a relieved
smile than total exhilaration which he would have expected from someone who’d
committed such an extravagant crime.

“And look, you can see my TriMet pass in my hand.”

He backed up the video again to the point where
she left the building, and sure enough, she had a card in her hand.  He would
have to have Sam use his technical equipment to zoom in to make sure it
actually was a TriMet card.

“I don’t see how they can pin me with grand
larceny just because I was in the building.”

“At the exact time it happened.”  He reminded her.

She frowned.  “Let’s watch it again.”

They replayed it several times, Nicole’s agitation
growing with each viewing.  “Is this the only video they have?  I know they
have other cameras in the building.  Where are those videos?”

“Why?”

“Because whoever did this was in there with me. 
Maybe a different camera picked up him or her.”

It was his turn to frown.  Had Sam checked all the
other videos, or had they focused on these because they thought it was Nicole?

“As soon as my attorney officially produces the
video, I’m going to have him ask the police for the other videos.  Wait!”  She
gripped his forearm.  “I think I saw something.”

Xander sat straighter in his seat as he backed up
the video through the boring section between her exiting the elevator on her
floor until she returned.

“There!”

Off to the very edge of the screen was the
slightest movement.  He played it again.  “It looks like a person’s head moving
along the top of the cubicles.”

“Yes.  Someone is there!”  Her voice echoed with
excitement.  “It could have been the thief or someone else who may have seen
something.”

Irritation pinched him.  Why hadn’t Sam caught
this?  “There is definitely someone there.”

“With the timing, I think it would have had to have
been the thief.”

“You could very well be right.”  Which would make
things so much better for both of them.

Her face suddenly dropped, and she put a hand on
her chest.  “I can’t believe I was that close.”  She glanced at him.  “Do you
think whoever it was took advantage of the fact that I was in the office and
used my computer on purpose?”

“I don’t know, Nicole, but it’s starting to look
that way.”

*        *        *

“I’m going for a walk.  I need to clear my head.”  She
and Xander had reviewed the video so many times she was beginning to think the
world had lost its color.  “Want to come with?”

“Definitely.  I hope you brought a coat.”

“I did.  Besides, I’m sure you won’t let me get
too
cold.”

He grinned at her flirty comment.  “You are
correct, mademoiselle.”

“Good.  I’ll just go grab it out of my suitcase
and be right back.” 

Nicole headed up the stairs, surprised to find
Xander had placed her suitcase in one room and his bag in the other.  Had she
totally misinterpreted his invitation?  As far as she knew, when a guy invited
a girl away for the weekend, it usually included sleeping together.  And it
wasn’t like he hadn’t shown interest in her.  Their kisses had been phenomenal.

Time would tell, she supposed.  It was only a few
hours until bedtime, and then she’d have her answer.

She came downstairs buttoned into her red wool
coat, her hair tucked into a soft, white cashmere hat that would not only keep
the wind from tangling it, but it had the added benefit of keeping her ears
warm.  The black, lined leather jacket Xander wore set off his golden-brown
eyes and gave him a sexy, dangerous look.  Rugged, yet classy.  They leashed up
the dogs and headed out the back, down the stairs and into the soft sand.

A half-moon reflected off the crashing waves,
casting enough light to illuminate their way.  It didn’t take long for them to
reach the compacted sand recently washed by the waves.

“The tide is out, right?” she asked as they turned
parallel to the ocean and began their way down the beach.

“Actually, it’s on its way in right now.  It will
be high tide before too long.”

“So, everyday around eight-thirty it’s high tide. 
When is low tide?  Eight-thirty in the morning?”

He laughed.  “It doesn’t work like that.  The
tides are always changing according to the moon’s gravitational pull.  Two high
tides and low tides every day, depending on where the moon is in its rotation
of the earth.”

She lifted her brows, feeling like an imbecile.  “Of
course.  I knew that.”  Somewhere in the back of her mind she seemed to recall
hearing how tides worked.  Maybe in a high school science class where she’d
probably zoned off.  She’d used her college days studying art instead of
science.  “I’ve never spent much time at the beach, so I didn’t really think
about it.” 

“You’re ninety minutes from the coast.  Didn’t your
parents ever…”  He trailed off, obviously realizing his mistake.  “Sorry.”

She shook her head.  “I was in Astoria once for a couple
of hours with my aunt, and we did stop at the beach, but I guess I wasn’t
interested in the tides.  But now I know.  Tides change with the force of the
moon.”  She gave him a reassuring smile.  Gone were the days where she felt
sorry for herself because of her upbringing, and she didn’t want Xander
focusing on that either.  “Hey.”  She nudged him with her elbow.  “I’m not
living in the past, so don’t you.  I have a good life.”

He stopped, turning to her so the moon was at his
back.  His gaze bored into hers a second longer than was comfortable.

“What?”  It was great having a gorgeous guy
staring into her eyes on a moonlit beach, but something seemed off.

“I just…”  He shook his head, continuing to stare
at her.  “You’re not at all what I expected.”

That was an odd thing to say.  “What do you mean? 
What did you expect?”

“I don’t know.”  He seemed to struggle, searching
for the right words.  “You’re different.  You have more…depth.”

She raised her brows?  “Depth?  That’s…great.  Not
beauty or intelligence.  Just depth.  Exactly what a girl wants to be noticed
for.”

He smiled.  “Those things are a given, but I’m
talking about how well you handle things despite your circumstances.  You have
every right to hate your parents and be angry about your childhood, but you don’t
seem to be stuck there.”

“I’m not.  It’s like I told you before.  It
happened.  There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’ve moved on.”  Although life
seemed to be throwing memories of her childhood in her path more than usual.

“That’s easier said than done.”

“It’s a decision, an outlook on life.”  She tilted
her head.  “Why do I feel we’re talking more about you than me?”

He paused for a long moment as though hesitant to
share.  “Just some old, unresolved issues with my dad.”  He glanced out toward
the ocean, and, even though the moonshine didn’t hit his face, she could sense
his inner turmoil.

“Anything you want to talk about?”

He sighed.  “No.  Just things I wished I’d said.  Things
that might have made a difference.  That kind of thing.”

“And now he’s gone.”

“Yep.”

“I hate to echo the words you said to me earlier,
but it sounds like you haven’t dealt with it and maybe you should.”

“Look who’s playing psychologist now.”

She turned her lips into a consoling smile,
wishing she could ease his sorrows.  “Sorry.  Didn’t mean to toss it back in
your face.”

“I know.  It’s something I need to do.”  He lifted
a shoulder and let it drop.  “It’s on the horizon.  You’ve inspired me.”

“How long has he been gone?”

“Two years.  Long enough for me to have dealt with
things.”

She could understand.  “The man who fathered me
has only been dead nine months, and I’m not sure a lifetime will be long enough
to reconcile with his memory.”

Xander’s arm jerked as an impatient Apollo pulled
at his leash, trying to continue down the beach.  “Let’s let the dogs run a
bit.”  He unhooked their leashes and picked up a stick of driftwood, throwing
it back toward the house.  Stormy took off on a dead run with Apollo chasing
behind her.  Stormy grabbed the stick and faked a dash to the right before
running off to the left, leaving Apollo to try and catch her.

With the dogs occupied, Nicole took the
opportunity to snuggle against Xander’s chest.  “It’s kind of chilly out here.” 
She wrapped her arms around him, curious to see how he’d react.

Without hesitation, he tightened his grip on her,
tucking her head beneath his chin.  “I warned you it was cold out.”

“I know.”  She smiled.  He hadn’t pushed her
away.  Instead, he’d acted like a normal guy who was attracted to a girl.  “But
the ocean is so magnetic, no matter how chilly it is.”

“Weather is supposed to warm up tomorrow.  I
figured we could spend the morning wandering around town and come down to the
beach in the afternoon when it’s warmest.  Maybe dig up some clams for dinner.”

“That sounds like fun.”  Another thing she’d never
done before.

“I’ll fry them like my grandma used to do.”

“That sounds wonderful.  I’ll make a salad to go
with them.”

He hugged her tighter.  “I’m glad you decided to
come, Nicole.”

“Me, too.”

“I feel like I’ve known you for years.  Like we
could tell each other anything.”

She turned her gaze toward him.  “I feel the same way. 
Kindred spirits, I guess.”

“Yeah.  Something like that.”

He stared into her eyes, sending her sensations
into overdrive.  She was acutely aware of the body warmth that radiated from
his thighs to hers, of how safe she felt cuddled against him, of how much she
wanted to take this to the next level.

His perusal grew more intense, but she didn’t look
away.  His strong gaze had a way of making her feel vulnerable and exposed, but
she wanted him to see her.  Wanted him to know how powerful their attraction
really was.

He reached up, traced a thumb down her cheek.  “I
wish I could get inside your head.  See what you’re really thinking.”

“There’s no need for that.  I’ll tell you exactly
what I’m thinking.”  She glanced from his eyes to his lips before slowly
returning to his tiger-like orbs.  “Right now, I wish you would kiss me.”

Nicole’s request for a kiss was one Xander couldn’t
resist no matter the consequences. 

He inhaled, trying to keep his composure as he
frantically searched for a way to extricate himself from the impossible
situation.  His brain went on hiatus as every hot-blooded cell in his body
focused on tasting her lips.  There was no strategizing when his subconscious
could think of nothing but following his baser instincts.

He captured the sides of her face, studying her
eyes, finding no reason to not comply.  “Kiss you?”  Just speaking the words
made him hard for her.

“Yes,” she whispered.  “Kiss me.”

His slow breath disappeared on the breeze as he
lowered his lips to hers, intent on a gentle kiss.  The moment her soft, supple
lips touched his, desire inside him growled and punched its way through any
reasonable barriers he’d put in place.  A moan of pleasure slipped from her
lips, and it was enough to make him lose sight of his purpose.  He hauled her
against him, unable to keep from possessing her mouth.  He gripped her chin,
tilting her head back.  Her tongue teased against his, a taste of mint tempting
his senses.