“So much for walking to the auction,” I grumbled, letting the threadbare curtain fall back into place. “I’m not setting foot out in that muck without a car and a good umbrella.”
“Come back to bed.” Nick patted the mattress without opening his eyes. “It’s too fucking early.”
“It’s eight,” I told him.
His eyes sprang open and he sat bolt upright in bed, all that gorgeous silver chest hair and lithe muscle on full display. “You should’ve woken me.”
I took a minute to admire the view and the fact it was all mine.Hewas all mine. A miracle in anyone’s books. “Consider yourself woken.”
“Smartarse.” Nick slid from bed and joined me at the window. “Jesus.” He wrapped me in his arms and kissed the side of my neck. “I see you managed to avoid being devoured by a plague of bedbugs. A litre of insecticide for the win.”
“Shut up.” I elbowed him in the stomach but couldn’t hide my smile. I’d made Nick stop at a convenience store on the way back from our admittedly lovely dinner at a steakhouse, then doused the bed with almost an entire can of insect spray before sliding between the sheets. The room still reeked of the stuff and I decided it best not to mention the slight redness to Nick’s skin.
“Come on.” He grabbed my hand. “Let’s shower and grab breakfast in town. I’d kill for a coffee.”
He turned for the bathroom, but I held him back. “Have you called her yet?”
Nick’s smile disappeared. “I was thinking tonight might be better.”
Oh boy.“You don’t think it’s maybe a little unfair making a seventy-three-year-old woman, your mother, wait until the verylast minute to confirm you’re actually coming to see her the following morning?”
Nick said nothing, which had become pretty much par for the course on the subject. After finally deciding to see his mother, he’d spent the next month avoiding any and all conversation regarding said visit, and I’d respected his privacy. He replied to Chloe’s letter with one of his own, simple and to the point, agreeing to meet after we’d finished in Nelson. He hadn’t included a phone number but had given her his email, explaining he didn’t want any awkward phone conversations before they met in person.
Chloe emailed back, clearly delighted at the prospect of meeting him. Nick replied, saying he would call her from Nelson to confirm, which of course left him in control and her at his pleasure.
The man was as stubborn as a mule and twice as charming.
“You do realise she could find you through your business number?” I pointed out. “The fact she hasn’t means she doesn’t want to pressure you. How about you put her out of her misery?”
Nick grimaced. “I’ve been thinking that maybe meeting up wasn’t such a good idea. I’m not ready for it. I might say something I’ll regret. I think we should just talk on the phone to start.”
I sighed and threw my hands in the air. Then I pulled him into a hug. “If you want to walk away, then do it, love. Is that what you really want?”
Nick closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. “No. And yes. So much yes. Okay, I’ll call her, I promise.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Soon.” He sighed. “I’ll call her soon.”
“I don’t need your promises. I’ve got your back either way.” I ran a finger through all that sexy chest hair and Nick almostjumped out of his skin. “Damn, you’re twitchy. How about a back massage in the shower?”
Nick swallowed a smile and opted for a sulking pout. “I suppose it’s worth a try.”
I snorted and grabbed his hand. “Come on, then.” I tugged him into the bathroom, then froze at the sight of the minuscule shower.
“Um...” I cocked my head at the tiny plastic cubical and its shower head fixed at around nipple height.
Nick blew a disappointed sigh. “Damn. This is never going to work, is it?”
I slid an arm around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder. “Remember this moment forever. Four stars minimum, baby. Four stars.”
Showered and dressed,we headed into the city for a carb-loaded breakfast at a well-reviewed café I’d researched the week before. Book fairs required stamina and a clear head so I didn’t bankrupt myself. A full stomach was the best way to ensure both.
Nick watched with wry amusement as I devoured the last of the excellent sourdough toast that had accompanied my runny yolk fried eggs, crispy bacon, and grilled tomato. “You are so fucking adorable, you do know that, right?”
I shot him a puzzled look. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“This.” He waved a hand up and down in front of me. “I was beginning to think I knew you pretty well, and then you do this to me.”
