Chapter 6
Erin didn't want to think about the kiss. She didn't want to deal with the reality that in the instant Nick's mouth had been pressed against hers the world had melted away and nothing existed except the moment between them. The ramifications of that line of thinking were too dangerous-even for a risk taker like herself. To acknowledge that he'd been on her mind every waking hour since was to admit she was susceptible to him. That she'd wanted him to kiss her. That she wanted him to kiss her again.
She refused to believe any of those things.
Erin figured she was getting pretty good at denial.
As she left the town limits and drove toward his house, she told herself the only reason she was going to Stephanie's party was for the little girl's sake. She might be a difficult child, but considering the hand she'd been dealt-namely the death of her mother and a devastating spinal injury- Erin couldn't blame her. She couldn't ignore her birthday. Steph needed every ounce of kindness the adults around her could give.
Erin knew it would only make things worse if she alienated herself from Nick. He might have the wrong idea about her, and they might have different philosophies on police work and law enforcement in general. They'd definitely made a mistake with the embrace and that fateful kiss. But he was still her boss, and this job was too important to blow because of something as silly as a kiss. Come hell or high water, she was going to make it work.
Just because she'd barely seen him in the last week didn't mean that encounter had affected their professional relationship. It didn't mean he was avoiding her. Or that she couldn't look him in the eye. They were adults, she told herself for the hundredth time. They could handle this. Dammit, she could handle it, even if he couldn't.
Shoving thoughts of Nick aside, she looked down at the wrapped package on the passenger seat beside her and smiled. It had taken her most of the day yesterday-her day off-and a trip to Chicago, but she'd finally found the perfect gift for Stephanie. A veil of satisfaction settled over her; she couldn't wait to see that little girl smile.
Five minutes later, she pulled into the driveway and parked next to Nick's Suburban. Though it was early evening, she'd expected to see kids playing on the swing set or shooting baskets in the hoop by the garage. But the yard was deserted. Bandito grazed contentedly near the fence, swatting flies with a tail that was a little too long, a little too tangled. There were no laughing children. No games of hide-and-seek. No adults lounging in lawn chairs. Beside Nick's Suburban and Mrs. Thornsberry's old Buick, the only other car there was Hector's.
Lifting the package, she got out of the cruiser and made her way to the front door. She told herself she wasn't nervous about seeing Nick. She wasn't here to see him, though the fact that she would was inevitable. Still, the thought of facing him after the kiss they'd shared made her palms sweat.
She told herself it was silly to get nervous over a friendly embrace that had gotten out of hand. This was a kid's birthday party, for goodness sake. Erin was on her dinner hour and only had about forty-five minutes before she had to get back to her shift. Enough time, she mused, to give Stephanie her gift and grab that piece of cake Mrs. Thornsberry had promised. And maybe even show Nick she wasn't avoiding him-since that kiss obviously hadn't meant a thing to either of them.
Wiping her damp palms on her uniform slacks, Erin rang the bell. Her heart stopped dead in her chest when the man in question opened the door. She'd never seen Nick out of uniform, and the sight of him made her feel light-headed. It didn't surprise her that he looked even better in faded jeans. The black Polo shirt he wore made his eyes look darker. She wondered if he was one of those people whose eyes changed with their moods.
For several long seconds she stood silently, praying he didn't see the color she felt rising in her cheeks. "Hi," she said, hefting the package. "I wanted to bring this by."
"McNeal," he acknowledged finally, eyeing the package. "How's the head?"
"Still pretty hard."
He didn't smile, but Erin saw the flash of amusement in his dark eyes. "Good thing, I guess, all things considered."
The silence built for a moment. He made no move to invite her inside. Feeling awkward, she looked down at her boots.
"You were scheduled to work tonight," he said.
She'd tried to convince herself his decision to schedule her for work didn't have anything to do with the fact that he didn't want to see her. Of course, she wasn't at all concerned about that. Just because Hector's car was in the driveway didn't mean she should be invited to the party, too, did it?
"I'm on my dinner hour," she said quickly. "I've only got a few minutes." Not knowing what else to say or do, she shoved the package at him. "I wanted to make sure Stephanie got this."
He took the box. "Uh… thanks. I'll make sure she gets it."
"Great."
Erin told herself she wasn't disappointed that he wasn't going to invite her inside. That she hadn't wanted to see Stephanie's eyes light up. Or see Nick smile. She'd only known them a little over a week. It wasn't like she was a friend he would invite to his daughter's birthday party. Still, the sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach was acute.
"Oh, Erin!"
She jumped at the sound of Mrs. Thornsberry's voice, and watched the woman approach. "I'm so glad you came. I had to fight off Hector to save you a piece of cake. I hope you like German chocolate."
Nick frowned. "She's on duty, Em."
"For heaven's sake, there aren't any rules against police officers indulging in birthday cake while on duty." Mrs. Thornsberry smiled sweetly at Erin. "There's a big piece with your name on it in the kitchen."
Erin returned the smile, torn between not wanting to irritate Nick and appeasing the nanny. She'd wanted to give Stephanie the gift herself, but he seemed adamantly opposed to her staying. "Thanks, Mrs. Thornsberry, but-"
"Nick, where are your manners?" the older woman scolded. "Aren't you going to invite her in?"
Nick shot the woman a dark look.
"For goodness sakes, she's got time for a piece of cake." Giving him an annoyed glance over her shoulder, Mrs. Thornsberry headed for the living room.
Erin 's discomfort grew. Nick obviously wasn't happy to see her. It was clear he didn't want her there. Glancing back at her cruiser, she took a step back. "I've got to get back-"
"It's all right." He opened the door wider and stepped aside. "Come on in."
"I didn't mean to intrude."
His gaze locked with hers. Erin felt stripped bare by the power behind it. She'd never had a difficult time with eye contact, but Nick's gaze was so intense she couldn't hold it.
"I figured we probably couldn't avoid each other much longer," he said in a low voice.
She looked anywhere but into those dark, dangerous eyes of his. "I wasn't-"
"Avoidance probably isn't a good strategy, anyway, considering we work together."
Heat suffused her cheeks. Something warm and jumpy fluttered in her chest when images of the kiss came to her unbidden. The feel of his mouth against hers. The way he'd wrapped her in his arms. The hardness of his body as he pulled her close.
She wanted to say something flippant, maybe just to prove to him that blasted kiss hadn't affected her in the least, but the power of speech seemed to have left her. She stepped past him, and every nerve ending in her body went on alert when the tangy essence of his aftershave curled around her brain. The memory of the kiss sharpened, expanded, until it filled her with a longing she wanted desperately to deny.
Nick motioned toward the hall. "I appreciate you bringing a gift. It wasn't necessary, but I'm sure Steph will like it."