Monday night but she had to do it today. Tomorrow she was meeting the rest of The Mavericks. They were flying to Chicago on Tuesday morning and three of them were staying overnight with Nick.
Her eyes kept straying from the papers in front of her and flicking over to Nick. Then she’d have to refocus and start again. She’d almost given up when he caught her and smiled his lazy smile, the one that made women buy magazines with his picture in it.
‘Are you nearly done?’
‘Almost.’ She frowned at him, like it was his fault. ‘I can’t concentrate.’
‘Neither can I.’ He turned off the television, came over and took the pen out of her unresisting hand. ‘Work can wait.’ He kissed her palm, the inside of her wrist. ‘This can’t.’
Lainey closed her eyes as his lips began a journey along her jaw. If there was a category in the Guinness Book of Records for the most goosebumps produced in five seconds, she would’ve won. The ten second section as well. And the number of somersaults made by a stomach.
Her eyes flew open. He’d stopped just short of her mouth.
‘How’s the concentration now? Better?’
‘You are really …’ She groped around for the right word but couldn’t find it.
Nick smiled, finally kissed her, then wound a strand of her hair around his fingers. ‘You do realise how much I love you, don’t you?’
Lainey was grateful her hair was long or else it would have been painful when she jerked back. Then wished she’d stayed still.
Nick scooted back in his chair. ‘Why do you do that, Lainey? Why do you always keep me at arm’s length?’
‘Nick, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Please.’ She gave him an agonised look.
‘So am I making a fool of myself here? I didn’t think I was imagining things but maybe I have been. Talk to me, Lainey.’ He was upset and had every right to be.
‘Nick, you haven’t imagined anything. I love you too. A lot.’ She hated the way the words came out and he didn’t look convinced. ‘I do.’
‘But what? There’s always a ‘but’.’
Lainey picked up the pencil, ran her fingers down the length, flipped it over and did it again. ‘But I can’t see how it’s going to work.’
‘What do you mean, ‘how it’s going to work’? We’ll make it work!’
‘It’s not that easy.’ Lainey rolled the pencil between her palms. ‘That’s the trouble, Nick. You haven’t thought this through. The idea’s wonderful, but not the practical part. And it’s too quick. It’s only been two months.’
‘Lainey, if it wasn’t for those stupid letters going missing we’d already be married with 2.3 children and a dog. You know that as well as I do.’ He was up, dragging his hand through his hair. He didn’t see her flinch at the mention of children.
‘What do you want from me, Nick? We’re not married, I have my own life and we’re not on the same page so where do we go from here?’
‘What do you mean, we’re not on the same page? I thought you said you loved me. Or were you saying it because I said it first and that’s what you’re supposed to do?’
Lainey kept her eyes on the pencil. ‘Nick, I just don’t think God wants me to spend my life following you around, going to parties, looking decorative, playing the game.’ She looked up and wished she hadn’t. He wasn’t happy.
‘Is that all you think my life is? Some sort of self-serving game ? Do you honestly think I make movies, sing and write songs, make a fortune and keep it all to myself just because I can ?’
He sat down, whipped the pencil out of her hands and held both of her wrists, his face close.
‘Do you know how many charities I support? What organisations I’m involved in? How many fundraisers I attend? How many underprivileged children I’ve been able to help? No, of course you don’t. And if it wasn’t for this game I’m playing, I wouldn’t be able to do any of it.’ He let her go and stood up again.
‘Do you really think I’m that
Her eyes kept straying from the papers in front of her and flicking over to Nick. Then she’d have to refocus and start again. She’d almost given up when he caught her and smiled his lazy smile, the one that made women buy magazines with his picture in it.
‘Are you nearly done?’
‘Almost.’ She frowned at him, like it was his fault. ‘I can’t concentrate.’
‘Neither can I.’ He turned off the television, came over and took the pen out of her unresisting hand. ‘Work can wait.’ He kissed her palm, the inside of her wrist. ‘This can’t.’
Lainey closed her eyes as his lips began a journey along her jaw. If there was a category in the Guinness Book of Records for the most goosebumps produced in five seconds, she would’ve won. The ten second section as well. And the number of somersaults made by a stomach.
Her eyes flew open. He’d stopped just short of her mouth.
‘How’s the concentration now? Better?’
‘You are really …’ She groped around for the right word but couldn’t find it.
Nick smiled, finally kissed her, then wound a strand of her hair around his fingers. ‘You do realise how much I love you, don’t you?’
Lainey was grateful her hair was long or else it would have been painful when she jerked back. Then wished she’d stayed still.
Nick scooted back in his chair. ‘Why do you do that, Lainey? Why do you always keep me at arm’s length?’
‘Nick, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Please.’ She gave him an agonised look.
‘So am I making a fool of myself here? I didn’t think I was imagining things but maybe I have been. Talk to me, Lainey.’ He was upset and had every right to be.
‘Nick, you haven’t imagined anything. I love you too. A lot.’ She hated the way the words came out and he didn’t look convinced. ‘I do.’
‘But what? There’s always a ‘but’.’
Lainey picked up the pencil, ran her fingers down the length, flipped it over and did it again. ‘But I can’t see how it’s going to work.’
‘What do you mean, ‘how it’s going to work’? We’ll make it work!’
‘It’s not that easy.’ Lainey rolled the pencil between her palms. ‘That’s the trouble, Nick. You haven’t thought this through. The idea’s wonderful, but not the practical part. And it’s too quick. It’s only been two months.’
‘Lainey, if it wasn’t for those stupid letters going missing we’d already be married with 2.3 children and a dog. You know that as well as I do.’ He was up, dragging his hand through his hair. He didn’t see her flinch at the mention of children.
‘What do you want from me, Nick? We’re not married, I have my own life and we’re not on the same page so where do we go from here?’
‘What do you mean, we’re not on the same page? I thought you said you loved me. Or were you saying it because I said it first and that’s what you’re supposed to do?’
Lainey kept her eyes on the pencil. ‘Nick, I just don’t think God wants me to spend my life following you around, going to parties, looking decorative, playing the game.’ She looked up and wished she hadn’t. He wasn’t happy.
‘Is that all you think my life is? Some sort of self-serving game ? Do you honestly think I make movies, sing and write songs, make a fortune and keep it all to myself just because I can ?’
He sat down, whipped the pencil out of her hands and held both of her wrists, his face close.
‘Do you know how many charities I support? What organisations I’m involved in? How many fundraisers I attend? How many underprivileged children I’ve been able to help? No, of course you don’t. And if it wasn’t for this game I’m playing, I wouldn’t be able to do any of it.’ He let her go and stood up again.
‘Do you really think I’m that
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