Sloane finished the rest of the Scotch in one long drink, set the empty glass on the wet bar, then met Nathan’s gaze once again. “Tell you what. I’m having a small, intimate get-together at my estate this weekend. Why don’t you come and bring Nikki and we’ll see what we can find for you. I’m sure there will be someone there to your liking.”
Nathan didn’t want to seem overeager and remained quiet long enough to let Sloane believe he was considering the offer. The Town Car slowed, and Nathan had to make a commitment.
“All right,” he finally said. “Nikki and I will be there.”
“Excellent.” Sloane gave him a satisfied smile. “How does Nikki feel about a trade?”
Refusing to think about Sloane touching Nicole, Nathan kept up the pretense of a man who had his woman under his control. “Don’t worry about Nikki. She’ll do whatever I ask her to.”
“That’s my kind of girl,” Sloane murmured, just as his driver opened the door for him to exit. “I’ll have my assistant, Gwen, contact you by cell phone with the address of the estate, and I’ll see you and Nikki Friday afternoon.”
Sloane stepped from the vehicle, and Nathan waited until the door slammed shut after him before exhaling a deep, tension-filled breath of air.
There were in again, and this time they had to make it count.
Chapter Fourteen
Nicole pushed open the glass door leading into the offices of The Las Vegas Commentary with her hip, since she held two large vanilla lattes in her hands.
As much as she wasn’t looking forward to attending the biweekly, mandatory editorial meeting that morning, she was glad to be out of Nathan’s apartment for a few hours. She hated being cooped up so much, and with the two of them heading off to Sloane’s estate tomorrow afternoon for what was likely to be a very intense weekend, Nicole welcomed the chance to relax and be herself among co-workers and friends.
She smiled and said a cheerful hello to the receptionist, then made her way through a maze of bland gray partitions until she reached Michelle’s small cubicle, which was located right next to Nicole’s. While her friend had opted to personalize her little makeshift office with pictures of her fiancé Robert, flowers and knickknacks, Nicole’s looked barren in comparison. There was a standard desk and a docking station for her laptop computer, but nothing else to indicate the alcove was anything other than a temporary work space.
For the most part, Nicole preferred to research and write her features outside the main office, and luckily her assignments didn’t require she spend a whole lot of time in her cramped cubicle. And in this wonderful day and age of sending in her articles via e-mail attachments, as she’d done with her online dating feature and the commentary on Preston Sloane’s involvement with the new women’s shelter, she only needed to be present for any required meetings.
Nicole waited for Michelle to finish the call she was on. As soon as she hung up, Nicole stepped forward with her offering. “Hey, girlfriend. I brought you some liquid fortitude for the editorial meeting.”
Michelle spun around in her chair, her eyes bright with gratitude. “You are a goddess, ” she said with a grin, and wrapped her fingers around the paper cup before taking a long sip of the sweetened latte.
Closing her eyes, she moaned her pleasure as she savored the coffee drink, and Nicole laughed at her friend’s enthusiastic display.
“That’s almost as good as sex,” Michelle teased, and licked a splotch of foam from her upper lip. “How did you know I desperately needed caffeine this morning?”
Nicole shrugged. “Lucky guess.” And she just knew her friend that well. It didn’t matter the time of day-Michelle always appreciated a cup of designer coffee.
Michelle set the cup down on her desk, her gaze turning soft and sincere. “I’ve missed having you around. The apartment is so quiet and lonely without you.”
As much as she enjoyed Michelle’s friendship, Nicole realized she’d settled into a comfortable routine with Nathan in the short time they’d been living together. Too comfortable, if the sudden rapid beating of her heart was any indication.
She’d grown used to having her meals with Nathan, used to sleeping with him throughout the night, and used to their easy conversations, which encompassed a wide variety of topics they sometimes agreed upon, and other times argued about. But even those debates she found stimulating and invigorating because he challenged her intellectually and respected her opinions.
She told herself the familiarity was a result of their proximity, and indulging in the hottest sex of her life on a regular basis was a perk of their agreement. Yet there were times she caught him watching her doing mundane things around the apartment, his gaze so warm and caring she experienced a deep, inexplicable yearning for something more.
At certain times, he made her feel weak-not physically, but emotionally, deep in her heart where it mattered the most. And that realization literally scared the crap out of the strong, independent woman she’d become when she’d sworn she would never allow a man to have that kind of control over her feelings ever again.
Realizing that her mind had traveled down a road better off not traveled, she refocused on Michelle and the discussion they’d been having.
“I thought you and Robert would be taking advantage of the fact that I haven’t been at the apartment,” Nicole teased, and took a drink of her vanilla latte, which was finally the perfect temperature.
A blush swept over Michelle’s cheeks. “Oh, we have, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t missed you.”
“I’ll be back before you know it,” she said, and immediately dismissed the deep pang in her chest at the thought of leaving Nathan behind. But she would, just as soon as they both finished the job they’d promised to do. “Hopefully after this weekend.”
“Really?” Michelle asked, the one word brimming with a wealth of questions she didn’t dare voice with so many inquiring ears around.
“We’re heading out to the estate tomorrow,” Nicole told her, knowing her friend would figure out exactly what that meant.
Michelle stared at her with unmistakable concern in her eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Absolutely.” Nicole had come this far, and she wasn’t going to back out now.
Knowing there was nothing she could say or do to change Nicole’s decision, Michelle didn’t bother arguing, which Nicole appreciated.
She was ready and willing to do whatever it took to bring Sloane down. She wanted an exposé on Sloane so badly she could taste it, but she also realized that safely retrieving Angela was their main priority. The possibility that Nicole could walk away from all this without a story was a risk she was willing to take if it meant giving even one girl a real future.
Michelle leaned back in her chair and picked up her latte again. “So, how is Tall, Dark, and Handsome?”
Nicole smiled at the nickname her friend had given Nathan. “He’s good,” she replied nonchalantly, certain she knew where Michelle was heading with her line of questioning.
Michelle regarded Nicole speculatively. Having met Nathan a few times, her good friend insisted there was more than just a sexual spark there.
“Is anything serious going to come of all this between the two of you?” she asked optimistically.
“Of course not,” Nicole said, and meant it, but her friend didn’t look as convinced. “Look, he’s a great guy, and I’m enjoying my time with him. But we have a common goal, and once it’s met, we’re going our separate ways.”