Touching Lace (Vaughn)

“Okay, I’m ready. But I warn you I’m not the best company tonight.”

Nick turned at the hesitant sound in Lacey’s voice. She was wearing a little pink t-shirt and jeans. Tight jeans. Christ, she had nice legs. But the slump in her shoulders was enough to stop his raging hormones in their tracks.

Nick crossed the room, pulled her into the cradle of his arms and rubbed the top of her head with his lips. “You don’t need to be on good behavior around me, Lace. Remember that.”

“Thanks, Nick. You’re always such a good friend to me,” she said softly, clearly meaning every word. “You can’t know how much that means.”

He felt those words like a kick in the gut. Damn it, he didn’t want to be her buddy. He wanted to be her lover. The very best lover she’d ever had. But she never saw him that way, not even from the beginning of their relationship. Well, after tonight she would. He’d see to it. Things were going to change.

He pulled back and cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. “After the movie, you and I are going to have a little chat. Whether you want to or not, Lacey Jean.”

Uh-oh, things were getting serious, he was calling her Lacey Jean. A rarity for Nick. Although she couldn’t even begin to guess at what could be so important. He was always joking and laughing with her. She didn’t see this side of him often. Her stomach did a little flip at the intensity in his eyes and the deep tone of his voice. He really was very handsome. So tall and strong. She could easily see why women found him so appealing, so sexy.

Whoa there, girl. This is Nick, remember? Your very best friend in the world, whom you dearly love. She didn’t dare wreck that by getting all hot. Rebound stuff, nothing more. She was just feeling raw tonight.

But when she went to retrieve her purse, she could swear she felt his gaze on her backside. Dang, she must have been feeling more vulnerable than she thought if she was imagining Nick eyeing her in that way. He treated her like a little sister, not an attractive female. Which was just fine by her; she didn’t need to start seeing things that weren’t there.

Lacey grabbed her keys, slung her purse on her shoulder, and they left the apartment. They argued over who was going to drive, as usual. Nick won, which wasn’t so usual. Lacey knew she wasn’t herself when she put up only a token protest.

Twenty minutes later, Lacey sat next to Nick in the dark theater, their gazes glued to the beautiful actress on the screen. A particularly nasty part in the movie had her jumping in her seat and Nick reached over and took her hand. At first, his touch felt familiar and comforting, but when he brought her hand to the top of his thigh and held it there, something altogether different raced through her body.

His muscular leg was firm beneath her fingertips, and her hand automatically began to stroke and knead. He must have liked what she was doing because she swore he groaned. It was the kind of guttural sound that made her think of naked bodies and tangled sheets. Darn it, she was doing it again. Going where she shouldn’t be going—sexual territory—and it was strictly off-limits for her and Nick.

Lacey attempted to yank her hand away, but he wouldn’t let go. Finally, she took a deep breath, turned and looked into his eyes. She was stunned at what she saw there.

Desire. Dark, deep, sexual heat. For her?

How could that be? Nick had never acted even remotely attracted to her. He’d teased and flirted, but that was a guy being a guy. Was she only seeing what she wanted to see? No, that wasn’t it. She knew when a man was turned on and Nick was definitely turned on. She simply didn’t know what to make of this new turn in their relationship.

Then, to her continued surprise, Lacey watched as Nick’s lips slowly tilted upward, as if daring her to carry on with her exploration. When she stayed still and unmoving, he released her. Okay, he wasn’t going to force the issue. Part of her was glad.

Part of her wasn’t.

She leaned back in her seat and desperately tried to become engulfed once again in the cheesy horror, but she couldn’t get her mind off that gaze. The fiery intensity and his challenging grin afterwards. He’d be something in bed, no doubt. Hmm, she wondered what he’d meant earlier when he’d said they were going to have a little chat.

Lacey wasn’t sure she could handle a man like Nick. Panic crept in at the thought of being on the receiving end of someone with such a passionate nature. If there was one thing she knew about herself, it was that she was a total sissy when it came to alpha males. And Nick was every bit the alpha.

It hadn’t bothered her before, because with her, he was always laid back and easy going, but she’d seen him when he was attracted to a woman. He could be downright ruthless. Nick would effortlessly toss convention and political correctness to the wind and do whatever was necessary until he got what he wanted.

The question Lacey couldn’t get out of her mind was, what did Nick want now?

Chapter Two

They sat in Turro’s, a little coffee shop close to Lacey’s apartment, eating apple cobbler and drinking cap

puccinos. She was being so meek and quiet. Nick couldn’t help but smile. She was never meek and rarely quiet. His little maneuver in the theater had gotten to her. Good, let her ponder it a bit, wonder at his motives. Lord knew he had been pondering and wondering over his attraction to her for what seemed like an eternity. She owed him.

Nick decided to start with the topic of her recent break up. “So, as you already know I got the low down from your mom about Evan, but I’m all ears if you want to talk about it.”

Lacey looked up sharply, her pretty blue eyes revealing just the slightest hint of pain. Had he misread her relationship with the dickhead? Could it be she had real feelings for him? He’d thought she was more upset over the loss of her friendship with Christy than losing Evan. Now he wasn’t sure.

Nick reached across the scarred wood table and just barely touched her fingers. “Did you love him, Lace?” He nearly got sick at the thought of her wasting those kinds of feelings on a loser like Evan, but he needed to know what he was up against.

Lacey’s easily given kindness shone in her gorgeous eyes. He knew she was seeing her best friend in the whole world sitting across from her. She probably saw the worry he felt staring back. Her sweet smile was the same as always and had the same impact to his libido as ever. As usual, Nick hid his unfriend-like reaction, and he hated it.

“No, I didn’t love Evan.” She wrinkled her nose. “I guess that’s the saddest part. I didn’t even feel the slightest bit hurt when I caught them sponging each other up.” She laughed, and his body reacted to the throaty sound. “Oh, Nick, you should have seen them. Their ridiculous expressions, so shocked, and all I could think was ‘oh well, saves me the trouble of dumping him’.” She tried to laugh again, but sobered instead. Her expression beat at him.

His Lace was feeling a cruel stab of insecurity, and he hated it. She looked down at her cobbler; like him, she’d all but forgotten it.