A Night To Remember

She wanted him to love her.

It was going to break her heart to leave him, but a clean break was better than a slow disintegration. She couldn’t go on not knowing where she stood with him. Or if she even had a chance of reaching him.

He needed her, she thought wistfully, remembering the loneliness she saw so often in his beautiful eyes. But could he ever admit it?

He hadn’t even told her how he really felt about her moving into an apartment. Every time she tried to discuss it with him, he went quiet and distant again. She wanted to believe it was because he didn’t want her to go. But how could she know that for certain unless he told her?

“Nicky?”

She turned at the sound of her name, and then forced a smile when she identified the speaker. Carole Cooper was Norvell McClain’s niece. Nicky had met Carole several times through the McClains, but had never been particularly fond of the other woman, whom she considered a bit of a snob.

“Hello, Carole. How are you?”

Carole tossed her long, blond hair away from her pampered, baby-doll face. “Fine, thanks. And you?”

Nicky turned away from the black nightie. “just great.”

Carole lifted an eyebrow. “What’s this I hear about you being involved with Andrew Tyler?”

“You’ve been talking to Joyce.”

“Yes. And others. Everyone’s talking about how you met Andrew at the club New Year’s Eve and moved in with him the next day.”

Nicky felt her cheeks grow warm. “It wasn’t exactly like that.”

It sounded so tawdry when Carole said it. Nicky wanted desperately to believe there was more to it. Had all the New Year’s magic been on her side?

“But you are involved with him?”

“Well—yes,” Nicky admitted. For another week, at least, she thought.

Carole shook her head in apparent amazement. “I have to admit I’m surprised. I wouldn’t have thought he was your type.”

Nicky lifted an eyebrow. “Do you know him?”

“Of course. We’re often at the same social functions,” Carole replied airily. “I’ve always found him rather cold and unfriendly, myself.”

Tightening her grip on her purse, Nicky fought back a surge of anger. “Have you?” she asked coolly.

“Face it, Nicky, the guy has the personality of a rock. Everyone says so. That’s why everyone thought it was so interesting that he latched on to you the way he has. It’s the first time in collective memory that Andrew’s ever done anything impetuous.”

Nicky truly hated the supercilious slant to Carole’s trill of laughter. She wondered if there was a reason the other woman was so vitriolic about Andrew. Had she once tried to catch his attention? It wouldn’t surprise Nicky. After all, Carole had been openly angling for a wealthy husband since her twenty-first birthday, five full years ago.

In unconscious echo of Nicky’s thoughts, Carole said, “He is very rich, of course, and reportedly getting richer every day with that company his daddy set him up in. I can certainly see how a woman might find that appealing—especially one who’s never had much money herself.”

Nicky’s temper bubbled closer to the surface. “I am not after Andrew’s money, Carole,” she said tightly.

Carole seemed oblivious to Nicky’s anger. “Good. To be honest, your chances of getting it are slim. He was engaged before, you know, to a friend of mine. Ashley Lindstrom. They’d known each other forever, since both came from the same social circles, and everyone thought it was a good match. But Ashley bailed out. He kept putting off the wedding date, and she said he took her totally for granted. All he could think about was his work, and he almost lived at his office. She said it was like being engaged to a robot. She’s not even sure he’s capable of really loving anyone.

“She even said,” Carole added, lowering her voice to a salacious whisper, “that he was no more fun in bed than he is out of it.”

Nicky drew herself up to her full height, her chin up, eyes narrowed. “Obviously your friend has a different idea of fun than I do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have several things to do this afternoon. See you around, Carole.” But not if I can help it, she added silently as she made her escape.

She hadn’t known Andrew had been engaged. Of course, having known him less than two full weeks, there were many things she didn’t know about him. Things he hadn’t allowed her to know.

Had he loved his fiancée? Had the woman finally given up on hoping he would show her? Did he see Nicole as merely a suitable replacement for his former fiancée—another soft body to warm his bed and keep him company when he had nothing better to do?

She would be no more agreeable to that than the resentful Ashley had been.