her body beneath his.
“I’m so proud of my girls.” Maureen dabbed a tear from her eye.
Sam shook his head as Nicky disappeared from view. His gaze stayed locked on the runway curtains. “When does Nicky come back out?”
He could hear Maureen counting through the models in her program. “There’s four more designs left in the evening wear section. Nicky’s the eighth model in the daytime category.”
He waited in silence as more women sauntered past them. None of the designs inspired him. Only one woman could do that, and she didn’t want anything to do with him.
He’d never been the type of person to back down from a challenge. And Nicky not only challenged him, she infuriated the hell out of him. After today he was determined to get to the bottom of whatever issues were racing around her beautiful head. What they’d shared together was amazing. What they could have would be even better.
Nicky closed her eyes, tilting her head to catch the last warm rays of the sun. The smell of honey-glazed spare ribs cooking on the barbecue made her smile. She could hear her father laughing at one of Cody’s jokes with granddad, and the chatter of Maureen and Emily, talking about the fashion show. If she tried really hard, she could almost pretend this was just another family barbecue. Except for the birthday boy.
“Mind if I join you?”
She opened one eye, trying to control the surge of heat hitting her body. “Help yourself.”
She watched through half closed eyes as Sam lowered his body into the chair beside hers. He sat back, totally at ease with the world.
In two seconds flat, her peaceful snooze in the sun had been shattered. Her leg twitched, wanting to bolt as far away as possible from Sam Delaney.
“Ask me a question, Nicky. At least then you’ll give the impression of being civil.” He sounded grumpy.
Sitting upright, she glared at the long length of him soaking up the sun. He didn’t look annoyed, in fact he looked positively stress free. Leaning her elbows on her knees, she decided to treat him like a work colleague, instead of the off limits exclusion zone she’d created.
“Okay,” she sighed. There must be some incredibly intelligent question she could ask that didn’t show how frazzled her brain was. “Umm…What did you think of the fashion show?”
A lazy smile slipped across his face. “When did you realize I was there?”
“Maureen waved her hand when I walked past in the black evening gown.” There was no point telling him his gaze had slammed into her body with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. She’d barely caught Maurice’s hand signal before heading back to Flavio, waiting impatiently for his girls to return to the backstage area.
Once she’d disappeared behind the curtain there’d been no time for daydreaming. Emily had rushed her across the room, helping her out of the evening gown and into the daytime outfit. The soft summer dress had floated around Nicky’s legs as she’d moved down the runway, causing quite a stir amongst the fashion divas.
“The fashion show was okay,” he said. “I liked both of Emily’s dresses, but the one you’ve got on is my favorite.”
She didn’t need to look at him to feel the heat in his gaze.
“Here, Nicky.”
She jumped as Emily jammed something on her head. “You’ll get burned if you sit outside without a sunhat on. How far away are you with the meat, dad?”
“Five minutes.”
Emily yelled toward the house, “Five minutes, mom,” then disappeared.
“I’d offer to put sunscreen on you, but I’d probably get growled at.”
Nicky glanced at Sam, trying to work out if he was serious or deluded. Pulling the hat more squarely onto her head, she decided deluded suited his mood better.
“Come on sleepyhead. I’ve only got a few minutes to speak with you, and I want to get this off my chest now.” Grabbing her arm, he hauled her from her seat.
“What do you think you’re
“I’m so proud of my girls.” Maureen dabbed a tear from her eye.
Sam shook his head as Nicky disappeared from view. His gaze stayed locked on the runway curtains. “When does Nicky come back out?”
He could hear Maureen counting through the models in her program. “There’s four more designs left in the evening wear section. Nicky’s the eighth model in the daytime category.”
He waited in silence as more women sauntered past them. None of the designs inspired him. Only one woman could do that, and she didn’t want anything to do with him.
He’d never been the type of person to back down from a challenge. And Nicky not only challenged him, she infuriated the hell out of him. After today he was determined to get to the bottom of whatever issues were racing around her beautiful head. What they’d shared together was amazing. What they could have would be even better.
Nicky closed her eyes, tilting her head to catch the last warm rays of the sun. The smell of honey-glazed spare ribs cooking on the barbecue made her smile. She could hear her father laughing at one of Cody’s jokes with granddad, and the chatter of Maureen and Emily, talking about the fashion show. If she tried really hard, she could almost pretend this was just another family barbecue. Except for the birthday boy.
“Mind if I join you?”
She opened one eye, trying to control the surge of heat hitting her body. “Help yourself.”
She watched through half closed eyes as Sam lowered his body into the chair beside hers. He sat back, totally at ease with the world.
In two seconds flat, her peaceful snooze in the sun had been shattered. Her leg twitched, wanting to bolt as far away as possible from Sam Delaney.
“Ask me a question, Nicky. At least then you’ll give the impression of being civil.” He sounded grumpy.
Sitting upright, she glared at the long length of him soaking up the sun. He didn’t look annoyed, in fact he looked positively stress free. Leaning her elbows on her knees, she decided to treat him like a work colleague, instead of the off limits exclusion zone she’d created.
“Okay,” she sighed. There must be some incredibly intelligent question she could ask that didn’t show how frazzled her brain was. “Umm…What did you think of the fashion show?”
A lazy smile slipped across his face. “When did you realize I was there?”
“Maureen waved her hand when I walked past in the black evening gown.” There was no point telling him his gaze had slammed into her body with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. She’d barely caught Maurice’s hand signal before heading back to Flavio, waiting impatiently for his girls to return to the backstage area.
Once she’d disappeared behind the curtain there’d been no time for daydreaming. Emily had rushed her across the room, helping her out of the evening gown and into the daytime outfit. The soft summer dress had floated around Nicky’s legs as she’d moved down the runway, causing quite a stir amongst the fashion divas.
“The fashion show was okay,” he said. “I liked both of Emily’s dresses, but the one you’ve got on is my favorite.”
She didn’t need to look at him to feel the heat in his gaze.
“Here, Nicky.”
She jumped as Emily jammed something on her head. “You’ll get burned if you sit outside without a sunhat on. How far away are you with the meat, dad?”
“Five minutes.”
Emily yelled toward the house, “Five minutes, mom,” then disappeared.
“I’d offer to put sunscreen on you, but I’d probably get growled at.”
Nicky glanced at Sam, trying to work out if he was serious or deluded. Pulling the hat more squarely onto her head, she decided deluded suited his mood better.
“Come on sleepyhead. I’ve only got a few minutes to speak with you, and I want to get this off my chest now.” Grabbing her arm, he hauled her from her seat.
“What do you think you’re
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