Anne Rainey - Touching Lace (3 page)

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

Anne Rainey

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?
Touching Lace

Chapter Two

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

Anne Rainey

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.

“What’s wrong with me that men find it so easy to dump all over me?” Lacey’s question surprised him. She dropped her spoon in her bowl where it made a loud clang then crossed her arms over her chest and continued her angry outburst. “Why can’t I seem to hold a guy’s attention for more than a few pathetic months?”

First, Nick wanted to shout with glee because she hadn’t loved the idiot. Second, he wanted badly to shake her and rattle some sense into her. She’d damn well held
his
attention for a lot longer than a few meager months. But he’d only scare her away.

“You’re not to examine yourself over this guy, Lace.” He dropped his own spoon, pulled her arms apart and entwined their fingers. “There isn’t a damn thing wrong with you. It’s the men you date. They aren’t worth the air you breathe, baby.”

Lacey only shook her head in denial. “No, Nick, that’s not true. They can’t all be losers.” She gave him a half-smile. “Though I appreciate your undying loyalty.”

“It’s not loyalty.” She didn’t look convinced, so he changed tactics. “You say it’s you, right?” She shrugged, neither confirming nor denying. “Then explain to me what it is you think is wrong with you.”

Nick began to stroke his thumb over her wrist and he could feel the quickening of her pulse as it jumped wildly. As if uncomfortable, Lacey took back one of her hands, and he very nearly groaned aloud.

“It’s a little complicated.”

Nick frowned. She was keeping something from him. He could always tell. Lacey was never very good at deceit. She gave herself away every time by looking down toward the ground. “Uncomplicate it for me then.”

She tilted her head. “Is that even a word?”

“Don’t change the subject. Explain why you think every man you date ends up bored.”

Touching Lace

A pretty bloom of pink filled Lacey’s cheeks at his personal question. Even as close as they were, he was still a guy, thus making such a conversation uncomfortable. This time he wasn’t going to let it slide. Nick wouldn’t allow her to bury her head. Lacey knew him like no one else, which meant she knew deep, meaningful conversations didn’t

scare him off the way they did most men. Hell, with Lacey, going deep was a damned pleasure.

“I don’t think I’m very good in bed. There, is that plain enough for you?” Lacey’s words were so rushed Nick would have missed half of what she said if he

wasn’t so attuned to her. Luckily, Lacey couldn’t lose an eyelash without him taking notice.

Of all the reasons for her sudden lack of confidence, that had never once crossed his mind. Now he knew for sure she was picking the wrong men. Lacey’s feisty attitude and easy sensuality would make her nothing short of explosive in bed. Hell, a man would have to be blind not to see the passion and fire that simmered just beneath the surface. It would take years for a man to get bored with a woman like her. Nick suspected she didn’t have a single problem, but how could he prove it to her?

It was true a sensual and uninhibited woman like Lacey could intimidate someone like Evan. Even cause him to turn to a woman like the overblown and too obvious Christy. The loser probably needed to be in control to stoke his ego. Yep, the guys Lacey chose were clearly wusses. Otherwise, they’d know what to do with the dark-haired beauty who fairly shouted
flaming hot sex!

Her sexual confidence had been shaken and it pissed him off enough to want to pay a little visit to Evan the Dickhead. And that’s when a plan began to form.

She didn’t think she could heat up the sheets worth a damn. Well, who better to teach her how completely wrong she was than a man she already cared for and trusted? He mentally squashed the little voice in his head, which vigorously shouted to him just how wrong this plan of his could go. Now to convince the stubborn and hardheaded Lacey Vaughn that her good buddy always knew best.

Anne Rainey

“Lace, look at me.” He waited for her eyes to meet his. “I think I know how to get you over your silly insecurities.”

“Believe me, I’m all for any advice you can give me. It’s pretty clear I need help.” He pretended to consider her problem then he leaned in closer until he was a mere

breath away. He could smell her clean scent; she wasn’t all perfumed like most women he dated. It seemed he never got enough of Lacey’s fresh femininity.

Very softly, so as not to spook her, he said, “What you need is a healthy dose of sexual confidence.”

She looked ready to bolt. Oh, Lacey wasn’t shy, not with two rowdy older brothers to learn from, but neither was she comfortable discussing sex so openly.

“You said yourself you aren’t very…adept at mattress calisthenics,” he said. She covered her mouth, chuckling at his description. He loved the way her face lit up

just for him. At least he liked to think it was just for him. “What would you say to me giving you a few private lessons?”

In a rather strangled voice, Lacey asked, “Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Nick?”

He sighed, beyond frustrated, and growled out, “I don’t think I quite like the skeptical look on your pretty face. Hell, most women find me rather handsome. Even sexy and charming. Yet you look right through me as if I’m sexless. Damn it, Lace. I want you to see me as a man. A man you can’t resist.”

He pushed their long forgotten cappuccinos aside, grabbed her arms and pulled her until she was half lying on the little table between them then kissed her. It wasn’t a gentle, friendly peck, either, like the kind he usually gave her. This kiss was hard, demanding. A searing meeting of lips meant to drive his point home in the most basic

way possible.

He hadn’t known she would taste so good. He hadn’t been prepared for her. Her mouth was deliciously addicting. This was what he’d been missing in every single one of his other relationships. This was the woman he’d been aching to have.