Fugitive Heart

chapter Fifteen


Wiping the paint from Ames took much longer than was strictly necessary. They stripped and stood naked in the middle of the drop cloth in the master bedroom, then slowly reacquainted themselves with each other’s bodies. Every generous curve of Ames’s frame was territory to be reclaimed. Nick slid his hands over smooth skin, smearing paint rather than removing it, feeling the texture and warmth of the woman he’d missed so much over the past weeks.

Back in New York for the interviews with Giordano, Nick had readjusted to the city at once. As he waited to cross Canal Street, it seemed to him that his interlude in Arnesdale had been a dream, with Ames the only bright spot in a nightmare.

But texts and phone calls had assured him he hadn’t imagined her or the offbeat town where he now owned a home. He wanted to explain it to her, tell her about the moment he knew where he belonged, but now he had more important things to attend to, like thoroughly kissing Ames.

Nick plunged a hand into her hair, holding her head steady so he could kiss her even deeper. Her curls coiled around his fingers, refusing to let go when he at last pulled away. Together they sank to their knees on the stained drop cloth, kissing, touching, rubbing skin against skin.

“Oh yes, right there,” Ames murmured as he kissed along her clavicle and teased her nipples to rigid points with his fingers. “And there,” she squeaked when he snaked one hand down between her legs.

He looked at her beautiful face, the half-closed eyes and parted lips signaling her desire. “Miss me?”

“Not much. I’ve been busy.” She gasped when he tickled her *.

“Me too. I hardly thought of you at all—no more than twenty-three hours of every day.” He moved his mouth to her breasts, taking the fullness into his mouth, sucking on her nipples until she moaned.

Her soft, feminine sounds made him hard as granite, but he continued to play it light. “Broke the lease on my apartment and took care of some other stuff,” he murmured against her belly as he laid her back on the floor.

“Yeah? I, uh, replaced the flooring.” She settled onto her back with a sigh and stretched out, legs apart. Nick wanted nothing more than to lie in the cradle of her hips and plunge deep inside her, but instead he nuzzled lower, inhaling the scent of her sex.

“Looks good,” he grunted. “The place feels like home.” He flicked his tongue over her *, and Ames arched her back, lifting into his touch.

Nick slid his hands around the backs of her thighs, lifting and parting her legs farther, spreading her wide.

Ames gazed down at him with lust-glazed eyes but managed to murmur, “Home? You back to stay, then?”

“Got a job in Madison.”

“What?” Her eyes opened wide, and she pushed up on her elbows. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Just found out. There was no point in mentioning it if the thing fell through.” He bent his head for another taste of her, but Ames grabbed hold of his hair and hauled him up.

“Not now. Tell me about it.”

“I was in New York, drinking out of a paper cup. You know? Starbucks, actually. And I thought, this is all I’d leave behind. I want to leave something real after I die.”

“What?” Her swollen mouth parted, and he had to move up to kiss her again, keeping his hand cupped over her moist p-ssy, marking his place.

She prodded him and said, “Explain.”

“Damn.” He squeezed her thigh. “Can’t we just—”

“Explain fast and we can get back to this.” She slid her hand over his belly, encircling his erection.

He gave an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. I skimmed life. My job was good. I like that. But what I missed, until I met you, was something real and lasting. Like the good clay cups that are real. I drank from that cup, saw all the thousands of others in the trash, and just…poof. I understood.” He slid back down between her legs. He expected he wasn’t making a lot of sense, but with all this wonderful Ames spread like a feast for him to enjoy, he wanted to get to the main course.

“So you got a job out here?”

“This is where I saw my real life.”

“Wow.” She brought her legs together, blocking his access, and he sighed again. Wasn’t this sort of talk supposed to get the woman to open up, literally?

“Nick, God. It’s so—so amazing. Tell me, where will you work?”

“Aw, Ames. More talking?” But he liked that she wanted to listen.

She grinned down at him and stroked his cheek. He rested his head on her thigh and gazed up at her face. “Okay. My new job. After I tell you the deets on that, I expect you to hold still and let me have my way with you.”

She giggled. “Oh, heck yeah. Go on.”

“I thought I’d get a spot at Baraboo’s Circus museum, but the place that hired me is relatively new, and it’s focused on the history of daily life, which is more up my alley.”

“Coffee cups,” she murmured.

He snorted. “It’s not too far from the university. The collection manager is moving on to bigger waters in New York, of all places, so a spot just opened. I’ll be in charge of things instead of working for someone else, for a change.” Nick didn’t mention that the income was a fairly substantial cut for him. Considering the cheap cost of living here compared to New York, it wasn’t that bad. Besides, Ames didn’t really need to know what he was giving up—which was nothing compared to what he’d gained by finding her.

“Nick, I’m so glad.” She reached for him, and he moved into her embrace. Yeah. This was almost perfect. If only she’d open her legs again.

“I’ve been worrying every day what you’d do for a living if you stayed here. I didn’t see how you could do it. But Madison’s only an hour away.” She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “Are you sure, though? Is this what you want? Is it a good fit?” She looked so worried, he wondered if she meant were they a good fit, Ames and Nick. Hell, yeah. But he’d answer the question she’d asked.

“Absolutely. Lots of opportunities to transform exhibits to something more interactive. I don’t have the local contacts, but for once, fundraising isn’t the bulk of my job. There’s more to Wisconsin than badgers and lumber barons.”

She chuckled. “You sound like an indignant native already.”

He gave her a light kiss on the mouth. “But I kinda wish I hadn’t brought it up right now. I finished my, uh, oral report, and you owe me. Can we please go back to welcoming each other home before we lose momentum?”

Ames glanced down at his hard-on pressing against the outside of her thigh. “Don’t think there’s much chance of that,” she teased, reaching down to give him a stroke.

Nick pushed her gently onto her back again and resumed his position between her legs. He licked and nibbled until Ames was writhing beneath him—just the way he liked her. He brought her right up to the edge, and when he gauged she was about to plummet over, he backed off, leaving her arching up and whining.

“Please,” she whimpered.

“Not yet.” His glance fell on the can of red paint. An opportunity like this was rare. He dipped a finger into the smooth liquid and trailed it over Ames’s body.

He half expected some snarky comment about finger painting, but she held utterly still, belly twitching and breath hitching as he drew tribal designs on her flesh. The contrast of the deep red against her pale skin was dramatic—erotic and arousing, not that he needed any extra encouragement right now. His cock strained against the air in its need to plunge into her.

By the time he’d filled the canvas of her skin to his satisfaction, Ames was quivering, her pelvis rocking slightly in anticipation. She looked so amazing this way, decorated and desirous, that he wished he had a camera, but instead Nick took a mental picture to file away.

She held out her arms. “Come now. Let’s see if I leave a print on you.”

He needed no more encouragement and quickly put on a condom, then lay over her. The paint slid smoothly between them except in places where it was beginning to grow tacky as it dried.

“Hm, maybe not so sexy after all,” he murmured against her paint-stained cheek.

“No. It’s sexy.” Her fingers dug into his ass and hauled him against her. His cock slid home, and Nick groaned with relief.

He pushed deep, thrilled at Ames’s quiet gasp near his ear, withdrew and thrust again. The rhythm of lovemaking was as ancient as the flow of tides, nothing new about it, and yet everything new every time with Ames. Nick hadn’t been much of a believer in the concept of finding someone special. He’d been through a number of women in his life and hadn’t caught a glimpse of what the fuss was about. Now it was as if an avalanche had come down on him, and he totally got all the talk of “love”.

“Nick.”

Her murmur of his name made something swell through him that was far more powerful than mere lust. Hard to put a finger on what it was exactly. All he knew was that he craved more of it. He could never get enough of that feeling.

“Ames,” he whispered back.

“Nick, you’re pulling my hair,” she said. “Could you move your hand an inch or two?”

He chuckled at his misreading of the moment and moved his hand. But the humor only added to the feeling of rightness he had with Ames. She was exactly who he wanted, now and forever.

Tension tightened inside him with every push, pulled like a wire to the breaking point, and then suddenly it broke. Pleasure exploded through him, and he shuddered as he came.

He continued to move inside her. Feeling Ames coming so close to the edge, he wasn’t going to leave her hanging there. And then she made a funny high-pitched yip and bucked against him. Ah, there it was.

Her greedy hands continued to clutch his rear, holding him tight inside her with every clenching muscle until they both came back down to earth. Nick opened his eyes and looked into her bright blue gaze. She smiled, and his heart flip-flopped.

“By the way, I like what you’ve done with the place,” he said.

He pushed a loop of hair from her forehead—she had such cheerful, energetic curls. She grinned up at him. “You even like the red? I was afraid it was a little too much even for one wall.”

“Love the red. And every time I walk into this room, I’ll remember how the color looked on you.”

She glanced down at their bodies, fused together by paint. “Sticky. We’d better shower before it dries on any more.”

Nick got up and held out a hand to help Ames to her feet. They were both smeared with wine red and looked a little like accident victims. The image of blood brought him back to the moment when he’d seen Ames approaching and he’d thought for an instant the red on her hands and spattered on her clothing was blood. He’d come too close to losing her too many times already. Something about seeing the woman he loved held at gunpoint made a man want to not waste any time.

He grabbed her hand as she turned to head to the bathroom. “Wait. Ames, I know I’m jumping the gun. We hardly know each other. Hell, we’ve only been on one date.”

“Two. The restaurant,” she reminded him.

“All right. Two, and that’s no basis to plunge into something, but… I can’t imagine living in this house without you. It was always yours. I just happened to move in. And if you want, you can be the one to buy this place.”

“What? You bought the place. That’s what Marty said Jennifer told Richard.” She laughed. “Okay, that sounded really strange. And talk about hearsay.”

“I signed on for a rent-to-own land contract. I’d planned to back out, but now I don’t want to. Will you consider giving up your apartment and moving in with me?”



Marty had warned her not to be impetuous when Nick returned. If Nick returned, Marty kept saying. And Ames had promised to be wise. She would date the man and see where it led. No head-over-heels jumping for her, she’d promised her friend.

But now Nick was standing here, streaked with red paint and asking her if she wanted to change her life completely. Ames, the woman who never took risks, who hadn’t even made it to the east coast to visit New York in all these years of dreaming.

Nick had taken a huge leap and now held out his hand and asked her to jump too. He was reckless, comfortable with violence, and she barely knew him.

But she loved him and trusted him completely. “Yes. Yes, please,” she said.

He drew her with him to the newly remodeled master bathroom. Ames cringed as they left traces of red on the pristine white tile, which had only just been installed, but it washed away once Nick turned on the shower.

Watching the pink water swirl around the drain, Ames couldn’t help but think of all the bloodshed that had swirled around her and Nick and how close both of them had come to being killed because of her brother’s crime.

Nick’s warm arms pulled her back against his hard body. Jets of water beat down on both their heads as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “What are you thinking?”

“That life’s really fragile. And short. And that my brother’s a real a*shole.”

“He kinda is. That postcard you told me about. What a dick,” Nick agreed, hugging her tight. They rocked together under the stream of water. She heaved a sigh of contentment.

He must not have understood her happy sigh, because he slid his hands up and down her wet sides and said, “Ames? You’re so quiet. Maybe I shouldn’t have sprung the idea of moving in first thing. That was wrong.”

She looked at him over her shoulder, blinking the rivulets of water from her eyes. “No, it wasn’t wrong. I know exactly where you’re coming from after what we’ve both been through. When something feels so right, it seems stupid to postpone it.”

“Exactly. I want you in my life in every way starting like yesterday.” He reached for the brand-new puff and shower gel Ames had placed in the shower, worked up a lather and began to wash Ames’s back. The scratch of the puff felt good, but not nearly as good as Nick’s hand rubbing behind it.

His fingers slid over her back and sides, working her muscles under the slippery gel. The puff skittered down her leg and dropped to the shower floor as he curved his hands around her, pulled her back against him again.

She wiggled her hips and gave a breathless laugh when he growled in her ear. They made it out of the shower before the water grew icy, and made love on a damp pile of towels and bedding.

Afterwards, he opened his eyes and gave her a heavy-lidded smile. “Hey, I can see you’re starting in with the doubts. Just so you know, I don’t usually leave damp towels lying on the floor or bed.”

She got out of the bed, grabbed one of the offending towels and draped it over the bedstead. A cool draft touched her naked skin, which seemed to be more sensitive now, as if Nick’s touch had awakened more nerve endings. She sat on the edge of the bed and watched the muscles move under his golden skin. Before she could be distracted by his torso, she directed her gaze back to his eyes. “It’s more than that,” she said.

The lazy smile vanished. “Go on.”

“No, I don’t mean it’s bad. It’s just that maybe we should have one of those conversations you’re supposed to have when you’re dating. We’ve done the future, and I like that. But we skipped a few of the ones about the past.”

“I understand.” His grim expression vanished, but the easy smile didn’t return. He rolled onto his back and shoved his hands behind his head, the picture of a guy not exactly excited about talking but ready to be honest. “So, okay. The past is a pain. But at least I’ve sorta put it where it belongs.”

“What do you mean?”

“While I was back home in New York last week, I went and talked to my parents,” Nick said slowly. “I’ve been avoiding them for years, but I figured out you can’t run away from your family any more than you can your name. Ross or Rossi, it doesn’t matter. We can’t cut ourselves off from the family tree. So I decided to make peace before I left the city.”

“I’m glad. Do you think that means your past isn’t going to haunt you?”

“Not any more than anyone else’s past.”

She hesitated. “What about the Espositos?”

“I doubt they care about me.” He shrugged. “I’m not a real threat to them, unfortunately.”

“Why unfortunate? Do you wish you could bring them down?”

He wrinkled his nose, an endearingly boyish look. “Yeah, I used to. But I’ve never had enough dirt on them. And, well, I’m not willing to sacrifice my life to vengeance. I got better things to do.” The smile he directed at her had more than a touch of cocky interest. He allowed his bright gaze to travel up and down her body.

She smirked and turned her attention to his growing erection. “Yes indeed, we have a lot of work in front of us here.”

He snickered and stretched his arms high over his head. “I volunteer.”

Ames stroked his arm. “How much time do you have to do your part? Are you going to be able to stay with me that long?”

His grin widened as he reached for her “Hey, I’m in it for the long haul. Leading a life together will require both of us. Getting started on that is number one on my to-do list, and it’s easier when you’re with me. ”

Despite his big smile, his words, along with the warmth in those dark eyes seemed serious, as if he’d just made a vow.

“You really mean it. You’re going stick around Arnesdale.”

“Hell, yeah.”

She let him pull her into a hug. She buried her nose into the crook of his neck, memorizing the smell under the soap. She made a soft sound of discovery and pleasure. More than that. Pure happiness flooded her.

“Nick,” she said. “I’m in love with you.”

His arms went tight around her. “That’s what I like to hear. I’m wild about you.”

“Do you suppose we’ll be happy?

“Yup. Wait, make that a ‘hell, yes’.”

She squeezed him then drew back to study his face. Her brows must have been furrowed because he asked, “So? Do you have another question?” Not really—and then she thought of one. “What’ll happen to Sam Allen now that you don’t have to hide?”

“He’s gone, poor guy. Maybe I could sell that name and ID. In these days of homeland security and Internet checks, it’s hard to buy a good false identity.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

His naked skin warmed her, tempted her to draw close so nothing lay between them. His fingers threaded through her hair. “Yes. I’m kidding. I won’t so much as jaywalk for the rest of my life. Now that I’m not hiding from anyone or anything anymore I don’t want to be more than a law-abiding citizen.”

She had to kiss him then. As he pulled her close and deepened the kiss, she decided they had time enough to discover more about each other.