Aggie nodded. “I was eight, but I tried to take her place. My dad hired a housekeeper, but she didn’t do things right, she didn’t do things the way my mom had. So, I started cooking and cleaning and doing the laundry. I thought that if my dad saw that I could do all those things, that I could take care of our family like my mom had, then that would be enough. That he wouldn’t feel like he needed another wife. But I wasn't good enough.” Tears began to spill out, dripping onto Nick’s bare chest.
“Honey, please don’t cry again. I hate to see you so upset. Youweregood enough, youaregood enough, you weren’t the reason your dad got married again. It wasn't because you didn’t do a good enough job of taking care of your family. I don’t know why he felt he needed to get remarried so quickly after his wife’s death, but I do know that it wasn't anything to do with you. Because you are the sweetest, strongest, smartest, most beautiful woman I've ever met. You're perfect.”
Hooking an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her up his body so they were eye to eye and mouth to mouth. His dark blue eyes stared into her lighter blue ones, love shone from them, covering her in a warm sense of peace and contentment. She was where she belonged. In Nick’s arms. A place she could happily spend the rest of eternity.
He kissed her, and the feel of his lips on hers melted away all her fears and doubts. Nick would never hurt her like her father had, and hopefully he would never leave her like her mother had.
He was hers, and she was his. Forever.
* * * * *
9:18 A.M.
“So, you spent the night.”
Miller said the words mildly, but Nick caught the underlying tones of annoyance and relief. He wondered what the relief was about. He slid into the passenger seat and closed the door against the morning heat, glad to be back in the air-conditioning after the short walk from Aggie’s to the next street over where he’d told Miller to meet him. It was going to be another hot day.
It wasn't just the weather making him all hot and bothered. He couldn’t get the image of Aggie naked as he’d undressed her last night out of his mind. All that soft, smooth skin had been so tantalizing, so alluring, so tempting. He had to be a saint, surely the level of self-control he had displayed had to be some sort of record. Nick knew he could have slept with her if he wanted to, she wouldn’t have put up much of a fight, but it wouldn’t have been the right thing to do, and Aggie made him want to do the right thing.
“Yes,” he snapped grumpily in response to his partner’s question.
“And?” Miller prodded.
“And what?” If his partner wanted to be nosy, he would make him work for it.
Playing along, Miller asked, “And how far did things go?”
“Nowhere. She was exhausted, she fell asleep in my arms. Then she had nightmares.” That she was having bad dreams about the attack they’d staged heaped more guilt on him than he could bear. Aggie had woken him when she’d begun to thrash in the bed. From the look on her face and her pitiful little whimpers, he had known she was having a nightmare. He’d tried calling out her name, shaking her, but neither had ripped her from the dream. So, he’d slapped her. He hadn’t wanted to, but it had the desired effect. She’d snapped out of the dream, flying from the bed, and huddling up against a wall. When recognition had flashed through her eyes and he was sure she was back in reality, he had gathered her close, apologizing over and over again inside his head for being the cause of her pain. Watching her suffer because of something he had done was like being trapped in his own personal hell.
“We did what we had to do.”
Nick shook his head. “No, we did what wewantedto do. There were other ways we could have gotten close to Sebastian. Or we could have tried another way of getting to Aggie. We didn’t have to hurt her, traumatize her.” He was never going to forgive himself for hurting her, even if by some miracle she managed to forgive him. If only she hadn’t fought back against Miller that night. That was what had ignited that first spark of attraction and gotten the ball rolling.
“We tried another way, it didn’t work. And we needed something to jumpstart the relationship, get her trusting you more than if you simply started dating,” Miller reminded him.
“Yeah, well, we certainly achieved that,” he spat out angrily. “She trusts me so much that when she finds out she’s going to be devastated.” Last night, holding her in his arms while she’d slept, he’d made up his mind. It was over. He was done.
“You feel guilty.”
“You think?” He rolled his eyes.
Miller smiled. “Good. I was starting to think you were some sort of cyborg who didn’t feel emotion. I have to say, I'm relieved to know that you do have a heart in there somewhere. We’ve known each other for almost four years, and this is the first time I've seen you passionate about something.”
“I get passionate about things,” Nick sulked.
“No, you get obsessive about things, that’s not the same,” his partner corrected. “You’ve fallen for her, haven’t you? Believe me I get it. She’s beautiful, innocent, strong,” he added with a glance at his groin, no doubt remembering Aggie’s well-placed knee that had almost had her escaping their fake attack. “You fell for the girl, and I'm guessing I'm as surprised by that as you are.”
Nick admitted that with a nod.
“I get why you’ve got a case of the guilts, but we’re close and we don’t have a lot of time left. He could kill Emily at any time. You made good progress with her dad last night, if you just hang in there a little longer then …”
“No. It’s over. I can't take it any longer. I can't look into her trusting eyes one more time and lie to her. I'm going to come clean with her tonight. Tell her everything and pray that she understands.” Nick was both looking forward to and dreading confessing all to Aggie. It would be a relief not to have to tell her any more lies, but he also knew that there was a very real chance that he would lose her once she knew the truth.
“That could risk Emily’s life. Once Aggie knows, we have to talk to her father. He’ll know we suspect him, he could kill her right away, get rid of the evidence.”
“I know.” Nick didn’t want to endanger Emily’s life. He and Miller had started this case with the express purpose of trying to save her life. But the facts were hecouldn’tlie to Aggie any longer.
“All right,” Miller reluctantly agreed. “I never would have guessedyouwould wind up ruining this undercover gig by falling for the girl. Maybe I should have been the one to woo her, since I'm happily married there would be no chance I'd have developed feelings for her.”