him. For what he’d done to her fifteen years ago. For what he’d done to her just now.
“Believe it or not, I didn’t come here to make you angry.”
His voice played over her senses, low and deep and husky. It had never ceased to turn her on, Nick’s voice. When he sang to her, which he had done often in the early years of their relationship, his voice had been all the foreplay she’d needed. Now, try as much as she did to stop it, her body reacted. Her heart quickened, her nipples pinched tight. His was a voice of sin and pleasure. The voice with the power of the Pied Piper’s proverbial flute—except instead of entrancing children, Nick Blackthorne’s voice seduced women.
“Why did you come here, Nick?” she asked. “Was it to prove something?”
“No.”
The single-word answer was so haunted she opened her eyes and looked at him. Her pulse slammed into her throat. That same tormented expression etched his face, but whereas on another man it would make his visage appear wretched, on Nick it just made him look all the more achingly gorgeous—the tortured musical genius, a man ruled by the songs in his soul. Except he wasn’t. Lauren knew that. He was ruled by his prick and his ego.
Is he still though? Have you ever seen him look so…lost?
She ground her teeth, folding her arms across her chest and fixing him with a steady stare. “Why did you come here?”
He met her gaze with his own unwavering stare. “I came to say sorry.”
Lauren wanted to laugh. She wanted to scoff in his face. She couldn’t. Her heart was hurting too much to do that. She licked her lips, her mouth dry. “I don’t believe you.”
Nick didn’t flinch. “It’s true. I came to say sorry and to ask you to a wedding.”
Lauren blinked. Okay, she hadn’t seen that one coming. “A wedding?”
Nick laughed, a self-deprecating snort she’d never heard from him before. It did unsettling things to her stomach.
“It’s stupid, I know, but I received an invitation from this amazing couple I met a few months ago, a couple who pretty much saved my life, and the only person in the entire would I can think of who I want to share their special day with is you.”
A lump filled Lauren’s throat. Thick and fast and choking. She swallowed, but it didn’t go away. Nor did Nick suddenly grow two heads. Surely that’s what was meant to happen now, wasn’t it? Surely this had to be some surreal dream she was in? Nick appearing out of the blue, rendering her defenseless against him with a single kiss and then asking her to a wedding? “A wedding?” she repeated.
He shrugged, a lop-sided smile pulling at his lips. “I’ll admit this hasn’t gone exactly as I planned, but then you always did throw my plans into wild loops, Lauren Robbins.”
She held up a finger, giving him a narrowed-eyed scowl. “Don’t.”
He paused for a second. “Who is Josh, Lauren? I need to know, because I have to tell you something here and now and your answer will greatly impact on just how I go about doing that.”
“What do you have to tell me?”
He shook his head. “Who’s Josh? Is he your boyfriend?”
Lauren lifted her chin. “If he was? Would you go away then? Leave Murriundah?”
His smile grew more crooked. “No.”
“So what difference does it make if he is my boyfriend?”
Nick took a step toward hers. “The difference is whether I have to compete with someone or not?”
Lauren’s heart slammed harder into her already tight throat. “Compete?”
“For you, Lauren.” His grey eyes seemed to glint, as if the hottest of fires suddenly burned in their depths. “I came back to say sorry for fucking up, sorry for walking away from you, from us, sorry for tearing out your heart. I came back to apologise and invite you to a wedding. To share a moment of pure happiness with the only person I have ever been truly happy with, and then you kissed me.”
She stared at him. “And?” The word was barely a whispered
“Believe it or not, I didn’t come here to make you angry.”
His voice played over her senses, low and deep and husky. It had never ceased to turn her on, Nick’s voice. When he sang to her, which he had done often in the early years of their relationship, his voice had been all the foreplay she’d needed. Now, try as much as she did to stop it, her body reacted. Her heart quickened, her nipples pinched tight. His was a voice of sin and pleasure. The voice with the power of the Pied Piper’s proverbial flute—except instead of entrancing children, Nick Blackthorne’s voice seduced women.
“Why did you come here, Nick?” she asked. “Was it to prove something?”
“No.”
The single-word answer was so haunted she opened her eyes and looked at him. Her pulse slammed into her throat. That same tormented expression etched his face, but whereas on another man it would make his visage appear wretched, on Nick it just made him look all the more achingly gorgeous—the tortured musical genius, a man ruled by the songs in his soul. Except he wasn’t. Lauren knew that. He was ruled by his prick and his ego.
Is he still though? Have you ever seen him look so…lost?
She ground her teeth, folding her arms across her chest and fixing him with a steady stare. “Why did you come here?”
He met her gaze with his own unwavering stare. “I came to say sorry.”
Lauren wanted to laugh. She wanted to scoff in his face. She couldn’t. Her heart was hurting too much to do that. She licked her lips, her mouth dry. “I don’t believe you.”
Nick didn’t flinch. “It’s true. I came to say sorry and to ask you to a wedding.”
Lauren blinked. Okay, she hadn’t seen that one coming. “A wedding?”
Nick laughed, a self-deprecating snort she’d never heard from him before. It did unsettling things to her stomach.
“It’s stupid, I know, but I received an invitation from this amazing couple I met a few months ago, a couple who pretty much saved my life, and the only person in the entire would I can think of who I want to share their special day with is you.”
A lump filled Lauren’s throat. Thick and fast and choking. She swallowed, but it didn’t go away. Nor did Nick suddenly grow two heads. Surely that’s what was meant to happen now, wasn’t it? Surely this had to be some surreal dream she was in? Nick appearing out of the blue, rendering her defenseless against him with a single kiss and then asking her to a wedding? “A wedding?” she repeated.
He shrugged, a lop-sided smile pulling at his lips. “I’ll admit this hasn’t gone exactly as I planned, but then you always did throw my plans into wild loops, Lauren Robbins.”
She held up a finger, giving him a narrowed-eyed scowl. “Don’t.”
He paused for a second. “Who is Josh, Lauren? I need to know, because I have to tell you something here and now and your answer will greatly impact on just how I go about doing that.”
“What do you have to tell me?”
He shook his head. “Who’s Josh? Is he your boyfriend?”
Lauren lifted her chin. “If he was? Would you go away then? Leave Murriundah?”
His smile grew more crooked. “No.”
“So what difference does it make if he is my boyfriend?”
Nick took a step toward hers. “The difference is whether I have to compete with someone or not?”
Lauren’s heart slammed harder into her already tight throat. “Compete?”
“For you, Lauren.” His grey eyes seemed to glint, as if the hottest of fires suddenly burned in their depths. “I came back to say sorry for fucking up, sorry for walking away from you, from us, sorry for tearing out your heart. I came back to apologise and invite you to a wedding. To share a moment of pure happiness with the only person I have ever been truly happy with, and then you kissed me.”
She stared at him. “And?” The word was barely a whispered
Similar Books
