Forever After (Montana Brides, Book 3) Read online

  So much for keeping her distance. She’d run head first into Sam’s arms and let him climb inside her body. Again. “I’m really happy you can put me into a little cardboard box and forget this ever happened. I’m not so sure I can.” Nicky groaned in annoyance. “This can’t happen again. We can’t do any of this again. One night. That’s all I promised.”

  Sam’s body tensed. Sitting up, he reached toward the ground and grabbed his boxers. “If you weren’t so stubborn you’d see that you could have a whole lot more than one night. But stick to the rules by all means. It’s what you’re good at.” He stood beside the bed, hands braced against his hips. “I’ll go and get your clothes.”

  Nicky watched him slam the door shut on his way out. Add misery to the guilt clogging her brain and you ended up with a well rounded idiot sitting naked in the middle of her boss’ bed. Tonight had nothing to do with love or commitment. It had to do with need.

  She’d wanted to use his body like he’d used her. She’d talked herself into believing that having sex with him would force him out of her life forever. How dense could she be?

  Before she’d gone to Denver, she’d planned on showing everyone that she’d grown into a strong, independent woman. All she’d proven tonight was that she hadn’t moved on from the love-struck ding-a-ling who’d once fallen for Sam’s good looks and charming personality. Life sucked. And she’d just bought the biggest lollipop around.

  ***

  Throwing his pen down in disgust, Sam stared across his office. It had been seven days. Seven days since their one night of explosive sex and Nicky still treated him like the plague.

  They hadn’t done anything wrong, except maybe break a few bullet points in the corporate code of conduct. They were grown adults. Life continued on after two people had sex. It shouldn’t have been a big deal.

  Yeah, right. Try telling that to the blonde tyrant determined to make him suffer. The meeting he’d just sat through didn’t give him much hope that she’d ever speak to him normally again. Her progress report had been succinct, professional and cold. He couldn’t fault her logic in the systematic way she’d been working through their financial records and processes.

  What he did fault was the way she dealt with him. If anyone wanted to witness a textbook case of emotional shutdown, they needed to see Nicky in action. She’d perfected the art to honors degree status.

  “Patrick’s here to see you, Sam.”

  Amanda stood in his doorway, a picture of calm efficiency. At least someone in his company still smiled at him. Nicky couldn’t even look him in the eye without scowling. “Thanks. Give me ten minutes and then send him through.”

  He gathered up the files in front of him, locking them in his bottom drawer. In about ten days, Nicky would have enough evidence to report back on who’d been stealing money out of the company accounts. A week or two later, she’d have another report on his desk with recommendations on how to stop the fraud happening again. And then she’d be gone.

  He crossed to the window. Maybe he needed a vacation. He’d been so focused on building his career over the last decade that he’d forgotten to have a life.

  He hadn’t intended to stay at Scotson Construction as long as he had. But life sometimes had a way of giving you what you needed when you least expected it. He’d worked long hours and expected the best from everyone around him, including himself.

  A knock on his door jarred his mind back to his office. “Are you ready for our meeting, old man?”

  Sam smiled at his best friend. “Enough of the old man business. It’s not my birthday for another two days.”

  “Two days, two months,” Patrick shrugged. “It makes no difference to the aging process.”

  “You should know. It’s not age that’s added all those gray hairs to your head. It’s that tribe of kids you created.” Sam laughed at the proud smile slipping across Patrick’s face. “You’ll never recover from all the years of sleepless nights and interrupted sleep you’ve gone through.”

  Sitting heavily down in the chair opposite Sam’s desk, Patrick grimaced. “And it’s not over yet. Jasmine’s hit sixteen and she’s determined to go out on her first date this weekend. I’ve got a list a mile long of all the things I don’t want her to do, but what good is that?”

  “What about locking her in her room until she’s twenty-six?” Sam’s face grew warm. His brain started connecting dots that weren’t there. Nicky was twenty-six and locking her in her room seemed like a pretty fine idea to him. Especially if he happened to be on the inside with her.

  Patrick raised his eyebrows. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

  Sam grabbed a handful of papers off his desk and glanced at the clock on the wall. “You’d better give me your report now because I’ve got a lunch date with an architect in thirty minutes.”

  “A houseful of kids isn’t the only reason a man’s sleep can be disrupted,” Patrick grinned. “It’s what got the kids there in the first place that causes the grayest hair.”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” muttered Sam, opening the first file Patrick handed to him. “How did your site visit with Nicky go?”

  “It hasn’t. I had an urgent meeting on Monday so we postponed her visit until two o’clock today. I’ve sent through our procedure manuals and contact lists, so she’s probably got about as many questions as I’ve got for Jasmine’s boyfriend. It’ll be interesting to see what she thinks. We work a tight ship on site, but there’s always room for change.” He leaned forward. “Any news on how she wants to improve things?”

  Sam watched Patrick’s fingers drum against the arm of his chair. He glanced up. “Nicky’s still working through some models. She wants to get an idea of whether what she’s looking at on paper, works in practice.”

  Patrick nodded, pointing to the open file in Sam’s hands. “Take a look at those figures for efficiency. The Oasis is on budget and ahead of schedule. Not bad for a sleep deprived father of three.”

  Sam smiled. “Not bad at all. Have you talked with Amanda about the handover ceremony for the apartments?”

  “All set to go. The owners were impressed with what she planned. We’ve sent the invitations out and everyone’s replied. Adam Murphy’s already done the final inspection on tower one and he’s halfway through tower two.”

  “Have many issues surfaced?”

  “Nothing major. We kept a close eye on the subbies as they completed each level. We’re on track for the handover.”

  “Good. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help.”

  Fifteen minutes later Sam’s gaze shot to the wall. “I’ve got to head out now. Are you going downstairs?”

  “No. I’ve got another meeting scheduled with finance.” Patrick picked up his briefcase and headed out the door with Sam. “Did you want to hit Charlie’s Bar and Grill on Sunday night for your birthday?”

  Sam passed Amanda a note before heading toward the elevators. “I can’t. The Scotsons invited me across to their place for a birthday dinner.” The doors pinged open and he stepped inside. “Count me in for one night next week though.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me. I’ll get back to you with a day that suits. Enjoy your meeting.”

  Sam let go of the elevator button. “Thanks. See you soon.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Nicky twisted her chopsticks through the noodles on her plate. “Tell me why we’re spending Saturday night cooped up with my sister in her apartment?”

  The prawn on the end of Erin’s fork dropped into the container of take-out. “We’ve got nothing better to do.”

  Nicky had known Erin for most of her life. They’d gone to school together and shared the ups and downs of teenage crushes, adult mistakes and jobs that went nowhere.

  “And I want to find out what you two have been up to,” Emily added.

  Choking on a mouthful of rice, Nicky grabbed her glass of juice. Erin and Emily wouldn’t find out what she’d been up to. Hot sex with heaps of guilt chucke
d in wasn’t something she wanted to discuss over Mr. Foo Young’s combination chop suey.

  “Looks like someone has been up to more than she’s letting on.” Emily laughed. “Spill the beans, big sis. We want to know all the juicy details.”

  “There are no juicy details,” Nicky fibbed. “Last time I checked you were busy with design assignments and a new man. What’s happened to upset your hectic social calendar?”

  Emily lifted a spoon of sweet and sour pork balls onto her plate. “You’re more important to me than a set of firm abs.” At Nicky’s raised eyebrows, she blushed. “Well, maybe first equal to one particular set of abs. I don’t get to see you often and I want to make the most of your time here.”

  Nicky looked across at her sister and smiled. When her dad had married her stepmom, Nicky wasn’t sure she’d get along with the two Californian kids joining her family. Glamour and gloss hadn’t figured highly in her life with her mom, and her new family positively reeked of designer heaven. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get enthusiastic about the latest colors to hit the runway in Milan, or the grand opening of a new fashion store.

  Whenever she returned to Montana, Maureen was ready with her credit card and Jimmy Choo sandals, upgrading Nicky from Wal-mart wonder to boutique beauty. Emily and Erin had tagged along, making the shopping trips almost bearable. They’d rolled their teenage eyes behind Maureen’s back, persuading her that Nicky didn’t need another three dresses to take back to Seattle.

  “So, how’s Sam working out?” Emily asked.

  Nicky’s chopsticks dropped to the table, spraying broccoli and fried rice everywhere.

  “You’re awfully jittery tonight. Is there something you’re not telling us?” Erin pushed a lock of dark hair off her face, waiting for Nicky’s reply.

  “Sam’s not working out, because Sam isn’t supposed to work out.” Liar, a little voice in Nicky’s head screamed. Heat exploded all over her body as she remembered just how well he had worked out. Hot sex didn’t mean they were in a relationship. It meant they were idiots. It had been a mistake and no one could count mistakes as anything but mistakes.

  Picking a stray chopstick out of the sweet and sour sauce, Nicky muttered, “He’s my boss.”

  A cheeky grin lit Emily’s face. “I didn’t mean “working out” like that. Are you enjoying working with him?”

  Nicky bent down, scooping a piece of broccoli off the carpet. “I haven’t seen much of him because I’ve been sorting through a lot of financial documents.”

  “How exciting,” Erin drawled. “Sounds almost as riveting as my collection review at the library.”

  Nicky glanced at Erin and they both burst out laughing.

  “Talking about sex…” Emily said.

  “I didn’t know we were.”

  Emily scoffed at her older sister. “Any conversation I’ve ever had with you about Sam has led to sex. The man positively drools every time he sees you.”

  “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, Emily.” Erin smiled. “From what Nicky told me, Sam doesn’t drool every time he sees her. He runs for cover.”

  Emily balanced her plate on the edge of the table. “I know he treated you badly and you’re amazing coming back to work with him. But I think he’s changed. And he practically plastered himself to your body at mom and dad’s place.”

  Nicky stared at her sister. “I’m not some weirdo stalking her boss.”

  “I bet he wouldn’t mind. Especially if you wore something a bit more revealing than jeans and a sweater.”

  Nicky threw a cushion across the table, narrowly missing Emily’s head. “There’s no stalking going on anywhere, so get your mind out of the gutter.” Her hand shook as she reached for her juice.

  Stalking presumed someone didn’t want to be caught. And she knew for a fact that Sam wouldn’t mind being caught in another whirlwind like the one they’d created last week.

  “For the record,” Erin added, waving her fork in the air, “there’s nothing wrong with the gutter, especially if you’re sharing it with a six-foot-three hunk who likes to get a little bit dirty.”

  The thought of Sam getting down and dirty was too much for Nicky. She pushed her half eaten plate of food across the table. “Whose turn is it to make coffee?”

  “Mine,” Emily said. “I don’t trust you to remember my instructions.”

  Erin disappeared into the kitchen and pulled three pieces of pecan pie out of a bag. “I’ll have a coffee machine any day over a man,” she sighed. “At least with coffee I know what I like. Once I know what I’m doing I get a good brew every time.”

  Emily laughed. “What am I going to do with you two? What happened to the romantic women I once knew?”

  “They got wise,” Nicky said, stretching her hand toward a yummy looking slice of pie. “Most of the men I’ve dated have either been all form and no substance, or they’ve got the personality of a screwdriver.”

  Emily poured hot frothy milk into a coffee mug. “What you both need is someone with impeccable taste. Someone who knows what you need in a man. And as luck would have it I’ve nearly finished my design course. If anyone can find the perfect match for both of you, it’s me.”

  Nicky gasped, clutching her chest in mock horror. “Don’t even think about fixing me up with someone. I’m still recovering from your last disastrous blind date experiment.”

  “Nonsense,” Emily said in a stern voice. “You just got distracted by superficial packaging. He really was a great guy if you overlooked all the metal studs and black nail polish.”

  “And…”

  “Okay,” Emily admitted. “He did smell like raw garlic.”

  “I rest my case. You may be an up-and-coming fashion designer, but you suck at choosing men.” Nicky bit into her slice of pie and sighed.

  “Maybe a little romance is what you need to add zing to your life.” Emily sipped her latte, smacking her lips together in a satisfied pucker. “God, I’m clever.”

  Nicky cleared her throat, staring pointedly at Emily’s latte. “I’m still waiting to see how clever you are in the coffee department. And I don’t need any zing, and definitely no man.” She’d already been there, done that, and all she had to show for it were sleepless nights and an aversion to stepping out of her office door.

  “I’m here for another month and then I’m heading back to Denver.” Nicky squinted at her younger sister. “Get that dreamy look off your face. I’ll be mean and bitchy to any man if I think you’ve planted him in front of me.”

  “You couldn’t be mean or bitchy if you tried. But I do have an idea of what we could do to get rid of whatever’s bothering you.”

  “You’d better make that coffee fast.” Erin laughed. “I think Nicky’s going to need it.”

  Emily frothed some more milk. She moved around the counter, a cup of latte steaming in her hands. “Sniff.”

  Nicky inhaled. “Sublime. Well?”

  “You get this when you agree to go to the spa with me tomorrow. And frowning won’t change anything,” Emily growled. “You’re coming because at two o’clock we’re going to an exclusive charity fashion show. All the fashionistas of Montana will be there. And guess who’s got two designs on the catwalk? Me.”

  Nicky grinned at her sister. “That’s fantastic. I’m really proud of you.”

  “That’s not all. Guess who’s modeling the designs for me?”

  Nicky looked between her sister and Erin. Emily couldn’t possibly think she’d run the gauntlet of all the diamonds, silks, and satins sitting in the audience. She wouldn’t do it. Couldn’t do it. “I need that latte.”

  “I had all of your measurements from the dress I made for Ellie’s wedding.”

  “That was six months ago. I’ve put on a few pounds since then,” Nicky said with a touch of desperation in her voice.

  “As if I believe that. We had to create four pieces for our final exam at design school. I know how much you hate shopping, so I made the outfits for you
. Mom submitted them for the fashion show and two made it through.”

  Nicky tried to look enthusiastic, she really did. No one looked convinced.

  “Please…for me,” Emily begged. “You’ll get your hair and makeup done by a professional and you could wear one of the outfits to Sam’s party.”

  “What party?”

  “It’s his birthday.” Emily waved off Nicky’s concern. “You and Erin can come for a while and then disappear to wherever it is that matronly single women go.”

  Leaning her head in her hands, Nicky groaned. “How did I inherit you for a sister?”

  Emily grinned. “Just good luck, I guess.”

  ***

  Nicky checked her watch as Emily drove down East Main Street. Nine o’clock on a Sunday morning was the perfect time to drive in Bozeman. None of the stores were open and the vehicles they saw weren’t in a hurry to get anywhere.

  “This isn’t the way to the spa.” Nicky glanced at Emily as they turned left.

  “We’re not booked there until eleven o’clock. There’s a catwalk rehearsal in twenty minutes.”

  A heavy knot twisted deep in Nicky’s belly. “The fashion show isn’t at the spa?”

  Emily cleared her throat. “Umm, that’s right.”

  “Where’s it being held?” Nicky looked out the window, raising her eyebrows as Emily turned into a parking lot. “It’s not,” she said. Her throat went dry. “Tell me it’s not at the Emerson Center?”

  Emily glanced across the cab. “Lucky guess.”

  Nicky stared at the red brick and concrete building. “How could I let you con me into doing this? The rooms here are huge. I thought there’d only be fifty people at the most watching.” Panic crept into her voice. Glaring at her squirming sister, Nicky tried to steady her breathing. “If I ever get off the stage alive, I’m going to kill you.”

  “You’ll be fine. Just pretend you’re back at the modeling school mom sent us to. You breezed through the catwalk part.”