Page 46 of The Question of Us
He sent a thumbs-up emoji and I pocketed my phone.
“What’s a cute guy like you doing in a place like this?”
I startled at the sound of Nick’s sultry voice alongside my ear and elbowed him in the belly.
He let out anoof. “What was that for?”
I shot him a stony glare. “Jerk. You scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry.” He leaned against the railing of the pen looking decidedlynotsorry. “But I come bearing gifts. That has to count for something.” He handed me a coffee and shook the pastry bag.
“Marty’s arrived.” I tipped my head toward the Range Rover. “And Gazza’s inside the arena.”
Nick’s entire body tensed as he studied the vehicle. “And Lee?”
“Wasn’t with them.”
Nick’s face fell. “Damn.” He took a sip of his coffee, grabbed a cherry Danish from the bag and talked around a mouthful. “So much for our plan. So, who was with our man?”
I considered the smudge of red-stained sugar on Nick’s lips as I answered quietly. “I think the driver has to be Freddie. Marty’s PA. He fits the description and photos we have from Marty’s business social media.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed. “Our so-called middleman? The one we think is responsible for Davis’saccident?” He made air quotes.
“The one and only.” I paused, watching Nick’s reaction as he digested the information, but his tight expression gave little away. “It’s not going to be easy ducking his attention.” I slid a hand around Nick’s neck and drew him closer. “You need a minder.” I wiped the corner of his mouth with my thumb and held it out for him to see.
“Mmm.” He grabbed my wrist and sucked my thumb clean, igniting a pool of liquid heat in my balls. “I’ll make sure you get a job application.” His grey eyes drilled into mine and I wasn’t sure where the joke ended and truth began.
“You’re incorrigible,” I grumbled, snapping my hand free of his grasp.
He beamed as if all that was flattery. “I know.” He leaned back against the railing. “So, what’s the new plan?”
From inside the building, the voice of the auctioneer called the bidders to attention. They were about to start.
“I’m going inside.” Nick’s gaze locked with mine, silencing my protest. “I need to see these arseholes in a situation where I won’t be tempted to rock up and punch both of them in the face. Or worse. A lot fucking worse.”
I quelled the urge to remind him just how big Freddie was and exactly who might end up doing the punching. I was sensible like that.
Nick raised his hands. “I’ll behave, I promise. I won’t jeopardise our plans. Besides, the seating faces away from the foyer and stairwell, so if Gazza says it’s clear, I can head up to the top row and not risk them seeing me.” He pointed to his hair. “And I’m less recognisable than you are. What else are we going to do? Lee isn’t even here.”
I wanted to say no to his plan, but when I looked him up and down, I felt my head nodding instead. With his cap pulled down over his newly shorn hair, most of his face was hidden. You needed to look really hard to recognise the old Nick beneath this new version. Besides, he was right. This way, Nick’s first encounter with Marty and Freddie would be contained. “Fine,” I relented. “But don’t draw attention to yourself.”
Nick grinned. “Gee, I would never have thought of that.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes... again. But when he turned to leave, I grabbed his hand. “Be careful, please,” I said, horrified at the rasp in my voice. “Nothing stupid. No risks. This is just information gathering, okay?”
Nick’s eyes softened and he cupped my face. “I promise I’ll be careful.”
“Good.” The lump in my throat eased a little. “I’ll text Gazza to watch out for you.”
Nick nodded and then was gone, strolling comfortably toward the sale building like he deserved to be there as much asany other buyer. I watched his every step until he disappeared from view and puzzled how I’d lost my heart so quickly to a man who had the capacity to make me wanna kill him and fuck him in equal measure, and often at the same time.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Nick
The atmosphereinside the crowded brick auction house was hot and humid regardless of the air conditioning blasting down from overhead. The auction was well underway with verbal bids being taken for a handsome chestnut stallion who was snorting his way around the show pen, giving his handler a white-rimmed side-eye that clearly saidYou-gotta-be-fucking-joking-me.
With the audience focused on the tense animal, I made my way up the stairwell at the back of the seating circle and then leaned against the wall to look around. I found Gazza almost straight away. He was staring at me from an end seat on the far side of the circle. I gave a tiny nod and he lifted his chin and looked away.
