Crossing the Line Part One (A Novella) Read online

  "Sweetie, your sister is probably sad that you're wanting to do something else. You know how she can be. She knows that you love brainy stuff."

  Helena shrugged again, still picking at the duvet. "I'm not a nerd, am I Mom?"

  Victoria wished she could explain that being a nerd didn't matter after school, that nerds actually became very successful in life. Halle hadn't listened to it when their dad told her; she knew her daughters wouldn't believe her either. "You're not a nerd. Lucia knows that."

  "I didn't mean it that way." Lucia bounded into the room, her radar going off that her sister was in with her mom. She stood at the foot of the bed, glaring at her sister, arms crossed over her chest.

  Victoria bemoaned the fact that her baby girls needed bras. Real bras, not the training kind. Next year they'd enter the seventh grade and she thought they were growing up too fast. "Lucia, if Helena wants to be in the math club, it doesn't make her a nerd. And you shouldn't tell your sister things like that."

  Lucia glared a moment longer, then sighed. "I know. I just wanted her to be on the cheerleading team with me."

  "I don't want to. I don't like the other girls, they're mean. And they kiss stupid boys and worry about their looks."

  Victoria's stomach clenched. She remembered what it was like to be a cheerleader. She just didn't think that sixth graders worried about that kind of thing.

  Lucia sighed again. "We've never done anything by ourselves before. I don't know how to do it without you."

  Jesus, a breakthrough. "You two can't do everything together for the rest of your lives. What if you decide to go to separate colleges? Move to different cities? Which you better not do."

  Helena smiled at her mother, then at her sister who shared the joke. "Stop suffocating us."

  Victoria laughed at them. "Look, why don't you both try these things by yourselves. You may find that you won't fight as much, and you might actually miss each other."

  Both girls rolled their eyes, argument forgotten. They left talking about cheerleading, math, about how their mom was clueless.

  These times were especially poignant to Victoria. Not that she missed Roger, she just didn't know what to do with herself now that she had no one to argue with. After the girls settled down, she and Roger would argue about who would clean, what they would watch on TV, or if they would have sex or not.

  Now that she had the evenings to herself, even after a year, it was almost decadent to choose what she wanted. Although most of the time she chose work. She changed into boxers and an old t-shirt, switched her contacts for her glasses, and settled into the bed with her laptop. It was time to catch up on emails, update her website and social networking sites. She loved the marketing side almost as much as decorating. Interacting with peers, clients, and potential business partners excited her.

  By the time she finished, it was after eleven. She put everything up, plugged her cell into the charger, and got underneath the covers. When she shut her eyes, Nick's face appeared in her mind. His gorgeous face, tanned with a hint of scruff made her skin flush. She remembered how, from just a look, she'd wanted to run her hands along his rigid muscles. The next few months were going to be hard if she couldn't get a handle on her hormones.

  Chapter Three

  Nick's mouth twisted while he looked over the blueprints. He stood with his hands on either side of the paper, pencil tucked behind his ear and black framed glasses on his face, which he only wore while measuring and working on the blueprints. The smell of sawdust hung in the air and it calmed him. Cold air from the window unit blew over his knees, which were exposed from the holes in his favorite work jeans. He didn't see any point in buying new pairs until the ones he had were completely unwearable.

  His mother hated that he never threw them away. She bought him new pairs of jeans anyway, still able to accurately guess his jean size. He had at least fifteen new pairs in his closet at home that he'd yet to wear.

  His brother, Luke, banged open the door to his shop, carrying a box. "This is yours. Saw it out by the mailbox."

  Nick gestured in the direction of the other boxes. "Ordered some materials."

  Luke set it down with the others. "I'm headed to the gym. Have some interviews with a new trainer." Luke was an ex-MMA fighter, like Nick, although he had kept to that line of work. While Nick had gone into contracting, Luke had opened his own gym. "Nice glasses, nerd."

  Nick flipped his brother off. "What are you doing here?"

  "Checking on my big brother. Heard you got a job redoing something for one of Wes's daughters."

  Knowing that his brother had always had a crush on Halle in high school, he put Luke out of his misery. "It's for Victoria."

  Luke frowned. "Damn. Thought I could've given you a hand. Would've been nice to set eyes on Halle."

  "She's married." Nick decided the plans looked great and rolled them up. "Besides, she's out of your league." He had to tease his brother back, it's what they did.

  "She's married to an ass." Luke's jaw clenched. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair.

  Nick frowned. "Did you hear something new?"

  "Heard from one of the guys that her husband is banging one of the damn chicks at the office."

  Nick tampered down the anger that rose at the thought of any man cheating on a woman. He'd never understand the need to lie to a woman, tell her that she was his one and only, then ruin that trust by throwing every other woman they could get their hands on in bed. He feared it was in his blood, since his father had done the same thing to his mother, so he shied away from commitment. He wouldn't cause a woman that same pain. "Maybe it's time to let go of the crush, bro. There have to be other women that interest you."

  Luke shrugged. "Maybe. But I haven't been able to get her out of my mind since high school. She never even noticed me, her head always buried in a book, but there was just something about her. Call it fate. I'm going to the gym. Call me if you need me."

  Nick waved his brother out, grabbed his blueprints and materials, and walked out to his truck. The door squeaked open, the truck almost the same age as him. But it was reliable and that was all that mattered to him. The sun blared, the beginning of the day surrounding him. It didn't matter where you were in Sanctuary Bay, you could hear the call of the seagulls from the beach. He'd spent some time chasing the MMA circuit all over the country, but home had always stuck with him.

  Anticipation coiled in his belly at the thought of seeing Victoria again. Her silky hair, slumbered eyes, and full lips crowded his mind. When they'd met a few days ago, she'd looked like a librarian, but he'd sensed the interest in her eyes. She held herself back, which only made him want to spark a fire between them.

  He wondered what she'd be like when she loosened up and enjoyed herself. Laughed, maybe danced, then later…his bed.

  No, that thought pattern had to stop. He couldn't get involved with a client and she looked like a woman who wanted more than a one-night stand. From what he'd picked up from conversations around town, she had twin daughters. Definitely not someone who would want to fool around and then go their separate ways.

  He parked next to her shiny SUV. Through the window of the office, he saw her. She stood in profile to him, all her curves and legs easily seen, and he took a deep breath. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. Damn it, he wanted to dig his hands through her silky hair and taste her lips.

  "Okay, Nick." He said to himself. "You've worked with sexy women before. You can do this."

  Another look, and she stared at him through the window.

  "Oh man." He began to understand what Luke meant about the sisters having a certain pull. There was no way he was going to fall though. He was made of stronger stuff than his brother.

  §§

  Victoria smiled politely when Nick entered the office, carrying the rolled up blueprints and a tool bag. Her heart thumped in her chest, like she was a teenager again. She needed to get control. "Good morning, Nick."

  His mouth twitched. "Havin
g a bad day?"

  "What gave me away?" Victoria remembered the girls' fight earlier over a curling iron. She'd wanted a glass of wine before she'd even left the house.

  "The frown. And the crease on your forehead." Nick grinned and pointed to his own forehead.

  Damn if he didn't make her want to smile and forget all about the stress from earlier. "Not that you'd really care, but my girls fought over a freakin' curling iron this morning. Which is crazy, because Helena isn't even interested in the girly hair stuff. But Lucia called her a nerd the other night, so now she's determined to prove her wrong…" Victoria trailed off, aware she rambled like she talked to her sisters. Nick watched her with a grin, brows raised.

  "I don't have any sisters so it's hard for me to relate. I can see how it would cause you to have a bad morning, though." Nick set the tool bag down on the counter and Victoria watched him move. He looked so comfortable in his own skin, and that confidence turned her on.

  "Yeah, it did." Victoria couldn't believe she'd vented about her girls to him. She didn't want him to think that she couldn't handle her own kids.

  "I finished the blueprints yesterday. We can go over them, I'll make notes on what you think should change. The permits will be approved soon, and then I can get started."

  "Great." Victoria looked around the space. It definitely had potential.

  Nick spread the blueprints out on the old receptionist counter. Victoria moved next to him, focusing on how much she hated the ugly counter and not how good he smelled. She pursed her lips and concentrated on the plans. She pretty much knew enough to get a vague idea since her dad was a contractor, but she pretended to understand it even less, just to hear Nick's smooth baritone. He explained the plans patiently, without even a hint of superiority. When he looked at her, those ice blue eyes warmed her entire body.

  "Is there anything you'd like to change?" He nodded toward the plans, breaking the moment.

  She swallowed and focused her brain. "Would it be a big deal to add a window in my private office? I love the openness of it."

  "No, it'll be easy. I can make the adjustments. Do you need me to show them to you before I get the permits?"

  Victoria arched a brow. "My dad trusts you enough to try and set us up, so I think I can trust you to get the permits." Why, why did she bring that up again? It made her seem desperate, like she fished for a date. The smile froze on her face.

  Nick's lips quirked up at the corner. "True enough. I'll get the permit and call you so we can go over start times, fees, all that." He pulled out his cell phone, then looked at her. "I need your number to do it."

  Her stomach flipped. Relax, she told herself, it's purely professional. After she rattled off her number, determined to act collected, she thanked him.

  "No problem." Nick rolled the blueprints back up and walked to the door. "See ya soon."

  "Bye," she waved, watching him as he got into his truck. Her heart rampaged in her chest. Roger hadn't even made her feel this way. This…lost. She could still feel his body heat next to her. She was in way over her head right now. She had to keep it under control. This business was important to her, and getting spacy over the man fixing her office was not a good idea.

  With one last look at the office space, she grabbed her purse and left. The rest of the day she staged a house for Carmen, a real estate agent she loved to work with. The Texan woman was loud, sweet, and had a sharp mind for business. Carmen welcomed all the questions Victoria asked when she started her own business.

  In this house, Victoria worked with an earthy tone to match the walls that were painted by the previous owners. She pulled small yellow pillows out of her duffel bag and arranged them on the couch to brighten the room. The stone wall surrounding the fireplace made an great accent to the room, and Victoria knew this place would attract a lot of buyers.

  Her cell went off, and she dug it out of the back pocket of her oldest jeans. She saw Halle's name and answered. "Hey, what’s up?"

  Halle's breathless voice came over the line. "I'm walking to the deli to get lunch. Had to get out of that office. It gets nuts sometimes."

  "I can imagine." Victoria leaned against the back of the couch. Halle worked as a nurse and office manager for her husband's private practice.

  "So, Addie told me about your hot contractor."

  "She can't keep her mouth shut." Victoria said. "His name is Nick, and Dad hired him."

  "Go, Dad," Halle cheered. "It's about time you moved on. You wasted too much time on someone who wasn't worthy."

  "I have moved on. And I'm not interested in seeing anyone right now. I have to focus on the girls and the business." She reminded herself again. Something she had to keep in mind when Nick was near.

  "Oh bull. You're afraid that it'll end up like it did with Roger. Well, honey, I remember Nick's reputation from high school, but no one can be as self-serving as your ex-husband. It defies the laws of nature."

  Victoria forgot that her sisters could see right through her. It didn't mean she was going to give in though. "Halle, I'm serious. I'm not ready." Victoria tapped her nails on the side of the phone.

  "Uh huh. I can hear you doing your nervous nail tap thing." Halle sighed. "But, I understand. Anyway, I'm at the deli. Call me later, okay?"

  "Okay." Victoria hung up the phone. She wasn't afraid, she was just nervous. He seemed so intense and probably didn't want a ready-made family.

  Chapter Four

  "Mom! Mom!"

  Victoria heard her daughters calling her after they slammed open the front door. Their feet pounded on the hardwood and then they burst into the kitchen where Victoria stood over the stove.

  They ran straight up to her, jumping up and down, squealing.

  "What is it?" Victoria laughed at the obvious joy on their faces.

  "I made the cheerleading team!" Lucia said first, not able to wait.

  "And I made the math club!" Helena beamed.

  Victoria enveloped them in hugs, held on a little longer than they wanted. She couldn't help it. Those little embraces were few and far between now. What happened to the days when they'd toddle up to her, fighting for a spot in her arms? "That's fantastic! Both of you! We need a treat. I'm going to make cookies for dessert."

  The girls squealed again.

  "Go take a shower and then do homework. Dinner will be ready in a bit."

  "Thanks, Mom! We have paperwork in our folders. We'll get it for you." Helena gave her one last hug before following her sister out of the kitchen.

  The girls were a whirlwind she couldn't live without and Helena's happier mood brightened her own.

  Victoria reached up into the cabinet and grabbed the ingredients for homemade chocolate chip cookies. Her mouth watered at the thought. She hadn't taken the time to make them in a while.

  Her phone's text message whistle rang out. She washed her hands of flour before checking it.

  Nick: Hey, got the permit approval. By the way, this is Nick.

  Victoria stared at the screen for a minute. Blinked against the rush of butterflies that hit her. God, she really was acting like a teenage girl. Should she text back? Would he see that as a sign that she was desperate? Or would it be rude to ignore it, making him think she was a bitch? When did it become this big of a deal to answer a freakin' business text? Before she changed her mind, she answered.

  Good. When do you want to start?

  Nick: What are we referring to?

  Maybe it was because she was at home and not near him, or maybe because she was about to eat the best cookies in the world, but she couldn't resist flirting with him. It was harmless, right?

  Contracting, of course. What else would be discussing?

  He didn't respond immediately like before. Victoria's insides twisted. Did she say something wrong? Then her phone whistled. She read his text and laughed, surprising herself.

  Nick: Our date to the new restaurant on the boardwalk, naturally.

  She couldn’t believe she found that funny. The attent
ion and flattery stimulated her after so many years of disinterest from Roger.

  Whoa, stop it. She didn't want to compare the two of them. It wasn't like she was considering being in a relationship with Nick. She had to stop thinking of him that way. The best thing to do now was end the conversation.

  Ha. G2g, cooking for the girls. Meet at the office around 9?

  Nick: Sure, see ya then.

  Victoria rushed through making the cookies and finishing dinner, eager to get to her desk and drown her thoughts of Nick under book keeping. Once she and the girls ate, discussing all the things they'd have to do for their new extracurricular activities, she tucked them in bed, kissing them good night.

  Her laptop beckoned to her. She did the bookkeeping once a month so that it never overwhelmed her. It might be enjoyable now, but wait until there was six months to do. A headache waiting to happen.

  Temptation snatched at her and she opened her Facebook profile. Nick may or may not have one, but she could definitely find out. She searched for him, found him. In his profile picture he wore a big smile and stood outside of a gym. Nothing too risqué, or too stuffy. Just that gorgeous, lazy grin. Before she knew it, she started clicking through all of his pictures, which mainly consisted of family, work, and vacation photos. Should she be worried that there weren't pictures of women on there or grateful that he didn't focus on the past?

  God knows that the minute the divorce was final, she'd removed all photos related to Roger from her social networking sites. She didn't want any reminders of him popping up when she signed in.

  When she saw the time, she frowned. "Oh my God." She shut the laptop and groaned. She'd been looking at pictures of Nick for an hour. An hour! She was officially a Facebook stalker. Her face heated up, even though no one else knew how she'd spent her time. She would be humiliated if he ever found out. She'd meet him tomorrow, and be cool and collected. He'd never know.