Resisting Nick (Wicked in Wellington) by Kris Pearson Read Free Book Online

I’ve been to for years.”
    Sammie’s resolve to conceal her identity crumbled a little. This made everything different. She couldn’t keep up the pretense of being a stranger any longer. “Nicky.”
    “Hmmm?”
    She took a deep breath. How would he accept her when she told him? “I really don’t want to do this.” She hesitated for a moment. “I thought I could just keep quiet and get on with being your temporary P.A. and it wouldn’t matter. It’s only a short term job...”  
    A strange and absolute stillness overtook him. “Spit it out, whatever it is. It can’t be any worse than what I’ve just told you.”  
    “No, not worse, but another surprise I’m afraid. I’m Sammie. Sammie from the orchard all those years ago.”
    There was silence for a few seconds while he processed that. She continued to rub at his shoulder, but he suddenly thrust her backward so he could look at her.
    “Why the hell didn’t you say?” Now his eyes burned with all manner of fierce accusations.
    “Thirteen years, Nick—people change. I had no idea it was you yesterday. You used to be an angry boy who looked like a frog, with a mop of hair hiding half your face.”
    He grimaced at her less than flattering description, and she rushed on to try and smooth things between them. “Now you’re a tall successful man and you’ve turned into the damn prince. Everything about you is totally different.”
    His expression softened a little, and he gave a self-deprecating shrug before asking, “So how did you know it was me?”
    Sammie reached for his hand and ran her thumb over the white scar line on his forefinger.  
    “I saw this and remembered making you jump and cut yourself. I’m sorry it’s left such a mark.”
    Nick puffed out an amused breath. “Not you. I did it again about a year ago, gutting a fish, and it got infected. They had the devil of a job to get it right. The original scar had long gone.”
    Now it was her turn to shrug. “So I might never have recognized you. I only knew you as Nicky. I wasn’t positive about the Sharpe.”
    “Thirteen years,” he said, gazing down at her, wonder in his voice. “Where are your long brown pigtails, Sammie? Where’s my serious little shadow gone? You grew up in a big way.” He loosened his hand from hers and trailed his fingers across the tops of her breasts, keeping his caress just decent, but setting fire racing through her veins. “These grew up in a big way too. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
    She tried to struggle away from him. “No!” she exclaimed, squirming with unease. “Don’t go there Nick—we were only kids.”
    “ You were. I knew better. I never would have hurt you, but I couldn’t leave you alone.”  
    “You came here to talk,” she said, sounding half strangled.  
    Why didn’t I slap his hand away the instant he touched me?
    Nick shot her a long considering glance. “And maybe I’ve hit the jackpot in an odd way. What did you know about my family, Sammie? Why did I end up at the orchard every school holiday?”
    She looked up warily. This was Nicky. Lovely Nicky, who’d been part of her life so long ago, and part of her deep dark fantasies ever since. Against all the odds, here they were together again, and he was hurting, and maybe she could help.
    “I didn’t know much about your family at all.” She flicked her eyes away from his intense scrutiny. “You were just a boy who stayed at the orchard sometimes when I was little. I had no idea why. I spent quite a lot of time with my grandparents because my Mom worked and couldn’t take all the school holidays off, so I suppose I assumed much the same about you.”  
    He gave a bitter laugh at that. “Not likely. My mother never worked at anything for long, and my father...” He stopped on a scowl.
    “What?”
    “My so-called father wasn’t known for working with any enthusiasm either. He was a thief and a con man and sometimes in jail.”  
    Sammie gave up resisting