was the best dancer…” Gina prompted.
“So while she had all the attention because she was the best, she sort of made speeches about the problems. There was one about the environment and one about the poor, I think. I never really paid attention to those parts and only listened to the good ones—about the prince.” She smiled again, remembering. “I didn’t care about the politically correct part. I just wanted a fairy tale with a prince.”
Gina laughed. “Who doesn’t? So where’s the prince?”
“There were two of them who got upset about the speeches. But the third prince said she was right and helped her and—this is the part I always liked—he had these crinkles…” she screwed up her face to make laugh lines at the corners of her eyes “…right here, and he promised her he’d help her make things better and that she’d laugh every day if she married him, so CinderTess knew he was the one.” She looked back down at the picture. “I’m sure Lanny meant well, but those crinkles have played merry hell with my life ever since I met Nick.”
Someone knocked on the door.
“Must be the landlord,” Gina said. “Try not to hurt him too bad.”
Tess tossed the snapshot on the end table and stood up, tipping her exasperated cat out of her lap again, but when she opened the door, it was Nick.
“I know you’re upset, so I won’t bother you for long.” He smiled at her, his dark eyes brimming with the confident charm she found alternately obnoxious and irresistible, depending on the reason he was using it on her. There were crinkles at the corners of his eyes, and a lock of his hair fell over one eye and made him look rakish and endearing.
Tess was sure he knew he looked rakish and endearing.
Still, he also knew she was troubled, and that was touching.
His smile broadened as she hesitated. “I brought you something to cheer you up,” he said, handing her a carton of Chinese food.
“What is it?” Tess said, taking it from him, knowing she shouldn’t but weakening.
“Pot stickers,” Nick said. “Double order.”
“Oh.” Tess blinked at him. “You remembered.”
“I remember everything,” Nick said, and Tess’s uncertain expression turned to contempt.
“That sounds like a line,” she said. “Did you really come back to apologize, or is this something that you and that weasel you work for have cooked up to close some deal?”
“Park? Funny you should mention Park—” Nick said, and Tess slammed the door in his face again and went back to her chair, dropping the pot stickers on the table as she sat.
“He’s hopeless,” Tess began, and then she jumped when Nick opened the door and closed it behind him, throwing the dead bolts.
“Lock your door, dummy,” he said. “This is a terrible neighborhood. Anybody could walk in here.”
“Anybody just did.” Tess put her hands on her hips, faking indignation. “Go away.”
Nick headed for the kitchen, stopping only to pat Gina on the head. “Hi, kid. Good to see you again. You look great.”
Gina beamed and started to say something, but he’d moved on by then. She checked herself, her smile fading, and then she dug in her purse until she found a stick of gum.
“Excuse me?” Tess called after him. “I did not invite you in.”
Nick backtracked swiftly and kissed her. She softened into him for just an instant, giving herself just a second of his warmth before she ripped into him as he so richly deserved. But before she could retaliate he let her go and again headed for her tiny kitchen. “God, this place is a mess,” he said. “Is any of my beer still in the fridge?” He stepped over the cat as it made for Tess’s lap. “Hello, Angela. Try not to shed on me.”
Tess looked at Gina.
“Definitely time to talk to the body,” Gina said. “If you’d had an apron on, you woulda ripped it off.”
Tess jerked on the hem of her sweatshirt and lowered her chin, trying to psych herself into being impressive. “You’ve been rejected,” she called to Nick. “Leave.”
“You can’t reject a proposal you’ve never heard,” Nick said from the kitchen.
“You’re proposing?” Tess said in disbelief. “I don’t believe it.”
Gina’s eyebrows shot up. “Marriage?” she whispered to Tess around her gum. “Grab him.”
“Of course not marriage,” Tess said to Gina. “What are you proposing?” she asked Nick. “Whatever it is, the answer is no, of course, but I like to know what I’m rejecting.”
“Well, not marriage.” Nick came to lean in the doorway with his beer, smiling at her, solidly attractive, boyishly confident and infinitely desirable. Stop it, Tess told herself, and narrowed her eyes at him.
“I need a date for the weekend,” he said, and widened his grin. “I thought of you first.”
“Why?” Tess said, trying to stomp on the little sizzle that had started inside her when he smiled at her.
“Because I need you,” Nick said. “My life has been empty since you walked out.” He twisted the cap off the beer and began to drink.
“Your life has never been empty, even after I walked out.” Tess swung her gaze to Gina. “I picked him up at the airport one day, and the stewardess kissed him goodbye. You’d have thought he was going off to war. She did everything but offer to have his baby right there on the spot.”
Nick choked on his beer. “She was just a friend,” he said, swallowing. “I’m a friendly guy.”
“I realize that,” Tess said, crossing her arms. “Get out.”
“Tess, honey.” Nick leaned forward and smiled at her. “Sweetie. Baby.”
“Boy, you must really be in trouble,” Tess said.
“Up to my neck,” Nick said. “I need you. One weekend. No strings.”
“No sex,” Tess said, ignoring her body. “That offer will not be repeated.”
“Whatever you say,” Nick agreed. “If that’s the way you want it, no sex.”
Tess turned to Gina. “This must be bad. I think he really is in trouble.”
“So of course you gotta save him.” Gina smiled shyly at Nick. “I’m all for it. For once those dogooder instincts of hers are gonna do her some good.”
“You know, I always liked you,” Nick said to Gina, and she blushed with pleasure.
“Actually I don’t care if I save him or not, but if I go with him this weekend, I’ll get to watch,” Tess said. “If it’s really big trouble,
