Page 53 of Duty and Desire

“You think this is funny?” I demanded.

He turned to face me and snorted. “Don’t you?”

I stared at his eyes sparkling with humor, his bright smile, and I had to laugh. “Yeah, I do.” I leaned back, my hands wrapped around my cup. “So where do we go from here?” I wanted to hear him saythis was just the beginning, that there would be more days spent together…

More nights too.

“For today, you’re going to make me breakfast because I’m starving. And once Aulani has gone, I think you know exactly where we’re going.” Nick’s steady focus on my face filled me with warmth. “But if you were speaking figuratively, then we go on as before. I do my jobs, you write…”

There was a flutter in my stomach, and my breath seemed to bottle up in my chest. “And?”

Don’t tell me that’s it. Tell me there’s more.

He stared at me, chin held high. “And between all the day-to-day minutiae, we spend as much time together as we want.”

I wanted to kiss him and never come up for air.

I managed a chuckle. “I don’t know about that. I might want a lot of your time.”

“Then you’ll have it.” His phone buzzed into life, and he peered at the screen. “Ah. I wondered how long it would take him.”

“Franz?” I ventured.

He nodded. “Who is concerned that I didn’t come home last night.” A sigh rolled out of him. “Can we put our morning plans on hold? I need to see him. This is important.”

“Not to explain yourself, surely.” Nick didn’t need to offer up any kind of explanation to anyone.

He chuckled. “Oh no. I have a very different kind of conversation in mind. If Franz is going to continue to be in my life, then we need to establish some ground rules.” He traced the line of my cheek with his finger. “Because everything has changed.”

I smiled. “And you changed it, by coming here last night.”

Nick tilted his head to one side. “You said you wanted to get your writing brain working again. So I’ll set you a challenge. While I’m away, why don’t you write about last night? Write about us.” His face glowed. “I’d love to read that.”

“It’s not the kind of thing I generally put in my books,” I admitted.

He smiled. “Then it’s an even bigger challenge. And tonight we’ll read it together—and see where it takes us.” He rose, then bent to kiss the top of my head. “Later.” He smirked, then pointed to the side veranda. “I’ll go out this way.”

“Yeah, it’s safer.” I watched him until he reached the other side of the bridge, and then I watched until he was out of sight.

“He’s gone?” Aulani poked her head around the door. “He didn’t say goodbye.”

“I’m sure you’ll have more occasions to chat with him.”

“Oh I will, will I? Then I’d better knock in future, instead of walking in here.” She grinned. “Just in case.” She disappeared into the kitchen, and her humming resumed.

I was torn between making breakfast and getting started on Nick’s challenge. The loud rumble from my stomach settled that debate. I looked out over the lagoon to where dark clouds gathered at the horizon.

They didn’t bother me in the slightest.

I had all the sunshine I needed—in my heart.

Nick

I’d been in the house about five minutes before Franz turned up. I let him in, then poured us both a glass of juice.

Before he could launch into whatever speech he’d prepared, I attacked.

“Don’t tell me you were worried. You knew exactly where I was—and who I was with.” His tracking app would have provided that information.

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