Running Towards Love Read online

  He nodded, acknowledging the truth in her statement. “But you never gave me a reason.”

  Instead of pulling her hand away, Danny was pleased to feel Nikki lace her fingers in between his. “Do I have to? Isn’t my saying it enough?”

  “It would be, if your actions didn’t betray you every time we are together, Nicole. Look,” he motioned above them. The mistletoe used as decoration on the set danced above them calling to Danny and he acted before she could have time to react. In a barely-there touch, he allowed one finger to caress her cheek. Her almost inaudible whimper pressed him onward and he traced his thumb over her silky lips.

  “Danny,” she murmured, his name a whisper of breath against their lips. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist, locking it against her cheek.

  Emboldened, Danny covered her mouth with his, drawing fire and passion with each movement of their lips. She tasted better than he remembered, more exquisite than anything he ever had before. She was addictive and he knew nothing would ever compare to her. As Danny cupped her face with both hands, Nikki moaned against his mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Her fingers twisted in his hair, seemingly drawing him closer with every moment.

  Wrenching his mouth away, he touched his forehead against hers as they both fought to allow their breathing to return to normal. “One date, Nicole. That’s all I’m asking.” He pressed his lips against hers quickly in an effort to silence any protests. “Give me one evening and if you can still walk away, I won’t pursue it again.”

  In a daze, Nikki nodded her head, too enraptured to speak.

  “Tomorrow night then, after taping.” He kissed her again quickly and then playfully pushed her away. “Better go back to the dressing room before someone comes to find you.”

  At that little taunt, Nikki shook her head. “Hope you enjoyed your one and only free pass when it comes to kissing me.”

  Danny could not help but grin at how delectable she looked with swollen lips and pure want blazing in her eyes. “Oh, I think I’m not the only one who enjoyed it.”

  Nikki bit back a smile at his statement and muttered, “whatever” as she walked away.

  “Damn, I love mistletoe!” Danny said to no one in particular, already planning their date for the next night.

  Of course, their date had gone off better than even he could have anticipated. They had undeniable chemistry and a connection that was stronger than either could have imagined. But, Nikki being Nikki had run off within twenty-four hours of their date. Unable to face their connection and Danny’s interest, she did not hesitate to flee as quickly as possible. He knew her well enough to know that was how she handled the stress of the unknown and he certainly had given her a lot to think about. He had not pursued her, instead giving her the time she needed to come to terms with her desire for a real relationship rather than a fleeting crush. Once she came back, she committed with her whole heart and they had been together ever since.

  Shaking his head, Danny worked hard to push the memories from his mind. He did not know what was going on, but he certainly wasn’t about to let her run away from him again simply because she was scared. And, he had a feeling that was exactly what she was doing. Sighing, he reached for his phone as he heard the familiar sound signaling a text. Hope blossomed for a moment once he realized the text was from Jason until he read the words.

  ‘She said you’re leaving her at the end of the month. Do not call back here tonight.’

  Dumbfounded he stared at the screen for several minutes. He could clearly read the words, understanding every single one of them, but the context was completely devoid of any meaning. He typed a reply. ‘WHAT? You know that’s crap, right?’

  Minutes passed and still there was no reply. He couldn’t very well pick up the phone and call back after Jason expressly asked him not to. Of course, that did not surprise him at all. If Nikki thought he was actually planning to leave her, as if that would ever happen, she would be completely irrational. A phone call there might spook her off and send her running again.

  No. He was not going to let her do that again. Last time, it took almost two weeks for her to come to her senses and come back to work. Right now he knew where she was and he intended to keep it that way.

  “Nicole,” he muttered. “You’re not doing this again. This time, I’m coming after you.”

  Picking up his phone, he sent a final text for the evening. ‘I’m coming tomorrow. DO NOT tell her.’

  Thirty minutes later he heard the unmistakable ding of a reply. ‘See you then.’

  Chapter Three

  Warm sunlight filtered through the room, dancing across Nikki’s face and drawing her from slumber. She snuggled under the covers, completely content as a sigh escaped her lips. Turning on her side, she reached for Danny and forced her eyes open when her hand passed over cold sheets on his side of the bed. This was not her room. She was in the guest room at Jason and Rebekah’s house.

  The events from the past twenty four hours rushed through her mind and immediately the warmth seeped from her body. This is what her future would feel like. Waking up alone every morning, constantly listening for his laughter, waiting for his arms to draw her close. For ten years, they had shared everything. Now she had to wonder how much of their marriage was ever true to begin with.

  Flopping back against the pillows she couldn’t help but wonder if she would always feel this way. This empty.

  “Shhh,” a little voice warned from the hallway. “Mama said we had to be quiet.”

  “Don’t wanna,” the other voice replied. “Wanna see my Nikki. She wake now?”

  At least she had a little something to look forward to today. She closed her eyes quickly feigning sleep as the door pushed open.

  “See Lizzie,” the older voice continued whispering to the younger one. “Aunt Nikki is still sleeping.”

  “Sun wake! My Nikki wake too!” Lizze yelled indignantly in her adorable two year old speak.

  Nikki worked to stifle the laughter that bubbled in her chest. These girls were exactly what she needed. Waiting a few more moments for them to shuffle closer to her bed she reached down and scooped both of the squirming girls into her bed. “Who’s that giggling in my bedroom?” she managed to ask through her own laughter.

  “Not me, not me, my Nikki.” Lizzie snuggled into her aunt’s arms.

  Emily placed her little hands on her waist as she struggled to balance herself on her knees. “She’s not just your Nikki. She’s mine too!”

  “Is not!”

  “Is too!”

  “Is not!”

  “Is…”

  “Is that the sound of two little monkeys I hear?” A voice boomed down the hallway and the girls tried to worm their way under Nikki’s covers as Jason walked into the bedroom. “Morning, Nikki.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at the wriggling masses between her sheets. “Morning, Jason.”

  An impish smile spread across Jason’s face. “Huh. I guess I was wrong. Maybe there aren’t any monkeys in here after all.” He sauntered closer to the bed and faked a yawn and stretch. “Ohhhh. I’m so tired. Do you mind if I lie on your bed and rest for just a minute, Nikki.”

  “Not at all. Go right ahead.”

  “Okay, scoot over! Here I come!”

  “No, Daddy, no! You squish me!” Lizzie popped her head up yanking the covers off her sister at the same time.

  Attitude spread across Emily’s face. “You were supposed to be quiet!”

  “And you, little monkey,” Jason scooped her off the bed and threw her over his shoulder before continuing. “You were supposed to keep your sister quiet and let Aunt Nikki sleep this morning.”

  “Really, Daddy? Have you met her? I can’t keep her quiet.”

  “I think all of you are troublemakers,” Rebekah broke into the conversation as she walked into the room with two steaming mugs of coffee and turned her gaze to Nikki. “I blame you for the girls.”

  “And I take full responsibility,” Nikki
grinned as she sat back, letting the lightness of the moment surround her. This right here was the exact reason she came. With the strength and support of Jason and Rebekah, she knew anything would be possible to overcome.

  “Come on monkeys.” Jason shifted Emily to one side as he reached down to take Lizzie into his other arm. “Daddy gets to take you to school today.”

  Silence fell on the room the moment Jason left with the girls and Nikki could not help but smile as she watched them go. “He’s a good Dad.”

  Rebekah beamed as she answered. “Yes, he is. And those girls have him wrapped so tight around their fingers I don’t know what to do with them half the time.”

  Nikki shrugged. “He loves them. And you.”

  “He does.” Rebekah made her way over to the bed and took a seat on the corner handing Nikki a mug. “It is such a blessing to be married to your best friend. But then, you know that.”

  Picking at a string on the comforter, Nikki took her time before responding. “I thought I did.” Nikki took a sip of the coffee, the hot liquid burning her throat. “I just don’t know anymore.”

  Rebekah nodded her head in empathy, not entirely sure what words she could use to convey her concern. “Jason sent Danny a text last night, just like you asked, letting him know you are here. I can’t believe you left and got on a plane without telling anyone where you were going.”

  “I wasn’t thinking, Bekah. I only knew I had to get away. There was no way I could face him.”

  “Why though, Nikki? You’ve always said there wasn’t anything you could not talk about with Danny. In fact, that’s one of the biggest pieces of advice you tried to drill into my head before Jason and I married.”

  “That was before I heard my husband say he was going to leave me!” Nikki muttered in exasperation. “You have no idea what that is like.”

  “True,” Rebekah acquiesced. “I don’t know what I would do if Jason ever said that to me. It would destroy my world. But that would be if he said it to me.” She paused a moment, watching Nikki’s face in earnest. “I don’t want this to come out wrong, but did he actually tell you he was leaving?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Maybe, maybe not. But, in this case, I think it does matter if you overheard it versus him telling you directly.”

  “Why? What difference does it make Beck? It doesn’t get much clearer than what he said.” Nikki threw the covers off and slid out of the bed to begin pacing around the room. “I just don’t get it though.”

  Rebekah twisted her body to watch Nikki as she finally settled against the window, watching the outside world pass by. “Get what.”

  “I can say what I want about Danny, but he has always had only one thing on the brain. Me.”

  A small laugh escaped from Rebekah’s lips. “You think? Jason said he was pretty determined to win you from the moment he stepped foot in the studio.”

  “Oh, girl! It started way before that. We actually met a couple of years before he started on the show. It was brief, but we acted together for a short time in an after school special type show. Despite our age difference, he’s always looked a little younger so it was not hard for him to get that kind of a role. There was an instant connection between us, but I was too young, and he was too much of a gentleman to pursue anything then. Plus, he was a little intense for me so I told him there would never be a relationship for us.”

  “What happened when he showed up on the set?”

  “The typical for me. He pushed. I caved. And then, I ran.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Nikki moved to join her friend as she sat on the bed and could not help but be struck by the innocence of the image. Rebekah was still perched in the middle of the bed, her feet tucked underneath her. Never at any point in Nikki’s life had she ever had the opportunity to experience anything as simple as two girlfriends sharing secrets in bed. “How much do you know about my family?”

  Rebekah chewed on her lips thoughtfully for a moment. “Not too much really. I know you don’t see your parents very often. And,” she paused, her eyes closed as if she were searching her memories. “I think you’re an only child. Right?”

  She settled back against the pillows, facing Rebekah. “That’s right. My parents had me when they were a little older. I was, in my Mom’s words, a most unwelcome surprise.”

  “Well, that’s a pretty horrible thing to say to your child.”

  Nikki lifted her slim shoulder in response. “That was my Mom. She never said it to be hurtful; she just believed in being honest. And unfortunately for me, I was conceived shortly after they decided never to have children. They had careers, plans, travel and dreams; all things that having a child would definitely change.”

  Rebekah did not answer, not that she needed to. The rapt look of attention in her eyes told Nikki her friend was lost in the story so she continued. “And, they lived as if things never changed. I was merely a figure that drifted in and out of their lives. From the moment I came home from the hospital, a scheduled c-section by the way so that Mom’s calendar would not be messed up, I was raised by a Nanny. In many ways, I think of her as my mother. Or at least I used to. She passed away years ago.”

  “Anyway,” Nikki waved her hand as if she could banish the bad memories, “my parents were, um…intense to say the least. Driven. Focused. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Goodness knows I’m pretty intense myself. But when all that passion is focused on work, and none of it on family, it can be a very depressing place for a teenager to be.

  “They were my primary motivator for getting into acting. It was more than wanting an escape; I thrived on the attention, as well as the connection to other people.”

  “I’m so sorry, Nikki.” Rebekah broke in, her voice thick with emotion. “I can’t imagine not having a relationship with my parents, not feeling loved by them.” She shivered with the enormity of loss those emotions evoked.

  “It’s over and done with, Rebekah. I haven’t had any contact with them in several years, haven’t seen them since Nanny passed away. I’ve had Danny and that’s all I’ve needed.” Nikki closed her eyes, retreating to the warmth thoughts of Danny normally provoked. “But, I think that is the main reason I fought so hard against any sort of relationship with Danny. Intensely driven were some of the first words I would have used to describe him and I was bound and determined I would never put myself in that situation, that environment, again.”

  “But he wouldn’t let you avoid him, would he?”

  Nikki laughed. “Uh, no. Avoiding Danny was impossible! We were on set together less than one day, one day, before we kissed. Oh, I tried to deny my attraction to him and goodness knows I tried not to be alone with him but he had an undeniable pull about him.” She smiled warmly at the thoughts of those early years. “He knew I was terrified though.”

  “What did he do?”

  “He backed off. I called in sick the day after our first date. There was no way I was ready to face him.” Looking at Rebekah, she had to fight back a smile. “Do you remember what I told you about the date kiss I shared with Jason?”

  “Sugar Lips, right?” They dissolved into a fit of laughter.

  “I didn’t know it at the time, but that description fit perfectly. Kissing him was just that; it was sweet and absolutely nothing like kissing Danny. The passion, the heat, I felt when we kissed brought all that intensity to the forefront. I could see him turning all of that on me and I could not live with that again, not when I had just gotten free from my parents.

  “After taking that first day off, I couldn’t go back. So, I simply stayed in my apartment.”

  “You did not! How long?”

  Nikki bit back a smile. “Two weeks.”

  Rebekah picked up one of the pillows stacked at the end of the bed and threw it at Nikki. “I can’t believe anyone let you get away with that!”

  “I took a combination of sick days and a few vacation days. Of course, I hadn’t exactly been taping that long on t
he show so I did not have too much time. I knew when my agent showed up on my doorstep that I couldn’t hide any longer.”

  “Jason said you and Danny were together almost as soon as he came on set. I take it you didn’t deny him much longer after you returned from your two week hiding session?”

  “No. You know me. Once I make a decision, I stick with it. I finally realized that having Danny’s intensity, his passion, directed at me would not be the same thing as my parents. See,” Nikki stumbled for the right words to describe her thoughts, “they used their intensity to ignore me. Danny never would.”

  Rebekah smiled warmly at her friend. “And I bet he never has.”