Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
I couldn’t picture it: arrogant, cold Nico as a boy, running around barefoot and dirty in the woods while his parents looked on with faint approval. It seemed like something that had happened a lifetime ago, something poignant and sweet.
Something that I never would have associated with a man like Nico Ulrich.
“That sounds beautiful,” I admitted.
Nico nodded. “Yes,” he said. “It was.”
“Where were you when the Berlin Wall fell?” I asked.
Nico didn’t reply for a moment and I wondered if I’d gone too far – Nell shot me another nervous look and Tricia had the gall to appear annoyed, as if I’d somehow ruined her private fantasy.
“At home,” Nico said. “In my parents’ apartment, watching TV.” He nodded at the memory. “We were one of the only families I knew who had one. And suddenly, just like that, there was a pounding at the door. My mother was afraid, but when my father went to open the door, we saw all of our friends and family. They’d come over to watch the television, you see, because none of them had one at home.”
I scribbled down his answers as quickly as I could.
“When I came to America, I was astonished because everything was so different. So free,” Nico continued. “And perhaps, that’s why I took such an interest in sartorial matters. In Russia, even after Leningrad became Saint Petersburg again, it was impossible to find a variety. But here, you go into a store, you can buy the same thing in ten different colors.”
“I’ve heard that,” Nell chimed in. “One of my friends told me an anecdote once about this scientist who lived in Russia during the Communist period. He came to America for some science conference and smuggled a Sears catalog back home, just to show all of his friends that in America, you could buy anything you wanted.”
Nico nodded. “That sounds true,” he said. “Or if not exactly true, the kind of thing that very easily could have happened.”
“So,” I said as I glanced down at the paper again. “You believe your interest in fashion came from having the ability to choose from so many different pieces of clothing?”
“Partially,” Nico replied. He grinned at Nell. “And I have to be bold, you know – I’m surrounded by young athletes who could whip me over their shoulder with one hand if they wanted to.”
Nell and Tricia both burst into giggles. Nico shot me a smoldering look and I blushed hotly, squirming in my chair. When he looked at me like that, I felt like we were the only two people in the room – hell, the only two people in the universe.
“Do you have any more questions for me?” Nico asked, and I sensed he was talking about far more than just the interview.
I shook my head. “No,” I said. “The main portion of the issue is going to be photos, which reminds me – we’ll be doing two shoots. One in your apartment with your own clothing and one here, likely in a set of vintage outfits that we’ve curated for the feature.”
Nico nodded. He got to his feet and shook hands with Nell and Tricia.
“Harper will see you out,” Nell said, still beaming at Nico. “Again, Mr. Ulrich, thank you so very much for your time.”
“My pleasure,” Nico replied.
But he was looking at me when he said it.
We set up a time to meet at Nico’s condo for the first of the two shoots, and then I walked him down the hall to the elevator in silence.
“So,” Nico said, moving his gaze over my body. “It’s nice to see you again, Harper.”
I wondered if he would start badgering me again, like he’d done so on the phone, but instead he remained silent.
“Of course,” I said, feeling somewhat awkward as I pressed the button to summon the elevator. “Thank you again for coming in to speak with us.”
Nico nodded. His sapphire blue eyes were sparkling with desire and I could tell that he wanted to pull me into his arms, crush me against his body, kiss me deeply.
And the worst part was, I wanted him to. We were alone in the hallway and I was breathing hard and fast, my stomach doing nervous little flips of anticipation as we stood in a tense silence. We were so close that I could smell his cologne, musky and powerful, the same thing he’d worn for years.
God, I wanted him so much ... and I hated myself for it. I knew that I could never be intimate with him again – if only because if I was, then there was no way I’d be able to keep the secret of Ada from him. I already felt the guilt burn like a brand on my soul.
There was no way I’d let myself get closer to him. I had to protect my daughter – she was truly my first priority in life.