Nick scowled as he searched the plant for a card. “My mom hates orchids.” He started toward the trash with it, but Linda laid her hand on his arm and stopped him.
“But this one is kind of pretty, Nick.” She shifted Emily on her hip before she took the plant from him. Then she glanced at Edward. “I’m finding my tastes are changing as I get older. How about you, Ed?”
Edward smiled. “Absolutely.”
Nick frowned and looked at his mother as if she’d lost her marbles. “Whatever. Bye, Mom.” He started toward the door, and ignoring his father’s presence, said, “I’ll see you later Short Stuff.”
“Bye, Uncle Nick,” Emily mumbled around a bite of cookie.
Nick’s mom called out, “Don’t you want your cookies?”
Ignoring his mother, Nick slipped his hand around Shelby’s arm. Impersonating a caveman again, he tugged her through the mudroom and then outside with him. Before she could ask what he was doing, he backed her up against the garage. Sliding his big hands slowly along her cheeks and then into her hair, he tilted her face and laid his soft, warm lips on hers.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss, but one filled with heat and frustration. And so much desire she feared her brain cells would never be the same. When his thigh slipped between her legs and he pressed his chest against hers she was afraid she’d spontaneously combust. The man flipped a switch in her she never knew was there.
She lifted her hands into his thick hair, pulling him even closer, and a deep moan rumbled from his chest.
She should put an end to the kiss, but her ability to reason had apparently booked a cruise to Antarctica. The bad girl she always hid so deeply within kind of hoped her frozen brain cells would stay right where they were for just a while longer.
Nick’s warm hands took their time exploring her body before heading south and finally reaching their destination—her rear end. He gave her bottom a gentle squeeze. Then he slowly moved his lips to the sensitive skin in front of her ear. When he laid soft kisses there, sending skitters of lust up her spine, a blaze of desire raced through her body. Now her brain cells weren’t anywhere near Antarctica—they were smoldering in Hades.
Nick nearly drove her over the edge as he trailed hot kisses along her jaw and then teased the corner of her mouth. She wanted his lips back on hers, pronto.
At the sound of her frustrated moan, he abruptly pulled his mouth away, blinking as if he suddenly remembered they were outside of his mother’s house instead of in a bedroom where they could finish what he’d started. Good thing his brain cells seemed to still be working, because hers had committed hara-kiri long ago.
With her hands still buried in his soft hair, she gazed into his smoldering blue eyes, waiting for an explanation. When none came, and he seemed perfectly content to stare right back at her with a sexy little grin on his lips, she whispered, “What was that for?”
“Just felt like it.” He shrugged. “It’s nice you’re going to write the book with Em. Bye.” He kissed her again so softly her heart melted, then he turned and walked away.
She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the hard siding. She wanted Nick, that was obvious to all the parts of her body that made her a female, but worse, she’d come to care for him. A lot.
So what was wrong with ignoring her raging hormones and just being his friend? If she let her traitorous body have its way they’d be lovers and probably have a few great weeks, but then he’d move on. Her already scarred heart, one that had never been the same after the loss of her family, couldn’t handle any more lacerations. But every time she kissed Nick she wanted him even more, dammit!
She turned to go back inside to get started on her new Chester book with Emily.
Better to forget Nick’s hot kisses and take the safe path with Greg. Maybe she’d get lucky and Greg would make her brains fry when he finally kissed her too.
Or at least sizzle a little.
She could live with that.
When she walked into the kitchen, Emily had crumbs on her chin, smeared chocolate on her pudgy little fingers, and a big grin on her cherubic face. No wonder Nick was so smitten with his niece. She was an adorable kid. And one more reason to pursue Greg. He wanted little Emilys and Nick didn’t.
While Emily finished up her snack, Shelby turned to check on Nick’s parents. They stood side-by-side, leaning against the kitchen counter with matching smug smiles on their lips.
Confused by their self-satisfied looks, Shelby asked, “Did you guys work everything out?”
Mrs. Caldwell chuckled. “No, our situation isn’t one so easily solved. But thanks for distracting Nick, Shelby. You really took one for the team out there—and boy, did you sell it!”