Matching Mr. Right(53)

“You’re a brave woman.” Jo patted her shoulder. “But you may have to hide out for a few days.”

While Nick and the actress talked, Shelby checked e-mails on her phone. After answering a few, she looked up again. Nick’s table was empty.

That was fast.

Both the kitchen’s double doors banged open. “Dammit, Shelby! Where are you?”

Whoops.

The fury in Nick’s voice had her making a run for it. If she could get to Jo’s office before him, maybe she could lock the door until he calmed down.

She sped down the short hallway stacked with baking supplies on either side, his loud footsteps warning her he was close.

When she reached the office, she slapped the door closed behind her, but a loud thud, followed by Nick’s vicious curse, told her he’d taken it in the face.

So not good!

Shelby rounded the desk and stood behind it, grateful for the solid piece of furniture that would separate her from the madman.

Nick threw the door open and stalked inside with a big red mark on his forehead and murderous intent in his eyes.

“I didn’t mean to hit you with the door, Nick. Sorry.”

“You were smart to run.” He started toward her, but she slipped around the side. He feinted left, then went right, but Shelby was a decent basketball player and didn’t fall for it.

“Give it up Shelby, you can’t escape.”

“We’ll see about that.” She made a big move that left him on the backside of the desk and her on the front, closer to the door. “Bye!”

She ran full tilt into the hall, smiling at the prospect of escape through the swinging doors. Her forward progress came to an abrupt halt when Nick wrapped his tree trunk of an arm around her waist. Then her feet left the ground, and he threw her over his shoulder, knocking the air out of her lungs.

“The day a little runt like you outmaneuvers me is the day I’m washed up.”

Shelby hung upside down, struggling for air, staring at Nick’s fine rear end. “My heels slowed me down, but admit it. I outmaneuvered you, pal.”

“You play dirty. First a guy, then her? She laughed like a . . . braying donkey. I’ve never heard anything so obnoxious.”

“Some might call her laugh a unique trait.”

“Or, some might call it payback times ten.”

Yep. She’d asked the actress to be over the top obnoxious and it apparently worked. But since she was in no position to gloat at the moment, she kept her mouth shut and admired his butt.

He carried her back to the office and kicked the door closed behind them. His large hand lightly smacked her bottom before he righted her, then dropped her to her feet. What little breath she had slipped out of her lungs as Nick used his whole body to press her back against the wall.

He was damn sexy when he was mad.

Nick trapped her hands above her head with one of his, and pressed his body even closer. She should probably try to start breathing again.

“Now who’s outmaneuvered, Shelby? Say you’re sorry, and mean it, and I might let you off with just a kiss.” The raw lust in his gaze dampened her panties. She forgot all about her screaming lungs.

“Nope. What else you got?” She couldn’t help it, her lips tilted into a grin that was sure to piss him off even more. There was no one more fun to fight with than Nick.

He leaned down and whispered, “I might have to kiss you all over until you give in.”

Her heart leapt. “I’m pretty stubborn.”

“I know.” All his anger seemed to recede as his mouth formed a slow, sexy smile before starting his assault along the hollow at the base of her neck. She tilted her chin and moaned as his lips slowly traveled up to her earlobe and gave it a gentle bite.

He whispered, “Give in yet?”

She shook her head. “Not even close. Maybe it’d help if you let go of my hands?” She wanted to touch him so badly she ached for it.

“Nope. You’ll probably knock me over the head with something.” With his free hand, he unfastened the top two buttons of her blouse, and his mouth ventured south.

She shivered in delight.

“Are you sorry now?” he asked with his face buried in her chest.

“Not a bit.” She laid a soft kiss on the mark on his forehead. “Maybe you should kiss me like you did the other day. That was pretty annoying.”

He chuckled. “I want you, Shelby.”

Her heart pounded, sending even more heat downstairs. “Jo thinks I’ll always wonder if I don’t sleep with you.”

His head lifted and nipped her bottom lip. “I like Jo.”

Shelby sucked his full bottom lip into her mouth and nipped him back. “So do I. But I’m still mad at you. You don’t deserve it.”