Matching Mr. Right (Rocky Mountain Matchmaker Series Book 1)

by Baumann, Tamra

  Nope. Not going there.

  When Shelby walked into her kitchen, Jo sat at the table eating a big bowl of pasta. Shelby hadn’t had a chance to talk to Jo outside of the café in days. She missed her best bud.

  “Hey stranger. How are you?”

  “Good. How was the date?”

  “A disaster, but that’s Nick’s fault.” Shelby grabbed a bowl, filled it from the pot on the stove, and joined Jo. Then she told her the whole stupid tale.

  “You really made Nick call a cab?”

  Shelby stuffed more creamy, garlicy noodles into her mouth and moaned with pleasure. “Damn straight! That was just rude. The man drives me nuts. He’s the human version of Chester.”

  “Yeah, but you couldn’t write Chester as well as you do if you weren’t a little that way too. Will you promise me something?”

  Shelby laid her fork down. Jo’s serious tone startled her. “Are you worried about me and you if dating Greg doesn’t work out?”

  Jo stood and washed her bowl out. When she was done, she turned around and crossed her arms. “No, it’s not that. You and I will always be good, no matter what. But you like analogies, so I’m going to give you one. Greg is like your Prius. It’s a reliable, steady, and economical vehicle, but it’s lacking in flash and speed. Now Nick, he’s like your old Porsche. That car was a fast, sexy, powerful ride that didn’t make economic sense, but was a hell of a lot of fun to drive. You’ve made some big changes in your life recently and admit it Shelby, you’re still missing your old Porsche.”

  “Okay, I get your point. But what do you want me to promise?”

  “I want you to promise to take your time with Greg. Tell him you just want to be friends until you’ve become reacquainted again. Don’t sleep with him until you’re sure he’s the same guy you’ve built him up to be in your mind all these years. You have an honest friendship with him you wouldn’t want to ruin. And I don’t want to see my brother hurt. But Nick? It’d be torture to always wonder what might have been. I think you should jump his bones as soon as possible so you’ll know exactly where you stand with him. Take Nick for a test drive.”

  A strange sense of relief washed through her. As if Jo saying out loud those same thoughts that Shelby hadn’t wanted to face suddenly made them all right. If Emily hadn’t been there, would she and Greg have had enough to talk about all afternoon? They were different people now than when they were kids. Maybe she had built Greg up in her mind to be more than he could ever be.

  “Deal. I’ll call Greg tonight and tell him it’s strictly platonic for now. I’ll even tell him why. He’ll probably cancel our dinner date, but you’re right, Jo. I need to be fair to your brother.”

  “Thank you.” Jo’s lips tilted into one of her trademark smirks. “And Nick?”

  She sighed. “I’m so mad at him right now. We’ll have to see.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Hanky-panky can lead to big spankies!”

  Chester is in Trouble Again

  Later the next week, Shelby tapped on her laptop at the café as a big shadow cast over her. Nick. His scrumptious cologne gave him away. Or maybe it was those delectable pheromones of his. “Are you ready to meet your lunch date?”

  “I guess. Are you still mad at me?” He sat across from her looking all remorseful, but he wasn’t getting off that easy.

  “Yep.” She slid the Bluetooth that wasn’t charged across the table.

  He popped it in. “I found something interesting I’d like to show you later if you’re free.”

  “What is it?”

  Nick leaned closer and smiled. “You’ll have to wait and see, because I think I might have just snagged a huge job. I need to get back to my office as soon as this meet and greet is over. If you weren’t already mad at me I would’ve canceled.”

  “You’ll be glad you didn’t cancel. I really think this might be the one for you, Nick. And you know what they say about brunettes. Now go over to that far table and let’s do a sound check.”

  “Okay.”

  Shelby bit her lip to contain her smile as Nick made his way through the tables filled with diners. When he sat down and grinned at her, she struggled for a stern look.

  Payback time.

  She pretended to speak so Nick could see her mouth move. He tapped at his earpiece. Frowning, he took it out and examined it.

  Finally he lifted it up and mouthed, “Not working.”

  She stood and crossed to his table. She pretended to mess with it a bit and then said, “Shoot. Your date will be here any minute. I guess you’re on your own this time. Sorry.”

  Nick shook his head. “You know what? Maybe it’d be best to cancel since I really don’t have time for this anyway.”

  “Are you scared to do it alone?”

  “No, of course not.” He huffed out a breath and glanced at his heavy gold watch. “But if she’s late I’m not waiting more than ten minutes for her.”

  She patted his shoulder. “Okay. I need to talk to Jo about something. Remember your manners and make good choices.”

  Nick scowled at her. “Make good choices? What are you talking about?”

  “You’ll see. Bye.”

  Shelby quickly disappeared into the kitchen. On the far wall in the back, two big flat-screens showed all the angles from their security cams, both inside and outside the café. Shelby grabbed a stool and waited for the show to begin.

  Jo, wiping her hands on a towel, stood nearby. “Too bad we don’t have sound. That would’ve made this so much better.”

  Jordan showed up, head swiveling looking for Nick. She’d given Jordan a description of Nick, so it didn’t take long before the very handsome Jordan headed Nick’s way and introduced himself. Jordan could model for GQ and had the best sense of humor of any of her friends.

  The look on Nick’s face when he’d realized Jordan was his date—priceless. “See the way his jaw is slightly clenching, Jo? He’s livid.”

  Jo’s chuckle was downright evil. “A vein in his forehead is popping. He’s definitely going to kill you. Or have a stroke.”

  “Well, wait. It gets better.” Shelby turned her attention back to the screen. When Jordan reached out and laid a hand on Nick’s arm, Nick’s eyes shifted, as if looking for the fastest escape route.

  Nick, clearly uncomfortable, stood to leave. Jordan laughed, held up a hand to stop him, and must have confessed it was a joke, just as Act Two came strolling in. A tall, beautiful blonde client who was also an actress who Shelby’d recruited to play a role in her payback plan.

  Throwing an elbow into Jordan’s ribs in a “get lost” gesture, the blonde smiled sweetly at Nick.

  Relief crossed Nick’s face as he shook her hand and pulled out a chair for her.

  Jo said, “She’s gorgeous, Shelby. Aren’t you afraid he might go for her instead of you?”

  “No. She’s perfect on the outside just like Nick originally ordered.” Shelby’s lips tilted in anticipation. “But you can’t always judge a book by its cover. If she doesn’t make him blow a gasket, nothing will.”

  “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.”

  Instead of arguing, he kissed her just like she’d asked him to. Slow, sweet, and deep.

  Lust danced a jive within her belly again.

  Jo’s voice interrupted their fun. “Good job, Nick. I bet Shelby’s learned her lesson good and proper now. But do you guys mind? I have work to do.”

  His lips curved against Sheby’s as he released her hands, quickly buttoned her blouse, and took a step back. “I have to get back to work. Can I come over for dinner tonight and show you what I found? And then maybe we could discuss Jo’s theory some more.”

  “Sure. But which theory? The one about brunettes being better in bed? Did you decide to sleep with Jordan after all?”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’ll be there at seven, wiseass.” He gave her butt a pat. “I’ll bring a pizza.” He smirked as he strutted out the door.

  Shelby called out to his big back, “You need to wipe that self-assured look off of your face, pal. We still have a lot of terms to discuss. It’s not a given that I’m going to sleep with you.”

  Jo rolled her eyes and slipped behind her desk. “Really, Shelby?”

  Okay, it was a given.

  Shelby made her way out to her car and smiled all the way home.

  After her long bubble bath, she donned her black push up bra and put on the new sexy low-cut blouse she’d just bought. For once in her life, she wanted to be the bad girl instead of the good one. Maybe she’d punished herself enough for her deeds as a child.

  It was Nick’s struggles with his own issues that made her see her own behavior more clearly. Guilt controlled his life like she’d let her childhood mistake control hers.

  Nick was just the one to unlock her bad girl’s bedroom door and let her out to play. She could be that woman who just wanted great sex, nothing more. Or at least she was going to try.

  When she’d called Greg after her talk with Jo to explain how she wanted to keep things platonic between them, he’d said he totally agreed. She needed to see what was between her and Nick. Greg didn’t want to be with a woman who’d wonder what she’d missed. That was just so . . . Greg-like of him. Most guys would have told her to take a flying leap. But not sensible, reliable Greg the Prius. And he still wanted to have dinner, just as friends, because he’d missed her.

  Perfect situation. Happiness all around.

  When the doorbell rang at seven on the dot, her heart nearly stopped. She drew a deep breath, channeled her best bad girl, and told herself one more time that it was okay to have a fun fling.

  She opened the door and there he was with a big smile, his briefcase, and a large pizza box.

  “Hi, Pizza Boy. Come inside and we’ll figure out a way for you to earn a big tip.”

  Maybe she should tone it down a bit. She didn’t want to appear that easy. Better to make him work for it. At least a little.

  Nick grinned as he slipped past her. “I did this in college to earn extra money. You’re talking to a man who knows how to maximize his tips.”

  “Really?” Shelby shut the door behind him. “You delivered pizzas?”

  He crossed over to the kitchen and laid the box on the counter. “I did.”

  “So, did you ever swap naughty acts for tips?”

  Nick pulled her against him. “Define naughty.” He kissed her but she couldn’t concentrate, because she experienced a sudden overwhelming wave of writer’s curiosity and needed to know the truth. She leaned back and ended their kiss. “Seriously. Did you?”

  “No. I kept it professional. Strictly dollar bills. But I have something I want to show you. Promise you won’t get mad at me for doing this without asking first.”

  Warning bells went off. Shelby took a step back, wrapping her arms around her waist. “Okay . . . what?”

  Nick led her to a chair in the kitchen and laid a file in front of her. “This is the report from the night of your fire.”

  As he flipped a few pages, bile rose in Shelby’s throat. Slow burning rage seared the lining of her stomach. And to think she’d actually thought they’d become friends. Good friends.

  “Why would you do this to me?”

  When she started to rise from her chair, N
ick’s strong arms held her in place. “Read it, Shelby. Please?”

  “Dammit, Nick, no! Let me go.” Those muscles she once thought were sexy now held her prisoner. No matter how hard she struggled, his firm grip never faltered.

  Anger, fear, and Nick’s betrayal conjured tears that all her efforts couldn’t stop from running down her cheeks. When a soft sob escaped her throat, Nick laid a gentle kiss on her cheek.

  He whispered, “I’d never hurt you, Shelby. Please?” He pointed to a yellow highlighted sentence. “Right here.”

  The truth in his voice seeped inside her chest and wrapped itself around her heart, giving it a warm hug. No, Nick wouldn’t be intentionally cruel. It was the fire and her mistake she didn’t want to face.

  Her vision swam as she tried to focus. She blinked away her tears and suddenly the line became clear. “The fire originated in the master bedroom in an ashtray by the bed.”

  She couldn’t breathe. It was like when Nick threw her over his shoulder but ten times worse. She opened her mouth to suck in air and finally was able to whisper, “I didn’t kill them?”

  “No. It wasn’t your fault. Your parents must’ve been partying like you said they often did. You did everything you could to save your sister, but it was your parents who killed her. Not you, Shelby. They found traces of drugs. It looks like your uncle paid someone to ensure this report stayed buried deep enough that the media wouldn’t taint your family’s name.”

  “Thank you, Nick.” Shelby crossed her arms on the tabletop in front of her and laid her head down. All her years of guilt and frustration rose up like a tidal wave through her body, begging for release. She cried so hard, she could barely catch her breath between the sobs.

  Nick stuck a paper towel in her hand, scooped her up, and then sat down in the chair and placed her on his lap, wrapping her up in his big arms. He tucked her head under his chin as the waterworks flowed.

  It must’ve been fifteen minutes of bawling on him before she sat up, realizing she was absolutely free of guilt for the first time in twenty-two years. It felt fantastic and she wanted to celebrate. And after that, she’d kill her aunt and uncle for never telling her the truth. How could they have been so heartless? But then, she’d never told them how she felt about losing her family, and they’d never asked.