Read Online Loving You by Maureen Child - Free Book Online

enough to see her soul—if she had one. With their gazes locked the woman said, “I’m not going anywhere without you.”
    Crazy. That’s what she was. Crazy. Too nuts to be out on her own. Tasha looked over her shoulder again. The three men stepped off the curb, moving as a single entity. Danger pulsed off them as clearly as the shattered glow of neon dusting them with a weird red light
.
    â€œLady…” she tried again
.
    â€œGet in or help me fight them off,” Mimi said flatly
.
    Frustrated, torn between wanting to run and wanting to get into the warm, dry car, Tasha blew out a disgusted breath, then sprinted to the other side of the car. The minute she was inside and the door slammed behind her, Mimi stepped on the gas. The old Caddy peeled away from the curb and sent a fantail of dirty water spraying over the three men like a tiny tidal wave
.
    Their curses rang out loud and clear and only got louder when Mimi stuck her left arm out the window and gave them a prom wave
.
    â€œTasha!”
    Her eyes flew open and she jumped, startled, as she turned to look at Molly, standing in the open doorway, one hand on the brass knob.
    Tasha slapped one hand to her chest and said, “Christ, you scared me to death.”
    â€œJoin the club,” her friend said. “Thought you werein a coma or something. I called you three times.” She frowned. “You okay?”
    â€œFine,” she said, and released the last wisps of memory before rejoining the present. “What’s up, anyway?”
    â€œWhat’s up is … Tassel Loafer was here.”
    Tasha’s insides went cold and still. Weird. She was pretty sure her heart had stopped beating, too. She swallowed hard. “When?”
    â€œPretty much now.” The deep voice came from right behind Molly, and as he stepped into view, Tasha knew her heart had started again. Because it was practically skipping in her chest. That couldn’t be a good thing.
    Heck, she’d seen handsome men before. Rich ones, too. Just never here. In the shop. In her world.
    And the faster she could get rid of him, the better.

C HAPTER 5
    Nick took a long look at the redhead and damned if she didn’t look better in daylight than she did by porch light.
    Her skin was pale, creamy, but for the sprinkle of freckles across her nose and cheeks. That full mouth of hers was thinned into a dangerous grim line, but it didn’t detract from the whole picture. Her thick shoulder-length hair was pulled up into a ponytail high at the back of her head. The dark red mass, streaked through with blond and pale red strands, fell down against her slender neck, and Nick felt the urge to reach out and touch it. Just to see if it was as soft as it looked.
    Then her meadow green eyes narrowed on him as she stood up to her full, less-than-impressive height, and Nick figured touching of any kind might get his hand bitten off.
    â€œHey,” the dark-haired woman said as she turned to gape at him. “I told you to wait outside.”
    He shrugged. “I didn’t.”
    â€œYeah, I can see that.” Blowing out a breath, she turned back to the redhead and said, “I’m sorry, Tash. I didn’t know he was following me. Those tassels are pretty damn quiet.”
    â€œI cheated,” Nick said. “Wore Reeboks.”
    He damn sure didn’t like being called Tassel Loafer. Might be time to pitch those puppies, he thought, Gucci or not.
    â€œIt’s okay, Molly,” the redhead said, and gave him a look she probably saved for spiders, just before she squashed them.
    Nick never took his gaze off her, even when her friend said, “You want me to stay?”
    â€œNo thanks, Molly. I’ll be fine.”
    When the dark-haired woman turned to leave, Nick spared her a quick look and caught the gleam of warning shining in her eyes. Jesus. Did he have
serial killer
tattooed on his forehead?
    He forced himself to