Read Online Loving You by Maureen Child - Free Book Online Page B

were willing. So okay. Made sense that something this important was going to require a little work on his part, right? But she didn’t have to be such a hard-ass about this. He waited for her to stop fiddling with the damn desk before asking, “Does that usually work?”
    â€œWhat?” She glanced up at him.
    â€œThe ice maiden routine.” Nick shook his head while keeping his gaze locked with hers. “I mean, ifyou’re waiting for me to tuck my tail in and run, you’ve got a long wait coming.”
    She stood up straight, planted both hands on her hips, and cocked her head, swinging that ponytail in a dark red wave. He’d struck a nerve. Satisfaction rumbled through Nick, and it surprised him just how good it had been to throw her own words back at her.
    â€œWhat is it you want?” she asked, and before he could answer, she added quickly, “I’ve already told you Mimi’s not here.”
    â€œBut you didn’t tell me when she’d be back.”
    She swallowed hard and shifted her gaze away from his. “I don’t know exactly.”
    â€œYou’re not a very good liar.”
    Her head snapped up and she glared at him. If he’d needed proof that she was lying, that was it. She was too damn defensive.
    â€œYou don’t know anything about me,” she said flatly.
    â€œI know I make you nervous.”
    She snorted a laugh and folded her arms beneath her breasts. “No ego problems with you, are there?”
    Nick grinned. She looked so pissed, it was hard not to. “Don’t hear you denying it.”
    â€œI’m not nervous,” she countered, “just annoyed.”
    â€œThen my work here is done,” Nick said.
    â€œSo you’ll be leaving.”
    â€œJust as soon as you tell me when Mimi will be back.”
    â€œI
still
don’t know.”
    â€œTake a guess.”
    â€œLook.” Clearly flustered, the redhead blew out a breath and huffed it back in again. “Mimi comes and goes as she pleases, okay?”
    Oh, she was nervous. And it wasn’t just him causing those nerves. There was something else going on here, Nick thought. Something she didn’t want to think about, much less talk about. And though his curiosity was piqued, he told himself to let it go. What did it matter to him what secrets the redhead wanted to keep? All he was concerned about here was the noose around his own neck and the kid who was waiting to knock the trapdoor out from under his feet.
    â€œWhy don’t you just leave your number and I’ll have Mimi call you when she—”
    â€œThis can’t wait.”
    She reached up to smooth back a stray lock of hair that had slipped free of the band holding the ponytail in place. “I can’t help you.”
    â€œCan’t or won’t?”
    She threw her hands wide and let them slap against her thighs. “Look, you come into my house,
uninvited
, try to order things around to suit you, and I don’t even know who the hell you are.”
    â€œDamn. You’re right.”
    He laughed shortly and came away from the door, straightening up and holding his right hand out. Well, this could explain a lot. He was so used to being recognized, it hadn’t even occurred to him that she wouldn’t know who he was. “In all the arguing, I forgot to introduce myself.”
    She stared at his outstretched hand as if it were a snake, poised to strike. Deliberately she folded her arms across her chest again. After a long uncomfortable minute or two, Nick folded his fingers into a fist and lowered his hand to his side.
    â€œI’m Nick Candellano.”
    He waited for recognition to kick in. After all, he’donly just left the San Jose Saints. A month ago, there was a huge article in the local paper about his retirement, complete with pictures. He’d done an interview two weeks ago that aired on CBS. And yet … Nick shifted position