Hotshot Danger: Packing the Heat: Action, Suspense, Hot Romance Boxed Set (Hotshot Romance Collection Book 2) by Kathryn Jane & Dale Mayer & Jacquie Biggar & Chantel Rhondeau & Rachelle Ayala & Silver James

Author:Kathryn Jane & Dale Mayer & Jacquie Biggar & Chantel Rhondeau & Rachelle Ayala & Silver James [Jane, Kathryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-05-20T18:30:00+00:00

12

Carlie buttoned her pants and waited for Nick to turn the corner into the hallway before unlocking the door.

“Took you long enough.” Shelley brushed past her as if she owned the place. “What were you doing?”

Hoping the bruises made it hard to see her blush, Carlie shut and relocked the door. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“Never mind. I’m just glad you’re okay. When I showed up at the shop and saw the sign hanging on the door, I didn’t know what to think.” She crossed to the window and pulled open the blinds, filling the shadowed room with sunshine. “Muhammad said you were in a car accident. I tried to call, but your phone is off.”

“Nick must have my phone.” Carlie felt guilty for not thinking about her friend. She wondered how many people worried about her over the years when she disappeared without a word. “I’m really sorry, Shelley. I should have called. I’m fine.”

Shelley turned from the window and faced her. A soft gasp escaped her throat. “What…the…hell?” She rushed over and grabbed Carlie’s chin, forcing it up similar to the way Nick had before. “Those are finger marks. That didn’t happen in a car accident.” Her eyes glanced to the side and narrowed before meeting Carlie’s again. “Nick did this? I’ll kill him!”

Barely catching the back of her shirt when Shelley attempted to storm from the room, Carlie yanked her back. “Calm down. It wasn’t Nick.”

“Fine.” Shelley put her hands on her hips, jerking her head to toss long black hair over her shoulder. “Who do I need to kill?”

Unable to help herself, Carlie smiled. It felt good to have people care about her. “No one. Nick took care of that—almost literally from what I remember. This won’t happen again.”

“It was Stephen, wasn’t it?” Shelley’s upper lip curled and she crossed the room to flop inelegantly onto the couch. “What’s that asshole’s problem? Couldn’t handle it when you ditched him for a real man?”

“Something like that.” Carlie nodded. It would be best to change the subject before Shelley got too curious. “So, you talked to Muhammad? I thought you hated him.”

Shelley waved her hand through the air. “I don’t hate him. I hate that he takes advantage of you, and you let him get away with it.” She shrugged. “When you didn’t answer your phone, I went to Compassion For All to see if he’d heard from you.”

Carlie sat on the couch, overwhelmed with guilt at worrying Shelley. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. It’s been a rough couple days.”

“I imagine it has.” Shelley hugged her gently. “That explains why you never called and told me how the date went. I thought I’d hear from you yesterday, and I’ve been curious.”

“As far as the date, dinner was nice.” Carlie tried hard not to think about what Shelley interrupted on her couch and how much ‘nicer’ things would have become, given more time. “We went to a Chinese restaurant Nick’s invested in, and we danced in the dining room. It was romantic.

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