Free Breaking All the Rules by Kerry Connor Page B

said, her voice breathier than she wished.
    He blew a hot
breath straight into her ear, making her shudder. She barely realized she’d
done it when she heard him chuckle. He stepped away quickly, his massive
presence no longer overwhelming her senses, leaving her feeling empty.
    “I don’t think
so,” he said. “I think it’ll be worth the wait, in more ways than one.”
    He met her eyes
for one last, purposeful stare, then took another step back until he was at his
car.
    “Good night,
Nina. Sweet dreams.”
    He didn’t give
her time for a comeback, whipping open the door and slinging himself into the
driver’s seat. Not that she would have had one. Her tongue seemed stuck to the
roof of her mouth.
    The car roared
to life. Within seconds he peeled out, tearing out of the parking lot and
disappearing down the street.
    Long after it was
gone, Nina stood there, waiting for her body to stop buzzing.
    Damning herself
for wanting him so bad her first instinct was to chase after the car.

 
    Chapter Four
     
     
    “Nina, a
delivery came for you.”
    In the middle of
pulling a cake out of the oven, Nina had her back to the kitchen door—and
Ashley, who must have just come into the room.
    Frowning, Nina
lifted the pan onto the counter next to the oven. “I wasn’t expecting anything.
What is it?”
    “See for
yourself.”
    Nina choked back
the urge to tell Ashley to just spit it out. She didn’t have time for games,
and she definitely wasn’t in the mood. Not to mention there was a coyness in
Ashley’s voice that was setting off all kinds of warning bells in the back of
her mind. After her encounter with Bobby last night, she’d gone to bed
cranky—and woken up the same way.
    The fact that
her bedroom still smelled like him hadn’t helped. If anything, it had only made
things worse. After breathing him in all night, every time she managed to fall
asleep she’d dreamed of him.
    Naked.
    Tempting her.
    Teasing her.
    Refusing to
touch her.
    Even in her
dreams the guy wouldn’t give her any.
    Just thinking
about it in the light of day nearly made her groan out loud.
    But there was no
point taking out her sexual frustrations out on anyone else. Biting her tongue,
she turned off the oven and shut the door. Ready to see what Ashley wanted so
she could get back to work on the special order cake, Nina started to wipe her
hands on her apron as she turned around.
    Only to come to
a dead stop.
    Ashley was still
standing at the entrance to the room, a big grin on her face. In her arms she
held a glass vase filled with at least a dozen red roses.
    Oh hell.
    Nina exhaled
slowly. They were beautiful. Even she had to admit that much. They were also
the last thing she wanted to see.
    Bobby really
wasn’t giving up. Okay, she hadn’t really thought he was going to, but she’d
been holding on to some small hope that he might.
    So much for
that.
    Now that Nina
had seen them, Ashley turned to set the vase on the table inside the door. “Nice,
huh?”
    “I’ll say,”
Jackie said from the doorway. “Who are they from?”
    Nina grimaced.
“I have a feeling I know.”
    “Maybe you
should check and find out for sure,” Ashley smirked.
    Nina shot her a
dirty look. Ashley simply stared back, one eyebrow raised in a silent
challenge.
    That’s it. I
need better friends , Nina thought bitterly. Not really seeing any way
out—and kind of wanting to know for sure in case there was any chance she was
wrong—she crossed the room to the table, pulled the card from the bouquet and
opened it.
    I’m betting
these still aren’t half as beautiful as you. How about dinner? -Bobby.
    Cheesy ,
she told herself, refusing to let herself be affected by the words or the
sentiment. She already knew he liked the way she looked. He’d more than proven
that over the years, and in ways that were a hell of a lot more fun than giving
her roses. “Did the person who delivered them already leave?”
    Jackie nodded.
“Yes. Why?”
    Damn . “I
could have