Make Me Believe: Unbelievable, Book 3 Read Free Page A

shoulder at him, the little grin on his lips making her heart trip. Desire twisted within her. She wanted those lips on hers, had wanted it for months. She shook herself, turned away and flipped on the switch to flood the basement with light. Hustling down the stairs, she looked around for the case of champagne. What looked like a beat up and discarded set of living room furniture was pushed up against one wall, a few tarnished silver dishes on the coffee table. Boxes and crates were piled haphazardly all over the place, one of them marked with the brand of bubbly Mrs. Chambers was serving. “I’ve resisted you for a year, Delacroix. I don’t think an old lady’s matchmaking is going to change that.”
    His heavy tread echoed as he followed her down the steps. “I don’t encourage her. I only encouraged you.”
    “You don’t discourage her, either.” She pointed him toward the wooden crate of champagne.
    He snorted as he waved her aside and lifted the case by himself, the muscles in his arms bulging. “As if I could. She has her nose in everyone’s business, but she’s not hurting anyone. Some people are vicious with gossip—she just likes to know everything. Besides, it’s not like she can force you to do anything with me, right?”
    “Right.” She sighed. “She’s pretty harmless, I know. It’s just a little annoying at times. I’m ready for her to stick her nose in someone else’s love life now. Is that too much to ask?”
    The door above them slammed shut, a distinct click sounding as a lock engaged.
    Mason’s jaw sagged open for a moment, and he set the champagne back down with a loud thunk . “Oh, no fucking way. She wouldn’t.”
    “Shit!” Celia bolted up the stairs, twisting the doorknob, though she knew it was useless. She pounded her fist on the door, disbelief and desperation screaming through her. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t. “Come on , Mrs. Chambers. This isn’t funny.”
    “There’s no way out of there except through this door, so don’t bother trying to find one. You’re trapped until we say otherwise.” Jerry’s distinctive lisp came through the thick wood. “Take the opportunity to get to know each other. It’ll be fun!”

Chapter Two
    “You are fired , Jerry.” She kicked the door with her combat boot for good measure, though she knew none of the guests would hear over the music, and her evil cupids wouldn’t care. She stomped down a few of the stairs before turning to shout even louder, just for the pleasure of venting her spleen. “The moment I get out of here, you’re getting booted from my salon, Jerry! Believe it. And Tori can get her hair done somewhere else!”
    There was no response, of course, and all she could do was stare at the door in impotent rage, willing it to open and knowing it wouldn’t. She was stuck here. Trapped. She closed her eyes. “I don’t have my cell phone with me. It’s in my purse, which Jerry put away in a spare room when I got here.”
    “My cell’s in my coat pocket, and Mrs. Chambers took that. All I have is my work pager.”
    Frustration tangled with…fear in her chest. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with Mason. She’d done everything in her power in the last year to make sure that never happened. Her fingers balled into fists at her sides. Damn it. Damn them . And their meddling.
    She turned and found him right behind her. Scrabbling backward to keep from touching him, the backs of her calves hit the next stair up, and she tripped and slammed into the railing sideways. Her arms flailed, her heart stopping in her chest, a short scream wrenching from her throat, and she would have gone over the rail if he hadn’t grabbed her. She hung there for a moment, staring at the long drop down to the hard cement floor. All the blood rushed out of her face so fast, it tingled with cold shock.
    He hauled her up against his chest, lifted her and spun to press her against the wall. Which meant she ended up