Melt Into You by Lisa Plumley Read Free Book Online

statement, her cell phone rang. At the sound of her saucy new Beyoncé ringtone, Natasha smiled a little more widely. Paul wasn’t “Irreplaceable.” Not to her. Not anymore. Just like Beyoncé had in the video, she could move on.
    But first ... “Hello?”
    “Tasha?” Amy Huerta’s panicky-sounding voice crackled over the connection. “Thank God you’re there! I’m freaking out.”
    “Amy?” Instantly concerned, Natasha cradled her cell phone. Balancing all her things, she moved to a quieter corner of the coffee shop. She set down her belongings. “What’s the matter?”
    “It’s Jason. And Damon.” Amy gulped back a sob. “And Wes and Giada and the Tifosi girl! It would have been me, too, if I hadn’t been in the bathroom when it happened, but I was, so—”
    “Amy, slow down.” Reflexively, Natasha drew in a deep breath. “Everything’s going to be all right. What happened?”
    Amy inhaled, too. “They’re all in jail. Everyone’s in jail, Tasha! You’ve got to get them out. Please!” Wherever Amy was, a loud buzz came over the line. Then voices. A door slammed. “Wes’s assistant tried to pull some strings, but he only made it worse. Even Giada’s best people couldn’t help—”
    “Bandini is involved in this?”
    “—and the Tifosi girl is too drunk to be any use—”
    Natasha frowned. “What’s a Tifosi ?”
    “A Ferrari racing team fan.” Amy sounded a little calmer now. “We were celebrating the close of the partnership deal—”
    “It went through? That’s great!”
    “—at a local nightclub, and, um, things got out of hand.” More clanging came from Amy’s end of the conversation. And more talking. “I didn’t know what else to do except call you.”
    “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” Natasha assured her. She’d liked Amy from the moment they’d met, a few years into Natasha’s tenure at Torrance Chocolates. Amy had come in to visit Jason—another of Natasha’s favorite people—and Natasha had given her a personal tasting tour of the chocolate selections while they’d waited for her then-fiancé to arrive. “Just sit tight.”
    “The police haven’t been very cooperative—especially since Wes threw that punch,” Amy said. “The language barrier isn’t exactly facilitating things, either. Are you sure you can help?”
    “I’m sure.” With a welcome sense of being useful and needed, Natasha set down her latte. She pulled out her trusty PDA full of important contacts. Like Damon, she had a thing for technology. Unlike him, she didn’t usually indulge her whims for the latest gadget. “I bail out Damon all the time. Believe me, this is not the diciest situation I’ve ever scraped him out of.”

Chapter 5
     
    Thirty-nine and a half laborious hours later, Natasha stood expectantly in the baggage claim area of San Diego International Airport. Harried travelers rushed past. Prerecorded announcements droned over the sound system. The greasy smells of stale pizza and french fries lingered in the air. But as Natasha stood waiting, none of that mattered ... and the reason was Damon.
    Natasha wasn’t sure why, but being around him just made her feel better. It always had. Damon was like the fun-loving yin to her more studious yang. They were two halves of a better whole. Because where she was practical, Damon was fun . Where she was organized, he was spontaneous. Where she was dependable, he was ...
    Well, he was late , actually. Standing on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of her sexy, trouble-attracting boss and his undoubtedly weary travel companions, Natasha felt her heartbeat kick up a notch with anticipation. Or maybe with concern. Sure. It was probably concern. Because he’d been through a lot in Italy.
    She’d been through a lot here. After all, bailing him out hadn’t been easy. But she’d done it. She was proud of that.
    At long last, Damon came into view—broad shouldered, slim hipped, and smudgy under the eyes. He wore perfectly