Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 130159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Heavenly smiled. She could picture that.
“But it took his mind off of Faith and Joanna for a while.” Beck sighed. “So I’m calling that a win.”
“You should,” Seth said solemnly.
“He’s right.” She nodded, cutting into her steak.
Seth said nothing more, just focused on his plate and shoveled in a forkful of salad.
Heavenly met Beck’s stare across the table. His frown worried her. Obviously, Zach’s loss was reminding Seth of his own. She could practically feel him crawling back under his hard outer shell, like a turtle, ducking for protection. If he was pulling away, what did that mean for their relationship?
Beck’s expression turned grim, but he kept the conversation rolling. “Why don’t you tell us about your mysterious text earlier today, little girl?”
Heavenly didn’t know whether to thank him or scold him for changing the subject, but Seth didn’t seem ready to blurt whatever he’d come to say, so she might as well dish. “You won’t believe who I had lunch with.”
Seth raised his head. “You mentioned a woman you know. Who?”
“Raine?” Beck asked.
“She was there…but I had lunch with Pike’s girlfriend. Well, Pike’s friend who’s a girl. A woman. That’s more accurate.”
Beck looked surprised. “The one River banged?”
“The one he’s hung up on and can’t find?” Seth added.
“That one. Her name is Jasmine. She’s absolutely gorgeous. Super sweet. She just moved here from somewhere back east a few weeks ago.”
Seth set his fork down with a clatter. “There are something like thirteen million people in the greater LA area. How the hell did she get hooked up with Pike?”
“Exactly my question,” Beck seconded. “If she’s so gorgeous and sweet, why is she even friends with him? And why did she fuck River? She must have horrible taste in men.”
Heavenly swatted at his arm. “She and Pike are neighbors or something. I don’t know the story about River yet, but when Raine plopped down in the chair next to Jasmine—”
“Exactly how did that happen, angel?”
“I invited her to come along. After Pike, who Jasmine calls by his first name, which is Cullen—who knew?—she asked me to—”
“Cullen? Seriously?” Seth shook his head, then swiveled his gaze at Beck. “Did you know that?”
“No. Hammer probably knows, but I’ve never paid much attention to Pike.”
Heavenly frowned. “I thought you two were friends.”
“Not really, and especially not once he started hitting on you. But he’s always been a loner. At the club, he plays with a lot of different girls, but he almost never takes one to bed.”
“Well, he really likes this one.”
Beck snorted. “Yeah? I really like islands in the South Pacific, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get one.”
“Right?” Seth swallowed a bite of steak. “So what were you going to say? Pike asked you to what?”
“Have lunch with Jasmine so I could put in a good word about him to her.”
“So you lied to her?” Beck spouted off.
“No. I might have skirted the truth a little, mostly because I don’t know him that well.”
Seth raised a brow. “And he asked you to use that pretty mouth to ‘skirt the truth’ because you owed him a favor and he knew everyone else would have been too honest?”
Heavenly rolled her eyes. “You two are horrible.”
“We’re right,” he groused.
“Anyway, Raine and I both liked Jasmine. We’re going to grab pedis together later this week. And Raine talked her into having a conversation with River.”
Seth sat up straighter. “Oh, that will give him a…um, big thrill.”
Beck scoffed. “You mean a big boner?”
“Well, yeah. He’s dying to get his hands on her again.”
Beck smirked. “That’s not all he’s dying for.”
Heavenly winced. “The feeling isn’t mutual. Raine had to twist her arm for this meeting, and Jasmine only agreed because Raine told her that River is a private investigator. That scared her. She doesn’t really want him to find her.”
“But he will,” Seth said. “Just a matter of time.”
“That’s what Raine told her, so it looks like River will get his wish at some point.”
“Wait. Let me get this straight.” Beck leaned in. “These two brainiacs are fighting over a woman who doesn’t want either of them?”
A smile cracked Seth’s previously solemn face. “That’s priceless.”
“She isn’t looking for a relationship,” Heavenly volunteered.
Beck shrugged. “That won’t stop either of them.”
Heavenly bit her lip. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her that.”
“Poor bastards…”
She couldn’t disagree. River and Pike had a hard road ahead if they each wanted her, especially if River intended to invite Dean into bed with them. That could have disaster written all over it…
Silence fell. Reality came rushing back to Heavenly. Their conversation had seemed so normal, so much like old times, she’d almost forgotten about the elephant in the room.
“Did you do anything besides work today?” she ventured, glancing Seth’s way.
Did you think about us?
Instantly, he got quiet. “Let’s finish dinner. Then we’ll talk.”