“Yuck,” Kim piped in. “No one could understand those two.”
“I’m right here.” I sipped my coffee and acted annoyed when, really, there was no point. They loved me to no end, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Hush, sweetie. You know we’re right, or why would you have left him after he asked you to marry him?”
I leaned forward to let my hair shade the fact that I hated that topic.
“Are you romantic, Blake?” she pressed him.
“I’ve been known to be, yes.”
“She loves drive-in movie theaters. Remember when Justin took you in a convertible in the middle of spring? Dingbat didn’t know how to work the roof and not only ruined the interior of the rental, but you both got soaked.”
“Yes,” I muttered and thought about how pissed about it I was at the time. “Never did get to see The Notebook.”
“Hot mess.”
“Hey, Shannan,” I changed the topic, “Blake was NYPD SWAT.”
“Tactical Unit,” he corrected playfully, and I almost heard Shannon’s ovaries burst.
“He’s like sex-smothered bacon.”
“Dammit, Spencer. Really?” Kim rubbed her head. “You know how many Rosie O’Donnell movies it’s gonna take to get her back in line?” She grabbed her lover’s arm to free Blake. “No offense, Blake.” She shrugged.
“None taken.” He eyed me, completely amused by the entire experience.
“So,” Kim tried to act tough, “you like our girl?”
“I kinda do, yeah.” He moved his attention back to her while I grinned like a fool inside.
“We’re protective.”
“So am I,” he shot right back.
“She’s been through a lot. Like, messed up things, so you can’t hurt her, okay?”
“I have no intention to, but we work together, so there’s that.”
“Office secrets are sexy,” Shannan cooed.
Kim stepped forward and got in his face, which was pretty funny since she was so damn small. She looked like a pug dog making a golden retriever its bitch.
“You might know a lot about homicide, but so do I.”
“I believe that,” he responded respectfully. “And on that note, her brother is back in town. Can you help keep an eye on her while I’m not around?”
“You don’t have to do that,” I cut in, but shockingly, they ignored me.
“Will’s back?” Shannan dropped the fun.
“Yes.”
She turned and glared at me. “Seriously, kid, you kept that from us?”
“It was last night, Shannan!”
“Doesn’t matter,” Kim added over her shoulder, and I tossed my hands in the air.
“I really can handle this. I have been this whole time.”
“Shh.” Kim waved a hand in my face while her head was turned toward the others. “So, what can we do?”
“Does anyone see me?” I said, raising my voice.
“Just watch the house. I don’t live far, so I’ll give you my number.”
“Mm,” Shannan shamelessly swooned, “I’m fine with that.”
“And…we’re back,” I muttered sarcastically and finished the rest of my coffee.
“Spencer,” Kim finally addressed me, “text me his number. Come on, Shannan, we need to make some calls.”
“Wait…what kind of calls, Kim?” I followed them to the ladder.
“Just the boys.”
“Don’t you dare,” I threatened. Please, not their friends. They are pain in my ass. “The last thing I need is them over here all up in my hot tub, pretending to be my bodyguards.”
“You know they love the jets.” Shannan stumbled to catch her footing while I shuddered at the memory.
“Unbelievable.” I huffed with my hands on my hips and turned to find Blake with a sexy grin, more than happy with how the conversation went. “You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”
“I think I really did.” He laughed as I moved past him. “Bet you didn’t think I could hang.”
“The fact that you did is impressive enough.” My feet beat the ground as his chuckle grew louder.
He caught me by the waist and used my hips to turn me around, so my back was flat against the door. His eyes lit up as a sexy smile broke across his lips. “You’re kind of hot when you’re flustered.”
I couldn’t help but match his expression. “Yeah, well, not many see that side of me.”
“I’m glad I did.”
My gaze trailed along his morning shadow, and I wondered what it would feel like against my skin.
“They bring out a great side of you.”
“Were we at the same conversation?” I joked, loving him here near me.
“They seem to really care about you.”
“How could they not?” I bit my lip and tried not to grin.
His thumb gently tugged my lip free, and his expression changed to the one he wore last night. I couldn’t deny the pull he had deep in my core.
I decided to relax and succumb to my feelings. We were, after all, alone.
He followed my hands when they moved to his chest. I couldn’t help myself. He was like a book just waiting to be opened, his pages a mystery.
My fingers trailed along his collarbone, and when he closed his eyes, he seemed to be in control of himself. “You’re making it very hard to stay away from you, Spencer.”
Loving the hold I had on him, I leaned in, pressed my lips gently under his ear, and whispered while the other hand dripped dangerously low.
“How hard?”
Chapter Fifteen
Jonah
Agent: Congratulations! You just hit NY Times! Not going to lie, I was concerned, but am pleased to see that all that stressing was for nothing. If you keep pumping these books out at the rate you are, you will be unstoppable.
I had been staring at my laptop for the past eleven minutes. Many emotions ran through me, but most of all, I was pissed that without her even meaning to, Spencer beat me again. Yes, I was reaping the benefits, but shit, after all this time and all she had gone through, she still fucking managed to pull it off.
My blood beat in my temples, my mouth went dry, and her voice broke through the barrier I had tried so hard to keep up.
“Put this away and listen to me.” Tiffany removed my laptop from my lap and slid it on the table next to her.
“I have to finish the email to my agent,” I weakly protested, but I knew it could wait. It was just confirming my covers for the next book.
“Shhh.” Her cold, smooth hand ran over my shoulder. “Jonah,” she purred, “you will do this because you love me. I need you to do this for me.”
“I don’t think I can.” I slipped into a dark hole, one I had only fictionally played in. Now she was forcing me to blur the lines, and I wasn’t sure how to stomach it.
“It’s not like you don’t know how to, baby.” She moved to squat between my legs and started to massage my upper thighs. She kissed the sore spot where she had abused me with the sandpaper. A twisted set of emotions ran through me, but I stopped them before they consumed me.