by Shayla Black
They took turns in the bathroom, and Seth was grateful that Gloria left a few assorted toiletries and fresh toothbrushes in the drawers. A shower washed away the day of sadness, panic, and road grime. As he stepped out in his boxers, he found Beck already lying on one side of the bed, scrolling through his phone.
Now that he had to share the mattress with the doctor—and without Heavenly—it looked uncomfortably tiny.
“Gloria seems pretty amazing.” Seth made small talk to cut down on the awkward quotient.
“She is.”
“I see why you two are close. And I totally understand why you’re getting divorced.”
Beck nodded. “It was time.”
“It must have been so weird when you were a teenager. She was your friend, your wife, your mother figure, and your lover…”
“At first, it was weird as fuck. I’m sure it was weird for her, too, having a rebellious teen as both her protector and her husband. I know I was a giant pain in her ass—”
“That’s a given. A psychiatrist would have a heyday with you two.”
Beck snorted. “They’re all pretty whacked themselves.”
“Can’t disagree with that,” Seth quipped, but his curiosity was flaring…along with his cop’s instincts. “Sounds like Gloria also saved you from being a juvenile delinquent.”
“It was ironic. She was always on my ass about staying on the straight and narrow, but she made a living by breaking the law.”
Seth nodded. “Where did you meet the thugs with the stolen TV? High school?”
“Hell no. Gloria sent me to an ‘academically challenging’ private high school. The other kids were focused on getting into an Ivy League college, not starting a rap sheet. But since I spent my nights watching over her in some seedier parts of town, I met people.”
The kind Seth had arrested in his past. “So your extracurricular thieving… Was that a teenage hell-raising thing? It can’t have been an I-have-to-eat thing. Gloria had that covered.”
Beck shrugged. “I was bored.”
“So it had nothing to do with making money because you didn’t entirely trust her to take care of you after your mom abandoned you?”
“My mom turned her back on me long before that shit, so put your shovel away and stop digging into my psyche.”
Seth manufactured a good-natured chuckle. “Since we might spend our lives sharing the same woman, I thought we should get to know each other better.”
“You know everything that’s important. I’m a vascular surgeon who lives in LA, in love with the same pretty blonde as you.”
“Just thinking… It would help to understand each other since we come from different backgrounds. You were kind of an orphan. Me? I’ve got this big, loud Catholic family. My brother Danny is married to Maggie. Last Christmas, they had a little girl named Anna, who’s cute as can be. Next is my brother Matt. He’s a great guy. Took over my business back in New York when I moved out west. Then my mom had the terrible twins, Jack and Conner. I swear, if I get prematurely gray, they’re the reason. I can’t tell if they’re twenty-one going on forty or twelve. It depends on the day. And my mom is finally getting remarried this fall to a guy named Carl.” Seth grimaced. “Our introduction was awkward as fuck since I walked in on them having sex in our kitchen…”
Beck shrugged. “In the past, I saw Gloria bang lots of dudes.”
“But this was my mom. Before that, I was convinced she’d only had sex four times in her life, once for each of her pregnancies.”
Beck laughed. “Dipshit.”
“It made me feel better.” Seth slanted a glance his way. “How about you? Any siblings?”
“Oh, you know. I lost count at fifty,” Beck said flippantly.
“Smart-ass. I’m being serious.”
“I’ve got a couple of younger brothers. We were never close. I haven’t spoken to them since I left home.”
“Where were you born? Here in Vegas? Or is that just where your mom left you?”
“I’m done playing twenty questions. I’m fucking exhausted and I want to be awake when Heavenly gets up. I guarantee she’s going to crawl out of bed with a hangover and a whole lot of embarrassment. She’ll probably try to leave Gloria an apologetic note and slip out early…”
Beck was right, so Seth shelved his questions and climbed into bed, careful to keep distance between them because it was definitely smaller than the one in the condo.
He stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the dip in Beck’s side of the mattress.
“It’s pathetic that you and I have spent more time in bed together than we have with Heavenly,” the doctor grumbled.
“Just keep your sweaty ass on that side, all right?”
“As long as you don’t try to spoon me, we’ll be fine.”
“You wish.” Seth rolled away from Beck and closed his eyes. The sooner he fell asleep, the sooner he could talk to Heavenly.
Silence fell. Beck turned, pulled at the sheet. The overhead fan whirled. Seth hoped the whisper of its blades would be enough to lull him to sleep.
He felt halfway there when a moan sounded through the wall.
“Yes. Oh, fuck…” Gloria gasped from the next room.
“Like that?” Buddy taunted in a low, gravelly tone. “Who does you right?”
“Hmm. You do. Lick it,” she cried out. “Faster. Oh, yeah.”
“Shit,” Beck muttered under his breath.
“You’re fucking kidding me,” Seth groaned. “We’ve got to listen to that?”
“More,” Gloria gasped high and sharp. “Oh, yeah. Suck on my clit. Bite it!”
“I’m going to make you come so hard, baby,” Buddy growled.
“Shove your fingers in my pussy.”
“Your wife sure isn’t shy about asking for what she wants,” Seth drawled. “Has she always been like that?”
“Shut up and go to sleep,” Beck snarled.
“How the fuck am I supposed to do that?” Seth asked incredulously.
“I don’t know. Just do it.”
“What’s wrong, Kenneth? Jealous that Buddy is giving it to her better than you ever did?”
“I was a sixteen-year-old virgin, for fuck’s sake.”
“You sound butt-sore.”
“Fuck you. At least I didn’t lose my cherry on the shitter in a White Castle.”
Seth couldn’t help but laugh. “What? I put the toilet seat down first.”
“Aren’t you a gentleman?” Beck drawled.
The sounds of Gloria’s big, climactic finish bled through the walls and pounded Seth’s brain. In the blessed silence that followed, he let himself get lost in his memories of Heavenly. Of her laughter. Of her sweetly untutored kiss. Of her soft curves and downy hollows. Of the night he’d claimed the most forbidden virgin territory of her body and lost his heart to her forever.
His cock jerked and thickened. Grimacing, Seth quickly shuttled the enticing visuals from his brain.
Gloria started panting once more.
Beck groaned. “Again? Hurry up and finish already.”
“Right? Because this isn’t awkward or anything.”
“You ready for me to give you the ride of your life, baby?” Buddy asked, his voice husky.
“I’m so ready. Shove that thick, hard cock inside me. I’ll ride you to the ends of the earth.”
“I’m going to fuck you so hard you’re gonna see stars, woman,” Buddy growled.
Seth slapped his hands over his ears to block the couple out. “If we sneak into their room and knock them over the head, maybe they’ll both see stars.”
“Fuck that. If Heavenly was conscious, we could sneak into her room and send her to the fucking stars.”
“Harder, baby.” Gloria gave Buddy direction once more. “Oh…god. Yes! You know I love it when you pound my pussy.”
“Have you been a good girl?” Buddy groaned. “Tell me what you want next.”
“Next?” Seth choked out miserably with a laugh.
Beck simply covered his face with his pillow and groaned.
The sexcapades in the next room continued. After a guttural yell of completion pealed from Buddy’s throat and he started in on Gloria again, Seth plucked the pillow off Beck’s head. “Damn, that dude has the stamina of an eighteen-year-old. No wonder Gloria was happy to divorce your ass.”
“Ha ha. He probably took a little blue pill,” Beck countered dryly.
“Wait. That stuff lasts for, like, four hours, right?”
“Yep.”
When the couple in the next room groaned again, Seth gave up, tugged his pillow over his head, and accepted that it was going to be a long damn night.
Saturday, April 6
* * *
Heavenly groaned as the first pale rays of the new day eked through the shutters. Dad should already be stirring, needing a trip to the bathroom and his breakfast. Why was it so quiet?
With a groan, she forced herself upright and scanned the unfamiliar room. Though her head pounded and her mouth felt stuffed with sour cotton, everything rushed back to her. Dad would never need her help again. He was gone. She’d endured his service yesterday, then fled to Vegas. After that, she remembered the wine, Gloria, and all the things the woman had said about her marriage to Beck. What she didn’t remember was stumbling into this room or crawling into the bed.
Fighting tears, she rubbed at her sore temples. Remorse ran thick. Not for leaving Los Angeles. Her dad had asked her to spread his ashes back home, and she intended to fulfill his last wish. But she regretted consuming so much wine and blurting way more than Gloria had wanted to hear. Most of all, she hated that she had refused to listen to Beck’s explanation before running off without a word to him and Seth. They deserved better.
The truth was, she hadn’t trusted Beck. She’d been an idiot.
She had to apologize today. He and Seth were probably somewhere pacing, wondering where the heck she’d disappeared to and if she was still in one piece. Once she got on the road, she would call them, explain her plan, and promise they’d talk about everything after she’d seen to her father.
If they still wanted her.
First, she needed to get out of Gloria’s hair. Despite the woman’s protests, Heavenly suspected she’d overstayed her welcome.
As she swung her legs over the side of the bed, she caught sight of a trio of ibuprofen tablets and the small cup of water on the bedside table. Heavenly swallowed the pills, grateful for Gloria’s forethought and kindness.
After emptying the cup, she forced her tired body to her feet, smoothed her wrinkled dress, and used the bathroom before availing herself of the clean toothbrush in the drawer and a hot shower. Since her suitcase was still in her car, she dressed again in yesterday’s clothes. She’d change into something clean at her next restroom stop. If she left quickly and drove really hard today, she might be able to reach Denver.
As she stepped out of the bathroom, she spied her purse on a nearby chair and rummaged inside for her phone. She ached to hear Beck’s voice. And Seth’s. But she had to get on the road…or she’d be too tempted to point her car west, head back to LA, and beg them to take her in their arms.
Quickly, she snatched up her purse and slipped into her shoes, which sat side by side under a nearby chair. Then she tiptoed down the stairs, wincing when they creaked. At the bottom, she found a cozy home office with a decidedly feminine flair. After jotting a quick thanks to Gloria on a sticky note, she affixed it to the rim of the monitor and tiptoed across the shadowy first floor, ignoring the lights illuminating the kitchen. Gloria had probably left them on for her, but as much as she’d love a cup of coffee for the road, Heavenly refused to take more from Beck’s soon-to-be ex.
At the front door, she tried to jimmy open the imposing latch. But it was as if the universe was sending her a sign not to go, because the darn thing wouldn’t budge. “Come on…”
Predictably, talking to it didn’t help.
Sighing, she dragged a hand through her disheveled hair, set her purse down, and put more muscle into the effort. When the lock finally gave way with a snick, Heavenly yanked the door open. The early-morning sunlight skirting the horizon poured into the entryway, momentarily blinding her. With a little curse, she winced, then reached for her purse and stepped outside. The long drive ahead already felt daunting, but she’d done it before. She could do it again.
Heavenly squared her shoulders as she headed for Raine’s sleek Audi—only to halt abruptly at the sight of a familiar black SUV in the driveway parked right behind her.
That was Seth’s car.
“Oh, god.”
She spun around—and found him and Beck standing in the open doorway, their identical expressions of disapproval focused squarely on her. Her heart leapt and thumped. Her stomach plunged to her toes. She swallowed.
Beck raised a brow. “Going somewhere, little girl?”
Chapter Six
Shock froze Heavenly’s expression. “W-what are you doing here?”
Seth hurried toward their girl. Beck hung back and observed, torn between wanting to spank her and kiss her.
“Did you really think we’d let you walk away without saying goodbye, angel?” Seth challenged.
Heavenly hesitated, then stepped into his arms and laid her forehead on his wide chest. “I’m sorry.”
Was she regretting her decision to leave? Or saying what she thought they wanted to hear to avoid answering them?
Either way, he was done with the lies, the running, the evading. The three of them were going to hash out every fucking thing now.
Striding off the porch, Beck pressed his chest to her back and cupped her hips, letting her feel his presence and his will. With Heavenly finally wedged between him and Seth—where she fucking belonged—he sighed with relief. The empty spaces inside him that had gaped with worry since she’d disappeared were now blessedly filled with her.
Unable to resist, Beck lifted Heavenly’s pale tresses and buried his face in her neck. Her familiar sweet berry-and-sunshine scent saturated his brain and made him hungry. He probably shouldn’t touch her, but that didn’t stop him from kissing her soft, sensitive nape and delighting in the shiver that wracked her body.
Now that he was holding her again, he didn’t know how he’d find the strength to let her go, even to spread her father’s ashes.
“We have to talk, little girl,” he muttered against her ear.
She turned to him. Her anxious blue eyes were a sucker punch to his gut. When his stare stalled on her rosy lips, she stole his breath. He’d give almost anything to kiss away her uncertainty and replace it with passion. But failing to communicate had led them here. Beck refused to make the same mistake twice.
“I know.”
Seth slid an arm around her waist. “Let’s head inside and work this out. There’s fresh coffee in the kitchen.”
“I could use a cup,” she said softly. “My head is killing me.”
Seth smirked as they led her through the front door. “A whole bottle of vino will do that.”
“I should have guessed the wine was a setup.”
“Designed to loosen your tongue, yes.” Beck palmed the small of her back. “Did you take the ibuprofen I left on the nightstand?”
She looked grateful. “You did that? Thank you. They’re starting to help.”
Beck kicked the door shut behind them. “I figured you’d need them.”
As he split off to grab their girl some java, Seth guided Heavenly toward the pillowy sectional. When he returned, cup in hand, he eased onto the sturdy coffee table and gave Heavenly the mug.
She sipped. “How did you know I was here? Gloria called you, didn’t she?”
“Of course.” Beck nodded. “She knew I’d be out of my mind with worry.”
“I can’t be mad at her. She’s really sweet. I was surprised she knew who I was. And even more surprised that she didn’t hate me.”
“She adores you. But I knew she would.”
He had to give her the blunt truth. “Yep. We always will be, but that shouldn’t threaten you. Gloria told you about our non-marriage, right? We’re not romantically involved.”
“Yeah. I understand now. I’m sorry I didn’t let you explain.”
“You had a lot going on. But if you have any questions about my relationship with her, no matter how personal or uncomfortable, ask me. I don’t want any doubts swirling through your head.”
“Gloria said she married you for protection. She wouldn’t say why you married her.”
Beck sat back and steepled his fingers. He wasn’t sure Heavenly was ready to hear the ugly truth, but he would be as real with her as he dared. “My family wasn’t a good one.”
“Were you abused as a child?” Empathy softened her face.
“That wasn’t the problem.”
Beside her, Seth stared. Beck could all but hear the wheels turning in his brain. “If your dad didn’t beat you, what did he do that was so terrible after your mom left? Yell? Drink?”
His dad hadn’t needed a drop of alcohol to be a monster. “Nothing like that.”
Heavenly zipped her gaze his way. “When I told you about my mom leaving, you only said yours was distant.”
“Different kind of abandonment. Mine left emotionally. Physically, she was right there.”
“Sorry, man. I’ve seen firsthand what you’re talking about.” Seth clapped his arm. “Domestic calls where the parents didn’t give a shit about their kids were the worst.”
Beck doubted Seth had seen anything like his childhood. “By the time I was sixteen, things were so bad I ran away. I lived on the streets for a few weeks, slept in alleys.”
“Ate out of dumpsters? Engaged in street hustle?” Seth obviously knew the drill.
Heavenly’s gasp said she was completely shocked.
