by Shayla Black
Seth nodded, face tight. “That’s one reason we wanted to talk about birth control.”
“What about you?” She didn’t understand the odd undercurrent between them. “Do you want kids someday?”
“Can’t wait, actually,” Beck said. “But for now, you know both Miranda Chapman and Daniel Fulbright are ob-gyns with stellar reputations.”
She nodded. “I’ve chatted with Miranda around the hospital a couple of times. She seems nice.”
“I can set you up an appointment with her if you’d like.”
“Sure.” She tried to not feel niggling regret or the guilty concern that she was somehow disappointing Beck. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He brushed a kiss over her lips.
As soon as the doctor lifted his head, Seth moved in with a feather-soft kiss. “We also wanted to talk to you about your spring break.”
“While we wouldn’t be opposed to spending the next six days in bed—with you tied to it, dragging one orgasm after another from you…” Beck’s smile was devilish.
Honestly, she wouldn’t be opposed, either.
“We thought you might want to explore the area, since we all have some time off,” Seth finished.
“Really?” she asked excitedly. “Except what I could glimpse from the city bus, I’ve hardly seen LA. Where did you have in mind?”
“Where we visit will be up to you. We’ll sit down and make a few decisions, then each pack a bag. In the morning, we’ll give you some money, the key to Beck’s convertible, and a two-hour head start.”
“Head start? You’re not coming with me?” Heavenly’s excitement dimmed at the thought of exploring without them.
“Nope. And this is where it gets fun.” Beck grinned. “We’re going to chase you.”
“What?” Were they crazy?
“Here’s how it will work: you can go anywhere you want, but every half hour, you have to pull over, take a picture with your cell phone, and text us the image, something you think will give us a hint of your location without actually revealing it. So be creative. Send us a shot of a billboard, a mom-and-pop motel, a park…whatever.”
Butterflies dipped and swooped in her stomach. It sounded like an exciting scavenger hunt.
“You’re smiling,” Beck observed. “So I’ll take that as a good sign. We’ll maintain radio silence during the day—”
“Unless you run into trouble. Any trouble.” Seth’s voice suddenly took on that implacable tone it had at Gloria’s. “If the car breaks down, you get a flat tire, or even feel remotely uncomfortable? You. Call. Us. Immediately. Is that clear?”
“You two will be the first and only ones I call. I promise.”
Seth didn’t look relieved. “We’ll hold you to that.”
Beck stepped in, his voice more placating. “But barring any unforeseen trouble, this is supposed to be fun.”
She nodded, but something told her eluding the pair might be more difficult than it sounded, especially since Seth tracked people for a living. “What happens if you can’t guess my location from my clues?”
“That’s where the incentive comes in.”
“Incentive?”
“Oh, yeah.” Seth’s tone was pure seduction. “If we find you before we’re supposed to meet at our designated hotel at six p.m., we get to do whatever we want to you that night.”
A forbidden thrill slid through her. “And if I elude you until then, do I get to choose what we do?”
“Of course.” The grin spreading across his face looked way too innocent.
“You two are going to cheat, aren’t you?” she demanded, brows arched.
“Cheat?” Beck scoffed. “How could you accuse us of such a thing?”
Heavenly rolled her eyes. “Seth can track my phone.”
“I’ll turn off your location services,” the PI promised. “That rescinds my permissions so I can’t know where you are all the time. We can always turn it back on after this week.”
“That sounds fair.” Except…he seemed awfully okay with not tracking her. Just yesterday he’d insisted on knowing where she was for safety’s sake at all times. “You don’t have some other way to track my phone, do you?”
“None.”
She still didn’t quite believe him, but she couldn’t call him a liar since she couldn’t prove anything. But she’d definitely be watchful…
“Okay, so I’ll have Beck’s car, some money, and my phone. Am I limited to a certain radius around LA or…”
“Nope.” Seth shook his head.
“We’ve got suggestions if you want them,” Beck put in.
“There are so many places I’ve heard people talk about that I’m dying to see. One of the other volunteers at the hospital was telling me about this ghost town that was creepy but super interesting.”
“That’s a possibility,” Beck encouraged. “What else?”
“I’ve always wanted to see a giant sequoia. And speaking of trees, Dad played U2’s The Joshua Tree all the time when I was a kid. I didn’t know until recently that there’s an actual forest of those trees around here.”
“My mom still listens to them, too,” Seth added. “What other places do you want to see?”
“Hollywood. And I’ve always wanted to window-shop on Rodeo Drive, maybe spot some celebrities.” The guys might not find that exciting, but it would be a thrill for her. “I’ve also heard tons about the San Diego Zoo and Santa Barbara. Oh, Catalina Island, too. Apparently, we take a ferry there. I’ve never been on one. It sounds fun.”
“I haven’t been to any of those places, angel. Let’s dry off and start making plans,” Seth suggested.
Fifteen minutes later, Heavenly sat in Beck’s home office, in front of his laptop.
“I’m going to order from this great Chinese place that delivers while you check out where you’d like to go.”
Heavenly nodded. “Perfect. I’m starving.”
“We are, too.” Seth strode into the room and bent to kiss her softly. “When you’re done, just give us a list of cities and which day you’d like to visit them.”
“We’ll make the hotel reservations and give you all the addresses and confirmation numbers. Sound good?” Beck laid a notepad and pen beside her before brushing his lips over her forehead.
“This is really creative. I’m excited.” Heavenly couldn’t wait to start exploring. But she was also touched. Was this their way of trying to help her keep her promises to Dad while spending time with them? Probably. She loved them for this. “Thank you both so much.”
Seth shot her a lascivious grin. “We enjoy exciting you, angel.”
Heavenly laughed. “I’ve noticed.”
Twenty minutes later, she took a break and joined the guys in the kitchen. Beck and Seth tried to wheedle information about the places she’d decided to visit so far, but she remained mute, instead filling her belly with an egg roll, shrimp fried rice, and Kung Pao chicken.
“C’mon. Not even a hint?” Beck cajoled.
“Not yet.”
“We have ways of coaxing the truth out of you.” Seth smirked.
Heavenly couldn’t refute that.
“Okay, everyone read your fortunes.” Beck cracked his open. “I’ll be damned. Mine says, ‘You’ll soon be receiving a big surprise…’”
“In bed,” they added in unison with a collective roar of laughter.
Chapter Eleven
Tuesday, April 9
* * *
The following morning, Beck sat at the breakfast bar, sipping coffee and watching Seth impatiently tap his fingers on the marble surface. He was clearly anxious to toss their suitcases in the black SUV and start trailing their girl.
“You don’t seem too happy this morning,” he remarked.
Seth scoffed. “I’ve got stuff on my mind.”
“Heavenly is fine.”
“Giving her the space to spread her wings fucking sucks.”
“Yeah, but we’ve talked about this. It’s a neces
sary evil, especially if it mitigates her guilt. Hell, this was your idea.”
“I know.” Seth gave him a self-deprecating grin. “And it sounded great until I had to watch her leave.”
Beck understood. “She’s wearing the Tiffany necklace you had fitted with that tracking device. We can find her whenever we want. So try to relax and enjoy the time we have to focus on the three of us. We’ll work on breaking a few bad habits of hers, too. Won’t that be fun? C’mon…”
Seth sighed. “I’ll try. I just feel like I’m crawling out of my skin.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“I’m concerned for her safety. What else is there to say?”
Beck didn’t think that was the whole story, but he didn’t pry. “Fair enough. I know there’s something else on your mind.”
“Yeah. What the fuck was up with you last night?”
Seth’s snarl told Beck that he intended to take his shitty mood out on the only other person in the room. But he’d known this conversation was coming. “I’m sorry about the condom. I got lost in the moment. I slipped.”
“Slipped?” He leaned in, determined to make his point. “Your overeager dick could ruin everything.”
In Beck’s opinion, a baby would make them all feel more committed and connected, but that wasn’t the point. “I wasn’t trying to get her pregnant. I’ll be more careful. Just chill.”
“What would have happened if you’d been alone with her?”
“I would have stopped.” Eventually. Most likely.
“Yeah? How am I supposed to trust you not to do that shit if I’m not there?”
“Relax, Dad. I won’t fuck up,” he quipped to lighten the mood.
With a sigh, Seth sat back. His expression said he knew he was being a pain in the ass. “Sorry. It’s just that what one of us does affects all of us.”
Beck hardly needed the reminder, but since he was the one who’d screwed up, he didn’t argue. “Yep. That’s especially true of Heavenly. What did you make of her mood this morning?”
Thankfully, Seth took the change of subject. “She seemed excited.”
“Yeah. I know she just laid her dad to rest a few days ago, and I still see moments of grief on her face when she thinks we’re not looking…”
“It’s going to happen, especially for the first few months. She’s suffered a big loss. But I hear you. It did me good to see her smiling.”
Beck nodded. “For sure.”
Another pensive expression crossed Seth’s face. “And after last night, I realize we’ve got to start teaching her about the lifestyle. She responds so damn submissively but…”
Her lack of education hadn’t been intentional. “If we want her to stay with us, we have to do more than simply tell her we’re Doms.”
“I doubt my explanation about the dynamics actually sank in when we were in the back of River’s truck with our hands all over her. We need to break it down.”
Beck rolled his eyes. “You mean before Raine fills in more blanks?”
“Oh, god. Those two together scare me.”
“Hammer and Liam’s little princess is a bad influence,” Beck agreed. “But Heavenly has to understand all we’re asking of her. Yes, we mesh great sexually…”
“But last night proved that adding more of the dynamics would seriously make the sex even more mind-blowing.”
“I can’t imagine how that’s possible, but you’re right.”
Seth nodded wryly. “Funny. A few weeks ago, we were doing everything possible not to share her.”
“A few weeks ago, we were dipshits who didn’t know what we were missing.”
“True that.” Seth held out his fist.
As Beck bumped it, their cell phones chimed in tandem. Both men plucked their devices off the counter and opened the text from Heavenly. Beck smiled when he saw the picture of a sign that read i-405 south.
“Check and see exactly where on the freeway, man.”
With a tap, Seth refreshed the screen. “She’s just passed John Wayne Airport.”
Beck stood. “She’s making decent time. She must not have hit too much traffic.”
“I know we promised her a two-hour head start, but it’s been almost ninety minutes. That’s close enough.”
His impatience would have been funny if Beck wasn’t feeling it, too. “Yeah. But there’s a store I’d like to hit before we leave the city. If we’re going to spend a whole week with our girl, we should be prepared.”
“You’re not out of condoms, so what kind of preparedness did you have in mind, boy scout?” Seth looked intrigued.
“Grab your suitcase. I’ll show you.”
Thirty minutes later, he and a smiling Seth hopped back into the SUV with presents for their girl packed up and headed out of the city. Along the way, their phones lit up every half hour with another photo. Five text clues later, it finally looked as if she’d reached some destination.
“What did she send this time?” Seth asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
Beck chuckled. “What the hell? It’s some weird dude with a goofy hat walking around with a map. I know we told her to be creative, but this doesn’t give us much to go on.”
“So she’s somewhere people need a map to navigate. Can you see the map? Or any details?” the PI quizzed.
“No. It looks like one of those fold-up deals you’d get at an amusement park or something.”
“You’ve lived in California the longest. What attractions are so big you’d need a map to find your way around? Or do you just want to pull up the app on my phone?”
“No. Let’s play along for fun. We all agreed last night to spend tonight in San Diego. The only two places I can think of in the area that require a map are Sea World and the zoo. Heavenly loves amusement parks, but I just took her to Disneyland in January. So she’s probably at the zoo.”
“Isn’t this one pretty famous?”
“Yeah. One of the best in the world.”
Seth handed over his phone. “Check and see. If you’re right, I might have to offer you a job.”
Beck brought up the app with a grin. “Yep. She’s at the zoo. How much are you willing to pay me?”
“Not enough.” Seth laughed.
It took longer to reach the zoo than they wanted, but Seth finally pulled into a spot in the crowded lot and cut the engine. “C’mon. Let’s go stalk our girl.”
“Damn, we should have worn disguises.”
“Amateur. We don’t need disguises. I do this for a living. Heavenly won’t know we’re here until we want her to.”
Beck raised a brow. “You’ve been hiding out in people’s bushes way too long, man.”
Seth shrugged. “It pays the bills.”
Once inside the gates, Beck scanned the multiple paths forward. He’d forgotten how sprawling this zoo was. “How in the hell are we going to find her?”
“Your lack of confidence pains me.”
As Seth flipped open the map they’d received at the ticket counter, both cell phones chimed again. The minute Beck saw the dark waters of a lagoon and thick green foliage surrounding it, he grabbed the map from Seth’s hand.
“That’s familiar. She’s in the Lost Forest.” He pointed to an area north of their current location. “Let’s go.”
“Hold on. We can’t go hauling ass over there. She’ll be looking over her shoulder for us, and she’ll see us coming a mile away. If we’re going to trail her, we have to do it stealthily.”
Beck hated to think of himself as a stereotypical egocentric surgeon, but he liked the fact that when he charged into an operating room, people got the hell out of his way. Since stealth wasn’t his strong suit, he wasn’t about to challenge the guy who made his living by being covert. “How? By slithering on our bellies like lizards?”
“What the fuck is wrong with you? No. We swing wide this way.” Seth traced a path on the map. “That way we’ll come out in front of her. We’ll have time to scout a good place to blend into the backgr
ound. When she passes us, we’ll fall in behind, and she’ll be none the wiser.”
“If you say so.”
Less than fifteen minutes later, he and Seth stood beneath a shady tree, watching Heavenly stride up the midway. She was easy to spot because the sunlight reflected off her hair like a blinding halo. Beck tamped down the urge to gather her into his arms and claim her beaming smile in a toe-curling kiss. Instead, he hid in shadow, satisfying himself with the delight lighting up her face as she watched a silverback gorilla munch on a banana. She plucked out her phone and snapped pictures of the primate, completely oblivious to him and Seth standing mere feet away.
They trailed her through several more exhibits, eye-fucking her as excitement transformed her face.
When Heavenly veered to the underwater viewing room to watch a big white polar bear swim, they followed, taking up a spot where they could glimpse her gaping wonder reflected in the plexiglass. The sight filled Beck’s heart with equal parts joy and sadness. He loved seeing how happy she looked…but hated how trapped she’d been by years of being nursemaid and breadwinner.
We’re men of our word, Abel, Beck silently sent up to the heavens.
Seth tugged his sleeve and nodded toward the exit. Yeah, they needed to leave or risk Heavenly spotting them in this small enclosure.
After taking in the pandas, elephants, and giraffes, she wound her way toward a dark cave with a waterfall. He and Seth broke from a giant rock formation and jogged after her. If she turned around now, their cover would be totally blown.
Stealthily, they followed her into the man-made structure. Beck had to admit he was loving their cat-and-mouse game. There was something so primal and satisfying about stalking Heavenly and seeing her unvarnished reactions.
Inside the cave, they ate up the distance to her, the thundering waterfall concealing the sounds of their hurried steps. Heavenly leaned over the railing, hand outstretched, admiring the fine mist shimmering in front of her.
When she reached for her phone again, he and Seth exchanged a knowing grin, then eased in beside her, each wrapping an arm around her waist. Heavenly jolted with a startled gasp.
When she caught sight of them, she tucked her phone away with a laugh. “You already found me? How?”
