“I can’t believe he would cheat on you. Do you think it has to do with Dante?”
“I don’t know. He told me he had a lead, and now I haven’t heard from him all day. He’s not answering his phone, but that’s nothing new.” I roll my neck, trying to relieve the tension. “I don’t know what to do.”
She stands and plucks the ice cream right out of my hands, tossing it in the freezer before I can protest. “I’ll be right back. Find my emergency stash of makeup while I’m gone so I don’t have to haul mine here.”
“Hey—” I start, but she’s already striding for the door.
“Oh no, nope! I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I already don’t like it.” I follow her outside.
“Just do it!” she yells, jogging toward her house.
I might be the stubborn one, but she is way more bossy than I am. “Fine!” I mutter, knowing she’ll rope me into her shenanigans anyway. She always does.
I toss her makeup onto the bed when the door swings open, Jess holding a bag of clothes and her knee-high boots.
“I am not wearing those! What are we doing that requires your hooker boots?” I exclaim as she tosses them on my floor and places the bag on my bed. I never understood why people wear uncomfortable shoes. Jess swears your feet get used to them, but I’ll stick to my flipflops or converse.
“Weare not doing anything.Youare going to spy on your mate and finally get to the bottom of this.” She pulls a stack of leather and fishnet from the bag.
“You’re not serious. I am not spying on Zarreth, and I am definitely not wearing whatever that is.”
She grabs my shoulders, pushing me down until I’m sitting on my bed. Her eyes lock on mine. “I hate to say this, butif,for some crazy reason, Zarrethischeating on you, he’s not going to tell you. You gotta take matters into your own hands.”
“What if he’s not cheating on me and I just look like an idiot breaking into his house?” My stomach sinks. Either way, he’s hiding something from me.
She grabs an eyeshadow pallet and a small brush. “That’s just a chance you’re going to have to take. Now close your eyes.”
I push her hand aside. “Why do I need to look like a hooker to spy on him?”
She sighs like that’s the most absurd question she’s ever heard. “I know it’s a small chance, but if there is another woman in that house, you have to be hotter than her. That’s just common sense, Frankie.”
Would I really care what I look like if Zarreth is cheating on me? I picture a beautiful, slender, blue-eyed blonde, with perfect silky hair, bouncing on top of him. My teeth almost break at how hard I’m clenching them.Yep, I would.
“You’re right.” I close my eyes, waiting for Jess to work her makeup magic on me. “Make me hot!”
She squeals and does a little shimmy. “You’re gonna be the sexiest little stalker who’s ever walked the earth.”
An hour later, I’m belly-down in the tall grass, crawling like some kind of deranged army recruit. My leather corset creaks every time I move. The fishnets snag on everything. And who the hell spies in knee-high boots?
I yank a piece of grass from my stocking. I can’t believe I’m doing this. Zarreth will probably sense me long before I reach him, but I’m already committed and embarrassment has never stopped me before.
I make it halfway before pushing myself up. I’m one snag away from walking home naked. My mate really does bring out the crazy in me. I stomp the rest of the way to his front door and press my ear against it like I’m about to find something useful. Nothing.
He better be here. If he lied to me about where he’s at…ooooh, I’ll be so mad.
I brush the dirt from my skin-tight black shorts and straighten my left pigtail. This is so ridiculous. I count to three and open the door like I wasn’t pretending to be an undercover spy. Why am I so nervous? I knowZarreth would never cheat on me. He’s probably just planning something romantic.
I search every room, but don’t find a bed covered in rose petals, or candles lighting the living room. A bottle of wine isn’t sitting in the kitchen, waiting to be poured. Where the hell is he?
I’m about to turn the corner when the basement door flies open.Shit!I press my back to the wall so I’m out of sight, but can’t stop my head from peering around the corner. What’s he doing down there?
“I’ll be right back,” he yells over his shoulder, making his way to the fridge. “Try not to miss me too much.”
My heart stops.
Oh my God!
Oh my fucking God!
