Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hunter
The right nickname makes or breaks a group chat.
Ilick the spoon, causing Honor to squeal and Helen to laugh. Meanwhile, I’ve been cataloging every single thing Eleanor does behind me by watching her in the video on my screen. She made an effort to seem like she wasn’t listening to every word discussed tonight, then proceeded to search out the book we read this week. I had to smother a laugh when she was looking for books about serial killers who owned restaurants serving spicy food. She’s incredibly innocent in so many ways, yet I know her childhood was fraught with nightmares that chase her even now.
I have never slept with a woman in my bed before—kind of impossible to do when I don’t bring them back here—but having her tucked against me, trusting me enough to fall asleep, is a gift I will treasure. Now I have to figure out how to get her to do it again, and again, and again… until it dawns on her that the best possible place for her is with me.
“What’s next week’s read?” I ask, putting down my ice cream with a grin. Eleanor has been slowly scrolling through the reviews and shaking her head as she takes on people’s disgust and delight at the rather unique events in this book.
“We haven’t decided,” Honor states. “Helen wants a stalker.”
“There are some great stalkers right now,” Helen asserts.
Eleanor’s head whips around, her brows lowered. “Not an actual stalker,” I clarify for the literal person in the room.
“I want something a little lighter. Maybe a hockey romance,” Rosa chimes in.
“What about you, Hunter? Any suggestions?” Honor asks.
“What about branching into a little PNR?”
Eleanor quickly types it on her computer, trying to keep up with the conversation.
“There’s a super spicy vampire one I fancy,” Honor adds, wiggling her eyebrows.
Helen sighs. She’s not a fan of anything not set in reality. “If we must. It’s a good thing you are my favorite daughter-in-law.”
“I’m your only daughter-in-law.”
“Drop the link in the group chat,” I tell them.
“Speaking of group chats,” Honor sing-songs as she pushes her tongue against the inside of her cheek. My phone pings, as does Eleanor’s. Honor winks. “Peace out, and stay spicy.” The call ends, and I huff a laugh at the woman that stole the heart of one of my closest friends outside of the Reapers.
Eleanor glares at her phone as I move into the kitchen. “What has she done?”
Best go with the logical and time-saving excuse. Otherwise, this is going to be an uphill battle I’m not ready to fight. “Honor decided to put the four of us in a group chat. That way, you won’t get three people asking you the same question every day.”
“That makes sense.”
I open the refrigerator and scan our options for dinner. Pasta? My nose curls. We had that last night. I dig a little deeper, pulling open one of the drawers. I have enough veggies for a stir fry, but I don’t feel like cooking tonight.
I slam the door closed, finding Charlie waiting patiently for any stray scraps that might leap to their death from the refrigerator. He huffs at my empty hands before slinking around the breakfast bar to Eleanor. She reaches down and scratches behind his ear without taking her eyes off her phone. He’s an absolute flirt. He’s had her wrapped around his wagging tail since the night he slept with her.
My phone pings again with a notification, and Eleanor blinks at her screen. “Gang?”
Oh hell. What are you doing, Honor?
I pull out my phone and click accept on the chat named “Ghost’s Gang.”
MrsFoxyRoxy
@HunKing Where are you? This only works if everyone joins.
@HunKing has joined the chat
Boo
