Page 100 of Wicked Heat

“But?”

“We—I mean, well, we kind of got thrown together. I needed help, and he stepped in, and that’s great, but after?” I blink, fighting back tears. “I mean, I want...and I think...but how can I truly know?”

She tilts her head, the light of the moon glimmering off her hair. “Maybe you have the question backwards. How can you not know?”

I shake my head, clueless. “What do you mean?”

She leans forward, then lowers her voice. “I mean that he’s in love with you. And unless my powers of observation have really started to tank, you’re in love with him, too.”

I pull my knees up and hug them, feeling all of twelve years old.

Her laugh is as musical as her singing voice. “Can I give you some totally unsolicited advice?”

“Um, okay?”

“Don’t be scared to try.”

I hug my knees tighter. “What do you mean?”

“You both have so much baggage. Noah and I did, too. Everyone does, I think. But with you two… I don’t know that you actually have more baggage, but it’s definitely heavier.”

She shoots me a grimace. “Forgive the metaphor. I’ve been traveling a lot and living out of a suitcase. All I’m trying to say is that you both have reasons to bolt. You seem perfectly fine to me, but I’m guessing you still have issues from being kidnapped.”

“Understatement.”

She offers me a supportive smile. “And Ash has, well, Ash has the family from hell on one side, and a much kinder albeit unconventional family on the other. That boy was put through the wringer growing up, and it’s a miracle he turned out sane. I think you’re good for him. He probably thinks he’s not good for you.”

“What are you saying?”

She combs her fingers through her hair, then shrugs. “Honesty? I’m not really sure. I guess it’s just that from where I’m sitting, it’s obvious you both love each other. So fight for it if you have to. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few years with Noah, it’s that love is the most important thing. And if you have to go to the mattresses for it, then that’s what you do.”

Thirty

“I heard back from The Ripped Bodice,” I tell Ash later that night after Noah and Kiki have left. Since I didn’t want Leah or Bea to know about the blackmail scheme, I’d come up with the somewhat ridiculous story of how I wanted to have the souvenir footage for my digital scrapbook.

If they thought I was weird, they were kind enough not to say so. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a security cam inside or outside. “So dead end there,” I tell Ash as we’re snuggled in bed together.

He turns on his side, tugging the sheet down as he does. “Noah thinks there may be another possibility.” He traces his fingertip over my bare breasts as he talks.

“Oh?” I’m trying very hard to make my voice sound normal. “Like what?”

“He made some calls. There’s an art gallery across the street, and the odds are good they have security cams. Depending on the angle and how often they record over the old video, we might get lucky.”

“Lucky,” I say, my voice dreamy. And not because of security cams. “Despite everything, I’ve felt pretty lucky lately.”

“Have you?” His finger teases my nipple, and I bite my lower lip as I manage to make an affirmative noise.

“I feel pretty lucky myself these days.”

I start to speak, freeze, then try again. “Kiki thinks we’re good together.”

“I’ve always liked that woman.”

“I realized we never really worked out what happens after you transfer the money.”

His fingers stop moving. “What do you mean?”

I roll over, then straddle him. We’re both naked, and I’m sitting below his waist, his cock pressing against my rear.