She winced. “Is it that obvious?”
“Only because I’m so fascinated by you that I watch every move.” He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “We have time. It will happen when it happens. I can be patient. I just want to be with you.”
Heavenly let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. That means a lot to me. Since I’ve never done this—dated or hooked up or whatever we’re doing—I don’t know if I’m saying this wrong. Or if I should say anything at all.” She sucked in a deep breath. “The thing is, I like you. You make me laugh and you make me feel special. I’ve needed that for a long time. But it seems only fair for me to be honest. I like Dr. Beckman very much, too.”
She bit her lip and waited for his reaction. His face remained carefully blank.
“You said he was your friend.” He didn’t sound pleased.
Should she have kept her mouth shut? But how would that be fair to Seth? If he was going to navigate around all the difficulties in her life, he had a right to know that she had feelings she couldn’t seem to help for someone else.
“He is, but I like him as a man. I’ve thought of him…as a lover.”
Seth jerked and sucked in a breath as if she’d punched him in the stomach. “That’s honest.”
Heavenly grimaced. “Was I not supposed to be?”
“No. You absolutely were.” He gave her a sharp nod. The air between them turned brittle. “On second thought, I should go. Do you need a ride home?”
What? Panic screamed that she’d screwed up. Seth hadn’t wanted honesty, just a quick tumble. She sighed. Why was trying to be with a man she liked so complicated?
“I can take the bus, but… Don’t leave. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry.”
He pulled his keys from his pocket. “Maybe this is for the best.”
As much as she hated it, maybe he was right. It wasn’t fair to expect Seth to want her when she also wanted Dr. Beckman so much. “Please don’t be angry.”
Seth shrugged like it was no big deal, but she knew better. “I’m the one who came on strong. My apologies.” He tossed his keys in the air and they landed in his palm. “Enjoy your dinner.”
He didn’t kiss her or touch her. Heck, he barely looked at her as he turned, headed for his rental with that long-legged stride, and disappeared. She already knew she wouldn’t see him tomorrow for that date they’d planned. In fact, she wondered if this was the last time she’d ever see him.
Gosh, even that thought hurt.
Fighting tears, she grabbed the grocery sacks and huddled against a sudden chill as she made her way to the bus stop.
Thirty minutes later, Liam drawled a question that instantly got Seth’s back up. “So that’s it? A little competition made you decide to piss off back to New York?”
On the trio’s sun-soaked patio, Seth pushed away from the table and stood so abruptly the iron chair clattered to the flagstone. Was the big Irish bastard listening to a word he said? He’d wasted ten damn minutes explaining what had happened between himself and Heavenly and why he should leave LA. He wasn’t jealous of her feelings for Beck; he simply had no reason to stay.
Liam had a very different opinion.
Seth ran his stiff fingers through his hair in frustration. Coming here after leaving Heavenly at the grocery store to spill his guts to his old friend had clearly been a mistake.
On his way, he’d stopped at the club to pick up his bag. When he’d arrived at the trio’s house, he’d found Liam alone. He was sorry to have missed Hammer and Raine, but he was ready to get the hell out of this sunshine-laden, earthquake-riddled shithole. Familiarity, sanity, work, family during a white Christmas—that’s what he needed. Not doe-eyed blondes torqueing him up and turning him inside out.
“I’m taking the red-eye home tonight.”
Liam shook his head. “You realize if you go home now, mate, you’ll be leaving the door wide open for Beck to sweep in and claim Heavenly for himself.”
“Yeah.” Impossible to miss that part. But by her own admission, she wanted Beck as a lover.
Fuck, hearing that she had feelings for the shitsack stung. The fact he even cared pissed him off more. After all the things he’d whispered to her at Raine’s party… He bristled. Had she used his words to get herself hot for that fucking sadist?
Liam still sat, peering up at him with a considering expression. Christ, the guy was doing that quiet thing again, like his clairvoyant mother. That worried Seth.
“And what about the girl?” Liam demanded. “What about what she needs?”
“Well, I guess Beck will give it to her.” That made him want to punch the doctor stupid.
“I’m sure he’ll try. But I’ve seen you with Heavenly. Like I said, I think you belong with her.”
“I thought so, too, but apparently not. I’m done letting a woman who fucking wants someone else yank my chain.”
He dragged in a breath to find calm. The nagging pain in his chest made that impossible.
“Didn’t you learn anything from watching what Hammer and I went through with Raine? You and Beck don’t need to brawl. And you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You both saw firsthand how it was made. Macen and I will even tell you how to drive the bus.”
Liam had lost his mind.
“Ménage is totally out of the question.”
The man’s skeptical brow and patience-of-Job sigh grated on Seth’s last nerve. “Because?”
“Don’t play dumb. Heavenly is nothing like Raine. Your girl finished growing up in a BDSM club. She knew exactly what to expect. Heavenly might be a grown-ass woman, but she’s naive and unworldly and… She’s Bambi, for fuck’s sake.”
“Why is that a problem?”
“I already told you. Heavenly. Is. A. Virgin.”
“All you
