Kissed Blind (Hot Pursuit #2)(26)

“Yeah, I’m ready to call it a day. I can’t wait to shower and get into my pajamas.”

“Oh, exciting.”

“You have any plans?”

He buckled his seat belt and pulled out into traffic. “I might stop by Irene’s and meet up with some of the guys, shoot a game of pool. They’ve been hounding me.”

Vance dropped me off and headed out for an evening with the boys.



. . .



I ordered Indian from my favorite place up the road, showered, and slipped into my fleece pajamas with little pink martinis on the pants. I turned on Netflix, scrolled to the next episode of my show, and picked through the containers of food. A few minutes later, my date arrived.

Becca stood on the other side of my peephole sticking her tongue out at me. I unlocked my deadbolt and opened the door. “Hey, you! You were almost late.”

She barged past me with a six pack of beer in one hand. “Psh, whatever. I look forward to our weekly ritual too much. No way would I miss this. I can’t wait. And, I need to hear everything about Oliver Pierce, and I mean everything.” She squealed and set her beer down on the table next to the buffet. She spun around, and I caught the first glimpse at her shirt. It read: Headbangers Ball.

“What the heck are you wearing?”

She held out her shirt. “Oh, I stole it from my older brother last time I visited him in Colorado. Cool, isn’t it? He’s going to be so pissed when he notices it’s gone. It’s vintage.” She let go an evil cackle.

“You’re a wreck.” I snorted. “Now, hurry up and get what you need, the show’s locked and loaded.”

I picked through the containers of food and loaded my plate while Becca skipped eating to drink her dinner. It was a tradition for us to get together every week to analyze the relationship between the three main characters on our favorite show. We’d plowed through the first season and were getting ready to start the second.

We watched one episode, and because it ended on a soul-crushing cliffhanger, we’d painfully count down the days until we could meet up again to watch the next installment.

I shut off the television and shoved my leftover food in the fridge. Becca hooked an arm over the back of the couch while I tidied the kitchen.

“Now, what was it like working with Oliver Pierce? I have been busting at the seams all day. I swear you have the coolest job ever. You kick people’s asses, you get to protect Hollywood super stars, and your partner is seriously smokin’ hot.”

I stopped in my tracks. “You think Vance is cute?” Becca and Vance had only met each other a handful of times, but I never got the feeling he left much of an impression on her.

“Yah! Don’t you?”

I shrugged. “Maybe, but he knows he’s good looking.”

She laughed. “So what? His body is pretty sick, but then again, you probably don’t notice with that cutie, rich boyfriend doting over you all the time.”

I waved her off. “Oh stop. It’s not all roses and sunshine, trust me. Both of the men in my life have tremendous egos.”

“A reasonable concession for how hot they both are. You don’t know how good you’ve got it. I encounter different versions of the Big Bang Theory cast members on the job. Egos, check. Smarts, check. Good looks, not so much.” She grimaced, but after a quick beat, her hands shot up. “Hey! Maybe you could set me up with Vance?”

I shrank back. “No, no, no. No way.”

“Why?” She frowned. “You think I’m not good enough for him?”

“Are you crazy?” I searched for my bottle of spray cleaner under my sink. I set it on the counter and shook my bun loose so my hair could dry. “You’re too good for him. I could never do that to you.”

She squinted and studied me. “Wait a minute. Do you secretly have a thing for him? You can tell me. Girl code swears me to secrecy.”

“What? Vance? No way. No. That’s just… just crazy. I have a boyfriend.” Spritzing cleaner over the table, I gathered spilled grains of rice into my palm and tossed them into the trash can.

She leaned farther over the arm of the couch. “Oh my gosh, Diana Cain! You have a thing for your partner. You hussy!”

“Would you shut up? I do not.” I washed my hands and kept my back to her so she couldn’t see my inflamed cheeks. I did not have a thing for Vance DeLuca.

She smacked the back of the couch. “Get your skinny ass over here and spill your guts right now.”

I huffed and turned around, twisting my towel in my hands. “There’s nothing to spill. I’ve got a good thing going with Gabe, and Vance...” I thought hard how to explain it. “Puts moves on me all the time that mean nothing.”

She hopped up off the couch and ran into the kitchen. She flipped a chair around at the table and faced me. “Stop the presses. What now? He puts moves on you? Now I’m totally green! No wonder you love your job.”

I sighed. “It’s not like that at all. It’s hard to explain.”

“Lucky for you I’m not going anywhere. Please, begin. My business is dissecting, so let’s slice this sucker open and get to the guts.” She rested her elbows on her knees and cradled her chin.

I wrinkled my nose. “That’s gross.”