With Every Heartbeat (Forbidden Men, #4)(64)

Reese rolled her eyes and seemed to notice Caroline and me lurking nearby. “Oh, you need to meet Zoey. Zoey, Pick. Pick, Zoey.”

Curious brown eyes veered to us. “So, this is the beauty I’ve heard so much about lately? It’s a pleasure.”

Caroline and I exchanged confused glances before Pick came forward and took each of our hands in a warm greeting. “Long time no see, lovely Caroline.” After he smiled at her, he turned to me, “And Zoey. Welcome to Forbidden.”

“Hey, I want in on the introductions.”

One of the guys from the band strolled over. When I turned, he had his gaze set on Caroline. “It’s about time I got to meet you two. The way the guys talk, I feel like we’re old pals already.”

Realizing he was Asher, the new bartender Reese had gushed about, I studied him a bit more intently. He was slimmer than the other bartenders but had a very arresting face with lips that were probably too pretty for a boy but looked good on him. His eyes were a sparkling green and his dark hair was longish and styled to the side.

Caroline and I shared a look, and I knew she was thinking exactly what I was thinking. Yowza.

Simultaneously, we turned back to him.

“I didn’t realize we were famous,” she said. “What exactly does everyone say about us?”

His grin grew mischievous. “Oh, you know. Caroline and Zoey did this today. Caroline and Zoey did that. The way I hear it, you guys are quite a pair.”

Caroline shook her head, looking as dazed as I felt when we shared another glance, this one confused. “We really don’t do all that much, actually. But, wow, I didn’t realize my brother took so much interest in everything we did.”

Asher’s eyes sparkled as he leaned in to her, lowering his voice. “I didn’t say it was your brother who was always talking about you.”

Her lips parted as a look of awe spread across her face. We both knew if it wasn’t Noel feeding everyone the gossip, then that left only two people who could possible know so much about us...two other Forbidden bartenders who shared an art class with us.

“Then, who…” She shook her head, but her eyes lit with hope.

Asher merely winked. “You’ll never get me to tell.” Patting her shoulder and mine both, he glanced between us before adding, “Thanks for coming to watch me sing tonight. I hope you like the show.”

And then he was strolling off, making us gape after him. Caroline leaned in closer to me. “Oh, yeah. I like him.”

I nodded dumbly. He definitely had a certain appeal.

“Patrick Jason Ryan!” a blonde screeched, marching out from the back hall, where she stopped and set her fists sternly on her hips.

Pick lifted his face from the cash drawer he was slotting into the register. “Yes, my love?”

“Oh, don’t you give me that innocent little smile. You know what you took from me.” She held out her hand, palm up. “Give them back.”

He just grinned. “Now, you know better than that. That’s not how to go about getting anything from me, Tink.”

Tink’s eyes lit with pleasure and she murmured, “You’re right. I know a much better way to get what I want from you.”

But when she went to stroll toward him, Reese lifted her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. “For the love of God, just give her undies back already. I swear, the two of you are even making my unborn babies blush.”

“Ree Ree,” Tink cheered, when she saw Reese. “I didn’t know you were here already.”

They came together and hugged. While Tink had blonde hair and Reese had dark, I could still tell they were related from the shape and color of their eyes.

“And look.” Reese steered Tink around to face us. “Caroline and Zoey are here, too.”

“Zoey?” Eva pulled back and glanced around blindly until her gaze settled on me. “You mean, the Zoey?”

She sounded as if she couldn’t believe it, but when Reese nodded, she studied me up and down, before a knowing smile lit her face. “You were exactly right about her, Ree Ree.”

Reese just laughed. “Of course I was.”

I glanced between them, but neither seemed willing to let me in on the joke, so I had no idea what Reese had been right about. It must not have been anything bad, though, because Eva came to me and immediately pulled me into an enormous hug. After greeting Caroline, she returned to me and looped an arm around my shoulder to ask me all kinds of getting-to-know you questions, like my year in college and what my major was. After I politely answered everything, she shook her head and glanced toward Reese again. “I can’t believe it,” she murmured, sounding almost in awe. “She’s freaking perfect for him.”

“Wait, what?” I blushed at the unexpected comment. “Who’re we talking about?”

But Eva just tsked at me and patted my cheek. “Oh, honey, you’ll figure it out soon enough. Just know, Reese and I will be cheering you on the entire time.”

“Um...” I shook my head, completely confused. “Okay.”

Eva glanced at Caroline. “And we’re cheering for you and...” She glanced around before turning back to us, “your other half, too.”

Caroline glanced at me and lifted her eyebrows. I shrugged, so she shrugged, too. “Thank you?” she finally told Eva as if it was more of a question than an answer.