With Every Heartbeat (Forbidden Men, #4)(70)

“Ooh, you look so handsome,” she said, coming up to me and looping her arm through mine before kissing my cheek.

I remained stiff, unable to relax or fake my own smile. But I let her press her mouth to my cheek and I didn’t brush her away. I quietly asked, “Are you ready?”

My gaze moved to Zoey, who immediately bobbed her head, her eyes wide and worried. And for once in her life, Cora didn’t have to “change” her clothes. I made no comment about that, when on any other night, I would’ve feigned a heart attack because she was actually ready on time. I simply took her hand and led her from her apartment.





As Quinn swept Cora away, I shuddered out a breath and glanced at Ten. He stared after them as they passed and then turned to me, only to wiggle his eyebrows. “Thank God I got the sweet, pretty one for the night, huh?”

His words let me know he’d heard everything Cora had just said, comparing him to Quinn.

Setting my hand against my roiling stomach, I glanced past him toward Quinn and Cora. When they were far enough away that they couldn’t hear me, I asked, “He heard, didn’t he?”

Ten’s eyes went hard as his teeth flashed. “Oh yeah.”

I sucked in a breath. Oh God. “Is he okay?”

“What do you think?” Ten lifted an eyebrow, his gaze dry and yet ticked off.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I admitted.

“You and me both, Blondie.” He took my elbow and led me from the apartment. “Let’s just do this already.”

I hated knowing Quinn was hurting as much as I hated not being able to do anything about it, unless I wanted to publicly call Cora out on it, which totally wasn’t my style. Besides, as vindictive as she’d been lately, she’d probably announce to the world—or more specifically, to Quinn—about my embarrassing crush on him. Since I didn’t want that getting out, I felt trapped and forced to watch him suffer.

Tonight was going to be awful. I just knew it. It was already starting all wrong. Quinn was upset, Cora was clearly in denial, and Ten wasn’t his usual cheerful yet annoying self. I just wished he’d say something crude and totally inappropriate to put me—or more specifically Quinn—at ease.

We ended up taking Cora’s car. Quinn drove, Cora took the front passenger seat, and Ten didn’t even make a crack about sitting in the back alone with me.

In fact, he slumped down on his side of the car, closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

Cora chattered and talked as if nothing whatsoever was wrong. I watched Quinn, but other than saying nothing—which wasn’t out of character for him in the least—he didn’t act as if anything was bothering him.

“I think tonight’s going to be so much fun.” Cora twisted in her seat to grin at me. “Wouldn’t it be cool if two roommates started dating two roommates? We could be an awesome foursome.”

Not bothering to open his eyes, Ten muttered a very dry, “Yeah. That’d be so awesome.” Then he leaned toward me and quietly murmured, “No offense, but that never in hell is going to happen. I don’t do virgins, because technically, no one does virgins, hence the whole virgin status thing.”

I leaned his way as well, whispering back, “No offense, but I don’t really do man whores either.”

He opened his eyes and grinned. “Then I guess we’re good.” He offered me a fist bump. When I clanged my knuckles against his, he whispered, “This would probably be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, except I don’t make friends with chicks, so...I’ll probably never talk to you again after tonight.”

“That’s okay. I don’t like your crude jokes anyway.”

He laughed outright, which caused Cora to turn around curiously and Quinn to lift his gaze to the rearview mirror.

Ten slapped the back of Quinn’s seat. “Looks like I got the more entertaining date, thank God.”

I was tempted to reach out and pinch him for stirring that pot. But it did cause Cora to narrow her eyes, which didn’t break my heart any. I couldn’t believe she was being so delusional as to think Quinn hadn’t heard her comparison of him and Ten.

“As if anyone would want to entertain you? It’d take a freak to match your awful sense of humor.”

Quinn glanced at her sharply. “Did you just call Zoey a freak?”

He’d been so stony and silent after she’d insulted him, but now that my head was on the chopping block, he was ready to jump to my defense. My heart ached, and soared, and then ached some more.

Cora fumbled over her words. “What. No! Of course not.” She glanced back at me. “You know I didn’t mean it that way, right?”

I wished I could say something witty and scathing to help side with Quinn and let her know I was still upset with her for what she’d said about him, but I had nothing. I hated confrontations, and I’d never be able to have one around more than two people. “Don’t worry about it,” I mumbled and lowered my gaze.

“I don’t think you’re freakish,” Ten spoke up. “In fact, I think you look amazing tonight, like someone’s wet dream come true.”

Quinn stomped on the break when he almost drove through a red light. Then he whipped his gaze around to glare at his roommate. When Ten merely grinned back, I cleared my throat.