With Every Heartbeat (Forbidden Men, #4)(75)



We all knew what he wanted step six to be. Horny bastard. I couldn’t believe he was this far gone after only two and a half Long Island Iced Teas. But I loved it. I was so getting his ass drunk every time I possibly could from here on out.

“S-step six. Hand to waist,” Blondie said, her face flushed and chest heaving.

My roommate was the f*cking man. He was getting a girl all hot and bothered by just asking her questions. Fuck, the two of them were making me horny just from listening to his questions.

“And then?” Hamilton leaned in as if he was going to slip his arm around her waist.

Blondie closed her eyes. “Mouth to mouth,” she said.

Shit. I had to stop them. Now.

“Hey, is that Cora headed this way?”

Hamilton lifted glassy eyes and looked around, but he didn’t spot his girlfriend anywhere. “I don’t see her. Oh, wait. There she is; dancing with that guy.”

“Hmm,” I said. “Could’ve sworn that was her coming this way and waving, trying to get your attention. Sorry.”

Blondie opened her eyes and met my gaze. With a blush, she straightened in her seat and made a production of smoothing down her shirt and trying not to look guilty.

I tapped my fingers on top of the table and kind of regretted interrupting their moment, even though I know they’d both thank me for it...if either of them knew what I’d just saved them from.

“Seriously,” I muttered when the next singer started on “My Girl.” I motioned toward my roommate. “Ham, you sound better than that in the shower every morning. Get up there and sing so all those other losers who can’t hold a tune don’t get a turn.”

Blondie turned curiously toward him, her lips twitching with a smile. “Do you really sing in the shower?”

“No!” His face turned red before he rolled his eyes and mumbled, “A little.”

“A little every f*cking morning,” I taunted.

“Aww,” Blondie cooed, touching his arm. “That’s so cute.”

Ham glanced at her, then quickly ripped his gaze away. “I used to stutter when I was younger. My grandma took me to singing classes to help with it.”

What? “I had no idea you used to stutter,” I said just as an equally surprised Blondie said, “I’ve never heard you stutter.”

“Yeah, well.” He rolled his eyes. “The singing actually helped. A lot.”

Blondie squeezed his bicep. “So, you’ll sing now. Pretty please.”

He laughed, and a blush tinted his cheeks. “Heck, no.”

“I’ll sing with you,” she offered, batting her eyelashes and making Ham fall into another one of those staring trances she was so good at putting him under.

I lifted my eyebrows. “You’ll sing?” I asked. “Do you sing in the shower too, Blondie?”

She shrugged. “No, but I’m just drunk enough to try anything right now.”

Oh, that was it. “Do it, Ham,” I urged.

I had no clue what was emboldening him, but he grabbed her hand and surged to his feet. “Okay, we’re doing it, then. As long as you’ll really sing with me.”

She nodded. “I said I would.”

As she followed him toward the stage, I folded my arms over my chest and sat back in my chair, ready to enjoy this show. I even pulled out my phone to take a video for future blackmail against Hamilton.

Once the man before them wrapped up his song—thank f*cking God—Ham and Blondie stepped onto the stage. I wolf-whistled, making Blondie glance my way and blush. Then she grabbed Hamilton’s hand and they stepped in front of the mic together.

As the beginning chords started, she leaned in and called, “Cora! This one’s for you.”

I frowned. That bitch shouldn’t have had any part of their song. But from across the room, Cora turned and gaped up at the stage where her boyfriend and roommate were standing together and swaying lightly to the beginning chords. Then Hamilton leaned in and started singing. And shit, he was good. Really good.

Cora stood up and covered her mouth with her hands as she listened to him. Even Hart came out from behind the bar where he was working to listen. He paused by my table and asked, “What the hell? I didn’t know Quinn could sing.”

“Join the club.”

Then Blondie joined in at the chorus. I whistled again because she wasn’t half bad. She and Ham turned to watch each other as they sang, and I couldn’t contain my grin.

They wanted each other so bad.

I watched Cora for her reaction to their sizzling chemistry, but I don’t think the clueless bitch even noticed. It was more than obvious to me that they were singing to each other...not to her.

As soon as the song ended, their faces lit up with accomplishment. I think Ham would’ve gone in for a hug, but his girlfriend jumped onto the stage and tackled him, kissing him all over the face before shoving her tongue down his throat.

Blondie’s face absolutely crumpled.

Ah, hell.

I waited until she’d made her way robotically off the stage before I startled the shit out of her by wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “And that, my new chick friend,” I said into her ear, “is what we call majorly f*cked up. Her mouth should not be on him right now.”

She looked up at me, her heart in her eyes. Pity ricocheted through my guts.

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