With Every Heartbeat (Forbidden Men, #4)(82)

I began to play with my food, realizing I hadn’t touched a bite. “Do you think they’ll end up together?”

“I don’t know,” he answered. “I hope so. They better.”

“Yeah. I hope so too.” Because if they didn’t, I’d probably lose my hope in love altogether.





I had a home game on Thursday and was off work on Friday, so I planned to take Cora to Jenny’s Crab Shack then.

We won our game, of course. We always won. With Noel at the helm, we were practically unstoppable. We’d actually won so hard I got to play quarterback for the last five minutes.

Jazzed about that and nervous about my proposal to Cora, I couldn’t stop drumming my fingers on my thigh as I sat at the table and waited for our main course to arrive.

Any minute now, they’d come out with our food…with her ring. I kept trying to remember the words Zoey had said, the words that I’d thought would make the perfect proposal, but my head was fuzzy and I couldn’t concentrate long enough to remember anything.

I picked up the glass of water and took, like, the hundredth sip for the evening. I was worried about my mouth drying out when the time came, but then I was equally worried about drinking too much and having to go the bathroom at exactly the time they brought out the ring.

The staff had been tickled to participate in my plans when I’d brought the ring in earlier. I guess they were all romantics at heart too. I kept seeing waitresses and waiters stealing secretive grins my way every time they passed, which made my stomach knot with even more nerves.

I don’t think I’d ever done anything so big and public before in my life. But for Cora, I would. Except...what if she said no? What if I’d totally been reading her wrong last Sunday morning?

Heck, what if she said yes? Was I really ready to get married?

Across from me, Cora’s phone dinged with an incoming text. About the twentieth text she’d received since we’d gotten here. I glanced at her as she picked up her phone and read the screen. Whoever she was talking to had quite a bit to say, because she studied the screen for a while before grinning and typing back an answer.

When my own phone chimed, I glowed, thinking she’d just written to me.

But when I checked my screen, it was from Zoey. Relax already. You look like you’re going to toss your cookies any second.

I lifted my face and glanced around until I spotted her sitting all the way across the restaurant on a stool at the bar.

When she realized I’d found her, she smiled and waved, giving me a big thumbs-up as she swung her legs cheerfully.

I don’t know why, but knowing she was here immediately eased my nerves. I let out a breath and all my muscles stopped clenching.

Then I shook my head and texted her back, since Cora was still on her phone. What’re you doing here, crazy girl?

I couldn’t stay away. I’m dying to see Cora’s expression when she says yes. That’s okay, right?

I rolled my eyes. Sure. Just make sure she doesn’t see you before then. Or she might get suspicious.

You got it, boss.

When I read that and glanced at her, she sent me a salute. Then she wiggled in her barstool as if she was doing some kind of sit-dance. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to keep from laughing aloud.

Across from me, Cora actually did laugh.

My gaze shot to her.

Still smirking at whatever she was reading, she began to answer her text. Curious what was pulling her attention away from our date, I asked, “What’s so funny?”

Her head zipped up, her eyes wide. “What?”

I tipped my attention to her phone. “Who’re you texting?”

“Oh. Uh...Zoey.”

I glanced toward Zoey. She was most definitely not texting Cora. I looked back at my girlfriend. And it hit me.

Oh...hell.

“You’re lying.” The words seemed to echo from my mouth and reverberate inside my head. Why would she lie about who she was texting?

Cora looked up again, and I saw the flash of panic in her gaze. “Excuse me?”

“Who...are you texting?” I said with a little bit more force.

Cora scowled. “I just told you. Zoey.”

“No.” I shook my head slowly. “You’re not texting Zoey.”

I glanced toward Zoey again just as a new text chimed from Cora’s phone. Zoey’s phone was still sitting on the bar behind her. She frowned at me, looking concerned, and motioned with her hands as if to ask what was wrong.

I turned back to Cora. Busy trying to open the new message, she didn’t notice me stand up and lean across the table until I’d snagged the phone from her hand.

“Hey,” she yelped, glaring at me and trying to retrieve it. But I’d already read enough.

She wasn’t just texting some other guy, she was texting lewd, sexual things to some other guy, telling him she’d try to sneak out to him tonight because her mouth was watering for his dick.

My * is so wet for you right now. As soon as I’m done with this stupid dinner, your cock better be hard, because I’m climbing on it as soon as you open your door and I’m riding you until dawn.

I kept reading, and everything in my chest just kept sinking lower and lower. Cora ran around the table and once again tried to take her phone back. I held out my hand, keeping her away. She hit my shoulder and started to curse me. But I didn’t feel her fists or hear her words. I was still reading, unable to look away.