Two days after their lunch date at Angelo’s, Beck’s doorbell rang—right on time.
Eagerly, he pulled the portal between them open. There Heavenly stood, a golden braid wrapped around her crown while long, loose curls flowed over her mostly bare shoulders. She wore a sunny orange dress with a teasing V neckline, held together by simple straps. Its flirty hem played peekaboo with her slender thighs.
He almost swallowed his tongue.
“Come in.” Beck took her hand and pulled her into his arms.
He couldn’t wait another second to touch her.
Shutting the door, Beck backed her against it, cupped her nape, and crushed her lips under his. Fuck, kissing her was like instant relief and utter torment at once. He had her on his tongue, but it wasn’t enough. The way he felt right now, he wasn’t sure it ever would be.
When he finally let her up for air, she was pink-cheeked, breathing hard, and looking both flushed and excited to continue where they’d left off after lunch.
This was it, the day he’d finally claim her.
Since she’d agreed to let him cook her brunch today, they were totally alone. He intended to get her into bed. He didn’t want to wait anymore. Hell, he couldn’t afford to.
Not with Seth breathing down his neck.
On Friday night, Beck had knocked back a beer with Hammer and Liam while Heavenly was waiting tables. He’d been sure his frenemy would stay in New York for at least a couple of weeks. It should take that long to sell his place and his car, close his business, say good-bye to friends and family…and whatever else. Or so he’d thought, until Liam mentioned that Seth was on a plane back to LAX as they spoke.
What the fuck? How did it take a mere four days to move across the country?
Maybe you shouldn’t have lit a fire under Seth’s ass with that picture of you wearing Heavenly’s lip gloss.
The instant Liam dropped the bombshell, Beck had texted Heavenly and reaffirmed their date to have brunch at his place.
“Thanks for inviting me,” she said softly, scanning the length of his tri-level contemporary pad. “Wow, your house is so interesting…striking. It’s you.”
“Glad you like it. Let’s head to the kitchen. I hope you’re hungry.”
“Hmm,” she moaned as he led her toward the back. “I am. Something smells amazing.”
“I made you French toast casserole, eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and”—he leaned across the island to pick up the two flutes he’d poured a few minutes ago—“mimosas. Ever had one?”
She shook her head as she accepted the glass. “Orange juice and…what?”
“Champagne.” That made her smile, and he held up his drink. “Here’s to a really great day.”
At least he hoped so. He wanted her beyond all sanity, and his balls were so fucking blue. Gloria thought he’d been crazy doing without sex for weeks last Christmas. If she knew he’d waited months to get Heavenly in bed, his soon-to-be ex-wife would probably assume he’d developed erectile dysfunction.
Beck was thankful he’d had the foresight to wear his shirt untucked because he already knew getting hard was not going to be a problem.
“With someone special.” She clinked her glass with his.
He drank and watched her wrap her lips around the flute as she took dainty sips. He saw the moment the flavor hit her tongue. Her eyes widened and, after she swallowed half the drink down, so did her smile.
“Everything is just about ready. Why don’t you take a seat over there?” He pointed to the breakfast table near the wall of windows at the back of his house, overlooking the pool. It was a perfect California day, and the sun glimmered off the glasses of ice water he’d poured.
As he held out her chair, she sat. “Can I do anything to help?”
“Just sit there and look beautiful.”
Heavenly rolled her eyes. “I don’t know how successful I’ll be, but I’ll do my best.”
Beck winked at her, then pulled the hot dishes from the oven, followed by the chilled fruit from the fridge. He refilled her mimosa the instant she emptied it, then dished her up a hearty brunch.
As they ate, they talked about everything and nothing. He told her some of the stupid shit he’d done as a wet-behind-the-ears intern. She regaled him with the awesomeness of real Wisconsin cheese curds. They discussed what it was like to move suddenly and unexpectedly to LA, hospital politics, and where she might want to practice nursing after graduation.
As soon as they’d made a good dent in the food, which she’d praised repeatedly as she finished her second mimosa, he offered her a third.
“Thank you, but I can’t.” She sighed. “I was hoping to have the whole day off, but my boss told me last night that he needs me from three to close today.”
Well, hell. He didn’t want to rush this…but he also didn’t think he could wait another five minutes to have her naked.
She tilted her face up toward the sun. Her hair spilled over the back of her chair. The urge to sink his fingers into those curls and drag her to his bedroom rode him hard. Maybe going caveman on her would backfire…but being direct had worked pretty fucking well last time.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.” The easy answer flowed off her tongue.
Beck took her hand. “Have you thought about what happened during our last date?”
She lowered her lashes and nodded.
“That’s not an answer, little girl.”
She jerked her stare to his. Color crawled up her face before her gaze skittered away again. “Yes. It’s almost all I think about now.”
That, right there. Something in her eyes. She hadn’t merely thought of the ways he’d touched her on Friday. He’d bet money she was still thinking of Seth and his kiss, too.
Goddamn it.
He stood and extended his hand. “Come with me, and I’ll give you a lot more things to occupy your mind.”
Heavenly hesitated for long moments, stare bouncing between his outstretched fingers and his face, which he feared was too naked with need. Had he been too unromantic? Had something he’d done made her change her mind? Or had fucking Seth somehow got to her yesterday?
Beck slid into his chair again. “Heavenly, if you’re unsure or you’re not interested—”
“That’s not it,” she assured softly, then swallowed nervously. “It’s just…I’m not ready to have sex yet. I’m sure you’re used to dealing with women who—”
“I’m not thinking about any woman but you. This is between us. If you’re not ready, then you’re not ready. I respect that.”
And that was true…but his cock wanted to weep.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I just want to be clear. Am I moving too fast now? Or does this have something to do with Seth?”
Heavenly blanched, then sighed. “Do you want me to be honest?”
“That’s the only way I ever want you to be with me. Tell me anything and everything. When I said we were more than friends, I had in mind the kind of relationship where you’d feel free to share your thoughts and feelings.”
“Okay…” She sighed. “Maybe I’m naive, but sex, to me, is a commitment. Not like the forever, death-do-us-part kind. But—”
“I have no problem with commitment.”
She shook her head. “I’m not asking for one. I’m just saying it implies that I’ve made a choice. It’s not hard to notice that you and Seth have…animosity. He’s already left once because I told him I had feelings for you. If I have sex with you now, he’ll probably take that as me choosing you over him again.”
Beck tried to bite back his frustration. “You’re not responsible for Seth’s feelings.”
“I know. And I—”
“And if he only wants you for your virginity, he’s not worth the bag necessary to take out the trash. I understand you’ve got feelings for him, but you need to think about you, too.”
“I am. I don’t think he just wants bragging rights about being my first. It’s like he took my feelings for you as a rejection, like he assumed if I wanted you, I couldn’t want him, too. Even though I’ve told him it’s more complicated than that…” She shook her head.
So basically, the dumb shit was coming between them and he wasn’t even here? Peachy.
From helping him work with Raine on Liam and Hammer’s behalf a few short months ago, Seth knew perfectly well that a woman could have separate but equal feelings for two different men. Why the fuck had he suddenly gone stupid?
Of course, Liam and Hammer had solved the problem by sharing the girl who’d been unable to choose between them. That wasn’t happening with Heavenly. Oh, fuck. No. Just no. He’d hardly been able to share a meal with Seth. No way did he trust that asswipe enough to share in her care.
Beck let out a calming breath. He wasn’t going to push her to give more than she wanted to…but he didn’t want to let her go with a peck and a wave, either.
“Of course it’s more complicated,” he agreed. “Since you’re not ready for sex, there are plenty of other things I can teach you, pleasures I can give you. Just say the word. And if not…” He shrugged. “We’ll sit by the pool, enjoy the day, and talk.”
“Thanks for understanding,” she murmured, then suddenly couldn’t meet his stare again. A fresh flash of red surged up her face. “Would you show me your bedroom?”
Her question made his body ping electric.
“I’d love to.” He rushed to help her to her feet.
She cast a nervous glance around his messy kitchen. “Do you want help with the dishes first?”
“Fuck the dishes.” He seized her mouth with his and curled his arms around her frame, cupping her ass and lifting her against his body. “Hold on to me.”
Heavenly didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms and legs around him. He plunged his tongue into her mouth and marched to the stairs, taking them two at a time, then all but sprinted down the hall to his bedroom.
Beside his bed, he slowly lowered her to her feet, dragging every inch of her against him, then studied her flushed face. Already, her eyes were dilated, her lips swollen, her nipples pebbled. He regretted not getting his hands—or mouth—on her breasts last Friday. He was determined to make up for lost time.
Beck skated his fingers up her waist, tracing the edge of her underwire bra, before he cupped the pert globe in his hand. Staring into her eyes, he thumbed the tight little tip back and forth in slow strokes. “What do you want, little girl?”
“So many things…” she admitted with a groan, then gave him a self-deprecating smile. “Late last night, after my shift, I laid in my bed and I replayed our lunch over in my head. And for the first time ever, I was able to give myself an orgasm.”
“Good. You should know your body and what makes you hum.” He pinched her nipple through her dress lightly, relishing the hitch in her breath. “What part of our lunch did you think about while you got yourself off?”
“The ways you touched me. I put my fingers everywhere you did and thought of all the things you’d said. And…” She sighed, her smile widening. “It was nice. But not as amazing as when you gave me pleasure.”
Good to know. “You have other fantasies? Things you thought about when you touched yourself in the past?”
“For a long time, when I tried to, um…”
“Masturbate?” he supplied helpfully.
Right on cue, her face managed to turn even redder. “Yeah. When I did, my thoughts were mostly a curiosity. I wanted to know how my body worked. I wanted to understand the physiology. And I wanted to figure out why, if I was a woman, I wasn’t interested in any of the men—or women—around me. It was almost like I didn’t understand myself well enough to have fantasies. Then, you took me to the gallery.” She sighed. “And everything changed.”
This woman was the most interesting bundle of contradictions. It took her forever to tell him her troubles, but she readily shared her feelings and fantasies. There must be some reason. Whatever it was, her dichotomy intrigued him. Made him harder. Made him more desperate for her.
“I’m not surprised.” He’d sensed what she was the moment he’d met her. Having her validate that, even unconsciously, renewed his hope. She wasn’t ready for rubber paddles and whips—might never be—but she was ready for him to take control.
It was so on.
“You’re not? I’m shocked.”
“Still not surprised.” He traced the V of her neckline, fingertip grazing the tempting swell of her breast. A wide, wicked smile crossed his face. “Show me.”
“What?”
“Show me how you made yourself come.”
Heat flared in her eyes. “I-I don’t know if I can—”
“You can.” He dragged his tongue over her collarbone, then whispered in her ear. “Strip off your clothes, lie back on the bed, and show me what you’ve learned.”
“A-are you going to watch?”
“Absolutely.” As soon as the word was out, her breathing turned uneven and she bit her lip self-consciously. He skimmed his lips along her jaw. “I want to be the first to see you naked.”
Heavenly hesitated, then stepped out of her sandals, eased one of her straps off her shoulders, then looked at him for approval.
“Keep going.” He flicked the other strap down and kissed the cap. “You’re safe with me. Don’t stop.”
She gave him a jerky nod, then turned her back to him, gathering her hair and holding it up. “I-I can’t reach the zipper.”
His cock lurched approvingly as he sucked in a shuddering breath. Holy shit. She was undressing—for him. He would see her totally bare. That thought dive-bombed his brain and buzzed his libido.
Slowly, he reached for the tab and dragged it down her back, the quiet hiss achingly sexual as he exposed inch after inch of her milky, untouched skin.
Beck’s hand shook. His control felt dangerously close to snapping, but he gritted his teeth, chained down his beast, and told himself to find his fucking patience as he pulled her zipper as low as he could.
The ivory lace skimming the small of her back and wrapping around her hips taunted him. He slipped his finger just under the band. “Next time, leave your panties at home. You don’t need them with me.”
Heavenly jerked a glance over her shoulder. “Wear a dress without underwear?”
Her shock made him smile. “That would please me.”
“I don’t know if I’m that…daring. I’ll try.”
He didn’t love her response, but he understood he was asking her for something both new and foreign to her good-girl sensibilities. He had to let her adjust to the idea—and to his demands. Nothing with her would be simple or overnight. The fact she was open to the idea at all was a good sign.
Beck cupped her arm and dropped kisses to her neck. “Try very hard. Now push your dress over your hips. Panties, too. Leave them on the floor.”
She complied, wriggling enough to have him biting back a groan as she swept the cotton, lace, and silk from her body. It pooled on the floor, leaving her clad in nothing but a strappy bra. He’d get to that in a minute; the hooks were right in front of him. But first, that luscious ass.
Dear god… He gripped her hips, knelt behind her, and dragged his mouth across each pert cheek. It wasn’t enough. He had to sink his teeth in, nip and lave. In his hold, she trembled, held her breath. Shit, he needed more. He bit harder. And sucked.
She yelped. “Beck?”
“Shh.” It was all he could manage to say.
Fuck, suctioning her smooth, perfect skin between his lips was already heaven, but then he took another sharp nibble and pulled her deeper into his mouth. Oh, yeah…
He stood back to admire his brand. A possessive fire he’d never felt scalded his veins, urging him to toss her down and mark every inch of her backside however she’d let him—right now.
But if he didn’t stop fixating on her ass, this was going to get out of control fast. Already, he was riding a dangerous edge.
Gathering his mental shit, he flicked her bra open and let it fall to the ground.
Now she was completely naked for him. Beck couldn’t fucking breathe.
As he glided his palm down her pure, peachy-pale back and cupped her gorgeous backside again, Heavenly wrapped protective arms around her chest.
Frowning, he pulled her arms to her sides. “Why are you trying to hide?”
“I’m nervous.”
“About?”
“I’m naked.”
“That’s how I wanted you.”
Heavenly let out a little huff. “What if you don’t like what you see?”
“Impossible. I’m already exercising more self-control than you can imagine to stop myself from devouring you. Now turn around so I can see you, little girl. I want to watch you play with your pussy for me. I won’t touch you without your permission. If, at any time, you want to end this, all you have to do is say ‘stop.’”
Body tense, she nodded. Then she took in a shaky, fortifying breath and slowly turned around.
Through the windows, sunlight streamed, kissing her everywhere and making her glow golden. Beck felt his jaw drop. He nearly lost his tongue. “Goddamn, you’re beautiful.”
The gentle slope of her shoulders gave way to delicate collarbones, then down to lush, round breasts that seemed to defy gravity, topped off by the prettiest blushing pink nipples he’d ever seen. Beck wasn’t a boob man, but he’d absolutely make an exception for Heavenly. Her torso curved into the gentle valley of her small waist, followed by the flare of her feminine hips. Between trim thighs, her pussy hid shyly behind a dusting of pale down. Hell, even her feet were petite.
She was every fantasy he’d never realized he had in one perfect package.
A tentative smile curled up her lips. “You’re being kind.”
“I’m being honest.” He reached for her breast, then remembered his promise. “Will you let me?”
Heavenly gave him a jerky nod.
Her nipples had beaded under the gentle stir of the air conditioning, but they tightened even more the moment he cradled the weight of her breast in his hand. Then he did the same to her other, sweeping his thumbs across the hard tips, fascinated by the way she gasped and her knees buckled and a flush rose all over her body.
He had to taste them.
Beck bent and lifted a nipple to his lips. “You okay with this?”
“Uh-huh.” Her voice sounded deliciously unsteady.
He smiled as he lowered his head the last inch and sucked the velvety bead into his mouth, laving her with his tongue and moaning around her flesh. Her head rolled back on her shoulders, and she curled her hands around his head, urging him closer.
After working the bud for long minutes, he drew back and popped it from between his lips, then lavished the same treatment on the other, sliding the first between his thumb and forefinger. Heavenly wriggled against him, her little moans an encouragement to lay her down, spread her out, and take everything she offered. But they’d negotiated—not that she realized it—and he’d promised her boundaries.
Beck forced himself to step back with a reluctant sigh. “Thank you. Lie on the bed.”
Slowly, she eased back, sitting first, then lying down, scooting to the center, splaying out in a pose he didn’t think she meant to be sexy. But hell if it wasn’t—lips, arms, and thighs all parted unconsciously as if she waited for him.
“That’s it. Show me how you make yourself feel good.”
Heavenly shot him a nervous stare. “You’re really going to stand over me and watch?”
“To start with.” He gave her a wry smile. “As gorgeous as you are, I might have to join you and give myself some fucking relief.”
“I’d like to see that.” She smiled in spite of her tension, her expression unconsciously come-hither. “Maybe I’ll help you.”
Jesus, she kept surprising—and arousing—him. When he finally fucked her, Beck had a feeling she was going to wreck him.
“You’re welcome to touch me anytime, anywhere, any way. Now be a good little girl and put your fingers in your pussy.”
Heavenly nodded, then laid her hands on the fluttering flat of her belly before letting her right drift down unerringly into her damp curls. With her left hand, she parted her pouting folds, showing him all her prettiest, most private pink parts. Even at a distance, he could tell she was aroused.
“Are you wet?”
She gave him a shaky nod.
“Tell me. Say it.”
“My pussy is wet.”
Her whisper was so faint and high-pitched. He heard her nerves. He heard her need. He heard her surrender. It was killing him.
“It is. And it smells so good, sweet like cotton candy. Show me how you rub your clit.”
She did, slowly at first, like she wasn’t sure what to do. Or whether he would like it. Ha! Watching her drag her fingers across her shy little bud was mind-blowing. His mouth watered. His cock screamed. He’d give anything to dive face first into her.
Instead, he could only stare, hands clenched into fists, and subject himself to the most decadent erotic torture imaginable.
“Rub it harder. Faster.” His hoarse voice came out ragged.
She complied with a beseeching stare, circling her clit with more speed and force until a desperate whimper fell from her lips.
“That’s it. You’re juicy and so swollen and tempting. Jesus, your velvety walls gripping my finger as you quivered and came haunts me.”
Unable to resist her lure, he inched closer until his thigh met the mattress, watching her breathing turn choppy and her body go tense. She tossed her head back, arching her throat to him, and spread her legs wider. The heady scent of her sex hung thick in the air.
“Look at me while you climb that peak.”
With a mewl, she did. Her blue eyes were dark, smoky. Her hips rocked as their stares fused. A rousing pink hue colored her naked flesh. “Beck…”
“You look fucking stunning.” He was trying like hell to keep his hands and mouth off her.
Heavenly was close. Her keening cries echoed off the walls. The ache behind his zipper grew to a painful throb. Unable to stand the torture any longer, Beck unzipped his fly and let his cock spring into his waiting hand. He hissed in relief as he gripped his shaft and slowly stroked himself.
Instantly, her fingers stilled as she watched with wide eyes, fixated on the bunching of his biceps and the clenching of his fist. She licked her lips.
Fuck. Her innocent response was gutting him. “Don’t stop. Let your fingers do the walking and we’ll come together.”
“But I want to see…” She eased closer to his gliding fist, looking enthralled.
“What you do to me? Every time I’m with you, I get hard. I lie in bed at night, pounding my cock, dreaming of all the ways I want to make you scream. I’ve been doing that for months. Did you have any idea?”
“No.” She sounded both stunned and aroused. “Can I tell you what else I thought about when I touched myself at home?” She dropped her lashes, not in a demure cast, but visually sweeping his body as if she wanted to take in every hard muscle and bulging vein. “You. Exciting you. Touching you. Making you feel as good as you made me feel.”
Beck groaned. She was waving a red cape in front of a goddamn raging bull. “The first time I saw you, I was dying to fuck you, little girl.”
She blinked at him, her glassy eyes half-lidded and sultry and killing his self-control. “You were?”
“And the urge has only gotten stronger.” He stroked his cock faster. The tip grew slicker when her hungry gaze latched onto his dick again. “If you want to touch me, I’m all yours.”
Heavenly slid off the bed, giving him a little nudge with a hand to his chest…which she followed with her lips, spreading barely there kisses across his skin. He stumbled back, wondering what the hell she was up to. Not that it stopped the rapid jerk of his hand on his cock or the pounding of his heart.
Then she sighed and fell to her knees at his feet, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “You said I could touch you anytime, anywhere, and any way I wanted. What if I want to pleasure you with my mouth?”
The air in his lungs froze. His knees threatened to buckle. A hot wave charged through his blood. Beck feared he might stroke out.
One of his favorite fantasies was fucking coming true, and all he could do was look down at her, utterly awestruck and slack-jawed, and nod mutely. With a handful of words, she’d annihilated his control.
She dipped her head shyly. “But I want to do it right.”
He lifted her chin with his finger, excitement nearly ripping him out of his skin. “I’ll teach you. Give me your hand.”
Releasing his erection, he took hold of her wrist and lifted her palm to his cock. Heavenly’s touch jolted him with a nuclear thrill he almost couldn’t process. He sucked in a hiss.
“Now wrap your fingers around me.” He laid his own over hers, guiding her to grip his shaft snugly, and groaned. “Grip me tight, little girl. Feel the veins, the heat, and the fluid spilling off the crest. Yeah…”
“You’ll tell me if I do it wrong?”
He stroked a hand over her hair. “Yes, but I doubt that’s going to happen. This feels incredible.”
When she emulated the motion and the rhythm perfectly, he withdrew his hand so she could explore on her own. Immediately, he clenched his teeth as her palm danced up and down his length. His cock jerked.
If she kept this up, he wouldn’t fucking last.
“Is this the way you like it?” Uncertainty tinged her soft voice.
“Harder,” he choked out.
She did, and he closed his eyes as his whole body melted around her touch. “Fuck, yes.”
As she continued to slide her hand up and down his cock, Beck’s balls churned and his body hummed. He peered down at her, watching as she gazed in awe at each smooth glide. Jesus, he’d last longer if he controlled her stroke or even looked away. But no, he couldn’t tear his gaze from her firm but gentle sweeps up his length.
When had he become such a raging masochist?
“When you’re ready, just open your mouth and—”
Even before he finished his sentence, Heavenly parted her lips and swiped her tongue over his leaking crest. Need rocked him like a fucking earthquake. He squeezed his hands into fists and locked his knees.
“It’s salty.” Her voice lilted with wonder. “I want to do it again. I just open my mouth and…”
He gritted his teeth and managed to nod.
She flicked her tongue over the tip once more, savoring his taste with a little moan. The urge to thread his fingers through her silky mane and thrust himself between her lips drove him insane. He was going to suffer a slow, agonizing death before this lesson was through…but at least he’d go with a smile on his face.
After an audible swallow, she leaned closer, opened her mouth, and wrapped her plump lips around him.
Lightning slid up his spine before slamming deep in his balls. Jesus…
She pulled on him once, as if he were the tastiest lollipop, then eased back to gaze at his crown. Heavenly might be inexperienced, but she didn’t shy away from sliding her mouth over him again, then flicking the tip with her tongue, nearly fucking unraveling him. Then, when she began bobbing on him and sliding her hand up and down his shaft? Holy shit. His eyes rolled back in his head. Swallowing a roar, Beck sank his fingertips against her scalp and wrapped his fists in her hair, struggling to pull air into his lungs.
“Yes,” he hissed. “Deeper into your mouth, little girl. Good. Yeah. Stroke down on my shaft at the same time. Hmm. Stretch the skin tight. Fuck.”
She obeyed flawlessly, sucking him over and over while she squeezed him all the way to the stem.
Fighting the raging surge of orgasm headed his way was pointless. It was right there. Beck bellowed for breath and clenched his fingers into fists, desperate to shower her tongue with his seed in three, two…
His doorbell chimed. Heavenly stiffened and lifted from his cock, gazing at him with a startled expression. “Are you expecting anyone?”
“No. Ignore it. Whoever it is will go away,” he assured, guiding her head back to his shaft again.
She swirled her tongue around him, then plunged him back into the molten heat of her mouth once more, growing confident and swallowing down another inch.
Their unwanted visitor gave up on the bell and pounded on his door instead.
“Fuck!” Beck released her hair and tapped the video doorbell app on his smart watch. Two impatient cops stood on his porch. “What the hell?”
“What’s wrong?” Heavenly eased back on her heels, looking concerned.
“I don’t know. The police are here.”
“Can you think of a reason why?”
“No, but…” He sighed. “I have to answer this.”
“Of course,” she murmured as he helped her to her feet.
Grimacing, he tucked his screaming cock into his jeans and slowly drew up his zipper. By the time he’d done that, Heavenly had already donned her undergarments and was sliding her dress back over her head. So not only hadn’t he gotten lucky today, he probably wasn’t getting an orgasm he didn’t give himself.
Fuck.
“Turn around. I’ll zip you up.”
As she presented him her back and he raised the little metal tab to the top, covering her completely, the pounding grew more urgent.
“Come on.” He slid his hand in hers. Together, they hurried down the stairs.
When Beck pulled the front door open, he frowned at the cops’ grim faces. “Can I help you, Officers?”
“Yes, sir. We have a report of a death at your residence. We’re here to inspect the body.”
Beck shook his head. “There’s no body here. No death. I live alone, and my girlfriend is just visiting. You must have the wrong address.”
That was the only explanation. Logically, Beck knew the cops hadn’t interrupted the blow job of the century on purpose, but of all the shitty timing…
“No, this is the right place.” The officer recited the address, and it was correct. “We have a report that an elderly man passed away on the premises.”
“What? Who?”
“A Dr. Kenneth Beckman. Do you know anyone by that name?”
“I’m Dr. Kenneth Beckman, and as you can clearly see, I’m very much alive.”
“I’m going to need to see some ID.” The more seasoned cop frowned.
As Beck scrambled in his pocket for his wallet and whipped out his driver’s license, two EMTs pushing a gurney rushed up behind the policemen.
“Have you examined the body? Need a transport to the morgue?” the younger one asked.
“There’s no body,” Beck bellowed. “Who the hell reported me dead?”
No one answered. The cop had a low-voiced conversation with his fellow officer, who made a discreet phone call. The EMTs simply stared. Jesus, who had started this colossal screw-up and ruined his day?
A half second later, his cell phone chimed. He yanked the device from his jeans and saw a text from Seth.
Need the name of a good funeral home?
Beck closed his eyes. That motherfucker. He’d planned this. He’d ruined the day with Heavenly…why? To needle him? To prove he could? To make sure he didn’t have sex with her? Probably all of the above.
He’d been cop-blocked. Beck grunted. The next body in the morgue was going to be Seth’s.
The officer handed him his ID back, then gave him a long stare. “We’re going to need to check the premises, ask you a few questions. Can I come in?”
“Now? I’m in the middle of a date.”
Heavenly laid a gentle hand on his arm. “It’s okay. I’ll get out of your way and let you straighten this mess out. I have to get to work anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Before he could object, she brushed a butterfly-soft kiss over his lips, then stepped out the door. Beck watched her go helplessly, biting back a roar, as the veteran cop trekked over his threshold.
The younger cop asked her a couple of questions. She answered so softly Beck couldn’t hear.
The policeman looking to interrogate him closed the door and sent him a long, inscrutable stare. “Stand back. I’ll start in the living room. This may take a while.”
Now that Heavenly was gone, Beck didn’t give a shit if it took all night. It just gave him time to plan how he would repay that son of a bitch, Seth. And he would—in spades.