“Aren’t you a gentleman?” Beck drawled.
The sounds of Gloria’s big, climactic finish bled through the walls and pounded Seth’s brain. In the blessed silence that followed, he let himself get lost in his memories of Heavenly. Of her laughter. Of her sweetly untutored kiss. Of her soft curves and downy hollows. Of the night he’d claimed the most forbidden virgin territory of her body and lost his heart to her forever.
His cock jerked and thickened. Grimacing, Seth quickly shuttled the enticing visuals from his brain.
Gloria started panting once more.
Beck groaned. “Again? Hurry up and finish already.”
“Right? Because this isn’t awkward or anything.”
“You ready for me to give you the ride of your life, baby?” Buddy asked, his voice husky.
“I’m so ready. Shove that thick, hard cock inside me. I’ll ride you to the ends of the earth.”
“I’m going to fuck you so hard you’re gonna see stars, woman,” Buddy growled.
Seth slapped his hands over his ears to block the couple out. “If we sneak into their room and knock them over the head, maybe they’ll both see stars.”
“Fuck that. If Heavenly was conscious, we could sneak into her room and send her to the fucking stars.”
“Harder, baby.” Gloria gave Buddy direction once more. “Oh…god. Yes! You know I love it when you pound my pussy.”
“Have you been a good girl?” Buddy groaned. “Tell me what you want next.”
“Next?” Seth choked out miserably with a laugh.
Beck simply covered his face with his pillow and groaned.
The sexcapades in the next room continued. After a guttural yell of completion pealed from Buddy’s throat and he started in on Gloria again, Seth plucked the pillow off Beck’s head. “Damn, that dude has the stamina of an eighteen-year-old. No wonder Gloria was happy to divorce your ass.”
“Ha ha. He probably took a little blue pill,” Beck countered dryly.
“Wait. That stuff lasts for, like, four hours, right?”
“Yep.”
When the couple in the next room groaned again, Seth gave up, tugged his pillow over his head, and accepted that it was going to be a long damn night.
* * *
Saturday, April 6
Heavenly groanedas the first pale rays of the new day eked through the shutters. Dad should already be stirring, needing a trip to the bathroom and his breakfast. Why was it so quiet?
With a groan, she forced herself upright and scanned the unfamiliar room. Though her head pounded and her mouth felt stuffed with sour cotton, everything rushed back to her. Dad would never need her help again. He was gone. She’d endured his service yesterday, then fled to Vegas. After that, she remembered the wine, Gloria, and all the things the woman had said about her marriage to Beck. What she didn’t remember was stumbling into this room or crawling into the bed.
Fighting tears, she rubbed at her sore temples. Remorse ran thick. Not for leaving Los Angeles. Her dad had asked her to spread his ashes back home, and she intended to fulfill his last wish. But she regretted consuming so much wine and blurting way more than Gloria had wanted to hear. Most of all, she hated that she had refused to listen to Beck’s explanation before running off without a word to him and Seth. They deserved better.
The truth was, she hadn’t trusted Beck. She’d been an idiot.
She had to apologize today. He and Seth were probably somewhere pacing, wondering where the heck she’d disappeared to and if she was still in one piece. Once she got on the road, she would call them, explain her plan, and promise they’d talk about everything after she’d seen to her father.
If they still wanted her.
First, she needed to get out of Gloria’s hair. Despite the woman’s protests, Heavenly suspected she’d overstayed her welcome.
As she swung her legs over the side of the bed, she caught sight of a trio of ibuprofen tablets and the small cup of water on the bedside table. Heavenly swallowed the pills, grateful for Gloria’s forethought and kindness.