Hot as Heller (Aster Valley #3) - Lucy Lennox Page 0,101

sexy leading man I wanted so desperately to be a fixture in my life. “I thought you were filming the night scene?” I asked, pulling him onto my lap. The guys around us scrambled to get a chair for him, and after giving him a quick squeeze, I let him settle into it.

“They moved it to tomorrow night because of a maintenance issue with the helicopter. It means I have to bring the climbing supervisor back tomorrow, but that’s fine. I was hoping to find you here. Janine said to try the Roadhouse or Pie Hole. I was hoping you were here because I could go for some pizza. I’m starving.”

It was so good to see him, I couldn’t stop staring.

The guys around the table welcomed him and introduced themselves if they hadn’t already met him. I strode up to the bar to grab a cup and another pitcher of beer as well as put in an order for a greek salad I knew he’d probably want in addition to the pizza. When I got back to the table, I saw him laughing with my friends. I froze for a minute and thought back to the last time I’d been here and how I’d felt looking around the group of men, wishing I could feel a part of them and realizing I did.

Now it was even better. Not only did I truly feel like I had a group of friends, but there was Finn Heller, sitting and laughing with them as if he was simply… one of us.

Mine.

He glanced over at me with a frown, obviously wondering why I’d stopped before reaching the table. I continued over to him and set down the glass and pitcher before taking his face in both hands.

“Please tell me I can kiss you in public,” I said softly.

“Please tell me you will,” he replied. Before I had a chance to lean in, he added, “But know there are consequences. Like…”

Suddenly, I saw the fear in his eyes. I knew he meant media interference, attention I may not want. But if that was part of being with Finn, then that was inevitable anyway. I didn’t want to hide my feelings about him from anyone.

I leaned in slowly so he had plenty of time to stop me.

He didn’t.

We kissed for a full minute before the guys at the table began throwing up score numbers with their fingers. When I pulled away from Finn, he looked a little pink-lipped and dazed.

“So fucking gorgeous,” I murmured before sliding into my seat again.

“You’re dangerous, Sheriff Happycock,” he said, revealing he’d heard plenty of the teasing that had gone on before I’d noticed his arrival. Mikey snorted out a mouthful of beer, and everyone else started laughing.

“Not sure happy is the word to describe it at the moment,” I grumbled to Finn.

“Take me home later. I’ll make sure to fix it.”

The rest of the evening was some of the most fun I’d had since coming to Aster Valley. My friends were used to spending time with celebrities, and it didn’t faze them. Gent and Finn talked about some mutual acquaintances they knew in the entertainment industry, and Mikey updated us on Tiller’s upcoming season.

We left the restaurant on a high. Good food, decent beer, great company. When Finn mentioned his mother returning to LA, it was even better. “My place?” he suggested with bouncing eyebrows. “I had housekeeping come through after Mom left. Should be fresh and clean for us.”

“Did they smudge it with sage? If not, Truman might have—”

Finn elbowed me in the side. “She’s not an evil spirit. Just a misguided one. I’ve decided to forgive her for being young and ignorant and for making bad choices. She made a lot of good ones, too.”

I pulled him closer before we reached his car. “Hey, I’m sorry. I was just joking about—”

“No, I know. I just… I’ve learned some not great things about my mom this week, and I’m coming to terms with it.”

When we returned to the chalet, we sat curled up together on the sofa while he told me more about his mom, how she’d gotten him into acting and become “that” stage mom. He talked about his conflicting feelings, knowing she was desperate but also wishing he’d been able to have a “normal” childhood out of the media spotlight.

I loved hearing so much about his experience and his feelings. It made me feel closer to him. We hadn’t talked about our relationship yet, but we shared