Hot as Heller (Aster Valley #3) - Lucy Lennox Page 0,27

free tomorrow. Not that I know my way around all that well either since I just moved here myself. But there’s a beautiful park in town. And we could kinda find our way around together?” He blushed furiously.

Tess stood up a little taller, her slender hand going automatically to her belly. “I’d like that. I mean… if you don’t mind?”

He looked to me again as if for permission. Even though it was none of my business, I gave him the barest of nods. He smiled and nodded at Tess. “Pick you up at two?”

Once he was gone, Tess did a little barefoot twirl on the hardwood floor. “Eight months pregnant and I still got it!”

I grabbed her up in another hug and kissed her cheek. “Darlin’, you could be eighty years old and you’d still have it.”

She laughed. “Not like I need a date or anything, but he seemed nice.”

“He’s very nice. Seems like a good man. Family man, from what I can tell.” Her face registered surprised disappointment, so I quickly amended my statement. “He’s single. At least, as far as I know. I only mean he’s close to his parents and siblings, who live over in Meeker. It’s about an hour, hour and a half northwest of here.”

She blew out a relieved chuckle that lifted her dark brown bangs. The rest of her hair was up in a messy ponytail that made her look younger than she was. “Not that it matters. I’m hardly looking for a relationship,” she repeated, like maybe she was trying to convince herself.

Her words were familiar. Casual denial.

A little bit like the same brush-off I gave myself fifteen minutes later when I stroked myself to thoughts of Finn Heller’s fit climber’s body under mine as I sank deep inside of him.

It didn’t matter. I was hardly looking for a relationship.

8

Finn

I slept poorly after everything that happened the night before. As soon as I got to my trailer, I tried a meditation exercise in hopes of clearing my mind so I could focus on the workday ahead of me. Before I finished my second deep breath, Kix banged into the small space like a herd of trampling hyenas.

“Dude, tell me everything.”

I closed my eyes and took another cleansing breath. “There’s nothing to tell.”

“Uh, that’s not gonna fly,” Kix said, smacking my shoulder lightly with the back of his hand. “Everyone is talking about it, and I just shared one of the photos in my Insta Story.”

I blinked my eyes open. There were photos?

“Shit. I need to call Iris,” I muttered, looking around for my phone and remembering I’d put it on silent as soon as Declan had left me alone in the SUV to confront the man with the gun. There were dozens of missed calls.

Iris answered immediately, her voice sounding like it was fueled by espresso. “Finn, babe, you need to milk this. It’s PR gold. Nolan’s already been on with me this morning arranging with his agency folks to coordinate interviews. The sooner we can spin you as a real action hero, the sooner your new reputation on-screen will be locked.”

My hands began to shake. This wasn’t a game. It wasn’t a public relations stunt. There had been real danger, and a woman had almost been shot. Hell, I’d almost been shot. The bullet had gone through the passenger door and hit the base of the center console. If I’d been in the footwell, I would have been hit.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said.

Iris chuckled. “You pay me to think, babe. You just show up when I tell you, and answer your damned phone when I call.”

After she ended the call, I stared at the phone. Kix moved closer. “I know you’re upset. Of course you are. It must have been scary as hell. But think of how good this is for your career. Surely you can see that? Man, I’d give anything to be caught at the scene of something like that.”

I closed my eyes and tried to empty my mind to keep from snapping at him. My phone vibrated in my hand.

It was my mother.

“Oh honey! I just heard about the shooting!”

I exhaled. “I’m okay.”

“Of course you are. You’re a Heller, for goodness’ sake. I’m calling because Mario says he can get you on The View. If so, you have to tell me so I can be there, too.”

I bit back another snappish response. My teeth were already sore from grinding together, and I didn’t even know