Wild Open Hearts (Bluewater Billionaires) - Kathryn Nolan Page 0,72

week.”

“What does all of this have to do with burgers and Beck?” Daisy prodded.

“Look at the picture he took of me last night.” I crawled closer, showed them my phone. In the picture I look like, well… myself. “Beck thought I could tell people about not eating this burger. Not giving in to the lies they’re telling about me.”

“You need to post that,” Emily said. “Take it from someone who’s now very seriously dating a fixer. The public loves it when you’re truly real. Not that you should do it for that. But that you should do it as, I don’t know, a hard reset? How you’re truly going to be open and accountable moving forward?”

“Your actions in public and your actions in private being one and the same,” I said, bringing the tips of my fingers together. I’d been mulling this over since meeting Beck. You could say a lot about his surly attitude, but he didn’t change his behavior for anyone. Public or private. Even with the sudden reappearance of his past, and his family, in the media all over again.

“I’m going to do it,” I said, biting my lip on a smile. “Whatever shit people want to keep throwing at me and Beck is stickier than I would have imagined. I’ve done everything I can. Apologized publicly. Fixed the problem. Implemented better policies so the same mistake can’t repeat itself. Rededicated myself to my values.” I felt buoyed by the warm, kind smiles of my friends. “I have to keep living now.”

Daisy handed me another donut. “And you can start by eating this second donut.”

“That works. I’m starving.” I devoured it in seconds.

“Speaking of starving,” she continued, “tell us you sexed with Beck last night and are going to marry him and have a bunch of bearded babies.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Not exactly. But our first kiss was so amazing I literally came.”

Cameron started to slow clap and I threw a piece of donut at her.

“And…?” Emily said.

I bit my lip, taking my phone back to swipe to the very last one. If Beck’s life was the ability to prioritize actions over words then this picture said it all. I placed the phone on the concrete between the three of them. Sat back and watched their reactions.

Emily was the first to react—her entire face lit up, like a switch being thrown. And then she reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing tightly.

“Oh, Moon,” she said. “You’re falling in love.”

39

Beck

Fourteen hours, fifty-five minutes and… shit, how many seconds had it been?

I scrubbed a hand down my face, fought the urge to pace our administrative offices. Next to me, Jem had set up a table with ingredients in our makeshift kitchen, where we brewed pot after pot of coffee and ate slices of pizza on Fridays. It had a stove, an old refrigerator and a microwave. That morning, I’d asked Jem if she’d ever seen Luna mention anything vegan that she liked. She had screamed the words peanut butter chocolate bars. Right in my fucking ear. So now Jem was lining a piece of wax paper while I stirred maple syrup and peanut butter with clumsy motions.

“She’ll love them,” Jem said, nudging me with her shoulder. “I promise. Is there an occasion?”

“Um.” I stirred and stirred. “To say thank you.”

“For what?”

For giving me the greatest kiss I’d ever experienced and for climaxing on my cock like a dark-haired angel.

“Everything she’s done. You know, the money or whatever.”

“Sure.” Jem smirked, placing a bowl of chocolate into the microwave. “That doesn’t sound like a lie at all.”

Wes kicked the front door open and yelled, “Guess who’s getting adopted today.” He had Betty and Veronica in his arms. Jem had given them tiny pink bows for their collars and they tilted their heads as Wes spun around.

I grinned. “Jimmy coming by today?”

“He is, boss. And he’s mad excited. He told me he’s happy he has a two-bedroom apartment since he’s planning on Betty and Veronica here having their own space to really stretch out.”

“The right match,” I said. Jem nodded in agreement.

“When’s Luna coming by today?” Wes asked. “I need to talk to her about Bachelor in Miami last night.”

“Any minute now,” I said, attempting to inject as much casualness in my voice as I could muster.

And it’s been fourteen hours, fifty-eight minutes and fuck it, it’d been too much time since I’d said good night to Luna after our date. I’d carefully tugged her shirt back on, given her another kiss,