Wicked Beat
Page 82
“Rebekah?” he said quietly. “I need to ask you a favor. Will you do something for me?”
She stroked the loose waves from his forehead with one hand. “Of course.”
“My father is having a big dinner party next week. All the physicians from the clinic will be there. The entire staff too. He didn’t say specifically, but I think he’s going to ask me to join the practice full time. In front of everyone.” He took her hand and clung to it. “I was hoping… would you go with me? We could pretend…”
“Isaac…”
“We could pretend that we’re still a couple, and then after he makes the announcement, I’ll tell him about…” He took a deep shuddering breath. “I need time to come to terms with this, and if you’re there, I won’t get all the regular questions.”
“The regular questions?”
“When are you going to settle down, son? Are you ever going to get married? I already had two kids by the time I was your age. Don’t you think you need to start having a family?” he said in a pretty good impression of his father’s deep voice. “You know. The regular questions.”
She understood exactly where he was coming from, and she was tempted to say yes, but she wasn’t sure how Eric would feel about her pretending to be Isaac’s woman. Even if it was only for one evening. “I have to ask Eric,” she said.
Isaac cringed. “He hates me. He’ll never go for it.”
“You have been acting like an ass lately,” she said. “Can you blame him for not understanding how we can be friends?”
“Sorry.”
She kissed his temple. “I forgive you. This time.”
“You’re good to me, Reb. Sometimes I wish… Sometimes I wish you were a guy,” he said.
Rebekah laughed. “I’ve always been sort of a tomboy. Maybe that’s why you thought you loved me.” She glanced at the clock radio beside the bed and her heart sank. “Oh crap, I was supposed to meet Eric an hour ago. He’s probably worried.”
She pulled out her phone and found that it was turned off. She tried to turn it on, but the battery was dead. “Shit. He’s probably been trying to call me. Can I use your phone?”
“Of course.”
She climbed to her feet and kissed him on the temple. “I’m here for you, you know. Just like you were there for me when I needed you during my treatments.”
He groaned and fell back on his bed. “Stop being so nice to me. You’re making me feel like a complete jerk.”
She chuckled. “Good. Maybe you’ll remember that the next time you act like a selfish ass**le.”
He chuckled. “When did you become so blunt?”
“Recently. And I like it.”
She let herself out of the bedroom and went into the kitchen to use the phone. Trey was sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar still in nothing but his boxer shorts. He was fiddling with his smart phone. He looked up and grinned. “Did he tell you?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded. “Good.”
“Are you going to break his heart?” Rebekah asked.
“Who, me?” His look of innocence wasn’t fooling her.
“Let him down easy.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Trey assured her.
Rebekah dialed Eric’s number and hoped he’d answer. He probably wouldn’t like seeing Isaac’s number on his caller ID. He answered after several rings. “Is Rebekah okay?” he asked breathlessly.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Sorry I’m late. I’m getting ready to leave now. I’ll tell you what’s going on when I get to the restaurant. Are you still waiting there?”
“Yeah. I think I’ve eaten twenty or thirty complimentary breadsticks. I tried to call. You didn’t answer.”
“My battery is dead. Go ahead and order for us both. I’ll hurry.”
Rebekah gasped when Trey cuddled against her back. “Come on back to bed, Rebekah,” he said near her ear and phone receiver. “Isaac and I aren’t finished with you yet.”
Rebekah elbowed him in the stomach, and he chuckled.
“Is that Trey?” Eric asked.
“Yeah, he thinks he’s funny.”
“There’s nothing funny about how hot you look in this deep sea diver getup,” Trey said, making sure Eric would hear. His bangs tickled her cheek as he leaned close to the receiver. She giggled. “Have you seen the oxygen tank and flippers on this woman?” he continued. “Lord have mercy. Hot.”
“What is he talking about?” Eric asked.
“He’s just teasing,” Rebekah assured him.
“Isaac, hand me the snorkel. I’m going down,” Trey said. “I won’t be coming up for air for a while.” Isaac leaned against the opposite side of the counter and quirked an eyebrow at Trey.
Rebekah snorted as she tried not to laugh. “Stop it, Trey.”
“Yeah, stop it, Trey.” Eric sounded out of sorts. “Why are you at Isaac’s house? And what is Trey doing there?”
“I’ll explain as soon as I get to the restaurant.”
“It will probably be at least another hour, Sticks,” Trey said and made obnoxious kissing noises against the back of Rebekah’s neck.
Shoulders scrunched, she laughed again and slapped Trey until he finally backed off. She lost her train of thought when Trey leaned over the counter, holding Isaac’s gaze in a sensual stare and kissed him tenderly. The only thing Rebekah could do was gape, heart thudding with… She couldn’t identify the feeling exactly. Curiosity? Excitement? She wasn’t sure, but she kind of liked watching them kiss.
“Rebekah?” Eric said into her ear, drawing her attention away from the way-too-hot guys totally trying to out-kiss each other at the moment.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” she promised. “Love you.”
“Me too,” Eric whispered and disconnected.
She hated to interrupt the festivities. It was interesting to see how passionate Isaac could be when he was actually turned on. He’d never kissed her the way he was kissing Trey. Um… “Isaac, I’ll call you tomorrow about the party after I talk to Eric.”
He peeled his lips off Trey’s and said, “Thanks, angel. I appreciate it.”
“Party?” Trey said. “What party?”
“You wouldn’t be interested,” Isaac assured him, eyes wide with what Rebekah could only construe as abject horror.
She stroked the loose waves from his forehead with one hand. “Of course.”
“My father is having a big dinner party next week. All the physicians from the clinic will be there. The entire staff too. He didn’t say specifically, but I think he’s going to ask me to join the practice full time. In front of everyone.” He took her hand and clung to it. “I was hoping… would you go with me? We could pretend…”
“Isaac…”
“We could pretend that we’re still a couple, and then after he makes the announcement, I’ll tell him about…” He took a deep shuddering breath. “I need time to come to terms with this, and if you’re there, I won’t get all the regular questions.”
“The regular questions?”
“When are you going to settle down, son? Are you ever going to get married? I already had two kids by the time I was your age. Don’t you think you need to start having a family?” he said in a pretty good impression of his father’s deep voice. “You know. The regular questions.”
She understood exactly where he was coming from, and she was tempted to say yes, but she wasn’t sure how Eric would feel about her pretending to be Isaac’s woman. Even if it was only for one evening. “I have to ask Eric,” she said.
Isaac cringed. “He hates me. He’ll never go for it.”
“You have been acting like an ass lately,” she said. “Can you blame him for not understanding how we can be friends?”
“Sorry.”
She kissed his temple. “I forgive you. This time.”
“You’re good to me, Reb. Sometimes I wish… Sometimes I wish you were a guy,” he said.
Rebekah laughed. “I’ve always been sort of a tomboy. Maybe that’s why you thought you loved me.” She glanced at the clock radio beside the bed and her heart sank. “Oh crap, I was supposed to meet Eric an hour ago. He’s probably worried.”
She pulled out her phone and found that it was turned off. She tried to turn it on, but the battery was dead. “Shit. He’s probably been trying to call me. Can I use your phone?”
“Of course.”
She climbed to her feet and kissed him on the temple. “I’m here for you, you know. Just like you were there for me when I needed you during my treatments.”
He groaned and fell back on his bed. “Stop being so nice to me. You’re making me feel like a complete jerk.”
She chuckled. “Good. Maybe you’ll remember that the next time you act like a selfish ass**le.”
He chuckled. “When did you become so blunt?”
“Recently. And I like it.”
She let herself out of the bedroom and went into the kitchen to use the phone. Trey was sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar still in nothing but his boxer shorts. He was fiddling with his smart phone. He looked up and grinned. “Did he tell you?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded. “Good.”
“Are you going to break his heart?” Rebekah asked.
“Who, me?” His look of innocence wasn’t fooling her.
“Let him down easy.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Trey assured her.
Rebekah dialed Eric’s number and hoped he’d answer. He probably wouldn’t like seeing Isaac’s number on his caller ID. He answered after several rings. “Is Rebekah okay?” he asked breathlessly.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Sorry I’m late. I’m getting ready to leave now. I’ll tell you what’s going on when I get to the restaurant. Are you still waiting there?”
“Yeah. I think I’ve eaten twenty or thirty complimentary breadsticks. I tried to call. You didn’t answer.”
“My battery is dead. Go ahead and order for us both. I’ll hurry.”
Rebekah gasped when Trey cuddled against her back. “Come on back to bed, Rebekah,” he said near her ear and phone receiver. “Isaac and I aren’t finished with you yet.”
Rebekah elbowed him in the stomach, and he chuckled.
“Is that Trey?” Eric asked.
“Yeah, he thinks he’s funny.”
“There’s nothing funny about how hot you look in this deep sea diver getup,” Trey said, making sure Eric would hear. His bangs tickled her cheek as he leaned close to the receiver. She giggled. “Have you seen the oxygen tank and flippers on this woman?” he continued. “Lord have mercy. Hot.”
“What is he talking about?” Eric asked.
“He’s just teasing,” Rebekah assured him.
“Isaac, hand me the snorkel. I’m going down,” Trey said. “I won’t be coming up for air for a while.” Isaac leaned against the opposite side of the counter and quirked an eyebrow at Trey.
Rebekah snorted as she tried not to laugh. “Stop it, Trey.”
“Yeah, stop it, Trey.” Eric sounded out of sorts. “Why are you at Isaac’s house? And what is Trey doing there?”
“I’ll explain as soon as I get to the restaurant.”
“It will probably be at least another hour, Sticks,” Trey said and made obnoxious kissing noises against the back of Rebekah’s neck.
Shoulders scrunched, she laughed again and slapped Trey until he finally backed off. She lost her train of thought when Trey leaned over the counter, holding Isaac’s gaze in a sensual stare and kissed him tenderly. The only thing Rebekah could do was gape, heart thudding with… She couldn’t identify the feeling exactly. Curiosity? Excitement? She wasn’t sure, but she kind of liked watching them kiss.
“Rebekah?” Eric said into her ear, drawing her attention away from the way-too-hot guys totally trying to out-kiss each other at the moment.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” she promised. “Love you.”
“Me too,” Eric whispered and disconnected.
She hated to interrupt the festivities. It was interesting to see how passionate Isaac could be when he was actually turned on. He’d never kissed her the way he was kissing Trey. Um… “Isaac, I’ll call you tomorrow about the party after I talk to Eric.”
He peeled his lips off Trey’s and said, “Thanks, angel. I appreciate it.”
“Party?” Trey said. “What party?”
“You wouldn’t be interested,” Isaac assured him, eyes wide with what Rebekah could only construe as abject horror.
