With Every Heartbeat

“Wow,” she mouthed the word as she fanned herself. We started laughing in unison.

Reese unlocked her lips from the bartender and grinned back at us. “Oh, sorry! Caroline, you’ve already met him, so...Zoey, this is my boyfriend, Mason.” Then she rolled her eyes and slapped her hand to her forehead. “I mean, my fiancé, Mason.”

Caroline snickered and bumped her elbow into mine. “Yeah, I think she kind of figured that out already.”

Mason chuckled. “Hi again, Caroline.” Then he glanced at me, “And Zoey. Reese described you perfectly.”

Reese let out a dreamy-sounding sigh. “Isn’t it awesome? He actually listens when I ramble.” When she leaned in for another kiss, Mason seemed eager to supply her with one.

They were still locking lips when a new guy exited the back hall. Face full of piercings and arms laden with tattoos, he scowled when he caught sight of the necking couple. “Hey! No baby-making on my counter, please.” He smacked Reese lightly on the butt, making her yelp and jump away from Mason. Then he winked up at her. “Not unless you have a little loving for me, too.”

“Hey, cousin.” Reese dutifully smacked a kiss to his cheek and wrapped her arm around his neck as he wrapped one around her waist to pull her off the bar top and back onto the floor.

Folding his arms over his chest, Mason just scowled at them. Reese was too busy asking the newcomer to notice, though.

“Where’s my girl?” she asked.

“She’s back in the office, still looking for her panties.”

“Pick!” Gasping, Reese smacked his arm. “That was way more than I wanted to know.”

He just chuckled and brought attention to his pocket as he stuffed a peek of cloth deeper out of sight. “So I really shouldn’t tell you she’s not going to find them, huh?”

Reese rolled her eyes and seemed to notice Caroline and me lurking nearby. “Oh, you need to meet Zoey. Zoey, Pick. Pick, Zoey.”

Curious brown eyes veered to us. “So, this is the beauty I’ve heard so much about lately? It’s a pleasure.”

Caroline and I exchanged confused glances before Pick came forward and took each of our hands in a warm greeting. “Long time no see, lovely Caroline.” After he smiled at her, he turned to me, “And Zoey. Welcome to Forbidden.”

“Hey, I want in on the introductions.”

One of the guys from the band strolled over. When I turned, he had his gaze set on Caroline. “It’s about time I got to meet you two. The way the guys talk, I feel like we’re old pals already.”

Realizing he was Asher, the new bartender Reese had gushed about, I studied him a bit more intently. He was slimmer than the other bartenders but had a very arresting face with lips that were probably too pretty for a boy but looked good on him. His eyes were a sparkling green and his dark hair was longish and styled to the side.

Caroline and I shared a look, and I knew she was thinking exactly what I was thinking. Yowza.

Simultaneously, we turned back to him.

“I didn’t realize we were famous,” she said. “What exactly does everyone say about us?”

His grin grew mischievous. “Oh, you know. Caroline and Zoey did this today. Caroline and Zoey did that. The way I hear it, you guys are quite a pair.”

Caroline shook her head, looking as dazed as I felt when we shared another glance, this one confused. “We really don’t do all that much, actually. But, wow, I didn’t realize my brother took so much interest in everything we did.”

Asher’s eyes sparkled as he leaned in to her, lowering his voice. “I didn’t say it was your brother who was always talking about you.”

Her lips parted as a look of awe spread across her face. We both knew if it wasn’t Noel feeding everyone the gossip, then that left only two people who could possible know so much about us...two other Forbidden bartenders who shared an art class with us.

“Then, who…” She shook her head, but her eyes lit with hope.

Asher merely winked. “You’ll never get me to tell.” Patting her shoulder and mine both, he glanced between us before adding, “Thanks for coming to watch me sing tonight. I hope you like the show.”

And then he was strolling off, making us gape after him. Caroline leaned in closer to me. “Oh, yeah. I like him.”

I nodded dumbly. He definitely had a certain appeal.

“Patrick Jason Ryan!” a blonde screeched, marching out from the back hall, where she stopped and set her fists sternly on her hips.