Page 92 of Just Between Us

Veda wasn’t my mother, and I was not my father.

The corner of my mouth tipped up when I looked over at her frowning at a stack of papers. “Hey, Precious.”

Her head whipped up and she scowled in my direction. My heart flopped over in my chest. “I’ve got a taste for something sweet.” I sent her a hot look and waggled my eyebrows. Her cheeks pinked and I continued: “What do you say to playing hooky at lunch and getting an ice-cream cone with me? We can take a walk down the beach.”

Veda rolled her neck and groaned. “That sounds amazing, but I’m still swamped with King Equities files. Plus, after work I should probably check in at my apartment and make sure that it’s still habitable.” She sighed and her shoulders slumped.

My girl was overworked and overtired.

I walked to her and straddled the chair to slip behind her. I lifted her hips, plopping her onto my lap and caging her in with my arms. “What if”—I kissed her neck—“you don’t worry about the apartment anymore?”

Her head moved to the side. “And not get my deposit back? No way.”

“Fuck the deposit. You’ll get it back. Besides ... I think Bug might be better off if she moved out of the King estate for a while—had a quiet, safe place to go.”

Veda was silent, and I could practically hear the gears churning in her brain. “I suppose Bug could stay with me at the apartment,” she said.

I chuckled and squeezed her tighter. “I think Bug is far too independent for a roommate.”

Veda looked at me over her shoulder, and a disgusted noise rattled in her throat. “I’m a fantastic roommate. I’m tidy, I don’t steal other people’s food, I pay the bills on time, I am always respectful of community living spaces.” She crossed her arms and pouted. “Anyone would want me as a roommate.”

A chuckle rumbled out of me. “I couldn’t agree more. Which is why I’d rather have you asmyroommate.”

Veda stilled in my arms, and I rested my chin on her shoulder. Her tiny breaths were shallow as they sawed in and out of her.

I kissed the pulse point at the base of her neck. “Just think about it.” I slid out from behind her before she could answer. I kissed the top of her head and disappeared into the bedroom to get ready for work.

There wasa new kind of energy that buzzed beneath my skin. It wasn’t the same familiar frenetic pulse that made me restless and crave something I couldn’t quite pinpoint. Instead, it was excitement—for my busy afternoon, for the future, forher.

I hummed as I made some final notes about the interview I’d just finished and slipped them into a folder.

“Well, you’re in a good mood.” Luna swiveled in her chair and smiled at me.

I wiped the grin off my face. “Yeah, I guess so.” I pointed at the man who had just left the shop and was walking down the sidewalk. “He’s the one.” I double-tapped the folder on the counter. “He starts next week.”

Luna’s arms rose to the ceiling as she twirled her seat in a circle. “Thank ya, Jesus!”

I chuckled. “He’ll have a week shadowing me, but then I imagine he can be let loose full-time after that.”

Luna clacked a few notes on the computer. “You got it.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “Ahh, this is going to be so much better. We won’t be so swamped.”

I swallowed. “Hey ... I don’t think I’ve thanked you lately—for all you do around here. I know I’ve been dealing with my own shit, but you’ve been keeping this place afloat. It hasn’t gone unnoticed. So thank you.”

She blinked at me in stunned silence before she grinned. “You’re welcome.”

“Also”—I pinned her with a stare—“please don’t break Sketch’s heart. I’d like to eventually take him on full-time, too, but the last thing we need is him only inking depressed, emo tattoos because you made him sad.”

Her tongue curled across her top teeth in a wicked grin. “No promises.”

“Amazing. Thank you,” I deadpanned.

My phone buzzed, and my humor faded when I pulled it from my pocket.

JP

Have you seen Veda?

I frowned at the phone.What the hell was that supposed to mean?

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