Page 71 of The Treasure Hunt Hookup

“And interrupt your filthy bang-fest? I wouldn’t dream of it. We can catch up after Reeve leaves.” Mary-Alice pauses. “Unless he’s decided not to go back to LA, and stay ravishing you around the clock?”

I laugh. “We haven’t discussed it.”

“Hmm, well, let me know. If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay.”

Mary-Alice hangs up, and I pause. I’ve been conveniently ignoring the fact that Reeve is here on vacation. The kind of trip that ends.

So what happens when he goes back to his nonstop, work-obsessed life in LA?

I feel a tremor of nerves. After I emerged from the mess of my divorce, I thought about falling in love again. I imagined it would happen the way most of these things do: a parade of mediocre first dates, until maybe I met somebody I didn’t completely loathe. We’d get to know each other slowly, work our way up to awkward, but ultimately-enjoyable sex, and set about becoming partners in a normal, steady, adult way. Month-by-month. Year-by-year.

And then Reeve came along with his easy smile and wild passion, boosting me through windows, and kissing me senseless up against walls, until I’m so electric from just holding the man’s hand that I swear, smoke comes out of my ears.

The tea-kettle starts to whistle, breaking through my wayward thoughts.

Love?

No, this is lust talking right now. I haven’t taken leave of my senses completely, thinking about that word when I’ve barely known the man a week. That’s insane.

Except …

He already feels like a partner. And not just a partner in (occasional, misdemeanor) crime, either. Somebody I can rely on, who has my back. Who supports me like it’s second nature.

Who does things in the bedroom that make me see stars.

Smiling at those particular steamy memories, I go change into something even fuzzier and more comfortable, grab a bottle of wine, and head over to Reeve’s place. We’re still no closer to cracking this curtain clue, but that’s nothing an evening of brainstorming – and mind-blowing sex– can’t fix, and if we can just—

The door swings open to reveal a pretty brunette woman, in bare feet, sweatpants, and a sloppy Celine Dion Vegas tour T-shirt. “Well, hi there,” she brightens, looking me up and down. “You must be the mood-altering drugs.”

“I … what?” I blink, as footsteps thunder on the stairs behind her.

“Moo-om!” a tween girl calls, racing past us. “Where’s my retainer case?”

“In the side pocket of your backpack,” the woman calls back without looking.

And then it clicks. “You’re Hazel,” I say, “And Lottie.”

“Guilty as charged,” Hazel smiles at me, friendly. “Come on in. Don’t mind the mess,” she adds, as I maneuver past a pile of bags and coats in the doorway. “We just descended on Reeve, a surprise stop-over on our way to Tampa. I’m working on an indie movie shoot there, helping out a friend,” she explains.

“Which is only two hours from the Kennedy Space Center,” Lottie calls from the next room. “We could be there and back in a morning, easy. Or I could go alone on the bus,” she adds hopefully, as we enter the open-plan kitchen area.

“You’re not taking the Greyhound alone,” Reeve laughs. He’s stirring at something on the stove, and when he sees me, he passes the spoon to Lottie. “Don’t let it burn.”

He comes straight over, and slips his arms around me, giving me a casual kiss. “I was going to call. Dinner just turned into a family event. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Are you kidding?” I hug him back, clocking the curious looks from both Hazel and Lottie. “Now I get to hear all their embarrassing stories about you. You have plenty, I hope?” I ask Hazel, and she grins.

“What kind of embarrassing are we talking? Because there’s professional, personal, romantic …”

“All of the above.” I decide, and Reeve groans.

“You’re ganging up on me, already?”

“It’s only fair, since you haven’t even introduced us to …” Hazel trails off meaningfully.

“This is Ivy,” Reeve says, and I give a little wave.

“Nice to meet you, Ivy.” Hazel smirks at the two of us. “No wonder Reeve is enjoying life out in nature so much. Suddenly, a whole lot of things are making sense.”

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