Page 126 of Hot As Ice

Celeste finds us on the dance floor and joins us. She looks cute in a black dress with a big bow across the chest. Her arm is mostly healed, but she still has a cast on. It’s covered by her long sleeve.

“Amazing party,” I yell over the loud music.

She beams. “Thank you so much. It’s all the experience of throwing events for art galleries coming in handy.”

“Maybe it’s time for a career change,” Becca says.

Celeste shakes her head. “Actually, I might just retire.”

Becca and I look at each other. “Retire?” Becca says. “Why?”

Celeste beckons us closer to her and says in a low voice. “Ben and I are trying for a baby.”

My stomach drops to the floor.

Becca looks shocked but quickly schools her features into one of polite interest. “Wow, that’s wonderful.”

Celeste nods. “I’ve always wanted children. I’m just glad Ben is on board. Please don’t tell Hunter yet. I want us to tell him in private. And I’m sorry for springing it on you so randomly. I’m just so excited and want to tell the whole world.”

We dance to some more songs, then Celeste excuses herself to go mingle.

Becca cups a hand over my ear and says, “She’s not even pregnant yet but she wants to tell the whole world that she’s trying to be? That woman has major baby fever.”

“Um, tell me about it.”

“I want another drink. Come with me?”

“Sure.”

But before we can leave the dance floor, Hunter and Jamie approach us, both holding a drink in each hand. Jamie hands Becca a pink drink garnished with a slice of pineapple. She stares at him for a beat before taking it. Something weird is going on between those two.

Hunter hands me a passionfruit lemonade mocktail.

I wrap my free hand around the back of his neck and stand on my tiptoes for a quick kiss. “Happy Birthday, baby. I hope everything Becca said about your angel number comes true.”

He laughs. “You’re my angel, my angel number, my four-leaf clover, and every other good luck charm on the planet.”

“I thought I was your princess.”

“That too. Always.”

“Baby, thank you for everything, okay?” I don’t have to elaborate. He knows that I’m thanking him for literally everything, from the first moment that he rescued me from Joe, to the offer to pay me to sleep with him so I wouldn’t lose my apartment, to coming to my rescue again, and this time getting rid of Joe for good. He’s changed my life.

He drops a kiss to the top of my head. “You don’t have to thank me. Having you in my life is thank you enough.”

“Do you know what you’re wishing for when you blow out your birthday candles?”

He smiles and squeezes my waist. “Oh yeah. I got it down to the last detail.”

“Good.”

forty-one

hunter

MY BIRTHDAY IS ACTUALLY NOT SO BAD.

Although I’ve rarely been a fan of them.