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A wave of fatigue swept over her and Lucy handed her a bottle of water and instructed her to go home, eat some soup, and go to bed. She knew it wouldn’t be that easy. She’d been plagued with insomnia since that night two weeks before. The exhaustion would come on strong throughout the day and then, when she finally settled into her bed at night, she’d lay there wide awake, remembering the way they’d kissed her, the way they touched her and took their time with her, showing her pleasure that would never be equaled. She remembered how safe she’d felt surrounded by them and ached with emptiness in the lonely bed.
The lingering heat of the day assailed her as she stepped out of the shop and walked in the direction of where her car was parked. The lowering sun blinded her for a moment after being in the much dimmer retreat atmosphere. She’d left her sunglasses in her car and shaded her eyes as she walked and cried out in surprise when she plowed right into a very large, very hard male body.
“Oh! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I—”
She froze as he blocked the sun with his big body and she looked up into worry-filled green eyes. Heath grasped her shoulders, as she faltered, and said, “Baby.” With that one small word he said so much before he crushed her to him.
For a second, she thought she was experiencing a really kickass heat-induced mirage, or a fantasy so detailed that she’d lost her grip on reality. She clung tightly to him and breathed him in, determined to take everything she could from the moment before it disappeared. But he was real, his heavenly masculine scent was real. It was Heath. Her Happy Bear, only he didn’t look happy. He seemed broken and there was pain in his eyes.
He squeezed her even tighter and a small sob broke from her as she bit her lip to stop the waterworks before they started. “I miss you so much, Heath. I miss you all so much.”
His body trembled as he held her and he said, “I can’t stand this, baby. The guys are hurting as much as I am.” She shifted in his embrace and wrapped her arms around him even tighter and pressed her face against his T-shirt covered chest, not caring that she was soaking him with her tears and probably leaving him covered in streaked mascara. Another scent invaded her nostrils and she realized Heath had a large bandage on his biceps.
“What happened, Heath?”
Heath cleared his throat and chuckled as he gestured with a thumb toward Divine Ink next door. “I had an appointment with Seth this afternoon.”
“You did?” He had been next door while she was having her massage…and her big blubbery cry. Oh no. No, no, no, no!
Heath nodded and she saw the way the muscles in his jaws bunched for several seconds as though he was gritting his teeth. “I heard Lucy mention to Seth that you were coming over to see her. I could hear you, baby. You were breaking my heart. I’m so sorry, Maizy.”
“I couldn’t help it. That’s so embarrassing. I know it’s hard for you, too,” she whispered as she stroked his chest.
“My, my. You’d think a teacher of young children would have more decorum than to fool around with her boyfriend in full view of everyone.”
The voice sent chills up Maizy’s spine. She hastily wiped her eyes and turned to face the owner of that hateful voice. “Miss Lester, I assure you that your assumption is mistaken.”
Tabitha shrugged nonchalantly as she flicked a glance at Heath and curled her lip. “Doesn’t matter what it is. All that matters is how it appears. You’ve been seen all about town with three different men, who all seem to be close friends, in rather intimate embraces—”
“I most certainly have not—”
“Lady, you need to get a life, or get—” Maizy turned to him and shook her head. Anything he said to Tabitha would be misconstrued and spread around town. He bit back the word before he said it and tried to scoot her behind him but Maizy wouldn’t allow it. The fact that he was right—she did need to get a life or get fucked—didn’t matter.
Another tall, warm body came up to stand beside her and Seth Carter said, “Is there a problem here?”
Tabitha scowled when she looked over at Seth, who was soon joined by Lucy. Like any bully, Tabitha backed down once she realized she was outnumbered by people who planned to stand up to her. She sniffed and walked away with her nose up in the air with a parting shot. “Disgusting perverts.”
