A Perfect Ten (Forbidden Men 5)

“Fuck, yes.”

I started to lift his shirt out of my way when Zoey appeared in the open door. “Hey, guys, the pizza’s here— Oh God.” When she realized what she was walking in on, she yelped and lifted her hand to cover her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I thought...” She didn’t bother to finish the sentiment as she started to back out of the room.

“We’ll be out in a minute,” Oren told her. “Until then, shut the door for us, will you?”

“Oren!” I gasped as Zoey reached out and blindly fumbled for the doorknob before yanking it closed.

“What?” he asked, turning back to me as he flung his suit jacket aside and crawled onto the bed with me. “When my girl’s promising to do dirty things to me with her dirty mouth, pizza can fucking wait.”

I bit into my slice of pepperoni and moaned in delight. “Mmm. This tastes so good.”

Oren grinned up at me from the floor, where he was sitting against my leg with one arm draped over my thigh, and quietly murmured, “Even better than spotted pecker?”

I flushed, glancing toward Zwinn to make sure they hadn’t heard, but they were off in their own world on the couch. I shoved lightly at his shoulder and scolded, “Don’t be uncouth.”

“Why?” He leaned down to playfully bite my thigh. “You love it when I’m uncouth.”

I flashed him a little growl. “Only when it’s just the two of us.”

He didn’t seem chastised. Hitching his head toward Zwinn, he said, “As if those two even realize we’re here right now. They’re too busy making babies with their eyes.”

“We heard that,” Quinn said, scowling our way.

Oren bit into his own pizza. “Good,” he muffled out around a mouthful. “Then listen to this, and promise me you’ll stay out of your love bubble long enough this weekend to keep Caroline company while I’m gone, will you?”

An ache spread through my chest as he mentioned his trip to Lake Tahoe. The architectural firm had paid for air travel and lodging for him to fly out there and interview for the position. I knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime. Anyone willing to take on an inexperienced kid fresh from college and give him the kind of benefits and pay they were advertising was something no one could turn down.

I was beyond excited for him, and yet I dreaded his trip even more. What if he got the job? What if he moved away and I never saw him again. What if—

“Actually,” Zoey said, wincing. “We were kind of thinking of flying out to see my dad this weekend.”

I looked up at her, surprised. “You decided to visit him, then?” Damn, I really needed to stay up to date with my best friend. Since I’d started my secret affair with Oren, Zoey’s and my friendship had kind of fallen by the wayside.

She nodded and looked up at Quinn. He took her hand. “She wanted to see if she could learn a little bit of her heritage,” he explained.

“But what about Caroline?” Oren demanded, scowling. His hand tightened around my leg.

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be fine.” We hadn’t discussed how much I’d miss him while he was gone, or how nervous I was that he’d actually get the job. But he must’ve sensed something if he was acting this way.

That made me feel shitty. I didn’t want him to worry about me when he was being presented with the freaking opportunity of a lifetime.

“My entire family is here, and I have my job plus next semester to get ready for.” Okay, so I wouldn’t have to worry about my next semester of college during this one little weekend while he was away, but I was thinking about when he left permanently, after he got the job.

He eyed me for a moment, saying nothing, his gaze full of concern before he turned back to Zwinn and focused on Zoey. “You said your dad was staying in California this summer, right? How far away from Lake Tahoe is he?”

“You know...” She tipped her face thoughtfully to the side. “I d

on’t think it’s actually too far. A couple hours, maybe.”

Oren nodded and ran his top teeth across his bottom lip as he always did when he was hatching a crazy plan. “You booked a flight yet?” he asked.

Zoey shook her head and looked up at Quinn. “We just decided this evening to even go.”

“You should take Caroline with you,” he answered, glancing up me as his eyes lit with mischief. “She’s your best friend on earth. You’ll need her moral support during this difficult time.”

“Oh, but I—”

“And you should book a flight with the same airline I’m using, then see if you can get a room at the same hotel. Then after you see your dad and I have my interview, the four of us can party on the beach before we head back home the next morning.”