Page 60 of Ace My Heart

I took a deep breath, and really looked at him. I expected to feel the fire of rising rage. I expected my hands to itch to claw their way into him and tear him to shreds.

But I felt … nothing.

“You know what, Pete? I just can’t be bothered. You’re not worth my anger.” I turned and walked away.

“Mel!” he called out. I almost didn’t stop, but something in his tone made me turn to look back at him.

“I’m really sorry about Steve.”

I nodded jerkily, heading back towards the villa.

“Hey, Stink!” Joel was in the kitchenette as I walked in, expertly flipping some beef and noodles in a wok. The smell of the stir fry made my mouth water.

“I’m starving!” I sauntered over and reached into the wok to snag a piece of beef, popping it into my mouth and tucking one leg under me as I sat.

“Sit straight, Mel.” Joel chastised. I pulled my leg out from under me.

“You’re looking significantly less tense since your bath,” he said, sliding a cheeky sidelong look in my direction.

I flipped him the bird.

“Is that the magic finger you used earlier, when you were moaning in the bath like a porn star?” He gasped. “Finger-bang Bathtub!”

I rolled my eyes. “Title of my sex tape?” I asked. His lips curled upwards.

“It would be better than the first one; the soundtrack alone was enough to get me harder than steel.”

“Oh, yeah? So what’s your sex tape called then, Mr ‘I fucked my fist listening to a chick coming on her fingers next door’?”

He turned the full force of those baby-blues on me. “Mel, you need to stop talking dirty to me, or I’m going to have to stop cooking your dinner and …”

“And what?” I asked, my voice suddenly throaty.

“And order you straight back into that bathtub for an encore.”

I shook my head, surreptitiously squeezing my thighs together. “You’re a sick man, Joel Herbert!”

He winked, a lopsided grin on his face. “Thanks!” It was like I was paying him the greatest compliment ever.

“Now, can we please never speak of it again?”

Joel saluted me. “It’s our dirty little secret.”

I rolled my eyes and changed the subject. “I just ran into Pete Levine out in the garden.”

Joel looked sharply at me. “Do I need to help you hide the body?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Not at all. It was so strange – I’ve been working myself up for when I’d have to confront him, but I stopped for a second and I thought, ‘I just don’t care enough about you to be angry at you’.”

Joel watched me, an odd look in his eyes. “And you’re okay?”

I nodded, confused. “Yeah, I’m fine, why?”

Joel shrugged and turned back to the wok. “No reason. Just checking.”

We ate out on the little patio outside the villa, where there was a small table and chairs. The night was balmy. I really enjoyed the weather in California at this time of year.

“One day I might move to America,” I said vaguely to Joel as I popped the last piece of beef into my mouth. The dinner he’d made was nothing short of awesome – I’d never give him the satisfaction of telling him, but he was an amazing cook.

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