Page 60 of Worth the Heat
“Do you like the exterior,mi Cielo?” Leaning in, I whisper in her ear. “I can be a bad boy too, if that’s what you’d like.”
Before she can respond, a woman I’ve never seen before tentatively walks up to us. “Hi, Isabella, I wanted to thank you for allowing me to crash your book club this month. I heard you say you might need a ride. I’m heading out of town to my boyfriend’s, so I can take you.”
The hair stands on the back of my neck. I know this woman, but I can’t remember how. A few inches shorter than Isabella, she has curly blond hair that ends at her shoulders, and hazel eyes that keep darting to me. Her posture is stiff and jerky, like she’s ready to make a run for it if needed. Extending my hand, I say, “Hi, I’m Sebastian, Isabella’s man. I’ll be driving her home. What did you say your name is?”
“Oh, um,” she stammers, before hesitantly placing her hand in mine, “I’m Jenna.”
Her name is not Jenna, that I know. I dated a Jenna in high school, and I’d definitely remember her name. How do I know this woman?
“Thanks for coming, Jenna,” Isabella says warmly. “As you can tell, we get a little rowdy for the Triple C Club.”
“Triple C?” I ask, trying to think of what CCC might mean. I groan as I realize it. “The Cocks and Cookies Club.”
“How’d you figure that out so quickly?” Isabella asks.
I tap her temple. “Because I know how your mind works.”
“None of my brothers have guessed it,” she muses, making me snort.
“I bet they know, and they’ve chosen not to bring it up. I’ve got sisters, and I’d never utter the word ‘cock’ in front of them.”
A few ladies call out their goodbyes from the doorway, and Jenna hastily makes her exit. Pulling out my phone, I text Trace a description of her, then ask that he see if he can catch her at the outskirts of town. If she truly does live outside of Eternity Springs, I want to know where, and I want to know how she found out about this underground cock cookie club.
“What do you need help with?” I ask Isabella as she begins collecting empty plates.
“I don’t leave anything down here. I’m scared even a crumb will attract rodents.” She shivers. “I don’t do mice.”
“Good to know. Is there a way upstairs without going through that alley from here?”
“Yeah, but it’s more like a pulley system. It’s not a full staircase. It’s big enough for me to get through, though, because one time a snow squall came through, and I needed to get a big bag of flour. I refused to go outside.”
“And the exterior door has a good locking system?” I ask.
“A lock and a deadbolt. Should I add more?” Isabella inquires.
I try to keep my expression and voice calm. “I’m beingoverprotective. I have to have guarantees you’re safe, sweetheart. Now that I finally have you, I have to make sure.”
“Okay, weirdo,” she mutters. “I think my dungeon is safe from criminals. If they feel the need to steal a fifty-pound bag of sugar, they can have at it.”
That’s not what I’m concerned about.
ISABELLA
Sebastian is oddly quiet on the drive back to his house. I’ve begun referring to it as a compound, because the entrance to the Clubhouse is the same as his driveway, and there are always cars coming and going.
“Are you okay?” I ask quietly.
He looks over at me. “Yeah. I’m thinking about what you make for your book club. Does it get boring making cookies shaped like dicks over and over again?”
I giggle. “We don’t make them all the time. We make other equally raunchy items, but most are dicks.”
“What could you make …” he mumbles, trailing off as he taps a finger to his chin. “What did you make today?”
“Cockers.”
His mouth drops open. “Clearly not the dog breed. A cocker? Alright. Has to be a play on words. Cock plus something that ends in -er. Holy hell, Isabella. Did you make cock-shaped lollipops?”
I nod enthusiastically. “Yup. Cock plus sucker equals cockers.”
