Chapter 33
Jensen
A month later
“I think it looks perfect, Ems.”
I watch as Emma tilts her head side to side looking at her work on my wall. With the contractor finishing all our renovations, I decided to let Emma loose on my wall next.
She painted “Tinta 222” in an old-school tattoo font and took my sketch from the tapestry Stella got me when I moved here and repainted it behind the logo.
I had planned on simply hanging the tapestry here, but Beck insisted it go up in our room.
“Are you sure you like it? I feel like this one line—”
“Emma, it’s perfect!” I cut her off. “I get it—you think you see a crooked line or small imperfection but you’ve been looking at it for hours. You did this with the side room, remember? Take a few days and come back.”
Emma scrunches her nose as she looks over to the small designs she did for the piercing room.
We wanted it to stand out without it being overwhelming so she painted some stars and witchy elements that my sister sent over.
Beck, naturally, had to add cherries, the pool balls, and baseballs to the mix.
Emma was sure it was going to come out to be this chaotic mess of a pattern on the wall, but it turned out so fucking cool.
Her shoulders drop as she lets out a sigh. “You’re right, I know. Paint brushes down and step away.”
I snort a laugh. “Good girl.”
Emma whips one of her braids back behind her shoulder. “I am, aren’t I?”
“Just not as good as my girl,” Beck says, walking through the door with Dottie in tow. He’s at my side in an instant and planting a kiss to my lips.
Emma sticks her tongue out. “It was funny at first, but now I’m afraid this will turn gross.”
Beck looks her dead in the eye. “I was referring to Dottie, Emma. Geez, relax. Jensen’s not a good girl, she’s—”
“Ah, stop it,” Emma squeals and plugs her ears. “I knew you’d make it gross.”
Shaking my head, I lean back onto Beck’s chest and his arms come around my waist. “Anyway, you’re coming to our place tonight, right?
Reagan and Julie can’t make it, and Blake’s still out of town.
Mia has to work so I’ve got you paired up with my sister Stella as your partner for the pool tournament.
Emma throws her canvas bag over her shoulder. “Yeah, I’ll be there. Need me to bring anything? I think Tripp is picking me up, and we can get something on our way.”
“You’ll get something of his up,” Beck mumbles, to which I quickly send my elbow back to his stomach. “Dammit, Jennie.”
Emma’s face goes flat. “What’d he say?”
“Nothing,” I reassure her.
Emma’s quickly gotten over any comments that have to do with her and Tripp being anything but friends. She’s stood strong on her stance that they missed their opportunity to be more, so being friends is all she’s interested in now.
“You don’t have to bring anything—we’ve got it covered.”
“Alrighty, sounds good to me.” Emma walks over to her case of paints and supplies then wheels it to the door. “I’ll see you all tonight.” She raises her hand over her head with a wave.
“See you la-ter!” I squeal on the last syllable as Beck immediately spins my body around to face him before I could finish the sentence.
His hands go up and thread through my hair. “Hi, I missed you.”
I may roll my eyes, but this warmth fills my body. “You were only at practice for two hours, Stalker. How are you going to survive away games?”
“Horribly,” Beck states, then places a quick kiss to my lips. “I’m going to tell Reagan that her business partner has a high probability of being kidnapped, so don’t be alarmed if you go missing.”
I link my hands behind his neck, pulling him down slightly. “Zero concerns needed. I’m sure I’ll be right where I want to be.”
A smile tugs at the corner of Beck’s mouth until it lands on mine. He kisses me slowly but the passion behind it sends shockwaves through my body.
Beck lets out a low hum when my tongue slides against his. “Where did Reagan say she put cameras again?”
“There are some at the doors and in the back room. There’re a few up here, but we made sure my room is pretty much out of view for client privacy.”
Client privacy with a little perk, in my opinion at least.
Beck, however, lifts me up and brings my legs around my waist. “Dottie, stay here,” he commands before carrying me out of my room.
“Beck, what are you doing?” I laugh.
This sexy glint comes to his eyes. “Oh, we’re going to find a camera. I want to watch back how good I fuck you.”
A thrill sends sparks down my spine. I know Reagan hardly looks at the app to view the cameras, but I’ll be sure to send her girlfriend, Julie, a little warning just to be safe. I’ve gotten a few of those texts myself from her so I’m not worried—just turned on.
“I think I’d rather watch it back and see you come in your pants again.”
This wicked smile comes to Beck’s face. “There’s my lethal girl.”
“So the teams are: Will and Callie, Dex and Lucie, Stella and Emma, Tripp and Adam…and lastly, your future winners, me and Beck.”
A chorus of boos come from the group, naturally. I pull two pieces of paper from Beck’s hat with a shake of my head. “Alright, relax. First up is apparently a couples battle with Callie and Will versus Dex and Lucie.”
Dex tilts his head back. He was pretty much over this whole tournament idea before he even walked in the door, but there was no way Beck was letting him off the hook. “Alright, Luce, let’s get this over with so we can just hang out for the rest of the night.”
Lucie runs a hand over her already showing belly. “Sounds good to me, the babies are dying for one of those cinnamon rolls.”
I step to her. “I’ll go get you one, Princess Peach. Everyone else is free to eat too after this.”
Lucie’s hand catches mine before I walk off. “Ooo, can you get me some of the sausage balls too? I’ve got a baby girl demanding sweet and a baby boy demanding salty.”
My smile comes easily. “I’ll get you a variety.”
“Thank you.” She blows me a kiss as I walk away.
Rounding the island, I start loading up Lucie’s plate when Adam files in beside me. He stalls before picking up a plate to look at his phone and then laughs before his thumbs start tapping across his screen.
I cut an eyebrow up to him. “Did you just giggle at your phone?”
“What? I don’t giggle.” Adam jumps, like he completely forgot I was even next to him. But I was indeed next to him and I happened to see a three-letter name at the top of his screen.
“You’re texting Mia?”
The question is asked, and I swear this burly man blushes.
“We’re talking about the party.” He shakes his head, shoving his phone back in his pocket.
I hum softly. “I thought Mia only kept her business talks to emails. My mistake.”
Adam keeps his voice low. “Please keep this between us. We’re just texting, it’s no big deal.”
“Okay,” I say, then fold my lips in a thin line. Must say, not a match-up I necessarily saw, but seems like Adam isn’t quite sure of it either. “I saw nothing.”
“Thank you.” He nods, but as I walk away I notice he pulls his phone right back out.
Dropping off Lucie’s plate, Callie has already sunk half of their balls in. Granted, I’m not too sure Dex and Lucie are putting up too much of a fight. It was technically Lucie’s shot but the moment she saw me hand Dex her plate she just shot it randomly around the table.
She passes her cue stick off to Will. “Here, it’s your turn.”
With a laugh, I make my way around to the couch where Beck sits talking to Stella. “So, is this everything you hoped it would be?” I tease.
Beck pulls me into his lap and places a kiss to my temple. “It’s so much more.”
“I’m assuming that my idea of you and I living together is now officially off the table, correct?” Stella asks with a snarky smile.
I don’t even get my mouth open to respond before Beck’s hold on me tightens. “That’s correct. I’ve tricked her, she’s here to stay.”
“Dios mío, estás loco,” I say, and Beck doesn’t miss a beat.
“Loco por ti.” Crazy for you.
“My god,” Stella cries. “It’s too sweet. My tarot reading a few months ago was so freaking right.”
Beck’s hold tightens again. “Now that Jensen is officially stuck with me—I’m going to have to know about the tarot cards.”
I tilt my head back with a slight groan. “Here we go.”
Stella scoffs. “Well, if she had asked months ago, she would have known my reading pulled the Tower card, which obviously supported her decision to move here and break away from her old life.”
“Ay, move on from that one.” I give her a little shove. “You should have pulled the Death card for all that stuff.”
Stella’s eyes roll. “That’s not how it works and you know that.”
Beck playfully puts his hand over my mouth, to which I, 100 percent, bite him for. “Ah, dammit, I don’t know how it works. Hush, I’m learning.”
Stella sticks her tongue out at me. “See, your boyfriend cares.”
Leaning my head on Beck’s shoulder, he places a quick kiss on my forehead. Yeah, my boyfriend does care.
I let Stella finish her spiel on how she also pulled the Wheel of Fortune card, which she contributes to how everything has been playing out with me running my own shop.
And lastly, the Lovers card, which, out of all the cards that have to do with relationships, I have to admit I can’t deny she got the one for soulmates perfectly right.
By the time Stella’s wrapped up the gist of her reading, Lucie makes her way into the living room, plate nearly empty. “We’re out.”
Beck laughs. “That’s got to go down as one of the fastest losses I’ve seen.”
Dex rounds the couch next. “I want to hang out with my wife and friends. Why must it always involve a game night?”
Callie leans over the couch with another boo. “Don’t be a sad loser, or I’ll tell Miles on you.”
Lucie tries to stifle her laugh with a sausage ball, but the look Dex gives her says he’s not amused for a total of five seconds before he breaks into a chuckle himself. “Alright, fair. Who’s up next against these two assholes now? I need someone to bring them down a peg.”
I look around to where Beck’s hat sits on the counter in front of Tripp and Emma. “Hey, Ems, will you pull a paper out of the hat?”
Tripp takes the hat and holds it out for Emma to pull from. She gets a bit of a smile as she unfolds it. “Beck and Jensen’s turn.”
Beck stands up taking me with him. “Come on, baby, let’s show ’em how it’s done.”
Callie chuckles. “Hey, it’s the first night you met all over again.”
When Beck lets me go once we reach the table, I look up to him with a smile. “Rack ’em up, honey.”