Page 185 of Soul Mates: Hercules Valentine and I

I shook my head adamantly. “We’re only working together.”

“Oh right,” she said as if remembering that gave her some reprieve. I was sure Mason told her all about my plan to work with VTI again. “But no nookie, right?”

“Not while he’s engaged.”

Lake winked at me. “That’s my girl.”

I gnawed nervously on my lower lip as she flopped down on my sofa. Her approval felt like a lot of pressure to keep myself from breaking girl code and falling naked in bed with Hercules. The struggle is real—especially whenever I’m in Hercules’s presence.

“But of course, Hercules would have Connie Abel on speed dial. His mother is one haughty individual.”

“I know,” I muttered, although I didn’t know much about Marigold Valentine outside of what I learned about her recently. But Lake’s social butterfly wings reach far and wide. So I believed her when she painted Hercules’s mother as a snooty person.

“By the way, since I had Connie on my hook, I finished reeling her in,” she said.

I sat down close to her and slumped on the cushions, making myself comfortable. “How so?”

Lake fell back against the sofa, smiling blissfully. “She agreed to plan the wedding. Everything… Every little godforsaken detail that comes with planning the damn thing is now in her hands.” She threw her arms up and boxed the air. “I’m free!”

I laughed at her. Thankfully, she felt the same relief that came with handing off wedding responsibilities to someone else. Hercules did well when he hooked us up with Connie Abel.Gosh I love the way he thinks.I could kiss him for making Lake—and consequently, me—happy.

But I can’t. Damn it.

In bed, I smile at the ceiling then yawn as I turn my head against my pillow. I can’t see it, but my cell phone is on my nightstand. I should call him.

But what would I say?I don’t want to make our communication too intimate.We are friends, though—right?

According to him, we’re great friends.But that kiss at the park, though. Let’s be real, Pais.Friends don’t tongue each other that way.

“No,” I whisper.

I can’t call him. I’ve seen him twice today already. But once was by accident. Does our accidental encounter count?

My cell phone rings, and I nearly fly like Superwoman to stretch and retrieve it off the nightstand. For some reason, I just know it’s him.

“Hello,” I answer without checking.

“Paisley?” he says.

I squeeze my eyes tightly, grinning like crazy as I snuggle with the phone against my ear in the dark. “Hi, Hercules.”

“How was the rest of your day?” His voice caresses me like a blanket made of satin.

“Fine. Lake came over. We hung out until she went to dinner with Mason. Oh. Mason even smiled at me and said goodbye before they left. That’s progress.”

His chuckle melts in my ear and sends giddy volts of energy through my lady parts.

“How was your day?” I ask.

He pauses. “Fine.” His tone was unconvincing. I don’t think he’s fine at all.

“Good,” I whisper anyway. I wonder if he had an interaction with his mother. He was clearly angry at her when we parted ways.

“Listen,” he says. “I want you to come by the pod tomorrow and brief the team. James and I can swing by and pick you up by nine. And if you’re worried about being seen entering the building, we’ll go in through the park.”

Trepidation swallows those good feelings I had seconds ago. I think of everyone who used to trust me. Am I ready to look them in the eyes? As a team, we were killing it, and I’m the one who sank our upward trajectory.

“Paisley?” Hercules’s tone is cautious.