Cynthia laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m just so excited. You’re going to love it here, Mia.”
She smiled and nodded, sure Cynthia would have been right if it hadn’t been for the man standing behind her. The man she reached back for now. The man who easily wrapped her hand in his like he’d done it a million times, threaded their fingers and gave her a squeeze of reassurance. If it weren’t for Rafe, Mia might have been able to be very happy here. And maybe, in time, she still would be.
“Well, it just so happens this is the perfect place to end our tour,” Cynthia said, wandering toward one of the most boisterous tables on the patio. There were four men sitting in chairs and four women either in chairs or on the men’s laps. One of the men and a couple of the women looked familiar, but the only one she could pin down was the golden-haired beauty closest to Mia. A woman who was either Giselle Diamond, the newest breakout country music mogul, or her twin. Cynthia put her hand on one of the men’s shoulders and grinned at Mia. “I call this the Los Angeles-is-for-beautiful-people table.”
While Mia agreed wholeheartedly, the group at the table erupted in guffaws and snark. Various items were thrown in Cynthia’s direction, making her squeal, and laughter erupted from everyone in a thirty-foot radius.
Rafe slipped his arms around Mia’s waist from behind, and his laugh vibrated into her back.
“This is our stunt team, the Renegades,” Cynthia said, still laughing. “They’re based here in LA, and they helped us finish up our episode today. Jax, Wes, Keaton, and Troy. And these are their beautiful ladies, Lexi, Rubi, Brooke, and Ellie. Renegades, this is Mia, a new addition to our costume team, and her boy Rafe.”
“Oh my God.” This came from the stunning—as in gorgeous beyond words—woman draped over Wes’s Lap. Fighting through the catalogue of names, Mia decided that would make the woman Rubi. “You’re in the costume department? Don’t you dare tell me you made that.” One long, red-tipped finger moved up and down Mia’s body. “But you’d better tell me where you bought it, because I have got to have it.” Without taking her eyes off Mia, she tipped her head and spoke to Wes. “Don’t you think that would look good on me, baby?”
Wes’s grin was pure kid-in-a-candy-store joy. “You look good in anything, and you look good in nothing. I will take you any way you come and any way I can get you.”
Rubi’s own smile beamed, and her attention veered from Mia’s outfit back to her boyfriend. “I sort of ask those things just to hear you say that.”
“I sort of already know that,” he said, “and I sort of never get sick of saying it.”
“Get a roooooooo—” Troy’s bitch was cut off by his girlfriend’s mouth as she kissed him, making the group laugh.
Then Rubi’s gaze returned to Mia, sharp and intent. “I’m totally serious. I’ll pay you a thousand dollars to make me what you’re wearing.” Mia didn’t even get a chance to inhale before Rubi said, “Okay, two thousand.”
“Um, I—” Mia started.
“Damn, you drive one hell of a hard bargain, girl. But if you’re workin’ for Aaron, I know you’re worth it. Five thousand, not a penny more.”
Lexi, the stunning blonde woman sitting on Jax’s lap, leaned over and wrapped her hand over Rubi’s mouth from behind. “Shut up, already. You’re outbidding yourself.”
Rubi slapped Lexi’s hand away, and Mia was laughing so hard, she leaned back against Rafe for support.
“We’re meeting you on our way out,” Jax said. “Our job on the episode just finished up.”
“You’ll be back,” Cynthia said.
“True.”
“What do you do, Rafe?” Wes asked.
“I play hockey.”
Mia fought the urge to say more, to pass the spotlight back over to Rafe as the NHL star. But there was so much more to him that got overlooked, so she stayed quiet.
“Professional hockey?” Jax asked. When Rafe nodded, Jax asked, “What team?”
“Rough Riders. We’re out of—”
“DC,” Rubi finished, then told Jax. “They’re here playing the Ducks for the Cup.”
For the first time, Keaton, spoke. “How do you know that?”
Rubi shot Keaton a superior grin, but didn’t have to say anything. The woman on his lap, Brooke, offered a teasing “Because Rubi knows everything. You should know that by now.”
“Plus it’s all over the news,” Rubi added with a smirk. “If you got your head out of your girl’s panties once in a while you’d know what’s going on in the world.”
That brought more laughter and another wave of snark between the Renegades. This group was obviously tight enough to finish each other’s thoughts. The way Mia had once been with Rafe and Tate and the rest of the team and their families. She would be losing all that when she moved here.
Mia glanced around at the others who worked on the Wicked Dawn set. They would be her new family. They were nice enough. And California was certainly as beautiful as everyone said. Yet she still couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for the move or the job or this new phase of her life. Not after experiencing this connection with Rafe.