by Piper Rayne
Now it’s Reed waiting for my answer to another brilliant plan that left me dead weight on his kitchen floor.
I watch his hands maneuver the fork and knife like the well-groomed man he was trained to be as a boy. Moments later a fork with chicken on it rests before my lips. “Eat.”
Not about to fight him on this, I open my mouth and take the piece of chicken from the fork, letting him feed me like a child.
“I’m really okay. Let’s eat at the table.”
“You’re not getting off that couch until this entire plate is gone.” He raises his eyebrows daring me to challenge him.
And have a little just-ate belly when I get naked? No thanks. My stomach growls in protest.
I take a few more mouthfuls and say, “Only a few more. Really I’m good.”
“No, I need you to have energy.” He holds a fork full of salad in front of my lips.
Before I can open and accept his offering a drop of salad dressing drips on my blouse. The new expensive blouse I just bought from a boutique I can’t really afford.
“Uh,” the sound escapes me.
“Sorry.” He looks it over. “Let me get something to clean that.”
He stands from the coffee table and I follow him into the kitchen where he has a dishrag ready with the tip wet. I hold my hands out for him to give it to me at the same time his finger moves toward the stain.
Ignoring me, his finger gently touches my shirt, but in order to clean the stain, he needs something to press against. Unless I want his hand under my shirt, which I do, but not necessarily to work out a stain, I need to take the dishtowel from him.
He allows me, and I dab the stain even though I know that the salad dressing will have oil in it and more than likely I’ll never wear this blouse again.
“I’m sorry.” He bites his lower lip and the sight has heat building between my legs.
“It’s okay.” I put the dishtowel on the kitchen counter, giving up hope.
“Can we start over?” he asks, his arms sliding down on either side of my hips.
“Please.” I stare up at him, loving the transformation from timid, unsure eyes to his lust-filled gaze.
“I’ve been wanting you alone for so long, I’m nervous.” His body inches forward and I draw in a breath.
“Are we being honest?” I ask.
“Yes. Nothing you tell me will change the way I feel.”
“I went on the detox cleanse because I’m scared of you seeing me naked,” I say the words fast and in succession as if somehow, they won’t be as embarrassing that way.
Confusion transforms his features and then a tentative smile reaches his lips. “You’re gorgeous, why would you worry about that?” He moves another inch closer and I close my eyes to find my equilibrium.
“Have you ever been with a woman who had a baby?” My head tilts and his smirk grows wider.
“I haven’t.”
I nod. “See, the body does all these things to prepare a woman for motherhood and they’re not sexy, Reed. Not by a long shot.”
He grabs my hips, hoisting me up onto the counter. “You’re sexy as hell, Vic, and I want to show you exactly how sexy you are to me.” His hands run along my inner thighs, parting them for him.
I lick my lips in anticipation.
His fingers unbutton the top button of my blouse. “We should probably get this dry cleaned.” He undoes another button and the back of his knuckles brush against my skin, making me draw in a ragged breath. More buttons come undone and he leans forward pressing his soft lips to my chest while his hands finish their handy work and he pulls the blouse open for his viewing pleasure.
“Reed,” I sigh, sliding my hand across my stomach—the part of me I’m most insecure about.
The stretch marks Jade left me are now thin and white. Not horribly noticeable but evidence that my body once held a child and that I’m not an unmarred twenty-year-old.
“Please, Victoria, you’re beautiful and I want to cherish you.” His lips cast kisses along the swell of one breast slowly moving to my other. Just as my eyes are closing and my mind empties of all the doubts about me being enough for him, his hands slide me forward and I’m wrapped around him like a koala bear. “I’ll feed you the rest after.”
He carries me down the hall and I can’t help but sprinkle kisses along his defined jawline and suck his earlobe into my mouth. The bulge in his pants teases me as he stops in the middle of the hallway and presses my back to the wall, his lips claiming mine.
Our kiss is ravenous and urgent, our mouths colliding, fighting for dominance. All the worries that consumed my mind the entire week, disappear with his demanding kiss. I’m not thinking about the stretch marks. I’m not thinking about my wider hips or my breasts that aren’t as perky as they were pre-pregnancy. I just want more. More of Reed Warner.
“Never diet again,” he says through noisy kisses. “Especially for me.”
I say nothing, taking his cheeks in my hands and bringing his face to mine so our lips can crash together again.
Stepping back from the wall, he continues down the hall. When he steps us into his bedroom, it’s obvious a bachelor lives here with its dark wood and grey linens. There’s another set of windows that look out over the Chicago skyline.
For the first time in a long time, hope blooms inside me and I wonder if happily ever afters really can come true.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Reed didn’t toss me on the bed as his hungry eyes suggested he might but laid me gently down as he stared at me while stripping off his t-shirt.
His love arrow might as well have blinked in neon, pointing me to what was mine to explore tonight. His muscles weren’t bulging out, but they were defined and flexed with every movement he made.
I sat up on the edge of the bed before he had a chance to cover me with his body. My body yearned to feel us skin to skin. To roll around in his high-thread-count sheets, exploring and teasing one another.
My fingers tremble as I take the button of his jeans in hand. I watch him watch me with smoldering eyes as I free the button. He sucks in a small breath through his already taut smile as I lower the zipper, and a low groan rumbles out of his mouth. I kiss the skin right above the waistband of his boxers as I slide his jeans down to a puddle on the floor.
His turgid erection presses against my chin, making me eager to taste him. I slide my hand up his thigh, over the top of his boxers, taking his length in my palm and pressing against his hardness.
“You’re playing with fire,” he says and when I rest my chin on his stomach, staring up at him with hooded eyes, he takes my face in his hands. “I’m going to explode if you continue.”
At a painfully slow pace, his hands slide down my shoulders, grabbing my own hands and pulling me up to my feet. “I need to see you.”
All those fears rush forward again, and Reed must notice because he takes my spot on the bed, bringing me close, kissing the exact area where Jade left her mark. Circling my belly button with his tongue, his hands graze over my shoulders until my blouse cascades behind us onto the floor. Not stopping, his lips, his hands continue their mission, unclasping my bra.
His eyes are closed and he’s yet to see me while he blindly strips the bra from my body. The delicate lace joins the pile of our clothes on the floor. A thrill rushes through my veins when his thumbs brush across my nipples only to continue on their path of exploration, resting at the top of my jeans. Flicking the button open with ease, he smirks, his confidence shining through.
I run my hands along his scalp, his hair soft and soothing to my frenzied nerves. The sound of the zipper going down echoes through the room and the fact we’re seconds away from each being in our underwear is both exhilarating and frightening.
It reminds me of being strapped into a roller coaster as it leaves the starting gate. This ride is moving and the pit of my stomach is anticipating climbing that first hill.
Hooking his thumbs in the belt loops on either side, he drags the
jeans down my legs and I step out of them. His hands mold to my hips, his thumbs sneaking under the sides of my silk panties and he urges me to take step out of my jeans.
He opens his eyes and his appreciative gaze moves over my body, stirring another wave of passion for this man. When his gaze finally meets mine, I see the burning in his eyes is a carnal, hedonistic need. Just like in the hallway, all my fear crumbles and he pulls me forward, his hands sliding to my ass.
He sits on the edge of the bed and I lower my weight, straddling him on the bed, my nipples hardening from rubbing against his bare chest.
His hand brushes the strands of my hair from my forehead. “You’re beautiful and every time you doubt that, remember how rock hard I am in this moment.” He captures my hand in his, guiding it down to the bulge in his boxers. “This is the truth stick.”
I smile and shake my head at his absurd thinking.
“What?”
He rolls me over and hovers above me the humor fading, and he grinds into me. “If you weren’t beautiful and sexy and tempting I wouldn’t be so rock hard.”
“You’re a man. A strong breeze can make you hard.”
“I’m not a thirteen-year-old boy, Victoria.” He circles into my center once again and I suck in a breath. “This is all because of you.”
“So, what you’re saying is that you have a peter meter?” I giggle through a gasp as he rocks into me again and hits me in a particularly sensitive spot.
“Call it whatever you want. Just know that it wants you to the point of desperation.”
I don’t want our sex life to be him having to convince me of my sexual attractiveness. I want to ride him like I own him. I want to say dirty things and not care about being judged.
“Condom?” I ask him.
He leans across the bed and my pussy clenches, missing the feel of him immediately. I move to shimmy my panties off.
“That’s my job.” He grabs my wrist to still my movements.
I hold my hands up in the air. He returns a second later, pulling down his boxers and his dick springs out. I lick my lips in a subconscious reaction.
Taking in his hard length, I become even wetter. He uses his fingers to roll the latex down his length, and saliva pools in my mouth with the urge to wrap my lips around him.
As soon as he has the condom on, he finishes sliding my panties down my legs and flings them over his shoulder.
Falling on top of me, his lips take mine and he slowly enters me as we enjoy a languid kiss. Once he’s fully seated inside of me, I raise my hips to meet him.
It’s not awkward like I assumed it would be. I thought we’d fumble to find the same groove. But I should have known things were different with Reed. That we’d connect in the bedroom the same way we do outside of it.
Somewhere between the moans and groans, the exploring hands, and found erogenous zones, Reed Warner showed me what it’s like to be a woman. To feel beautiful, wanted, sexy and treasured while in his arms as he moved in and out of me.
He takes his time, a slow dance until my body heats to levels that demand more. Knowing me well, his thrusts turn more eager, more demanding and soon our soft moans are replaced with grunts, groans, and dirty words. His gliding hands turned gripping and strong. Both our muscles tense and contract, desperate for a release.
My toes curl against the bed sheets, my insides contracting as I kiss his shoulders. Reed takes me to the edge and my teeth emerge like a vampire desperate for blood. Each cry from my lungs is louder than the one before until I clamp onto his shoulder and my body trembles with release.
His own pleasure-filled groans intensify before he stills inside me and comes with a sound I know I’ll never tire of hearing. Spent, he collapses on top of me after finding his own nirvana.
Our bodies are covered in a slick sheen of sweat, and I’m sure my hair must be a tangled mess. Reed grabs the top of the comforter, urging me to slide under, which I do. Once I’m tucked in, he kisses me briefly on the lips. “Now I feed you.”
He disappears from the room and I take the moment alone to flail my legs and arms on the cushy mattress. He’s just as great in bed as he is out of it. That hope for a happily ever after that was planted when we walked into the bedroom, now sprouts.
Reed returns to the bedroom empty-handed and goes to his drawers, pulling out a pair of track pants to cover his lower half. He grabs a t-shirt out of another drawer and walks over to the bed, passing it to me.
“Come.” He holds his hand out for me to take while I slip the shirt over my head.
Leading me down the hallway, I catch a glimpse of another bedroom and a bathroom as we pass by them. We reach the kitchen and he pats the counter. I climb up with his help and notice a plate waiting there for me. He grabs another plate and slides up to join me on the counter. We both waste no time digging in.
“You feeling okay?” he asks a second later, hopping down and moving to the fridge.
“Yeah.” I eat a few of the roasted potatoes. “I thought you said you couldn’t cook?”
“Turns out I can follow a recipe.” He shrugs, pulling out a bottle of wine and stepping to a cabinet to pull out two wine glasses.
His mannerisms are effortless as he opens the wine bottle and holds it just right, so the wine doesn’t splatter out of the glass. Handing me mine, he slides back up on the counter.
“It’s delicious.” I sip the wine and place the glass beside me.
“Not exactly how I expected tonight to go, but I have no complaints.” He leans over to kiss my cheek then gets to work eating his own meal.
“I’m sorry I ruined it.”
“I’m the one who spilled salad dressing on your blouse, which I’ll replace, by the way.” His eyes glance at my legs as I cross them.
“No, you won’t. If I didn’t do that detox cleanse I wouldn’t have passed out which means you wouldn’t have been feeding me in the first place.”
He leans forward and presses his lips to mine. “I’m having a great time.”
“Me, too.”
“I know you’re scared, Victoria. I know taking a chance and putting your trust in someone isn’t easy for you.”
My eyes want to fill with tears. How right he is.
“You’re the best chance I’ve taken in a long time.” I mean it. Reed has given me no reason to doubt his intentions or the type of man he is. My head falls to his shoulder. His strong shoulder that I know would try to carry the weight of my messy life. “You scare me,” I admit with a whisper.
“You scare me, too. Believe me.” He almost sounds defeated, but then he pulls away, setting his plate to the side and takes my head in his hands. His lips meet mine again—confident and sure. “For you, I’ll try,” he whispers. “I can’t sit here and promise this will end in a castle with fireworks bursting in the sky. We could both end up hurt, but I know you’re worth it. You’re worth the heartache that’s possible. All I’m asking is that you try with me.”
“Sounds so easy.”
“I’ll start. I’ve never had a long-term relationship. Never really found anyone I wanted to try it out with. I tend to work a lot. Some cases are so consuming I forget to have a life. For you, I want to try to change that.”
“My turn now, huh?” He nods. “My experience with Pete stole my belief in marriage. He buried the little girl who thought fairy tales came true. You’ve somehow managed to get her to poke her head above ground, but I don’t see it as an easy feat. For you, I want to try.”
He smiles at me using the same phrase as him.
“I guess I’m asking you for patience. There’s a big case coming to a head this week and it’s a make or break for my career. I’ve never been with a woman during a time where my focus needs to be solely on work. For you, I want to try.” He picks up his wine glass.
I pull my legs up to my chest and pull his shirt over my legs. “I promised myself after Pete that I would never put someone above myself again. My schooling and Jade come first. A man wasn’t part of th
at plan, but for you, I want to try.”
His finger tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I’ve never wanted to win something more than I do your heart.”
“I’ve never wanted a man to hold on to it as much as I want you to.”
“So, it’s done. The terms are laid out. We’re both agreeing to try?”
“Do you ever stop being a lawyer?” I chuckle.
He leans in to place a chaste kiss on my lips. “No.” He slides down from the counter, opens the fridge and grabs a container. “Dessert and a movie?” he asks.
“Definitely.”
His arm circles my waist and he assists me in finding my footing on the floor. Then his strong hand is in mine as we round the counter and sit on his couch. He places a blanket over us and his big screen comes to life with the click of a remote.
“Reserve your energy because I’m not even close to being done with you yet.” He kisses my forehead, hands me a fork and we Netflix and Chill for the rest of the night.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Somehow, Reed swindled me into a four-way date on Saturday. As he dropped me off at home at six in the morning, he used his charm to convince me to go to the zoo with him and Henry, and to bring Jade along of course.
Now, as they run ahead of us to see the dolphins, Reed’s fingers search for mine, brushing against them before pulling away again.
“This is torture,” he says.
I laugh, laying my head on his shoulder, keeping my eye on Jade and Henry. If she looks up, I can straighten fast.
“I need a whole night. How else can I show off my breakfast skills?” His fingers continue playing with mine and my stomach flutters with every touch of his hand.
“Well… Pete is coming in next week and he’ll be taking Jade for the weekend.”
“Pete’s coming?” he asks, and instead of being happy I can sleep over at his house for two nights, instead of one, his voice is clipped.