Forever and Ever (Complete #1-7)

by E. L. Todd

  “But how did they know it was you?”

  He shrugged. “I told them. I couldn’t live with the guilt.”

  I smiled at his words.

  “But my mom was pissed. It was the first time she ever slapped me.”

  “With her palm or the back of her hand?”

  He gave me a knowing look. “I think you know the answer, Trinity.”

  I laughed again. “But it was an accident. You didn’t know any better.”

  “But she made sure I didn’t make another stupid mistake. And that’s what moms are supposed to do.” He smiled, showing his perfectly straight teeth.

  “It seems like she did a good job.” I flashed him a smile.

  “Thank you. I’m a bit of a mama’s boy so that’s a compliment.”

  “You openly admit you’re a mama’s boy?” I asked with a laugh.

  “My sister hates me for it. I’m close with my dad too but no one ever says I’m a daddy’s boy…which would sound really weird.” He made a disturbed face.

  “Good point. I’m a daddy’s girl.”

  “See, that actually sounds cute. I can’t pull that off,” he said with a laugh. He eyed my empty drink. “Can I get you another?”

  I already had three. “I really shouldn’t.”

  “How about water then?”

  I was glad he didn’t pressure me. Most guys would. “Sure.”

  He waved down the waiter and put in the order.

  Skye texted me. Can I leave now? I’m sure he’ll take you home. And he seems like a nice guy.

  I bit my lip while I tried to make a decision.

  Reid spotted my phone. “Is your friend still waiting for you?”

  He seemed to read me pretty well.

  “I don’t mind taking you home,” he offered.

  “Actually, I live in Cambridge so it’s a bit of a drive.”

  “I really don’t mind,” he insisted. “And not because I expect to come inside.”

  That last bit of information made me like him a lot more. “Okay.” I texted her. He’ll give me a ride.

  Hope you score, girl.

  I smirked then put my phone down.

  “So, what’s in Cambridge?” he asked.

  “I go to school there.”

  He nodded. “I thought you were a bit younger than me. Do you mind if I ask where you attend?”

  I hated admitting this to people. They usually teased me or made a comment. “Harvard.”

  His eyes brightened slightly. “Smart girl. But I picked up on that already.”

  I felt my cheeks blush.

  “How far along are you?”

  “This is my last year.”

  He smirked. “That’s a relief for me.”

  “How old are you?”

  Reid cringed. “Honestly, I don’t want to say because I know it will end our night.”

  Damn, he’s thirty. “Well, you’re going to have to tell me eventually.”

  “Twenty-seven,” he answered.

  “Oh, that’s not that old,” I said. “I thought you were going to say you were thirty-five or something.”

  He laughed. “I look thirty-five?”

  “Well, no. Honestly, it’s almost impossible to guess someone’s age by looking at them.”

  “That’s true. So, am I too old for you? I do have five more years of life experience than you.”

  “Age is nothing but a number, right?” Even though my dad wouldn’t agree.

  “So it doesn’t bother you?”

  “No. It seems like men my age are too immature anyway.”

  He nodded. “I remember my years in college—and yes—I was very immature at the time.”

  I smiled. “At least you’re honest about it.”

  “Always. That’s my policy.”

  “Which is rare these days,” I said.

  He gave me a knowing look. “I can tell you’ve been burned a lot. You have a very pessimistic view of dating and men in general.”

  “Did I make that obvious?” I said with a grin.

  “Do you have a good relationship with your father?”

  “He’s my best friend,” I blurted.

  “Oh.” A smile spread across his face. “Then I guess you haven’t found anyone that’s gained his approval?”

  “I haven’t found anyone to even introduce to him.”

  “I see.” He nodded. “Well, that’s probably a good thing for him. No need to give him several heart attacks.”

  “Yeah…”

  He fell silent for a while. “You’re a gorgeous girl so I know you get hit on left and right. You’ve probably heard every line in the book. But I’m not telling you one now.”

  My heart fluttered in my chest.

  “I don’t feel a connection like this with women very often. Obviously, I was initially attracted to you for your appearance, but I’ve liked everything underneath a lot more. I would really love it if I could take you out—on a real date.”

  This guy was a smooth talker, but he was so real at the same time. I loved talking to him and getting to know him. The conversation was natural and unforced. “That would be nice.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “That is the response I was hoping for.”

  Reid was the first guy I met in a bar that had any depth to him. Every other guy was trash and had only one thing on their agenda. It was nice to meet a different type of person for once.

  “Tell me something more about you,” he said.

  “Why don’t you just ask what you want to know?”

  “Then it feels like an interrogation. Tell me what you’re willing to share.”

  I thought for a moment. “My cousin is my best friend.”

  “Skye?”

  I nodded.

  “You look nothing alike.”

  I shrugged. “I look like my mother and so does she.”

  “Then your fathers are brothers?”

  “Yeah.”

  He nodded.

  “My dad and his brother own Pixel Software.”

  His eyes seemed to widen in understanding. “You’re a Preston.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yeah.”

  “From a business stand point, I admire your father and his brother. They’ve built an immaculate and incredible business. Is it your dream to fall in your father’s footsteps?”

  “Actually, I want to go into fashion.”

  “You’d be a great model,” he said immediately.

  I tried not to laugh. “I want to be a designer, actually. It’s my passion. And when I told my father about it, he was supportive.”

  “Very cool. Life is too short not to do what you want.”

  “Was banking your dream?” I asked.

  “No,” he said honestly. “But I didn’t have a dream—as odd as that sounds.”

  “Everyone has something they love to do.”

  “Well, I love to do a lot of things.” He sipped his beer then returned it to the table. “But there’s nothing I’m so moved by that I want to devote my life to it. But I have time. Perhaps something will come up one day.”

  “Yeah…”

  “So, tell me something else. And I want to know about you, not your family.”

  It didn’t seem like he cared about my wealth. “I love to take baths.”

  He smirked. “I do too—but don’t tell anyone I said that.”

  I laughed. “I’ll keep your secret.”

  “I have to admit, I’m surprised a lovely girl like you doesn’t already have a boyfriend.”

  I immediately thought of Slade—who wasn’t my boyfriend. He was just a guy that used me for the good stuff. And he was a friend. “Well, I don’t. I’m surprised you don’t have a girlfriend—or a wife.”

  He chuckled. “I ended a long-term relationship with my girlfriend about a year ago. I haven’t done much dating since then. Only recently have I started to get out and move on.”

  “Why did it take you so long?” I asked.

  He thought for a m
oment. “I wanted to make sure I was over her before I started dating. It’s not exactly fair to date someone while you’re in love with someone else, right?”

  “Yeah.” I thought of Slade again.

  “I’m glad we share the same philosophy.” He finished his beer then looked at the time. “It’s almost midnight so I should probably get you home. I’m sure you have school work or something else to do.”

  I didn’t want our night to end but it was getting late. “Okay.”

  He paid for the drinks and then we walked outside. The valet pulled up in a charcoal gray Range Rover.

  “There you are, sir.” He handed the keys to Reid.

  “Thank you.” He tipped the driver then opened the passenger door for me.

  He was such a gentleman. It was almost too good to be true.

  Reid got behind the wheel then pulled onto the road. “Enter your address into the GPS and we’ll be on our way.”

  I typed it in then leaned back.

  Reid put on light jazz music while he headed away from the coast. “I hope this is okay.”

  “It’s lovely.”

  We spent the drive home in companionable silence. It was odd that I just met Reid but I was already comfortable with him. Events like that hardly ever happened.

  Reid pulled into my driveway. “Nice place.”

  “Thanks.”

  He got out then walked me to the door.

  When we arrived, I didn’t want to say goodbye. I wanted to invite him inside, and not just for sex, but to get to know him better.

  “I hope I didn’t leave any bruises on you,” he whispered.

  I eyed my arm. “No. I’m in perfect condition.”

  “I’m glad I returned you that way.” He smirked slightly then dropped it. “So, are you doing anything on Wednesday?”

  “Hopefully something with you,” I blurted.

  He smiled. “I was thinking the same thing. How about dinner?”

  “I would love to.”

  “I’ll be here at seven. Is that okay?”

  I nodded.

  “Great. I look forward to it.” He didn’t lean in and kiss me. In fact, he didn’t touch me at all. He stepped back and headed to his car.

  “Reid?” What was I doing?

  “Yes, lovely?” He turned around and looked at me.

  “I want a kiss good night.” I never said anything like that before. Normally, if I wanted something, I just took it. But for some reason, I was vocal with him. I preferred to speak rather than act.

  He slowly walked back toward me. “I can do that.” He stepped closer to me until his arms were around my waist. Then he pressed his head to mine and stared at my lips. He was taking his time, drawing out the tension as long as possible. Then he finally pressed his lips to mine, giving me a gentle embrace. He didn’t use his tongue, just his lips. But it was still magnificent. His warm breath filled my lungs and made heat pool in my stomach. Then he pulled away. “Now I’m even more eager for our date.” His voice came out as a whisper.

  “Me too.”

  “I’ll see you then, lovely.”

  43

  Skye

  “He kissed you?” I was squirming in my seat.

  “And he’s an amazing kisser.” Trinity sighed then had a dreamy look on her face.

  “When are you guys going out again?”

  “Wednesday.” She tapped her knuckles on the wood. “I don’t think I can wait that long.”

  “He sounds so dreamy,” I said. “Who would have thought you would meet Mr. Perfect right outside the bathroom?”

  “And who would have thought he would smack right into me?” She shook her head but still grinned.

  “I have to say, I was worried there.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You haven’t dated anyone in like a year,” I said. “It was like you became a lesbian or something.”

  She laughed. “Definitely not.”

  “I was about to send a gigolo to your door.”

  A serious look came onto her face. “I’d kill you.”

  “After you got some action.”

  She chuckled. “I guess it would make sense to enjoy it before I tried to kill you.”

  I shrugged. “I’d judge you if you didn’t.”

  She rubbed her chin. “Speaking of male pleasure…I’d prefer it if you didn’t mention this to Cayson.”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “Why?”

  “I just don’t want him to tell my brother…and other people.”

  “Cayson wouldn’t say anything to anyone. You forget who we’re talking about.”

  She seemed to be having an internal debate. “Okay. But please tell him not to mention it to anyone—even Slade.”

  “It doesn’t sound like something he’d mention to him anyway.”

  “Even so, please tell him that.” She was being pushy on the subject.

  “Okay, if it means that much to you. And Conrad has never been the type of brother that monitors your personal life. It doesn’t seem like he cares.”

  “He could still mention it to my dad. And whenever I’m ready to tell him about a guy, I want it to come from my mouth and not Conrad’s.”

  “I can understand that,” I said with a nod. “By the way, how old is he?”

  She cringed slightly. “Twenty-seven.”

  I took a deep breath. “I’m not sure how your dad will feel about that.”

  “He’s only five years older than me and he’s so mature.”

  “Cayson is mature.”

  She growled at me. “Not every guy is like Cayson. Actually, no guys are like Cayson. Stop comparing.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “But five years is a lot…”

  “But he’s done with school and he’s working. He’s looking to settle down.”

  “He told you that?” I questioned.

  “No, but it’s implied. If he wanted to just get laid, he would have acted quite differently.”

  This guy sounded like a really great catch, but that made me suspicious. “Be careful, Trinity. Not all guys are as they seem to appear.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.

  “You hardly know the guy and you met him in a bar.” I shrugged. “Just don’t jump the gun. I’m glad you’re excited about him and he seems like a gentleman but…you just never know. Be smart and stay smart.”

  I burst her bubble.

  “You’re right. I just wish men were honest like Slade.”

  “Slade? You’re comparing that gorgeous man to Slade?”

  “I’m not comparing,” she said quickly. “I’m just saying Slade will tell a girl exactly what he wants and not leave any room for misinterpretation. Sure, it’s painful but at least you know exactly what you’re getting from him. There are no secrets. With other men…you never really know.”

  It almost sounded like she was drawing from personal experience. “Have you been hanging out with Slade or something?”

  “No,” she blurted. “We never hang out.”

  I decided to back off because she was getting defensive. Any time I brought up Slade, she acted the same way. Maybe it was because she hated him so much. But then there were times when she said nice things about him. When it came to Slade, I couldn’t figure her out.

  Trinity packed her bag. “I’ll see you later. I’m counting down the days until Saturday.”

  “I’m counting them down too.”

  She walked off.

  I returned my focus to my textbook until I heard the chair move beside me.

  “Hey, baby.” Cayson leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “Where are those sexy glasses I love so much?”

  I smirked. “I look like a total nerd.”

  “And that gets me hot.” He opened my case then slid the glasses onto the bridge of my nose. “And not giving yourself a headache also gets me hot.”

  “Sorry.” I adjusted them then put the case away.

  “So, how was your night with Trinity? I
didn’t get a chance to ask you.”

  “It was fun. She met a guy.”

  He nodded. “Good for her.”

  “Oh, but she doesn’t want you to tell anyone.”

  “Why?” he asked calmly.

  “I’m not sure…she doesn’t want it to get back to her brother or something.”

  “Okay. I won’t say anything.”

  “He was really handsome, charming, and funny. And he had these amazing blue eyes. Trinity is totally smitten with him and—”

  “Just Trinity? Or you too?” He was half joking, half not.

  I gave him a firm look. “I’m just describing him from Trinity’s point of view. He seems dreamy.”

  “I can be dreamy,” he blurted.

  I smirked, finding it hilarious that he was getting jealous. “I know, babe.”

  He put his hand on the table. “I’ll prove it right now.”

  I laughed. “You’re being adorable right now.”

  “What?” His cheeks filled with color.

  “You’re jealous.”

  “I’m not jealous,” he said immediately. “I just don’t like hearing my girlfriend check out another guy.”

  “I didn’t check him out. That’s against the girl code. You can only say flattering things about a guy your friend is seeing if it’s in a specific context.”

  Cayson looked like he wasn’t following.

  “Like, Trinity says nothing but good things about you. She always says how smart and attractive you are.”

  He smirked. “She does?”

  “Is it that surprising?”

  He shrugged. “I guess not.”

  At least I made him feel better.

  “So, are you ready for our weekend?”

  “I don’t know. You haven’t told me what we’re doing.”

  He leaned close to me and pressed a kiss to my lips. “How about a stay in Boston for the weekend—right on the beach?”

  I clapped my hands in excitement. “That sounds amazing.”

  “It’ll be romantic as hell.” He rubbed his nose against mine. “Because I’m a dreamy guy.”

  “So dreamy…” I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a kiss.

  “I suddenly lost my appetite.” Slade stood there with a sandwich in his hand. He tossed it in the garbage then walked the opposite way.