The hot tub is placed on the back of the patio with a perfect view of the ocean. I lean into the jets and let them pound into the muscles in my lower back. Reed slips in, hands me my wine, and lies back in the crevice.
“Besides the obvious shake-up, did you have a nice weekend?” he asks me cautiously.
“I did. I remember your mom being sweet, but she is hilarious. I think her and Katy can get into some serious trouble if together for long periods of time.”
“Yeah, she’s a riot when she wants to be. She’s also a bit over the top.”
“She told me what you said to her the day you were there for Cara’s accident. About me needing a lawyer because you were coming after me.”
“She’s got a big mouth.”
“I thought it was sweet, a bit scary, but still sweet.”
“I got a call from Trey on Friday but never called him back until this afternoon. He uncovered the shit with Alex and Cara. There were several other girls involved but I didn’t know their names. I told him about what went down here too. I can’t help it but something still isn’t right. There’s a gap in the story.”
“I agree. I can’t figure out what, but it’s nagging at me.”
“Well, let it go. Trust Trey and me to get to the bottom of it. I have much more important things to talk to you about.” He moves around so he is basically straddling me but the water makes him weightless. “No way, buddy. Having sex in your pool, in the dark, and an isolated area is one thing. I won’t do it in your hot tub with the sun still shining.”
“I wasn’t thinking about that, but now that you mention it, maybe I can persuade you.”
“No, what do you need to talk to me about?”
“I want to call my lawyer tomorrow and put my name on Davis’s birth certificate. I’m sure there will be some things you need to sign. I’ll take care of the details.”
“Okay.” I don’t even hesitate. His face lights up with happiness for the first time since Friday night.
“Another thing, I need you to tell me why you named him Davis.”
“You know why.” I say softly.
“No, I know you were in a fragile state of mind and thought our fairytale was over.”
“It was for you,” I whisper. “Besides trying to talk myself into another name, I knew you would be devastated if you found out about him and I broke the Matthews tradition. I remember you telling me the first-born son was given the grandmother’s maiden name. You told me all the time that your mother couldn’t wait to have a ‘Davis’. So even as hard as I tried, I knew I couldn’t do that to you. I didn’t know we would ever reconnect, but if Davis wanted to know about his biological dad, I was going to tell him.”
“Angel, it means the world to my mom and me. Thank you.”
I can tell he wants to talk about more but leans in and kisses me deeply. I get lost in his embrace and lift closer to feel his skin against my chest. This isn’t just a kiss of need or hunger; it’s full of passion and intensity. He’s communicating how important it is that I remembered his family tradition. I let him control our movements but try gracefully to rearrange my legs so that I straddle him instead. We grind against one another for a few minutes until I remember where we are. I lean back slowly catching my breath and stare into his crystal blue eyes that are swimming in desire.
“One day very soon, I have plans for you in this hot tub. But now, I want you in the bed.” He lifts me up and gets the towels on the banister. I hop down and wrap myself up while he does the same then leads me to the bedroom.
I’m surprised to see the bed has been pulled back and is covered in pink post-it notes. There are dozens of them stuck everywhere. When I get closer, I see a word written on each one in Reed’s handwriting.
Love, Cherish, Adore, Exquisite, Devine, Amazing, Treasured, Beautiful, Extraordinary…
“Every single one of those notes has a word that describes how I feel about you. I would have covered the walls with more of them, but I ran out of paper.” He curls around me from behind and sets his chin on my shoulder. “For the rest of our lives together, I will tell you how important and loved you are. You will never feel like the scared and abandoned twenty-one year old again.”
“Reed—”
“No, Angel, you told me on the beach a few weeks ago that there were three worst nights of your life and one was when your parents died. I know now the other two have to do with me. You will never have another night like that if you stay with me.”
“Where would I go?”
“With all the shit that happened the last few days, I’m scared you’ll end up blaming me for my sister’s actions. The way this all went down and her showing up with Alex may trigger something in you. I saw the look of horror on your face.”
“It’ll be okay. I’m trusting you, Reed, with my heart. It’s yours again, I’m not sure if it ever wasn’t. But we both need to move on.”
“Agreed, now how about you let me start proving to you how loved you are?”
I bite down on my lower lip and turn into him. Without moving out of his embrace, I untie the strings on my top and throw it to the side. His eyes grow and he grins down at me. “I’m all yours.”
“Forever, Ari, you’re all mine forever.”
Monday mornings are never fun, but they are more bearable when Reed is around to help with Davis. He offered to take him to school so I could go in a little early. The emails have already started coming in this morning regarding a high profile new client. Phillip also sent me a message about a luncheon as well. I pour my coffee into a travel mug mentally tackling my to-do list.
“Mommy, why’s there a pink note on your butt?” Davis asks.
I reach around and pull the post-it off. The word sexy is scribbled in Reed’s handwriting.
“Daddy was trying to tell me something.”
“What?”
“Um, I guess he likes this skirt.” I haven’t had enough coffee to think of a more reasonable answer.
“Yes, he does like that skirt and that top, and the strappy heels too.” Reed comes in, fresh from the shower wearing a business suit. He kisses me quickly and gets a coffee mug.
“Wow, you look gorgeous. Why are you so dressed up?”
“I have a meeting with my lawyer today.”
I nod my head but don’t say anymore because we agreed not to discuss it in front of Davis. He doesn’t even know what a birth certificate is, but we don’t want him to repeat it.
“You got that meeting quick considering we just talked about him last night.”
“Angel, when you have my kind of money, people make time for you.”
“Cocky much?”
He raises and eyebrow and grins. “Cocky huh? Want me to show you cocky?”
My faces flames; I walked right into that one. “No! I mean, not right now.” I stammer.
“Davis, why don’t you go grab your shoes and let’s get going.”
He jumps out of the chair and I start to clean up his breakfast mess.
“Leave that babe. I have a cleaning woman coming today. We’ve got about one minute before he comes barreling back in here and I want a kiss.” He grips me from behind and turns me into him. He gently nips at my bottom lip until I open and then he slides his tongue into my mouth. He kisses me, really kisses with such passion and heat I wonder if we have time to go back to the bedroom. Warmth floods my core and I fist his jacket in my hands holding him. We pull apart slowly and he peppers my face with pecks before lifting my chin so I meet his gaze.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“I’ll call you after my meeting okay?”
“Okay.”
“Your house or here tonight?”
“Mine.”
“Right, have a good day.” He steps back, grabs his travel mug, and winks at me.
Damn him! He knew that kiss would leave me thinking about sex. I snap out of my haze and help Davis with his shoes, kiss him goodbye and then grab my own stuff for wo
rk.
Phillip is waiting in my office when I arrive. Since it’s earlier than usual, I am surprised to see him.
“Good Morning, Phillip, how are you?”
“Doing well.”
“Great how was your weekend?”
“It was nice. I saw you had a nice one too.” His playful tone alerts me.
“What are you talking about?”
He types into his phone and hands it to me. I gasp at a picture taken of us on the beach on Saturday. Reed is leaning over me whispering in my ear and I have a death grip on my chair. Our bodies are perfectly on display and Davis is in half of the picture. The caption reads “Local football celebrity, Reed Matthews, enjoys a day at the beach with his new girlfriend and son”.
“Ari, I don’t usually ask personal questions, but I am very curious how did I not know who Davis’s dad is?”
I slink down in my chair and throw my head back. Explaining our situation is becoming exhausting. “Phillip, it’s a very complicated story, but Reed and I dated in college and broke up. He was drafted, and I kept the baby a secret. The only people who knew the truth were in my tiny inner circle.”
“That’s quite a secret, but I’m sure you have your reasons.”
“Why are you so interested?”
“This is going to be a huge topic of conversation around here and I wanted you to know you have my support. I still can’t figure out what happened a few weeks ago with your clients. Then with my secretary spreading rumors and leaving, your name is a prime topic. Now with Reed in the picture, you’re major news.”
“Oh God—you’re right! I may just go back to wishing for my boring little life.”
“Nah, boring is overrated.”
We laugh a bit and then go over the itinerary for the meeting later today. The client has a multi-million dollar portfolio that needs managing and I will take prime responsibility with Phillip as back up. He generally doesn’t do hands on financial work, but because of the size and nature of this account, we are presenting a team approach. He finally leaves around ten and I’m starving and thirsty.
The break room is packed, but gets quiet when I enter. After grabbing a water and a granola bar, I turn to go back to my office. Before I walk out of the room, Jay, another advisor at the bank, yells across the room.
“Ari, is it true? Are you officially Reed Matthews woman?”
“It is true, although I like the term girlfriend better.” I joke back with him.
“Girlfriend is good, I can work with girlfriend. It means you aren’t officially off the market.” He grins and winks at me.
“Well, then I guess I am his woman because he would argue I am indeed off the market.”
“Burn!” someone yells and Jay clutches his heart as if he is hurt.
I laugh with them and leave the room. My stomach does a happy dance thinking about being ‘Reed Matthews woman’.
Chapter 23
Reed
This feeling can only be described as amazing. It took all week, but my lawyer finally got everything together for me to put my name on Davis’s birth certificate. All I need now is a few signatures and a notary. I didn’t call ahead of time to confirm, but I’m pretty sure Ari’s bank will have a notary. And I want to surprise her. This week has been busy for us both and I can’t wait for the weekend. I have so much free time during the day and it sucks that Ari is at work. I want to talk to her about a vacation before training camp starts, but she keeps telling me how busy her new account is keeping her.
I drive into the bank parking lot and see Ari’s car parked in the back. I hate her fucking car. A thought comes to me and I call my guy at the dealership. I tell him what I want and make an appointment for us to go into Jacksonville tomorrow afternoon. The next call is to my housekeeper asking her to stock my house with food for the night.
The receptionist stares at me with wide eyes when I walk in and her eyes drift up and down my body. When she meets my gaze, she licks her lips seductively and smiles. I smile back and ask for Ari with complete indifference. A few people stare at me, and an older man with greying hair comes out of an office. When he sees me, he walks over quickly and reaches out his hand to me.
“Reed Matthews, what a pleasure to have you visit us today. I’m Phillip Green, Bank President.”
The name clicks as Ari’s boss and I shake his hand back. “I’m actually here to surprise Ari, and we have some business that needs a notary.”
“Well, follow me. I’ll take you back to her office and make sure our notary is still here.”
Ari is on the phone with her back to the door. She is standing with one knee propped on the chair giving off a perfect view of her tight ass. The heels she has on are hot pink, and I instantly think about her in nothing but them, bent over in front of me. The idea sends a signal to my cock, which immediately starts to stiffen in my shorts. Jesus! She’s not even looking at me and I get hard for her.
Phillip coughs softly and she swivels around with a look of surprise. When she sees me, her face widens and I get the dimples. She finishes the call and then walks around the desk.
There is no talking at all before I pull her to me and kiss her gently, aware her boss is watching.
“Hey, babe, thought I’d surprise you.”
“You did, I’m glad you’re here, it’s been a rough day.”
“Well, hopefully I can make it better. That little project I’ve been working on is almost done. We just need a few signatures notarized.”
Her eyes grow wide and tears start to form. “Really?”
I nod my head to confirm.
“Phillip, these papers are pretty confidential, do you mind notarizing them? I’m not sure anyone else needs to know about this.” She looks at him.
He grins and agrees then goes to get his stuff. I get out all the papers for us to sign and pull her into me as I sit. Her arms go around my neck and she rests her forehead against mine. We don’t say anything just hold onto each other.
“Shit, it is true. I thought I still had a chance.” I turn around to see a guy standing in the doorway with a crowd around him. My protective instincts kick in when I see the way he looks at Ari.
“Yes, Jay, I told you we were seeing each other.” She laughs at him.
Seeing each other? That’s how she describes us?
She moves off my lap and pulls me up with her. She introduces me to everyone and the conversation immediately goes to last season and my recovery. I talk easily with these guys, but hold Ari possessively in front of me with my hands on her waist. Every time she tries to step away, I get closer. Finally, when it’s obvious I’m not letting her go, she leans back, and I put my chin on her head. Phillip comes back and we all talk for a few more minutes until Ari’s phone starts ringing. Everyone disperses, and we sit at her desk while she tells her assistant to hold all calls for a bit.
We tell Phillip the nature of the legal forms and he congratulates us. He seems like a cool guy and genuinely happy for us both. When we’re done, he tells Ari to take the rest of the day off and celebrate. While she packs up her computer bag, I text my lawyer that I will be overnighting the papers today.
Ari goes to make copies of all the paperwork and send the package. I sit back at her desk and watch the activity in the lobby. The receptionist is clearly still checking me out. She smiles slyly and bends over several times to pick things up giving me a view of her cleavage. I play with my phone to occupy my time and give her the hint I’m not interested.
An idea forms in my head and I send a short message to Luke and Sophie. When Ari is done, we leave the bank and I follow her back to her house.
“Ari, I’m taking us out tonight to celebrate. Then tomorrow I have a surprise for you. It’s in Jacksonville, so I want to stay at my place tomorrow night.”
“What about Katy?”
“What about her? She’ll be fine by herself and Luke’s going to be around if she needs anything. I already asked him.”
“When?”
�
�He, Sophie, and Katy are meeting us for dinner. We’re celebrating as a group. Just as we should have done all those years ago. Rebuilding memories, Ari, it’s all part of my plan.”
“I like that idea.”
“Good, now, I want to have a private celebration before we have to go to the daycare.”
“I like that idea too.” She walks towards her room shedding clothes the whole way.
“You are not, I repeat, ARE NOT buying me a new car!” Ari stomps her foot and throws her hands in the air again. I lean against my truck with my arms crossed and watch her with amusement. Davis is running around the lot and the salesman is trying to hide his smirk.
“No way, Reed Matthews! You can wipe that look off your face right now. My car is fine and it is paid for!”
“This one will be paid for too.”
“I’m so sorry we wasted your time this afternoon.” She tells the salesman and starts walking to the passenger side of my truck. She lifts Davis to his seat and I give the man a nod. He turns to walk away knowing what I mean.
“You are in so much trouble. Cut off…you are cut off until I get over this little trick of yours.”
I ignore her rant and stop her from buckling the seat belt. “Babe, you’re driving your new ride.”
“I don’t have a new ride; I think we just established that.” Right as she finishes her sentence a brand new Land Rover SUV drives around the corner with the salesman behind the wheel.
I actually laugh as realization hits her that she is leaving with a new car today, which makes her even madder. Her eyes narrow and she shoots me a death glare.
“You didn’t.”
“I tried to give you a choice of colors and options, but you were stubborn. So now I choose.”
“That’s ludicrous!”
I can tell she is about to have a full-blown hissy fit. So I lean over and trap her with my body. “Angel, let me do this. You’re going to be on the road a lot this fall. It’ll make me feel better knowing you are safe. And no joke, your car is a piece of shit.”
Reed's Reckoning Page 19