“Reed,” I whispered as he pulled me into his arms and I sank against his hard body. He felt good against me and smelled like a mixture of soap and aftershave. His lips brushed my temple then slowly rained a trail of kisses down my jaw and neck until I groaned in pleasure.
“I want more from you than sex Ellie, but I want that too. I think about it all the time.” His head dipped and his mouth settled over mine. I moved into him and we kissed tenderly at first but then kiss ignited, turning hot and hungry. We were on fire, touching and kissing and pressing into one another as if we couldn’t get close enough. That was why we didn’t notice the blue and red flashing lights until the cop car pulled alongside Reed’s truck.
Chapter 12
“It’s not funny, Ellie.” Reed looked over at me and I could tell he was trying not to smile. “This isn’t how I want to meet your Dad.”
We were inside of Reed’s truck, pulling out of the lot. “You’ve already met my dad,” I reminded him, hoping I wasn’t bringing up bad memories.
“That’s different. When I see him again he’ll looking at me and wondering if I’m good enough for his daughter. I’d like to not be in the back of a cop car at the time.”
Frowning, I told him, “I’m not sure what’s up with Travis. He’s usually pretty laid back. I’ve never seen him have such an attitude.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it had something to do with us making out in public and my hands being all over you.”
“Are you embarrassed, Reed?” I teased him, poking his side and noticing how the muscles were rock-hard.
He glanced over at me. “No. I’m worried you’re dad’s going want to shoot me for touching his daughter.”
“I think he’ll like you.”
Reed expression seemed hopeful. “You think so?”
I could tell my answer was important to him. “I know he’ll like you.”
“Was he cool with your other boyfriends?”
I turned to look at Reed, not sure how I should answer. “He met Davis once and didn’t like him.”
“Davis is the asshole that’s marrying your cousin. He doesn’t count. What about your other boyfriends?”
“I haven’t had any other boyfriends.”
“What?” he asked, surprised.
Reed pulled into my apartment complex just as my cell started its ringtone. It was my dad. “I have to answer,” I told Reed, unbuckling my seatbelt and thankful to be able to postpone the conversation. I leaned across the cab and dropped a soft kiss on his mouth. “See you tomorrow?”
“I can’t wait,” Reed told me.
The next day Isabelle and I were working together at the cancer wing of Texas Children’s Hospital.
“Hey Izzy! Do you know what happens when my dog stays out in the sun too long?”
Isabelle scrunched her face into an exaggerated frown and clasped her chin with her purple-gloved hands as she pretended to think really hard. “I dunno Ellie, What does happen when your dog stays out in the sun too long?”
I paused a moment for effect, watching the excitement on the kids’ faces as the hung on our every word. “He turns into a hot dog!”
The kids burst out laughing and I loved the sound.
“We have got to decide what we should give our friend Dr. Hotchkiss for his birthday. Does anyone have any ideas?” I asked, planting one fist on my hip and scratching my pink head with the other hand.
A dozen small hands flew into the air.
“A stethoscope!”
“A motorcycle!”
“An Xbox!
A swimming pool!
“A horse!”
It took several enthusiastic replies before we got one that would actually work, but finally a seven-year-old girl named, Jessica smiled and said, “A red balloon. Red is his favorite color.”
“But we don’t have any red balloons,” a little boy said frowning.
“Why don’t we look inside my bag?” suggested Isabelle. “Maybe I brought one.”
“Great idea, Izzy.”
Together we looked inside the large flowered bag, and then we glanced at each other and frowned. Turning the bag upside down, we showed the empty inside to the kids, who were clearly disappointed.
“There’s no balloon!”
“What are we going to do?”
“Izzy,” I called excitedly to Isabelle as if I’d just come up with most brilliant idea. “You forgot the clown dust!”
“You’re right, Ellie. We can’t make magic without it. Now, where did I leave that clown dust?”
Isabelle turned in a wide circle, her back to the kids that were laughing hysterically because the clown dust was stuck to the seat of Izzy’s hot pink, polka dotted pants.
Plucking the clown dust from her pants, I opened the little bag and sprinkled some glittery dust into the bag. The kids watched expectantly, while Isabelle and I waited for the clown dust work.
Reaching into the bag, Izzy pulled out three big red balloons and all of the children cheered and clapped.
Half an hour later, Isabelle and I sat in the hospital cafeteria drinking strong black coffee.
“I’ve had a chance to think about last night,” Isabelle told me, staring down at her coffee. “Now that I’ve slept, I realize I might have overreacted. I’m sorry you had to witness that.”
“No apology needed.” I reached out and put my hand over hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze before letting go. “You were concerned about your brother, I can understand that.”
Isabelle nodded. “I went to see Reed this morning to apologize. I don’t think Reed has dealt with the abuse, but he says I’m wrong. He never talks about it and always acts like it’s no big deal. I can’t believe anyone could possibly be that strong. Am I wrong?”
“Isabelle, people deal with things in different ways. I know how much you love Reed, but I know he’s going to be okay.”
“Thanks, Ellie,” she said smiling. “Did I act crazy yesterday?”
“Maybe just a little.” I held up my thumb and forefinger about and inch apart to demonstrate.
“I love that you always tell me the truth.”
I felt a lump of guilt knot in my throat, and I wanted to say, “I’m in love with your brother!” but I couldn’t. Not yet. After last night, Reed understood why I’d kept our relationship from Isabelle a secret and we agreed to give her some time.
He thought Isabelle was just being overprotective of him, but I wondered if it was more. Isabelle was concerned with whether Reed had dealt with the past, but it seemed that she still had some open wounds that hadn’t healed.
“I don’t want to keep us a secret, Ellie,” Reed had said to me last night on the phone. “In another week I’ll have my last surgery and this thing will be off my leg. Isabelle will have calmed down. We can tell her then.”
I’d agreed, but I was starting to wonder if Isabelle would forgive me for keeping this from her.
“Amber was shocked when I told her about Reed’s sex toys,” Isabelle was saying. “She said she’d be willing to use them with him, but Reed never asked her.”
Hearing that left a bitter taste in my mouth. “Maybe he’s seeing someone else,” I suggested.
Isabelle’s eyes widened. “He’d never do that. Whatever he’s dealing with now, I know he still loves Amber.”
“What if he was seeing someone else, Isabelle?” I persisted, hoping she’d be open to the idea. “I know you’re friends with Amber. Would it upset you for Reed to be with another woman?”
“Of course it would.” Isabelle shot me a look of disbelief. “The Fosters practically raised us. Reed and I spend every holiday with them. They’re our family, and I wouldn’t ever want to give that up.”
“I know, Isabelle,” I said, feeling sad.
“Don’t look now, but your favorite doctor is coming this way.”
I looked. Isabelle kicked me from under the table.
“You never told me about your date,” she scolded. “I bet he’s going to ask you out a
gain.”
That wasn’t going to happen. Unlike Isabelle, Stephen knew I had a boyfriend.
“Hello, ladies,” Stephen said smoothly. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Not at all,” Isabelle replied sweetly. “We were just talking about you.” She grinned and I got an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. “Ellie was telling me how much fun the two of you had on your date the other night.”
I had to hand it to Stephen because he didn’t miss a beat. “Was she now? I’m glad to hear she had as much fun as I did.”
I sucked in a shaky breath and smiled.
“I actually need to ask a favor of you, Ellie. Tommy Colton has been asking for you. He’s had rough day. The chemo is taking its toll, and I thought it might help raise his spirits if you could stop by and see him before you left.”
I was frowning, thinking about Tommy’s bad day. Misunderstanding the reason for my expression, Stephen said, “If it’s a problem, maybe Isabelle can stop by.”
Glancing at my watch, I was surprised at how late it was. I had a few more patients to see today, Reed included, but somehow I’d make it work. It’s not a problem,” I said quickly. “Give me a five minutes an I’ll be right there.”
“Remember, we rode together Ellie,” Isabelle reminded me. “But I can come back and pick you up.” She made it seem like picking me up would be a major inconvenience.
“I can give Ellie a ride home,” Stephen suggested. His eyes slipped to mine and an uneasy feeling gripped me. I wanted to say no, but it was just a ride. “Thanks,” I told him.
Isabelle was smiling ear to ear. I was wondering how I would explain this to Reed.
I didn’t mind spending more time than I’d planned with Tommy, but I knew I was in a time crunch by the time Stephen and I left the hospital. We reached the VIP parking lot where his sleek, silver Lamborghini sat in all its glory. I felt uncomfortable when he followed me to the passenger side of the car, but I knew he was only being a considerate. Opening the door for me, I slid into the buttery soft leather that molded to my back.
It was unfair to compare Stephen with Reed because Reed possessed some untouchable quality that Stephen lacked, something that drew people in and made them take notice. When he walked into a room all eyes fastened on Reed, drawn to him as if his presence energized the room.
“Tommy was in good spirits,” I said conversationally to Stephen.
Stephen smiled easily. His wrist, with the expensive Rolex, was propped casually on the steering wheel and looked relaxed and in control.
“He loves it when you come to visit. All the kids do. Thank you for seeing him today.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I was glad I could help.”
Glancing over at me, he asked, “Your boyfriend isn’t going to be upset that you’re late?” Maybe it was his way of asking indirectly if I had a boyfriend since Isabelle had made it seem like I was into Stephen.
I’d texted Reed at the hospital to say I would be late, and he’d texted back, ‘Take your time. I’ll be here’. “No. He won’t be mad.”
“Oh, so you do have a boyfriend. I was wondering after what Isabelle had said.”
“I’m sorry about that.” I tried to think of how to explain Isabelle’s obvious matchmaking, but I couldn’t think of anything that sounded sane, so I kept silent.
“You keep looking at your watch,” Stephen prodded. “I thought you might have date.”
I shook my head. “I’ve actually got a couple of patients to see today.”
Stephen looked relieved, and I got a bad feeling.
“Why don’t I go with you? It’ll save time if we stop on the way and you won’t have to get your car.”
He wanted to go with me to visit my patients? Imagining showing up at Reed’s house with ‘Doctor Hot Kiss’, had me smiling at the absurdity of that situation. I had to cough back a laugh, wondering how I’d explain that to Reed. ‘So Reed, this is Dr. Hot Kiss, I mean Hotchkiss. I figured you’d want to meet the guy I’d went out with after we started dating because I know how much you love his name.’
“That’s nice of you to offer, but I should change before going to work.”
“I’ll drop you at your apartment.” He seemed disappointed but didn’t argue and I was thankful for that.
The Lamborghini purred into my apartment complex a few minutes later, and I thanked Stephen again for the ride. To my dismay, he got out of the car and came around to meet me.
“I know you’re taken, Ellie. But if it doesn’t work out with the other guy, give me a call.”
I was surprised but not nearly as floored as when Stephen reached out and put his hand behind my head and planted his mouth on mine. I stiffened in his embrace and pushed him away. He released me immediately.
“I’m sorry,” Stephen said, looking grim as he stared down at me. “I thought maybe... Well, I had to try.”
Hesitating, I thought of what to say. “Don’t worry about it.”
He didn’t look sure, but he was suddenly in a hurry to leave. I assured him again that everything was fine between us, and Stephen nodded, got into his car and drove away.
I watched him leave, knowing I shouldn’t have accepted a ride from him. When I turned to go inside, I saw my dad staring at me with a look in his eyes that I knew meant trouble. It was pure rotten luck that Dad had been sitting in his car, watching the entire scene between Stephen and I.
“Why didn’t you bring him to over meet me?”
I started to tell him that I hadn’t known he was there, which was the truth but instead I blurted out, “That’s not him, Dad.”
He blinked and his eyes widened as he realized what I’d said. “That guy you were kissing isn’t the same guy you were making out with last night?”
“I know it sounds bad. I work with Dr. Hotchkiss and we’ve been out a couple of times. He got the wrong idea and that’s the kiss you saw.”
Dad turned in the direction Stephen had driven off in, looking like he might be thinking of going after him.
“It was a misunderstanding,” I quickly assured dad, who was scowling. “Dad, I don’t know if you remember Reed Bentley. He’s Isabelle’s brother. Reed is who I was with last night.”
My dad looked suddenly furious, and I realized referring to Reed as ‘the guy I was with last night’ sounded kind of sleazy. “He’s my boyfriend,” I added hastily.
“Boyfriend?” He said the word as if it was one he was unfamiliar with. “You have a boyfriend.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, Dad seemed to be taking everything in. “Bentley? The name is familiar.” He frowned. “I haven’t arrested him have I?”
“No. You arrested his dad, Darryl Bentley.” I winced, knowing that didn’t sound much better.
I saw the recognition flash in my dad’s eyes. “The drunk,” Dad said with a troubled look. “Reed isn’t like his father is he?”
“No! Reed is amazing. You’ll love him.”
My dad studied me in a way that made me feel like I couldn’t hide anything from him. “You love him,” Dad said, surprising me.
I hadn’t expected him to be able to read my feelings so easily or to voice them aloud. It was a lot for him to take in, I knew. “Reed is a good man.”
“I’ve been working too much lately. I’m sorry I missed our last dinner. You’ll bring Reed with you when we meet next week?”
“Sure, Dad.”
“I guess Isabelle set you up with her brother?” Interestingly, there was something in his voice when he said Isabelle’s name.
I shook my head. “Isabelle doesn’t know I’m dating Reed. It’s a long story.”
“Make it short,” he told me, looking like he wanted to strangle someone, notably Reed.
“Isabelle is friends with Reed’s ex-girlfriend, and she thinks that they’ll get back together. That’s why we haven’t told Isabelle about us yet.”
Dad just stared at me. “He wants to keep you a secret from his sister.”
“No, it�
��s not like that. You’ll like Reed, just give him a chance.”
Reluctantly, he agreed to withhold judgment, but I knew that he was prepared to dislike Reed on sight. That didn’t overly concern me because I knew that once Dad got to know Reed, he’d see what a great guy Reed was. At least that’s what I kept telling myself as I hurried to change and get to work.
Chapter 13
By the time I made it to Reed’s house, I was feeling the effects of yesterday’s drama. I’d tossed and turned most of the night thinking about what had happened with Isabelle and replaying the things Reed had said to me that made me feel as warm and mushy as a melted marshmallow.
I was exhausted but my heart still fluttered when I saw him. His smile had my stomach dropping to my toes, and I was beaming at him in return. He didn’t say anything when he saw me, just closed the distance between us, took me into his arms and kissed me like it had been years since he’d last seen me.
Moving into him, my leg caught the metal of his IIizarov and I winced. Reed swore.
“Are you okay?” I stepped away, glancing down at his leg before looking up at him. “Did I hurt you?”
“That’s what I was going to ask you,” he said, frowning.
I smiled. “It’s a small price to pay for kissing you.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’ll be glad to get this hunk of metal off my leg.”
“Only a few more days.” Reed got around so well with the device on his leg that most of the time I forgot he had it, but I knew Reed never did.
His easy confidence and lack of complaint made it seem as if he wasn’t self-conscious about his leg, but I thought it bothered him more than he let on. Suddenly, I thought about us having sex with the IIizarov on his leg and realized how awkward that might be for Reed. I wished I hadn’t have mentioned sex yesterday.
“Ellie, you know that I might never walk again without a limp.” He said it in the same tone he might say, ‘You know I need to get my oil changed soon’. It was the first time I’d witnessed any vulnerability in Reed, and my heart ached for him.
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