He chuckled. “You’re not in the city anymore, sweetheart. No one’s going to steal my shit.” He held up a note he’d left on the projector that read TOUCH MY PROJECTOR AND YOU’LL NEVER WALK AGAIN. THINK TWICE. REED CROSS.
“Who’s going to mess with you, after all?” she teased.
“Nobody smart, that’s for sure.” He smacked her ass. “Sit your pretty ass down and let me woo you with my dating-Grace expertise.”
“Aren’t you eloquent.” She took off her heels and sat on the blanket.
He visually devoured the flash of smooth thighs her skirt revealed as she tucked her legs beside her.
“Hey, greedy boy,” she said, bringing his eyes up to hers. “No dessert before dinner.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. “Bet I can change your mind.”
“Did you bring whipped cream?”
He swore under his breath, although it was just for show. He had no intention of getting naked with her right then. When they were kids, they could barely contain themselves long enough to get undressed, and short of the field behind the theater, his uncle’s truck, Grace’s car, or the empty houses his uncle worked on, there weren’t many places they could go to be alone. That was no longer a problem, and he wasn’t about to chance giving anyone a peek at their intimacy.
“I don’t have whipped cream, but I did run over to Wishing Creek. Tonight we’re celebrating.”
“What are we celebrating?”
He handed her a burger and fries from the Creekside Diner where they used to eat. “You’ll figure it out.”
She gazed down at the telltale wrapping, which had pictures of Wishing Creek on it. “Bacon cheeseburger?”
“What else is there?” He reached into the cooler and withdrew a to-go cup. “And one, probably soupy, half chocolate, half vanilla milkshake. Know what? I did bring whipped cream. There was some under the lid, but I think it’s probably melted by now. I know you’re probably used to being wined and dined, and I wrestled with having a restaurant deliver here, but—”
“Reed, this is beyond perfect. You know what you get with being wined and dined? Pin-straight posture, pleases, and thank yous.” She grabbed his shirt and tugged him forward, taking him in a fiercely passionate kiss. When their lips parted, she flashed a sinful smile and said, “That’s what you get when you do the most romantic thing in the world for me. I love that you remembered, and I love that you won’t let me forget who we were—who I was—because you know what? All my best memories were made here, too.”
Chapter Fifteen
REED AND GRACE sat on the blanket eating dinner as the title, Mrs. Henderson Presents, appeared on the back of the building.
Grace gasped. “I love this movie! Have you seen it?”
“Yes. Do you mind watching it again?” The movie was about a woman who inherited an old run-down theater. She reopened it as a performance hall, and it goes down in history. Reed had assumed Grace would have already seen the movie, as she had always been a movie buff, but it was the ideal movie to help reveal his exciting news.
“Not at all. It’s hilarious.” She popped a fry in her mouth. “Mm. I haven’t gone to the Creekside Diner since I moved away. The fries are so salty and delicious.”
“It takes me back to those vinyl booths, where we’d share fries and kiss like we weren’t sneaking around.” He leaned in and stole a salty kiss. “Sneaking around was hot, but…” He kissed her again, deeper and longer. “Kissing you whenever I want is fucking insane.”
“Is that what we’re celebrating? That we’re not hiding?”
“Nope.” He took a bite of his burger as the movie began. “But if I owned this place, I’d be sure to serve salty fries just so I could get your salty-fry kisses.”
They snuggled as they ate, watching the movie. Every so often Grace would lean closer and guess at what they were celebrating. “Our one-week anniversary?”
“No, but that’s worth celebrating,” he said.
A short while later a group of teenagers came out of the darkness from the direction of the parking lot.
“Hey,” one of the kids called over. “Mind if we watch from the field?”
“Not at all,” Reed said.
They continued walking deeper into the field, fading back into the darkness. Reed noticed that cars were slowing to crawls as they drove past, and he imagined the people inside craning to see what was going on behind the theater. He and Roy had checked out the interior together, and Roy had captivated him with stories of his youth and the good times he and Ella had at the Majestic. Reed found himself wondering if any of the people in the cars had been around long enough to remember when the theater had been open, more than thirty-five years ago.
A little while later, Grace tipped her face up to his and said, “It’s not your birthday; that’s in October.”
He kissed her softly. “I’m glad you remembered.”
She was quiet for the longest time, and he was anxious to tell her, but it was fun letting her try to guess.
A few more people meandered past, some asking if it was okay to join them, others simply assuming so. Reed didn’t mind the intrusions. They kept their distance, and he had everything he needed right there in his arms. The world could explode around them and he’d go out a happy man.
Grace finished her fries—before her burger, just like he remembered—and said, “I’ve thought about you a lot over the years, even when I tried not to; you were always there.”
“And I always will be.”
He set his drink down and moved behind her, leaning her back against his chest so he could hold her closer. She cuddled into him and they watched in comfortable silence.
When the woman in the movie found out she’d inherited the theater, he dropped another hint. “It’s so weird how theaters sort of drop into people’s laps.”
“Mm-hm.”
A little while later, they were engrossed in the film, laughing at a scene, when Reed became aware of someone else’s laughter in the air. Several people’s, in fact. He glanced up at the road and saw a line of cars parked along the curb and people sitting on the grass.
He looked over his shoulder at the field behind them, where throngs of people were watching the movie. “Holy cow, Grace. Check this out.”
She leaned around his body. “Oh my gosh. There must be more than fifty people here. How did we not hear them? This is awesome! Can you imagine what this would be like if your deal on the theater comes through? You could do this—” She sat up on her knees, and her eyes widened. “That’s it, isn’t it? Is that what we’re celebrating? Did your deal on the theater come through?”
He laughed and pulled her into a kiss.
“Finally, baby. I’ve been trying to give you clues all night.”
“Oh my gosh! Reed! This is going to be yours? Can you imagine all the things you can do with it? Outdoor movies, community plays! Can we go inside? I’ve never been inside. You’ve been inside, right? You had to if you made an offer.”
She was talking a mile a minute. He spotted her sisters, a few of the Jerichos, and a handful of other people approaching, but he didn’t want to slow Grace down.
“I can’t believe you held this in all this time, and here I was missing every clue. Theaters dropping in people’s laps!” She laughed. “I’m so thickheaded. I was too into the movie and you to even think of anything like that.”
“I can’t believe you set this up and didn’t even invite us,” Sable said.
Grace spun around as their friends converged on them.
“Dude, what the hell?” Trace turned his palms up to the sky. “You’ve got a whole theater going on out here with all these Meadowsiders? What are we? Chopped liver?”
“No, man,” Reed answered. “This was a date that got overrun.”
Morgyn and Sable sat on the blanket. Sable reached for what was left of Grace’s milkshake and said, “Awesome date night. Good thing you two weren’t naked. Practically the whole senior class from Oak Falls
is behind you.”
“I saw Chet, Boyd, and Janie on the hill,” Morgyn added. “And Mom texted, asking if I knew about someone holding movie night at the Majestic.”
“That’s it, Reed! Movie night at the Majestic! You have to do that!” Grace pleaded. “Think of it. Old-fashioned popcorn machines, soda fountains. You could show movies for families, romantic comedies for date nights…”
“Whoa, what do you mean he could?” Brindle asked.
“Reed’s buying this place,” Grace said, then immediately slapped a hand over her mouth. “Uh-oh. Was that a secret?”
“No, babe. It’s fine.” He explained that they’d just ratified the contract for the property and were set to close in a few weeks. “We’ve got a long road ahead of us to rehab the place, but the inside is gorgeous, and it has a lot of potential.”
“Hey, Reed,” Trace said. “If you’re buying this place, I know Jeb will want to put in a bid for the stonework.” Jeb was Trace’s oldest sibling, a talented artist who worked with stone, wood, and metals, creating custom furniture and refurbishing antiques.
“I wouldn’t want to bid or anything,” Morgyn said, “but I’d love to help with the interior. I’d be happy to help with curtains, upholstery, and whatever else you think I might be able to help with. I’d love to be part of this type of project in any way I can.”
“Thank you. That’s great,” Reed said. “I really appreciate the offers. And, Trace, I’ll be sure to connect with Jeb when we get that far.” He pulled Grace closer as the others made themselves comfortable to watch the movie.
“Thanks for helping Nat,” Brindle said. “She showed me the revisions, and I think the play will be perfect.”
“She’s really talented, and the sweetest girl,” Grace said. “You did such a good thing for her, Brin, and she raves about you. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. I told her that when I’m back in New York I’ll mentor her via email.”
“I know,” Brindle said, snuggling closer to Trace. “She’s told everyone how excited she is. She’s here tonight.” She turned around and pointed to a group of girls by the streetlight. “She’s with Phoenix and Lauryn, or as I’ve started calling the three of them, your fan club.”
“Oh, stop.” Grace shook her head.
They turned their attention back to the movie, but Reed was too swept up in Grace to pay attention to anything but the smile on her face as she put her arms around his neck and leaned closer, speaking loud enough only for him to hear.
“Sophie comes back next Saturday afternoon, and her baby shower is Sunday morning. Do you think we could try to do this with her and Brett? They’d love this. Brett is a huge theater fan. And maybe we can invite Roy and Ella? They’d probably love this, too. And if we don’t invite my family, they’ll probably show up anyway.” She sat back and said, “Actually, we’d probably end up with everyone here anyway.”
“Babe, we can do whatever you’d like.”
“I have to go back to New York the following weekend,” she said softly, the sadness in her voice inescapable.
“I know. We’ll make it happen before that. Maybe the weekend you leave as a going away-party, so everyone has a chance to say goodbye.”
“Okay.” She was quiet for a second, resting her head on his shoulder. And then she pressed a kiss beside his ear and said, “I have a feeling you’re going to hear this a lot from me, but I can’t believe you’re buying the theater. You’ll forever own the property where we first…you know.”
“I do know, babe. And we’ll make a million more memories that are just as great. We’re making them right now.” He lifted his chin in the direction of her sisters and their friends, just as her parents, Amber, and Reno, came around the side of the building carrying big bags of popcorn.
Everyone got up to greet them at once.
Grace laced her hands with Reed’s, waiting her turn, and said to Reed, “I’m sorry our romantic night has turned into a party. This would never happen in the city.”
“Exactly,” her mother said. “This would never happen in the city.”
Chapter Sixteen
GRACE AWOKE TO the feel of Reed’s lips on her ribs. She ran her fingers through his thick hair as memories of their evening came back to her. They’d hung out with friends and family long after the movie had ended, and she’d seen several of the people she’d gone to school with. Her visits home had been so quick over the years, unless she saw her friends while she was out with her sisters, she rarely caught up with anyone. But last night Reed had seemed happy to let her stay and chat as long as she’d wanted. They’d gotten home at nearly two in the morning and had made love until they were both too spent to move.
Reed nipped at her belly, bringing her thoughts back to the man loving his way up her body. He slowed to tease her breasts, and heat streaked like darts to the juncture of her thighs with every flick of his tongue. He moved over her, his chest hair tickling her skin as he perched on his elbows.
She smiled up at him. “I like waking up with you.”
“I like doing everything with you.”
He kissed her again, a long, sweet kiss that made her insides soft and him hard against her stomach. He brushed his whiskers along her cheek, alternating between kissing and abrading. Grace thought back to when she’d first seen him riding a horse at the Jerichos’. She’d fought so hard not to feel the emotions he’d stirred, and now, as his warm breath whispered over her skin, she couldn’t imagine not feeling this way ever again. Worry tiptoed in as he laced their hands together and gazed lovingly into her eyes.
“What’s going on in that beautiful brain of yours, Gracie?”
Not wanting to dwell on the fact that her life was hundreds of miles away, she tried to lead him astray. “I was wondering if you were ever going to buy a bedframe.”
“Do you want a bedframe?”
“It’s not my house.”
His eyes darkened. “But you’re in my bed.” He kissed her chin. “Should I worry about why you’re thinking about bedframes when I’m lying on top of you, naked?”
“No,” she said lightly. “I was really wondering when you were going to finish your kitchen so you wouldn’t have to eat out every meal.”
His eyes went pitch-black, and he nipped at her lower lip. “I love eating out.”
A soft laugh escaped, and she whispered, “Me too. I wasn’t really thinking about appliances.”
“Ah, you’ve begun lying to me,” he teased.
“Just avoiding the truth. I was thinking about how much I like this.” She rose to kiss him, and he drew back with a tease in his eyes.
“This?” He rocked his hips, pressing his erection against her.
“Yes. But it’s bigger than that.”
“Hey, watch it.”
“Not bigger than that. Being with you, falling asleep in your arms, waking up to your kisses. It feels like it’s always been this way. Like life went on when we weren’t together, but that all seems like a blip in time.” Even though she wasn’t leaving for another two weeks, she felt the end of her stay looming, making every moment they had together feel special and every moment with her family feel important in a way she’d never appreciated.
“When I first got to my parents’ house, I wondered how I’d make it through three weeks with my sisters’ drama, and then I saw you and my world turned inside out. But my sisters haven’t driven me crazy. They’ve enabled me to do more of what I love, and they’ve shown me sides of themselves that I’ve never slowed down enough to appreciate. And you and I…well, the two weeks we have left doesn’t seem like enough.”
“Because it’s not. Nothing will ever be enough, but it’s not supposed to be. Love is supposed to grow stronger, not get easier.”
“But we won’t have this, Reed. Right now we have parts of every day. I mean, we’ll have Friday and Saturday nights and Saturday and Sunday mornings. But I’ll have to work some of that time, and if you’re fixing up the theater, you’ll need to be here.”
“Yes, very much.”
“Good. Then let me ask you another important question. Do you”—he kissed the corner of her mouth—“think I should start here?” He kissed the other side of her mouth. “Or should I start at your pretty little toes and work my way up your gorgeous legs all the way to your lips?”
She giggled at his playfulness. “The second option sounds appealing, but I think I have an even better idea.” She pushed on his shoulders, and he shifted onto his side. Then she moved, bringing her legs by his head, and she pressed a kiss to his ankle. “How about if we both start like this and we meet in the middle?”
She ran her fingers along his strong calves, pressing kisses to his legs as he did the same to her. His lips were warm and soft, and his hands were rough and insistent, squeezing the backs of her ankles and calves with each tender kiss, creating a dichotomy of heavenly torment inside her. She tried to concentrate on bringing him just as much pleasure, kissing and petting as she inched up his powerful thighs, and all her worries faded away. Then his mouth was on her sex, as rough as his hands were on her ass, holding her to him as his tongue shattered her ability to do much of anything other than lie there and gasp. She forced a moment of lucidity and wrapped her hand around his cock, but just as quickly he guided her leg over his shoulder and brought his magnificent mouth to her sex, sending sparks skating beneath her skin. His tongue plunged into her as he pinned her in place with one hand on her ass, his other teasing her sex, drawing a long, surrendering moan from her lungs.
His hips thrust to the same rhythm as his tongue, bringing her mind back to his thick, delicious cock. She glided her tongue along the wide crown and over the sensitive glans the way she’d learned he liked and followed his shaft all the way down to the base.
“Fuck, baby. That mouth of yours kills me.”
Embracing Her Heart Page 16