“Did you bring the kids?” he asked.
She had a daughter in middle school and a toddler son.
“No, we left them at home. We’re flying back tomorrow. How have you been?”
“Hanging in there.”
“Aunt Sylvie said you’re taking over the CIO position next year?”
Reese groaned.
Ella laughed. “Mother wants him to and keeps dropping major hints.”
Ella was second-in-command, the vice president of operations overseeing all of their mother’s companies under SJ Brands and SJ Media. Like their mother, her skin was much darker than his, and she’d inherited Sylvie’s light-brown eyes. Her long hair was pulled into an intricate twist at her nape, and she wore a burgundy wrap dress with black high heels.
Polished and professional, she’d come a long way since marrying a guy who’d chipped away at her confidence. The whole family was relieved when they finally divorced. Her new husband, a former Atlanta police detective, was a much better fit.
“So, you don’t want the job?” Ivy asked.
“I do, except it would mean less time doing the hands-on work I enjoy, and more time in meetings and dealing with paperwork, contracts, and going to conferences.”
For now, he savored the moments when he could lose himself in work—work he’d enjoyed since childhood. Computers and technology had been his first love, long before Nina captured his heart. Rebuilding computers and troubleshooting error messages had helped him navigate the tumultuous emotions he experienced watching his parents fight and ultimately divorce. Their split didn’t only tear apart the family, it wreaked havoc on his conscience, creating a mess of confusion around parental loyalty and the sanctity of marriage.
For that reason, he’d decided long ago that he didn’t want to get married or have kids. Life was complicated enough without adding the problematic idea of two people joining their lives together until death. And anyway, who said two people couldn’t make a life together and be happy without a piece of paper? As far as he was concerned, that was bullshit, cooked up by societal standards that were no longer relevant in modern times.
“In that case, I wish you luck. Aunt Sylvie always gets what she wants, doesn’t she?”
Ella nodded and glanced at her brother. “Always. You know she’s not going to rest until you say yes.”
“I still have time to decide,” Reese said.
Lucas came over and extended his hand to his wife. “Do you two mind if I borrow my wife for a dance?” He was a big guy with a beard and Southern accent to match his Georgia roots.
“Not at all,” Ella said.
“Go right ahead,” Reese said.
Ivy gave them a little wave and slipped away with her husband to the dance floor.
“Did you already get Mother a gift for her birthday tomorrow?” Ella asked.
“Shit, I forgot.”
Two occasions one never forgot for Sylvie Johnson—Mother’s Day and her birthday.
“Tsk, tsk. Why can’t you and Stephan ever remember her birthday? It’s the same date every year.”
He and his brother had had near-misses over the years, but Ella always pulled them through.
“Because we suck.”
“True. Lucky for you, I’ve saved the day again. A few months ago, the House of Robar designed limited-edition chocolate diamond rings, and Mother didn’t get one. She was livid.”
“Doesn’t she have enough diamonds?”
“One can never have enough diamonds, darling,” Ella said, mimicking their mother’s lofty tone.
Reese laughed. “One day she’s going to catch you doing that.”
Ella grinned. “I hope not. She’ll probably disown me. Anyway, I was able to get one, and you scheduled it to be delivered to the penthouse tomorrow before she goes to dinner with Father. You can pay me back later.”
Reese released a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Ella. You’re a lifesaver.”
“I know.”
He could tell she wanted to say more. “What?”
Her gaze traveled to where Nina sat at a table, chatting with a mutual male friend. She let out a laugh that brightened her features, and his gut twisted.
“Are you still going to try to win Nina back?”
His siblings knew all about his relationship with Nina, the kiss, and the hope that sprang in his chest because of it.
“I guess you didn’t hear.” Reese shoved his right hand in his pants pocket and rolled his shoulders. Just thinking about her with another man made him tense. He couldn’t stand the thought of Andy putting his hands all over her. Loving on her.
“Hear what?”
“She came back with a boyfriend.”
Ella’s eyes widened. “A what? Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. She told me. Andy von Trapp. They met overseas.”
“Oh, Reese, I’m so sorry. I wish—”
“I’m good. Don’t even worry about it.”
Ella’s eyes narrowed, which he pretended not to notice. “What are you up to?”
“What makes you think I’m up to something?”
“Because I know you.”
“The only thing I’m up to is winning back the woman I love.”
“You just said she has a man.”
“A temporary setback. I have to plan a little differently, that’s all.”
“Oh, boy. Reese, I know how much you love Nina, but she has a right to move on, even after the kiss.”
“Don’t preach to me, Ella. I know what I’m doing.”
“Do you?” she hissed.
“Yes,” Reese said in a tight voice. “You want me to give up, but I can’t do that.”
It didn’t matter that for the past three years she’d barely kept in touch. It didn’t matter that he often had to be the one to reach out because he wanted her never to doubt that he cared. She’d returned with a boyfriend, but no way was he giving up. He’d been patient long enough—too long. That was the problem.
Andy von Trapp merely represented a bump in the road, one he could easily drive right over.
“Reese—”
“I’ve made up my mind. Nina’s the one for me, and nothing is going to change that. I’ve been patient, I’ve given her space, but all of that changes now that she’s back for good. I’m making my move, and I don’t give a fuck about Andy or any man who thinks he can stand in my way.”
Neither of them said a word for a while. Ella stared down at the floor as if asking it to give her the right words to change his mind.
Finally, she raised her head and spoke quietly. “I kinda always figured you two would get back together, but after ten years…”
“Mother and Father reconciled after fifteen.”
“But they love each other,” Ella said, her voice going even quieter, in a gentler tone.
Pain forked through him, but he straightened and held his head high. “She still has feelings for me. I know she does. I can feel it.”
“She has a man.”
“Your point?”
“Someone’s going to get hurt, and I don’t want it to be you.”
“It won’t.”
Ella pursed her lips. “One more point, and then I’m done. But, maybe Nina’s not the one for you, and there’s someone else out there who is—your perfect fit. You’ve been so focused on her, I don’t think you’ve given anyone else a chance. Maybe you should.”
Not once had the thought crossed his mind. “You done?” Reese asked tonelessly.
Ella threw up her hands. “All right. I won’t bother you about this anymore. Don’t forget to call Mother tomorrow.”
“I won’t.”
She squeezed his arm and walked away.
Now was a good time to strike up a conversation with Nina. Reese went to the open bar and ordered an IPA beer for himself and a chocolate martini for Nina.
Then he headed in her direction.
Chapter 6
Only a few couples were on the dance floor, and one of them
was Malik and Lindsay. The band was in the middle of a sultry slow jam, courtesy of a lovely Black woman wearing hoop earrings with a husky voice that deserved to be heard by millions instead of slightly more than a hundred guests in a hotel ballroom.
Nina saw Reese crossing the floor with purposeful strides in her direction. She didn’t want a scene at her sister’s reception and hoped he didn’t plan to start an argument about her relationship with Andy. When he left the other day, she had the distinct impression that he had not given up.
He stopped beside the table.
“Hey, Dee, mind if I grab my girl for a few minutes?” He kept his eyes on her, and she kept her eyes on him.
“Nah, man, I don’t mind. I’ll talk to you later, Nina. It was good seeing you.”
“Good seeing you, too.”
Their mutual male acquaintance stood and walked away, and Reese set a martini in front of Nina. “For you.”
First flowers, now a chocolate martini. She arched an inquisitive brow but accepted it. “Thank you.”
He sat down in the vacated seat beside her, fine when Dee sat there but now seemed too close. “You’re welcome. I know it’s your favorite.”
Of course he did, because they knew everything about each other since they had remained friends through the years. She knew that his preferred drinks were a strong brandy or a crisp IPA like the one in his glass. The night at her apartment, when he held her sobbing against his chest, she had tasted the bitter beer in his mouth when they kissed.
At the oddest of times, she still tasted that flavor and couldn’t bring herself to drink one because it reminded her so much of how he had tasted that night and the scent on his breath—that she became, to her alarm…aroused.
Eying Reese as he took a sip of beer, Nina ran her tongue along the inside of her mouth, reliving the flavor with phantom remnants that remained on her taste buds. Reese set the glass on the table, and when he moved, the muscles under his white shirt rippled and pushed against the fabric. He sat back, at ease in the chair with his legs spread and his left hand resting on his upper thigh in a casual but masculine pose.
Did his mouth already smell and taste like the beer?
“Where’s your boyfriend?”
Nina crossed her legs. “He couldn’t make it. He’s in New York.”
“Too bad,” Reese said, without a smidgen of sincerity in his voice. “Having a good time, though?”
“Yes. You?” Nina shifted, wondering where the conversation was going, considering the last time they talked.
“Nah. Not really.” His answer surprised her.
“Why not?”
“Because I made a mistake, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to apologize.”
“What would you be apologizing for?”
“For acting like an ass.”
“Which day was that?” She allowed a small, teasing smile to come to her lips.
He laughed softly. “Oh, it’s like that? I’m such a regular asshole you need me to narrow down the day?”
Nina sipped her martini.
Reese bit his lip, eyeing her with amusement in his eyes. “All right, we’ll play it your way. I’m sorry for acting like a jerk when you told me you had a boyfriend. Your announcement took me by surprise.”
She nodded, her face becoming somber. “For the record, that’s not the way I wanted you to find out—blurting it out like that.”
“I kind of forced your hand.”
“I don’t want things to be awkward between us, Reese.”
“I don’t, either. That’s why I had to apologize and let you know that I acknowledge your relationship with Andy.”
“Acknowledge it? What does that mean?”
“You told me that you’re in a relationship with Andy, and I accept that’s the truth.”
He sounded perfectly reasonable, but that was an odd way to talk about her relationship. She took a good look at him, searching for signs of trickery.
“I want you to be happy,” he said in a grave voice.
The words hit hard, and she took a minute to regain balance, then swallowed a lump in her throat. “Thank you. I want the same for you.”
“Maybe one day,” he said, looking intently at her.
“You have a lot of women friends, but you’re not happy?” Nina asked.
As a senior in high school, Reese already had a reputation as a ladies’ man, due to his popularity as an athlete. He was the richest and most entitled student at a school filled with rich and entitled students. She fell for him anyway, a young man the exact opposite of everything she wanted in a boyfriend. Not much had changed over the years.
He still had a big appetite for women. They knew so many of the same people, the whispers and gossip made their way to her ears, whether she wanted to know about his escapades or not. A few women lasted for a while, but most cycled in and out of his life with surprising frequency.
“How should I answer that question?” he asked.
“Honestly.” Nina held her breath as she awaited his response.
“Okay.” Resting his right ankle on his knee, Reese leaned toward her. He looked directly into her eyes, and for a moment, they were the only people in the room. Two wounded souls trying to make peace. “What I’m about to say doesn’t sound nice, but it’s the truth. None of those women mean anything to me. I know what I want, and if I could turn back time—”
“Don’t.” Nina turned away from him, clenching her fingers in her lap. She always cut him off whenever she sensed he was about to say something about his feelings for her.
She watched his brother, Stephan, pull his wife, Roselle, onto the dance floor and let silence descend between them. Meanwhile, the background noise of the balladeer crooning into the microphone, and guests laughing and talking, remained constant.
Reese shifted back and straightened in the chair. “Have you talked to my mother today?”
Nina appreciated the abrupt change in topic and breathed easier. “Yes. She chastised me for not coming to see her and invited me to brunch next week. I felt awful, but I’ve been preoccupied at Winthrop headquarters, trying to catch up with everyone, and then there’s a project I’ve been working on—the volunteer program I want to roll out company-wide.” She took a deep breath. “Anyway, I’m going to see her next week.”
“That will make her happy.”
“I should have made time right away.”
“She’s not going to love you any less.”
Sylvie liked Nina, and Nina liked her. Their mutual admiration didn’t waver after she and Reese broke up.
“She doesn’t love me.”
“Yes, she does. She wanted you as a daughter-in-law.” He took a sip of beer.
Nina’s eyes opened wide. “What?”
“You didn’t know that? She still does and was disappointed when we broke up.”
“We were teenagers.”
“Doesn’t matter. You were her idea of the perfect daughter-in-law. After we broke up, she gave me the cold shoulder for a few weeks.”
Her mouth fell open. “Stop.”
“I swear. Ask Simone or Ella if you don’t believe me. I’m still not sure she’s forgiven me for screwing that up.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Ask her when you see her next week.”
“I’m not asking your mother that.” She side-eyed him.
Reese laughed, and Nina relaxed a little more. She could do this. She could be friends with him. They could go back to normal. They had to.
“I have an idea. How about I meet you over at my parents’ place, then you and I can get some ice cream and hit Centennial Park like we could have done if you’d let me know about your few trips back.”
She had returned to the States a handful of times over the past three years but never notified Reese. “How did you know I’ve been back?”
“Come on, you really think I didn’t know the times you came back?”
She should have known. They had mutual friends
, and Stephan and Lindsay were close.
“I know you came back and didn’t see me, didn’t call.”
Nina shifted guiltily. “They were short visits. I didn’t have time.”
“You could have made time. You could have called, but we’re not going to dwell on that. I’ll meet you at my parents’ house next week. But tonight, you owe me a dance.” He pushed back his chair and stood.
“Owe?”
“Yes. Since you never called when you visited over the years.”
“You don’t like to dance.”
Reese extended his hand. “I’m making an exception today. Don’t leave me hanging in front of all these people.”
“That’s blackmail.”
She placed her hand in his and instant electricity coursed through her palm. Heat flamed her chest, and on shaky legs, she followed behind Reese and noticed the eyes that tracked their movement to the dance floor, as if everyone who knew about their past watched to see the outcome of a simple dance.
She allowed him to pull her close, but when he rested his hands on her waist, she tensed.
“Relax. Put your arms around me,” Reese whispered. His mouth to her cheek was a ghost of a touch. She barely felt it, but her body throbbed with the scent of hops on his breath and the prospect of his lips on hers.
Her belly trembled as he squeezed her closer, turning them in a slow circle and smoothing his hands up and down her spine. They were standing too close—torso to torso, pelvis to pelvis, thigh to thigh.
Nina released a chest-stretching sigh of frustration and longing. How could he still do this to her after all this time? How could he still make her feel so much when she needed to have nerves of steel and wanted to be indifferent to the memories he reactivated in her mind. Memories that reminded her he wasn’t all bad.
He could be thoughtful and funny, and as a couple, he always did what other boys didn’t. Very affectionate, he held her hand and kissed her in public. If they were chilling on the sofa, he’d pull her legs across his as they watched TV, or their shoulders had to touch as they ate dinner beside each other in a booth. She didn’t always remember to reach for him, but he always remembered to reach for her—walking down the sidewalk, at the movies, or giving her fingers a squeeze of encouragement.
Deeper Than Love (Brooks Family Book 6) Page 4