Reed (Allen Securities)

by Madison Stevens

  He opened the doors to his room and felt, more than heard, her shift behind him.

  “This is my room,” he said as he made his way in. “I’ll take the couch.”

  Reed walked into the bathroom and breathed in a large sigh. This was proving harder than he thought. The pain in his side radiated along the whole area, and the head injury was causing some dizziness. If he didn’t get some ibuprofen soon, he might actually need to take that trip to the hospital. He rummaged through the cabinet until the bottle came into view. Shaky, he dumped a few into his hand and chewed them up.

  After splashing some water on his face, he looked at his appearance in the mirror. The bruise was going to take some time to heal. Ash and soot covered him from head to toe. Since he had to remove his shirt and pants, the grime had hit places that should have been covered.

  It had been a close call this time. He was just lucky that Olivia had acted as quickly as she had. This wasn’t his first brush with death, but it was the first time he hadn’t wanted it to happen. The last time he had his world kicked out from under him. He gripped the counter until his fingers turned white. That bastard Neil was going to pay.

  Reed bowed his head and took in deep breaths as he tried to control his anger. His heart leapt when a warm hand tugged gently on his shoulder. Without a thought, he let Olivia lead him back to the room.

  He was too worn to struggle.

  She gently pushed him to sit on the bed. He fell with little grace and winced when he hit the bed hard. Olivia stooped to help with his boots. Reed watched as her nimble fingers worked the laces and tugged at the heavy boots. He sighed when her cool fingers slipped into his socks. There really wasn’t a reason it felt so good, but he suspected there was a part of him that liked being taken care of.

  When she had taken off both socks, she went to his bathroom. He heard the slap of cabinets as she made her way around the room and the sound of running water. Olivia came back in with a washcloth and a few other items he couldn’t really see.

  Focused on the task at hand, she set to cleaning off the black grime. When she had gotten his leg and arms mostly clean, she disappeared into the bathroom again. Clean cloth in hand she started in on his chest, gingerly swiping across the damaged area. When he hissed, she looked up at him.

  “You probably should have gone to the hospital,” she said. Worry was evident in her eyes.

  “No point,” he said. “It’s not broken. Nothing they could have done.”

  “They could have given you some pain killers,” she said quietly, inspecting the little blisters.

  Reed shook his head. “Can’t have dulled senses right now.”

  Olivia stilled her hand and looked at him once again.

  “Are we in that much danger?” Her lip quivered as she spoke.

  “We could be,” he said honestly. “Neil’s involved with the Russians. They aren’t the kind of men you want to mess with.”

  “I gathered,” she said, as she rubbed ointment over the blisters.

  “What has Ben got to do with all this?” she asked.

  Reed sighed. “Ben tried to blackmail a very important person and ended up getting double-crossed. Any more than that and it would put you at too much risk. The less you know, the better.”

  Reed watched fascinated as she tended to the bruise, coating the blisters with an antibiotic ointment. She pulled out some gauze packets and tape. When she had finished, he continued to stare at the bandage.

  He nearly jumped off the bed when her cool fingers skimmed a cut on his eyebrow.

  “Hold still,” she said firmly.

  Her warm vanilla scent once again enveloped him and calmed his overactive nerves. He was surprised there was any left after the night’s events and soot. It was really silly that he would be nervous at all. It wasn’t like she was trying to put the moves on her. Reed just prayed that his dick wouldn’t develop a mind of its own and decide to make a visit.

  He winced when she pinched the cut. The cool washcloth was a relief. Then her prodding finger was back slicking more antibiotics. When she put the butterfly bandage on, he dared to open his eyes.

  Her face was close to his and deep in concentration. His heart leapt at her nearness. He could see the paleness of her eyes that were yellowed along the pupil, turning the edges an odd shade of green. A light smattering of freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. It wasn’t something he noticed unless right up next to her.

  When she skimmed the cut on his lip, he inhaled sharply. Her eyes found his own. He could see her breath quicken. The short puffs of air hit him hard as his gaze slid to her own mouth. Her tongue darted as she licked them and he groaned. The evidence of his arousal was prominently standing between them. Her kneeling in front of him wasn’t helping matters.

  He warred with himself. The logical side said it was a bad idea to get involved with a woman like her, but the more primal side was winning out.

  His heart nearly leapt out of his chest when she spoke.

  “I don’t think you should sleep on the couch.”

  The air stilled between him as his heart beat wildly. He swallowed the lump in the throat.

  “You don’t?” he croaked out. Reed cursed the excitement that coursed through him at spending a night with her.

  Olivia leaned back and shook her head.

  “I’m fairly sure you have a concussion.” She stood, and he felt some of the excitement wane. “You should sleep near me, so I can check on you.”

  Reed stared into her earnest eyes and knew he wouldn’t win this one. He could only hope she hadn’t seen his excitement.

  “Okay,” he said finally.

  Olivia nodded and stood.

  “I’m going to take a shower. If you need me, just yell.” She walked to his closet and pulled down a t-shirt. “I’ll need to borrow this. Maybe tomorrow you could have your sister stop by.”

  Reed nodded and watched her softly walk into the bathroom.

  Standing in front of the foggy mirror, Olivia found it hard to slow her overactive pulse. Reed was not the sort of man she wanted to be involved with. He seemed to seek out trouble, and that was the last thing she wanted in her life. Or so she thought. But the very idea that a man like him wanted her made her slick with need.

  She wiped down the mirror and stared at her reflection. It wasn’t like she had been lying about the concussion, but did she really need to sleep in the same bed as him? She could have just as easily suggested she sit in the living room while he slept.

  The very idea of curling up in the same bed as him made her hungry to run her fingers over his body once again. Her fingers still tingled from exploring his thick, corded muscles. It was amazing how much movement she could feel just from him sitting there. She wondered how they would feel to touch if his was working himself over her.

  Olivia blushed at the thought. No, there was no way she should be thinking about getting intimate with this man. It didn’t matter if he was walking sex and made her want to thank God for her little brother being so stupid. This man would get her into some serious trouble. Seriously, sinfully, mind-blowing trouble.

  She groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. It was obvious he didn’t have any regular female guests over. Not an ounce of anything fruity in the whole place. And she had checked. His musky male soap surrounded her and made her even more aroused that previously.

  There was just something about this man that set her off. As much as she hated to admit it, the commanding way he carried himself sparked something in her that she didn’t even know existed.

  After pushing the thoughts out of her mind, Olivia picked up the t-shirt and slipped it on. The man liked a good t-shirt apparently. The soft material indicated that this was no five-dollar buy. She scolded herself for even thinking it. The poor girl inside her felt the sting of never being able to afford nice things. Even now, she had worked so hard for everything she had.

  A tear slipped down her face as she thought of the way her possessions had been treated.
There wasn’t going to be much a chance of salvaging anything from that mess. She was just glad she had gotten the renter’s insurance, but it was going to be a mess that she dreaded dealing with.

  Not dwelling on it further, Olivia quietly opened the door to the bathroom. The bedroom was quiet except for the steady breathing of Reed. When she shut off the bathroom light, the room was plunged into darkness. Despite the early morning hours, the curtains kept the room in total darkness.

  She stumbled around the room. She was doing fine until her injured foot hit a very large boot. With a yelp, she fell squarely on her butt. As she sat rubbing her swollen ankle, she heard the rustle of the sheets and cursed her clumsiness. She jumped when Reed squatted next to her, his silhouette just barely visible.

  “Who’s taking care of who?” he chuckled.

  She started to protest when he scooped her up but found she really didn’t have the energy to fight him on this. His warm strong arms wrapped her in such a gentle way that she wondered if his embrace would be like this. He gently deposited her on the bed. She nearly shot off the bed when a cold bag was placed on her ankle.

  “Keep it on. It hurts like hell, but if you don’t ice it now, it’s really going to be in bad shape when you wake up,” he said. His gruff voice circled the bed, and she felt his side dip.

  Olivia’s heart leapt at being in the same bed as this man.

  “How is your head?” she squeaked out.

  He grunted a noncommittal response, and she assumed it likely hurt as much as her ankle.

  “Thanks,” she said to the darkness. The silence that met her only made her nerves less hinged. “Do you think we’ll find him?” she asked after some time.

  She could hear him sigh and shift her direction.

  “Yes,” he said in a low groggy voice.

  “Okay,” she whispered. “Goodnight, Reed.”

  Another grunt met her. She smiled. At least she wasn’t alone in this battle.

  Chapter Six

  Olivia sighed contentedly as she snuggled down into the warmth of her bed and froze when her covers gave a sigh in return. The warmth surrounding her pulled her in deeper, and she could feel him pressed against the length of her. Somehow they had taken to spooning. Not that she was complaining. Much of the sleep she spent shivering, longing for a blanket. It was the first time she had felt warm.

  Not to mention the delicious feeling being pressed against a man like Reed elicited. She knew her body was turned toward his with his shoulder pillowing her head with his massive muscles. His arm was wrapped possessively around her waist, pulling her further into his body. Olivia nearly gasped when she felt the ridge of something else poking into her stomach.

  It was exciting to know that she could cause a reaction like that in him. Granted, he likely had no idea it was her but still. She nearly groaned when he shifted and rubbed himself against her. Olivia’s nipples hardened at the contact. Two hard peaks pressed firmly against him. As if sensing her reaction, he moved again to create friction. The soft fabric from the shirt wasn’t enough, and she wished he would just reach under and help her out.

  “Reed?” Reed and Olivia froze when a woman called out. Her eyes shot to his face, and she was surprised to find his eyes wide open and blazing with passion.

  “Reed, I brought you some din—” The door to the room flew open.

  An older woman stared at the two wound in each other’s arms. Both broke and scrambled to put some distance.

  “I didn’t realize you had company,” she said, eyeing Reed with a glint in her eye.

  “This is Olivia, Mom,” he said, slipping out of bed and putting on a new pair of jeans. “She’s working with us on case.”

  When she found Reed’s eyes, she saw the silent plea to play along.

  “Is that what you’re calling it?” Olivia looked back at the older woman in horror. Last thing she wanted was for this woman to think she was like that. Not that it should have matter, but somehow it did.

  “Hello, ma’am. My name is Olivia Cross,” she said shyly from the bed.

  “And how long have you and Reed been together?” Her curly salt and peppered auburn hair bounced as she looked between the two.

  “Oh it really isn’t like that,” Olivia said to Mrs. Allen. “You see, I just wanted to make sure I was near Reed in case he had a concussion.”

  “Damn,” Reed muttered from the closet.

  “Concussion.” Mrs. Allen turned ashen at the comment. “And what the hell were you doing that would give you a concussion?”

  Her dark green dress billowed around her as she stormed to the closet. When Reed came out, his eyes sought Olivia. She knew by the dark expression that she was going to hear about this later.

  “Let’s go make some coffee, Mom, and I’ll tell you about it.” Reed ushered the woman out of the room and then turned to Olivia.

  “These should fit you well enough,” he said and tossed sweatpants and a t-shirt on the bed before closing the door.

  Olivia threw herself back on the bed and listened to the murmur of them talking as they made their way to the kitchen. She smiled. His mother seemed like the kind of woman that would raise a man like Reed. Her smile faded as she thought about the position they had been in earlier. She didn’t have a ton of experience, but it was clear the path they had been on. As she thought about it, she wondered how long he had been awake. Thinking he had chosen to proceed made her stomach flutter. Not question, she wanted him. Question was, how much?

  She slowly made her way out of the bed and into the bathroom. A few minor bruises had sprung up overnight on her cheek and eyebrow. She touched them gingerly and assessed the damage. Not as bad as it could have been. When she had seen that car coming at her side, she was sure she wouldn’t make it out. Reed had wrapped her so tightly in his arms that the impact wasn’t near as bad as it should have been.

  The smell of coffee made its way under the door and beckoned to her. She took off the borrowed t-shirt and slipped the one Reed had thrown on the bed. She wasn’t keen on wearing her bra for a second day but until she met up with Meg, she was at the mercy of whatever Reed might have.

  Grimacing, she took off her panties and decided going commando was better than the alternative. She slipped on the smaller sweatpants and cinched up the string as far as it would go.

  Olivia looked at herself in the mirror. No, she wouldn’t be winning any beauty contests, but it was decent.

  She made her way slowly to the kitchen, taking in all the things she hadn’t had a chance to view last night. On the whole, the place was very minimal except for all the photos covering the wall. The man might seem very closed off in so many ways, but if his photo collection was any indication, he loved his family very much.

  Olivia smiled at all the happy photos. A twinge of jealously tugged at her heart. The one thing she had always longed for was a large loving family. Her mother had been a disappointment and her father an absentee. Neither side had much to do with them and had never made a point of reaching out to her. She knew the school had tried more than once, but no one stepped in to help. As far as she was concerned, there was her brother, and that would just have to do.

  When she reached the kitchen, Mrs. Allen was busy at work getting the food placed on the table. Reed was pulling out dishes from the cabinet.

  “Can I help with anything?” Olivia said from the door.

  “Oh dear,” the older woman came at her and wrapped her in a warm hug. “You poor thing. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m just fine, Mrs. Allen.” Olivia awkwardly hugged the woman.

  “Marilyn,” she interjected. “Now you come right over here and sit down. I always make Reed way too much since I know he won’t slow down to cook.”

  Marilyn shot her son a dirty look, and Olivia had to take a drink of her coffee to keep from laughing. He snorted when she dared to look at him over the top of her cup. Despite the solemn expression, his eyes twinkled with amusement.

  “Maybe I don’t cook,
so you’ll bring over dinner,” he said with a smirk.

  Marilyn stopped and stared at Reed. Olivia wondered what thoughts produced the bewildered expression on her face.

  “I was just teasing, Mom,” Reed said. The uncomfortable silence lingered for a bit longer before Marilyn spoke.

  “It’s just been such a long time since I’ve seen you happy,” she said quietly.

  As she looked between the two of them, Olivia could see the wheels turning.

  “Don’t,” Reed said tightly.

  The shrill tones of a cell cut through the silence in the room. Reed pulled the phone out of his pocket, and he eyed the two women before walking into the living room.

  “Don’t let him get to you, dear,” Marilyn said as she placed the steaming lasagna on the table. “He’s had a tough time recently and can’t seem to forgive himself.”

  “What happened?” Olivia leaned toward Marilyn. She knew she really had no business knowing what happened. It wasn’t like the two of them were lovers, but she just couldn’t help herself. Something about Reed was drawing her in, and she had to know if he was a man she could trust.

  Marilyn turned to her with sad eyes. Whatever had happened still haunted this family in so many ways. She opened her mouth to speak but blanched.

  Olivia could feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and she knew what had made the older woman pale. Slowly, she turned to stare into the blazing eyes of Reed.

  His lips formed a hard line on his face and jaw ticked. The anger that radiated off of him was raw and menacing.

  “We need to go to the office,” he gritted out to her, his eyes never leaving her own.

  A flush crept through her. It was clear he had heard her intrusive question. Not that it was really out of line, but she was sure that she had crossed this boundary of what is acceptable.

  Marilyn jumped up from the table and busied herself with the food.

  “Meg is bringing your bag to the office,” he said, his anger still hanging in the air.

  She breathed a sigh at being able to put on her own clothes but nearly choked when she realized she would have to make the trip minus her panties. It was bad enough having to go around his house like this but out in public?