Fireflies From Heaven (22 page)

“I’ll entertain
myself until Cora gets back, and then I’ll give her the same speech I gave you
except I’ll say ‘Jase’ instead of ‘Reed’.”

I smiled. “Sounds
like a plan.”

“Go get ‘em,”
Isabelle urged, lifting her shot to me in a salute.

As soon as I
got up, I discovered that I wasn’t unaffected by the four shots I’d had.
 
My head was light and my steps were
crooked, but the warm buzz I had going on made up for the rest. I stepped carefully
through the crowd, occasionally bumping into people, who didn’t seem to mind my
clumsiness.

“Wanna dance
Angel?”

I looked up at
the guy, whose foot I think I stepped on, and I smiled. “Maybe later,” I said,
knowing he’d forget all about me as soon as he set eyes on the next girl.

“Your loss,” he
answered easily, shaking his head.

Several more
steps brought me face-to-face with Reed, who’d just left the dance floor with
Bunny wrapped around his waist and her expensive boobs shoved against his
chest.

His shocked
expression would have been comical if I’d been in the mood to laugh, which I
was not.
 
Clearly, he hadn’t thought
I’d be at Shooters or maybe it was just that he didn’t think I’d confront him
while he had Bunny as back up. I was furious at him, and it didn’t matter that
we were broken up, but something in his eyes, it could have been relief,
soothed my temper slightly.

“Hi Reed.” I
spoke loud enough to be heard over the music since we weren’t standing that
close.

“Ellie,” Reed
said, acknowledging me.

Bunny’s eyes
narrowed and zipped down me, as if trying to determine if I’d be a threat to
her.
 
Surprisingly, she frowned and
shimmied her body seductively against Reed, roping her arms around his neck in
a gesture that clearly stated, ‘he’s mine’.
 
Only this time when she touched him,
Reed stepped back, taking her arms and setting her away from him. Bunny pouted.
Leaning down, he said something in her ear, which made her smile up at him and
reluctantly flounce away.

I did not miss
the warning look she shot at me before leaving. “Don’t get rid of your date on
my account,” I called to him, thinking Reed would be embarrassed or at least
regretful that I’d seen him with Bunny.

Instead, he
seemed irritated.
 
His boots ate the
distance between us, bringing him to my side, and I felt his hand settle firmly
in the small of my back. I stepped out of his reach and watched the surprise
play on his features. He also seemed hurt, but I wouldn’t allow myself to think
of that.

“Isn’t one date
enough for you?” I shot at him.

His dark brows
rose. “You think she’s my date?” He sounded incredulous.

“Okay, your
hookup,” I corrected, but Reed didn’t seem to like that term either.

He took a
cautious step toward me. “We need to talk.”

I shrugged, acting
as if it didn’t matter that he wanted to talk with me, and Reed took my hand,
leading me through the crowd. Where he was taking me I wasn’t sure, and I’d
have to wait to find out because he turned and pulled me into his arms when we
reached the dance floor.

“We haven’t done
this in a long time,” he told me, and I knew he was thinking of that night two
years ago.

I was thinking
about it too.

I loved how I
felt in his arms, one of his hands on my waist and the other holding mine.
 
My body was pressed against his as we
moved to the slow beat of the music. Every sense seemed magnified, my breasts
grazing his chest, the button of his jeans against my stomach and the feel of
my bare legs rubbing his jeans. Reed always smelled so good. I leaned against
his shoulder, feeling safe, as if I’d finally come home.

When the song
ended, Reed led me off the dance floor. Missing a step, I stumbled and his arm
caught me around the waist, and he glanced down at me. “How much have you had
to drink?”

“I few shots. Where
are we going?”

“Where do you
want to go?”

When I didn’t
answer right away, he led me outside onto the covered patio where a couple was
making out, others were just chilling, and a few were smoking.
 
He gestured toward a picnic table and in
a smooth move lifted me onto the top of it, facing him.

My eyes flew to
his leg, and I suddenly realized that Reed wasn’t limping.
 
I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed it before,
but I’d been too upset watching him with Bunny to see what should have been
obvious.

“You’re not
limping.”

His eyes caught
mine. “Does that make a difference?”

I wasn’t sure
what he meant. Taking a deep breath, I tried to focus, which was much harder
than I expected. “Of course it makes a difference.”

He nodded,
solemnly, and I wondered if I’d missed something. “Isabelle said you called
me.”

“I called a
dozen times and sent texts. I can understand your not wanting to talk to me,
but it still hurts.”

Something
flashed in his eyes. “If I’d have gotten any calls or texts from you, I would
have returned them. The only reason I haven’t called you is because I thought
you needed some time to figure things out.”

“It seems like
it’s you that needs to figure things out,” I told him, thinking of Bunny.

“What is that
supposed to mean?”

“The last two
times I’ve seen you, you’ve been with two different women. What happened with
Amber?”

He blinked as
if surprised I’d even brought her up. “Nothing happened with Amber, just like I
told you it wouldn’t.”

“I don’t
understand how you don’t notice how she feels about you.” My voice was edged
with frustration and disbelief.

“I’ve never
lied to you, Ellie. Nothing is going on with Amber. You didn’t need to try and scare
her off.”

I frowned.

“You let her
think I hit you.” I heard the accusation in his voice, and I was taken aback.
“Reed got a little rough with me during sex
last night. ‘I like it when he spanks me but some of the other things he’s into
are scary.’”

“You heard
that?” I asked, surprised. Luckily, I was able to keep a straight face.

“No. Amber told
me that,” he replied slowly.
 
I
couldn’t tell if he was amused or pissed or maybe a little of both.

I was
definitely angry. “I’ll bet she wouldn’t mind having rough sex with you.” Just
thinking about Reed doing anything sexual with any other woman caused a deep
pain in my gut.

Stepping
closer, Reed leaned into me so that he was close, but not touching me. “I don’t
mind a little rough sex, but I don’t hurt women.” His eyes burned into me. “Although
I’ve never met a woman that needed a spanking as much as you.”

My breath
caught, and I said breathlessly, “I’m sure Bunny would let you spank her.”

“Bunny?” He
cocked a brow.

“Your hook up,”
I reminded him, forgetting her name wasn’t actually Bunny.

The look on this
face would have been funny if I hadn’t been overwhelmed with jealousy.

“Is that her
name?” he asked.

“You don’t know
her name?” I shot back with disbelief.

“No. She and
her friend caught us on the way in, and we haven’t done that much talking.”

“You’ve had
your hands all over each other.” I heard the hurt and jealously in my voice,
and was sure he recognized it as well.

“My hands have
not been all over her,” he said deliberately, his eyes fastened on mine.

“You haven’t
discouraged her.”

Reed stepped
between my legs, leaning forward and placing a hand on either side of me on the
table. “No. But I’m not taking her home.”

It was
difficult to think when he was close enough to touch, and yet we weren’t. “Are
you taking anyone home?” My voice sounded shaky, and I knew I was partly afraid
of his answer.

His unwavering
gaze refused to release mine. “I don’t know. That depends on you,” he whispered
in a silky tone that made goose bumps pop on my skin. “Are you leaving with me,
Ellie?”

I hesitated,
thinking of Bunny. “I’m not sure what’s left to say.”

His eyes
dropped to my mouth. “We don’t have to talk,” he said, his tone making it clear
what he intended us to do tonight. I quivered with anticipation.

Maybe I should
have pretended to at least consider his suggestion before agreeing, but I wanted
him with a need that rocked me to my core, and it had been so long since he’d
touched me.
 
I pushed away thoughts
of Amber and Bambi and refused to think about what Reed was keeping from me. Sending
Cora and Isabelle a quick text, I followed Reed’s advice and asked Cora to see
if Jase needed a ride home since he’d come with Reed.

I did not think
of how Reed and I were not together or how different it would feel to have sex
with him instead of making love. Honestly, I only cared about being with him in
any way that I could.

Everything else
would have to take a backseat to that need.

We didn’t talk
on the way to his house.

The sexual
tension between us was hot and palpable, so it surprised me that he didn’t
touch me when we got to his house. Instead, he calmly offered me a drink.

I shook my
head, which was still fuzzy from the effects of the shots. Something bothered me
about his coolly detached attitude.

“You can go on
into the bedroom then. I’ll be there in a minute.” He didn’t even look at me.

It hurt. I
started to say something, but he’d already walked off. Pulling my phone from my
skirt pocket, my pride demanded I call Cora to come get me but my heart
overruled it and I went to Reed’s bedroom. I looked around the room, my gaze
pausing over the neatly made bed as I wondered what I should do.

Sitting down on
the bed, I waited anxiously.
 
Then I
got up and paced the room. My eyes snagged on a piece of paper sitting on Reed’s
nightstand.
 
It read, ‘Houston Plaza
Rm #211’ in a feminine handwriting.
 

My blood went
cold. Amber worked there.
 
He’d said
that Amber was helping him with something and my mind raced with possibilities.
 
It didn’t make sense that they’d rent a
room where she worked especially since they both had places of their own.

Lost in
thought, it took me a moment to realize Reed stood with his shoulder propped
against the doorframe, watching me.

“Changed your
mind?” he asked nonchalantly, as if it wouldn’t matter to him either way.

“No.”

Neither of us
moved.

Finally, Reed
spoke. “Take off your clothes.”

My heart
pounded in my ears and my chest rose and fell with each rapid breath as I tried
to decide what I should do, run or strip. I could listen to my pride or my
heart.

Standing up, I
reached for the hem of my tank top and pulled it over my head to reveal my
flesh-colored lace bra. His gaze briefly dropped to my breasts, showing no
emotion as he waited for me to undress. Unbuttoning the skirt, I let it fall
around my ankles and gently kicked it aside, my eyes lifting to Reed’s.

“I want you
naked.” His eyes flashed hotly, and I thought that he was challenging me.

I hesitated
only a moment before I slid the straps of my bra down my shoulders and shimmied
the bra down my body, catching my panties and leaving me completely bared to
him. Resisting the urge to cover myself, I stood naked before him and didn’t
bother to remove my boots because I knew he liked them on.

He nodded
toward the bed. “Get on your hands and knees,” he ordered me.

The visual his
words created sent a trail of heat in my lower body, but I didn’t move. “What
about you?”

Amusement
briefly glinted in his eyes before they once again became impassive. “It won’t
work if I’m on my hands and knees.”

I blinked. “It
won’t work with your clothes on either.”

A smile tugged
at the corners of his mouth. “Ellie, if you want to have sex, get on the bed and
get on your hands and knees.”

I think he was testing
me, maybe trying to see how far he could push me but I didn’t care. His words
turned me on, and I walked to the bed and did ask he asked. I still trusted
Reed. Hearing his sharp intake of breath, I realized that he had not thought I
would obey him.

Naked on my
hands and knees and exposed to him, I waited.
 
Each sound prickled my senses, his boots
on the hardwood floor, him unfastening his belt and jeans, unzipping them. I
shivered with each sound.

“Ellie?”

I heard the
question in his voice, knew that he wouldn’t touch me unless I gave him some
sign that I was okay. “I’m waiting,” I said softly.

The bed sank
with his weight. He brushed my hair from my neck as his hands slid down my back
and cupped my butt. Everywhere he touched me my skin tingled. I was already
soaking wet even before he slipped his hand between my legs and sank a finger
into me, stroking my sweet spot.

I moaned
softly.

He groaned.

His hands
gripped my hips and he entered me, taking me hard and fast.
 
My hands gripped the comforter, and I
held on for each thrust until I shattered and cried out his name. Somewhere in
the fog of my ecstasy I think Reed called my name as well.

When it was
over I waited for him to pull me into his arms and settle me against his chest,
but he didn’t do that. He got off the bed and I turned over to see him
fastening his jeans.

“Get dressed. I’ll
take you home.” His tone was impersonal, and he didn’t even look at me.

I swallowed
back a knot of emotion, determined not to show him that he’d hurt me. “Okay.” I
managed to keep the one word calm and controlled.

Reed strode
from the room and didn’t look back. I got dressed quickly, wanting to be away
from him before I broke down. I was angry and hurt and disappointed, but I was
determined that Reed not know any of those things. To my dismay, I felt tears sting
the backs of my eyes but I refused to let them fall.

I found him in
the living room with his back to me, looking out the window at the dark forest,
silent and still.
 
He must have
heard me approach because he turned. I didn’t wait for him to say anything,
just turned and headed outside, unwilling to allow him even a glimpse of the
pain he’d caused.

I needn’t have
worried. Reed didn’t even look at me as we got into his truck. We didn’t talk
on the way to my place, but the tension between us was intense, the silence
uncomfortable.
 

“I forgot to
thank you,” I told him when he pulled into my apartment complex. He glanced at
me cautiously, as if not sure what to expect. “I appreciate you getting my job
back.”

“You should
never have lost it.”

“Thanks for
that and for tonight.”

For the first
time since we’d had sex, Reed looked at me. “What do you want from me, Ellie?”
he asked harshly.

“I’m fine with
the no strings attached sex,” I lied.

He smirked. “I’ll
call you the next time I’m horny and need a good fuck.”

I gasped before
I could stifle it, and Reed’s eyes flashed hotly. My temper spiked. “You do
that, Reed. And if I need a good fuck, I might call you. Or not.” I shoved open
the truck door and hopped out as Reed called my name.

I made it to
the stairway before he caught my arm and turned me to face him. “It’s not okay
for me to call you if I want to fuck?” I practically shouted at him.

“None of this
shit is okay with me, Ellie. I’m tired of playing games. If you want us to be
fuck buddies, I’m sure as hell not turning you down, but don’t look at me like
I’ve hurt you when I offered everything and you threw it all way.”

His hands
gripped my arms a little too tightly, but I was too pumped up to notice and so
was he.
 
“I didn’t want us to break
up! I was confused about your feelings for Amber.
 
I knew if you weren’t sure now you’d
regret it later and breaking up would hurt worse then.”

“You don’t even
know that we would have broken up.
 
Ellie, you can’t control the future and breaking up with me because
you’re afraid it might happen later on is crazy. I don’t even think you realize
that.”

Unfortunately,
I’d realized it a little late.
 
Still, something bothered me about Reed and Amber.
 
“Something is going on with you and
Amber.
 
What happened in room 211?”

His expression
registered surprise and guilt. “Not what you think.”

“Let go of me
Reed.”

Neither of us
moved.

“Step away from
her, sir,” ordered an unfamiliar voice.

We both turned
at see a young security guard watching us warily. “Take your hands off of her,”
the guard ordered Reed with a little more force in his voice than the first
command.

Reed’s eyes
locked on my face. He let go of me and looked down at the red marks on my arms
and I saw his shock and regret.

“Should I call
the police?” the guard asked me nervously.

“No,” I said
quickly. “Please, it’s okay.
 
We
were just talking.”

The guard’s
frown deepened. “One of the tenants called to complain. Ma’am, are you hurt?””

Reed winced. I
saw the regret in his eyes and it tore at my heart.

“No,” I replied
firmly. Then I turned my attention to Reed. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“I’m sorry,
Ellie.” Reed backed away from me.
 
When
he turned to go I didn’t stop him. Our relationship was like an open wound, and
we’d picked at it enough for today.

“What happened
between you and Reed?” Isabelle asked the next day, while we sat in a Mexican
restaurant waiting for our order.

“We talked,” I
told her, scooping salsa on a tortilla chip. “He took me home.”

“And?” She
motioned for me to continue.

“It didn’t end
well.” That was an understatement, but I figured Isabelle would appreciate the
censorship. She definitely didn’t need to know that we’d almost ended the night
by having the police called on us.

 
“Reed said the same thing.” She checked
her cell phone. “He’s also asking how you’re doing, which is weird.”

“He’s texting
you now?”

 
She nodded. “What should I tell him?”

“Tell him I’m
great.”

“What the hell
happened between you two last night?”

I sighed. “I
went home with him and I found a room number at the Houston Plaza written in a
woman’s handwriting.”

Isabelle
frowned. “Did you ask him about it?”

“Yes. He said
it wasn’t what I thought.”

“That’s odd.
You should have made him explain.”

“I would have,
but someone called security on us.” I saw Isabelle’s eyes widen. “We were
arguing when the guard showed up.”

“Wow. Sounds
like an interesting night. At least no one called the cops.”

“That’s
standard by which I judge all my dates. ‘At least no one called the cops.’”

Isabelle
laughed.

I looked at her,
unsure if I should ask what I was thinking. Taking a deep breath, I said, “Isabelle,
are you and Reed spending Thanksgiving with Amber’s family?”

She seemed
instantly wary. “Yes, we always do. Is that what you’re upset about?

“A little, yes,”
I admitted. “Amber told me how much she loves Reed. She asked me to give them
some time to work things out.”

Isabelle stared
at me, clearly shocked. “She said that to you? That does it.” Her fingers moved
quickly over her phone.

“What are you
doing?”

“You and Reed
are going to work this out today.” A moment later she said, “He’ll be here in
ten minutes.”

When I shot her
a puzzled look, she explained, “I told him that you were crying and I couldn’t
calm you down.
 
Don’t be mad.”

“You did not
say that!” She looked totally serious.

“Actually, I
did,” she said unapologetically.

“He’s going
think I’m pathetic.”

“Ellie, my
brother is so in love with you that it wouldn’t matter even if he did think
that.” Our food had arrived and she waited until the waiter sat it down to
continue. “I’m sorry that Amber did that. I’ve never known her to be that
selfish.”

“She didn’t
make me break up with Reed.” I wasn’t angry with Amber. She was honest with me
and I, foolishly, listened to her instead of my own heart.

“You’re the sweetest
person I know. If another woman had done that to me, I’d be pissed.”

“I am but
mostly at myself.”

“Ellie, it is
you.”

I turned at the
syrupy sweet voice and was surprised to see Brooke and Davis with Aunt Lacy and
Uncle Jonathon.

I stood up and
said hi to everyone.
 
Brooke and
Uncle Jonathon hugged me first. Davis hugged me next, and Aunt Lacy leaned over
and placed a fake kiss against my cheek, but she didn’t actually touch me.
 
I introduced Aunt Lacy and Uncle
Jonathon to Isabelle. Brooke and Isabelle were already acquainted.

Once the
introductions were out of the way the conversation came to an awkward pause.

“I didn’t know
you liked Mexican food,” I told them, mostly because I had nothing else to say.
“This place is the best.”

Aunt Lacy scrunched
her face up. “Davis’ parents picked the restaurant.”

Isabelle and I
exchanged a look. “Oh. Well, it’s great,” I replied awkwardly.

Aunt Lacy
looked down her nose at me. “You are certainly looking better than the last
time we saw you.”

“Thank you,” I
managed to say politely.

Uncle Jonathon
looked puzzled, and Aunt Lacy whispered something in his ear.

“I hope you’re
not getting back together with that boyfriend,” Brooke said, shaking her head.

Isabelle frowned
at Brooke and shot me a questioning look.

“Brooke, I told
you I fell. It was an accident.”

She shook her
head sadly, as if I was in denial, and I saw that Aunt Lacy believed as her
daughter did. So, I’m afraid, did Uncle Jonathon. He usually went along with
whatever Aunt Lacy or Brooke did.

“Her boyfriend
didn’t beat her up,” Isabelle snapped irritably.

“You really should
get some help, Ellie,” Aunt Lacy told me. Brooke hastily agreed with her.

“Why does Ellie
need help?” Reed asked, coming up beside me.

Startled, I
turned and my heart leapt at the sight of him.

“Because she’s been
abused by you,” Isabelle said dryly. “Have you met Ellie’s cousin Brooke and
her aunt and uncle?”

“I’ve met
Brooke,” Reed replied, nodding in acknowledgment.