The Love Series Complete Box Set (56 page)

“You spent way too long bottling up how you’re feeling and if we’re being honest here, that played as much of a part in us fighting as my stupidity.” He eyes me and I nod my agreement. I know that I’m just as much to blame as he is, if not even more.

“Here’s the thing, Maddy. This internship isn’t just about me. It’s isn’t about you or us. I have to take it. Even though it’s going to kill me to be away from you, from this place,” he waves in the general direction of the apartment we just toured, “I have to take the job. For Shane.”

If it’s possible, I love him even more.

I take his hands in mine and bring them up to my lips. My foolishness is forgotten and I scold myself for thinking his taking the job had anything to do with not wanting to be with me.

Reid pulls his hands from mine and cups my cheek gently in his palm. “Maddy, I want to be here with you, but I can’t. I owe it to him. Fuck, I owe him more than I can ever give him. If I can help just one kid as a result of this job . . . if I can help one person for the rest of my lifetime, then maybe in some way, I can feel less guilty about everything that happened with Shane.” His words are shaking with emotion.

Taking stock of the situation, I realize that taking this job will help him heal the wounds of his past just as much as it will help me heal mine.

Removing his hand from my face, I pull it to my lips one more time. “Then we’ll find a way to make it work. I’m sorry for doubting you. I’m working through my issues too. Let’s think about the apartment for a while. We don’t need to make any decisions right now anyway.”

He nods and says, “Okay,” but I can hear the hurt in his voice. I do want to live with him; it’s just a lot to take in right now.

We exchange a bittersweet smile. We’re both so wounded in so many ways, and both so willing to learn how to stay together.

By the time we get home, Momma is there already. She’s gone a little crazy making Christmas cookies and decorating. The whole house looks like Buddy the Elf paid a visit.

Walking into the kitchen, she pulls me into a tight embrace and asks, “How did everything go?”

I know that she was more nervous about the doctor’s appointment than she let on. “It was great. We saw the baby and heard the heartbeat and everything.” Reid says as he shows her the sonogram and Momma all but glows with pride and happiness.

I take stock of the scene unfolding in the kitchen. There’s flour and eggshells scattered all over the counters and the sink is overflowing with dishes. “Went a little overboard, huh?” I elbow her playfully in the side and she eyes the scene.

“Well, I just . . . I guess I just wanted to make it special.” Her eyes meet Reid’s and no other words are needed. She’s giving him the holiday he never had, just like he did for me.

Having his fair share of emotional conversation for the day, Reid kisses Momma on the cheek and excuses himself to go unload the Jeep.

“Thanks, Momma. You’re like a fairy Godmother or something like that.” I wrap my arm around her waist and she pulls me to her side.

Brushing off my words, she says, “Oh, it’s nothing. Now help me get this last batch out of the oven.”

As I’m bending down to pull out a tray, Reid comes back into the kitchen with his bag slung over his shoulder. I catch him checking out my ass and shake it teasingly for him. Momma, who I thought was facing the sink, catches our little exchange and laughs at us.

Reid drops his bag in the entry way and stands in the doorway of the kitchen staring at the two of us decorating cookies. Clueless is a word that would best describe the look on his face.

He literally looks like he’s afraid to offer to help, his manhood obviously in question. I laugh at him and roll my eyes as I walk across the room to the refrigerator. I pull out a beer, twist off the top and as I hand it to him, I say, “Go in the den. Turn on the television and go watch a game or something. We’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

“Thanks, babe.” He kisses the top of my head and struts away and down the two steps that lead to the den.

When he’s out of hearing range, I turn to Momma to clarify something that’s been on my mind. There’s really no subtle way to go about this, but I don’t want to be disrespectful. “Can I ask you something?”

My unsure question draws her attention away from the stack of dishes in which she’s trying to make a dent. Wiping her hands on a dishtowel, she leans against the counter and says, “Sure, sweetie. What’s up?”

“Well, I just wanted to know . . . I mean . . . where did you want Reid to . . . um . . . sleep tonight?” My voice cracks a little on the word sleep and she just laughs at me.

“You’re funny, Maddy.” She scoffs lightly. “Where do you think he should stay?” I take a seat at the table and she slides up next to me. I weigh the options of her test here.

It’s not the answer I want to say, but it’s what I know I have to say. “He can sleep in the den. I don’t want to be disrespectful.” She leans forward across the table and takes my hands in hers. Patting the top of my hands lightly, she says, “Good choice, Maddy. Good choice. Now, go get him some linens and let him know that dinner is almost done.”

As I walk into the den, sheets in hand, Reid eyes me suspiciously. I shrug my shoulders and say, “So it looks like you’re on the couch tonight.” I hand him the sheets and pull a spare blanket and pillow out of the hope chest.

Handing them to him, he arches an eyebrow, and says, “Sure, no problem. I’ll sleep out here.” When he emphasizes the word sleep, I get the distinct feeling that he’s got something up his sleeve.

Before I have the chance to ask him what’s going on in his head, Momma calls us back into the kitchen for dinner. As I’m pulling plates out of the cabinet, Momma tells us that Mel won’t be joining us. She’s out again and as much as I want to say “it’s no big deal,” I can’t help but worry about my best friend.

Over the course of dinner, the three of us talk about everything—the upcoming holiday, the doctor’s appointment, the possible apartment. I’m not surprised that Momma’s reaction to the apartment is a mixture of joy and sadness.

By nine o’clock, Momma leaves us in the den as we finish watching some syndicated sitcom. By ten p.m., I can no longer keep my eyes open. I kiss Reid goodnight, and even though I want to feel disappointed that he won’t be sleeping next to me tonight, I feel ecstatic knowing that at least he’s under the same roof.

Chapter 15

Saturday December 22, 2012

A loud thud at the front door makes me jolt off of the couch at around two in the morning. I hear keys jangling and someone saying “shhh” over and over again. The coat rack topples over and I hear, “Oh, shit!”

It’s Melanie and she’s piss-ass drunk, stumbling all over the place. She can barely keep herself up. I meet her at the end of the entry way and she gasps in shock. I guess she forgot I was staying here.

“You scared the shit out me, Reid,” she slurs. This is so not like Melanie. Maddy is right; something is going on with this girl, but now is not the time to figure out what.

I wrap my arm around her waist to support her drunken weight and help her up the stairs. She loses her balance a few times, but we manage to make it to her room in one piece. When she sits down on the bed, almost instantly, she flops backwards. She’s out cold.

I take her shoes off and somehow get her coat off as well. I throw a blanket on her and leave her a glass of water and a few Advil on her nightstand. She’s going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow, and if Maddy has anything to say about it, Mel is going to have lots of explaining to do as well.

Exiting Mel’s room, I softly close the door behind me and stand in the middle of the quiet hallway. Miraculously, no one else woke up. Hmm, if Momma can sleep through that . . .

I open Maddy’s door as quietly as possible and hope to God that I don’t trip over anything as I make my way to her bed. She’s curled on her side, hands tucked under her cheek. Her hair is all over the place and her face looks so peaceful. She is so fucking beautiful. It’s moments like these that I really can’t believe she’s all mine. I tuck a piece of hair that’s draped across her cheek behind her ear. She stirs slightly and mumbles my name.

She’s dreaming about me. My face splits with a wide smile knowing that she’s thinking about me.

I rid myself of my clothes—flannel pants and a T-shirt—and climb into the bed behind her. She reacts to the movement in the bed, but not enough to wake up completely. When I’m spooned up against her from behind, my desire blooms.

I want her.

Now.

I slip the thin strap of her tank-top down her shoulder a little and trace my fingers lightly over her skin. Needing to taste her, to lick her soft skin, I press my lips where my fingers just traced. She leans into my kiss, but she’s still not entirely awake. I’m curious to see what it will take to wake her up at this point.

Moving up from her shoulder, I kiss and nip along her neck. When I get to her ear, I pull the lobe between my teeth and bite at it tenderly. Laving over the same spot, I then kiss the outer shell of her ear. Goosebumps spread like wildfire across her skin and she shimmies her ass into my groin.

Pulling her tightly to me, I splay my hand out over her belly and melt a little when I realize it’s softer and a tiny bit rounded where it used to be flat and hard.

I trace the elastic at the top of her panties and when I have them pulled down a few inches, she comes to and realizes that I’m behind her. She gasps in shock and I lean into her ear again. “Shh. Be quiet,” I coo softly and her body relaxes instantly from its momentary panic.

She gladly assists me in sliding her panties the rest of the way over her hips and down her legs. She rolls over to face me and I pull both of the straps from her tank top down to expose her breasts, which have grown noticeably larger in the last few weeks.

Maddy arches her back, pressing her tender tips into my calloused palms. “Please, touch me, Reid. God, I’ve missed you.” Her voice is pitched low—a sultry whisper that makes my length harden and pulse.

I push her flat on her back and let my hands explore her body. My thumbs brush over her nipples and she convulses beneath me. Needing to taste more of her, I let my tongue dart out at her collar bone. Licking hot, wet, circles, I follow a path across to the other side of her body and when she seems like she can’t take any more of my tongue’s delicious torture, I descend lower to the upper curve of her breast. She pushes up into my face, trying to get some relief from the tightening and puckering of her sensitive buds, and I shake my head admonishingly.

I shift so that I’m now straddling her hips. Holding her in place, I whisper into her ear, “You’re mine, Maddy. Now, stop moving, or I’m going to have to tie you to this bed to keep you in place.” I haven’t been able to shake the image of her bound to the bed while I lick every inch of her body out of my head since she teased about it the other day.

It’s too dark in the room to see her face react to my threat, but when she bucks her pelvis up into mine, I
tsk
at her and bounce off the bed.

Her robe is hanging on the back of her door. I pull the belt from its loops and straddle Maddy once more. I pull her up to sit before me and drag her tank over her head. We lock eyes momentarily and we silently ask and answer the question about this—me tying her up and her trusting me. Her breathing has changed and her body feels hot, scorching really, under my touch. She willingly lies back down and bares her naked body to me.

Clouds move in the sky and the bright moonlight shines through the window next to her bed. The bluish glow illuminates her skin and she looks more beautiful than ever as her skin shimmers and sparkles for me.

I pull her arms above her head, and looping the belt through the wrought-iron head board, I bind her wrists so that she can no longer move. I slip my finger between her skin and the soft, cotton fabric of the belt to make sure nothing is pinching her.

Placing my lips directly to her ear, I kiss her sweetly and say, “I can’t wait to taste you. A week is way too long to wait for this.” She squirms as my hot breath tickles her neck and ear. “Now, you have to be quiet and don’t move.” She moans my name and I press a finger to her lips. “Shh. Now. You don’t want to spoil this by waking everyone up now, do you?”