Chapter 24 Hazel #2
Would we both be sleeping there? He hadn’t said as much, but he also hadn’t said anything against it. Frankly, there was nothing I wanted more than to curl up next to Reid all night. It would be the ideal ending to an already perfect evening.
When I stepped back into the room, Reid had changed into old sweats with a hole in the thigh and a threadbare t-shirt. He nodded at me. “You can have the bed. I’ll take the loveseat.”
My heart dropped a little. “No way. You’re too tall. I’ll take the couch.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m not letting you sleep on the couch.”
“I’m not letting you sleep on the couch.”
He sighed and glanced from me to the bed. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, my heart hammering in my chest.
“We could both sleep here,” I offered, voice shakier than I wanted it to be.
His gaze flew back to mine. “Are you sure?” Did I detect a hint of hope in his tone?
“Definitely. There’s plenty of room.” I padded to one side of the bed and moved the covers.
There wasn’t actually all that much room, but I had absolutely zero issue with pressing our bodies against each other tonight.
It was chilly down here and I could hear the faint sound of the wind whistling outside through the egress window.
“If you’re sure,” he said. He moved to the other side with cautious steps, as though afraid that any sudden motion might scare me off.
We both got into bed, and I settled into the sheets.
Suddenly, I wasn’t tired at all. I was the most wide-awake I’d ever been, as every molecule of my being sensed Reid barely an inch away.
“Hazel?” his voice was soft, right by my ear.
“Yeah?”
“I’m really glad you came tonight.”
I bit back a smile as my stomach went all fluttery. “I’m really glad I came tonight, too.”
He turned the dim bedside light off and darkness filled the room. I shifted so that I was facing the edge of the bed. Reid moved behind me, his arm bumping my back. It wasn’t lost on me that if we were just a little closer, we’d be spooning.
Heat pooled inside me and my entire body tingled. I brushed my lips with my fingertips, thinking of the kiss earlier tonight.
Shit.
I wanted more. Badly.
Now the question was, did I have the balls to go for it?
What would be the worst thing that could happen? He’d reject me? That would suck, and might very well send me into a tailspin of sadness, seeing as Reid was the only thing lifting my mood lately…but was it enough to get me to stop?
I had never been great with self-preservation, which is why my body started to move of its own accord. I shifted back an inch, and then two inches, until finally my butt made contact with his groin and my back pressed into his chest.
There. I could just be looking for a cuddle. I could have just casually shifted my position. I could bail right out of this if he pulled away.
Reid’s breath tickled my neck, and it sent a painfully good quiver down my entire spine. Almost imperceptibly, I moved my hips to rock against him. He inhaled sharply. When he didn’t pull away, I took that as a positive sign and moved my hips again. Another sharp inhale.
“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice gruff and his clear desire ringing right through.
“What do you mean?” I whispered innocently, now full-on grinding my butt into him for good measure.
He let out a low grunt. “You’re really testing my self-control here.”
“What if I told you I wished your self-control would finally get lost for once?”
Reid was quiet for a moment before his hand roamed over my shoulder and down my arm, his fingertips slowly leaving a trail. I nearly gasped at the unexpected touch. My body flooded with anticipation as he brushed down my arm before landing his hand flat on my stomach.
He stilled for a moment, gauging my response. When I gave a little excited shimmy, he pulled my t-shirt up, and traced lazy circles around my abdomen, teasing at the waistband of my sweats.
Yep, that was all it took.
Pressure started to build. Every part of me screamed, begging to be touched. I rocked back into him again.
He groaned, his hot breath tickling my ear. That just set me off even more.
“You sure?” he asked. “We haven’t even talked through anything.”
I tilted my head so I could whisper back at him. “Please touch me or I’m going to go crazy.”
He growled—actually growled. This version of Reid made me want to pass out with giddiness as his strong arm gripped me tighter. He nipped my ear before dipping his hand below my waistband. This time I did gasp as his fingers slipped below my panties and found my core.
“Shit, Hazel,” he said when he felt how wet I was for him. I bucked against him, begging for him to touch me.
When he finally slipped a finger inside me, my back arched. I wanted to cry with relief.
“Reid,” I moaned, likely too loudly considering we were in his family’s house. “Shit,” I said, covering my mouth with a pillow.
“It’s okay,” he whispered, slipping another finger inside me and making me clutch the blankets. “We’re two floors away and this storm is raging. No one can hear anything.”
I let out another soft moan as he pumped his fingers in and out of me. When his thumb found my clit, I jumped and let out a startingly loud gasp. Hey, it had been a while since I’d been touched by anything other than my vibrator.
Reid grabbed my neck and angled my head toward him as he sat up. He leaned down, capturing my mouth with his. His fingers became more persistent, and now my moans were lost against his lips as he swallowed them.
"Don’t stop," I said against his mouth, when his fingers hooked, hitting right where I needed them to. The pressure was absolutely delicious, and I could hardly believe it was Reid who was giving it to me right now.
I reached one arm back to wrap around his head, tangling my fingers in his hair and melding our mouths even closer together. I put my other hand over his, pressing down and letting the friction of his palm work its magic while his other fingers moved inside me.
God this felt good.
I had thought about this more times than I cared to admit, but I hadn’t been sure it would happen.
His fingers pumped faster, in and out, and I stifled my groans against his mouth.
The pressure continued to build, and I forced myself to not cry out. But it felt so good. I rocked my hips against him, climbing until I finally reached my release.
Panting, I turned toward him. Before he said anything, he crushed his mouth against me, slowly and carefully moving his lips over mine.
When he was done, he pressed his forehead to mine and stared into my eyes. We could hardly make each other out in the dark bedroom. The whistling wind outside and our deep breathing were the only sounds.
Shyness came over me. I pulled the blanket up to cover the grin that was slowly creeping across my mouth. He let out a laugh and pulled the blanket back. I could just make out the shadows of his features in the dark room.
“Don’t hide from me.”
“I’m not,” I replied, the smile now evident in my voice.
His gaze flickered over my face. He pushed my bangs away from my eyes. “Are you okay?”
I nearly choked on a laugh. “Are you serious? You just gave me the best orgasm I’ve had in years, and you’re asking if I’m okay?”
A grin transformed his face. I could make out the soft glow of his teeth. “The best, huh?”
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
We stared at each other for a minute, his eyes slowly coming into focus as mine got more used to the dark.
Our bodies were still pressed together, and the need I’d felt moments ago was already returning.
Would having sex with Reid be crazy right now?
That would be too soon, right? But he’d just fingered me; that was already taking it way beyond friendly territory.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked softly, brushing my hair behind my ear.
“Whether it’s too soon for us to have sex,” I whispered.
He let out a strangled sound.
“What? Like you weren’t thinking it,” I said.
He chuckled and shook his head, resuming playing with my hair. “I’ve thought about it a few times. But we don’t have to rush anything.”
“It’s been a while for me,” I admitted, unafraid to lay all my cards on the table with Reid.
“For me too,” he said.
I shifted, propping my head up on my hand. “Really? How long?”
He let out a groan. “Seriously? Does it really matter?”
“Yes. I want to know down to the very minute.”
“You’re nosy.”
“Yes, I am.”
He sighed before mirroring my posture, propping himself up on one hand as well.
“It was after my divorce, if that’s what you’re wondering.
I don’t like casual sex. I dated one woman for a couple of months in the summer, and that was the last time.
It didn’t work out. She was looking for a commitment faster than I could give her one. ”
That kind of had my gut doing a flip. Was he ready for a commitment now? Was I? This thing between Reid and me wasn’t casual. We were friends first. We’d talked about so many things from my past; he knew me better than anyone at this point. Which, granted, wasn’t that hard to do, but still.
“I don’t like casual sex either,” I said.
He ran his other hand up and down my arm. “Fair enough.”
We continued to stare in silence, the mix of need and satisfaction still swirling in my body.
“Hazel,” Reid whispered.
“Reid?”
“Just so you know, this isn’t casual. For me, at least.”
My heart pounded. Reid leaned in and kissed me on the forehead before moving to my mouth and pressing a soft kiss there, too. I let my head fall to his chest and he wrapped his arms around me.
“It’s not casual for me either,” I said as I drifted off to sleep in his arms.
I barely heard his, “I know.”
I hadn’t felt that safe in a long time.