Chapter 14 #2
My gaze yo-yoed between Reed’s sports car and my fiancés as he pulled in behind my Audi, blocking me in.
Next to the sleek, classy paintwork of the Bugatti, the Porsche looked like it belonged in a cartoon.
And then it struck me. Shit. Jasper was in the house. Panic clawed its way up my chest and wrapped itself around my throat.
My fingers automatically swept through my hair to neaten it as Nix came to stand beside me. His expression took in my reaction as I tried to pretty myself for Reed. Like that even mattered now. I knew deep inside that Reed liked me just the way I was. It was something he would say all the time.
I still quickly straightened my clothes, feeling like a sack of shit.
“You look fine,” Phoenix remarked out of the corner of his mouth, tugging on some strands of hair.
“I don’t know what you mean?” I huffed.
An incredulous snort left his lips. “Whatever, sis. You have a very revealing blush.”
Astonishment made it difficult for me to speak as Reed slid out from behind the wheel and made his way towards us. Blush be damned, I was surprised I didn’t melt into a puddle. He looked that fucking hot.
His expression was bright, considering he should have come to me crawling.
“Hey, bro,” Nix said as Reed approached with a confident, forward-leaning posture. “You’re looking considerably dapper considering how trashed you got last night.”
“I wasn’t trashed,” Reed volleyed back, his confident expression wavering slightly as he glanced at me. I kept my face stony.
“You were babbling like a moron when I put you in the cab, man.”
Reed’s I am going to murder you expression was masked as quickly as it appeared as he turned towards me.
“Morning, Teacup. Great weather today,” he chirped in a breezy voice.
I wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Despite the looming death threat, the boys bumped fists before the annoying man who had stood me added.
“Good morning at the gym?” Looking me up and down.
Yes, where you were supposed to fucking meet me.
The cavalier attitude made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
I’d showered as I always did after one of Harper’s gruelling yoga sessions, but I still felt like a sweaty mess.
It didn’t help that Reed looked delicious in dark jeans and a black tee with Fendi on the front.
His hair was also neater than usual, and he’d shaved.
And then I noticed the rest of his face.
Reed had a black eye and a cut above his eyebrow.
He’d been fighting. I knew they’d been together the previous night, and so that tied in with my earlier observation of Phoenix's slightly bruised cheeks and the cut on his head.
The first thing that fell out of my mouth was, “What the hell are you doing here?” I glanced up at the house. His closeness affected me instantly, like my body had been hijacked and would do anything Reed-shaped.
“I take it you didn’t get my voicemail?”
“My phone died.” I lied.
“Well, you messaged that we need to talk,” Reed explained, motioning between us with one hand and shoving the other into the pocket of his pants.
The gesture forced my focus onto his crotch before I managed to raise my chin and break away from that risky area.
I wasn’t fooled by his relaxed pose or his deceptively mild tone.
Shaking my hair back, I waved a hand around the space as I exclaimed. “Yes, but not here.” The lump in my throat was making it hard to talk. My jaw was clenched with all the words I wanted to say, but couldn’t.
I could feel Phoenix, looking back and forth with a smile painted on his face.
“Sounds like you kids have got things to discuss.”
Ignoring my brother, I added, “Are you insane?”
Reed released an impatient snort. “Nope. Everyone knows I’m the fun one. You're confusing me with Hudson.”
A spiteful comment fell from my lips before I could haul it back, “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time, would it?”
His face dropped, and he yanked his hands from his jeans, “The fuck is that supposed to mean?” I had once used Hudson to try to make Reed jealous, and it had worked a treat.
“Play nice, you two,” Nix interjected.
“Fuck off,” both Reed and I barked at the same time.
“You said nothing happened between you and Hudson,” Reed growled, taking a step forward and getting in my face.
I placed my finger in the center of his chest and pushed hard. “Just like you said, nothing happened with Tate.”
“How many more times. I never fucked Tate Parker!” he boomed, taking me by the wrist and lowering my hand. Reed didn’t like to be pointed at. “Stop trying to pick a fight. Especially one you know I’ll win.”
“I know nothing of the sort,” I fumed. I found it interesting that Reed used to own the concept of appearing unbothered. Well, not anymore.
A throat being cleared brought us back to earth. Phoenix took that moment as his cue to excuse himself. “I’ll wait in the car. You have five minutes to settle your lovers' tiff before I bang both your heads together.”
As we both watched a chuntering Phoenix stride towards the Bugatti, I realized that Reed was clearly there to pick Nix up. That meant he wasn’t there to see me. I wondered what message he’d left on my cell. There had better be at least some level of grovelling in it.
“Don’t touch anything,” Reed suddenly belted at Nix’s back. That got him the finger over his foster brother's wide shoulder.
As he turned back to me with a flustered expression, I pointed out. “You do know that he’s going to touch every dial in there now, don’t you. Phoenix always does the opposite of what you tell him.”
My comment seemed to clear the air as Reed chuckled. “Still?”
“Yes. Once an immature fuck, always an immature fuck.”
A genuine smile spread across his handsome face. “Did anyone ever tell you, you swear way too much?” Reed scolded, scratching his jaw. Fuck he smelled good. His cologne mingled nicely with the freshly cut grass of our estate.
The breeze blew a few strands of my hair into my face. As I went to push it back, Reed beat me to it, his rough fingers threading the locks behind my ear.
“You have such cute ears,” he said with a tender tone. My heart squeezed as I cast another wary glance towards the house.
He followed my gaze and then turned back to face me.
“I’m guessing your dipshit intended is in there?” Reed snorted with a wave of his hand. “Does he realize that you can probably see his car from space?”
Taking a deep breath, I ignored the comment about the garish color of Jasper’s car. “I think an apology is in order, don’t you?” I rasped, sticking my chin out.
Reed pursed his lips, dropping his hand. “Yes. Totally. Sorry about this morning. I overslept.” At least he had the decency to look slightly embarrassed.
Adrenaline surged through my veins. “And could I ask who you overslept with?”
“What?” he replied with a hint of challenge.
“Did you take someone back to your hotel last night?” My nostrils flared as I tried to appear like I wasn’t bricking the answer.
My focus shifted as he lifted his fingers and rubbed his temple. “My hangover is way too heavy to endure this type of interrogation. Why do you care?” His question hit me like a punch to the gut.
“I don’t care.”
“Yeah, now try saying that like you mean it.”
“Just answer me already,” I needed to know before my head exploded.
He strung out his reply for a beat longer, and my nails were digging into my palms. And then he gave me that sexy in-the-know grin of his, and my sex throbbed.
“No, sweetheart. I didn’t take anyone to my hotel last night. You’re the only broad who’s had that pleasure; several times if I remember it right.”
I ignored that he’d called me a broad. I was too relieved that he hadn’t slept with anyone.
“There, see. That wasn’t that difficult, was it?” I scolded. “Why do you have to make everything so complicated?”
Boyish dimples appeared on either side of his mouth. “I guess I’m a complex kind of guy. I have layers.”
I snorted. “Yes, of bullshit.”
“Cute,” Reed replied, tapping my nose with his finger.
Relief continued to pulse through me, and then my eyes were drawn to his injuries.
Looking him up and down, I raised my hand towards his cheek, “What did you do to your face?”
He pulled his head back as I went to touch his skin, looking down his nose at me as I added. “And don’t say you did it on the field. I saw the highlights with my father, and your face was fine when you collected your trophy.”
“OK, I won’t. I slipped,” he replied, his face straightening.
“Onto someone’s fist?” I snarked. “You're supposed to be on probation with the Patriots and not fighting, remember.”
“I know. Look. Forget about my face for now, I…”
And then the atmosphere shifted as the front door started to open.
Reed glanced over my shoulder and then lowered his head.
“Do you trust me?” The weight of ‘us’ hung heavily in that small space between us.
I could see Jasper peeking through the doorframe.
He had his cell phone to his ear but was looking right at us.
My brow threaded, and I dashed a hand down my face.
Do you trust me?
What the hell was that supposed to mean? This man had my heart in his hands; he’d been the one to breathe life back into it the day I found out he was back. Of course, I fucking trusted him.
“Storm,” Reed barked, his hand lifting my chin.
Our eyes tangled, and I spoke the truth. “Of course I do,” I blurted with a clipped nod.
Reed released me and then glanced towards the door of my house, where Jasper was still standing with a huge frown on his face. Oh fuck, this was so not good. That sick feeling in my stomach came back.
I watched as Reed’s face dropped, his nose catching the cuff of my ear as he instructed. “Keep Jasper busy this afternoon.”
“How?” I placed a hand flat on my chest. Was Reed asking me to sleep with Jasper as a distraction?