Chapter Nineteen
Cole
We ordered pizza for dinner and ended up sitting in the living room again, the television on as white noise in the background as we laughed and talked together.
I was in so much trouble. I was desperately, achingly in love with Reed Kelly.
I felt deep in my bones how much I wanted to be with him.
How happy I wanted to make him. He was everything I never knew I needed in my life.
And I wanted to show him how special he was.
Even if it was just by telling him how beautiful he was when he felt like he wasn’t. That he was enough.
“You look good,” I announced when I reached for another piece of pizza.
He was wearing nothing but one of my Boston University shirts.
The black panties tucked up in my dresser because he thought I should have them.
For a keepsake. Apparently, Ezra promised him as many as he wanted in every color. I thought maybe red would look good.
Reed beamed at me. “Thank you, Casanova. You look good, too.”
“No, I mean, you look...You look amazing. Beautiful. Just like that, dressed my old shirt and your hair all messy. I want to wake up to your face every morning.” I hadn’t meant to say that last part aloud, but too late.
His lips formed a little circle. “Do you really mean that?”
“Yeah, baby, I do. I was thinking that I could switch schools. And go to one closer to you in New York.” I swallowed thickly. “Maybe if Boston drafts me, I won’t sign with them and wait it out. I’m sure a team in New York would want me.”
Reed stared at me for what felt like hours. When it was probably only a matter of seconds. “You can’t do that.”
“Why not? I thought we agreed that we wanted to be together.”
“Cole, I can’t let you give up all your dreams for me. I would hate myself.”
I shook my head. “You’re not asking me. I want to do it. If this thing between us works out the way I want, it just makes sense.”
“Stop it.” He held up a hand. “This is crazy.”
My heart sank. Maybe we weren’t on the same wavelength after all. “I’m sorry?”
“You want to be with me that badly? So much that you’ll give up everything for me? That’s...Why?” Reed’s bottom lip trembled. “Don’t do that. Not for me. I’m not worth it.”
I reached for him and dragged Reed into my lap.
I loved how he fit perfectly there. “You’re worth so much more, baby.
I would give up everything for you. Besides, I won’t be giving up anything.
I’ll just be changing a few things. I’ll hopefully still play in the NHL, just for a different team.
You continue your dancing career, and we’ll be unstoppable together. ”
“But you want to play for Boston. You’ve always told me that. You can’t change everything because of me. We can make this work in different states. I can move to Boston once I graduate. It’s not that far away. I can drive up to see you every weekend.” Reed’s eyes glittered with tears.
I wiped a tear from his cheek. “You’re going to drive to me every Saturday? Waste your entire weekend just to spend a few minutes with me?”
“Yes, absolutely.” Reed nodded feverishly.
I kissed him softly. “But what if I was five minutes away and we could see one another every single day? No driving required, only walking. Or we could get a place together.”
“Don’t...” He croaked and pushed his head against my shoulder. “You love Boston.”
I hummed in agreement. “That’s true, but I love you more.”
Suddenly Reed was kissing me, his tongue in my mouth, and his hands in my hair.
He tugged hard on my curls as he ground down against my already expanding erection.
He whimpered when I tried to pry him away, needing to talk to him more about what I wanted to do, and clung to me like a child.
Reed’s hands dipped down to my briefs, and he pulled out my cock.
He wrapped his palm around me and started to jerk slowly.
“Baby, you don’t...fuck.” My eyes rolled back when I felt Reed’s hot length against mine. I gripped his hips tightly as I fucked up into his fist.
He licked around my lips, then dropped hot kisses against my skin and jawline before he moved to my neck.
He sucked lightly on my skin, and I let him, knowing it would leave a bruise that I wouldn’t cover up.
The sounds we made were hot and filthy. The room became pungent with the smell of sex and sweat.
“You can’t throw everything away for me,” Reed whispered, his mouth finding mine again. “Please, Cole. I only want you to be happy, and playing for the Terriers is going to do that. We can figure everything else out later.”
I grabbed his chin to keep his eyes on mine. “I’m not throwing anything away. I’m changing my future and the things that mean something. You mean everything to me. I want to be with you.”
Reed’s eyes rolled back, and his cum splashed across my cock as he came.
My name came out in a moan as he let go, and I kissed him again, needing to taste those plump, pink lips.
My own orgasm hit me by surprise, barreling up like a storm.
My vision went white as I joined Reed over the cliff.
When I was done, I took a minute to stare at my boyfriend.
His eyes were closed, his forehead pressed against mine, and a soft smile caressed his mouth.
“I love you,” Reed murmured. He kept his eyes down, even when I dropped kisses against his face. “I love you, and I don’t want you to give up anything for me. Just promise me you’ll stop and think about it, really think about it, before you go and do something crazy.”
I had already made up my mind. It didn’t matter if he tried to change it. I wasn’t staying in Boston. “I promise.” The lie slipped from my lips easily.
MY BODY WOKE ME BEFORE my alarm. I was supposed to go with Jax again to the Panther’s arena since it would be only a few more days before the rest of the team was back and he had to go into coach mode.
My mind filtered back to last night. Reed was insatiable until we fell into my bed, naked and exhausted, spent from too many orgasms and exploring one another.
I reached over to pull Reed’s lean frame against mine only to find his side of the bed empty.
I tried to remember if he had told me had to leave early but couldn’t find anything.
I sat up, grabbed my briefs from the floor, and went looking for him.
“Reed?” I called out his name, but the house was eerily quiet.
The sun was just starting to come up as I checked every room, only to come up empty-handed. I was about to go find my phone when I caught sight of a figure outside by the water. Without even thinking about it, I rushed outside.
“Baby, what are you doing out here?”
Reed glanced up at me, then his gaze drifted back to the lake. “Just thinking.”
“Want to tell me about it?”
“Not really.”
Worry began to needle its way into my brain. “Can I at least sit with you out here?” I wouldn’t push him. He’d tell me when he was ready.
Reed patted the grass next to him, and I immediately sat down. I noticed he had put my shirt back on. “You’re in your underwear,” he commented.
“I wasn’t thinking. I just woke up, and you weren’t there,” I admitted. “Baby, are you sure you’re okay?”
He nodded. “I’ll be fine. I should probably think about heading back to my parents.
Mom has class this morning.” But he didn’t make an attempt to get up, and we both sat there watching the water as the sun began to come up.
It was a beautiful sunrise, but it didn’t compare to Reed.
He put everything and everyone else to shame.
“Will I see you later?” I reached out to comb my fingers through his soft hair. When he didn’t answer, I scooted closer. “Reed, baby?”
He smiled as he tilted his head to look at me. “Sure, we can get together tonight.” Reed reached out to grab my hand and tangled our fingers together. “I’d like you to see me dance sometime.”
“Of course, I can come by the studio. Let me know when. I’d like nothing more.” I squeezed his hand lightly.
Reed glanced back at the lake. “I meant on stage. My school does a big production every spring. It’s a huge deal, too. My parents usually come up. Last year, they gave me flowers. I had a small part, but it was amazing. Maybe this year I’ll get the lead.”
“You will. And I’ll bring you so many roses that all your friends will be jealous. They’ll want to know where they can get a boyfriend who loves them as much as I love you.” I kissed the back of his hand.
Reed’s ears burned pink. “They wish they could have a man as wonderful as you.”
“Mm, damn right.” I tugged on his hand. “Come sit with me.”
Reed didn’t hesitate to crawl into my lap. He rested his head against my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around him.
“I’m so glad your dad got married. That he and Dean bought the house next door to my parents. That we were able to reconnect.”
“That would make two of us. This has been an amazing summer.” I tucked my nose into his hair and inhaled the scent of sweet pecans.
Reed sniffed softly. “The best.” He had tears in his eyes when he looked up again. “Sorry, I guess I was just sad thinking about if you hadn’t come down here. What if your dad got married somewhere else, and we never had this chance?”
“But that doesn’t matter. Because we’re here right now,” I reminded him. “Baby, are you sure you’re all right? You seem off.”
He nodded. “Just tired.”
“We had a busy night.” I pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I should probably get going, though. I have to meet Jax at the arena by six, and I don’t want to be late.” But when I started to untangle myself from Reed, he clung to me. “I’ll be back later. I can take you out for dinner.”
Reed gave me a small smile. “That would be nice. I’d like that.”
“Anywhere you want. Text me where you want to go, and I’ll make it happen,” I assured him. When he climbed from my lap and stood, I followed. “Baby, you can always text me if you need to talk. I won’t have my phone on me while I’m on the ice, but I’ll check it as soon as we’re done.”
“Thank you. I’m okay, but thank you.”
“Promise me you’ll text me.”
Reed leaned up to kiss me, his lips warm against mine. “I promise.”