18. Reid
Chapter 18
Reid
T HIS HAS BEEN the day from hell. The absolute worst kind. Being woken up by my uncle calling me to work a massive pile-up that shouldn’t have happened, but someone was drinking and driving, and the 18-wheeler behind them couldn’t react fast enough. The pile-up was chaos, but not deadly.
I left so fast that I was in the middle of working the accident before I realized I’d not so much as left a note for Willa. Considering she’d been naked and sleeping soundly in the early dawn light of my bedroom, it was the worst kind of asshole move.
Even sorrier was the tiny thrill I got as I drove to the scene. Finally, something was happening in this sleepy town.
I’m not sure which was worse: no note for Willa, or being excited at an accident. Both are terrible.
Paperwork and phone calls took up most of the rest of the day, and then my Miami chief called.
I strode into Jack’s office. “What’s up?”
He nodded at the phone on speaker. “Chief Mu?oz, I’ve got Reid.”
“Hey, Chief.”
He launched without preamble. “Things have taken a turn. You need to lie low—real low.”
My gut twisted. “What’s the damage?”
“DA didn’t have enough to hold our guy. Let the bastard out two days ago and just now got around to telling me.”
My blood went cold, then immediately boiled. “ What ?”
“That’s about what I said. We’ve gotten word that he’s looking for you. Any cover you might have had is totally blown, and there’s a hefty bounty out for you.”
“Shit.” I ran my hands through my hair, my thoughts running a thousand miles a minute. This was bad. Very bad.
“Just stay low, MacKinnon,” Chief cautioned. Then he clicked off.
I didn’t need to look at my uncle to know he was thinking the same thing: between JJ’s ridiculous cover stories and relentless coverage of what he’d now dubbed “The Kitten Cop,” I was the farthest thing from low.
And now it’s the afternoon, and Willa has the balls to walk right by the house without so much as a glance my way.
Well, fuck that.
After making sure Midnight has her dinner, I lock my house up and stomp over to Willa’s.
I knock, but there’s no answer. She’s probably in the shower.
I try the door, which is unlocked and incredibly stupid. It’s never a good idea on a regular day to be so exposed, but now? With the danger she’s in because of me? My gut twists. I enter the house, lock it, then stalk to her bedroom to wait.
I don’t have long. She walks into the room dripping wet, a tiny purple towel doing little to hide her curves from my ravenous eyes.
She yelps. “Jesus, Reid! What are you doing?”
“You need to lock your door,” I growl.
She opens her mouth, then closes it when my words register.
I fold my arms across my chest .
Her eyes narrow into tiny slits. “So, you bolt in the middle of the night, and now you’re breaking into my house to order me around?”
“I didn’t break in. It was unlocked .”
“I didn’t let you in, ” she counters. “Therefore, you broke in!”
I stand and close the distance between us, raking my eyes over her body. Droplets of water cling to the pale skin of her shoulders, and I’m aching to pull her to me. My cock twitches, but I’m apparently committed to being an asshole, because the next words out of my mouth are, “Pretty sure I’m better acquainted with the civil code than you, sweetheart.”
“You’ve been here a month. How much could you possibly know?” she scoffs, backing against the wall as I crowd her.
She smells fucking delicious, some kind of vanilla and brown sugar combo that’s driving me wild. A bead of water drips from her hair onto her collarbone, and I’m so desperate to touch her that I run my finger over her skin to catch the drop. Her breath hitches, and I lift my finger away, putting it into my mouth and sucking on it. Her eyes darken. I lower my voice. “Why don’t you trust that I know all about entering things, Willa?”
She flushes, her creamy skin splotching with embarrassment at my words. “Leave.”
I smirk. “You don’t mean that.”
She licks her lips and juts her chin up. “Then tell me, Reid, what do I mean?”
“Look at you, being a little brat,” I murmur, moving so close that her chest touches mine with every shaky inhale she takes. “Did I pound that brattiness into you last night when I fucked you?” She gasps, and I grab her hand to flatten it against my stiff-as-hell cock. “See, my little Willa, I think what you really mean is that you want this.” Then I pull her off the wall to press her against me. Immediately, she softens, so I know I’m reading her correctly. “And I think you want me to worship your luscious body in the way it was meant to be worshipped: one inch at a time.”
Her eyes flash. “I don’t think I like you.”
I chuckle darkly and rip her towel off. “I think you do. And you know what?”
She’s trembling now, but I know it’s with anticipation because she’s angling closer, rising on her tiptoes, her pupils blown with lust. “What?” she whispers.
“I’m just the man to do it.”
With that, I pick her up, and she wraps her legs around my waist, grinding against me without hesitation.
“Fine,” she mutters, leaning in for a kiss.
I let her control it. She’s angry and rattled, and she pours every emotion into the kiss as she digs her short nails into my skin. And I want it. I want all of her. All her thoughts, all her fears, all her hopes and dreams. Groaning, I spin us to lay her on the bed, taking in all her beautiful curves. She’s still so innocent, trusting implicitly that I’ll take care of her, and every instinct in me roars to possess her, protect her, make her mine.
She’s fucking perfect. Two months isn’t enough.
Shoving that thought out of my head, I toe off my shoes and socks and get undressed, trying hard not to preen under her watchful gaze. Without a word, I yank her to the edge of the bed and sink to my knees, burying my face between her legs.
Her response is immediate, and I lose myself in her, relishing the yank of her hands on my hair, the way she bucks against my face, the way her legs shake and tremble as she comes. Her taste. Dear God in heaven, her taste .
I need more. Crave it. She clings to me as I crawl up her body and she locks her gaze on me, her eyes still glassy. “Reid,” she breathes.
“Tell me you have condoms.”
She points in the direction of her bedside drawer. Wordlessly, I grab them and toss them on the mattress, then pull her to me, guiding her up to straddle me.
“Fuck, you look good like this,” I murmur. Her hair is still damp and falling long and tousled down her back, her bangs fluttering into her eyes. Her breasts, a perfect handful with delicate rose-pink nipples, perk up as I run my hands over them. Then I grip her waist, groaning at the way her flesh fills my hands. “These curves, Willa.”
She’s focused on my chest, where her hands have been running over the muscles and down, then back up again, studiously avoiding the gunshot wound. She’s quiet. “I’m nothing special.”
“That’s a load of shit,” I say, and judging by the way she jerks, it was definitely too aggressive. I soften my voice. “You’re amazing. You’re strong, funny, an incredible cook?—”
She scoffs. “I’m well aware of how little I know, thanks to my one semester of school.”
“You were the victim of an egotistical man who felt threatened by someone as young and beautiful and creative and good as you.” I try to control my voice. I hate it when men tear women down in an effort to build themselves up.
Her eyes widen. “Did you watch it?”
I nod. “Every episode you were in. And he was an unmitigated asshole.”
She worries her lower lip. “You think so?”
I grab a condom. “I know so.” Then I hand it to her. “You know what else I know?”
She turns those doe eyes on me, and my cock jumps. “What?”
“That you’re a naughty girl who wants to ride me like I’m her favorite toy.”
She giggles self-consciously, her cheeks reddening as she ducks her head. Her long hair covers one side of her face, falling just to the tip of her nipple.
I push her hair back and wait on her to step into herself, understanding that the brief conversation pulled her out of whatever bit of power she’d allowed herself to take. My sweet girl.
She hesitates, then pulls the condom wrapper up to her mouth and bites a corner to rip it open. My dick throbs at the sight, and I know she can feel it on her ass. “Just like that,” I praise. “What are you going to do next?”
She rises and resettles on my thighs, then grips my cock and rolls the condom on. I stay as still as possible, unsure if she’s even done this part before. She’s experienced, but still acts like a newborn fawn with those fucking eyes of hers, flitting to mine and back like she’s afraid to sustain contact.
“Want me to do something with my hands?” I ask.
She bites her lip again, her teeth sinking into her plush bottom lip, and it takes everything in me not to push my thumb into her mouth and take control. But I want to see what she can do if she’s allowed the freedom to do it.
“Put your hands above your head,” she whispers.
I obey instantly, then wait for her next command.
“Keep them there.”
I nod. “Yes, chef.”
Her eyes flare, then she angles herself above me. “Are you sure?” she asks.
I huff out a laugh. “Am I sure that I want to be fucked by a beautiful woman who’s just told me to keep my hands to myself? Absolutely.”
She lowers herself onto me, inch by hot, tight inch, and I grit my teeth to keep myself in check. “Fuck, Willa,” I bite out.
“Is this okay?” She looks up at me, blinking through those dark bangs.
“So okay,” I say, pushing farther into her and smiling at the way her eyes roll back in her head. “Are you okay?”
“Uh-huh,” she whimpers.
“Find your rhythm, sweetheart,” I urge. “I’ll follow.”
She starts slowly, undulating her lips and moving them side to side, working to find what’s best. In moments, she’s got it, and she braces her hands on my chest as she grins in triumph.
“There we go,” I grin, pushing into her as she bears down. “Does it feel good?”
“Un…be…liev…able,” she pants, her hips swirling and bucking with each syllable. “Oh my God, Reid.”
“Wanna go faster?”
“Y-yes.”
I thrust up, making her almost fall onto my chest. “Then do it. Ride my cock, Willa.”
“Your mouth, Reid,” she gasps, her cheeks flushed.
“Ride me like a cowgirl. Like a goddess. Like?—”
She slaps her hand over my mouth. “Shut up.”
I bite a finger, then thrust harder into her. It’s difficult to keep my hands away from her ridiculous ass, but I’m managing.
Her eyes go wide as she yanks her hand away. “Did you just bite me?”
I grin up at her, thoroughly enjoying myself. “I did, princess. When are you gonna let me move my hands?”
She swats at me, then grinds her pussy up and down my length. We groan in unison. “With that attitude, not anytime soon,” she pants.
There she is. Gratified, I thrust into her, forcing her to slap her hands back on my chest. “Fine with me, sweetheart,” I say, not out of breath but not not out of breath. “Fuck, you’re hot.”
She laughs, and it makes her clench against my cock. I groan, my eyes rolling into the back of my head. “Seriously, Willa. You’re going to kill me.”
“Death by sex,” she muses, circling her hips like a wanton goddess. “Has a nice ring to it.”
“That’s it,” I growl. I can’t take any more. I pull my arms down and grab her waist. “Hang on, sweetheart.”
“Reid!” she scolds. “I didn’t say you could—ah, fuck .”
And she leans down onto me, wrapping her arms around who the hell knows what as I pump into her from below. “Ohmygod, Reid,” she moans. “Yes, yes, please don’t stop.”
“Not on your life,” I grit, my hands digging into her flesh as I pound relentlessly into her. I’ve definitely pulled a back muscle, and I definitely don’t give a shit. Her walls clench around my cock. “There you go. Come for me. Come for me like the good?—”
“Fuck!” she screams, her hands finally finding purchase on my shoulders as her nails dig half-moons into me.
“Fuck yes,” I growl, relishing the sting of her grip. “Harder, baby. Harder.”
She obeys, sobbing through her orgasm.
Blinding white light shoots across my vision as I come, my entire body clenching as absolute bliss takes over. I mutter something incomprehensible, then let myself go limp.
Willa lets herself do the same, and I relish the feel of her weight on me. She’s breathing hard into the crook of my neck, and I reach to pull her hair to one side, getting it off her neck so she can cool down.
“You okay?” I ask.
She chuckles, her whole body moving with the effort. “Reid, I am more than okay.” Then she leans up, tucking her chin into the palm of her hand and gazing down at me. “Are you okay?”
I fake a grimace. “I don’t know. After the bite you gave me...”
“I didn’t bite you— you bit me !” She laughs again, and when she raises her arm to swat playfully at me, I grab it, turning it so I can kiss her palm. Her gaze softens as I do it.
Then, because I can’t help myself, I press, “Why didn’t you look at the house when you walked by?”
A frown ghosts her brows before she answers. “Because.”
“Because why?”
She sighs. “Because when I woke up this morning, you were gone, and I…I didn’t know what to do. I felt,” she blows out a breath, “small.” The word is so quiet I barely hear it.
But I do. And it breaks my heart .
I roll us over, taking care of the condom before settling myself back between her legs. “Willa Dean Dash,” I say softly, “I am not going anywhere.”
“That’s not true.” She whispers it, but she might as well have screamed it into a bullhorn. “You’re leaving in two months. Whatever this is…” She trails off.
I close my eyes. I don’t know if she’s right or not. It’s too soon to tell. Never mind the Bunnies being after me. When I open my eyes, she’s still staring at me, guileless as always. “I’m not going anywhere for now.”
Her throat bobs. “Okay.”
And because I’m a selfish asshole, I take her mouth in mine again. A while later, when I slide into her once more, I try not to think about how she feels like home.