Chapter 7 Reese
SEVEN
REESE
She’s full-blown panicking. Her golden-brown eyes are wide and worried. Her mouth is pinched in the corners, her knuckles turning white from her tight grip on the bathroom vanity.
I keep my palm rooted to her back, my fingers sweeping long circles.
It’s heartbreaking to see this woman—always so calm, collected, and confident—spiral because of how big her feelings are.
Panic because of how big my—a man’s—feelings for her are.
Still, I wait to hear her out, forcing myself to hold my tongue.
This isn’t a situation I can jump in and fix. This is a conversation we need to have to see if we can move forward, to know if there is a future for us. And Jayde has to be all in for that to happen.
“Tell me why you’re freaking out,” I suggest quietly, trying to connect the dots.
I left her by the table to take some photos with Mick and the guys. Then, Ben dragged us to the bar for a shot and when I looked up, Jayde was beelining toward the bathroom, her shoulders stiff, her eyes almost unseeing in her haste.
I passed off the cocktails I was bringing back to our table to my friend Keisha and followed Jayde here to find her nearly hyperventilating, pacing back and forth in front of the sink.
“Jayde,” I keep my tone light.
“This is all so fast, you know?” She straightens, my hand slips away, and she resumes pacing.
“It’s overwhelming.” She gives me a pointed look.
I nod, knowing what she means. It is a lot for a weekend away but…
not. Because my feelings for Jayde have been constant for a long time.
For me, this weekend feels like the icing on the cake. The prize. The pinnacle.
I swallow back my hurt that she doesn’t it see it that way. But how could she? It would be unfair of me to think she’s been pining, like me, for an entire year.
“I don’t like trusting people,” she adds, tossing a hand in my direction. “And you, God, Reese, you are golden. And I don’t mean that the way your friends joke about it. I mean, you are the guy I could trust. I want to trust. And it…shit, it scares the hell out of me.”
I move closer but she holds up a hand, not finished.
“I’ve had a string of failed relationships followed by a year of unsuccessful online dating.
All the dates, the time invested, the rejection and disappointment and…
with you, I can see it. I can see it all.
” She stops, abrupt, her face draining of color.
“But if it doesn’t work out, you’ll gut me, Reese. ”
My chest twists at the devastating expression on her face.
She’s so gorgeous, so honest and real and “what you see is what you get.” “And you don’t think you’d gut me, Jayde?
” She would. She has the power to decimate me.
I’m already in deeper than I should be, given we’re having this conversation in the ladies’ room at a wedding but—“Real things are always worth it. Worth the time, worth the investment, and worth the risk. You know that.”
Her eyes tear up, and she nods.
“I can’t promise rainbows and unicorns. I can only promise to be all in with you.
Always here, ready to talk, to solve things together, to figure it out.
That’s what relationships are. Yeah, they’re messy and complicated because feelings are messy and complicated.
But do you want a relationship without big feelings?
Do you want a relationship without stable feelings?
The constant yo-yo and back and forth and not knowing where you stand?
” I ask her the big questions, the ones I remember from our talk at Taps.
The erratic nature of her past relationships and her ex-boyfriend.
“No. Not at all.”
“I can only give you me, Jayde.” I lay a hand to the center of my chest. “I’m a lot of things and I’ve got a lot of annoying quirks.
But I’m also real and committed and honest to a fault.
I’ll never not want to work things out with you.
I’ll never not talk to you because we disagree.
I’ll never not be available when you need me.
But you gotta take the risk with me. You gotta bet on us. ”
She stares at me for a long moment before stepping closer. “I’m not easy, Reese. I don’t like talking about my feelings or being showy with emotions.”
“I know.”
“And I’m super type-A.”
“I’ve got a touch of OCD.”
“I think I snore.”
I snicker, and hold out my hand. She takes it.
“But I want to bet on us,” she says it like a declaration, her eyes flashing, fierce.
“I already bet on you, baby.” I pull her closer, until she’s against my chest. “Be with me, Jayde. All in, for keeps.”
Her eyes hold mine, our breaths mingling as I wrap my arm around her waist. Slowly, the worry in her gaze recedes and an excited thrill takes its place. “Yes,” she says clearly.
It’s the best word I’ve ever heard. My entire body comes back to life, my mind rejoicing.
I lean into her and kiss her hard.
In an instant, her hands are in my hair and mine are squeezing her ass, pressing her against me. Our kiss is hot, needy, and desperate, all the words we just shared requiring a more physical follow-up.
Her dress is skintight and my hands are itching to get under it. I locate the zipper along her side and begin to tug it downward as she reaches for my belt. My mouth is on her neck, her panting in my ear, turning me on by the second.
I’m hard and happy and just need to get inside her.
“Jayde—”
A sharp knock sounds on the door. “Hey! How much longer do you think you’ll be?” a woman calls.
Jayde closes her eyes and I drop my forehead to hers. Our panting turns into laughter.
“That was close,” she whispers.
“I’m glad I locked the door.”
She nods, biting her bottom lip.
I turn her toward the mirror and zip her dress back up. She fixes her hair and reapplies her smudged lipstick.
“Hey!” The knock is more forceful this time. “Are you okay?”
Jayde winces. “One minute! Sorry!”
I chuckle and re-tuck my shirt.
When we’re both presentable, I hold out my hand.
Jayde takes it and I swing open the bathroom door.
We step over the threshold together. The woman on the other side falls back, her mouth dropping open in shock, her eyes narrowed in judgement.
Other women waiting for the bathroom stare at us with surprise, laughter, or hostility.
Jayde mutters an apology and I give a little wave. But we enter the reception with our heads held high, proud to be here together.
“Dance with me?” I draw Jayde toward the dance floor where most my friends are gathered.
She nods, stopping for one second, her expression curious.
“What?” I ask.
“What do I call you? I mean, what are we?”
I smile and spin her before whisking her into a dance. “I already told you. You’re my everything, Jayde.”
Her eyes hold mine until a bubble of laughter falls from her mouth. “So…like boyfriend, girlfriend?”
I chuckle. “That works too, baby.”
She smiles, her face lighting up. “Okay. Reese?”
“Yes, Jayde?”
She takes my hand and spins, moving backwards until her ass is nestled against me, cradled in between my hips. I nearly moan because I’m still freaking hard from the damn bathroom.
She looks at me over her shoulder and smirks. “I’m ready to dance.”
As if on cue, a sick beat drops, and my girl begins to move. “Shit,” I mutter, aware of Jayde’s laughter.
My friends gather around us, and we dance, we party, we celebrate Mick and Emily. But really, Jayde and I celebrate the beginning of us. And damn do we do it in style.
“Say it again,” I demand, as I nibble the inside of her thigh.
Jayde’s hands are planted in my hair, gripping as she tries to move me toward the center, toward the spot in desperate need of attention. “Reese,” she pleads.
I inch closer, kissing and licking along the way. “Say it, Jayde.”
She snorts, silently laughing as her chest quivers. From my view, I’m happy to look up and watch, to see her breasts bounce. But I want the debate from the wedding settled and I need Jayde to declare me the victor. “You’re a better dancer than Mick,” she promises.
I lick her clit hard and she squeals, arching off the bed.
Grabbing her thighs, I hold her legs open as I bury my face in between her thighs. We’ve been playing at this all night, since the bathroom, and are both wound too tight and in desperate need of release.
Toss in some alcohol, some jokes, and some serious declarations, and I’m praying to all that is holy that I can hold on long enough to make this good for Jayde.
She tugs on my hair. “Oh God, Reese. I’m gonna—” She breaks off as her orgasm rocks through her.
It’s the hottest thing I’ve ever witnessed, and I keep my tongue pressed against her, helping her ride it out.
As soon as she tugs my hair again, I spring into action, rolling on a condom and positioning myself at her opening.
“I’m not gonna last long,” I warn her, already feeling like I’m coming apart at the seams.
But her eyes are serious, brown and swirling with thoughts. “I’m falling for you too,” she admits.
Fuck! I push inside her, feeling like I’m on top of the world. She clamps around me and groans as I slowly pull back before pushing in hard. “Say it again, baby.”
A small smile plays over her lips as her eyes close.
I hitch Jayde’s leg over my hip and begin to rock into her, setting a torturously slow pace until she complies. “Jayde.”
She opens her eyes. Her gaze holds mine. “I’m falling for you, Reese.”
“Damn,” I whisper, gathering her to my chest as I move faster.
Our joining is half animalistic need and half heartfelt emotions. It’s intense and passionate and…well, it’s everything.
We come together, crying out each other’s names, our bodies arching. As we float back down, I hold Jayde tightly and she curls into me.
“This feels too good to be true,” she murmurs, kissing the base of my throat.
“This is just the beginning, baby.” I brush her hair back from her face and kiss the top of her head. “The beginning of everything.”
And it is.