Chapter Sixteen
Hazel
Attaching the final images to an email, I sent them off to my client, hoping the author was getting what she needed with what I’d drawn. Because I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep my clothes on if I spent any more time with Reid working on reference photos.
And whatever weird Valentine’s Day vibes were in the air blurring the lines with Reid, were also steering things back into a naughty place with Seven. We’d continued texting every evening, learning more about each other without divulging too much that might potentially reveal our true identities. I was sure Charley would be more than willing to spill details on any information I asked her about him, but I was trying to let things play out without an unfair advantage.
But we’d also continued sending pictures to each other. Not quite breaking the rules, and most of them weren’t that revealing, but a few had me thinking some very dirty thoughts. After some coaxing, he’d finally sent me one with his body actually in the frame, showing a sliver of his stomach with a fine trail of dark hair visible above the waistband of a pair of the blue boxer briefs that seemed to be his favorites.
In a moment of pure desperation, I’d zoomed in on the bottom of the image, hoping to catch a peek of what might be inside them, but he’d clearly cropped it in a very specific way that still left a lot of things up to my imagination. It was a good thing I had a very active one .
But that imagination was simultaneously getting me into a very precarious situation with my brother’s best friend. My latest commission was almost worse than the previous ones, because it wasn’t Reid touching me this time, it was me touching him. And after listening to the scene in the audiobook and sending the clip to my very willing posing assistant, I was afraid that this would be the scenario to finally tip both of us over the edge of the cliff we’d been toeing for a week.
Without coming out and explicitly saying it, we were both clearly fighting a potent attraction to each other. He’d become more blatant in revealing his feelings about me physically the more time we spent together, but I knew he was letting me lead. I’d never outright told him I was a virgin, but I wasn’t exactly hiding it, either. He had to know I wasn’t even on the same level as him with experience because of my annoyingly persistent blush when he was anywhere in my vicinity.
Reid: Finishing up with my last client now. When are you done?
Hazel: I just got home. Annie convinced your cousin to help her finish up downstairs. There wasn’t much to do tonight.
Reid: Judging by the annoyingly loud diesel engine I just heard pull out of the parking lot, they’re gone.
Hazel: You coming over here?
Reid: Unless you want to come over here.
While it might be easier if I could make a quick getaway after we were done, I also didn’t want to think about how many other women had been in the same position with him over there…or where…or how many times.
I knew it wasn’t fair to judge him based upon his past, but I could feel the jealousy bubble up inside me when I was reminded of his antics. Even knowing he’d seemingly been trying to change his ways over the last few months. Something had shifted for him, because I hadn’t seen him picking up women at the bar, and I hadn’t noticed any cars still in the parking lot next to his shop long after the bar was closed. Not that I checked out my window before I went to bed at night.
Hazel: Pass. I think I’d feel more comfortable over here.
Reid: Have you eaten anything?
Pausing, I tried to remember when the last time I’d eaten was. Half the time I worked on food service downstairs, I forgot to eat. Not because I was too busy, but because when you spent that much time around the smell of fried food, you didn’t want to eat anything remotely similar to what you were serving. And sometimes my brain forgot it needed things to fuel it, like water and food.
Hazel: Honestly, I don’t remember what I ate today.
Reid: I would use right now to make a poorly timed sausage joke because of what we’ll be staging later, but I’ll spare you.
Hazel: I happen to enjoy a plump sausage now and then. But not too plump, don’t want my jaw to ache once I finish.
Reid: …
Hazel: Have I actually rendered you speechless for once? I didn’t know that was possible. I thought you were unflappable.
Reid: Yes, kitten, you have. I want to be simultaneously proud of you for stooping to my level in bawdy humor, but also a bit horrified that I’ve corrupted your innocent mind.
Hazel: Hate to break it to you, mister. My body might be innocent, but my mind is not. At all.
Reid: Maybe I’ve just never been lucky enough to witness this side of you.
Hazel: Maybe you bring it out of me.
Reid: I want to apologize, but I’m not sorry.
Hazel: Good, because I’m not apologizing for it either.
Reid: Good girl. You shouldn’t. I’ll be over in 20. If that’s okay with you.
A flush ran through me at the thought of him whispering those words, but when I ran it back through my head, his voice mixed with Seven’s. Shaking my head to clear the unwelcome thought, I realized that I never answered him.
Hazel: More than okay. See you soon.
Fifteen minutes later, I’d run through my apartment, making sure there weren’t any stray incriminating sketches lying around. I’d moved on from my hyper fixation to perfect my illustration skills of the male anatomy, but you could never be too safe when hiding your dick pics. Even if they were just drawings.
The dirty clothes I’d piled on the chair next to my bed were now inside the hamper. I’d also collected the plethora of half-finished drinks from around my workspace and either poured them out or drank them—depending on the contents.
Charley would be proud that my frantic cleaning had gotten me to my hydration goals for the day. She was constantly reminding me to drink and eat things. And it seemed that Reid had decided to fill in since my best friend had been busy planning the party at the end of the week.
The party that made glee and dread flow through me in almost equal measure. I was excited because I’d finally get to meet Seven. To find out his name, explore the spark I felt when he texted me and see if it translated to real life. But then I was disappointed because it'd mean the end of my time with Reid.
If I hit it off with Seven, then whatever was happening with Reid had to be over. It was bad enough I was entertaining dangerous thoughts of what would happen if Reid made a move to take things further than the heavy flirtation that had been happening since he offered to help me.
Part of me wanted to chalk it up to getting carried away because of the context of my commissions, but when I opened the door a few moments later, I realized that what I felt for my brother’s best friend had morphed from a childish crush into a full-blown attraction to the man standing in my doorway with a pizza box in his hands.
“Sausage delivery.”
Resisting the urge to take the bait, since, of course, he knew Italian sausage was my favorite pizza topping; I asked the more important question. “It’s after midnight, how did you get that? ”
My stomach, apparently suddenly ravenous, decided to growl. But as I took in his casual attire, I realized it wasn’t the only part of me that was hungry.
Pushing down my lustful thoughts, I stepped aside, shuddering slightly when Reid dusted a kiss at the edge of my jaw on his way past. His footsteps faltered, his eyes flashing to mine, but I shook my head, trying desperately not to let my blush take over. I wasn’t prepared to answer his questions about my reaction to a barely there brush of his lips.
“I have my methods.” Following along behind him to my living room, I resisted the urge to push him out of the way and steal the box. But I was also enjoying the view because his collection of mesh basketball shorts was growing on me. “Also doesn’t hurt that the owner was my last client of the day, and he had one of his drivers deliver it to the shop for him when I asked.”
Without looking away from the mesmerizing view of his ass flexing underneath those shorts, I absentmindedly commented. “You knew I would forget to eat.”
He turned, his smile widening when he noticed where my gaze had been focused.
“Do I have something on the back of my shorts, kitten?”
“Quit calling me that.”
“Never. I love it when you bring out the claws.” He opened the box, pulling out the paper plates he’d apparently thought to bring with him, carefully lifting a piece from inside and placing it on one—the cheese stretching enticingly—and then turned, holding it out to me.
Narrowing my eyes, I took the plate, almost expecting him to tease me and pull it away, but he didn’t. His smile only widened when he realized I was blushing yet again.
“It’s warm in here.”
“Mm hmm. Not sure your nipples would agree with you.” Instinctively, I pulled my arm up, trying to shield my chest, but Reid just laughed harder, holding his hand to the edge of my plate to keep my piece of pizza from sliding to the floor.
“Nervous about something, Haz?” he asked, averting his gaze back to the pizza and piling two slices onto his plate. His chest grazed my arm as he passed me, moving to take a seat in the middle of my couch. When I didn't move, he nodded to the empty cushion beside him.
“No, why should I be nervous?” I asked, reluctantly taking a seat. The warmth of his leg seeped through my leggings, and I fought the urge to move away from him, but I knew he’d call me out on it. Not that I wanted to get away from him.
If I was being honest with myself, I wanted to curl up in his lap like the pet name he kept calling me, but that would be an epically bad idea. Because if I acted on the urge to touch him like I wanted to, I’d never want to stop.
And I had a feeling he wouldn’t want me to either. Which was something I hadn’t expected a week ago—that he would encourage my affection and look at me like he wanted what I had for so long. What I still did. Even if it was a terrible idea.
Even if it meant risking something real developing between me and a man I’d never met.
“Spill. Because the nervous lip chewing you’re doing over there is driving me nuts. It's going to bleed if you keep it up. And I like your lips how they are.”
“What?” Eyes wide, I shoved the rest of my pizza in my mouth and turned to face him.
“You heard me, you have pretty lips, and I’d hate to see you destroy them because you’re nervous about something.”
“I have pretty lips?” He’d made fleeting compliments in the last week that had surprised me, but this one was the most jarring.
“Yes, you do. And I’d rather you stop abusing them and just tell me why you’re nervous instead of getting yourself worked up over there. Lips like yours should only be abused for one reason."
I wasn’t even sure how to respond to that. No one had ever called my lips pretty before. And I hadn’t realized Reid had been paying enough attention to mine to notice that they were.
Reid finished chewing and tossed his plate near mine, scooting closer and draping his arm along the back of the couch behind me. “Please tell me what’s bothering you? I promise I won’t tease you.”
Turning toward him, I blinked hard, not realizing his face was quite so close, but I also didn’t want to move away. “I don’t know how to get into character for the next picture.”
His warm breath coasted over my lips, and I should have been worried about both of us having pizza breath, but I was also enjoying the affectionate gaze currently aimed in my direction.
“I’m not going to be judging your form, if that’s what you’re worried about. All of my clothes will stay on the entire time, and you can just focus on recreating the scene based on the book. Or maybe you can channel some memories of the last time you…”
He trailed off, swallowing hard before he glanced away. Maybe Reid was having just as hard of a time talking about specifics with me as I did with him.
“That’s the problem. The last time…” I hesitated to finish the sentence, because there hadn’t been a last time .
“I’m sure your technique is fine, kitten. It’s always more about the enthusiasm than the handiwork. Just try to look like you’re enjoying yourself.”
But that was the problem. I had zero personal material to draw from. Reid’s dick was the only one I’d seen in real life. Which was a complete accident and slightly mortifying considering what else happened that night. And if he found out the truth, I was pretty sure I’d die of embarrassment.
“But I don’t know—”
“You need to quit second guessing yourself. Most guys don’t care what you do as long as you—”
“Stop, Reid,” I cut him off, my voice rising. “Just stop. I wasn’t kidding when I said I didn’t know what I was doing. I literally don’t know what I’m doing.”
He blinked, tilting his head as his brows furrowed. He stared at me for a long minute before his eyes widened in realization.
“Like you’ve never…?”
Shaking my head, I looked away from him, hating that I was this inexperienced, because I was sure he felt sorry for me. And having the guy you wanted to do naughty things with feel sorry for you because you were an inexperienced virgin was a new kind of humiliation.
“Are we talking that you’ve just never given a blow job, or…?”
Clearing my throat, I tried to find my words. No matter how hard this was to confess, I wanted to tell him. I needed to tell him.
“The only one I’ve seen not on a video screen is yours.”