18. Reese
S he’s stunning— my mate . A dark-green dress flows over her body, hugging her small chest and narrow waist, flaring around her hips. The material swishes around her thighs with each approaching step. Since being here, her skin has tanned, giving her a healthy glow. Combined with the slight curls in her pale blonde hair, she looks like an angel fallen from heaven to torment me.
One look at her and my walls start to crumble.
“You’re beautiful,” I whisper, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. Her flushed skin warms beneath my lips.
“Thank you,” she murmurs, sparkling blue eyes searching my face, dancing with mischief. A winning smile splits her lips. “You clean up nice, Grumpy Bear,” she teases with a wink.
Linking our fingers, she tugs me toward my truck. My chuckle booms through the air as I follow behind.
I’d follow her to the ends of the Earth if she asked.
My eyes trail down her petite frame to get a glimpse of her round ass hidden beneath the green fabric. Since my grandmother raised me right, I open the passenger door and boost Sydney into my old, lifted truck.
“Why, thank you, kind sir.” The little brat tips her head at me with another wink. A wide smile lights up my face, the expression becoming less foreign the more time I spend around Sydney.
Jogging to the back of the truck, I take a quick peek in the bed, making sure all of my supplies are safely tucked inside. The once frozen organ in my chest beats wildly with anticipation. This night could change everything for me and my mate.
Satisfied, I pat the tailgate once and head for the driver’s door. “Where are we going?” My angel’s voice hits my ears as soon as I close the door.
“It’s a surprise, baby girl.” Cheeks flushing pink, she bites her bottom lip when I flash her a smirk, my eyes lazily tracing up and down her body.
Clutching her small hands under her chin, she bats long, mascara-coated lashes at me. “Give me a hint. Pleeease.” Cranking the key in the ignition, old reliable rumbles to life as my deep laughter fills the cab.
“Mmm. I love that sound,” she murmurs as my laughter stops.
This time, it’s my turn to blush. Suddenly uncomfortable with Sydney’s praise, I clear my throat before facing forward and pulling out of my gravel driveway. “You’ll like this surprise. I promise.”
The drive is quiet, maybe a little awkward. I’m probably fucking this whole thing up. Sydney’s gaze is focused out the passenger window, her plush lips curved into a gentle smile. Without overthinking too much, I heave a sigh and reach across the center console. My thick fingers lace between Sydney’s much smaller, daintier ones.
The smile on her face grows, reflected back to me in the glass of her window. She gently squeezes my hand, calming the nervous energy filling my veins.
“It’s really beautiful out here,” she says. “I’m so used to the constant honking horns and noises of the city.”
Swallowing the lump of nerves lodged in my throat, I focus on the winding road ahead. “Do you miss the city?”
One delicate shoulder lifts in a shrug, the thin strap of her dress falling down with the motion. “To be honest, I’m not really sure anymore. I think maybe my life in the city has run its course—” she starts, then cuts herself off abruptly. “But we’ll see. Anyway, I’m sorry about last night.”
My brows wing up. “About what?”
She clears her throat. “At dinner, it came out all wrong when I said this place was in the middle of nowhere. The longer I’m here, the more I feel this pull, like I’m meant to be here. Ya know?”
Ethereal blue eyes search my face, but I’m at a loss for words. Would fate really send me the perfect mate and let me keep her? Every other good thing in my life has been torn away from me. Who’s to say Sydney won’t be pulled from my clutches once I’m in too deep?
Pulling to a stop in the middle of the clearing, I turn off the truck before twisting to face my mate. “Be a good girl and stay here. ”
I hide my smirk as she clenches her slender thighs together and bites her bottom lip, my words having the intended effect.
Hopping out of the cab, I make quick work of setting up our sunset picnic. Pulling my battered copy of The Outsiders from my back pocket, I toss it in the middle of the blankets. Heaving out a final breath, I walk to the passenger door of the truck.
I haven’t been this nervous in my entire life. Growing up, I was always a cocky motherfucker; nothing in life could touch me. Until it did, and I lost everything I cared about. I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans before reaching for the door handle.
W hat does he have planned? Reese seems nervous tonight; he’s twitchy and awkward, something I haven’t witnessed often from the big brute. He’s usually so sure of himself.
The sudden creak of my door draws my eyes to Reese. With a shaky smile, he extends a hand to me, helping me out of the big truck. Who needs a truck this big?
It’s not like he’s compensating for anything. The man is seriously hung.
“Come with me.” Tugging me behind him, I let my eyes wander from his broad, muscular shoulders to his narrow waist. Dark jeans hug the perfectly round cheeks of his ass. It should be a crime for a man to have this nice of a backside. I’m honestly jealous. Glancing over my shoulder, I glare at my small butt, barely visible with the flowing skirt of my dress.
“I can hear you thinking, Angel.” There’s a teasing tone to his voice that I don’t often hear. Buried deep, deep down in Reese, there’s this playful side I adore. I wish he’d let other people see it, too.
“Just admiring the view,” I snark, flashing a quick wink as he looks over his shoulder. I’m rewarded with another deep, sexy chuckle—my new favorite sound.
“Alright, my bratty mate. Close your eyes.”
“Why? You’re not going to leave me here, are you?” I’m joking, but sometimes it’s hard to tell what Reese is thinking.
“I wouldn’t do that. Trust me?”
Sincerity shimmers in his dark irises. My throat bobs with a harsh swallow as I nod and close my eyes.
Warm hands close around my shoulders, guiding me toward the surprise he’s cooked up.
We come to a stop. Hot air tickles my ear as Reese speaks in a low, rough whisper. “Okay, Angel. Open those baby blues for me.”
On his command, my eyelids flutter open, adjusting to the fading evening light. With a gasp, I take in the scene before me. Fairy lights are strewn around the rim of the truck bed, twinkling in time with fireflies as they flit through the darkening sky. The truck bed is filled with a mattress, a mountain of pillows, and a few fluffy blankets. In the center of the blankets, a charcuterie board sits loaded to the edges with yummy snacks.
“You own a charcuterie board?” I blurt, instantly wincing at my words.
Low laughter puffs next to my ear. Reese’s hands fall to my waist, spinning me to face him. “Yes, Sydney. You forget I was once civilized.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“Come on, Angel.” Without a second thought, he lifts me onto the open tailgate like I weigh nothing, reminding me of the difference in our sizes. Slipping my sandals from my feet, he places a soft kiss on the top of each foot. Swoon. Where did this romantic side of Reese come from?
“Scoot back,” he commands, making quick work of his own shoes. Drool pools in my mouth as the muscles in his forearms and biceps flex as he propels his massive body into the truck bed beside me.
“This is very romantic,” I say, biting into a chocolate-covered strawberry. Reese’s eyes turn molten as he tracks my tongue when it darts out to lick up the excess chocolate. He hums as he picks up another strawberry, feeding it between my lips. His eyes never leaving my mouth.
Once I swallow, Reese leans in, pressing a quick, yet heated, kiss to my lips. I giggle as he pulls away. Oh, he’s definitely turned on.
Glancing down at the food, I search for my next victim, but my eyes snag on something else.
Picking up the tattered book, I look to Reese with raised eyebrows. “The Outsiders? ”
Color blooms on his bearded cheeks, one big hand scratching at the back of his neck. Clearing his throat, his eyes lift to mine. “Do you remember the day you came to my cabin?”
“Of course,” I answer without hesitation. I’ll never forget that day.
“I already knew that day… that you were my fated mate. Your scent called to me like nothing I’d ever experienced. And when you came looking for a place to stay, you had a copy of this book.” His finger taps the worn cover. “Is it coincidence you said it was your favorite, too? Or did fate pick a perfect match for me?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. It is a pretty common book.”
“Do you know why it’s my favorite?” he presses on.
I shake my head as Reese flips the book open to reveal the inside cover. An inscription is written in an elegant, flourishing script. Definitely not Reese’s chicken scratch handwriting I’ve seen on the papers in his office. “My grandmother gave me this book when I was a teen. I grew up in a rough area of Chicago and she hoped reading would keep me out of the gangs running in our neighborhood.”
“What happened to her?” I’m almost afraid to ask with the way unshed tears glisten in his eyes.
His voice grows strained, heavy with emotion as he speaks. “She died when I was in college. Cancer. She was my world, and I lost her.” A lone tear tracks down his face.
Laying my hand on his thigh, I give it a comforting squeeze. “I’m so sorry, Reese.”
He sniffles before hastily wiping the stray tear away. “Her love of books and learning rubbed off on me. After that first gift, I always had a book in my hand and I soaked up as much knowledge as I possibly could. I got a full ride to Stanford for Business Management all because of her. She would have loved you, Angel. Your sass and your fire. She was a strong woman, just like you.”
A scoff slips past my lips. “I’m not strong.”
“Yes, you are. You don’t take my shit.” He chuckles, stroking my cheek.
“My mom raised two strong women, I guess.” I glance up at him through my lashes.
“Where are your parents now?” “In Florida. They come back in the summer sometimes, but not this year.” His thumb brushes a path back and forth along my cheekbone, lulling me into a sense of safety. “Wren and I have always been close, but we’re close to our parents, too. We grew up with parents who loved us and adored us, so I don’t know how I ended up so lost at twenty-three.” My voice turns quiet, laced with sobering realization.
“Why do you feel lost?” Reese asks, dark chocolate eyes burning with curiosity.
Shrugging, I search his rugged features. There’s not an ounce of judgment in his eyes, only compassion, which gives me the courage to spill my guts. “Because I’ve worked the same job, without being promoted, since I was in high school. All of my friends have passed me by, leaving me behind for bigger and better things. My boss has made me so many broken promises, I can’t help but think I’m wasting my potential.”
“Then use your potential,” he states, like it’s a no-brainer. “Utilize your talents. ”
“My talents?” I raise one of my brows.
“Your art, Sydney. It’s beautiful and inspiring. It’s a waste to not show others.”
Picking at the hem of my dress, I pinch the fabric between my fingers before letting it fall from my grasp like a feather floating in the breeze. “I guess.”
“You clearly have a mind for business management. And I could help you.” My brows shoot up on my forehead, shocked by Reese’s care. “You’d help me?” I murmur, meeting his dark gaze once again.
“I’d do anything for you, Angel. You’re my mate. Mine to take care of. Mine to—” he cuts himself off, but my heart flutters rapidly in my chest. The muscle squeezing at the thought he was going to say I’m his to love.
I want his love. I want to be his more than anything.
“You’re a force to be reckoned with, Sydney. Tiny, yet mighty, right?” His tongue licks a path along his plump lower lip. Inching closer, my eyes eat up the action, wishing that tongue was on my flesh, soothing the scalding heat whirling in my veins. “Grab what you want, and take it,” he rasps, gravel oozing through the words. Gaze like a black, starless night never leaving mine.
I lean in, our lips a hairsbreadth apart. His panting breaths flutter over my mouth.
“That simple?” I whisper, lips brushing his in a caress. “Just take it.”
His head dips in a nod, soft lips rubbing against mine. Something snaps in me at his gentle touch and the scorching inferno blazing in his eyes.
I slam my lips against his, a pained whimper cracking through the air. But Reese swallows it down, groaning in response.
Rough fingers wrap around my neck, not taking away my air, but holding me in place as his tongue plunders my mouth. Fuck, he can kiss .
My pussy clenches with anticipation as he fucks my mouth with his skilled tongue. Slicking a path in and out, in and out; hypnotizing me with pleasure.