Chapter 22
If Reid could choose one moment to freeze forever, it’d be this one. Sitting on the couch with Eve in his arms, a feeling of peace and contentment slicing through the turmoil that had eaten him up for so many years.
She was right. This was just the first, very big step. One that he’d needed more than he realized.
One that he prayed would take him to a better place, where he could truly believe in a future with Eve.
He rested his forehead on hers and breathed her in.
Filled every fiber of his being with her essence, her kindness, her compassion.
“I needed this. Needed you to drag it out of me. Tara’s the only one I talk about this shit with, and that’s mostly trying to convince her to let our dad pay for his mistakes.
She means well, and I know she loves him, but part of her help just turns into enabling, leaving her the one screwed in the end. ”
“It’s hard not to help the ones we love, even if that help ends up doing more bad than good. What led to Tara’s breaking point?” As she spoke, she traced her fingertips against his arm, twisting the tiny hairs with the motion.
But he didn’t mind. She could touch him anywhere and he’d be happy. “Dad was in rehab—again—and left early. He showed up at her place, stole money, then split.”
“Poor Tara.”
“And if that’s not bad enough, her jackass boyfriend gave her a hard time and their relationship ended. The guy’s a dick, always has been, but I can’t blame him for getting fed up with my dad’s toxic bullshit. I just hate that Tara was hurt.”
“She’s strong and has you for support,” Eve said. “Maybe we can all help her see Cloud Valley would be a great place to live.”
His heart sputtered and his already intense feelings for Eve grew higher than the mountain in the backyard. “I’d love nothing more. But no more talk about Tara or my dad or my childhood.”
She cupped the back of his neck with her palm and drew herself closer. “What do you have in mind?”
Capturing her mouth, he slid his hand down her slender thigh, his body tingling with every curve and dip he explored. And hell, it was just her leg. Excitement beat triple time in his veins at what else was left to uncover.
His fingers smashed against something cold and lumpy. “Um, we might have to put this on pause.”
Frowning, she pulled back and studied his face. “Absolutely. We can take things as slow as you need.”
He chuckled and showed her the bits of potatoes he’d found clinging to her pants. “The timing isn’t the issue.”
Clapping a hand to her mouth, she burst into laughter. “Oh my gosh. I completely forgot I made a mess in the kitchen.”
“You made your point, that’s for sure. But we should pick that up before we forget and rodents scamper inside to eat your leftovers.
” With more regret than he could express, he unfolded himself from Eve and stood then pulled her to her feet.
“Why don’t you clean the potatoes off yourself, and I’ll handle the kitchen. ”
“I’m the one who tossed my plate on the floor. I can handle it,” she said. “There’s still dishes to wash, too. You shouldn’t have to deal with it all yourself.”
He pulled her close, framing her face with his hands. “You’ve done more than you’ll ever know. Let me do this. It’s a small way to say thank you.”
She scrunched her nose as if uncomfortable with the praise. “Fine. I might take another shower. I can still smell that butter. Not my best decision.”
“I disagree,” he said, tapping the tip of her nose with his finger. “Go. Enjoy.”
“If you say so,” she said in a singsong voice then gave him a peck on the cheek and strolled toward the hall.
He watched the subtle sway of her hips, and desire tightened his gut. Damn it, he should say screw the dishes and march after her into that shower. He’d barely survived knowing she was in there earlier. He wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to do it again.
Ignoring his instinct to run after her, he walked into the kitchen and grinned at the forgotten paper plate on the floor. Who’d have guessed that tossing food around would result in cracking open the vault of emotions and memories he’d kept locked up for so long.
Luckily Eve had eaten most of her dinner, so the cleanup was easy. He hustled around the room, washing serving ware and wiping down counters. He dipped outside to make sure they’d left nothing behind on the deck then returned to the tidy kitchen.
A quick glance at his watch told him the evening was still young.
An early dinner and baring his soul left them with a few hours to kill before bedtime.
He debated checking in with Tara, but he didn’t want to hover—didn’t want her to think that if she decided to make her stay in Cloud Valley permanent, he’d be in her business all the time.
If she needed him, she’d call. He’d touch base with her in the morning.
Pipes groaned from the rush of water flowing into the bathtub. He groaned along with them as images of Eve came back. She could take all the hot water she needed, because once she was done, he’d need a shower cold as ice to cool his blood.
Maybe he could take Eve for a walk. A quick hike around the lake until the sun went down. That could chew up enough time, leaving them to watch a movie before calling it a night. He’d grab a hoodie from his bag and ask if she’d be interested in his plan.
Hurrying down the hall, he made a beeline past the closed bathroom door and stepped inside the primary bedroom. His bag lay untouched at the end of the bed. Zipping it open, he dug inside and found his favorite black sweatshirt. He shook out the wrinkles then tugged it over his head.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you were in here.”
He stared at Eve, who stood in the doorway with a white cotton towel wrapped around her body. Unspoken words stuck in his dry throat.
“I forgot to grab my clothes,” she said. “Are you cold?”
He smoothed a hand over the soft material of his sweatshirt. “No, I, ah, thought about taking a walk. How was your shower?”
“Good. All clean, but I’m not sure if I want to head outside. Can we take a walk in the morning instead?”
“Sure. Whatever you want.”
She padded into the room and gave a gentle yank on the string dangling from his hood. “Anything, huh?”
An insatiable hunger roared through him. He didn’t want to fight it anymore. Skimming the backs of his knuckles along the soft curve of her cheek, he stared down at her beautiful face. “Anything.”
He bent down and pressed his lips to hers. Lust stirred in his core. He had taken a giant step earlier, and now it was time to take another one. But this time, it was a step for both him and Eve.
The heat of Reid’s body against hers combined with the fire raging inside Eve and threatened to explode. She’d hoped standing under the spray of cool water for a second time would wash away the desire climbing up her body.
But all it took was one look, one touch, one taste to weaken her resolve and have her ready to drop to her knees and beg for more.
She broke the kiss, needing to know Reid was okay. That he was ready to take their relationship to this level and things weren’t moving too fast after exposing so much of his past—of his fears.
“You okay?” he asked, tucking a strand of her wet hair behind her ear.
She smiled. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”
Puzzlement creased his forehead. “How could I not be? I’m holding a beautiful woman who’s dressed only in a towel.”
“I’m being serious.” She yanked on the strings of his hoodie again. “We talked about a lot of heavy stuff earlier. If you’re not ready for this…for any of this…that’s fine. I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
He grinned, melting her insides. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on this side of the I-don’t-want-to-pressure-you talk.”
“What can I tell you,” she said, shrugging. “I’m a modern woman.”
Snaking his hand around the back of her neck, he lowered his head so they were eye to eye. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m ready. Ready to move forward. Ready to try. Ready to toss your ass in this bed and finally show you how much you mean to me.”
She held her arms open. “Go for it.”
Chuckling, he hauled her into his arms then playfully threw her on the bed before lunging after her. Lying on her back, she propped herself on her elbows, enjoying the view as he stalked forward like a panther about to devour his prey.
Hooking an arm around her waist, he shifted her to her side then lay in front of her so they were face-to-face. His fingers inched up her hip, creeping toward the knotted towel at her chest. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”
She swallowed hard, her body humming with anticipation. A part of her wanted to yank the towel off herself and get started, stripping him naked to see the hard, chiseled muscles she knew lay under his clothes.
The other part of her wanted to be cherished, to savor the moment and everything that came with it.
“You could have fooled me,” she said, her voice quivering.
He dipped the pad of his finger into the shallow dent of her cleavage, toying the with sensitive skin at the top of her breast. “Trust me, no more pretending. No more hiding.”
As if speaking about her, he flicked the knot apart and smoothed his hand down between her breasts.
Squirming, she wiggled the towel free and threw it on the floor. She didn’t want anything separating them—secrets, fears or clothes.
He stilled, his gaze flicking to her body for a few seconds before he tucked his head and captured one nipple between his teeth. His tongue took over, and the gentle movement of his mouth pushed her to lie on her back.
She gasped, her body thrusting forward as anticipation tingled between her legs.
His hand slid down to her stomach then stopped. He stared up at her, hunger lighting his eyes. “Are you sure this is what you want?”