“Yes,” Reed said.
“No,” I started at the same time. “We did not have lunch together,” I said, finishing.
“I believe we were at the same table together.”
“Only because you hijacked my table!”
“I’m Reed Pierce,” he said, ignoring me, and held out his hand toward Carrie. She eyed it suspiciously before accepting it.
“I know who you are,” she said.
She hadn’t meant it as a compliment, but Reed was definitely going to take it as one as he flashed a lethal smile in my direction. It packed one hell of a punch to my core. The struggle to cover my stomach where I literally felt the blow was real.
“I’m Carrie, and this is Dillon,” Carrie said, pulling me free from my thoughts.
Reed took note of the possessive man standing at Carrie’s side for the first time, and as if some kind of man code passed between the two, Reed went from flirty to casual as he shook his hand next.
“It’s nice to meet you both.” He was a model of politeness, before turning toward me. “I’m glad you decided to come, Meela.”
“It was your idea for her to go out?” Carrie asked, looking at me with accusing eyes.
“I mentioned it at lunch.” He took a drink from his glass and smirked over the rim at me.
I definitely despised him.
His tall, lean body.
His stupid, gorgeous face.
Those stupid emerald eyes and the way he looked at me as if I was a tasty treat.
But most of all, I hated his lips. I hated that I knew the wonderful things they were capable of and the memories they had branded on my brain of our time in the elevator. It was the most exciting thing that had happened to me since I was a teenager, and even then, I think Reed won the award for the most interesting man in my life, but I would never admit that.
I would never admit to the way he made me feel or the way my body reacted to him.
“I need more alcohol,” I blurted out in a rush to get away from all things Reed.
It wasn’t safe to be around him with alcohol stripping away my inhibitions and logical thinking. You weren’t supposed to operate heavy objects while you were under the influence of alcohol for a reason. And much like driving a car, I couldn’t be held responsible for my body’s actions with Reed in my presence and alcohol in my system.
“I have to pee. Meela, you look like you have to pee, too.”
She grabbed my arm before I could respond and pulled me in the direction of the bathrooms. My head was spinning by the time we maneuvered through the crowd and reached the long line to the ladies’ room.
“What the actual fuck, Meela?” she demanded, pulling me around to stand in front of her. “Explain.”
My back was to the ladies’ room, and I was in perfect view of the rest of the club. There had to be close to two hundred people in the massive room, and I managed to find those maddening green eyes as if my life depended on it.
He still stood with Dillon, who was currently chatting it up, but I was pretty sure Reed hadn’t heard a word he said. He too had honed in on me and held my gaze as he lifted his glass to his lips. I felt paralyzed, caught in his trap, and if I didn’t get the eff out of there, Reed would eat me alive.
“I don’t even know where to start,” I confessed, finally dragging my gaze away from Reed.
“How about you start with why you didn’t tell me about your impromptu lunch date with the mortal enemy?”
My words came back to haunt me.
I shook my head, annoyed. “It was not a lunch date.”
“Just tell me everything that happened,” she demanded.
By the time I had given her a full rundown of the day’s events that included Reed, we had moved halfway to the head of the line.
“He wants you,” Carrie declared in amazement, as if finding the final missing piece to a puzzle.
“What? No. I mean, yes, he wants to drive me crazy.”
After the past year, he was damn good at it.
“No, my sweet, delusional friend. Reed Pierce wants you.”
“I think those pregnancy hormones are messing with your head. Because what you just said sounds batshit crazy.”
“The only hormones you need to worry about are that sexy man’s staring at you from across the room. Trust me, he wants you. This might be a good thing.” Excitement laced her words.
“No, it’s not! And even if he did, which he doesn’t, it doesn’t change a damn thing. I don’t want him.”
She looked at me like she wanted to argue with me, but she didn’t have a chance.
“Oh, my god.” I moaned in horror. “Shit,” was apparently my catch phrase tonight.
“What now?” Carrie asked and turned to follow my horrified gaze. “Yeah, that’s definitely not good.”
“Come on,” I told her and grabbed her wrist, pulling her behind me.
We were across the club in record time, joining the crowd that had grown around Reed and Dillon. Only it wasn’t so much as a crowd as it was groupies, and those groupies consisted of my sister, Kaylee, and her best friend, Taylor.
“Meme!” Kaylee slurred, throwing her arms around my neck and giving my cheek a sloppy kiss. She was already three sheets to the wind, and it was only midnight. “We rushed right over when we saw you talking to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Holy Fuck.” She mouthed the last two words at me.
I mentally prepared myself to be unapologetically embarrassed by my sister.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend, Meela?” Taylor purred like a damn cat in heat.
“Oh god,” I groaned, looking down at the floor, willing it to open and take me away from the situation.
I raised my hand toward Reed. “This is Reed Pierce. Reed, this is Taylor and Kaylee.”
My moment to enjoy the instant their faces fell into a pout when I said his name wasn’t long enough when Reed found mine again. One look into those green eyes said it all. It was one thing for me to openly hate Reed, but it was another thing for him to know I obsessed over it to my family and friends. He was never going to let this go.
“I see you’ve told your friends about me, Meme,” he taunted.
I swallowed hard and tried to keep my composure. I didn’t respond since I knew coherent sentences weren’t a possibility right at this moment. I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or if it was Reed. All I knew was his words had struck me low in my stomach.
“Do not call me that, and I wouldn’t flatter yourself. It was all bad,” I told him, but it didn’t take long to realize Reed was suddenly in a world of his own.
His face had paled dramatically, and he looked stiff and … angry, except that didn’t seem like a strong enough word.
“Reed? What’s wrong?” I asked, touching his arm. It seemed to pull him out of his trance long to look down at where I touched him and then back at my face. I didn’t know what had possessed me to do it, and I dropped my hand before he got any ideas.
The sound of a woman’s voice interrupted me as she called Reed’s name from a few feet away. I called her a woman, but she looked very much like college co-ed. I didn’t take Reed to go after girls, but obviously, I was wrong. My trail of thoughts startled me because in the twelve months I’d known him, my only thoughts about Reed had been a way to get away with murder and then kicking his ass every chance I got in court. I shouldn’t care who he invited into his bed, and I don’t, I thought firmly.
Careful, Meela, some might confuse that spark you’re feeling for jealousy.
Eight
Reed
I saw her before she saw me.
The next five seconds left me feeling numb, which helped take the edge off the rage filling every single one of my nerve endings. I had no idea what she was doing here, but the instinct to fight or flee was kicking in hard-fucking-core.
If I turned away right now, she wouldn’t see me, and I could get the fuck out of here with only minimal damage done to my sanity. I tried to move my feet, b
ut my legs locked in place, and I couldn’t move a damn muscle.
“Reed?” Meela called my name with a mix of worry and curiosity. “What’s wrong?”
Meela touched my arm, drawing my attention to her. Her blue eyes managed to soothe my frayed nerves, freeing me from my temporary paralysis. Staring down into her face, she momentarily distracted me from spotting my past. I wanted to run my thumb over her bottom lip or nibble on it, and for a moment...
“Reed! Reed, over here!”
Fuck me.
It just kept getting worse.
My name was being called from the other side of the club, and thanks to the voice I recognized as Claire Steven’s, I knew when I looked up the set of eyes I’d hoped to avoid would have spotted me for sure.
“I think you’re being summoned.” Meela’s voice held a touch of annoyance, and her reaction was hot.
“Maybe if I pretend I don’t hear her, she’ll go away.”
“Good luck with that. She’s practically jumping up and down and waving you over,” she said, her eyes looking past my shoulder.
“Maybe we should get out of here then,” I told her.
Her eyes darted back in my direction, licking her bottom lip, and I groaned on the inside.
“What’s the matter, Reed? You can’t handle the playboy lifestyle anymore?”
I laughed, but before I could respond, my name was being shouted again, and I knew If I didn’t acknowledge her and soon, she’d make an even bigger scene.
“I should probably go.”
She nodded again, looking annoyed. “Have fun.”
“Save me a drink,” I told her, and without giving her a chance to turn me down, I walked away.
My eyes moved around the room in the club, inspecting each face I encountered, but I didn’t see her. I really hoped I’d gotten fucking lucky enough that she’d left before Claire Stevens waved me down like a goddamn banshee.
The last thing I wanted to waste was a part of my night on was Claire, but until I made partner, playing nice wouldn’t kill me. When she saw me heading her way, her red lips parted in a smile that was supposed to seduce me with bad thoughts. She’d definitely missed the mark.
I plastered on one of my famous smiles for Claire Stevens and joined her group.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” I drawled, making the eyes of the other two girls with Claire light up wildly.
I was already bored.
“Some would call it your lucky night, Mr. Pierce,” Claire said, closing the distant between us and running her fingernail down my chest.
I kind of felt sorry for the girl. She thought she was the epitome of innocence and sexy, but her efforts were over the top and desperate. I couldn’t have been less interested in her if I actively tried.
“I’m not sure I could handle the three of you.” My gaze bounced among the three girls.
Claire pressed against me, her hand flattening against my chest, and she peeked up at me through her lashes. “Oh, no. I don’t share,” she whispered.
I leaned down, hoping to appease her for the time being. “I meant only you.”
She giggled, and her eyes dropped as if my words were too much for innocent ears.
“Why haven’t you asked me out?” She pouted.
“We work together.”
“As if that’s ever stopped you before. You have a very famous reputation around the office.”
“I don’t date, Claire.”
“We could do other stuff, Reed. I have a very active imagination. I promise, you wouldn’t be bored,” she vowed, pushing her hips into mine.
Before I could tell her we were never going to happen, there was a hand on my arm. Long fingers with nails painted a dark purple—it was her favorite color. Her fingertips pressed firmly into my arm, demanding I face what I hadn’t been so lucky to outrun.
“Excuse me, do you mind if I borrow him?” She addressed Claire, but she was looking at me.
Our eyes locked and again, I was paralyzed from the forehead down. I’m sure Claire was beyond pissed off, but other than a huff of her breath, she did as she was told.
“I’ll see you around, Reed.”
I nodded, but the woman in front of me had all my attention now.
“I thought I was seeing things. I can’t believe it’s really you,” she breathed.
Her hand lifted toward my face, but I flinched, moving beyond her touch.
“Don’t.” My voice was hard, and I barely recognized it.
She looked hurt, but it wasn’t enough to dissolve the icy attitude toward her.
“What are you doing here?” I asked tightly.
“The last time I checked, I live here. Your turn.”
She hadn’t changed much in the past five years. Her hair was longer, a darker shade. Her eyes dull. She was thinner—much thinner—but she looked like she had aged ten years instead. Time hadn’t been kind to her, and you could see it in her eyes. The loneliness, the pain, and the desperation weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Despite trying to look her best tonight, for what was probably a girls’ night out, she just looked tired and unhappy.
“I’ve been back for over two years now.”
She was shocked, and it showed in her expression. “You’ve been back for over two years? Do your parents know?”
My eyes slit. “What the hell do you think?”
“After all this time, you’re still angry with us, Reed?”
“Yes,” I hissed. “Believe me, I had no intention of you or anyone else finding out I was back.” I took a step away from her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have anywhere else to be but here.”
“Please,” she begged, grabbing my arm in a death grip. “Can’t we go somewhere and talk? I’ve missed you so much, Reed.”
My eyes darkened, angrily. “You’re a married woman now, and even if you weren’t, I want nothing to do with you.”
Ignoring the horrified look on her face, I took a step back and turned around, leaving behind my past once and for all.
“What about Jason?” she called out, using the one thing she knew would keep me from walking out of her life for good this time.
“What about him?”
“You haven’t seen him since the day he was born.”
“We both know why.”
“Things are different now, Reed,” she insisted.
“No, they’re not, and you won’t use your son to manipulate me for a second time.”
“Don’t you mean our son?”
Nine
Meela
“Well, that was weird.” I watched Reed walk away, feeling completely confused by his sudden behavior.
When Reed was out of earshot, Kaylee was the first to speak, and I was thankful to be distracted from my own thoughts.
Until the words left her mouth.
“Geez, Meela! You never said he was a fox. How can you stand to hate him?”
“I don’t make it a habit to lust after people I can’t stand to be around,” I replied dryly.
“Well, maybe you could make an exception this one time. He looks like he’d be a good time in the bedroom.” She winked.
“Could you guys make it any more obvious that Reed has been the topic of discussion more than once? He’s going to eat that shit up.”
“I don’t understand why you haven’t forgiven him and then demand he prove how sorry he is in the form of multiple—”
“Okay, I think you guys should take it easy on the Patrón,” I said, cutting Kaylee off.
“Come on, Meme. If you won’t give into the sexy villain, at least find another willing participant to take home tonight and do very bad things to.” She was nearly shouting as if I was standing across the room from her.
“A little louder, Kaylee. I don’t think the bouncer outside heard you.”
She giggled and grabbed my face between her hands, trying to look serious. “I’m serious, Meme. You need to lose that—”
I covered her mouth wit
h my hand and squeezed. “Finish that sentence and I will have no choice but to end your life. I’d hate to do it, I really would, because you’re my only sister and I love you, but I will. I’m a lawyer, so I’ll get away with it, too.”
She giggled again and pulled my hand away. “I love you, too.” She threw her arms around me, nearly bringing us both to the floor as she settled all her weight around my neck.
“Who do you think is that girl he’s talking to?” Taylor asked, and everyone but me turned to stare in their direction.
“She looks like a skank,” Carrie said before her lips found the red straw of her virgin whatever she was drinking.
“Oh, skank status for sure.” Kaylee all but sneered at them. “Meela is definitely an upgrade.”
“You two are drunk, you’re pregnant, and the three of you need to go home.”
“Come on, Meela. You know you’d look way better straddling Reed than she would.”
“Will you guys stop?” I hissed.
The last thing I needed was images of Reed’s toned abs under my palms and the way his hips felt pressed into the insides of my thighs. Dammit. Too late.
“Kaylee!” Taylor hissed, pulling her free from me. “Look at those guys over there. I want! Let’s go.”
“We’ll be back,” Kaylee said, and just like that, they were gone.
I welcomed the break from their over-the-top fantasies.
“And then there were three.” I turned toward Carrie and Dillon.
Carrie’s hand was covering her stomach, and at first, I thought she was feeling a sense of motherly intuition, but the look on her face told me that wasn’t the reason. Spending the rest of the night with a pregnant, miserable woman and her overprotective fiancé just wasn’t doing it for me.
“You should go home, Carrie. You don’t look so great, and Dillon’s right, you should be at home resting.”
“But we’re supposed to be celebrating.” She pouted.
“We’ll celebrate tomorrow over fluffy scrambled eggs and crispy bacon,” I said.
The color drained from her face. “Please, don’t say any more.” She held up her hand and pressed the other to her stomach. “Unless you want me to throw up all over you.”
Lust Page 7
