“How did you do this?” I asked, turning to face him.
“I picked everything out, the realtor let me have it delivered here, and I set everything up last night. You can choose a different bedding set,” he added.
I shook my head, sending my hair over my shoulders. “No. It’s perfect.”
He moved into the room. “Does that mean yes?”
I took a deep breath. “If we do this, there have to be rules, Reed.”
“Rules,” he repeated. “I can do rules.”
“Rule number one: our relationship is strictly platonic.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” He pinned me with questioning eyes.
“Yes. Positive.”
“Okay. What else?”
“There will be no kissing, no touching, no ...”
“Fucking?”
“Yes,” she said quickly and moved on. “And no looks.”
“No looks?” He frowned and crossed his arms over his wide chest. “You’ll have to explain that one to me.”
“You know what looks.” I glared when he grinned and then threw down my last rule. “I only have one other rule.” I met his gaze. “We see other people.”
It was my turn to catch him off guard, and secretly, I enjoyed it. I could see why he liked doing it to me. “We see other people?”
“Yep. We’re only doing this because it’s the right thing to do for the baby. She, or he, needs both parents, and if we can make this work, we should do everything we can to try, but that doesn’t mean our personal lives have to take a back seat. Women are kind of your thing, Reed, and if we’re not going to be together, there isn’t any reason that has to change for you.”
“Meela—”
I cut him off. “It’s the only way I’ll agree, Reed. You said we would do this under my conditions. These are them.”
His hands had moved to his hips, his lips thinned in a tight line, and for a second there, I didn’t think he would agree, but then he nodded and said, “Okay. I agree. Is that all?”
“One more thing,” I said and closed the distance between us. “Thank you, Reed. This ...” I waved my hand around the room. “All this is amazing.”
He smiled. “So you like the house?”
“It’s gorgeous. From what I’ve seen, of course.”
“Would you like to see the rest of the house?” he asked, holding out his hand toward me.
I took his hand, knowing at that moment, even though we could never be anything more, Reed had taken a piece of my heart that I would never get back.
L U S T
A week later, I was moving into the house Reed was renting. Until the house was officially ours, which it would be after we both decided my name would go on the loan too, we would be staying here. And since it wouldn’t make sense to move my stuff from my old place to his old place and then to the new place, we had packed everything up and moved it into storage. I was just happy to be done with the whole moving thing for the next few weeks. It turned out packing and moving was ten times more exhausting when you were pregnant.
When we pulled into the driveway, I realized I hadn’t been here since the night of the club. The night that started a chain reaction neither one of us had expected.
He held the door open as I stepped inside his condo.
I stood there, confused at what I was looking at. My face crinkled as I dropped the two of the smallest bags I had refused to let him carry inside for me at my feet. They landed with a plunk as he shut the door, and then he stopped next to me with the rest of my bags in hand, clearly unaware of my reaction.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when he realized I hadn’t moved.
“This is where you live?”
His brows pulled in that adorable way that annoyed me for noticing. “What are you talking about? You’ve been here before.”
“Yeah, but ...” I could kick myself for saying anything. “It was dark and … I was distracted. How long have you lived here?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.
He did a terrible job at hiding his knowing smile before supplying an answer. “Almost three years this summer. Why?”
I looked at him because the answer should have been self-explanatory, but he seemed genuinely unaware of my confusion.
“Am I the only one who notices the boxes?”
I lifted my arm, pointing toward the tower of boxes that littered what was supposed to be the living room in random spots.
He shrugged and brushed past me as he moved my bags deeper into his house. I touched my shoulder where his had touched mine. It was such an innocent, non-thought-about gesture, but the simple touch had my nerves firing nonetheless.
I blamed it on the damn hormones that had invaded and taken over my body ever since the little firecracker had arrived. I smiled to myself at the nickname. It was something I had started referring to the baby as, and something Reed would never find out about. With this little firecracker, I was no longer in charge of myself, and it was the hardest thing for me to come to terms with.
I didn’t like making simple things like the brush of the shoulder seem more than it was. The touch hadn’t affected Reed, so it shouldn’t affect me either. One of the things I had worried about with Reed and me living together was crossing the already fine line we walked when it came to our relationship.
“Are you rambling again, Meela?”
His back was still to me, and I hadn’t paid attention to the fact that neither one of us had moved nor said anything in the past sixty seconds.
It both bothered and exhilarated me that he could so easily read my rambling filled silence. There was that thin line showing its evil face again.
This is a means to an end, Meela, I reminded myself. You’re not playing house. Reed isn’t some dotting father-to-be; he isn’t your husband or even your significant other. He is who he … is.
“I don’t ramble,” I finally said and then bent to pick up my bags. “Where can I put these?” I asked avoiding eye contact. I knew what his facial expression would show, and I didn’t want anything to do with it.
“Right this way,” he said, and his amused tone proved my earlier sentiment.
He ushered me down a wide hallway where we passed two closed doors, a bathroom, and an almost empty room filled with boxes. He grabbed my elbow gently, and I stopped, glancing down at his hand where it warmed the spot through my clothes.
“This is your room.” He moved his head toward the slightly ajar door.
He still held my arm, and I watched his face as he stared at the contact between us. At that moment, I would give anything to be able to read Reed’s expression. Did the simple, not so simple touch make inner thoughts ramble inside his head, too?
Slowly, he let his hand slide down my arm until the tips of his fingers brushed my palm as it fell away. The hallway seemed to shrink, and I was desperate for air.
I hesitated only a second before pushing the door open, and suddenly, I felt like I was entering a different place. This room, unlike any of the ones I had seen in passing, was completely furnished and decorated.
“How … when did you … I don’t understand,” I stuttered, feeling completely overwhelmed.
“Does that mean you like it?”
I stepped into the room and immediately felt the warmth of the sun from the three huge windows that lined the wall across from us. The bed was the focus, and despite its massive size, there was still an insane amount of room left. The entire room was completely dressed up in a soft but chic style. It was totally me, and the fact that Reed managed to put this together was shocking.
“You did all this?”
“It was a team effort,” he confessed.
“A team effort?” I turned toward him.
“While I have excellent taste in pretty much … everything.” The way he said the words made the hairs on the back of my neck stand out, and I suppressed the urge to shiver. “My credit for this room only extends so far.”
“You had someone decorate it? For me?”
“I figured since you weren’t bringing anything other than clothes, it would be nice for you to have a space. Do you like it?”
“I love it. I just hate that you went through all the trouble when we’ll be moving again.”
“All of it can be taken with us. I wanted to do this for you.”
“Thank you, Reed. It really is lovely.”
“Good. I’m glad you approve. Why don’t you get unpacked while I order dinner?” He moved farther into the room, setting my suitcases on the bed.
“That sounds good.”
“Your attached bathroom is through there, and if you need anything, let me know.”
“I will. Thank you.” And then he was gone.
When dinner arrived, I helped him set everything out in the dining room, and when we finally sat down to eat, I was the first to speak, bringing up a subject I’d been obsessing over since it was brought up.
“The other night at dinner you made the comment that we really didn’t know each other. I figured since we’re going to be living with each for a while, maybe we should try to learn a little bit about each other.”
“Yeah, sure. What do you want to know?”
“Oh, well, I guess for starters, have you lived in Charleston your entire life?”
“Born and raised. What about you?”
“I was born in Summerville, but I moved to Charleston after school.”
“Why did you become a lawyer?”
“I love the law. Always have. Did you always want to be a lawyer?”
“No.”
“Then why did you become one?”
He shrugged. “I’ve always been good at calling people out on their bullshit.”
“I think the real question is who calls you out on your bullshit?”
He barked a laugh. “My brother—” He cut himself off, and a scowl settled in the space between his brows.
“You have a brother?” I asked, hoping to find out why he reacted the way he had
His demeanor changed even more. His shoulders went stiff, and his lips thinned tightly. “Yeah.”
He didn’t say anything else, and we sat in an uncomfortable silence while I pushed my food around my plate, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
“I’m going to tell my family this weekend,” I said. “I’m thinking I’ll go back to Summerville for the weekend, or maybe I’ll tell them over the phone. I’m not exactly sure how my mom will take the news.”
He barely acknowledged a word I said. “Does she not like kids either?”
“She likes kids.” My tone was defensive.
“Then what’s the problem?”
I wanted to know what had suddenly become his problem. “She knows me.”
He nodded as if that made all the sense in the world to him. “Are you afraid to tell her?”
“I’m nervous.”
“Do you think I should go with you?”
I was so wrapped up in my annoyance over his sudden mood change that his question completely caught me off guard. “You’d want to go with me?”
He lifted his head, finally looking at me. “If you think it’ll help.”
“I don’t know that it will help, but I guess it couldn’t hurt. It might actually make it easier to tell them.”
“We’ll go this weekend then,” he said, returning to his robot self.
Another stretch of silence filled the time as we ate. I wanted to ask him what the hell his problem was, but I wasn’t sure I even cared. Whatever was going on in his head, he obviously didn’t want to share with the class.
Let it go, Meela, I told myself one second and then completely ignored me in another.
“What about your parents?”
If possible, he seemed to tense up even more. “What about them?”
“Are you going to tell them?” I asked, my tone tight, hoping he would clue in on the fact that I had definitely noticed he was acting differently.
“At some point.”
“Well, when that point in time comes, do you want to me be there?”
“No.”
I recoiled at his answer, and my eyes narrowed in his direction. “Don’t you think they’ll want to meet the mother of your child?”
“Let’s worry about that when the time comes, okay? Are you done? I can take your plate.”
“I’ve got it,” I said tightly and watched him walk away
Obviously, I had struck a nerve by bringing up Reed’s family. I wanted to know why it was such a sore subject, but at the same time, I knew it really was none of my business. If Reed wanted to keep his secrets, that was his right. I pushed away the small part of me that felt hurt that he didn’t want to tell me.
Later, while I laid in bed obsessing over something I shouldn’t be, I realized I wasn’t the only one with skeletons in my family closet.
Twenty Three
Reed
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous to meet Meela’s family.
I’d been pacing the past twenty minutes as I waited for Meela to finish getting ready.
I didn’t know much about Meela’s family or what they knew about me, but she’d been stressing about the trip the entire week, and I’d been walking on eggshells.
I sighed. That wasn’t the only reason I’d felt so uneasy the past week. Meela bringing up the topic of my parents had definitely hit a fucking sore spot. I should have known she’d be curious, but when she’d asked about them, it was the last damn thing I had expected.
I had no intention of telling my parents about Meela or the baby, but telling her that meant having to explain why I wouldn’t be telling them. And that would lead to explaining Nicole, and I didn’t want Meela to be a part of that mess.
I didn’t even want to be a part of it.
I was going to tell Meela. I just needed a little more time to figure things out.
I walked down the hall and stopped at Meela’s room to see if she was ready. Her door was partially open, and through the gap, I could see Meela. She was standing in front of a large floor-length mirror, and she was practically naked. Other than my memories, I hadn’t seen this much of Meela’s flesh since the night we were together.
I couldn’t help but notice the changes in her body from her pregnancy. Her breasts, which were already a perfect cup size, had grown generously a half a cup. They pushed against the fabric of her bra, and I wanted to feel the weight of them in my hands, against my mouth. While not by much, there was a soft roundness to her belly that hadn’t been there before. It was more proof of what we had made together. Her long legs were bare, and the lace panties she wore were fucking sexy and did wonderful things to her ass.
I knew I should probably knock or announce my presence, rather than treating this like my own private strip tease, but I didn’t do anything. I just stood there, my blood pumping and my cock hard as hell, and watched.
She was inspecting her belly, her fingers probing the soft bump and then cupping it with both hands. Turning toward the side, she sucked her stomach in and then pushed it out.
I smiled, wondering if she could be any fucking cuter.
She moved again, disappearing out of view, and I took a step back to gain control of my breathing and hard-on.
“Meela,” I called out a few minutes later.
“Uh, hold on.”
“Take your time,” I told her because I was still hard as a rock. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Ready,” she announced, pulling open her door.
Dressed in those tight jeans I liked, she wore a dark green shirt with a shimmery scarf. I was disappointed in the amount of clothing she had on, but I took pleasure in knowing exactly what she was wearing underneath.
“You look ...” I gave her another once-over.
She gave me a look. “Feel free to just say I look nice.”
“Where’s the fun there?”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Let’s go.” She pointed toward the end of the hallway.
; I waited until we were outside the city limits before I brought up Meela’s family.
“So maybe you should tell me a little about your family.”
“Like what?” She shifted in her seat, turning toward me and studying my profile.
“I don’t know. I don’t know anything about them. I feel like I’m walking into this weekend blindfolded.” I heard her snicker, and I threw a quick glance at her. “What’s so funny?”
She leaned her head back against the head rest and shrugged. “I kind of took you for someone who liked blindfolds.”
“Oh, I do. In the bedroom, blindfolds can be fucking hot. Would you like me to show you sometime?”
She shifted again in her seat, her ass pressing into the leather, and she cleared her throat.
“Sorry, I’m afraid of the dark.”
“I promise the last thing on your mind will be the dark.” It was my turn to smirk.
“You’re breaking the rules.”
I looked over at her. “You started it.”
She rolled her eyes but laughed. “Well, you already met my sister at the club. My mom worries about her daughters, but as long as you control your innuendoes, I think she’ll like you.”
“No sex talk. Got it.” I grinned at her, and she laughed. “What about your dad? He’s not going to greet me with a shotgun, is he?”
She picked at the seam of the seat. “Uh, no. No shotgun, and you won’t be meeting my dad.”
“Why’s that?”
She just sat there, leaving me to wonder if she even heard me at all. Then she finally said, “He died when I was little.”
Fuck. It was my turn to shift uncomfortably. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry, Meela.”
She shrugged. “Don’t be. It was a long time ago.”
We lapsed into silence for a few minutes, but I wasn’t ready for the conversation to be over. I wanted to ask her more about her dad, but it was clear that the whole topic made her uncomfortable.
“What are you going to tell your mom and sister about us?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are we just telling them the truth? That you and I hooked up and now you’re pregnant and we’re moving in together?”
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