by SJ McCoy
Before Reid knew what was happening, she’d wrapped him in a bear hug and squeezed him tightly. She looked embarrassed but thrilled as she stepped back. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’m just so happy.” Her smile faded. “But that’s all the more reason you need to run Mark off. I’m telling you, he’s bad news.”
“But he’s Owen’s father.”
Deb’s brows knit together. “I told you, don’t listen to Tara on that one. It means nothing. He’s not fit to be around kids. He’s worse than she thinks he is. You need to get her and Owen away from him. Nothing good’s ever going to come of having him in their lives.”
Reid straightened his collar and nodded. “Thanks for telling me. Obviously, I’d like them to have nothing to do with him, but I didn’t feel I should have a say.”
“Well, you can forget any noble ideas you might have had about doing the right thing. The right thing is making sure he doesn’t go near them. Just run him off.”
“Thanks.”
They’d reached the elevators, and Deb pushed the button. She smiled at him as they waited. “I imagine you’d want to take her away from all of this anyway.”
He nodded.
“Then do it. Give her and Owen the life they deserve, and never look back.”
They got in the elevator, and Reid wondered what he could say to let her know how glad he was that he’d run into her and that she’d told him.
When they stopped at the eleventh floor, she smiled. “This is me.”
He held the door open with his foot after she stepped out. “Thanks, Deb. I can’t thank you enough.”
She smiled. “You can. You can send me a wedding invite.” She started to walk away, then turned back and laughed, just as the doors were closing. “Or you could introduce me to one of your friends?”
He laughed with her as the doors closed. He would if he could think of someone. Maybe when he and Tara got married, someone he knew would be taken in by her. She might be a little rough around the edges, but right now she was one of his favorite people in the whole world.
A few moments later, he stepped out on the twelfth floor and hurried to Tara’s door. He couldn’t wait to see her and Owen and to get started on their future. A future he was more relaxed about now that he felt justified that he could put their main obstacle behind them.
~ ~ ~
Tara hurried to the door when she heard the knock. Owen came scurrying after her. Reid was finally back. She opened the door and caught her breath at the sight of him. He was gorgeous. His green eyes seemed alive and happy as he smiled back at her.
“Reid’s home.”
They both looked down at Owen, and he beamed back up at them. This might be the happiest she’d ever seen him.
Reid reached down, and she wasn’t even surprised that Owen held his arms out and let Reid scoop him up. He curled his other arm around her waist and dropped a kiss on her lips. It was only a chaste peck, but it sent shockwaves running through her. She’d been looking forward to him coming back so much it hurt—or at least it ached, in all the good places.
“Kisses,” said Owen and he planted one of Reid’s cheek.
“I missed you guys.”
“We missed you, too,”
Owen nodded. “Stay home now?”
Reid nodded, and the way he smiled made Tara wonder what he was thinking. He held her gaze. “I think it’s time we figure out what we’re going to do about home.”
She raised an eyebrow at him, but he just smiled back. He was letting her know there was something on his mind. But he knew it’d be better to wait to discuss it until Owen wasn’t listening in.
They went through to the living room, and Owen wriggled to get down. He ran into his bedroom, and Reid closed his arms around Tara’s waist. She melted against him and pecked his lips, wishing it was bedtime already—Owen’s and theirs.
Shivers chased each other down her spine as he tangled his fingers in her hair. “Do you want to go to Montana?” he murmured.
Her heart started to pound in her chest. Ever since her lunch with Jean, she’d kept daydreaming about the life they could have if the three of them moved to Montana. She’d been hoping it might be a possibility, but she certainly hadn’t expected it this soon. He couldn’t mean it? Not yet? She looked into his eyes.
“I saw Oscar while I was at the center, and he offered us the plane for the weekend. I said I wanted to take you up there so you can see how you like it …” His smile faded as he watched her face. “We don’t have to if you don’t like the idea.”
“I love the idea!” How could she tell him that she looked disappointed that he wasn’t asking her to move there?
“But …?”
She smiled. “I’m just surprised. That’s all. When would we go? How do you think Owen will cope with it?” She realized as she asked that it felt natural to ask his opinion about Owen. That surprised her, and it didn’t at the same time. She was so used to having to face everything alone, to not listening to other people’s opinions about her son. But it was different with Reid; he was different. He understood Owen, and he understood her.
“It’ll be as difficult as any new experience. But it’s something I’d like us to do at some point. Until Oscar offered us his plane, I was thinking we could maybe go next weekend. But I think this weekend might be better. We won’t get a chance to settle into a routine and then have to disrupt it.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Obviously, it’s important to us both how Owen will deal with it. But before we even get to him, I need to know how you feel.”
She held his gaze for a long moment. She wished she could get lost in his eyes forever. He raised an eyebrow, and she knew he wasn’t just asking about a weekend away. He was asking how she felt about them moving to Montana.
She smiled and nodded. She didn’t want to say the words out loud just yet, but she wanted him to know that, yes, she loved the idea.
Owen came back out and held up his little plastic volcano with a smile. “Come and play?”
“Sure.” Reid took hold of Tara’s hand and led her into Owen’s room.
Once they were all seated on the floor, he picked up the volcano. “Do you know where there’s a real volcano?”
Owen shook his head.
“In Montana, where I have a house. There’s a super volcano, in a place called Yellowstone. Do you want to see it?”
Owen nodded.
“Do you want to fly in an airplane tomorrow and go and see Yellowstone?”
Owen pursed his lips and looked at Tara. She smiled and nodded, holding her breath as she waited.
“In an airplane?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” Owen smiled. “Go to Montana.”
Tara let her breath out slowly. It’d be so much easier if he were looking forward to it.
Chapter Fifteen
By the time they’d put Owen to bed, all Reid wanted to do was take Tara to bed, too. It’d been a great evening. But the part he’d been looking forward to most was still ahead of them.
“Do you want a glass of wine or beer or … anything?”
He nodded slowly. He was tempted to tell her that what he wanted was her—right now. But they should wait a little while, at least, to be sure Owen was asleep. He went to join her in the kitchen. “Do you want a glass of wine?”
She ran her tongue over her lips and nodded. “I do. I’m nervous.”
He chuckled. “Nervous? About flying tomorrow?”
“No.”
He knew what she meant.
“You’re nervous about finally letting me undress you?”
Her eyes widened, and she nodded.
He put his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. “Are you nervous about spreading your legs wide open for me and letting me taste you? Do you want to know how my tongue will feel on you?”
She let out a low, shaky breath. “I was. Now I’m not nervous anymore—just horny as hell, an
d you haven’t even touched me yet.”
He smiled. “Words can touch you.”
“I believe yours just did.”
“Are you wet?”
She dropped her gaze and nodded.
“Are your nipples hard?” He knew they were. They were pointing at him through her top. He wanted to close his hands around her breasts and feel the hard peaks in his mouth, but since they had to wait a little while before he could, he wanted to make the most of it by touching her with his words.
She nodded again and looked up at him from under her long lashes. “I didn’t think you’d …”
“What?” He smiled. “Just because I didn’t rush you into bed, it doesn’t mean that I haven’t been hard for you every time I’ve been near you.” He took hold of her hand and placed it over his aching cock. “This is what you do to me.”
She smiled and cupped him in her hand. “I want …”
“What?”
He wanted to hear her say it, but she shook her head.
“You want to feel me inside you?”
She nodded. Her cheeks were flushed pink, but it was as much arousal as embarrassment.
“I want to be inside you. I want to feel you under me, your legs spread wide for me, and I want to fuck you hard.”
She gasped at his last words and looped her arms up around his neck. He crushed her to his chest as he backed her against the kitchen counter and claimed her mouth. He loved the way she kissed him. It was a taste of what was to come; she was soft and warm and yielded to him as he entered and explored her. But it wasn’t enough. He rocked his hips against her. If it weren’t for Owen, he’d take her here and now up against the cabinet. No. The voice of reason broke through the thundering of blood in his veins. Not just for Owen’s sake, but for theirs too. This first time should be in her bed, naked and not rushed. Well, maybe the second time they could go more slowly. He doubted he’d be able to the first time, and judging by the way she was kissing him and rubbing herself against him, she wouldn’t want him to.
“Do you still want that glass of wine?”
She shook her head. “I want you to do what you said.”
He rocked his hips, loving the way she bit her bottom lip. He wanted to hear her say it. “You want me to do what?”
“Fuck me hard,” she breathed.
His already aching cock strained at her words, eager to oblige. He took hold of her hand and led her to her bedroom. Once they were inside, she turned around to lock the door, and he stood behind her, pushing her skirt up around her waist. It was his first sight of her rounded ass, and he cupped it in both hands, spreading her cheeks wide so he could press himself between them. She moaned and leaned her head back against his shoulder. He needed to get her on the bed.
~ ~ ~
They quickly and silently stripped down to their underwear, then Reid sat on the bed and patted the space beside him. Tara sat eagerly and reached up to kiss him. She loved the way his tongue felt inside her mouth and couldn’t wait for it to be mirrored by the way his cock felt inside her. She was out of control. He’d turned her on so much the way he’d talked in the kitchen. Did she want to know how his tongue felt between her legs? Hell, yes, she did, and even more, she wanted to know how his cock would feel. She clung to him as he unfastened her bra and then moaned as he dropped his head and mouthed her taut nipples.
She reached down and slid her hand inside his boxers, closing her fingers around his hot, hard, shaft. He moaned and sucked hard, making her back arch. In a matter of seconds, their underwear was gone, and he was kneeling above her as she lay on her back. He took his cock in his hand and stroked himself. “Do you want this?”
She nodded eagerly. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted a man. She held her arms up to him, aching to feel him inside. She didn’t want his tongue or his hands; there’d be plenty of time to explore and learn each other later. All she wanted was for him to make good on his word and fuck her hard.
He spread her legs with his knees and lowered himself onto her. She grasped his shoulders as he guided himself to her entrance and rested there for a moment. He was driving her crazy. She needed him to—
“Oh, God! Reid!” she cried as he thrust hard.
She bit down on his shoulder. It’d been a long time for her, and even then, she’d never had a cock like his drive so deep and so hard. It was almost painful—exquisitely, deliciously painful. Her legs quivered as she wrapped them around his, ready to hang on for the ride.
He pulled back and lifted his head to look deep into her eyes. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and bit her lip. Her breath was ragged. It was hard to focus on anything other than the pleasure radiating out from the point where they were joined, the point where his pulsating cock poised ready to stretch and fill her. “Fuck me,” she breathed.
He grabbed a fistful of her hair and thrust deep and hard, pulling her head back, so she was looking up into his eyes. He pounded into her, over and over and over again. She clung to his shoulders, moving in time with him, feeling as though he was filling her whole body, her mind, and her soul. She started to moan softly as he took her closer and closer to the point of no return. He smiled and thrust harder as if her sounds spurred him on.
“Come for me, Tara. I need you to come for me.”
She nodded and moaned again. She didn’t have any choice in the matter. Her inner muscles tightened, and he smiled again. Then he caught her nipple between his finger and thumb and squeezed—hard.
She gasped and let go. Stars exploded behind her eyes as he moved harder and faster, deeper and deeper. Waves of pleasure crashed through her. She was soaring away, and then she felt him tense and grow harder still. He found his release, and it took her to another level. She bit her lip to stop herself from screaming through their frenzied coupling.
He dropped his head and kissed her deeply as she came. He’d done that before when he made her come with his fingers. That had felt like he was claiming her at her most vulnerable. This time, he was vulnerable too. He was claiming her, and at the same time, giving himself to her. A fresh wave of pleasure shuddered through her at the thought that they were claiming each other, and their future.
When they finally lay still, she kissed his shoulder.
He lifted his head and looked down into her eyes and smiled.
“That was …”
“Amazing,” she said.
“So much more than amazing.”
“You’re incredible.”
“You are! I’ve never …” She didn’t know how to put it into words.
“I haven’t either.” He smiled. “I let you down, though.”
She shook her head rapidly. “No way on earth could that ever be considered a let-down.”
He was still smiling. “You asked me to fuck you.”
An aftershock rippled through her. Something about him saying that was just … she shivered. “And you did, well and truly.”
He shook his head. “No. I made love to you.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. He looked so serious. She could feel what he meant, and she knew it was true. “I made love to you because I’m in love with you.”
She sucked in a deep breath and held his gaze. His eyes looked even deeper green than usual. “You are?”
He nodded.
“I’m falling in love with you, too.” She couldn’t say she was in love with him. It was too soon. She didn’t want to say the words just because she was still high from the best orgasm of her life. She knew she was falling for him. But was she there yet? Probably, but it was something too big to just blurt out because he said it first—and say it way sooner than she’d have expected.
He kissed her shoulder. “Thank you.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “For …?”
“For being honest. Just because I’ve fallen hard for you, doesn’t mean that you’ll ever fall for me, does it?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spoi
l a beautiful moment.”
He chuckled. “You didn’t. This is me, remember? You’re not going to hurt my feelings. I deal much better with the truth. Tell me one thing, though?”
“Anything.” She felt terrible. She probably should have just said it, she was at least halfway in love with him, but she hadn’t examined it—because she’d believed that it would take a while before either of them wanted to say it out loud.
“Do you think it’s feasible? Do you think that it’s something you’ll want—when you’re ready?”
She planted a kiss on his lips. “I do. I really do. You just took me by surprise, and I didn’t want to say it back as an automatic response, just because you said it first.”
He smiled. “Thank you. And don’t look so sad. You haven’t upset me. You know I’d rather have honesty.”
“I do know. I suppose I’m just used to worrying about hurting people’s feelings.”
“You’d hurt me more if you weren’t honest.”
She knew that was true, but the fact that he’d said she’d hurt him more meant that she had hurt him, and she never wanted to do that. She slid her arms around his waist and snuggled into his side. “It’s only a matter of time.”
He planted a kiss on top of her head. “I hope so.”
~ ~ ~
When he woke in the morning, it took Reid a few moments to figure out where he was. The bed was wrong, the pillow was wrong. Then it came back to him. He was in Tara’s bed. He turned on his side to look at her. She was still sleeping. She had the hint of a smile on her face. It made him smile, too. She looked relaxed and happy. He’d like to think he had something to do with that. He knew he at least had something to do with her still being asleep. They’d worn each other out last night.
His smiled faded. After their first time, he’d found himself unable to keep the words in. He’d had to tell her he was in love with her. The way they’d kissed afterward had been so intimate, he’d wanted her to know there was substance to it. He loved her. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but it hadn’t been for her to tell him that she was falling in love and that it’d just take time. It was good, it was logical and perfectly reasonable, but he couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Maybe, given his knowledge of how women and their emotions worked, he’d expected a special moment. Maybe he’d expected her to be thrilled and to tell him she loved him, too. He pursed his lips. She had him turned right around. He didn’t need that reaction. He only needed to know that they were on track. That, with time, she’d fall in love with him and the future he envisioned for them would be possible.
