by Lacey Black
“Dad, I’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe we can go get a Battleship game and I can show you how to play,” Ryan offers with serious eyes.
“You got it,” I tell him before bending down and ruffling his hair. Ryan wastes no time at throwing his arms around my shoulders and squeezing me hard. I return the hug fiercely, letting the joy of holding him wash through me.
I’m surprised to find that I’m going to miss him tonight. I miss him every night after I leave their house, but tonight, knowing that Dani’s going to be at my place and Ryan isn’t, well, it’s a sadness that I unexpectedly feel deep down in my gut. I make a mental note to have him over as soon as possible. That big ol’ house could use the sounds of his laughter and him running through the halls.
We watch them pull out of the driveway before Trysta excuses herself to go get ready for work. Glancing over at Dani, I can see the love and sadness at Ryan’s departure. While this is a new sensation for me, I’m sure she feels this way every time he leaves. It’s as if a piece of your heart left you–even if it’s only gone for a little bit.
It’s at that moment that I realize a piece of my heart just drove away for the weekend, too.
It’s a humbling feeling just to know that I have that piece to lose.
Chapter Seventeen – White Wedding
Dani
I can feel Reid’s eyes on me. I know he’s watching me, waiting for my reaction to Ryan leaving. Even though he’s only away for the weekend, and it’s with my dad, I still feel that uncontrollable sadness when he’s gone.
“You are stunning,” Reid says again, pulling me out of my funk and straight into his arms. My only response is to kiss his lips. This is one of those moments where words aren’t needed. Everything I want to say to him I can say with a kiss.
“We should go before I decide that we’re not leaving at all,” Reid says, his lust-filled words so full of life and meaning.
“Let me grab my wrap and clutch,” I say as I step out of his arms and slip back inside. I feel the void of his warmth immediately.
I slide into the passenger seat of a sleek, silver BMW. The ride still holds that new car smell as I take in the black and chrome interior. My entire body practically melts into the buttery-soft leather seats. I can’t help but touch the sporty dash and the smooth door panels as Reid shuts the door, enclosing me in luxurious comfort. Now, this is a car.
Reid sets my overnight bag behind the driver’s seat before slipping inside himself. Neither of us really speaks as we make our way towards the small church where the wedding ceremony will take place. My nerves are practically pulsating through the car the closer we get to our destination.
“What’s the matter?” Reid asks, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to check on me.
“Oh, nothing,” I tell him with a quick little smile.
“No, don’t do that. I can tell something is going on in that big, beautiful brain of yours,” he says as he signals to turn into the parking lot of the church.
“I guess I’m just nervous,” I whisper.
Reid doesn’t say anything as he pulls into the first available parking spot, and I start to think he didn’t hear me. As soon as the car is off, he is out and walks around to my side. Without saying a word, he opens the door, removes my seatbelt, and helps me stand up. Then his lips come crashing down on mine. I feel the warmth of his breath fanning across my face as his tongue darts into my mouth, licking and sliding against my own. He tastes like mint as his amazingly talented tongue caresses mine.
Breaking the kiss but keeping his lips a whisper away from my own, Reid says, “Don’t be nervous. I promise that everything is going to be fine.”
Offering him only a slight head nod, I gaze into his steely gray eyes and know that he’s right. Everything tonight is going to be just fine. I have the father of my son, the man I’ve come to care a great deal for in the past few weeks, with me. Hell, if I wanted to dive into it further, I’d wager a bet that says I’m falling in love with him.
But I won’t get into that tonight. There’s no room for those emotions to start poking around, stirring up questions that I don’t have the answers to.
Questions that I’m pretty sure I won’t like the answers to.
So tonight, I’m going to enjoy the man I’m with.
Tomorrow, I can deal with these uncertain feelings that tonight is suddenly rousing up.
* * *
The wedding of Carly and Blake was beautiful. There’s no other word to describe it. The handsome groom stood at the front of the chapel wearing a striking black tuxedo against his tanned skin. He’s every bit as tall as Reid is, but where Reid is lean with hard muscles, Blake looks like he eats children and young adults for breakfast. He’s as wide as a football player, and screams power in a military sort of way as his corded muscles stretch underneath his tux.
The bride was stunning, plain and simple. Her designer ivory dress hung perfectly against her smooth caramel skin, her raven hair in the sleek updo. The smile on her face didn’t waiver the entire ceremony, and you couldn’t help but tear up the way those two looked at each other while they recited their vows, their love and adoration shining brighter than the lights of the Vegas strip.
While Reid and I waited for the ceremony to start, he filled me in a bit on their relationship. Carly has been his assistant for three years. She met Blake at a bar the night before he was to go undercover for his job as an FBI agent.
Little did either of them know, their paths would be crossing again in a very unconventional way. Carly’s birth father happened to be the man Blake was working for. The criminal he was trying to take down. When Blake and Carly found each other again, it was in the midst of a major federal case of auto theft and crime. It was also then that Blake learned he had fathered a baby girl with Carly. Natalia is an adorable little two-year-old. Her midnight hair is the same as her mother’s, while her green eyes are clearly her father’s.
It was a hard road for Blake and Carly to travel down, especially when the bust happened, which essentially took Roman Hernandez off the streets and locked him up behind bars for the rest of his life.
But Blake and Carly battled through it, and now they’re husband and wife.
“So you are the mysterious Dani,” a tall blond woman says as she approaches our table. Even if I didn’t know the maid of honor at today’s wedding was Reid’s sister, Tara, I would have known instantly when she approached. The resemblance is uncanny.
“Hello,” I say, standing up and extending my hand.
“Oh, none of that,” she says as she grabs my arm and pulls me into a hug.
“Don’t suffocate her, Tara,” Reid says behind me.
As Tara lets go, I can see the love shining in her beautiful gray eyes as she gazes up at her brother. “It’s good to see you,” she says as she steps into his arms.
“Good to see you, too,” he replies before kissing her cheek. “I thought you said you were bringing a date,” Reid adds, looking over her shoulder.
“Oh, he’s here…somewhere,” Tara says with a dismissive wave of her manicured hand. “So tell me all about yourself.”
I take the seat I was just in, right next to a beaming Tara Hunter. “Uh, well…”
“Tara, calm yourself. You’ll have plenty of time to get to know Dani,” Reid says with a stern voice. But the way his eyes sparkle, I can tell there’s no heat behind his words.
“Oh, big brother, why don’t you run along and get me a glass of white wine. Dani and I are going to partake in a little girl talk,” she says with a sweet smile.
Reid exhales deeply before standing up and looking at me. “Can I get you another glass?”
“Sure,” I say with a look of awe. I can see it as plain as day. Tara Hunter not only has her big brother wrapped around her finger, she has him wrapped around her entire hand. The big, stern, scary businessman I’ve heard all about–and witnessed firsthand that day in his office–just took off to get his sister a drink without even batting hi
s eye.
“He’s a big teddy bear,” Tara whispers as Reid walks away, heading towards the expansive bar in the back of the room.
I blush a little at her comment, recalling the way his arms wrapped around me while his fingers did dirty things to my body in the pool. “Oh, I can tell by the way you’re blushing that you’ve already seen his teddy bear side,” she adds with a smile.
I decide not to tell her that it’s his animalistic side that caused my skin to heat like the room suddenly turned into a sauna. “Tell me about my nephew. I’ve been dying to meet him but Reid keeps putting me off.”
Finally, a subject I can talk about. “He’s amazing. He’s about to turn eight at the end of the month and actually looks just like your brother,” I say with a smile.
“He told me. And he also told me how you two met,” she whispers.
Again with the damn blush. I glance over and watch as several guests shake Reid’s hand, engaging and pulling him into their conversations, no doubt centered around money and business. Reid is a powerful man in this town, even at the ripe ol’ age of thirty.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I’m happy that you both found each other again. Reid…well, Reid’s passion is his work. He’s aggressive when needed and oozes more dominating power than any single person I know. But he’s not happy. He hasn’t been happy in a very long time,” Tara says as she watches her brother start to make his way back to our table. I want to question her on the cryptic comment, but I’m out of time. Reid gently sets a glass of wine down before both of us, as well as his own glass of dark, amber liquid.
“So what have you ladies been talking about in my absence?” he asks.
“I was just telling Dani all about how you used to play Barbies with me when we were little, even though I didn’t have a Ken doll. And that you had a stuffed bear named Pookie,” Tara says while sweetly smiling and sipping her wine.
“If we weren’t in a room full of people, I would kill you right now,” Reid playfully thunders across the table; though I can tell there’s no punch behind his words.
Tara laughs as a skinny, nerdy man approaches our table. “There you are,” he says as he bends down and places a kiss on her cheek.
“Guys, this is Eddie. He works in my office. Eddie, my brother, Reid, and his girlfriend, Dani,” Tara says so casually. But I don’t miss the way I choke a little on my breath when she says the word girlfriend.
“It’s Edmond, actually,” Eddie says with a look towards Tara. I can’t decipher it exactly, but if the mischief evident in her eyes is any indication, I’d say this is a game they’ve played before. “Oh, wow. Reid Hunter. It’s an honor to meet you, sir,” Edmond says with starstruck eyes beneath dark, heavy glasses.
“And it’s good to meet you, Edmond,” Reid says without really glancing his direction. Instead of looking at the newcomer at our table, Reid’s dark eyes are focused entirely on me. His gaze consumes me like a wildfire devours a dry forest.
I’m lost in those steel gray eyes while we continue to ignore all conversation around us. When they announce that dinner is being served, we pull our eyes away from each other. A delicious smelling plate is placed before me, but my mind won’t calm down enough to even enjoy it. I keep thinking about those all-consuming, carnal eyes and the unspoken words they said to me. Like a deer in a field with a lone wolf, I know that my time is limited. I’m about to be devoured. Consumed.
And the food in front of me is the last thing on my mind.
“Eat,” he whispers against my ear. “You’re going to need your energy.”
I swear my sharp inhale can be felt by everyone in the room, and certainly heard. But when I look up, all conversations and dining around me seems to continue. Risking a quick glance over at Reid, I watch as he slowly moves a piece of steak towards his mouth. Using his teeth, he gently pulls the meat from his fork in the most erotic display of eating I’ve ever witnessed. My body shivers with anticipation as goose bumps pepper my heated skin. Reid does nothing to hide the smirk on his lips as he slowly chews his food.
I practically orgasm in my seat.
“Eat,” he whispers heatedly with a wink, that knowing smirk still plastered on his face.
I have no idea how I make it through the meal. Food appears to be missing from my plate, so I know I’ve consumed some, I just don’t recall it. Tara is doing everything in her power to ruffle her date’s feathers, including calling him Eddie every chance she gets. Edmond, annoyed with Tara’s antics, draws Reid into as many conversations as he possibly can throughout the entire dinner, but I have no clue what they actually talk about. Every time I look at the man next to me, his intense gaze makes my brain go all fuzzy and my mind completely blank. I’m like a girl with a crush who just discovered her raging hormones.
Enjoying my glass of wine, we sit back and watch as the new Mr. and Mrs. take to the dance floor for their first dance. Blake’s smile is impossible to miss as he twirls his new wife around the floor, whispering something every few seconds. And if the way she keeps gasping is any indication, I’d wager a bet that it’s something dirty.
After a few more songs, I feel Reid’s warm breath feather lightly against my ear as he says, “Dance with me, beautiful.” Before I can even reply, he stands up and offers me a hand. Taking a quick breath, I place my small hand in his much larger one.
As we start to make our way towards the dance floor, I hear Tara say behind me, “Dance with me, Eddie.” I can almost picture the look he gives her while she grins down at him sheepishly.
I watch wordlessly as Tara and Edmond join us on the dance floor. They stand as close as necessary to dance, but it lacks any sort of sexual connection. The way they dance looks more like Reid and Tara dancing. There’s no way her date is any more than just a couple of friends enjoying the evening together.
And then I see it.
Tara looks over Edmond’s shoulder, silently watching a man on the other side of the room. He’s sitting at a table in back with a leggy brunette in a skintight black dress. The man laughs at something the brunette says, but his eyes lack the heat that one would associate with a man who’s doting on the woman he wants.
And then he turns and glances at the dance floor.
His eyes darken as he zeros in his gaze on Tara. He watches as Edmond spins her around the floor, laughing and carrying on as if they have not a care in the world. Suddenly I feel like I’m watching some crazy game of cat and mouse, though I’m not sure who is the cat and who is the mouse.
“You’ve been awfully quiet tonight,” Reid says as he pulls my body against his, our bodies touching from chest to thighs. When his warm hand fans out across my bare back, I shiver uncontrollably. “Is that because you keep thinking about later tonight? I can see it in your eyes, Dani. Every time I look at you, I can picture the thoughts in your head. It’s written all over your beautiful face. I can see the need and want written right here,” he says as one hand traces the soft lines of my cheek and my eyes.
I let out a little gasp as his hand runs down my cheek and lands on my lips. His finger outlines my lips as his eyes stare down, his desire to kiss me as evident as the soft lights. “Do you want me to kiss you?” he whispers, leaning in another fraction of an inch.
I mumble something incoherent as I nod my head. At least, I think I nod my head. His lips devour mine in a mind numbing mating of mouths. Reid wastes no time sliding his tongue inside my mouth, licking and slashing at my own in the most erotic kiss of my life. His thick erection is snug between my stomach and his. I move in closer, desperate to feel his hard length against me, like a hussy in heat.
“Get a room, you two. This is a family affair,” Tara says close to our faces, breaking the lust-filled spell.
“I plan to,” Reid mumbles, barely pulling away from my lips.
We dance another slow song, but I have a feeling it has more to do with the fact that Reid’s sporting a hard-on the size of a baseball bat than the fact that he wants to be dancing. When I’m not lost i
n the feel of his arms wrapped around me, and the way his hand keeps dipping lower and lower on my bare back, I’m watching Tara.
“What has you so distracted?” Reid asks.
“Who is that man?” I ask nodding towards the mystery man in the back of the room.
“Which one?” he asks, turning us both so we can admire the room.
“The one at the bar with the brunette with the fake Double D’s,” I say.
Reid’s chuckle is like music to my ears. “That’s Scott Dixon from Legal,” he says. “You actually met him a long time ago. He’s a buddy of mine that I went to school with, and when he graduated from law school, I brought him on as the head of my legal department. Why?”
I don’t know if I should say anything to Reid about the glances I keep catching between Scott and Tara. The last thing I need is for Reid to go all protective big brother on her, especially when I haven’t talked to Tara about it. What if I’m wrong? “Nothing. I just thought he looked familiar,” I go with.
Reid keeps his eyes on his friend as Scott practically ignores his date in favor of watching Tara across the dance floor. I can’t miss the sexual desire in his eyes, and apparently, I’m not the only one. Reid growls as he follows the direction of Scott’s eyes, which land directly on his sister. Uh oh.
“Are you ready to get out of here?” Reid asks a few moments later.
“Yes,” I whisper, his hand flexing against my back.
Apparently, Reid Hunter doesn’t have to be told twice. He all but drags me off the dance floor so fast that I have no clue how my heel-covered feet can keep up. His strides are long and powerful as we walk hastily towards our table to retrieve my wrap and clutch.
It takes us another thirty minutes to get to the main entrance of the reception hall. We were stopped by no less than a dozen men, all anxious to shake hands with Reid and try to engage him in conversation. Jon and Monica were in the mix as well as Scott and the brunette I now know as Brittney. Monica continued to devour my date with her eyes while Reid, Jon, and Scott discussed something work-related. Brittney, on the other hand, appeared to be bored out of her freaking mind, if the eye rolls and huffs of frustration were any indication.
