Chasing Happy (Texas Desires #1)

by Rylie Roberts

  “What does that have to do with anything?” He walked past her to the shower and turned on the water. The shower heads took all her attention. They were the coolest thing she’d ever seen. They came from every direction—the top and both sides—but there were no doors, just one large open area. She came forward, moving around him to get a closer look.

  “Reed…” she said a little breathily. Those hyperventilating issues were starting to make their presence known again.

  “Let it go, Lara.” He kissed her cheek before helping her remove her tattered dress. “Take a shower. The heat controls are on the wall. I’ll go get our things.” Lara watched him in the mirrors at the sink as he left and then she did a full scan of the entire room. She changed her mind. Her entire apartment might actually fit inside this room.

  Overwhelmed, she slowly began to undressed. Uncertainty prickled, but she pushed that aside for later. She literally had to force all these thoughts aside. She’d blow it if she let herself continue on this train of thought. Right now she would enjoy this magnificent shower and focus on that incredible sex she’d just had and initiated. She wanted to high-five herself for what happened in that elevator.

  She reached into the shower to test the temperature, adjusted the warmth, and moved under the sprays. The shower was as great as it looked. She closed her eyes and ducked her head beneath the water stream. She stood there several minutes, letting the jets work her back muscles until she reached for the soap and began washing her body.

  “Let me.” Reed startled her. She hadn’t even heard him come inside the room. He stepped into the shower, ducking his head under the spray before pushing his hair out of his face. She’d never shared a shower with anyone before. Nervous, she stepped back, at the same time he reached an arm out to hook around her and draw her closer to his body. His forefinger slid under her chin, lifting her face. He kissed her with a soft, sweet, lingering kiss.

  “You’re extraordinary,” he whispered against her mouth. The hesitancy from moments ago vanished. He managed to ease her with those few words. “And short,” he said and smiled, reaching for the shampoo.

  She lifted on her tiptoes, taking her up a couple of inches. “I always wear high heels with you.”

  “Pretty much. Turn around.” He squirted some soap into his palm and rubbed his hands together. “How tall are you?”

  “I’m five-six. You?”

  “Six-two. So you wear high heels that are at least four inches high.” His hands went to her hair and began working through her long strands. She stayed quiet. He was tender right up to the point he moved her head fully under the shower head, letting all the water run down her face. She splashed some back at him for the move and he laughed. Moving beneath the spray to kiss her.

  “I want you again, but I want you in my bed. Here’s the body soap. I’ll wash you next time.” He placed the soap in her hands and kissed her one more time before he left the shower. She watched him go, admiring the view of his ass as he walked away. She hadn’t had much opportunity to watch him naked and it was as tremendous sight. His back was just as defined as his front, all the muscles working together as he moved. She bit her lip and just stared as that ultimate bubble butt clenched and moved with each step powered by his thick, muscular thighs. He grabbed a towel and turned back toward her. He was hard, jutting out.

  “Damn, you’re sexy.” He uttered her very thoughts and started back for the shower. About halfway there, he abruptly pivoted on his heels, tossing his towel toward the sink. “Take your time. I’ll be in the living room.”

  She was a little disappointed. This shower would have been amazing for sex.

  Chapter 17

  Reed raked his fingers through his damp hair and went to his closet to grab a pair of athletic shorts. He tugged those on, watched them tent and then pulled out a pair of underwear. He dropped his shorts, added the underwear, and positioned himself. He prayed the damn thing would lie down. He lifted the shorts back up and looked in his floor-length mirror. He turned to the side, then back to the front. Okay, he felt reasonably secure that he was hidden. Good.

  Before he left the bedroom, he grabbed a robe and laid it across the bed for Lara. He went to his nightstand, pulling out a condom and opening the package. Since she had a way of making him forget himself, he laid the packet within easy reach of the bed. No more unprotected sex—one of the two primary reasons he’d left the shower with that gorgeous, generous woman standing so sexy under the spray. His dick made it clear he was a stupid fool.

  He ignored that thought and went to the kitchen to find some food. Lara hadn’t eaten much that night and his skinny little nothing of a girlfriend was too big an eater to go without dinner. He rummaged through the refrigerator, found some cut fresh fruit, cheese, and a bottle of wine, chilling. He uncorked the wine, poured himself a glass, and swallowed it down before pressing the cold bottle to the front of his shorts, hoping to subdue his erection. Surprisingly, it didn’t work.

  He dumped the fruit on a plate and tossed the container in the sink. He tried to position the fruit a little more appealingly on the plate before he opened the cheese and went through about the same process of dumping and arranging. He placed that on the bar separating the kitchen from the living room. He put her wineglass close to the plate and went in search of crackers.

  Since he never did his own grocery shopping or fixed his own meals, he had no idea what he had or where, but the pantry seemed a good place to start. He opened the door to a massive walk-in closet filled with food. His brow furrowed. When would he ever eat that much food? Clearly never, because he hadn’t ever opened this door.

  He scanned the rows of shelves, found a multi-grain cracker package and placed it next to the cheese on the bar. He looked around the room with a desire to set the mood. Lara seemed to really like the windows. He turned on a couple of strategic lamps, cut off the overhead lights, and went in search of the remote controls.

  He pressed some buttons and music filled the room. Quickly he lowered the volume. Standing there, he listened for a minute. Deciding the scene reeked of seduction, he turned off the tunes. Maybe watching a movie would be homier. He pushed the button and the hidden television rose from its cabinet. He had never used this particular device. He pushed a couple of buttons until the screen turned on. He found HBO and lowered the volume, before just turning the thing off.

  This was good like this; the best he could do on such short notice. He’d never had a woman in his apartment. Actually, he’d never entertained anyone there before. He needed to do better for the future, because he planned to have her there often, as much as he possibly could. His player side got the jitters at that thought. Whatever. He couldn’t deny how freaky it was to stand there and think of them as long-term, but she’d just spent the entire evening with him, playing hostess, engaging companion, and deviant sex goddess, blowing him the second the elevator doors closed. How could he ever let her go? His heart stuttered at the implication of those words.

  Damn, she tied him up in knots.

  He listened closely, walking a few steps toward the bedroom. He didn’t hear the shower. Actually, he didn’t hear anything. His dick spoke up again, sure that he should be in there right now fucking her senseless. He so wanted to make love to her with that warm spray crashing all around them. He rolled his eyes at his wayward thoughts. They weren’t helping his raging hard-on. He went for the freezer, pulled out an icepack and placed it right over his cock.

  He wanted to get to know her, keep her here in the living room for the night, then make love to her. If he was serious about this possessiveness flowing through him, spending time with her would do the trick. He’d know pretty quickly if she was truly a keeper. If not, well, he’d cut her loose.

  She walked into the kitchen as he stood there holding the icepack on his dick. He quickly tossed the freezer pack aside and went to her. She was clean-faced, hair dry, and the terry cloth robe practically swallowed her. He gave a chuckle at the arrogance of his last th
oughts. Cut her loose? Yeah, right. Like he ever planned to let her go. Lara was his. He just needed her to catch up and be right there with him. He reached for his wineglass and drained the contents.

  “Wine?” he asked.

  “That’s fine. That fruit looks good.”

  Reed smiled as she went for the plate he had on the bar. He’d figured she’d be hungry. He pulled a plate out for her and started to hand it over, but she’d already started picking at the pieces and gave him the most adorable grin as she chewed a piece down. “I like pineapple,” she said, covering her mouth with her hand. He left the plate on the counter and came around the kitchen bar.

  “Come on. Let’s get comfortable.” He picked up the food and crackers, handing both to her as he grabbed their glasses and the bottle of wine. She followed him to the sofa. He chose the one looking out over the night.

  “Can anyone see in?” she asked, following him. She placed the plate on the coffee table and sat. He poured the wine and handed her a glass, then refilled his own before sitting down close to her.

  “The windows are treated. No one can see in,” he said, anchoring an arm on the back of the sofa, angling his body to where he faced her. “You’re being quiet.”

  “It’s a lot to take in. I knew you were wealthy. I just wasn’t prepared for all this.” She waved a hand around the room.

  “If you’re uncomfortable here, we can go back to your place. I just want to spend time with you,” he offered, reaching out to fiddle with her hair.

  “You must think my house is a joke compared to all this.”

  “I hope you know I’m not like that. You’re edgy here. I want you to be comfortable because I like you being here. What can I do to relax you?” Her face reddened and he smiled. She reached for her wineglass and took a large swallow. He figured that was probably the best medicine to help her get past all the anxiety. She reached down and took a piece of cheese when she placed the glass back on the table.

  “You’re so thin compared to what you put away. I work out every day just so I can eat a decent lunch and have a few drinks,” Reed said, bringing the plate to her lap.

  “I never got into the working out thing. Kade’s like you. He works out all the time. Me? I’m just happy to enjoy the view of all those hours you guys put in.” She stopped and looked up a little panicked. “I need to text Kade. He’s gonna be worried, especially after the note I left him.”

  She rose, placing the plate back on the coffee table and looking around his living room. “I need my purse.”

  “It’s there.” He pointed to the table in the entryway. She retrieved her phone and immediately began to text. She stood there staring at her phone, there was a ding and seconds later she was texting again. He rose, moving in a little closer. Kade had the power to fuck everything up before they even got started.

  “He’s not happy?” Reed asked, giving her room, but staying close.

  “No, he forgets I’m an adult sometimes,” Lara said, irritably.

  “He loves you.” Kade was going to be a problem. He had to work that out. Reed sighed in relief as his dick deflated, finally. Amazing what thoughts of the trouble with Kade could accomplish. He went back to the sofa. He could still see her by the door, but he gave her room to do what she needed to do.

  “God, he’s so frustrating sometimes.” She worked with her phone, typing quickly with her thumbs. “You never told me what he said to you. Does he know who you are?” Whatever she just said ended the texting conversation. She returned the phone to her purse and came back to the sofa, but sat with distance between them. Reed so wasn’t going for that. He scooted closer.

  “I’ll talk to him again. Don’t be angry. He’s right in what he thinks about me. He did his background work. Honestly, I’d be nervous of me dating one of my friends.” Anxious eyes met his, and he considered that may not have been the right thing to say, but at least the frustration was gone.

  “I don’t know how to respond to that,” she finally said, and he laughed.

  “I need to let him know that you’re truly different to me. I’m not playing with you,” he offered and leaned in to kiss her. She didn’t kiss him back. “I don’t like that uncertainty in your eyes.”

  “What did Kade say to you?” Lara asked, holding her ground. Now, uncertainty filled him. He could see her flight mode gearing up.

  “The truth?” he asked, buying himself time.

  “Reed, I always want the truth, no matter what,” Lara said, and her hands began to fidget, worrying the sash of his robe.

  “He wants me to leave you alone. He did a full background report on me. He has a file for you too. I’m sure you’ll be getting a copy soon. He told me I wasn’t right for you.”

  “That’s all?” They both knew what she was referring to.

  “No, but that’s all I really want to say.” She was quiet for several long minutes, searching his face as if to find the answers.

  “He told you about when we were little?” she asked. Her tone was serious, and he watched as she turned sad right before his eyes. He reached out and took her hands in his. They were cold to the touch.

  “Just enough to confuse me. You wanna tell me more?” he asked. He reached up to run a thumb over her jaw. Kade had been angry when he’d brought up the past. Lara was just incredibly sad.

  “Not really. I don’t remember much about that time. He was just hurt really bad. They say I blocked it from my memory. He was in the hospital for a while. After that, his parents never accepted him. He lived with me and my dad all the way through high school until he left for the military. My dad actually never knew Kade lived there. He’d sneak in at night. It’s complicated. Kade and I were kind of outcasts that met because we were lumped together as the dysfunctional kids. He’s a good man, Reed. I promise.” There was more to the story, but she held pain in heart. He could see it in her eyes as she spoke. He didn’t press for more information. Instead, he let his fingers caress her cheek.

  “I don’t doubt it at all. I’m not being cocky when I tell you that not too many people stand up to me like he did. I respect that. I decided last night that I needed to make this right between me and him. I don’t want to put you in the position to have to choose between us.” Finally, he said something right. She scooted toward him, turning until her back lay against his chest. His arms automatically enfolded her. This was exactly where she belonged. Right there in his arms.

  “Thank you for understanding. His mind’s all wrapped around being accepted into the Dallas PD right now,” she said. He still picked up that hint of sadness, but he let the conversation change like she seemed to want. Leaning back against the sofa, he repositioned her until they were both staring out the window.

  “Where does he work now?” Reed asked, kissing the top of her head.

  “Plano PD.”

  “Then Dallas will be a change for him,” he commented absently. How was he going to change Kade’s perception of him?

  “He’ll be great, I just know it. He’s such a good man. What he does for me, he does for everyone. He’s really special, Reed.” She looked up over her shoulder, the worry still in her eyes.

  “I’ll make this right between us, I promise,” he assured her. Silence fell between them for several long minutes.

  “Tell me something about your childhood,” she said, a little more upbeat. She seemed to be trying to shake off her mood. He moved her hair off her shoulder and took her hand in his, bringing her palm to his lips. What could he say about his childhood that wouldn’t send her running for the hills? Less was always more.

  “I grew up in West Texas. I met my four best friends there. We all played ball together for almost as long as I can remember. We’re all still tight today. Besides you, they’re the only real people in the world that don’t think I’m a complete dick.”

  “That’s not true.” She took offense for him, jerking around to look at him, and he grinned at her outrage on his behalf.

  “I’m afraid it’s true.�
�� He repositioned her, turning her back until she was once again against his chest.

  “What about your parents?” she asked a few minutes later. He was silent for a moment. Reed didn’t want to start this relationship with a lie right off the bat, but how did he say his mom was a crack whore rotting in some prison somewhere?

  “My father died when I was a baby. He had a rare brain condition…a tumor. It caused him to make some bad decisions. I was adopted by his college roommate and his wife, Jerry and Linda Bryant. They’re Braden and Candace’s parents. Braden’s one of the four I mentioned. I was pretty young when it all went down. I don’t remember a lot of that time. For as long as I can remember, Braden’s family was my family. They think of us as family. They’re good people.” He hoped he’d given enough information to avoid any further questions.

  “I’m sorry.” Lara sat quietly a few minutes, then said, “Why don’t you have their last name?”

  How in the world did he say that decision was made for the sole purpose of grating on his grandfather’s nerves as Reed spent the last ten years doing everything in his power to bring the guy down? Luckily, when he didn’t answer, she didn’t press him further.

  “My mother died right after I was born. She was T-boned on the way home from work.” She sounded reflective more than sad.

  “I’m sorry to you, too.” He gave her a small squeeze with his arms.

  “We sure got heavy, didn’t we?” Lara responded, several minutes later. Again, looking over her shoulder back at him.

  “Yeah, it seems that way. We turned out all right, I think.” He leaned a cheek against her head. He was reflective now.

  “I guess so.” Again several minutes passed with neither speaking.

  “I bet you were a cute little girl. I would have wanted to date you,” he said, teasingly.

  “Yeah, right. Guys like you never looked twice at me. I grew up pretty poor,” she said.

  “Those eyes would have drawn me in.”