***
“You’ve been quiet,” Reece noted, reaching for the glass of Shiraz in front of him.
Allie was just pushing the food on her plate around, feeling far too sick to put anything in her mouth. “I’ve just been thinking,” she shrugged.
“About?” he prodded.
“Us,” she replied, sucking in a steadying breath, as she mentally prepared herself for the conversation she’d rehearsed a hundred times.
Reece could see she was nervous and guessed good news was not on her mind. “Okay,” he nodded, replacing the glass on her small kitchen table and leaning forwards. “What is it?” he asked.
“Reece,” she sighed, staring at the fingerprints he’d left on the glass. “I told you, I can’t be in a relationship right now.”
“I know.”
“So, we can’t do this anymore,” she continued, realizing that he simply didn’t see the problem.
“Why not?” he smiled.
“Ree-”
“Look,” he quickly interrupted, knowing exactly what she would say if he allowed her to continue. “You said no relationship, we’re not in a relationship.”
“Do you know how many times we’ve seen each other over the last several weeks?” she argued, leaning back exhaustedly against the uncomfortable wooden chair.
“Most nights,” he admitted. “But that doesn’t mean anything,” he added. “There’s no pressure, Allie,” he urged. “You’re busy, that’s fine. You don’t want to tell your parents that we’re dating again, that’s fine, too.”
“Reece,” she muttered, shaking her head.
“It’s completely casual, Allie. If that’s what you want, you got it.”
Drawing in a shaky breath, Allie tried to remind herself of what was at stake; why she had to call a halt to things now. “And what do you want?” she asked, wondering if a different angle would help her cause.
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s forget what I want for a second,” Allie said, meeting his eyes. “What do you want?”
Placing his palms on the table either side of his plate, he glanced down thoughtfully. “Honestly,” he mumbled. “I don’t know.” Turning his eyes back to her, he shrugged one shoulder exaggeratedly. “I’m not promising you romance and roses, Allie, because I don’t know where this is heading any more than you do. What I do know is that I like being with you.” He paused momentarily, before smiling to himself. “I really like being with you, so I’ll take whatever it is you’re offering.”
“I’m not offering anything, Reece,” she responded sadly, tears welling in her lower lids.
Refusing to answer right away, Reece sat quietly, running his fingers up and down the stem of the wine glass. “You want me to go?” he asked.
“I can’t offer you anything,” Allie continued, ignoring the question. “I should never have let things go as far as they did. I shouldn’t have agreed to meet you in the first place,” she told him, hot tears beginning to spill onto her cheeks. “Sooner or later, this has got to end.” Sniffing she tried to hold back the droplets that trailed zigzag patterns down her cheeks. “I think it might be better for both of us, if we just end it now.”
Scraping his chair backwards on the tiled floor, Reece shot to his feet. Allie had half-expected him to just turn around and march out of the door, but he rounded the table and crouched beside her. Placing one hand on her leg and the other curled around her chin, he turned her to face him. “Allie, what’s going on?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she sniffed, trying to remove her face from her grasp.
Reece refused to let go. “I know you’re lying to me,” he responded flatly. “Look, whatever it is, you can tell me.”
“I can’t,” she sobbed, the dam breaking and tears flowing with abandon.
“Yes, you can,” he insisted firmly. “Are you pregnant? Did you kill someone? Are you on drugs? Is your husband coming home any minute?”
No longer able to form intelligible words, Allie made abortive attempts to answer. However, to Reece a reply wasn’t necessary at that moment. Shuffling onto his knees, he placed his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him. Allie moved without any fight, her arms quickly clamping around his neck and embracing him furiously, as she continued to sob into his neck. For several minutes, they clung to one another like that, Reece gently rocking her and whispering nonsense words of comfort.
Eventually, still weeping heavily, Allie began to press her lips to Reece’s neck and the top of his collarbone, which was visible in his T-shirt. As she continued to nibble, and lick at his skin, her sobs softened.
“Allie,” he nudged, rubbing his hand reassuringly over the small of her back. “It’s okay.”
Her lips moved up the side of his neck, sucking on the thin layer of flesh. “I need you,” she gasped breathlessly, starting a trail up his chin.
“Allie,” he breathed, torn between his desire to comfort her and the need to finish their conversation. “Maybe we should…”
“Please Reece,” she begged her mouth teasing at the corners of his lips.
His tongue reflexively ran along his bottom lip and tasted her salty tears. Slowly, he released his tight hold of her waist and lifted his hands to her face. Cradling her head in both of his large hands, he drew his thumbs under her eyes, wiping away most of the tears that had spilled there. “Whatever it is,” he said softly. “We can get through it together.”
Almost imperceptible, Allie shook her head.
“So, this is it?” he asked. The question was spoken quietly and without accusation.
“I’m so sorry,” she whimpered.
Reece inhaled a jagged breath. “What do you want from me now? One last fuck?” He was hurt, that much was evident and Allie didn’t blame him for that. And that had, after all, been the original plan. Except it wasn’t ‘fucking’.
“It was never just sex,” she stated calmly, fresh tears stinging at the backs of her eyes.
Reece’s fingers slowly slipped from her face. “I’m not so sure any more,” he shook his head, as he rose to his feet. “I mean, if you can’t talk to me…If you don’t trust me,” he added. “Then, what the hell has this all been about?”
Leaping to her feet, Allie grasped his forearm, sensing that he was about to make a move for the door. “It’s not about trust,” she countered. “You know I trust you.”
“Then why can’t you tell me?” he yelled in frustration.
“It’s not that simple,” she screamed back.
“Why not?” Reece snapped.
“Because I think I’m falling in love with you,” she returned, the words flowing before she had time to think about the consequences, let alone stop them.
Residual anger caused Reece’s chest to rise and fall in jerky heaves, as he gradually processed her blurted admission. It was said too quickly to have been a ploy, it was too nonsensical in regard to the things she’d been saying just moments before to have been a lie. In fact, he could see the panicked look on her face, which told him she wished she could take the profession back.
Allie waited anxiously for his response, her heart pounding violently against her ribcage.
Unhurriedly, he opened his mouth. “Why does that make things harder?” he asked calmly.
Shaking her head, Allie avoided his eyes. “I can’t explain,” she said.
For the first time in the few weeks they’d been seeing each other, Reece began to sense that she did indeed want to tell him whatever it was she was keeping hidden. Her eyes were pleading him to understand, her face hopeful that he wouldn’t just call her a ‘bitch’ and walk out of her life. He wanted to reassure her that his feelings hadn’t changed. And yet, words seemed cheap, ineffectual.
Giving in to a drive that had compelled him from the very moment he met her, Reece quickly closed the three steps between them. Wrapping his arms round her, he covered her mouth with his own, while pushing her backwards.
Caught completely off guard, Alli
e stumbled backwards, her butt meeting the edge of her kitchen table.
As Reece clasped and unclasped his lips wetly over Allie’s, he reached behind her and blindly swept his hand from left to right. There came a cacophony of noise as silverware hit the floor, plates and glasses smashed and the heavy half-full bottle shattered, splashing Reece’s blue jeans with red wine.
Placing his hands on her hips, he lifted her with ease, onto the small surface of the table. Placing himself between her legs, Reece gripped the front of Allie’s casual button-down shirt and ripped it open.
Everything was happening so fast that she couldn’t preempt his next move. However, Allie shrugged out of the torn shirt, trying desperately to keep her mouth connected to his.
Reece’s hands traveled to her waist, where he found the top of her black pants. With deft fingers, he unfastened a small button at the top of the pants, before pulling down a delicate little zipper. Allie could feel him tugging at the black fabric of her panties, she lifted one cheek off the table and then the other, helping him slide the clothing down her legs.
“I want you,” Reece muttered, forced to remove his lips from Allie’s, while he pulled the clothes down to her ankles. Once there, he abandoned them in his hurry to unfasten his own pants. The black leather belt and fly was quickly opened and, with the help of Allie’s hands, the jeans and his boxers were shoved off his hips. Gravity helped them down his thighs and his impressive erection sprang free.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Allie gabbled, placing her hands on his shoulders to prevent him closing the space between them. Her hands trembling violently, she clumsily grasped his shirt and tugged it over his head.
Realizing what she wanted, Reece took over, sliding the shirt off with ease and tossing it into the pool of clothes at his feet. “Okay,” he asked breathlessly.
“Yes,” she panted in reply, spreading her thighs as wide as she could in welcome.
Reece was desperate to be inside her, but he hesitated. An annoying part of him, felt compelled to ask whether he was doing the right thing. Brushing it aside, he realized it probably didn’t matter anyway. After this, he and Allie may never see each other again. So, he wanted to make sure he made the most of every second he had left with her.
Wrapping the fingers of his right hand around his shaft, he shuffled forwards, until the tip was nestled against Allie’s sex. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he breathlessly said, holding himself completely still.
Allie was blindsided by the apology, and had been staring down at where their bodies were about to become one. “That’s okay,” she quickly dismissed.
“No, it’s not okay,” he insisted. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”
“It’s all right,” she repeated. “You have every right to be angry with me.”
“I’m not so sure,” he said, his hands delicately tracing the cup of her lacy black bra. “Maybe you’ve been more honest with me than I’ve been with you.”
“Reece,” she whimpered impatiently, as she was teased by the tip of his manhood just dipping into her entrance. She lifted both arms, wrapping her hands around his neck and gripping her own wrist at the back of his head.
Gently, Reece pushed his hips forward, feeling the familiar way her tight warmth stretched and lengthened to greet him. Allie breathed deeply, as he smoothly slid deeper, a cry of ecstasy escaping her trembling lips when he finally filled her and she felt a small explosion of pleasure.
“Oh, God, Allie,” Reece moaned, experiencing the rapid clamping of her muscles. He tried to edge deeper still, but it was no use, he was already buried to the hilt in her softness. “I could stay like this forever,” he whispered, his cheek next to hers. “I love the feel of you.” There was a moment of silence, in which he made a decision. She had been more honest than he, and it was time to rectify that. “I love you, Allie.”
3 Book Romance Bundle: "Her Last Love Affair" & "Loving Him Peacefully" & "Unwelcome Reunion" Page 16
