“It’s ten in the morning, Reed. I haven’t thought about dinner, Son,” she says then drinks her coffee.
I can see she’s slowly realizing what I’m about to do. Her eyebrows go up. “Reed!”
I kiss her forehead as she sits at the kitchen table. “Bye, Mom.”
“But Rod and his girlfriend are here. It’ll be Armageddon!” I hear her shout out.
But I keep on going. I know Rod won’t do a thing. Now Mom needs to see that too and things will be fine and dandy.
As I slip behind the wheel of the rental car, I put my shades on and turn up the radio. I’m going to jam all the way to Tempe and pick up my girl!
JENNA
The doorbell rings and I get up off the sofa and peek through the peephole. I have no wish to see Steven.
It’s been about two hours since I ended things with him and he’s called several times and texted several but I deleted them all without reading any of them.
All I see are flowers and then the face of a delivery man. “Miss Jenna Foster?”
I open the door. “Those are for me, huh?”
He nods and hands a huge bouquet of red roses to me and a big box of chocolates. Then he seems to be searching for something. He hisses, “Shit!”
“What?” I ask as I put the flowers and candy down on the table by the door.
“The card! Man, I lost it on the way up. I didn’t read who they were from. Sorry, Mam.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I have a strong idea I know who sent them. I just broke up with this guy. They have to be from him. Although, he’s never done a romantic thing before. Thanks.” I hand him a five-dollar bill for his trouble and shut the door.
And it hits me as I look at the flowers and the candy on the table.
Reed is in Jerome!
The text he sent last night was from his mother’s phone and he was at their pool. He’s there. A mere two hours away.
But that woman might be there too!
Oh, that would really start some shit if I showed up. And Sue is doing so well now.
Fuck it!
I spin around and go get my purse and car keys and take off. I need to go to Reed and tell him how I feel and that I want to get married like we planned on.
If I have to beat the hell out of some rich woman to get him back, then that’s what I have to do.
I’ll prove to him I do think he’s worth fighting for. It might have taken me a little while to realize it. But now that I do, anyone who is standing between us is in my way.
And Heaven help anyone who does. Because I’m through being the quiet girl who gets out of everyone’s way and does only what makes everyone else happy.
Because the way Reed seemed on those texts told me he isn’t happy and I’m not happy so I need to fix things with him.
That man is mine. He knows it and I know. And I belong to him. Heart, body, and soul.
As I slide into the driver’s seat, I put on the shades Reed bought me that match his and I crank up the radio. I’m going to rock all the way back to Jerome and get my man back!
And I hope Sue can forgive me!
Chapter 39
REED
I take the stairs two at a time to get up to her apartment on the second floor. It’s number two-twelve and as I get to the top step, I see some man pounding on the door.
“Jenna, open up. I’m not going to let you do this to me!” he shouts.
“Hey, Buddy!” I say as I come up behind him.
He turns around and looks at me. “Can I help you?”
I shake my head. “Nope. You seem to be looking for my fiancé, Jenna. What can I do for you?”
This guy is about three inches shorter than I am and he’s wearing a black J.C. Penny’s suit for some reason and smells like cheap cologne. He stammers as he looks at me, “Fiancé? I’m talking about Jenna Foster. She’s no one’s fiancé. She’s my girlfriend! Now who might you be?”
“I might be Santa Clause. Jenna Foster is my fiancé. So, why are you here?” I fold my arms across my chest, which is broader than his and wait for his answer. But I’m pretty damn sure this is the grade school principal she was dating.
No way she’s in love with this douche!
“She and I had a misunderstanding earlier and I’m trying to get it straightened out before we go to a party this evening.” He turns and bangs on the door again. “And I have no idea who you are. Jenna has been here about five months or so and I’ve never even heard her talk about any man. Much less a fiancé.”
“Well, I am her fiancé and I’m about to take her back to our Bel-Air mansion so you may want to go ahead and cut on out of here, Buddy,” I tell him as I take hold of his shoulder to stop his incessant pounding.
“Bel-Air mansion?” He shakes his head. “There’s no way we’re talking about the same woman. My Jenna is not that refined. There’s no way she ever lived in Bel-Air in a mansion. Not my Jenna.”
I shift my weight to the other foot. “Okay, let’s get this straight. I have a Jenna. This Jenna is mine. You, well, I don’t know what you think you had, but you never had her. Her heart has belonged to me for some time now. So, like I said, you should go. She’s most likely hiding in there until you leave, anyway.”
His brown eyes go big and he walks to the top of the steps and looks down them to the parking lot. “Hey, did you see a white Mercedes when you parked?”
I shake my head then recall that I had one just like that sent to her.
She’s not here!
My cell phone rings and I pull it from my pocket and see Rod’s name on it. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I got your girl, Reed. Guess who came looking for you. It’s just like you wished for. She showed up at our front door,” he tells me.
“Fuck! Tell her to wait for me there. Don’t let her go anywhere. I’m at her apartment in Tempe. It’s going to take me a couple of hours to get back. Don’t let her leave, Rod! Promise me, please!” I haul ass past the guy who thinks he knows my girl and get into my car.
The guy comes at me, waving his arms and shouting, “Hey, did you find her?”
I nod and shout as I drive away. “She’s at my house. It’s over, Dude. Whatever you had is done. Bye!” I spin out as I leave the parking lot and floor it to get back to Jerome.
She came for me!
JENNA
I tap my foot as Sue stands in the doorway. “Well, he’s not here, Sweetheart. I’m sorry,” she tells me.
This is so not like Sue to leave me on the porch. “Look, I know Rod’s here. I see his bike right there. Ask him if he knows where Reed went. I came all the way from Tempe to see him and Sue I am going to see him. If that woman is here with him, I don’t care. I have to talk to him.”
“Well, it’s just that I don’t want any trouble, Jenna. Rod is here,” she looks back over her shoulder then looks back at me then whispers, “Reed’s happy with that woman, Jenna. Just go on back to Tempe and have a great life, Sweetheart.”
I tap my foot and watch Rod coming up behind his mother. “Hey, Mom. This isn’t like you. Keeping Jenna on the porch instead of inviting her in.” He gently takes her by the shoulders and pulls her back inside. “Come in, Jenna. Please.”
I give him a nod. “Thank you, Rod. Do you have any idea where Reed might be? I’d like to find him before he goes back to California.”
“At this moment in time, I am not positive of my brother’s whereabouts. But what brings you by, Miss Foster?” He reaches out and takes my hand and pulls me inside and takes me to the sofa. “Have a seat. Would you like a beer? You look a little tense.”
I nod. “One wouldn’t hurt. I am keyed up. But I can get it.”
He presses my shoulder so I have to sit down. “Nonsense. After all the beers you brought to me, I can bring you a few. We can relax and talk until Reed makes it back here. He will be coming back. It may be a little while but we can entertain you until then.”
He walks out of the living room and Sue just stares at me. “J
enna, what does bring you here? What do you want with Reed?”
“Sue, I love you. I really do. And your health means so much to me. But what I want to say to Reed is just between him and me. Okay?” I watch her eyes go big.
I’ve never talked to her this way before. I think she’s kind of freaking out. Then someone comes out of the hallway just as Rod comes back with four beers in his hands.
A woman with long blonde hair and wearing black leather pants and a white halter top wipes her mouth with the back of her hand as Rod stops next to her. He smiles at her. “You okay, Baby?”
She nods and runs her hand over his cheek. “Are you?”
He nods and my head goes a little wiggly inside. Then he looks at me. “Jenna this is the woman you told me to look for. I found her on a website. And you were right. Finding someone who thinks like I do is working very nicely.”
The pretty blonde who has the classic good girl looks with a very deep hint of badass smiles at me and comes toward me with her hand extended. “I’m very happy to meet you, Jenna. Rod has told me all about you.”
I stand up and shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I can see you two get along pretty well so far. Your name is?”
“Oh! I’m Ashley. And thank you for what you told him about being himself and not trying to be anything less than the badass he is. I love this bad ass mother fucker.”
I laugh and look at him. “You did tell her everything, didn’t you, Rod?”
He nods and hands us each a beer then I sit down and Ashley sits next to me as Sue’s mouth hangs open.
Rod hands her a beer too and helps her sit in a chair. “Mom, you okay there?” he asks.
“Well, I didn’t think this is how things would go.” She takes a long drink as she looks at Rod come back and sit next to his new girl.
Ashley looks at me and smiles. “So you pulled a switcheroo with brothers. I’d say you’re somewhat of a bad ass yourself!”
I blush and look away as Rod says, “She is. She’s just starting to figure it out is all.”
Sue takes another drink then says, “Well, I may as well go ahead and say it. I’m sorry, Jenna. I thought this would be a fiasco. A total brawl. But it seems like it was you who told Rod to look for someone more fitting for him and you were right. These two balance each other out very nicely.”
Rod runs his arm around Ashely and she lays her head on his shoulder. “We do, don’t we?” he asks her.
Ashley nods. “We do, Baby. We really do.”
She kisses him with a little peck on his lips and I see it in his eyes when she moves back.
He loves her!
And she looks like she loves him and my heart is pumping hard with how damn happy I am.
A tear falls down my cheek and Sue sees it. “Oh no! This is upsetting you. See! I knew it wouldn’t go as easy…”
I stop her. “Sue, no. That’s not it at all.” I wipe the tear away and look at Ashley. “I love this man. Not in the way that I want him. I want him to be happy. I always have. You make him happy. I love that.”
Ashley takes my hand and taps the top. “I know you love him. Thanks for your honesty, Jenna. I love him so much more than I knew was possible. And he loves you. We can all be one big happy family. Well, as soon as Reed gets here and fixes up you guys.”
“Thanks for understanding this craziness, Ashley. If Reed will have me back, then we will be one big happy family,” I say and then the front door opens and there he stands.
“Jenna.”
I get up and walk to him as I hold up my hand with his ring on it. “Can I still be Mrs. Reed Manning?”
He nods and then I’m wrapped in his arms. His lips touch my ear. “Angel, I’ve missed you!”
“I’ve missed you too. I don’t want to ever miss you again,” I whisper because I’m crying like crazy.
His tall, muscular body feels so right as he holds me tight. Then he picks me up and carries me down the hallway to his bedroom.
Rod calls out, “Don’t so anything I wouldn’t do!”
I hear Ashely add, “Which means go hog wild, cause this man will do anything!”
They laugh and I hear Sue join in. “You crazy kids!”
I bury my face in Reed’s chest and take in a deep breath, taking him all in. He kicks his childhood bedroom door open and takes me inside.
My heart is pounding as he sits me down on the bed and says, “Strip!”
Has Rod taught Reed about punishments?
Chapter 40
REED
Soft circles I trail with my finger over her naked stomach as Jenna lays back on my small childhood bed and gazes up at me as I lie next to her.
“You had me afraid you were about to teach me a lesson, Reed,” she says with a smile on her beautiful face. A face I have longed to see for months, too many months.
“I am about to,” I whisper in her ear.
A shiver runs through her. “Really?”
I nod and nuzzle her neck then leave one kiss on it. I had her get undressed, and I did the same then climbed into bed with her, our skin touching the others.
I craved this for what seems like so long. This simple thing of our skins touching. It makes me feel different. Whole.
Her scent has my mind filled with only thoughts of pleasing her in ways that will assure her this is where she belongs. In my arms forever.
“I’m going to teach you that you and I belong together.” I move my hand down until I get to her sweet spot and she moans as I run my fingertip lightly over her clit.
“Reed,” she moans out my name and her body shivers again. “I missed your touch so damn much. I’m so sorry I ever let you go. It was the stupidest thing I have ever done and as long as you want me, I will never make that mistake again.”
“Good.” I kiss her neck then give it a little nip as her hand travels up my arm and halts on my bicep where she gives it a squeeze. “Did you miss the guns?” I chuckle.
“I did.” She turns and looks at me as I lay by her side.
She puts one leg over me and I roll onto my back and pull her on top of me. She sits up, straddling me. Her moist heat is on my stomach and her breasts rise and fall with every breath.
I take her left hand and kiss the ring I gave her. “So you really want to marry me, huh?”
She nods and runs her hands over my pecs. I run my hands up to take her pert breasts into them. She sighs as I do and licks her lips.
“I don’t know what came over me this morning. Something in my brain clicked into place and I knew I had to get to you. I was ready to fight everyone to do it too.”
“How un-Jenna-like,” I say as I move my hands around and cup her ass in them as I push her to me.
Her lips fall on mine for only a second then she sits back up. “I hope you like this new Jenna. I’m done being the silent little thing who lets everyone else’s happiness get in the way of hers.”
“And mine,” I add then push her back to me.
Her mouth lands on mine and this time, I move my hands to hold her face and kiss her long and hard. Our mouths mingle like they never were apart.
As if a day hasn’t passed without us touching one another. But days have passed. Too many of them and now that my body knows she’s here, it wants her very badly.
My cock grows with an ache to be inside her and I roll her over without letting our mouths part. She pulls her legs up, bending her knees and I push my aching cock deep inside her.
Our moans fill the room and I have no doubt anyone who might be walking by the bedroom door can hear us. But I just don’t care.
Immediately our breathing increases and so do our heart beats. I pull my mouth away to let us both get some much-needed air. Her green eyes glisten with tears as she looks up at me and cups my face in her soft hands.
“I have dreamt of this. I never stopped loving you, Reed. Not for one second. Nothing feels the way you make me feel. I know without a doubt you and I are meant to be.”
I make a hard th
rust and give her a smile. “We are, Jenna. We belong to each other. And very soon in name as well.”
The heel of her right foot grazes my calf as she runs her foot up my leg, sending a heat through me. “Faster,” she whispers.
I give her a hard thrust and do it over and over until she’s about to burst. But then I pull out of her and she frowns at me.
With a kiss the tip of her nose I flip her over then pull her back until she’s on her hands and knees. Standing beside the bed, I’m at the perfect level to ram deep into her and she makes a terrific groan as I go back inside her.
“Reed!” She puts her head down on the bed and her ass goes up higher as I yank her back by her waist to meet every hard thrust I give her.
I slam into her over and over until I feel the slightest tremor inside her that tells me she’s about to climax. Then I pull out of her and she moans and falls to the bed.
“Reed, this is torture.”
“But the sweetest kind of torture, my angel.” I pick her up in my arms and take her to the wall and hold her hands up over her head. “Wrap your legs around me.”
She smiles as she pulls her legs up and wraps them around my waist. My cock slides into her again and the way her face glows lets me know it makes her extremely happy.
I slam into her over and over then I move her hands to wrap around my neck and kiss her as I press her body against the wall. Her tits smash under my hard pecs. Her stomach is soft against my tight abs.
Her legs start to shake and I know she’s near again. This time, I let her.
She makes a high shriek which my mouth stifles what would be a very loud sound if we weren’t kissing. Her body convulses around mine and I have no choice but to climax right along with her.
I move back to the bed with her and nearly fall on it as our bodies fall apart together. Hers milking every last drop it can from my cock which fills her up.
Our mouths part only a little as her hands run over my cheeks. “Reed, I love you. I love you so much. I’ll never stay a night away from you ever again. Not ever. I love you, I love you…”
The Reconstruction of Cyprian Page 63
