Bailey
As my eyes flutter open, my thoughts filter back to dinner last night. Mrs.
Lawson—Cynthia is nothing at all like I expected. She was funny and warm and most of all, not pretentious. I could see in Reed’s eyes that he was just as shocked by her behavior as well, and a warm feeling weaved its way through my body. Reed’s mom liked me.
I remember how his keen eyes were probing hers all through dinner, waiting for her to slip but then how relaxed they seemed after I returned from the bathroom. I’m not dumb enough to think they didn’t talk about me while I was gone, but whatever was said obviously put him at ease, and that put me at ease.
When we arrived back at his apartment, I began to muse about it, but he quickly shut me up the way Reed always does with his filthy, domineering ways. And God… Was he filthy last night. The way he’s in tune to my body should be illegal. He had me screaming within five minutes of walking in the door.
I stretch my arms above my head as I yawn, ringing out every last bit of sleep I have left in my body. Moving my right foot off the bed, I go to stand, but as my foot feels the cold touch of the wood floors, two strong arms enclose around my waist pulling me to him.
“Where do you think you’re going?” His husky voice tickles the back of my neck as he pulls me so my back is flush with his chest.
“Bathroom,” I whisper. My breathing becomes shallow as I feel his tongue gently lick the shell of my ear. My heart pounds rhythmically against the walls of my chest.
“I don’t think so, Bailey.”
The way he says my name is authoritative and sends a chill down my spine. Slowly, I feel one hand unwrap from behind me and begin his descent downward, skimming my waist then my taut stomach all the way to my pelvic bone. My body is a live wire. It sparks with each move he makes.
His hands burn my tingling skin causing me to tremble all over. Reed’s fingers feel like a soft whisper of a feather and I can barely breath by the time they find their destination, the place I need him most. He dips one long finger inside me and I’m so wound up I gasp with ecstasy. The pleasure is pure and explosive but it is not enough. Not nearly enough to sate the hunger inside me.
Reaching my hand behind me, I find him hard and ready. His cock throbs in my hand and in response I tilt my hips up so I can feel him pressing against my ass. Swinging one leg over his hip, I open myself up to him then guide the tip to where I need him most. As I welcome him into my body, I moan softly, adjusting slowly to the delicious intrusion. My world spins on its axis as he thrusts hard and deep inside. His fingers still between us, he begins to rub in earnest, each stroke of his cock and hand working to together in a perfect symphony. I feel myself become tense with the need for release, my body arching closer to his.
Panting.
Throbbing.
Exploding.
I come undone as his cock jerks inside me.
Once our breathing regulates, I feel him leave my body as he turns to lie on his back. I miss the feeling instantly, but quickly forget as I feel his arms pull me around to lie on his chest with my head resting on his heart.
“Wow,” he says with an audible exhale. “I want to wake up every morning like this.” His hand reaches across and down to my chin. He turns my head up, causing my neck to strain, but it’s worth it just to see the look in his eyes. They drink me in. Sated and dilated, but something else flashes there, and it makes me feel all warm inside.
By the time my phone starts to ring, I’ve showered, dressed and eaten. I look at the screen and it’s Leah. I’d called her before showering, but now that she’s ringing me back, I’m a bit nervous. I know I have to tell her about Reed and me, but I would rather do it in person and I hope I can get her to meet me without asking too many questions.
“Hey,” I say into the phone as I take a seat next to Reed on the couch. His leg is propped up on the coffee table, his laptop on his lap.
“Hey, what’s going on? Everything all right?”
“Yeah of course, why?” I lean across the coffee table and reach for the coffee cup Reed had placed on it for me. God, I love him…
Oh shit.
Like. I like him. No talking about love. That’s just insane.
“Well, you don’t often call me so early in the morning, I just assumed you—”
I cut her off before she can go on. I’m in a good mood, and I don’t want to hear one of her motherly lectures. “Needed a bailout? Nope, all good here. I just wanted to know if you wanted to go shopping with me. I need a dress and that’s more your thing.”
She doesn’t respond right away, and I think maybe my comment upset her. Or maybe she thinks I need her money? I don’t. I might not have a lot, but I have a few bucks saved from the promotion I got, so I’m sure I can find something that would work.
“I would-I would love that.” Her voice cracks and I realize she’s not pissed I asked her. She’s moved.
“Okay, so how about we meet in thirty minutes. Let’s say we meet at….” I trail off as I mentally think about what area has a lot of options. “Outside Macy’s.”
“Sounds great. Thanks for thinking of me.”
I hang up the phone, with a huge smile on my face, and peer over at Reed sitting next to me. He lifts his eyes from the screen in front of him, and turns his attention toward me. His eyebrows raise.
“What’s going on in your head?” he questions and I run my hand through my hair.
“So, I’m meeting Leah to shop.”
He closes the laptop and places back on the coffee table. “And this is a problem because?”
“Because I have to tell her, Reed, and she told me not to mess with you.” His lip turns up into a full smirk, and I swat at his shoulder. “It’s not funny.”
“It kind of is, beautiful,” he says as he leans forward, placing a soft kiss on my lips.
I hope Leah thinks it’s as funny as Reed does. My back tightens at the thought, but then I feel Reed nip at my lower lip, coaxing them open, and I forget everything but the feel of his mouth on mine.
Standing on the corner of 34th Street in front of Macy’s, I wait. My foot taps nervously and I pull my phone out to check the time. The party isn’t until tonight, but I’m starting to freak out about it. From the corner of my eye, I see Leah strolling toward me, her hips swaying with each step. Her lip turns up when she notices me, and she waves.
“Hey Leah,” I say as she approaches.
She smiles brightly. “Look at you. You look so good. I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.” She hugs me tightly.
“It’s only been a few days. I’ve been so busy.”
“What’s keeping you tied up?”
I chuckle at the image those words bring forth. She cocks her eyebrow at me in question, but she doesn’t say anymore.
“I just applied for school in the fall.”
“Bailey. Oh my god, I’m so proud of you! What are you going to do?”
“Whoa, slow down.” I laugh at her enthusiasm.
“I’m just so excited. You seem to really be getting your stuff together.” I see tears in her eyes and I move towards her.
“Leah, is everything okay?”
“Everything is great. I just really miss you, and I mean it, Bae, I’m so proud.” Her words melt my iced-over heart. We may not have grown up close, but she has more than proven that there is nothing better than a sister.
“Don’t give me too much credit. I’m starting undeclared because I’m not sure what I want to do yet.”
She wipes her eyes. “You have time for that. What are you interested in?”
I contemplate her question. “I really enjoy helping Reed with the books, and I’ve always loved math, so I’m thinking accounting, but we’ll see.”
She nods in agreement. “Whatever you do, I know you’ll be great. Is that why you wanted to meet?”
And now is the moment I’ve been dreading. Telling my older, very protective sister, who is finally happy with my choices, that I didn’t t
ake her advice. Lying isn’t an option because she’s a prosecutor, so she knows exactly what to ask to get the truth out of me.
“Reed invited me to a fundraiser.” I pretend to rummage through my purse so she doesn’t see my eyes.
“Reed Lawson invited you to the Night of Hope Gala?”
I shrug dismissively. Hoping she doesn’t press me for more information. No such luck.
“Why would Reed invite you, Bailey?”
“Um…”
“What are you not telling me?”
“I’m-I’m kind of… I’m kind of seeing him.” Her eyes widen with disbelief. “I know you told me not to, but I promise it’s different. I met his mother.” My words are fast, and I don’t know who I’m trying to convince: her or me. Either way, it doesn’t come out very convincing.
“You met his mother?”
I swear she could catch a fly in her mouth. It’s almost hanging so far open I’m afraid she might hurt herself.
“Yeah, why?”
“Bailey, no one meets his mother. Well, no one since Lexi, but that doesn’t count.”
My stomach tightens at the name, but then warmth flows through my blood as I grasp what she just said. No one meets his mother. The notion makes me giddy inside. That I’m different and maybe even special to him.
“Wow, you met his mother,” she repeats and I nod.
“So can you help me find an outfit to wear?”
“For tonight? Oh God, Bailey. There’s no way anything will be fancy enough here.”
“I-I have nothing to wear.” My mouth tightens, spreading into a thin line. I could hear Leah let out a sigh, and I peek up at her as her eyes soften.
“Let’s go find you the perfect dress. I know just the place—my treat.” She winks.
“I don’t expect—”
She waves a hand, cutting me off. “I know, sweetie.” And with that, she grabs my hands and pulls me down the street.
“Cal and I have been at each other’s throats lately. A little high-end retail therapy is just what the doctor ordered.” She winks. I should pry into what she said, but honestly Cal is just an ass. Leah is the only one who doesn’t see it. She has rose colored glasses where he is concerned.
We walk about fifteen blocks before Leah slows her pace. As we stand at the corner of 5th and 49th, I allow my gaze to skate across the distance. A truck stopped at the light obscures my line of sight as I try to figure out just were Leah is taking me. She steps forward and, as the traffic clears, I can see where she is pointing.
“Saks, Leah? I can’t afford a pair of socks there, let alone a dress.”
“Will you let me worry about that?”
With a soft nudge of the shoulder, she walks by me and begins to cross the street. I quickly follow, not wanting to be left behind.
“Bailey, what are you doing in these parts?” A familiar voice says from behind. I whirl around to see Damon.
“Damon!” I squeal. Leah eyes me curiously.
“Leah, this is my friend Damon. We work together at the club. Damon, this is my sister, Leah.” She smiles extending her hand to Damon. In true Damon Drake fashion, he foregoes the handshake and crushes Leah into a hug. She giggles.
“Nice to meet you.” She laughs.
“What are you two ladies doing?” he questions.
“Leah has been invited to a gala and needs a dress.”
Damon’s eyes flip to mine. His are wide. “You were invited to thee gala? Holy shit Bae, that’s huge. Nobody gets an invite to that gala.”
I giggle.
“That’s what I told her,” Leah shouts.
“I would love to stick around, but I’m meeting a friend down the street.” He waggles his eyes suggestively. I smirk.
“Well, we wouldn’t want you to be late, Casanova.”
He grins. “Text me a picture of your new dress later. I want details, Bailey Jameson,” he says, walking briskly backwards.
I wave goodbye to him and then grab Leah’s hand to continue on our shopping adventure. When we arrive at the department store, Leah steps forward and opens the door. The door must be heavy as the muscles in her arms flex with the execution?
The first thing I see is money. Not actual money, but you can just tell off the bat that I don’t belong here. This place is dripping with fancy designers and expensive pieces. This place is more Leah’s scene. Even though we didn’t grow up upper class, Leah was always more into this stuff than me.
“This way,” Leah says as she pulls me through the cosmetic section and toward the gold ornate elevators along the back wall of the room. It’s shocking how chaotic the space is. I’m not sure how so many people have the time or the inclination to go shopping. I can think of a million things I would rather be doing right now. One of them being Reed. Truth be told, I’m so nervous about this gala that I would rather have a root canal then be shopping for a dress.
I look over to see Leah rummaging through a rack of dresses. She’s definitely on a mission. The first dress she pulls out is god awful. It’s pink and frilly and I think it might even have rhinestones on it. I shake my head adamantly at her. Then mouth the words, “HELL NO.”
Next she pulls out a long black and nude dress that dips so low in the front I’m not sure how she thinks the “girls” will stay in place. I don’t even need to veto this one as her eyes look like they may pop out of her face as she replaces it. She then eyes a white chiffon dress across the room and makes a beeline to grab it. Once standing in front of the dress, I see her scrunch her nose and turns to look me up and down. Pulling the hanger off the wrack, she thrusts it at me.
“Try this on,” she orders and I throw my hands in the air while shaking my head back and forth again.
“God no. I’m not wearing that.”
“Why not? It would look amazing on your skin tone.”
“I’m not wearing white. Next.” My hands go to my hips as I stand my ground.
“You’re impossible. You know what? I’m going to grab some help. Stay here. Do. Not. Leave.”
I let my eyes roll back. “Fine, Mom.”
She sticks her tongue out at me and laughs as she turns the corner and goes in search of a sales associate. I pull my phone out of my bag and check my messages. One from Reed. My lips parts into a huge smile.
Reed: My bed is lonely without you.
Me: You’re still in bed!!! Must be nice. Leah has me all over the city shopping—it’s torture!
Reed: I’m sure it’s not that bad.
Me: It’s pretty much like water boarding.
Reed: Being a bit dramatic are we?
Me: Shut it!
Reed: God, I love that mouth of yours.
Me: Shit, I see her coming back.
Reed: Let the water boarding resume.
Me: You’re no help.
Reed: Sorry, babe, I’ll see you tonight and make it all better. And I’m sure no matter what you buy, you will look stunning.
My cheeks flush. God, I adore him. He has this way of making everything all right. Placing my phone back in my bag, I turn my head to Leah, who is quickly approaching. She’s accompanied by a tall willowy blonde. When they are standing directly in front of me, the blonde reaches out her perfectly manicured hand.
“I’m Claudette. Your sister tells me you need a gown for the Night of Hope Gala. We won’t find anything in this section that’s appropriate, so I’m going to set you up in our private fitting room and pull a few dresses that will be perfect. Follow me.”
She flashes me a smile so bright I might go blind before taking us to probably the most beautiful fitting rooms I have ever seen. A gorgeous Louis XVI French Sofa sits in the back of the room. It’s an exquisite shade of plum with hand-carved mahogany arms.
“Would either of you like a glass of champagne while you wait?”
I peek my head over to Leah and she nods her head with the excitement of a kid in a candy store.
“Great! Let me grab you two glasses and I’ll be right back.” She
shuts the door and Leah sits down on the couch.
“Pretty fabulous, right?”
“Yeah, it’s amazing. Not sure I belong here, though, ” I say as I take a seat next to her. Her hand reaches across the couch and pats my knee.
“Of course you do, Bae. You deserve this and so much more.” My eyes mist and I turn my attention away from her to halt the onslaught of emotions threatening to expel.
We sit in quiet until the door swings open and two filled flutes of champagne are placed in our hands. I tense. I shouldn’t drink,it isn’t good for someone with an addiction. I wave off the glass politely.
“I’ll just have water, thank you.” I smile.
“You’re passing up champagne?
“I drank too much last night.” I lie. She chuckles and ultimately lets it go. As we wait for Claudette to return, we drink in silence.
Within ten minutes, a giant moveable rack of gowns is placed before us. All long and made with different fabrics. I look them over and then one jumps out at me. A sheer, floral pattern, black lace gown. It’s the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. With the help of Claudette, I step into the gown and Leah’s mouth drops.
“Wow, Bae! You look amazing, ” she says, her eyes huge.
“Really? You think?”
“I don’t think, I know. Turn around and look at yourself.”
My breath leaves my body. If I thought the dress looked good on the hanger, it was nothing in comparison to how it looked on me. It molded perfectly to every curve on my body. Pulling out the price tag from under my arm, my nose scrunches and I begin to choke.
“Oh my god, that can’t be right. Shit Lea… This dress is—”
She holds her hand up to me. “Stop right there. This is my gift to you, and before you utter another word, don’t. I want you to have it. I’m so proud of you, and it would mean everything to me to give this to you.”
Tears well in my eyes and I throw my arms around her neck. “Thank you. I love you.”
“I’m so proud of the women you are becoming, Bae.”
A lone tear trails down my cheek. Her words mean everything to me. I hope I never let her down again.
Hard Ball Page 21
