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Someone honked behind us. I pulled over onto the shoulder and shoved my truck into park then somehow managed to disentangle her off my lap and put her back in the seat. I buckled the seatbelt so hard I was surprised I didn’t bend the metal. Then I pointed a finger in her face.
“Stay in your fucking seat, Anna. Don’t move till we get to the house.”
She’d have to sleep in my bed, and I could take the couch. My guest room had no bed and was more of a storage room for me and all my crap.
By the time I pulled into my drive, she was sullen and quiet. When I rounded the truck and pulled her back into my arms, she didn’t try to put her arms around my neck, and it lacerated me. A silent tear streamed down her face.
“Anna, baby,” I whispered into her hair as I carried her up my walkway and into my house. “It’s okay. Please don’t cry.”
“Can’t help it,” she whispered then inhaled a sob, trying to keep quiet.
“I can’t stand it if you cry, sweetheart.” I carried her back to my bedroom.
“You’re always saving me, Reed,” she murmured against my neck, and I wanted to fall to the ground and swear to worship her for the rest of her life.
I set her on my bed and pulled back the covers, then slipped off her sandals and tucked her legs beneath them.
“Just like that first time…when you saved me from Blake Guidry.”
My gaze shot to hers, but her eyes were closed and she was snuggling into the pillow.
“That was when I fell in love with you.”
She was already still and asleep when my world was upended. When she said those words so softly, my pulse raced like mad, and a roar of triumph climbed up my throat, wanting to be thrown out into the world. Like those words hadn’t just shattered me into a million pieces. Like she hadn’t just realigned my universe, the entire orbit shifting to circle wherever she went, wherever she was.
Hand trembling, I wiped the wet trail of tears from her cheek and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “Tomorrow, baby.”
Tomorrow, I’d tell her what I wanted. I’d show her. Then I’d finally—fucking finally—I’d make her mine.
Chapter Eight
~ANNA~
When I woke,the first thing I saw was a glass of water and two Advil sitting on the nightstand. But it wasn’t my nightstand. Then I smelledhimall around me. I was in Reed’s bed.
Jerking upright—which wasn’t smart after a night of heavy drinking—I quickly realized I was alone and still wearing my dress from last night.
“Oh, shit,” I mumbled.
By some miracle, my headache was mild, but I felt exhausted. The alarm clock on the nightstand read 11:48. I’d slept nearly half the day. I took the Advil and drank down the water then pushed out of his bed and stared down at it. This wasn’t how I’d hoped to end up in his bed.
Then I remembered trying to climb into his lap in his truck while he was driving. I slapped both hands on my cheeks and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to forget what I’d said. “Oh, my God.”
I tried to remember, skating through the fuzzy memories, recalling that I’d told him I wanted him to fuck me. “Oh. My. God.”
I smelled something cooking but didn’t hear him. Hurrying to the bathroom, I then shut the door and leaned over the sink, staring at myself in the mirror.
“This is a nightmare,” I whispered to my horrific reflection, which looked like someone who’d had a bad trip and a long, wild night on the back of a motorcycle. Maybe with an entire motorcycle gang.
My hair was a rat’s nest, sticking up everywhere. Mascara had smeared around my eyes, streaks of what must’ve been tears down one side of my face. “I cried?”
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. How badly had I embarrassed myself?
I quickly locked the door, found a towel, and jumped in the shower. I needed to get myself looking more human and less hungover.
While showering, I tried not to think about the fact that this was where Reed got naked every night and scrubbed his body. But when I used his body wash, I whimpered at the scent I recognized on him so often. It wasn’t exactly the same because this piney body wash was usually mixed with his own masculine smell. It was a mating call to my senses.
When I stepped out and toweled off, I remembered that he’d carried me inside. I thought I…
