Page 49 of The Billionaire's Virgin

Chapter Sixteen

Taylor

I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned in bed, trying to find a comfortable spot, but all I could think about was Reed. The fear that had engulfed me this evening had disappeared completely. All that was left was a keen sense of awareness that Reed had made it his mission to make sure I was protected.

No one had ever displayed that level of concern for me. No one had cared that much, not even my own mother. I kept thinking about the kiss we had shared, now a month past, and it seemed like a crime that nothing had happened since then. But Reed had promised me that he would never cross that line with me again. Maybe that meant if anything was to happen between us, then I would need to make the initiative.

Just the thought of approaching Reed that way terrified me, but the longer I thought about it, the less insane it sounded. I wanted him desperately, and I kept replaying the dinner we had shared only a few hours ago. We had all been sitting at the dinner table. Jenna was seated between us, and even to me, we looked like a normal, happy family. I helped Jenna cut her meat, and every so often, Reed would coax her to eat a little more.

Jenna chattered on about the movie, which she declared was her favorite Pixar movie hands down, and Reed and I exchanged amused glances throughout the whole movie. Afterward, we had eaten dessert by the fireplace and then Jenna had pleaded for a second helping of caramel pudding. When pleading with Reed hadn’t worked, she had turned to me.

“Please, Taylor?” she asked, fixing her Bambi eyes on me. “Please, can I have some more?”

I could see Reed smiling at us over Jenna’s head, and I couldn’t help but crack a smile too. “I’m sorry, hon,” I said, with a shrug. “I’m afraid your father has already said no.”

“Couldn’t you make him change his mind?”

I had laughed. “Sorry, kid… you’re on your own.”

She had kept up the begging for a consistent five minutes and finally Reed had given in and allowed her a small spoonful more.

“Don’t judge me,” he had said, making eye contact as he’d conceded.

I smiled. “I would have given in three minutes ago.”

We had played a quick game with Jenna after dessert and then I had helped her change into her pajamas and gotten her ready for bed. She had insisted that both Reed and I be present for the reading, so I had sat beside Jenna and Reed sat at her feet until she fell asleep.

I wondered if Reed could sense the growing spark between us. I was aware of it even when Jenna was in the room with us now. It was palpable and difficult to ignore. We had walked out of Jenna’s room together and then looked awkwardly at one another.

“Goodnight,” Reed has said.

“Goodnight,” I had replied.

Then we had headed back to our separate rooms, and I had been trying to fall asleep for the past one hour. Finally, I admitted defeat and got out of my bed. I headed to the door and then stopped myself before I could open it.

“What are you doing?” I demanded of myself. “This is crazy. He’s your boss. You can’t just… but he did kiss you… but he hasn’t crossed any lines since then…”

I shook my head and bit my lip. My heart was racing, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep anytime soon. Throwing caution to the wind, I opened the door and walked down the hall towards Reed’s room. This was by far the single bravest thing I had ever done in my life, and I knew there was a distinct possibility I would live to regret it. But something had taken over me, and I knew I needed to see this through.

I stood outside Reed’s door, took a deep breath and then knocked quietly. A second later the door flew open, and I could tell immediately that he hadn’t been able to sleep either.

“Taylor,” he said.

With his eyes on me, I lost all the words in my mouth, and my courage faltered. What had I been thinking? This was not the bravest thing I had done in my life. This was hands down, the stupidest thing I had ever done.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I stammered, saying the first thing that popped into my head.

“I couldn’t sleep either,” Reed said.

I saw understanding dawn in Reed’s eyes, and suddenly he reached out and took my hand. That gesture gave me the push I needed. I took a step forward and kissed him. He responded immediately, and soon we were entwined in a fierce embrace. I felt Reed pull me into his bedroom and a second later the door closed behind us. I could feel him guiding me towards the bed, but I wasn’t aware of much except for his lips and his hands on the small of my back.

We tumbled onto his bed with me on top, and we kept kissing until my lips were raw and my cheeks were flushed. Slowly and gently, Reed flipped me over so that he was on top. He broke the kiss and looked down at me for a moment.

“I don’t want this to complicate things,” he said.

“Then we’ll just have to make sure it doesn’t,” I said.

Reed smiled and started to kiss my neck. I closed my eyes and uttered a silent but giddy prayer of thanks. I had dreamed of this moment more times than I could remember, but none of those dreams were even close to being as good as reality.