Chapter Twenty-Three

Tatum

A light knock sounds on my door just before Reed pokes his head inside. I'm propped against the headboard, with my notebook in my lap.

"You've been awfully quiet up here. What are ya doin'?" Reed asks, leaning against the doorframe.

It's been a while since I've done any drawing and probably twice as long since I've picked up a paintbrush.

Brushing the remnants of the eraser from my drawing, I flip my notebook around to show him the picture. It's still a rough sketch of what I plan to paint—a phoenix rising from the ashes, wings spread wide with intricate flames, and a city below shrouded in smoke and rubble.

"Holy shit, Tate. You drew this?" Reed exclaims as he pushes off the frame and sits next to me.

I nod. "Do you like it?" I ask, turning the notebook back to me.

"Do I like it? This is incredible! I can't believe you freehanded this all on your own."

"This is my form of therapy. Whether it's drawing, painting, or even coming up with new recipes, it helps me. Sometimes I need to remind myself that I can take nothing and turn it into something meaningful."

Reed slides closer to me, resting his hand on the side of my face. "Of course you can." He lifts my chin until we lock eyes. "I'll be there for you every step of the way."

Since Beckham's announcement after the Rixton game, we've struggled to keep our relationship under wraps. We've been walking a fine line between calling ourselves just friends and acknowledging what we feel is much deeper.

It's almost as if we're each waiting for the other to ask the question, afraid of the answer. We may have started as friends and roommates, but we unexpectedly became something so much more. Since the seed was planted, it's only continued growing from there.

"I came up here to tell you the girls just arrived. We're having some people over tonight for a bonfire. If you'd rather skip it, I understand. I'll hang out for a bit before I sneak away to be with you."

"I wouldn't mind joining," I reply. "I've been wanting to catch up with Ava and Hallyn, so it'll be good to see them."

Reed reaches for my notebook and pencil, placing them on my desk for me. He extends his hand to help me out of bed. After pulling his sweatshirt over his head, he slides it onto me.

"Sooner or later, I'll have stolen all your hoodies, and you'll be left with none."

"Nah, eventually you'll give them back." He pulls it over my head and leans forward to kiss me. "Eventually, it'll stop smelling like me, and you'll need me to wear it again."

He's probably right. I smile as he lifts me into his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist, and my arms do the same around his neck. He carries me to the door and then pins me against the wall.

"We should probably go downstairs before we end up skipping tonight entirely." I giggle, leaning my head against the wall and closing my eyes.

He kisses along my neck until he reaches my ear, where he nips at my earlobe.

"All right, fine," he says, letting me slide down his body. I don't miss the bulge in his pants or the glint in his eye when I not-so-subtly brush against the front of his jeans.

He sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth. "Careful, sweetheart." His nostrils flare with warning.

While Reed grabs another sweatshirt, I quickly grab my phone from the charger. We head downstairs to a driveway full of cars—definitely more than a few people.

Reed takes my hand, guiding me through the crowd to the back door leading to the patio and bonfire pit.

"There you are," Everly sings, skipping over with Ava, and I wrap them each in a hug.

Reed gestures to the bonfire pit where the guys are gathered, chatting and drinking beer.

"I heard the word is out," Ava says with a smirk. "Does this mean you two are official, or just no longer pretending it's not happening?"

Hallyn joins us, bringing me a Solo cup filled with a red liquid. "Just try it. I promise you'll like it," she urges.

I hadn't planned on drinking, but I'll settle for one tonight. I take a sip and taste the liquor, followed by the fruity punch that warms me inside.

"I was asking her about what's going on between her and Reed," Ava whispers when she realizes I haven't answered her, and Hallyn interrupts us.

"Oh, yes, I've been wanting to know too. Beckham said he didn't know if it was official yet."

I smirk. "We haven't really discussed it."

"What? I thought Beckham said the cat was out of the bag?"

I nod. "I suppose it is. We're not hiding that we've been, um…"

"Hooking up," Everly interjects. "They've been bumping uglies since she moved in. They've just been keeping it a secret."

My eyes bulge. "Bumping what?"

"You know what I mean." She thrusts toward me, humping the air. "He's been taking you to pound town. Respectfully. Thank goodness because you deserved to move on from the vibrator." She grins.

I blush at the memory of Reed catching me in the act, grateful Everly didn't bring that up.

"Yeah, the secret thing doesn't usually go over for too long," Ava chimes in. "These guys are terrible at hiding their feelings."

"It became obvious when Reed got into it with Wells during the game," Everly adds. "Wells deserved it. Better on the field than somewhere else."

I tilt my head, nodding. She's got a point there.

"What's the reason for the secrecy? Not wanting Wells or your brother to find out?" Hallyn asks.

Everly smirks. She's the only one who really knows the answer to the question.

"Well, I told him I was done dating athletes."

"She told him football players specifically." Everly snorts.

"Oh God." Hallyn cracks up laughing. "You do realize that probably only encouraged him, right? You told him he was off-limits. As if he didn't already want you before, you just gave him a reason to prove that he'd get what he wanted in the end."

"Like I'm some sort of prize to win, and then what?"

"What she's trying to say is they like the chase. Do you know how many times Hallyn told Beckham she hated him before she finally gave in to him?" Ava grins.

Hallyn giggles. "I was starting to think he had some sort of humiliation kink. Turns out, he's just stubborn and knew I was full of shit."

"Yeah, I think it was more of a defense mechanism. A reason to build a wall between us out of fear of letting him or anyone get too close," I admit.

Everly squeezes my hand. "You deserve someone who will climb that wall, not see it as a reason to walk away."

"Why does it look so serious over here? I thought we were having fun?" Hayes asks, wrapping his arms around Everly.

"We are," I reply. "Just catching up."

"Well, we're about to roast marshmallows if you're up for s'mores," Hayes offers.

Reed catches my eye and gestures to the chair where I sat last time, watching him chop wood. I join him, and he sits, pulling me onto his lap. I lean against his chest, resting my legs across his.

"You good?" Reed asks quietly.

I nod. "Yeah, why?"

"You had the look on your face, the one you have when you get in your head. Just makin' sure nothing's bothering you."

"They asked me if we made it official yet."

"Official?"

"As in us, being a couple."

"So what did you say?"

"Just that we hadn't talked about it, although Beckham called us out and said the cat was out of the bag." I smirk.

"Here you go." Hallyn appears, holding out a skewer with two marshmallows stuck to the end. She smiles before moving over to Hayes and Everly, who are seated next to us.

I shift in Reed's lap to face the fire, leaning forward to hold the mallows above the flames. Reed slips his hand under my shirt, his cold fingers against my warm skin.

"Reed," I yelp, setting the skewer aside and leaning against him. He buries his face in my neck.

"Don't blow my cover," he whispers. "I thought we were still sneaking around?"

"You do realize I'm sitting on your lap, right?" I retort. "We've blown our cover. Everyone can see us."

"And? Maybe I want to mess around when no one's looking. Those were fun times, don't you think? Just because the ‘cat is out of the bag' doesn't mean we have to turn into two old maids."

"Ha, ha, ha," I deadpan.

He doesn't realize how tempting he is, especially when there's no denying his dick is hardening against my ass.

I lean forward, snatching my skewer before the marshmallows catch fire. Everly hands me a box of graham crackers and half of her chocolate bar.

Reed takes the metal rod from me as I press the cracker and chocolate over the marshmallows, creating a s'more. I take a bite, savoring the gooey sweetness.

"Mmm," I hum, rolling my eyes closed. "It's been forever since I've had s'mores."

I lean back into Reed's arms again, feeding him a bite before I finish the rest.

He slips his hands farther beneath the material until his fingers are brushing along the side of my breasts.

"Reed," I grit, the hint of warning in my tone.

"Hmm?"

"Will you knock it off?" I playfully scold him.

"Do you think I could get you off right here without even touching your pussy?"

"We both know you could if you tried, but I'm not sure if that's a risk I want to take with all these people around."

He continues moving his hand farther and releases a low hum when he realizes I'm not wearing anything underneath the T-shirt I had on before.

"You say that, sweetheart, but you're not even wearing a bra. Are you expecting me to think you weren't waiting for me to find out?"

I glance around, scanning the area to make sure no one's watching. From what I can see, we're in the clear.

"People are out here," I say, lowering my voice. "What if we get caught?"

"What if we do?" he hums, brushing his finger over my nipple.

I jerk in his lap, grinding against his dick in the process, and Reed sucks in a sharp breath. He slips his hands down, gripping my hips, and leans into my ear.

"Meet me upstairs in two minutes."

"What?"

"You heard me," he warns. "Now go."

Reed is leaning against the wall at the top of the stairs when I walk inside. His gaze burns into me as I climb each step closer to him.

When I reach the top, he pulls me into his arms and pins me against the wall, out of the way from anyone who might look up the stairs.

"Do you think you can be quiet?" He hums.

The words are barely out of his mouth when he drops to his knees, reaching for the button of my jeans.

He doesn't wait for me to answer. "Take your sweatshirt off, Tate. Now."

I fumble when I grip the hem, struggling to lift the material over my head. Reed quickly shoves my pants down, along with my panties, and helps me with his hoodie.

He sucks his finger into his mouth, his eyes flicking to meet mine. My jaw drops open, and I clap a hand over my lips to keep from moaning.

Reed flashes me a satisfied grin, brushing his fingers over my folds before thrusting into me. He leans in to flick his tongue over my nipple, and I use my free hand to hold him against me.

My hips move on their own accord, desperate for more of him, as he fucks me with his fingers and sucks on my tight bud.

I'm barely able to stay standing, and he wraps his arm around my waist to hold me up.

"God, I'm never going to get enough of this, Tate. You want to know what we are? We're this, this is us. Nothing will ever compare to how you make me feel."

"Reed." His name comes out in a breathy groan.

"That's right, sweetheart. Only I will ever make you come like this. This is my pussy now."

My legs tremble, and I'm waiting for the moment when I collapse on the floor, but it never comes because he's got me.

His pace ramps up, his finger hitting the spot deep inside me. With a flick of his tongue and his stubble brushing my thighs, I'm sent soaring over the edge.

"Mmm," he hums, and I lean down to kiss him. "I'll never get enough of you, Tate."