Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHRIS

"She was so happy when I said we had room for her," I told Reed later, hurrying after him to the caretaker cabin, which was kind of tricky since his stride was a million times longer than mine, and I'd had to stop to get my groceries from the back seat. "And her husband was so relieved. I think I—well, Wrigley Campground, really—just saved their marriage."

He paused in the act of unlocking the door to give me an eyebrow lift.

"Seriously! Dolores is actually very kind when she's not annoyed at Bob. And she likes charcuterie! She helped me pick out all of this stuff—" I hefted the two enormous shopping bags from Lyon's Imperial. "—which are really premium meats and cheeses, so I could make them a board tonight. She's very well-versed with cheese and told me all about her favorite cheese shop in the city. I kinda wondered if she'd ever been to the Cellar. But obviously, I didn't ask her," I added quickly when he glanced at me again. "I didn't even mention the place."

Reed threw open the door and stalked directly to the bedroom. I followed after tossing my bags into the little fridge in the kitchenette.

"And I thought it was kind of perfect timing since you just finished cleaning up the RV parking spots down by the lake. And she didn't bat an eyelash when I gave her the price. And Watt was thrilled when I told him—how lucky was it that he was right there in the bakery at the time?"

Reed grunted noncommittally as he crouched to take off his boots and throw them in the closet. His thin T-shirt clung to his back and arms distractingly as he hunched over.

"Look, I know you're probably annoyed that I brought home campers, and I'm sure it has something to do with my safety, but we talked about this, Reed, and if you're upset, I really wish you'd say so instead of— mmmph."

In one lightning-fast move, Reed stood, stripped my sweater over my head, grabbed me around the waist, and crowded me face-first against the bedroom door. A second later, his warm chest plastered to my naked back.

He dipped his head so his nose grazed my neck right behind my ear and inhaled deeply. I wasn't sure why that was so, so very hot, but it was. Oh, man, it was.

"Chris?"

"Y-yes?" I asked breathlessly.

"I'm not upset."

"N-no?" I licked my lips and tilted my head to allow him better access. "That's… good?"

"Mmm. I'm a bit disappointed, but only because I had some ideas about what we might do tonight, now that you're feeling better. Ideas that didn't involve John Ruffian . Ideas that definitely don't involve premium meats and cheeses."

"Oh?" I asked curiously.

Reed nipped at my neck with intention.

"Ohhhhh." Spicy plans. Yes, please. Except …

"Oh," I said a third time, disappointed to remember Dolores and the hecking charcuterie board.

"Uh-huh." He chuckled and pulled me back against him with a hand on each hip. He was hard. Hard everywhere . And it felt so, so good. "You know what else I think?"

"Yes! I mean, n-no? I mean…" He rubbed his cock against me again and again through our jeans until my hole clenched and my own cock swelled so rapidly I was surprised there was any blood left in the rest of my body. But my mouth didn't stop talking. Nope. Didn't even slow down, even though I didn't know what the heck I was saying anymore. "It's hard to concentrate when you're doing that… nghhhh … but please don't stop 'cause this is the best feeling ever."

And it was . Nothing could feel better.

But when Reed opened his mouth, he proved me wrong.

"I think you're pretty fucking amazing," he whispered.

The words branded themselves into my skin, a sweet, hot pain.

"Really?" I couldn't help whispering.

He didn't reply but moved his hand to stroke my cock through my jeans, and even though it was not the first time—or even the tenth time, at this point—that he'd touched me like that, the blatant ownership of the gesture was so freaking hot my head swam. I arched into the touch, leaning my head back against his chest.

His hands moved to the button of my pants, and my breath shivered out of me.

Unfortunately, it took a whole bunch of words with it.

"I… I think you're pretty amazing, too, Reed. Like, so amazing. From the first minute. And I'm so glad I got in your car that day, even if it meant I thought my fi rst date was kind of a low-key, slow-motion abduction—oh, gosh, o h my hecking gosh —" I cried as he oh-so-slowly lowered my zipper, and my dick sprung free with enough force to win an eager beaver award. " Yesssss ."

I waited for Reed to wrap his hand around my cock—every tiny cell of my body was legit screaming for it, like I wouldn't be whole until we were connected that way—but the touch didn't come because Reed had frozen behind me.

"You… what?" he whispered.

"Uh…" I replayed my chatter and realized what I'd revealed.

I squeezed my eyes shut as embarrassment filled me. I'd been hoping Reed would never, ever know how silly I'd been that first day. I'd been determined never to tell him and prayed he'd never ask.

One bout of sex-induced babbling later, that ship had sailed, never to return.

"Nothing!" I squeaked. "Honestly, nothing. You know I just… say things. Pay me no mind! Carry on. Do the… the thing. With your hand. Now, please?"

"Baby." He spun me around, green eyes tracking every millimeter of my face. "You thought I was asking you on a date?"

"Um, yes?" Substantial portions of blood were now flowing to my cheeks, and I knew it because my whole face felt like it was on fire and my manhood was un-manning at an alarming rate. "You said you were there to pick me up, remember? And you had the… the beard, and the flannel, and that smile. And I thought… I thought…" I swallowed hard, and my shoulders slumped as I admitted, "You were so handsome, I honestly didn't think. Van had told me to get out and live a little. Sow wild oats. Jump at opportunities. And then you were there, so I jumped. And it was a mistak e. Obviously. Because you didn't want… I mean… Can we please forget this?" I pleaded. "I was really into the other thing."

I attempted to turn around and face the door again, partly so I wouldn't have to see the stunned realization on Reed's face and partly because I hoped that it would prompt him to resume what he'd been doing and get my blood flowing in the proper direction.

But Reed put his hands on my shoulders and stopped me.

"I would have," he said. His gaze shifted from one of my eyes to the other.

"W-what?"

"I would have picked you up. If you hadn't been my assignment. If you hadn't been my protectee. If I'd walked into the Bugle some night when I was home and spotted you working behind the bar, and you'd looked at me with those big brown eyes… I'd have picked you up. I'd have tried my luck, anyway. And if you'd agreed, I'd have taken you somewhere." He smiled. "Maybe to the Grove since you're so fascinated by it."

I smiled, too. "Okay." I wasn't sure if Reed was being honest or just really sweet, but gosh, I wanted it to be true. "Now, can we?—"

"Chris." He shook my shoulders lightly. "Do you believe me?"

I sucked in a breath. His expression was more serious than I'd ever seen it… at least, when I wasn't actively in danger.

"I wanted you from the minute you got in my car, smelling like vanilla and lime." He pressed his forehead to mine, and his hands traced down my arms so he could link our fingers together. "I couldn't keep my eyes off you. I could barely keep my hands off you. I see you, Chris. Right now, you're all I see."

Reed sounded a little desperate. A little lost and a tiny bit uncertain. It was very un-Reed-like, but it made my stomach flip and warmth spread through my middle. Because seeing him like this, thinking maybe he was having… you know, feelings , even temporary ones… was so much more than I'd ever expected.

I liked it. I maybe even—my heart beat so loud I couldn't hear my own thoughts—maybe even loved it.

Loved… Reed .

It was hard to be embarrassed or ashamed about that when every time I shared some new weakness of mine with the man, he listened to me and supported me and made me feel strong. It was hard to hold back my feelings, or even want to, when every day Reed shared more of himself, making me feel like I wasn't just an assignment or a person he protected out of duty but someone he actually cared about.

So it was okay if he was a little lost right now. Because this time, he could follow my lead.

"If I'm all you see," I whispered. "Keep your eyes on me."

Then, I sank to my knees.

As I slowly and deliberately peeled Reed's clothes off, touched him and licked him in all his—and my—favorite places, he never stopped looking.

His eyes followed my every move. He saw me when I ran my tongue slowly around the head of his cock, when I lapped up the stickiness from the tip. He saw me when I reached down and stroked myself after he started making those deep noises in his throat that told me he was about to lose control .

And he never took his eyes off me as I took him deeply enough to choke and sputter.

His eyes were dark and knowing. All seeing. They touched parts of me no one had ever even considered looking at before, and they saw parts of me I'd buried so deep, even I barely knew they existed anymore.

His eyes on me were like an intimate caress that turned every nerve ending into a live wire.

As my release hit and my eyes started to roll back, I heard his rough voice break.

"Never want to stop seeing you."