Trust Game (16 page)

Everett

In an attempt to distract myself, I do some design work, sketching out ideas for a new customer’s bike. When I returned to the office an hour ago, after meeting with this client, Kyle informed me that Sarge had taken Reese to our storage unit.

I
t bugs me that he took her, but I can’t decipher why. I would’ve rather she gone with me. We had the perfect weekend, but like last week, I haven’t been alone with her since. Maybe that’s why I wanted to take her; I miss her.

Hearing her heels tapping along the concrete floor of the hallway, I look up and see her
standing in my doorway. “Hi, did your meeting go well?” she asks before she’s shutting my door and padding over.

“Yes, he wants some sample ideas,” I answer before covering up my drawings with scattered papers on my desk. “What the hell happened to your clothes?”

She shrugs as she looks down at them.

“The storage unit was dirty. Sarge took me there.”

“Yeah, Kyle told me. I should’ve been the one to take you.”

“
He didn’t mind.”

“You were
looking for documents for the audit, right?”

“Yep. Can I see your drawings?”

“Come here,” I say.

Reese smiles and saunters around the desk to me. I pull her down into my lap
, and she lets me without argument. “I’m sorry I’ve made you feel as if you can’t talk to me about that time period, the files … Krystal.”

“It’s OK. Sarge said he would help me as much as he can, so you don’t have to think about it.” She curls up in my lap, surprising me further.

“I wouldn’t have let you work so hard, if I had gone with you. Your outfit is ruined.”

“I can have it cleaned, and I didn’t wo
rk that hard. The dirt is deceiving.” She giggles before she leans up and kisses my neck. I’m diggin’ this mood she’s in. “The only thing is, now I need a shower. I probably stink.”

My nose is already breathing in the fruity scent of her hair. “You smell divine, baby, but I’d be happy to help you
shower.” Leaning over, I press my lips to hers and have a taste. It’s been hours, and I need my fix.

I’m amazed at how long she lets me kiss her. She’s relaxed in my arms, and she’s never like this at work. “What gives?
Why are you this relaxed as I paw at you in my office?”

A
dazzling smile blooms from her petal soft lips.

“It’s time to wave the white flag. Sarge confirmed wha
t I figured; everyone here suspects we’re dating, so I surrender.”

I can’t stop the mighty grin I’m brandishing.

“I want to hear more about this conversation you had with my brother, but first I have to tell you how damn happy that makes me.” Squeezing her hip, I run my nose up her neck, but she pushes on me.

“That doesn’t mean you can have your hands all over me whenever you choose. I still don’t want to be affectionate in front of your employees.”

“Too late. You surrendered. Now, let me take you home to shower. I suddenly need another one, too.” She giggles as I crowd her neck, my teeth nibbling and tongue licking.

“I’m sorry, but I’m seeing Becca tonight, and if you come over, I will never be ready in time.”

My smile disappears as I whisper, “Reese, it’s been days again since I’ve been inside you.”

“I’m sorry. It’s been a hectic week. I’ll make a deal with you. Give me a peek at those drawings you were attempting to hide from me, and I’ll stay with you all weekend.”

“Promise.”

“Promise. I’m
still eagerly waiting to see where you live.”

Extending my arm over the
desk, I fish the drawings out from under the stack and hand them to her. Sitting straight up and holding them out, she examines each one, and I’m ridiculously uncomfortable.

“
I love them, but they’re of a cityscape.” She says this as if it astonishes her. “You don’t like the city.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s what the customer wants, so I draw it. Besides, I don’t mind the
big city now that I spent time in one with you.” She kisses my forehead tenderly before eyeing the two papers again.

“Krystal always made me feel as if she settled by staying in Marietta and marrying me.
That woman dreamed bigger. She should’ve moved to New York or LA.”

Reese’s arms drop to her lap.

“She made you feel inferior to the city life.”

“It’s stupid, I know.” I take the drawings from her and put them on the desk.

“It’s not at all.” She points toward the papers. “You’re an artist. Is there anything you can’t do?”

Finding her neck, I nibble on it
again.

“Let’s find out.”

She giggles, and it’s the fucking highlight of my day. Reese is the reason I look forward to getting up every morning, and now that we don’t have to hide we’re dating, there is no reason for her to ever leave Casteel … or me.

Reese

“Hello, sis,” Becca says with a mischievous grin before she passes by me with Chinese food. “Thanks for payi
ng over the phone.”

“Thanks for picking it up
.” I follow her to my kitchen, and as soon as she sets the food on the counter, she spins on her heels to face me.

“We have so much to talk about.” Her hands are clasped a
t her chest and that wild grin has grown.

“Ah, shit. You really like Travis.”

“Yes, sis, he’s perfect.” Her eyes are full of enchantment as she stares off, obviously thinking of the man.

“Oh, no, y
ou’re going to fall hard and fast, too. I pray neither of us crash and burn. Please tell me you weren’t weak like me and jumped right into bed with him.”

“No, but I would have. He’s being such a gentleman. We were together all weekend, and he never tried. I mean, don’t get me wrong; we came close a few times, but he stopped us. It was sweet.”

“You’re going to die when I tell you what my weekend was like.” We grab our food and head to my couch to chat. “You will never guess whose penthouse I stayed in over the weekend.”

The noodles Becs is about to shove in her mouth are dropped back into the cardboard box.

“Who?”

“Dwayne Barnes.”

She kicks the side of my ass with her outstretched foot. “No freakin’ way.”

“Yep. Casteel painted one of his bikes, and I followed Everett to deliver it Friday evening. He gave us the keys and we stayed in Buckhead all weekend. It was fabulous.
”

“You better f-ing take me to meet him. I’m the one who loves football, not you.” She’s grimacing and whining, and I’m loving every second of it. “No, seriously, that is too co
ol. Oh, that means you had an exciting weekend.”

I shovel rice into my mouth and look away.

“You did freaky shit. I know that look. Damn, you’re even blushing.”

Swallowing my food, I look at her and grin.

“I have done things with that man that I would’ve never dreamed of doing. He makes me brave, but I could never tell you about it.”

“You little slut.” Her foot is digging into my thigh.

“Ouch, and I am not a slut. It’s one man.”

“I’m jok
ing. I love that you let loose with him, and I can see how happy he makes you.”

“I am happy.” With my chopsticks, I play with the rice in my box. “Becs, I think I’m falling in love with him.”

“I believe you’re already there, Reese.”

“I’
m terrified, but it appears more every day that he’s happier, too. It seems he’s moving further away from the past and closer to me.”

I take another bite of m
y rice, getting that uncomfortable feeling of vulnerability that makes me want to push him away to protect my heart. “I only hope I’m not seeing that because I want it to be true.”

“Don’t go there, sis. It
’s self-destructive.”

“Tell me about Travis.”

She abruptly forgets about my issues and beams.

“He has the best sense of humor, but under that is the smartest guy. And although he clearly knows ho
w attractive he is, there is this sensitive quality to him, like he could hurt easily.”

She shrugs, pulling
and holding her shoulders in as if she wishes he was in front of her to hug. “He’s a sweetheart.” Swiftly, she sucks some noodles up and swallows. “I know we’re both only twenty-two, but this could get serious fast.”

Her eyes light up like fireworks
on the fourth of July. “Oh, you have to go with me Saturday to Everett’s.”

“Wha
t’s happening Saturday?”

“He supposedly has this huge
motocross track. The guys get together and act like dumb boys, riding dirt bikes like they’re twelve or something.

“Can you imagine how hot they’ll look on them dang things, their bodies covered in mud? I swear, I will lick the stuff off
of those fine, ripped abs of Travis’s.”

Now, I’m kicking her. “Becca Sue, I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Oh, please, you’re no better.”

A chuckle escapes me. “You’
re right. Ev has a rock-hard body that I love to admire. It kind of makes me want to give up butter and bacon, so mine can look as good as his. Oh, and we need to start going to the gym three times a week instead of two.”

“Like
he doesn’t drool over your figure already. I saw the way he watched you at the restaurant. He was all in then, and that was almost two weeks ago.”

“Crap,
I’m staying with him all weekend. The guys will know it.”

She fans her hand at me. “Who cares? Like they don’t know what the two of you are doing. Stop worrying about what everyone thinks.”

I let the tension billow out with a deep breath.

“You’re like Everett, always bringing me back to the present. I’m working on staying there.”

Everett

“This is it,” I say as I pull into my long driveway.

“I should’ve known you live in Kennesaw. It’s farther out than Marietta, and it gets you that much farther from Atlanta.”

“You figured me out.” We get closer to my home, a
nd when I glance over, Reese’s gaze is tumbling along my hilly property, taking in the brilliance with each rise and fall. I believe this property is stunning, and I hope she can perceive it.

In the summer, the ac
res of grass are the richest green, much like Reese’s eyes. Of course, she might not find it so beautiful when she sees the ten acre dirt bike track behind my house.

After parking, we both get out, and I stand in front of my truck, captivated by her beauty as
the sun hits her golden locks.

It’s as if she’s vie
wing through binoculars, her waist slowly turning, her hand shielding the rays, so she can place it all to memory. The way she’s grounded to the occasion has me watching in wonderment.

Without a word, she strolls to me and takes my hand. I lead her up the covered porch and open the door.

She steps in, and her eyes begin their descent from the vaulted ceiling to the floors. The inside of my place is more like a wilderness retreat you’d escape to on vacation.

“Everett, this p
lace is gorgeous. How could Krystal prefer downtown over this? It’s–it’s breathtakingly perfect.”

The arduous breaths
I’m taking are instantaneous as her words collide with my affliction, the misery made up of self-doubt and inadequacy. They choke it out, opening more space in my heart. She’s occupying it at an alarming rate.

In a few weeks, Reese has given
affirmation to what family and friends have always said and what I used to believe before I ever married; I matter … my dreams have value.

I
try to get my breath. Reese is physically close to me yet out of reach. She’s not only what I want but encompasses everything my soul yearns for.

She
has made my heart beat again and could flatline it with two words.
It’s over
. I’m hers for the taking, but she’s not mine until she says so.

Whipping around to face me, she covers her mouth with her hand for a few seconds.

“Oh shit, Everett, I’m so sorry. I should’ve never said that.” Cupping my cheeks, her eyes dart across mine. “I’m an idiot. It was disrespectful, and I’m sure it only flooded your mind with memories of her being here.”

I scoop Reese up and begin carrying her to my
room. After reaching the top of the stairs, I push the door open with my foot and stand her by my bed.

I’m staring at her panicked expression as I begin unbuttoning her blouse. Her eyes flit around before they fall on mine.

“I–I don’t know about jumping right into this … in here, Everett.”

“Shh …” I
don’t want to discuss the past, so I continue working my way down her buttons, but she only seems to fret more.

Pushing my hand
s off of her, she runs from my room. “Reese, where are you going?”
Dammit
, I take off after her, and when I reach the great room, she’s fleeing across the threshold of the front door.

I find her pacing outside
the passenger door of my truck, her hands kneading in front of her.

“Please take me home.”

“Hell, no.”

She grabs her head with both hands.

“Please, Everett, I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

Her head flies up, eyes full of desperation.

“Be her replacement. I wanted to believe you could feel the same about me, but you were in there thinking
about her after I said what I did, and then you want to have sex with me to fill this void, and I will never be enough. Why don’t you see that?!”

“
What the fuck
, Reese? That is not at all what just happened.”

She throws her hands on her hips.

“Then what was that back there? Tell me how it is OK for me to be in
her
house?”

Anger that she’s hung up on this hammers away at me until my fists are nails, slamming onto the hood of my truck. “We’re putting an end to this bulls
hit once and for all.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do, so let me go, Everett.”

I tear around the side of my truck until I’m framing her face, holding it tightly. “You don’t fucking want that, and I don’t either, so don’t say it again.”

Reese begins sobbing, her tears a waterfall over my hands. “We were supposed to have some fun and make each other feel good. That’s it. Nothing more,” she breathes out, her throat and cries strangling her words.

“It was that for a day, baby. It’s too late. This is so much more, and you have to stop looking for an excuse to run.”