three hours late, and her heart did a crazy little flip. Because he was okay, she’d assured herself, and not because she’d missed him. After all, she’d gone from supremely annoyed to darned right worried sick when Reed didn’t show on time and all her phone calls had gone unanswered.
He stood there, looking better than any man had a right to, dressed in his black Hickey Freeman tux and crisp white dress shirt and everything inside her started to tingle.
Then, he marched over, clamped those strong arms around her, and clutched her to him as if he’d never let her go. His mouth came down on hers, hard, hot, demanding, and those lips . . . Tasting, teasing while those strong hands roamed over every inch of her, caressing.
Emotions stormed through her, a hot, chaotic sea swirling inside. They came bubbling to the surface and erupted like a volcano. She kissed him back, no, devoured him.
The world around them disappeared until it was just the two of them, and then Max and Nicole appeared. She’d learned about Howard and . . .
Dear lord, Reed’s parents had divorced. Now, they were married again. Good grief. She had so many questions.
Reed grasped her hand. “Come on, honey. Let’s go.”
He dragged her onto the dance floor. His arms closed around her once again. He held her tight, and heaven help her, she let him, because this is what she wanted. “Are you all right?” She rested her head on his chest, inhaled the musky scent of him, and sighed.
“I don’t want to talk. I just want to dance.”
His voice rumbled in his chest and sent shivers skittering down her spine.
“Okay.” Pushing him wouldn’t get her anywhere.
They swayed together to the slow, melodic beat of the music, but she couldn’t keep the revelations from whirling around in her mind.
Audrey McNamara had married four times in her life. Her first husband, Max’s father, had died, and then she’d married Ken, Reed’s dad. They must have been happy for a while, but their happiness didn’t last. She’d divorced him and married Howard and then divorced him, too.
No wonder Reed wasn’t interested in a serious relationship. From what he’d experienced, love didn’t last.
“So, now you know all about my parents’ dysfunctional relationship.”
And what? There was a definite challenge in his tone as if he dared her. To do or say what, she wasn’t sure. “Yes.”
“They were happily married for fourteen years, then the fighting started.”
A shudder ripped through him and she wondered why he reacted so violently to something that happened more than a dozen years ago. “It must have been difficult for you.”
“Two years of sniping and bickering with me in the middle.”
A pawn each parent had used against the other in whatever game they’d been playing. “I’m sorry, Reed.”
“Forget it.”
“It’s okay. You can talk to me.”
“It was a long time ago. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
He released her. Deprived of his touch, she shivered.
“I should go. I still need to meet with Howard.”
Idiot, idiot, idiot. She shouldn’t have pushed him. He’d clammed up the moment she’d tried to get him to talk. Would she ever learn to keep her mouth shut? “Sure, go ahead.”
Reed strode away and she walked to the table where she’d been sitting earlier with Max, Nicole, and her younger sister, Kate.
“Trouble in paradise?”
Ashley twirled around. Jake Delaney stood beside her. “Huh?”
“You seem upset. Did you and Reed have a fight?”
She shook her head.
“Would your husband have a problem with you dancing with an old friend?”
You’ll be single again in a few weeks , Reed had said to her a short time ago. He wouldn’t be her husband for much longer. “No.”
Jake grinned. “Shall we?” He gestured to the other couples waltzing on the floor and extended his hand to her.
“Sure.” Why not?
Chapter 12
The next morning, Reed unfolded himself from the driver’s seat of his sports car and
He stood there, looking better than any man had a right to, dressed in his black Hickey Freeman tux and crisp white dress shirt and everything inside her started to tingle.
Then, he marched over, clamped those strong arms around her, and clutched her to him as if he’d never let her go. His mouth came down on hers, hard, hot, demanding, and those lips . . . Tasting, teasing while those strong hands roamed over every inch of her, caressing.
Emotions stormed through her, a hot, chaotic sea swirling inside. They came bubbling to the surface and erupted like a volcano. She kissed him back, no, devoured him.
The world around them disappeared until it was just the two of them, and then Max and Nicole appeared. She’d learned about Howard and . . .
Dear lord, Reed’s parents had divorced. Now, they were married again. Good grief. She had so many questions.
Reed grasped her hand. “Come on, honey. Let’s go.”
He dragged her onto the dance floor. His arms closed around her once again. He held her tight, and heaven help her, she let him, because this is what she wanted. “Are you all right?” She rested her head on his chest, inhaled the musky scent of him, and sighed.
“I don’t want to talk. I just want to dance.”
His voice rumbled in his chest and sent shivers skittering down her spine.
“Okay.” Pushing him wouldn’t get her anywhere.
They swayed together to the slow, melodic beat of the music, but she couldn’t keep the revelations from whirling around in her mind.
Audrey McNamara had married four times in her life. Her first husband, Max’s father, had died, and then she’d married Ken, Reed’s dad. They must have been happy for a while, but their happiness didn’t last. She’d divorced him and married Howard and then divorced him, too.
No wonder Reed wasn’t interested in a serious relationship. From what he’d experienced, love didn’t last.
“So, now you know all about my parents’ dysfunctional relationship.”
And what? There was a definite challenge in his tone as if he dared her. To do or say what, she wasn’t sure. “Yes.”
“They were happily married for fourteen years, then the fighting started.”
A shudder ripped through him and she wondered why he reacted so violently to something that happened more than a dozen years ago. “It must have been difficult for you.”
“Two years of sniping and bickering with me in the middle.”
A pawn each parent had used against the other in whatever game they’d been playing. “I’m sorry, Reed.”
“Forget it.”
“It’s okay. You can talk to me.”
“It was a long time ago. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
He released her. Deprived of his touch, she shivered.
“I should go. I still need to meet with Howard.”
Idiot, idiot, idiot. She shouldn’t have pushed him. He’d clammed up the moment she’d tried to get him to talk. Would she ever learn to keep her mouth shut? “Sure, go ahead.”
Reed strode away and she walked to the table where she’d been sitting earlier with Max, Nicole, and her younger sister, Kate.
“Trouble in paradise?”
Ashley twirled around. Jake Delaney stood beside her. “Huh?”
“You seem upset. Did you and Reed have a fight?”
She shook her head.
“Would your husband have a problem with you dancing with an old friend?”
You’ll be single again in a few weeks , Reed had said to her a short time ago. He wouldn’t be her husband for much longer. “No.”
Jake grinned. “Shall we?” He gestured to the other couples waltzing on the floor and extended his hand to her.
“Sure.” Why not?
Chapter 12
The next morning, Reed unfolded himself from the driver’s seat of his sports car and
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