With his head on his pillow and the woman of his dreams in his arms, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Trickles of awareness dripped through Eve’s deep slumber. She struggled against the instinct to open her eyes. Her body wasn’t used to waking so early—but not even sleep could shut off her brain.
A strong arm snagged her across her middle, and she snuggled against the hard curve of a warm body.
Reid.
“Wiggling too much might be dangerous for you right now.” Reid kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear. “Waking up with a beautiful woman in my arms is tempting enough. Moving your ass against my groin is like throwing a live grenade in the damn bed.”
If she’d been ready to test the waters with Reid once he’d kissed her senseless at Tilly’s, after sleeping in the comfort of his arms she was ready to dive headfirst into raging rapids. But as much as her body yearned to give in to temptation, a part of her was glad they hadn’t taken that step.
Spending the night in his bed had created a different kind of intimacy. Intimacy that cemented a truth she held deep inside of her but that she was scared as hell to voice. She didn’t want to be just another woman in Reid’s life, didn’t want to be a casual fling or friends with benefits.
She wanted all of him.
And until she held his whole heart, she needed to find a way to slow things back down. Because if she fell into bed with him and was crushed in the end, their friendship wouldn’t survive.
“I better stop then,” she said, regret heavy in her voice. “Wouldn’t want to catch the bed on fire.”
“Are you sure about that?” He slipped his palm under her tank top and flattened it on her stomach.
Sucking in a breath, she reconsidered her stance but wasdetermined to stand strong.
“Knock, knock.” Tara’s singsong voice accompanied her tapping on the door. “Are you awake? I need some help out here.”
“I’m going to kill her.” Reid growled and buried his head under her wisps of hair that had escaped her braid, his whiskers scratching her skin. “Maybe if we’re really quiet she’ll go away.”
Giggling, Eve loosened his hold on her and wiggled out of his embrace. “One second, Tara,” she called then turned to rest a palm on the hard line of his jaw. “You just said last night you wanted to step up for your sister. What better time than now?”
“I can think of much better times,” he growled and lunged after her, snagging her at the waist and flipping her on her back as he hovered over her.
Lust sparked in his brown eyes and his shaggy hair framed his handsome face, making her heart sputter. She threaded her fingers through his locks, brushing them off his forehead. “Even if we stayed in bed all morning, would we have much fun with your sister waiting on the other side of the door?”
“Good point. I’ll get rid of her.” He jumped out of bed and made a show for stretching toward the door.
Her mouth watered at the defined ridges of his abdomen, and even with the white bandage covering his stitches, it took all her strength to climb out of the bed before he could jump back under the covers. “No, you’ll see what she needs and help her. I have to use the restroom. I’ll be out in a minute.”
He heaved a dramatic sigh but cracked a grin. “Fine. I’m coming.” The last words were thrown out loud enough for Tara to hear.
“Thank you!” Tara called out.
Reid yanked a gray T-shirt over his head, shot her a wink, then left the room.
“Dear Lord, help me.” Eve rested a hand over her heart and steadied herself then hustled into the restroom. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she added a touch of mascara. She didn’t want to look like she’d tried too hard, so she threw her hair in a high ponytail then dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeved shirt.
By the time she found Reid and Tara in the kitchen, her pulse was back to a normal speed. Tara was dressed in jeans and a blue sweater that matched her eyes, her dark hair falling in long waves down her back. She leaned against the counter while sipping a steaming mug of coffee.
Reid sat at the small island with a mug of his own in front of him.
“Good morning,” Tara said. “Sorry if I woke you. I had an issue with the bathroom sink.”
“I’m still not sure how you got all that hair stuck in there after one day,” Reid grumbled.
Tara rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t mine, dummy.”
The implication made Eve’s stomach dip. How many women had been in this apartment? Woken up in Reid’s arms in his bed?
She couldn’t think about that now. Besides, the past was behind them. She wanted Reid’s future.
