Phoenix’s words came to mind, “Maybe he’s back to settle an old score.”
My half-brother’s comment hadn’t surprised me. Out of all the Sawyer boys, Nix was all about vengeance. He was big and loud and didn’t suffer fools. Hudson was the sociopath, Micah was the jester of the bunch, and Reed? Reed had always been the quietest and most withdrawn. You never knew what he was thinking.
He could easily be plotting your downfall.
“He’s fine,” I explained, tightly, pushing away thoughts of revenge. My eyes narrowed as Reed perched his hip against the armrest of the leather chair he should have been sitting in.
“Just fine? That sounds as dull as shit.” His eyes then glittered with amusement, and my breath caught in the back of my throat as he said, “So how does he match up in the bedroom department?” I swallowed and crossed my arms over my chest as Reed’s eyes dipped to my breasts, feeling the urge to hug myself. My silk blouse was slightly see-through, and I felt a flare of annoyance. I was like a soldier without his armour, and Reed knew it.
“That’s none of your business, and you need to stop looking at me like that.”
He shot me a surprised expression. Bastard. “Like what?”
Peering down my nose, I pointed out. “You know what, Reed?” I could see beneath that charming mask he wore to the danger beneath.
Reed drew his bottom lip into his mouth and then chuckled. “You should see your face. Relax, I’m just remembering how good we were together. Where’s the harm in that?”
I released a puff of air and moved to open my laptop. “You need to forget about the past; it isn’t important anymore.” I tried to make my voice sound totally uninterested.
After a beat, Reed added. “What if I can’t?”
Raising my head, I honed my poker face and went all business. “Look, can we at least start again? Why don’t you take a seat?” I said, motioning towards the leather chair with my hand.
Reed turned to glance down at it with a curious air. “The Freudian Couch, should I be nervous?” he asked, glancing back to face me.
My brow scrunched. “No, of course not.” I then sat down and pulled my laptop forward, hoping Reed would do the same. And thankfully, he did.
I kept my focus on the screen as I logged in.
“I must say, I’m impressed, Doc. I thought you’d go down the social media influencer route,” Reed snarked with insulting ease.
I flicked him an icy look. “Don’t confuse me with the silly bits of fluff you knock around with. And besides, you can talk. I’ve seen how many followers you have on TikTok.”
My words were supposed to make him embarrassed, but they just rolled off his back as he shrugged. “I don’t post shit. My PR team does.”
A silence stretched as I made a few notes.
“So, how does this work?” Reed asked with a yawn. Even though he was the one asking for direction, I felt like the patient. How had our roles reversed so quickly?
Because you can’t think straight around this boy, and it’s always been that way.
I leaned back in my seat and regarded him over the laptop. “Have you never had therapy before?”
“Nope,” he replied, leaning back into the leather of the chair. His cavalier attitude didn’t match how the session was supposed to go. Most men in his position now usually had a degree of uncertainty. But no, not Reed. Never him.
At least he was in the chair. Feeling confident that I could handle him, I attempted to shift the focus towards the purpose for that session. “If you’ve never seen a therapist, what do you do to improve your mental health and emotional well-being?”
And of course, Reed monopolised the discussion as he saw fit. “I usually take care of that in the shower.”
Sighing, I banged the space bar on my keyboard. “Does everything have to be about sex with you?” I explained, giving him a tired look.
“Sex with me? Now you’re talking.”
I gave him the death stare I was famous for at school.
Reed’s face brightened further; he was clearly amused. “Hey, you asked.”
Swallowing, I pursed my lips, running my eyes across his shoulders. He was tense even though he tried to mask that. “What about coping strategies? How do you unwind when you’re stressed? And don’t say, in bed. You’ve already used that card.”
