“It sounds like you have overinflated ideas of what’s going to happen on the date, Reed.”
“Oh, I intend to get my money’s worth, Teacup,” he informed me with a wink.
“We won’t be alone, you know. The media are usually all over it, especially considering you’re a celebrity. The whole of Newport will be watching,” I explained, knowing exactly how things were orchestrated to crowd-please.
“We’ll see.” The silent promise in his tone gave me goosebumps.
“I remember what you said at the club. Won’t you get in trouble with the NFL? The PR people?”
“Fuck it. Trouble is my middle name.”
And didn’t I know it.
Reed then took control, moving further into my space. “Come on, I want you to dance with me,” Reed said firmly, taking me by the arm and leading me towards the dancefloor. Glancing over his shoulder at Jasper, I saw my fiancé's eyes narrow as he watched me being led through the swaying bodies all around us. “The dance isn’t part of our date, by the way,” Reed added.
“OK.”
“I have something much more rewarding in mind. Well, at the end of our date anyway.” His voice was like warm honey and full of sinful promises.
“Don’t look at me as if you’re planning on scoring, Reed, as it’s not going to happen. We’ve been there, and both have the burns to prove it.”
“What’s the point of life without the excitement of getting burned?”
“Because burns leave scars,” I stated.
“I agree. But ones that fade over time. Take what happened with the Palmers.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really,” he replied with a frown.
“Well, after reading your notes. I would say yours haven’t: faded, I mean.”
His lips twisted as I brought up his past before he said. “Bullshit. Am I not a huge success, despite the shit that went down?” His eyes didn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. My professional instincts picked up on that straight away.
My tongue suddenly felt twice its size in my mouth, and my chest tightened. He said those words with such a cavalier attitude, but I saw through that. Reed’s scars from the months of abuse he suffered may have faded by repressing them, but now they were back with a vengeance and more visible than ever. And now I knew it would have been the court case against the Palmers that had done that: triggered something inside him.
I was about to reply, but he rolled his eyes and spun me into his arms. “Look, I don’t need you to feel sorry for me. Unless you want to come back to my hotel and kiss it better?” Irrespective of that insight into his demons, I knew Reed was determined to get his way and where he would want our date to end.
“Do you want to talk about it? About what happened with the Palmers?” I asked wide-eyed.
“Now?” he snorted, glancing around the dancefloor.
“You brought it up,” I pointed out, my eyes scanning the changing emotions on his face as he dropped his chin.
“Someone had to. You know I hate elephant-in-the-room scenarios.”
I took a deep swallow, feeling breathless from the motion of our bodies. I pinned my eyes on his bowtie. “OK. So, are you going to talk to me about it in our session?”
His shoulders bunched as he shrugged beneath where my fingers were resting. “Maybe.”
“Reed,” I said in a stern voice, my spine stiffening as I raised my head.
“Yes, OK, Doc. You win. We’ll discuss it then.”
A sense of relief swept through me. I hated that he was struggling and wanted to help him. Knowing Reed, he probably hadn’t even confided in this family.
The awkward atmosphere between us was swept away as Reed tugged me further against his body. I could feel his strong thighs pushing against mine through the silk of my dress, and my breasts were crushed against his chest. Due to there being no space between us, I was forced to slide my hands around his neck.
