Reed’s reply was husked into my ear. “Where’s the fun in that? If you want to be my friend, you need to wear a different dress.”
He then drew back, his eyes blazing with lust as he whispered. “Stay with me tonight.”
My tummy flipped. The boldness of those words and that urgency in his tone made me want to cut the reins on my current, staid existence; throw caution to the wind, and haul myself at him. That thought of being in Reed’s bed again excited the hell out of me, and not just because of the ‘we want what we can’t have’ shit. Because the memories of what it felt like to be there had never distanced themselves. I could remember how his body felt as it slid inside mine like it was yesterday.
“Storm?”
His prompt and that meaningful look snapped me back, and I slowly shook my head. “No, Reed. That’s not going to happen.” I placed my head against his chest, momentarily weakening in my sadness. The soft thud of his heart was in time with mine. We were opposites but the same in so many ways. A total contradiction in terms. Just like my life.
“So, what’s with the bike?” He purposefully changed the subject.
I lifted my chin and said with a slight shrug, “I thought it could be fun.”
As we danced, I could feel Reed drifting slowly towards the other end of the dancefloor and away from the other guests. Jasper was now speaking to Mr. and Mrs. Weaver. His attention appeared to be on the rich-as-Croesus elderly couple, thank goodness. He had already seen Reed and me walking towards the dancefloor, so I had it coming either way. I was only dancing with the guy who had won me for fifty thousand dollars; I couldn’t exactly say no. My father would have kittens if the cause didn’t get that money. At least I could blame that when Jasper pulled me apart over it later.
“Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?”
“No, but how hard can it be?” I replied absently.
“It can be dangerous,” Reed pointed out with an intense look.
“Maybe I crave the danger?” I replied with a taunting smile.
His grip tightened as one hand dropped to my hip, and he leaned down and rubbed his nose against my cheek. “If you crave danger, come back to my hotel with me, right now. And I’ll show you danger.”
The sexual intonation in those words shot straight through my sex. The old Storm would have done it too, stuck the middle finger up at signing away the rest of her life in a loveless marriage, and followed this man to the ends of the earth. But that wasn’t reality. There was still too much at stake.
Before I could reply, Reed took me by the arm and ushered me off the edge of the dancefloor and out of the fire door at the back.
“What are you doing?” I whisper-shouted as he swept us outside, and the door snapped closed behind us.
I tried to tug away, but he pulled me around the side of the building towards the back of the sports hall.
The moon was high in the sky, and the stars glittered down, almost judging me with their twinkling lights.
“I want to talk to you, and I can’t think with all that noise, not to mention your dick of a fiancé’s eyes burning into the back of my fucking skull,” Reed scoffed moodily.
“This isn’t a good idea, Reed. I need to get back,” I husked, going to walk away.
Reed caught my wrist to stop me from trying to leave. “No, you don’t,” he added as he dragged me around to face him. I twisted my hand to try to dislodge his, but he positioned me at his front, which forced me to step back.
“What’s the matter, Teacup? You scared of being alone with me out here?” His fingers tightened around my wrist.
I made a face, lies were easier to accept, so I went with, “Hardly. I can more than handle you, Prescott.” My words sounded surprisingly firm.
Reed smirked and lowered his head, pushing his face level with mine. “You may have handled me as a boy, but I’m a man now, and you have no fucking clue how to deal with the mature me, princess.”
“Let go of me, Reed. I mean it.”
Releasing me, Reed raked a hand through his hair, and I smoothed down my dress where it had become rumpled in our slight tussle. Looking up at him, I pointed out, “You’re playing a dangerous game here. Whatever you want to say, say it quickly. If Jasper catches me out here with you, I’ll never hear the last of it. I’m already due a mouthful for dancing with you, not to mention your kind donation to the cause.”
He graciously bowed his head, “It was the least I could do.” And then added with a scowl, “And if he comes out here, I’ll beat the shit out of him. The guy doesn’t fucking own you, Storm. You should be allowed to speak to your friends, surely.”
“Oh, so, now we’re friends?” I bit back.
His eyes narrowed as he stepped forward and got in my face. “We’re a lot more than that, and you know it.”
“Yes, and so does Jasper!” I exclaimed, placing my palm against his chest and easing him back slightly. His burst of temper forced me to unleash some of my own. It shocked me as Reed had never been as hot-headed in the past, but there was always a darkness hiding under the surface. And now I knew what that darkness related to. The abuse he suffered at the hands of the Palmers.
