“Guess what, Mommy? Uncle Cody said I could have Gray—”
“Wait. What?” Aria straightened.
“Gray’s all hers.” Cody pointed to the horse Prisha had just ridden. “She’s smitten with the animal.”
“What would we do with a horse?” Aria frowned. “We don’t have the place—”
“Ease up, babe,” Reece said and tilted his head at Prisha.
Aria glanced down at her daughter and blanched. Prisha’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, God, sweetpea.” She knelt and pulled her daughter into her arms.
“Listen, you don’t need to take Gray just yet. Think about it, and when you ready, you can decide what to do with the animal,” Cody said as Aria stood.
“The way I see it gives you more reason to come back to Trinity.” Reece laughed.
“Of course you would,” Aria’s response filtered out between a scowl and half a smile. Something told her Reece hinted at a permanency she wasn’t ready to accept. She shouldn’t be angry with Reece and his family. Cody’s gesture was sweet, if anything.
“Can we, Mommy?” Prisha wiped away her tears and looked up expectantly. “Come back here so that I can ride Gray?”
“I’m sure we will.” She pushed her daughter’s hair back from her face with a gentle smile before the child rushed off toward Gray. Aria glanced up and noticed the silent exchange between the two brothers.
Reece gave her no explanation, and she didn’t ask. He lifted the reins over her horse’s head, extended a hand, and helped her onto the animal. Done, he mounted his horse, swung the animal around, and tipped back his Stetson. “Ready?”
She nodded, took hold of her reins, and followed Reece as he walked his animal out of the stables into a gentle trot.
****
REECE ENTERED HIS BATHROOM, closed the door, and leaned back against it. Aria stood under the running shower, her head tilted back, eyes closed, and her arms hugged her body. Since arriving in Trinity, he hadn’t found any time alone with her except for a quick kiss or two. While his fingers worked at removing his clothes, his gaze roamed the length of her body, starting at her shapely legs and worked its way up.
His gaze followed the bubbles of soap swerving down her breast, over the gentle swell of her hips and the full curve of her ass. Slowly, she rotated. The rivulets of water snaked down her tummy and disappeared at the ‘v’ between her thighs. As she lifted her hands to brush away hair that stuck to her shoulders, his body tightened with need—he ached to take her, fast and hard. Every inch of her creamy skin tinged a pale pink by the water coursing over her skin—not one single imperfection. Even the scars on her back made her unique.Fuck. Reece’s cock swelled. This stunning woman had in her to drop him to his knees with desperation. He pulled off his briefs and stepped forward.
“Shit!” the curse sailed through the mist of warm water. Reece stopped short. “Get a grip, Aria. You can handle this,” her voice sounded ragged. Alone and exhausted.
She pressed both her hands to the shower wall and leaned forward. Her body shuddered with undisguised emotion, and Reece’s heart hammered against his ribs. She was crying. At that moment, he experienced a tug—an emotional knot—like no other. Despite spending the last couple of days with his family, Aria was still thinking about Jay’s release. She’d hidden her misery well.
The urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her dogged his thoughts—something he hadn’t fully grasped and unsure if he’d accomplish without coming across as intrusive. Aria was proud and driven by her strength—he respected that—but the intensity of his emotions would scare the hell out of her, and he didn’t want that, not yet. Hell, he was still coming to terms with him plunging into the whole love thing.
Reece stepped into the shower and reached out a hand to trace the arc of her spinal cord. Simultaneously, Aria’s head jerked upright, and she swung around, her eyes wary as she looked up. He read the fear.
“Sorry, babe, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, noticing her red eyes. The water concealed her tears. Her pain twisted his insides.
“What are you doing here? Wait. Don’t answer that.” Her lips widened in a gentle smile.
“You okay?” He slid his arms around her waist and drew her closer. She nodded. “You were crying.” He traced a thumb across her bottom lip. “I’m here for you, babe. You’re not alone in this.”
“I know.” She kissed his thumb. “I just need to get used to the idea of Jay—”
“Ain’t coming anywhere near you.” He kissed her long and deep to stop her from disagreeing with him. When he lifted his head, she breathed just as hard.
“Did you lock the door? You know Prisha walks in on me showering.” He nodded and ran his hands over her hips. “Let me soap you?” The tip of her tongue snuck out to lick her wet lips.
Reece moaned. “I had something else in mind.”
She laughed and reached for the soap. “Trust me. You want this.” Not giving him a chance to respond, she leaned forward, put her lips to one of his nipples, and sucked hard.
Reece hissed and tipped his head back. His jaw tightened as pleasure wound its way around his body. She straightened and began soaping his chest. Her touch, soft and sensual, goose-bumped his skin, despite the warm water. When she moved behind him, and her fingers dropped to his butt, his cock jerked. And when she reached a hand around him and grasped his cock, his control shot out the door. One of his hands splayed against the tile, braced on the side of the shower, the other covered hers as she stroked his hard-on. She pressed up against him, the tight buds of her nipples at his back played havoc with his senses.
Then she licked water from his skin in soft kisses as though tasting him. She cupped his balls lightly and stroked the tender skin between his thighs. Reece sucked in a harsh breath, whipped around, and spun her away from him. He urged her up against the cubicle glass and growled in her ear, “I need you, not a damn wash.” He nipped her shoulder while his hand slid up the inside of her thigh.
