‘Nice to meet you, Tara. I’m Reid.” He offered me a hand and when I took it, he boldly placed a kiss on mine that sent shivers down my spine.
“Thank you, for that.” He shrugged.
“If you’re off for the night, I’d like to take you out, Tara.” He said standing and reaching for my hand, his southern accent doing things to my body.
I nodded looking over at Sam who cast me a worried look.
Sleeping with a guy the night we met was another first for me, but when he took me to his place when we left the bar, when his lips touched mine in that first heated kiss, I was putty in his hands. I let him fuck me over and over again, let him bend my body to his will, and I enjoyed every second of it. That became a nightly thing. If it wasn't at his place, it was at mine, or in the bar when it was my turn to close up. We were all fire and intensity and absolutely irresponsible. He was everything I needed. To forget and move on.
A month later, I found out I was pregnant. Reid and I barely knew each other. We'd had sex almost every night, but we knew nothing about each other. I was not ready to be a mother, not on anyone's terms. For God's sake, I was still a student, and I barely had any family support. He'd held my hand and promised me that we'd get through it, that we'd sort it all out… college, taking care of a little one. I knew there and then that he was my forever, that nothing before him mattered. He was the man who was promising he'd be there when I needed him the most.
"You okay?" His dark hair and soft green eyes still made my stomach flip.
“Yeah, just thinking about stuff.”
“Like?” he smiled at me, my heart melting as it always did. “Us, the day we met.”
“That was some first meeting.” He smirked.
In front of me was the one man I knew would give up his world to be in mine.
I looked over at the stroller and smiled. Becca was two months old, my pride and joy, everything I had ever wanted. She was so much like her father. Every time I looked into those beautiful green eyes I caved, loving the man sitting in front of me even more.
"You and Becca are my world," he said, leaning in to run a finger over our daughter's cheek.
Reid reached across the table to hold my small hands in his. He was always the perfect gentleman. "I should go," he said, getting up and giving Becca a kiss. "My father is breathing down my neck like a dragon."
I laughed. Reid was in the process of taking over for his father, and we'd both agreed that I would stay at home with Becca, which was a dream come true for me.
He leaned in, kissing my lips softly and more sensually than was appropriate for being in a public place.
“I love you, Reid.”
“Always.” He answered as he walked out of the restaurant.
I sat back down and held onto the warm cup of coffee I hadn't even taken a sip of yet. Becca stirred, and I covered her up more snugly.
“Tara,” I looked up to see Jude’s confused face. I didn't stand, I simply stared.
"Hi," he slipped into the seat opposite me, looking from me to Becca. The confusion was evident.
"Is - is this, your baby?"
I nodded and smiled. “Her name is Becca.”
He looked at me again, a frown creasing his features.
“You’re married?”
"Yes, I am," I answered simply.
"Oh," he looked down at his hands on the table. "Congratulations, I guess." My heart was beating in overdrive. What were the chances that I would see him at some random restaurant here in the US? He lived in London. That was his home.
“How have you been, Jude?” I hated small talk, especially with him.
“Okay, I guess,”
“I really wanted to see you, the guy at the bar, Sam, said this was your lunch spot.”
