As soon as he’d released enough to let go of my hands, I sat up, spit the panties out of my mouth, and pulled his face toward me. “Maybe that just means you’re made for me.”
I kissed him, hard, my mouth claiming his, my lips shaping his with vicious, unyielding devotion. Soon, he was kissing me in return. His hands came up to wrap around my face. When our mouths broke, we clutched onto each other, our heads huddled together as we gasped for breath.
Eventually, he began mumbling. Incoherent words that turned into my name. “Emily, Emily, Emily.” He stroked his palms up and down my back. “You’re freezing cold. We need to get you warm.”
I hadn’t noticed until he’d mentioned it. It was only fifty degrees out and about the same temperature in the barn. “Well, I don’t think my shirt’s of use anymore.”
“I suppose not. Here.” He took off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. “Get dressed as best as you can. I’ll put this stuff away and then we’ll go give you a hot bath. Then, later, if you’re up to it, maybe we’ll get a bonfire going.”
“I’m in.”
He took a step away, but came immediately back. “One more,” he said as he slanted his mouth over mine.
One more and one more and one more, I thought. Always another one more. I’d take them all. I’d take even more.
Reeve headed down the aisle. I pulled up my pants and zipped his jacket over my breasts. I found my bra and shirt and wrapped them in my jacket. Cradling the bundle under one arm, I stuck my ice-cold hands in my pockets. Reeve’s pockets. My right hand closed around something metal. Keys. I pulled them out to study them, my heart pounding.
There were nine keys in total on the ring, a mix of gold and silver. I had no idea what they all opened, but I was sure one of them went to his office.
Before I could think too hard, before I could doubt or second-guess or talk myself out of it, I tucked the keys inside the bundle of my clothes. No guilt, I said silently. It’s done. I could decide what I did with them later.
“Ready?” he asked from down the aisle.
“More than.” I tightened my grip on the bundle and hurried up to meet him, already rationalizing my actions in my head. He’d left me no choice really. He still hadn’t told me about Amber. If I had to find out my own way, I felt justified.
Never mind that I hadn’t told him about Amber either. Things were changing between us, but we both still had secrets.
CHAPTER 26
Back at the house, Reeve set me up in a hot bath with Epsom salt to soothe the lashes from the crop and the sore muscles from the day’s ride – both of them. Later, after dinner, we went out back to the fire pit with a group of men from the ranch. It was Friday and warm for April, according to Charlie, the kind of night for “boozing and blazing,” as he put it.
Brent and Parker joined as well and though the latter grinned knowingly every time he happened to glance my way, it wasn’t as uncomfortable of a gathering as I might have imagined. This was the closest thing Reeve had to family, I realized now, and explained his relationship with Kaya’s staff. He relaxed with them, joking and laughing unlike he did with anyone else I’d seen him with. Not that I’d seen him with many people. Through the stories shared among them, I learned Reeve had been quite wild in his youth and long past. He’d dabbled in recreational drugs and gambling and women.
“Lots and lots and lots of women,” Brent said and Reeve kicked his boot. “Hey, I’m speaking with admiration. You were a God.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Reeve took a swig of his beer. “I still am a God.”
When the laughter from that settled down, I asked, “What made you clean up your act?”
The guys looked to my boyfriend who, once again, looked as though he might let the question go ignored. But I was learning he liked to take his time with personal answers and, sure enough, eventually he said, “Missy.” He worked his jaw. “Her death was a big slap in the face that my life was out of control. So, I stopped with the drugs, cut out some key people, quit throwing over-the-top parties, and —”
“And you’ve been a control freak ever since,” I finished for him.
Again everyone laughed. “You know our boy well,” Charlie said and I thought, I’m beginning to.
Around ten, the group dispersed – some going into town to drink at the bars, others, who had to work on Saturday, going home to sleep off the alcohol. “There’s no Monday through Friday when you’re working with livestock,” Charlie said in parting. “And five a.m. comes sooner than you think.”
Then it was just Reeve and me. I shifted my weight on the rock I was sitting on, partly to angle myself toward him, partly because my sore behind had kept me shifting all night.
He noticed and patted his thigh. “Come here.”
Eagerly, I accepted the invitation into his lap. It wasn’t really that much more comfortable than the rock, but sitting with my back pressed to him, his arms wrapped around me, made everything feel better.
“So… a party boy, huh?” I asked, though I’d really known that already. The media had portrayed him as such and I’d seen evidence from his birthday party pictures at his Palm Springs resort and from Chris’s description of Sallis gatherings.
Reeve nodded, but didn’t elaborate. When he did speak again, he had to repeat his question, I was so certain I’d heard him wrong the first time. “Have you ever been in love?”
I craned to look up at him to see if he was serious. He was. I settled my head back into him and said, “That’s pretty unexpected coming from you.”