Chapter Fifty-Seven

Carrie

Reid hasn’t called all day and even though he warned me he might not, we’re so broken right now that it feels bad. I’d just suck it up and call him, but two in the morning isn’t the time to make that decision. He’s probably asleep like the rest of the world, while I haven’t even tried. The fact that I’m working on the Grayson numbers, sitting at my island in the kitchen, pumping coffee down me like it’s my lifeline at this hour is a testament to how much our current state of broken is affecting me. I stand up. It’s time to try to sleep. I’m not even in my nightgown. I’m still in the sweats and T-shirt that I put on after a workout and shower, which isn’t the way to convince myself to sleep.

I shut my computer and it’s as if it triggers my cellphone to ring. I grab it and the minute I see Reid’s number I hit answer. “Reid?”

“Yeah, baby. I’m downstairs. Come get me. They won’t let me up.”

The sound of his voice, rich and masculine, washes over me and awakens and warms me inside out. “Wait. Did you say you’re here? As in my building?”

“Yes. I flew home to see you.”

He didn’t call because he was coming back to me.

“Carrie?”

“I’ll come get you. That guard is new. I won’t convince him to let you come up.” I disconnect and head for the door, and despite everything that has happened, I just want to see him. I just want to feel him. I can’t get to the elevator soon enough and nerves flutter in my stomach as it arrives in the lobby. The minute the doors open and I step into the lobby, Reid is in front of me, looking like sin and satisfaction in dark jeans and a navy T-shirt, his fingers tangling in my hair. “I missed the hell out of you, woman,” he says, his voice gruff, affected, his mouth closing down on my mouth, his tongue licking deliciously at mine.

I sink into him, my arms wrapping his body and I remember his words about feeling him, about feeling us, and how real it is. And it is. In this moment, I feel how much he wants me, I feel that I mean something to him. “Let’s go upstairs,” he murmurs, brushing fingers over my cheek, his lips parting mine with a reluctant lift.

“Yes. I need to wave at the guard. Did you sign in?”

“Yes. Do the wave.”

I lean around him. “He’s with me, Kevin.”

“Have a nice evening, Ms. West.”

I ease back in front of Reid and he laces his fingers with mine and punches the elevator button. The doors open immediately and we enter. He punches in my floor and then turns to me, his hands settling on my waist, pulling me close. My palm settles on his chest where his heart thunders beneath my touch. “You didn’t hesitate to let me up,” he says.

“No. No, I didn’t.”

“Why, Carrie?”

“Because despite the fact that you hurt me, I missed you, too.”

He lowers his forehead to mine. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I don’t ever want to hurt you again.”

“Then don’t.”

The car halts and the doors open. When Reid tries to exit, and take me with him, I tug against his hold. “Wait.” The minute he looks at me, I say, “Right now. I really want to pretend the broken part of us doesn’t exist, okay?”

He drags me to him, and into the hallway. “We aren’t broken and when we walk out of your apartment tomorrow morning, you’re going to know that.” He kisses me, a delicate brush of lips I feel in every part of me before he leads me to my door.

“It’s open,” I say, and the minute we’re inside, he shuts the door and locks it. The next minute, I’m in his arms, my body pressed to every hard part of his perfect one, and he’s kissing me. God, he tastes so good. I want and want with this man and I don’t even care how he might crush me right now. I cling to him, sinking into the kiss, my hands all over him and I just want to feel.

“Carrie,” he whispers, cupping my face. “Baby, I need to tell you something.”

“Don’t tell me now. Don’t ruin this.”

“I need to tell you before we wake up in the morning to a call.”

That jerks me back to reality. “What does that mean?”

“I went to see your father. I tried to get some sort of truce. I wanted him to tell you that I didn’t do this to you or him, but he wouldn’t. He said I’d never be with his daughter.”

“You went—that’s where you were?”

“There’s more, but—”

“To try and convince me to trust you?”

“Yes.”

“To Montana?”

“Yes. I can tell you all I found out there. Do you want to hear now?”

“No. No, I want you to kiss me again.”

“You’re not mad?”

“You went for me. You flew back for me. That doesn’t make the kitchen scene with your father go away, but it comes really close.”

“I didn’t know how you would react. I was—”

“Reid, kiss me already.”

His mouth closes down on mine, and I swear I breathe him in, my hands pressing to his back, my body molded to his. He went to Montana for me. I don’t even consider this to be business. I taste the emotion on his tongue. I taste the relief, the need, the passion. This isn’t about sex. This isn’t about money. His hand, his warm, big, perfect hand slips under my T-shirt and cups my naked breast. I moan into his mouth and he tears his lips from mine. “If I can’t have you in my bed, we need yours. And before you warn me, I don’t care about your damn period.”

“It ended. It was early and nerves—it’s not an issue.”

His mouth closes down on mine, a quick lick of tongue against tongue before he scoops me up and starts walking. I cling to him, and right now, in his arms, I feel one of those shifts in our relationship. We are not as we were. We are not broken.

The light is on in my bedroom, and Reid carries me to the bed and lays me down on the mattress. “I’d give up everything for you, Carrie.” He brushes his lips over mine. “I need you to know that.”

“I wouldn’t ever ask you to do that. I wouldn’t want that.”

“I know because you are good and pure in ways I will never be, but I’m a better man with you and because of you. I need you to know that, too. I’m not after money. I don’t want anything from this but you.”

My hand presses to his cheek. “I believe you. I have questions, but I believe you.”

He kisses me, his lips brushing mine and then trailing down my jaw and over my neck before he presses his cheek to mine and whispers, “I’m not going to fuck you this time. We can fuck later. I’m going to make love to you.”