Reed picked his napkin up off the table and spread it across his lap. It didn't look right. He picked it up, unfolded it until it was flat, then smoothed it out again across his lap. His foot bounced and he straightened the silverware next to his plate.

"Hey."

His gaze lifted, and he took in the beautiful woman who'd just approached his table. She was every bit as gorgeous as she'd always been, and even though they'd been apart a few short months, it suddenly felt like forever. There was something different about her now—lighter, happier.

Half of him wanted to celebrate for her, thrilled she'd clearly found something—or someone—who made her glow the way she currently was. She deserved that peace and joy. But, there was a darker half of him that wanted her to have missed him, to have not flourished apart from him. All the more reason why she had been right—they weren't good for each other.

Or, rather, he wasn't good for her.

Reed stood quickly and pulled out her chair. "Hey, Teag."

"Thank you," she replied, sitting in the offered seat and tucking her own napkin on her lap.

He took his seat across from her and tried for a smile. "So…how have you been?"

She nodded slowly. "I've been really good, actually. The show is…it's amazing. It's everything I ever dreamed of for my career."

"That's wonderful, Teag," he replied, and he genuinely meant it. "You worked hard for that role."

Her cheeks reddened slightly at that, a small smile at the corner of her lips. "I did. Thank you." She played with the edge of her plate, fidgeting slightly. "And you? How have you been?"

Reed leaned back slightly. "I took the last few months off, so the break has been really nice."

"Mmm, I heard." A nervousness passed over her expression. "Was it…well, the papers were saying it was rehab?"

He laughed louder than he'd meant to, then calmed himself. "No. Nothing like that. I just stayed with my sister in the suburbs for two months. Took care of Nell. Slept on a couch half my size. It was a great time."

Teagan's brows furrowed, but she was smiling. "You did? You?"

"Yes, me." He put his hand to his chest. "I was trying something new. Something…normal."

"And how did you like the…normal?"

He grinned. "White picket fences aren't so bad."

Pain met her eyes for a moment then was gone. "I told you."

"You did."

They were both silent for a moment, and then the waiter thankfully interrupted them to take their orders.

"So," Reed began after the waiter had dropped back off his glass of wine and Teagan's soda—which was a bit odd, because he'd never seen her drink soda before. "Have you spoken to Jason lately?"

"About Break Down 2?" Teagan nodded. "He told me yesterday."

"Are you going to take the role?" He suddenly realized how badly he wanted her to say yes. It wasn't just that he wanted to film a love story with her, it was that he wanted to spend every day by her side. He wanted to go to work and have her be there.

Hell, he wanted to come home and have her be there, too.

"I'm still negotiating terms, trying to move up the filming date, but…yes." She nodded slowly, chewing on the edge of her lip in a way that made him more turned on than he'd like to admit in the middle of a busy lunch hour at a popular restaurant. "I think so. It'll be an amazing career opportunity for me."

"Move up the filming?" He'd already moved it back when he'd taken his few months off, though he didn't mind it moving up now that he was back. "Why's that? Do you have another gig?"

Teagan’s face twitched, like she was trying to hide a smile. Finally, it broke free and she grinned. "Yeah. The role of a lifetime. I'm really excited."

He lifted one brow. "That sounds amazing. Tell me about it."

"Maybe soon." She went back to chewing on her bottom lip. "Soon."

The waiter delivered their food, and for another minute or two, they were quiet as they both enjoyed their dishes. Finally, Reed put down his fork and looked at her. "Why is this so awkward?"

She looked startled at his admission. "I'm…I'm not sure. It doesn't feel like it should be, but we're so forced."

Reed moved his plate to the side and reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "Teag, I know what you said, and I don't want to push things, but I also can't stop what I'm feeling."

"Reed, don't do this." She looked away, but she didn't move her hand from his. "We're supposed to just be civil and catch up before the premiere tomorrow."

"I've never done what I'm supposed to do, and so here we are," Reed replied, this time standing and switching to the chair directly next to hers. He angled his knees to be on either side of hers, pulling her chair closer to him. "These last two months were good for me. I needed them. I needed them apart from you."

She looked up at him, surprise in her dark brown eyes.

"But that doesn't mean I didn't think about you every day," he continued. "I am so sorry I messed up our second chance with that arrest, but I need you to know I want a third. And when I mess that one up, I want a fourth. And a fifth, and a sixth."

Tears brimmed her lower lashes, but she kept her gaze on their hands clutched together between them.

"I've made a lot of mistakes, Teag, but falling in love with you is not one of them." He carefully pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. "And whether it's eight years apart or two months, I'm in love with you, Teagan. I always will be."

A flash in the corner of his eye caught him off guard. He looked to see several restaurant patrons had their phones out and were taking pictures of what probably looked like a romantic, intimate moment between lovers.

Teagan's eyes widened. "We should get out of here."

"Agreed." He grabbed a few bills out of his wallet and put them down on the table. Grabbing her hand, he led them out of the restaurant and made the first turn down an alleyway.

She looked confused, but he stepped closer to her, backing her against the brick wall until he had her pinned. Her chest began rising and falling faster as his lips hovered over hers.

"Teagan…tell me you feel the same way." His palm slid down her neck, cupping her jaw as his thumb gentle caressed her cheek. "Tell me you're as in love with me today as you ever were."

"Reed, I told you two months ago that there was no hope left here," she reminded him, though her expression didn't match her words. "I…I told you."

"And I told you that I was going to do anything I could to bring you back to me."

She swallowed hard, placing her hand against his chest. "Things are different now, Reed. I have other…responsibilities…to think about."

Reed shook his head. "Teag, if you want to look for a reason for us not to be together, you're going to find one. But I'm here now, and I'm telling you that I'm ready to devote everything I am and everything I have to you. Hell, I'd marry you right now. Let's go find a chapel and make it official. You're it for me."

A small smile lifted the corners of her lips. "Reed, don't be ridiculous."

"No part of me is joking," he replied, lowering his lips to hers again. He brushed against her gently, waiting for that hitch in her breath that told him she wanted this as badly as he did.

Then, there it was, that tiny gasp as she leaned into him. Her breasts pushed against his chest, and he tried to ignore them, but really all he wanted was to pull off her shirt right then and there and have her nipples in his mouth. His mind was playing tricks on him because he was almost sure they seemed bigger than before.

His lips pressed against hers, a soft moan escaping her and allowing his tongue to slide inside her mouth. Their bodies pressed tighter together, a frantic feeling coming over him at how desperately he needed her right then and there. He wanted to hitch up her skirt and plunge inside her right in this alleyway.

He growled in her ear. "Fuck, Teag…"

"Not here." She shook her head. "Not now. I…I have something to show you first."

"Please tell me it's you naked and stretched out across my bed."

Teagan giggled—literally giggled. He'd never seen her do that before. Hell, he'd never seen her this happy before. "It's not that. But kinda naked-body-related."

"I'm intrigued. Where to?" He pulled his car keys out of his pocket and directed them back onto the sidewalk and in the direction of his car.

"It's about ten minutes away," she replied. "I'll tell you how to get there when we're in the car."

He frowned, but decided not to push further. She was a different version of the Teagan he knew—more confident, happier, and more take-charge. He liked it, and if it would bring her back to him, he was all for whatever she was about to show him.