He always at least touches me when I get undressed.
What if he is appalled at the idea of Noah touching me? What if Reed thinks I let Noah touch me?
I slowly turned and walked over to my suitcase. I pulled out a pair of Victoria’s Secret sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. I slipped them both on and fought like hell to keep the tears at bay. I instantly felt calmer when Reed wrapped his arms around me.
“I know what you’re thinking, and please stop. The only reason I stood on the other side of the room is because I knew if I was close to you when you undressed, I’d want to make love to you.”
I dropped my head back onto his chest. “Please, Reed. I need you, and nothing makes me feel better than being with you.”
He leaned down and kissed my cheek as he slipped his hand down my pants. “Put your leg on the bed, Courtney,” he whispered in my ear.
I did what he’d said, and the moment his fingers swept across my lips, I let out a moan.
“I’m going to make you come, Courtney, and then we’re leaving, okay?”
I nodded my head as I bit down on my lower lip. Reed slipped his fingers inside me and began moving in and out slowly.
“Faster,” I said as I pushed my hips into his hand.
He brushed his thumb against my clit, and I let out a long moan.
“Yes. Oh God, that feels so good.”
When he began moving faster and his thumb pressed just a little harder, I came hard and fast. I felt my leg wobble, but Reed grabbed on to me and held me while I fell apart with my orgasm.
He kissed along my neck and then nibbled on my earlobe. “Did that help?”
“A little,” I said as I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck.
He leaned down and began kissing me so sweetly. I wanted it to be more passionate, but he pulled away, reaching up and removing my arms from his neck.
“Come on, we’re late.”
I looked at him, confused. “For what? We should be at a wedding, so I know damn well you didn’t make plans for tonight.”
He let out a laugh as he opened the door to our room. He waited for me to walk out.
As we rode the elevator down, I noticed he was texting someone. I wanted to ask, but a part of me was worried he had been talking to Layton. I hadn’t grabbed my purse, so I didn’t have my phone. I knew if Whit had found out what had happened, she would be calling, and I really didn’t feel like talking. After telling my parents everything and seeing them both cry and blame themselves, I knew I couldn’t take any more tonight. As I sat down in the car I put my head back and closed my eyes as I thought back to Reed making love to me for the first time.
I felt Reed put his hand on my leg, and I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. “Shit. I fell asleep.”
Reed let out a chuckle and got out of the car. He walked around to my side and opened the door. When I got out, I noticed where we were.
I gave him a confused look. “Laser tag?”
He smiled and nodded his head. “You said one of your favorite things to do was play laser tag against your brother. So, we’re about to go kick some serious ass. It’s couple against couple.”
I looked back toward the laser tag entrance and let out a gasp. My parents, Tyler, Meg, Sissy, some guy I didn’t know, and one of Tyler’s friends with his wife were all standing there, talking.
I put my hand up to my mouth and turned to look at Reed. “You planned this? When?”
He smiled and let out a small laugh. “On the way to the hotel, I sent a text to Tyler and asked if he felt like having a little bit of fun.”
I threw myself into his body and held my tears back. “I love you, Reed Moore. I love you so damn much!”
“I love you, too, angel.”
I pulled back, and Reed lifted my chin up and looked into my eyes. “Swoon-worthy?”
I let out a giggle and said, “Very swoon-worthy.”
We walked up to the entrance, and Tyler walked up to me and took me into his arms. We didn’t say anything to each other, and no one else said a word.
When I finally pulled back, I smiled and kissed Tyler on the cheek. “Reed and I are going to kick your ass.”
Tyler threw his head back and laughed and then looked at Meg. “Oh, I beg to differ, but bring it on, baby sister…bring it on.”
My father let out a gruff laugh. “Please, your mother and I might not seem like we can keep up with you guys, but trust me, you’re all going to be eating our dust.”
My mother did a weird little fist pump and yelled, “Yeah! Eat our dust!”
Everyone laughed as we made our way into the building. I glanced over at Reed, who winked at me and gave me a thumbs-up.
How did I get so lucky with him?
I wanted to ask him what he’d said to Noah when they were alone, but the faster I forgot about what had happened, the better.
I wasn’t the least bit shocked when we got in there, and Reed pulled me off to the side to give me the strategy on how we were going to take everyone down.
“If you have to, use the I’m-pregnant card on your mother, father, and your brother only. Anyone else is not going to care.”
I nodded and said, “Got it.”
Reed went over the hand signals, and we even made up our own little handshake.
“What? Do you have a damn team cheer also?” Tyler said as he walked by.
Meg was smiling from ear to ear, and my heart just broke for her. She should be dancing at her wedding right now. I hit Tyler on the shoulder, and Reed and I took off in different directions.
I wasn’t sure how long we had played, but Reed and I made one hell of a good team. When we won four games in a row, Sissy declared that she and her friend Ryan were officially quitting. My parents had given up after two games. Now, it was down to Reed and me, Tyler and Meg, and Tyler’s friend and his wife.
I ran around a corner, and Tyler was standing there.
I almost panicked but played it cool. “Oh my God! I just felt the baby move!” I yelled out.
Tyler dropped his gun down to his side and said, “What? I want to feel.”
As soon as he took a step closer, I started shooting the shit out of him. I let out an evil laugh and took off running.
Reed and I met up in our meeting place, both of us fighting to catch our breath.
“They’re dropping like flies,” Reed said between pants.
Reed and Tyler were really getting into this. I smiled, just thinking of how Reed was kicking Ty’s ass.
Oh, how I love my husband.
“Ty’s friend’s wife said she was bored, so they stopped playing, and now, the only other couple is Tyler and Meg,” I said.
Reed gave me a quick peck on the lips and said, “Let’s get these bastards!”
I gave him a funny look, shrugged, and said, “Okay! Let’s do this! Brother or not, he’s got to go down.”
And down he went. With my little stunt I’d pulled about feeling the baby move, it pretty much sealed the deal for us. When we won the last game, Reed and I might have celebrated a little too much.
As we walked out of laser tag, my parents were making arrangements for everyone to go to dinner.
“Mr. and Mrs. Will, I’ve already made dinner arrangements for all of us,” Reed said.
I smiled at him. I wanted to attack him and cover him in kisses. Reed looked at me and smiled as my heart thumped in my chest.
Meg walked up to me and hooked her arm through mine as we walked toward the rental car.
“I’m so sorry, Meg. Maybe if I had said something, he wouldn’t have touched you.”
She gave me a weak smile and said, “No, Courtney. Don’t say that. None of this is your fault or my fault. Please don’t ever think that, okay? I’m just ready to move on, and knowing he will be forever out of my life is amazing. He’s finally going to get what he deserves.”
I couldn’t even begin to understand how it had been for Meg to see Noah day in and day out, having him over for dinn
ers, parties, vacations. Yuck.
By the time we got back to the hotel, I was spent. I looked into the mirror and frowned. I look like shit. My hair was pulled up in a sloppy ponytail, and I was dressed like I’d just rolled out of bed. I could see the pain buried in my eyes, and I closed them in hopes that when I opened them, everything with Noah would just be a dream.
The moment I felt Reed’s arms wrap around me, the love just flowed from his body into mine.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against my neck.
I let out a giggle and opened my eyes to see him staring at me in the mirror. “You must be looking at a different reflection than me,” I said with a weak smile.
He pulled his head back while he looked my body up and down in the mirror and slowly shook his head. “The reflection I see is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, one who has such an incredible passion for life and love. I see the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I see the mother of my children, the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, and the woman who—for some crazy reason—took a chance on love with me. I also see the luckiest man on earth standing next to her.”
I bit down on my lower lip and closed my eyes as I sank back into his body. “I love you, Reed. I knew you would come for me. I knew you wouldn’t let him hurt me again.”
He turned me around and held on to me while I cried. I wanted to forget everything that had happened, but I couldn’t until I talked to him about it.
“He was going to touch me, and there was no way I could let him. I was pleading with him to stop while I was praying for you to find me and make him stop.”
Reed sucked in a breath of air. “I’m sorry it happened in the first place, baby. I’m so sorry.”
I placed my hands on the sides of his face. “Don’t say you’re sorry. Just tell me he is forever gone from my life.”
He placed his hands on mine and smiled. “I promise you, he will never bother you ever again. I promise you, baby.”
When I saw the tear roll down his cheek, my heart exploded. I’d never loved anyone like I loved Reed, and I knew I never would.
As I showered and got dressed for dinner, I was beginning to long for Texas. New York no longer felt like home. Texas was home now, and all I wanted to do was sit on my front porch, crochet my blanket, and drink some tea as I watched my sexier-than-hell cowboy work on a fence or do some cowboy shit like that.
“What are you thinking about?” Reed asked as he pulled the rental car up to the valet parking at the restaurant.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m just sad that Tyler’s wedding was ruined.”
Reed gave me a smile that caused my breath to stop. He quickly placed his hand behind my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. “Ya never know…this might just turn out to be one of the best days of Tyler’s and Meg’s lives.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
We got out of the car and made our way into the restaurant.
Reed walked up to the hostess and said, “Hi. Reed Moore. I called earlier.”
The young lady smiled bigger and looked at me. I smiled and wondered what in the hell Reed was up to.
“Mr. Moore, yes. It was tough, but we managed to get it all down.” She turned to another girl and said, “Please show Mr. and Mrs. Moore upstairs to the private dining room.”
Private dining room?
“Reed, what is going on?” I asked as I began looking around for my parents, Tyler, or Sissy.
Reed grabbed my hand and practically pulled me up the stairs. When we walked into the large banquet room, I let out a gasp. One side of the room looked out to the mountains. It was breathtaking. I quickly looked around and saw the whole room was filled with white lights and all the flowers from my parents’ house. My mouth dropped open when I saw all the tables had been set up, and on the far side of the room was the arbor that had also been at my parents’ house. And Father Mike was standing there, talking to Tyler’s friend, Bob.
Bob saw Reed and started walking up to him. “Man, it’s a good thing you had everyone at laser tag, so we could get everything out of the house and here. We just told Tyler that we took it all out. We didn’t tell him why or where we were taking it.”
Reed nodded his head and looked around. “Thanks for picking such an amazing place,” he said.
I stood there in shock.
“Ty asked Meg to marry him here, so Kat and I thought it would be the perfect place.”
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “Wait. Just wait one second. Reed, what in the world is going on here?”
Reed looked down at me and said, “My heart broke for Meg and Tyler. I got Bob’s cell phone number earlier this morning, and after everything went down, I asked him if he wanted to help me pull this off.”
I bit down on my lower lip, fighting to keep back the tears that were forming. “You did all this? You planned everything? Why? Reed, why would you do all of this?”
Reed shook his head as he reached down and gave me a kiss. His lips were still against mine when he whispered, “Because I love you. I did this for you and your family because I love you, Courtney.”
I choked back a sob and pulled away. I looked around and asked a waitress where the restrooms were.
She pointed to the other side of the room and said, “Back right corner.”
I grabbed Reed’s hand and pulled him in that direction. I walked up and scanned each door. Perfect. I walked into the family restroom, pulling Reed in with me. I shut the door and locked it. I quickly spun around and found myself looking into Reed’s very confused eyes.
“Please tell me you aren’t mad, Court. I thought I was—”
I held up my hand for him to stop talking. “I’m so happy I decided to wear a dress this evening.”
Reed tilted his head, looking more confused than ever. “What? Court, are you angry with me?”
I shook my head as I reached up under my dress and slowly pulled my white lace panties off. I never took my eyes off of Reed.
He licked his lips and said, “Wha-what are you doing, Court?”
I bit down on my lip and whispered, “I need my husband—now.”
Before I knew what was happening, Reed was all over me. His hands were on every inch of my body, moving frantically, like he couldn’t get enough of me. He pushed the dress all the way up and over my head while he used his other hand to push my bra up, releasing my breasts in one movement, causing me to let out a moan. He quickly put one nipple in his mouth and began sucking and gently biting on it as I unbuttoned his pants and exposed him to me. I grabbed on to his length and felt it throbbing in my hand. He let go of my nipple and picked me up as he pushed me against the wall. I wrapped my legs around him and moaned when I pushed myself against him. I needed relief, and only Reed could provide it.
He placed his tip just at my entrance while he held me up. “Court? Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, here?”
I looked into his eyes and said, “I need you so much, Reed. Please.”
I bucked my hips into him, and the look in his eyes changed to nothing but pure lust. Seeing it turned me on even more, and when he pushed himself inside me, I had to attempt to hold back the scream I wanted to let out.
“This is gonna be fast,” Reed said as he began moving in and out of me, hard and fast.
“Yes! Oh God, yes, Reed,” I whispered as I dropped my head back against the wall. I bit down hard on my lip. I could feel the buildup, and all it was going to take was one more—
Reed pushed into me hard and deep, and I lost it. I grabbed on to him and began moving my hips along with him. My orgasm hit me so hard and so fast that I let out a whimper as Reed hissed through his teeth and came with me.
He stood there for a minute, not moving, while he caught his breath. He gently put me down and zipped up his pants, never once looking anywhere but in my eyes. My chest was heaving up and down, and I was desperately trying to catch my breath. Reed turned and grabbed a handful of toilet paper. He bent do
wn and lifted my leg as he began cleaning me.
“It feels so good when you touch me,” I whispered.
Reed stood up and turned to throw the paper out. He walked up to me and placed his hands on either side of my head as he leaned closer.
“This makes two wedding days when we’ve had sex in a public place.”
He held my panties out in front of me while I chuckled and hugged myself inside.
“We totally have Layton and Whitley beat!” I said as I raised my eyebrows.
Reed laughed.
I walked up and looked in the mirror as I fixed my hair. Spinning around, I took my panties and shoved them into his pocket. “Better keep it easy access…just in case.”
Reed let out a small whimper as I reached for the door and opened it quickly. I glanced back at Reed as I made my way out of the restroom and into the hallway. I ran into someone and turned to see my sister, Sissy, standing there with her mouth hanging open.
“Dear God Almighty. Did you…did you guys just…in the restroom?” She kept looking back and forth between Reed and me. She put her hands on her hips and said, “Here you ask me for help, and I bust my ass to get here and make sure all is ready, and you’re making fun with my sister…in a public restroom?”
I smirked at my sister as I grabbed Reed’s hand and started to move us past her. “Wasn’t nearly as hot as having sex in a nightclub in a dark corner,” I said.
Sissy let out a gasp as we kept walking. I did a little inner jump and fist pump.
“What? Seventy-five Hail Marys and a gazillion Our Fathers! You can’t say that and walk away from me! Court? Courtney!”
Reed dropped my hand and placed his arm around my waist and said, “Why do I get the feeling that being married to you is going to be nothing but an adventure?”
I peeked up at him with a coy smile and said, “Hold on, baby. It’s going to be one hell of an adventure.”
I rolled my eyes as Courtney let out another curse word. As if the noise from the plane wasn’t bad enough as I tried to read, Courtney kept sighing every five minutes. I glanced over at her, and she was pulling out yet another row she had just crocheted.