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Beautiful Burn(41)

By:Adriane Leigh


“It can be.” She teased and took another sip of her Frappuccino, swirling the straw around as she did so.

“Only once and a while?” I hummed, leaning closer. My voice lowering an octave caught her attention and her eyes slammed to mine, instantly alert, aroused. “If the number of times I’ve had you cumming is any indication…”

“Reed.” Her mouth popped open in shock as she glanced to the tables around us. When she was confident we hadn’t been overheard, she finished. “Want to take me in the bathroom stall?”

This time my mouth popped open and eyes fell wide. “Seriously?” I pushed back from the table before pausing to wait for her answer. “'Cause I’m in.” I hooked a thumb down the hallway to my right. Her laugh was heard over the quiet buzz of coffee shop conversations. A few people glanced her way, a friendly smiles on their faces. “You shithead.” I shook my head and took a drink, loving the sexy banter I'd only ever had with her.

“Takes one to know one.” She laughed again.

“So, all packed up?” I took a sip and relished the nutty taste as it slid down my throat.

“Yup. I'm actually pretty excited. Although Callie was granted last-minute acceptance into a culinary program in Paris, so I'll be alone this semester.”

“Paris? I didn't even know she was into culinary stuff.”

“I didn't either.” She chuckled. “I'm kind of jealous. Paris is my dream trip.” She sighed and swirled the plastic cup as she spoke. “Can you imagine seeing the Louvre? The Eiffel Tower? Sipping coffee in a cafe that Hemingway used to write in? Makes my heart pitter-patter just thinking about it.” She placed a hand over her heart and a dreamy smile turned her mouth.

“You should go.”

“With what? Every extra dime goes to my student loans. I don't have two pennies to rub together,” she sighed again.

“You'll get there.” I held her hand over the table and knew with every fiber of my soul that if I could get her to Paris some day, come hell or high water, I would do it.

“I hope so.”

“You will, I promise.” I squeezed her hand again. Her dark eyes peered up at me from under the thick wisps of her lashes and she smiled that smile that stopped my heart and had it beating entirely too fast all at the same time. “How's the story?” I arched an eyebrow at her.

“My lips are sealed.” She pretended to pull a zip across her mouth.

“What will it take to get it out of you?” I leaned across the table and trailed fingertips up the bend of her elbow and lingering on her bicep, just nearly touching the full curve of her breast. Her breathing picked up a fraction and her pupils dilated.

“Oh god,” she whispered. If I would have been paying attention to her beautiful eyes I would have seen what she had saw. Instead I was focused on the way the top bow of her lip dipped, and how her cheeks rose impossibly higher when she smiled. How her warm and vibrant eyes never missed a beat. How she got me.

“Reed,” she breathed. My eyes finally found hers, wide and alarmed, not aroused as I’d first thought.

“Reed?” A voice sneered over my shoulder.

“Mel?” I dropped my hand and spun in my char. My wife stood there, hands clutching the shiny black leather of her purse. “Fuck.” I jumped up. Maybe I could cover this. Lie. Lie. Lie. My inner voice chanted and thrashed in the cage, begging me to drop those falsities from my lips.

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t do that to Auburn, and I couldn’t do it to me. I was done living a lie. I wanted truth, honesty, love, happiness, and I wanted it with Auburn. I was ready.

“We need to talk.” Mel’s eyes darted from mine to Auburn’s. “I can't believe you.” She grit through clenched teeth when her eyes landed on mine again.

“Please don’t, Mel,” I murmured. “You should go Auburn.” I flashed her a quick glance.

“Auburn? Is she a student, Reed? You're fucking one of your students?! I thought you were smarter than that,” Mel spit. “Meet me at the house.”

“I'm not fighting with you, Mel. If you want to talk, you can drop by my place, but I'm not going back to that house with you to fight old battles.”

Mel's eyes widened when I'd finished. “Fine.” She shot me the final glance before spinning and pounding out of the coffee shop. The last thing I wanted to do was follow her and fight until we were blue in the face. Why did my happiness have to have so much riding in on it?

“Go, Reed.” Auburn urged as she gathered her purse. Her eyes burned with sadness. Devastation. Complete and total loss. And that’s when I knew I loved her. Because her heart was big enough to fit me and all my baggage in it.