Sex Says(88)

I expected the door to open quickly, like Reed was expecting me, but I quickly reminded myself that he wasn’t. Hell, he might not even be home.

But only moments later, he put my mind at ease, pulling the door open with a surprised but edgy smile on his face. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him make that face before.

“Fancy some company?” I asked and held up the bag of takeout I’d grabbed on the way over.

The way his eyes melted into warm pools put me at ease. “I always fancy your company, Roller Skates.” He stepped back and held the door open, but he looked over his shoulder as he did. I stuttered to a stop at the unexpected sight of another man who looked to be about our age, swinging a toddler onto his hip and shoving a bag of Cheerios into a diaper bag.

“Oh,” I mumbled. “I didn’t know you had company.”

Reed shook his head and waved me off. “Don’t worry, Lo. I’m glad you get to meet Brandon, actually. We were friends in college.”

“Fake friends or real friends?” I questioned, and he laughed. So did Brandon, for that matter.

“She knows you well, huh?”

“That she does,” Reed confirmed before finishing the introductions. “And real. He was probably my only real friend in college.”

That was awesome, but honestly, I was still confused. I’d known Reed for going on a couple of months now, biblically for the last month or so, and I’d never encountered a situation where he was actually hanging out with one of his friends.

Quite frankly, if I hadn’t been so involved in being his very best friend, I might have questioned if he had any at all. Acquaintances that covered every square inch of the city? That was a guaranteed daily occurrence when I was with Reed. The man had connections in all sorts of places. But a close friend? Not so much.

Apparently—thankfully—Reed could tell by the look on my face, and I didn’t have to say anything.

“I ran into him today.”

“Literally,” Brandon added with a laugh. “Anyway, I’ll get out of your hair. I’ve gotta get home anyway.”

Reed walked Brandon to the door and reached out to shake his free hand. “If you need anything—”

“Thanks,” Brandon interrupted, his eyes jumping to mine and back again. “But I have a feeling it’ll all be okay. I just wish I’d taken my time like you.”

Reed’s face was conflicted, but he didn’t address it. Instead, he reached over to the table by his door and picked up his phone. “Still, let me get your number and give you mine. It’s been too long.”

Brandon looked at the phone like it was an alien. “Reed Luca with a cell phone?”

Embarrassed eyes—Reed’s embarrassed eyes—flashed to me for a heartbeat. I didn’t think I’d ever see the day, but he didn’t make me wonder about the reason for very long.

“I didn’t like not being able to get in touch with Lola.”

The deeply personal way he said it made me flush from the inside out. Brandon’s smile deepened, but it was wholeheartedly sad around the edges.

What in the hell had I just walked in on?

They exchanged numbers quickly enough, as I took the time to peruse Reed’s handsome face, his gorgeous eyes, and even let my gaze trail down to enjoy the view that was his tight and toned body. Clad in perfectly worn jeans and a T-shirt that read Reed laughed today, I was not disappointed. As much as the vibe was off, everything else was exactly spot-on.

Not wanting to intrude on their business any longer, I made myself at home in the kitchen, unloading two plastic containers filled with pasta and garlic bread from the best little mom-and-pop Italian shop in San Francisco.

I heard the door close with a click and then Reed’s soft footsteps as they made their way to me.

“That smells delicious.”

I glanced over my shoulder and waggled my brows. “I know.”

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Is that Franchino’s?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Mmmmmmm.” He buried his face into my neck and bit the skin with a gentle tug. “You’re my favorite woman on the planet right now.”

“Just right now?”

He chuckled softly into my skin and stepped back, leaving me with a firm little tap to my ass courtesy of his hand. “Fishing for compliments?”

“Uh-huh.”

He gripped my waist with his fingers and turned me around until my butt rested against the counter. Down on one knee, Reed Luca stared up at me with playful eyes and my left hand held between his warm palms. “Lola Sexton, you are my favorite woman on the planet. Not just right now, but always.”