Surviving Broken(59)

Reed waltzed through the back door, dressed in running shorts and t-shirt.

“Sure. Of course. And I totally trust you with the boys. That’s not what—” John smirked, glancing back and forth at JC and Reed. “We’ll make plans before the end of summer to go camping.”

“Time to go!” Shayla yelled to the boys. “Morning, Reed. Pancakes are on the stove.”

“Ya’ll are headin’ back to Vegas already?” Reed asked in surprise.

Richard and Thomas marched glumly down the hallway with grumpy faces. They answered Reed’s question as if it was meant only for them.

“Yeah, Mommy says we inter…inter-rup-ted something, so we gotta go home,” Thomas complained, throwing his hands in the air mimicking his father. “Dad thinks Aunt JC’s going off the deep end, but we told him Aunt JC is a really good swimmer, so the deep end is okay. Thanks for taking us camping last night.”

Both boys wrapped their little arms around Reed’s legs. Richard hung his head straight back, staring up at him. “Next time I’ll bring my duct tape, then you’ll never get out of our traps. Huh, Dad?”

John nodded in agreement and all four adults burst out laughing. “Fair warnings; if they tie you up with duct tape, you’ll never get undone, and you’ll have a substantial amount of hair loss. It’s like getting waxed.”

Everyone passed out hugs and handshakes before saying goodbye. JC waved, standing in the doorway with Reed. As the car drove out of sight, she deliberately leaned the length her body against his, eager to be swooped up and carried to bed.

“We’re going running. Go get dressed.” Bulging biceps strained the sleeves of his shirt as he clasped the sides of her face and kissed her forehead.

Rising to her toes with a hopeful smile, she shook her head no.

“Yes, we are,” he assured with a devilish chuckle.

Biting her bottom lip, she hissed, “I’m going to brush my teeth and go back to bed…with you. And we are going to have great sex. Then if you have any energy left, and I doubt you will, we’ll go running. Actually, I’m lying, if you have energy left, we’re just going to have sex again.”

He slipped his hands around her waist, holding her tightly against the hard planes of his chest. “Do you know what today is?”

“No. Do you want me to give today a holiday name after we get out of bed?” she teased though a shaky breath.

His voice quivered, laced with anticipation, bending to whisper in her ear, “Today is my birthday. So that means you, we, are going to have to wait just a little bit longer. Because tonight, I’m taking you out on a date then I’m going to bring you home and make love to you.”

“Happy birthday, Reed!” Draping her wrists over his shoulders, JC leaned back in his arms. “Okay. We’ll wait, but only if I get to make plans, since it’s your birthday.”

“That sounds fair.”

“And just so you know, I don’t use that term Reed Rider,” she clarified sweetly, trying to ignore the alarm bells ringing loudly in her head.

“I thought you said you didn’t need that rulebook with me? Besides, it’s my birthday and what I want more than anything, is to make love to you, JC Mathews,” he said with a long silky twang.

JC pushed down the impulse to bolt from his arms. Incessant urges of want and desire mixed with new feelings, feelings she’d never felt before. A layer of damp anxious sweat gathered on her skin. The words “making love” ranked up there right next to I love you. Those three little words scared the hell out of her. Confusion swirled around her thoughts. She wanted to let go of the boundaries she kept locked around her heart, but didn’t know how to allow herself liberation. Panic set in. Her breathing turned erratic and unsteady.

Reed stroked his thumb in a circle on the side of her neck, the spot where her pulse rocketed through her veins. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I didn’t realize how serious you were about it. Don’t fall to pieces on me. You all right?” His tone gentled at her increasing distress and he brushed his nose to hers. “You can call it whatever you want. We’ll do it your way.”

Blinking repeatedly to hide the burning pools building in her eyes, she rested her cheek on his chest. “I tried to warn you I have a few neurotic tendencies.” She rambled self-consciously. “Well honestly, it’s just the one.”

“You sure do over-think things.” Placing his palm over the top of her rampaging heart, Reed gave her an awe of sympathetic understanding. “Why are you so hell-bent on words? Don’t you ever go with your feelings?”