The Sidelined Wife(37)

Yeah, of course I wasn't. I would never date anyone younger than me.  That was my story and I wasn't mentioning it. To anyone. Like ever.

"You know, Hunter Black kind of looks like Reed." A sly smile played on Peter's face. "Don't you think, sis?"

I casually took another peek at the poster. "I suppose."

"He kind of does." James took a closer look before addressing me. "So,  does this mean you have the hots for Reed?" He wagged his eyebrows.

"Don't tease your sister," Avery poked her husband.

I pointed to my office with a strained smile. "I need to print the  invoices that should go out tomorrow morning." It was a lame excuse to  leave, but it was true so I ran with it. I tried to keep my voice and  footsteps steady as I fled the scene.

Good thing there was nothing serious going on between Reed and myself. How could I ever tell my family if there was?

~*~

"Are you sure you measured right?" I asked Reed.

"We could always go to my place to make sure." He inched closer to me on the picnic blanket.

"I don't have time, and-"

"And what?" He leaned in and brushed my lips. He had been doing that any  chance he could since I found him two hours ago, per the map he made  for me. He'd texted it to me this morning. I couldn't believe how fun  and romantic he was. He had set up the perfect picnic, complete with  tiny sandwiches cut into hearts, at a secluded spot in the Half Day  Forest Preserve. He promised we would curtain shop too, so I didn't have  to lie to Cody about where I was.

So there we sat with his laptop using a personal hotspot, searching for  curtains online. I had already ordered some, but now we were choosing  some "manly" curtains for his rental. He was partial to the navy blue  set on the screen.

I took a second to think about how to answer him. I closed my eyes and  enjoyed the feel of the sun in the cool breeze. Fall was definitely in  the air, but I was warm in my light sweater as I sat next to Reed,  sharing his body heat.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to go to your place." I opened my eyes to see what his reaction would be.

He reached up and tucked an errant curl behind my ear. "I would never do anything you weren't comfortable or ready for."

I nodded. "I believe you."

"Good." He leaned in again, but this time his lips pressed hard against  mine and begged mine to part. He moved the laptop off his lap without  missing a beat and moved in closer. His strong hand ran through my hair  and pulled my head closer to his.

I easily fell into his kiss. My lips parted and I drank him in. I could  taste the chocolate strawberries we had eaten earlier. They were better  the second time around. He deepened the kiss and groaned. I had missed  this kind of affection. And someone to kiss my neck. He deliberately  lingered on each spot of my neck he kissed. His warm breath against my  skin combined with his soft lips made me gasp.

He chuckled before lifting his head and meeting my eyes. "I like that I'll always know when I've pleased you."

"Are you teasing me?" I had forgotten about my little gasps. It had been  a long time since I'd had anything or anyone to cause such a response.

He shook his head. "I've never been more serious."                       
       
           



       

I placed both of my hands on his stubbled cheeks and gazed into his blue-as-the-sky eyes. "This is so surreal to me."

"Not to me."

My head tilted. "Not even a little?"

"No. For me, this is a finally, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it, while it lasts."

"I can't believe you've liked me since you were thirteen."

"Believe it." He pecked my lips before reaching up and taking my hands from his cheeks, holding them capably in his own.

"You haven't said anything to my brothers, have you?"

"And ruin our clandestine meetings? No." He grinned.

"Would you please forget I used that word?"

He shook his head in that slow seductive way he was a pro at. "I like that word."

"I bet you do." I was sure it was a favorite for most men.

"Did your brothers say something to you?"

"Not directly, but Peter keeps hinting like he might know something."

"I'll keep sitting by him during Sunday dinners."

I paused, thinking how to best say, "Not that I don't want you there, but maybe you shouldn't come."

He let go of one of my hands and slapped his hand across his heart. "That hurts, Sam."

I let go of my inhibitions and kissed him first this time.

His grin said he liked that I made the first move.

"I'm only trying to be cautious. I don't want to rock Cody's world more than it has been. Or have my family freak out."

"I like spending my Sundays with your family. I especially like getting to know Cody better."

I was going to keep kissing him if he kept talking like that. "That means a lot to me. To him."

"He's going to come through this okay. He's got an amazing mother."

"I hope so."

"I know so."

I sighed with contentment. "I better go. Thank you for the beautiful afternoon."

He rested his forehead against mine. "I wish you could stay, but I understand. So where should we clandestine next?"

A small laugh escaped me. "How about I come up with a plan and let you know." I figured I should take a turn.

"I like that. I like that a lot, Samantha Decker."

I found that I like him a lot, too.





Chapter Thirty-Two


My mind mulled over what we could do together the following Saturday.  Reed was already requesting that we grocery shop again on Monday. He  proposed it be a weekly activity, which meant I would see him Mondays,  Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. We couldn't do more than acknowledge  each other at the football games and Sunday dinners. But there was  something comforting to his presence all the same. He made me feel less  alone, wanted, even. That gaping hole left by Neil didn't seem  unfillable now. It wasn't just Reed, though. It was me. I was finding  myself among the ruin.

I wanted the date I was planning with Reed to reflect me. The me I had  forgotten for so long. I wanted to be the sweet girl he remembered from  forever ago and the woman he saw now. Because he saw me the way I wanted  to see me. In his eyes, I was witty and capable, strong but soft, and  beautiful. It was as if he didn't see the emerging crow's feet or the  gray strand or two that were peeking through-my hair appointment was  later this week to remedy the annoying matter. Granted, he didn't know I  had cellulite on my upper thighs, but I had a feeling he wouldn't hold  it against me, even if he did know. I should probably mention it to him,  just in case. I hadn't reached dimple level yet, but let's be real,  someday it would happen. I was trying to delay it with the help of Billy  Blanks, but gravity was not my friend.

Reed was a good reminder that I needed more fun in my life. It had been  an aspect of my life long absent. And he was correct, we had no idea how  long this would last, and we should enjoy it. I was sure he would move  on someday soon. It was inevitable. Avery was right, I would probably  end up with some professor, or maybe alone. I was becoming more okay  with the latter prospect. The more I liked myself, the easier that  thought became. Don't get me wrong, I was loving the affection and  someone to talk to. Not that I hadn't had people to talk to before, but  when there was a romantic aspect to your relationship, it added  something to conversations. There was a connection there that couldn't  be duplicated in familial or platonic relationships.

On Monday, while we grocery shopped near but far from each other, we  conversed on the phone. I wanted his opinion on a proposal that had come  my way earlier in the day from a woman who had found my blog and was  apparently a fan.

"What was the name of the organization again?" he asked.                       
       
           



       

"Clearfield Women's League."

"You're a woman, that makes sense."

I clammed up and moved out of the way of the man perusing the cereal  near me. I focused on the pancake mix while the guy took his sweet time.  Reed disappeared for a minute. What a weird game of cat and mouse we  were playing. Once the man left, I spoke again about my dilemma.

"That's about as far as I'm qualified. They want me to speak about  empowering women and girls. I have no idea what I would say, and I  haven't spoken in front of a group since my sophomore speech class in  high school. And if I remember correctly, I felt like puking before each  assigned speech. I'm pretty sure I might follow through with that now."

Reed reappeared and paused on the opposite side of the cereal aisle from  me. Even from afar, I could see his come-kiss-me grin. He had no idea  how much I wanted to. I had these urges to make up for lost time. It was  a lot of time to make up for, I'll tell you.