When I Fall(87)
The water cuts off. Scrambling back into the bedroom, I snatch the phone off the dresser and climb onto the bed. I have no idea if CJ will answer his phone right now, but I pray he does. I don’t want to bail on him via voicemail. He’s a nice guy. He deserves to hear this straight from me.
Three rings before the call connects
“Tully.”
“Hi, CJ, it’s Beth.”
“Hey.” His voice lightens, giving away that he’s smiling. “Hold on one second for me.”
I stare out the small opening in the curtain.
It’s not raining, and he’s here. Why is he here? Does his job close down for other reasons besides bad weather?
“Okay, I’m back.”
I take in a deep breath. “Um, I’m sorry if this is a bad time, but I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow night.”
“It’s not a bad time. What’s up?”
“I can’t go out with you.” I run my hand down the side of my face, shifting my weight on the bed. CJ remains silent. “I’m sorry. The other night when you asked me out, things were kind of complicated. I wasn’t sure where I stood with someone, and now some other things have happened.”
“With Reed?” he asks flatly.
“Yes.”
“Yeah, I figured.” He clears his throat. “Look, Beth, I wouldn’t have asked you out if I’d realized something was going on with you and Reed. I’m not like that. He’s a good friend of mine. Ben said something to me a couple days ago about it, and now all that shit that happened at game night makes a hell of a lot more sense. Reed’s not an angry guy, but he was ready to rip my head off seeing me with you. I get it.”
I wince at the memory. “I am really sorry about all that.”
CJ’s husky laugh comes through the phone. “It’s okay. Like I said, I get it. Thanks for at least letting me know and not standing me up tomorrow. That would’ve sucked.”
“Tully! Let’s go!” another voice yells in the background.
“I’ll see you around, all right?”
“Yeah,” I respond. “Thank you for understanding.”
He pauses. “Yeah, no problem.”
The call disconnects.
Standing from the bed, I turn around to set my phone back on the dresser. The sight of Reed in the doorway halts me mid-step, nearly causing me to face-plant on the carpet.
Holy fuck.
Wearing nothing but a white towel around his waist, he leans against the doorframe, his chest still damp from the shower, his hair wet and disheveled.
My eyes slowly move over his body.
Broad shoulders, well-defined arms, long, sculpted torso, he’s built like an Olympic swimmer, and for sex. Mainly sex.
I look up into his face when he clears his throat. Cue knowing smirk.
“You’re still here,” I state, reaching up and sweeping a quick hand through my wild hair. Tame, damn it! “And you took a shower.”
He rubs along his jaw. “I needed to shave. I always shower first.”
“You shaved? With . . . did you use my razor?”
He smiles, crossing his arms over his chest. “No. I keep an electric razor in my truck for days when I’m running late, or for mornings when I don’t wake up at my house and I have a sweet pussy to lick.” He lifts an eyebrow. “I didn’t want to burn you.”
My mouth drops open. I stare up at him, speechless, watching his expression stiffen when he realizes how that came across.
Lips pressing into a thin line. Eyebrows pulling together. He tilts his head down. “I always wake up at my house, Beth. That razor has only ever been used when my ass is late for work.”
“Oh,” I reply, through a husky exhale. I run my hand down my neck, coaxing my throat to loosen. Everything suddenly feels restrictive. The T-shirt I’m wearing, the air in the room.
Reed has prepared his face to be between my legs. That’s not hot at all.
His eyes slowly lower to my body. “Why did you put clothes on?”
“I thought you had gone to work.” My hand gestures toward the window. “It’s not raining, and it’s Thursday. Shouldn’t you be working?”
“I took a sick day.”
“Are you sick?”
His mouth pulls up in the corner as he slowly shakes his head. He stalks toward me. “You broke it off with CJ?” He nods at the phone in my hand.
I look down. I had completely forgotten I was even holding my phone. Half-naked Reed is very distracting, which is why . . .
I push against his chest when he tries reaching for me. “I did. Maybe you should get dressed and then we can talk.”
He frowns. “Or, you can get naked and ride my face.” He grabs my waist and pulls me against him. Growling, he sucks on the skin of my neck. “I’ve never done this before,” he whispers.