Reid puts a hand on my back, propelling me forward. “Slate and Tessa are at a soccer game, and Quint’s at his football game. We can take advantage of the peace and quiet.” We head back to his room. I step inside and want to drop right onto the bed but know I need to shower first.
“Can I borrow your shower?”
“Yeah.” He walks into his bathroom and starts the shower, so it can warm up. He comes out a moment later, and I still haven’t moved. “Here.” He opens his drawer and pulls out one of his FMU shirts and hands it to me. I bring it up to my nose, not even the least bit embarrassed to sniff it.
“You realize you’re never getting this back, right?”
He smiles. “Keep it; I’ve got plenty more.”
I quickly grab clean underclothes from my bag and head into the bathroom. “I won’t be long.”
“Take your time. I’ve got food coming; I’m going to go wait for it.”
I glance over at him. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“You need food.” He walks over to me and kisses me on the forehead. “Get a hot shower. I’ll let you know when the food gets here.”
“Thanks, Reid.”
I make my way into the bathroom suddenly more than ready for a hot shower. I stay under the water until it turns cold. I havea hard time getting out, even though I know I need to. It sounds like too much work to get out and have to get dressed. But I hear Reid’s voice. “Food’s here.”
That prompts me to get moving. A few minutes later, I open the door to the bathroom, wearing Reid’s shirt and my hair up in a towel. I turn to find Reid watching me carefully. He doesn’t say anything; he just tracks my movements. I lift an eyebrow. “I heard there was food.”
He visibly swallows. “Yeah.” The smell of food hits me, and my stomach cramps painfully, reminding me I haven’t been eating well. My stomach growls loudly. That seems to knock Reid out of whatever trance he’s in. “Come on. Let’s eat.”
I throw a pair of shorts on under his shirt and pull my hair out of the towel. I brush it and braid it quickly before following him out to the kitchen. The closer we get to the food, the more my stomach complains. Reid opens a plastic bag and pulls out several white Styrofoam containers. He slides one in front of me, and I open it. “Fajitas. Mmmm. Thanks, Reid.” I spear a piece of chicken along with a grilled onion and pepper and pop it into my mouth. Flavor explodes on my tongue, and I close my eyes and chew. “Mmmm.”
“Ry, have you not been eating?”
I open my eyes to see Reid not eating, only watching me. I swallow my food. “I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.” His eyes narrow, and I know he’s getting ready to tell me I should have told him or something. “I know. I should have told you.” I use my fork to point at the box in front of him. “You should eat that because if you don’t, I will.”
He slides it towards me. “Eat it; I’m fine.”
I roll my eyes and slide it right back to him. “You had practice tonight; I know you’re hungry. Eat; I’m fine.” He moves towards me to give me some of his, but I don’t let him. “Reid, I’m finenow. We bonded.” I make sure to meet his eyes. “I’m okay; I promise.”
His anguished eyes meet mine. “It’s my job to make sure you’re taken care of and protected and healthy, and I failed. Royally.” He runs a hand through his hair, obviously frustrated. I’m not really sure what to do to make things right, but I stand up and walk over to him anyway. Bracing myself on his strong shoulders, I climb onto his lap. He goes still beneath me.
“Hey,” I run my fingers through the back of his hair, marveling at its softness. “Look at me.” He looks up at me, and a thrill goes through me at the heated look in his eyes. “None of this is your fault.” He runs his hands up my side, and his eyes heat even more. "Hey, are you paying attention?”
His voice is rough when he answers. “If you wanted me to pay attention, you probably shouldn’t have climbed into my lap.”
I can’t help my smile as I run my hands through his hair again. Memories of his lips on mine assail me, and suddenly, I can’t concentrate either. I lean close enough to feel his breath on my lips. “Reid,” I whisper.
He puts his hand in my braid and pulls lightly. “Riley.” His eyes are on mine as expressive as I’ve ever seen them. “Thank you for letting me mark you.”
I swallow. “Thank you for making me yours and letting me mark you.”
His intensity ratchets up another notch. “You are mine; you’ve made me the happiest guy in the world. You are so kind and tenderhearted, the life of any party, and yet so strong. You don’t let people walk all over you, and you know how to make people feel good about themselves. You’re the most beautiful person in the world, and I’m going to spend my life making sure you’re happy.” Before I can say another word, he dives forward, catching my lips with his. I lean into him and let all the love I feel for him flow through our bond. I know he can feel it because hisarms tighten around me. He’s not gentle, and I love it. He kisses me roughly with an intensity that should scare me but thrills me instead. I love that he doesn’t treat me like I’m fragile, because we both know I’m not. Distantly, I hear the front door open, but I’m lost in a world where only Reid and I are present.
“Oh man. Not you two now. There’s no place for a single guy around here.”
I laugh and pull back from Reid, though he doesn’t let me pull back too far. I glance over my shoulder. “Hey, Quint, welcome back. Did you guys win?”
“Did we win?” he repeats. “What kind of a question is that? Of course, we won.”
I shake my head and look back at Reid.Can we get rid of him?
I laugh at his words in my head.He’s pack. Pretty sure that’s frowned on.
