Music startled Haley awake. I never dreamed that you’d be mine. But here we are, we’re here tonight… Singing Amen, I, I’m alive… Nickelback’s “If Everyone Cared” seemed a poignant anthem for Reid’s ringtone.
“Just ignore it,” Reid mumbled, his hot, moist breath fanning the back of her neck. He’d penetrated her from behind the last time, and his hard body still cocooned hers. Although half asleep, he was growing hard again.
“It’s yours, not mine,” she said.
Reid groaned. The mattress shifted. He rolled over and reached for his phone, stopping the song mid-chorus. “Hello,” he answered sharply. “Krista?” His tone registered surprise.
Her chest constricted. Who was Krista?
“What’s up, little sister?”
His sister. She exhaled in relief. He’d mentioned he had three of them. He’d also explained the photo, so why did she instantly think the worst? She supposed old habits were hard to break. Trust didn’t come easy to her, and she was feeling especially vulnerable right now. She’d given him her body, and she feared her heart was perilously close to following suit.
He padded to the other side of the room. Her eyes tracked leisurely over his sculpted body, lingering on his taut ass. Desire flickered to life inside her. They’d made love three times. How could she still feel it? It seemed her plan to get all that suppressed lust out of her system had failed. Dismally. She really should get up and give him some privacy, but his demeanor set her on alert.
“You’re coming here? Now? Of course I’m happy. It’s just a bit unexpected. Why didn’t you let me know sooner? Tonya’s with you?”
Tonya? That was his ex’s name, the brunette from the picture. She sat up, crossing her arms over her chest as her head filled with visions of Reid doing the same things to her that they’d done. Her stomach tightened. It was completely irrational, but she couldn’t ignore the stab of jealousy.
“No, I don’t. Wait—” He covered the receiver and exhaled a soft curse. “Hey, Tonya.” He met Haley’s resentful stare with a helpless look. “Please, give me a chance to explain,” he whispered to her, and then spoke back into the phone. “No, Ton, I was talking to someone else. No, I’m not on base, but this really isn’t a good time. Can I call you back in a few?” He went to the bedside table and took up a pad and pen. “Where are you? South Utah? And you’re staying in Anaheim? That’s about eight hours away from you.” He scribbled a few notes. “Sure, I’ll come up. It’s only about an hour north of here. I gotta go now. Tell Krista I’ll get back to her in a little bit, okay? Bye, Ton.” Reid ended the call. “That was—”
“Your ex?” Haley supplied, a knot choking her throat.
“Yeah,” he confessed. “She’s with my little sister, Krista. They’re on their way here. Not here precisely.” He rubbed his neck, visibly flustered. “I mean to California. I’m sorry, Haley. I’d wanted to spend my free days with you, but now I have to go meet my sister. I had no idea she was coming. Krista’s never traveled this far from home before.”
“I’m sure she’ll be very happy to see you.”
“Yeah. Me too. We’re pretty tight. My whole family is.”
“I’ll call Yolanda and see if she’s ready to go.”
His gaze widened. “You’re leaving? Now?”
“Yeah.” Common sense told her it was past time to make a strategic retreat. “Yolanda and I were supposed to go to dinner together. What time is it anyway?”
It was impossible to tell. The room was dark. They’d drawn the drapes for privacy. She rose from the bed with the sheet wrapped around and dug her phone out of her purse. She quickly scanned her messages. There were three texts from Yolanda. The first was a reminder of their dinner reservation. The second informed her she’d missed dinner, but Yolanda had taken Garcia instead. The third message said she was worried and to call ASAP. She noted the time. That was an hour ago. She felt a sharp stab of guilt. She was a horrible friend.
Reid sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. She tried to get up but he held her tight. “Come back to bed with me.”
“No, Reid,” she said, forcing out her reply. She wished she could stay with him forever, but it was over. It had to be. It was far better to suffer a little bit of hurt right now than a whole lot more later on. “I have to go now. We had a good time, but now it’s out of our systems, right?”
“Is it?” He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, then his fingers grazed her cheek. “I don’t think so. Not by a long shot. I like being with you, Haley, and whether you’re ready to admit it or not, I think you feel the same way. I’m not ready for it to be over.”
“Look, you got what you wanted. I don’t resent that. But what more did you expect from me?”
A better question might have been what she’d expected. She’d been a fool to think she could be sexually intimate with him and not become emotionally engaged. But she didn’t need entanglements. Not at this point in her life.
“You think all I wanted was a fuck? Is that what you really believe?”
“I don’t know what you wanted, but there’s no sense in continuing this. You’re leaving again soon and so am I. It can’t go anywhere.”
“I know our circumstances make this difficult,” he said, “but I’d like to try and make it work.”
“But aren’t you leaving for Anaheim tonight?”
“No. They’ll be getting in late. We’ll drive up first thing in the morning.”
“We?”
“Yeah. Come with me, Haley. I’d like you to meet her.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not comfortable with that. You haven’t seen your sister in months. I’d only feel like an interloper.”
“It’s not like that with my family. People are different in Wyoming. Maybe it’s because we’re in the least-populated state, but we’re more open, more welcoming to outsiders. You’ll see. You’ll like Krista. I promise.”
“It’s not my liking her that’s the issue. Did you forget that she’s bringing her best friend, who just happens to be your ex-girlfriend? No thank you, Reid.”
“If the idea of Tonya bothers you, we’ll invite Garcia and Yolanda to come along.”
“But I don’t have any clothes with me,” she continued to protest.
“Easy fix,” he countered. “There’s a boutique in the hotel. I’ll buy you something.”
Before she could formulate another argument, he picked up the phone and hit the redial button.
“Hey, Sis. Sorry I was tied up when you called. No, it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.” His gaze darted back to Haley. Her chest ached every time he looked at her like he was looking at her now. “I’ll drive up to Anaheim in the morning to show you the sights. I’ll be bringing a couple of friends with me. You remember Garcia, right? He’ll probably be coming. The other’s Haley. You’ll like her too, Krista.” He paused. “Yeah, I said her. We’ll see you around eight.” He ended the call with a wrinkle furrowing his brows.
“She doesn’t want to meet me, does she?”
“She didn’t say that.” Yet his frown lingered.
“But she implied it.”
“You have to understand that Krista’s a determined matchmaker, but I’ll set her straight.”
“I’m not about to come between you and your sister, Reid.”
He shrugged. “She’ll get over it.”
“I don’t want her to get over it.”
“Trust me. It’ll be fine.”
Trust me. He had no idea how hard that was. The only people she’d ever truly trusted were Grams, Gramps, and Yolanda. Her instincts told her not to go with him, but she was as reluctant to end their time together as he was, just for different reasons. For her, this was not a beginning of something but the end. She’d already come to that resolution. When it was over, it would truly be over, but that didn’t mean she had to be in a hurry about it.
“All right, Reid,” she blurted, contrary to all reason. “If Garcia and Yolanda agree, I’ll go with you.”
“Good decision.” The wrinkle instantly smoothed from his brow. “I’ll call Garcia while you text Yolanda that you’re staying the night with me.”
Her stomach leaped. “No. I can’t.”
“Just one night, Haley,” he coaxed. “What difference can a few more hours make?”
Soft and seductive, his lips met hers.
She still gripped the sheet. He peeled it away and eased her back onto the bed. She forgot all about leaving the moment his lips grazed her shoulders. His tongue was magic, inciting shivers of pleasure as he licked and nuzzled his way up her neck.
What difference? All the difference in the world.
* * *
Hours later, Haley stirred out of a sex-induced coma to find herself alone in the bed.
“Reid?”
She padded to the bathroom, but he wasn’t there either. Had he left without her after all? She experienced a brief moment of panic until noticing that all of his things were still in the room. He’d mentioned buying her some clothes last night. Maybe he’d gone out to get something?
She stepped into the bathroom for a quick shower, and then shrugged into one of the complimentary robes hanging in the closet. A few minutes later, a soft knock sounded on the door. She opened it to find Yolanda with a shopping bag in one hand, a Starbucks latte in the other, a sparkle in her black eyes, and a wide grin stretching her face.
“Having fun, chica?” She pushed into the room without giving Haley a chance to respond. “I admit you surprised me when you disappeared with Reid. But I’m glad you and he are hitting it off. I was wondering when you’d finally find someone.”
“It’s not like that, Yo. We’re just having some fun. Isn’t that what you’re always hounding me about?”
“Yeah, I do, but we both know you’re not that type. Here, take this one.” She offered Haley a coffee. “It has a shot of espresso. You look like you need it more than me.”
“I am pretty wiped out,” Haley confessed.
“Me too.” Yolanda yawned and stretched, adding with a chuckle, “Marines have endurance.”
Haley flushed.
“The bag is also for you.” Yolanda took a sip of her drink and nudged it toward Haley with her foot. “Reid asked me to pick up a few things for you. I bought you some undies—the sexy, lacy kind.” She winked. “Also a pair of capris and a belly top.”
“Thanks, Yo. I owe you. Where is Reid now?”
“He and Garcia went for a run on the beach. Even in their downtime these guys never stop—not that I’m complaining. I prefer a man with stamina.” She plopped herself on the sofa. “All right, Haley, time to dish. How was he?”
Her face heated.
“C’mon,” Yolanda pressed. “I’ve shared every little detail whenever you’ve asked me.”
“I’ve never asked.”
“But I told you anyway, didn’t I? That’s what best friends are for. Now dish.”
“It was…good.”
Yolanda rolled her eyes.
“Really good.”
Yolanda pursed her lips and tapped her foot. “That’s not enough for me.”
“All right!” Haley threw her hands up. “It was great! Earth-shattering! Are you happy now?”
“Hardly, but at least it’s a start. You are far too uptight about sex.”
Haley ground her teeth. “I’m not uptight. I just don’t like to talk about it, okay?”
“It? Can’t you even say the word?”
“Of course I can,” she huffed.
“How about ‘orgasm’?”
“Yes. I can say orgasm.” She averted her gaze. “Just not in public.”
Yolanda was undaunted. “Did you have one? Does he know how to use his mouth on your coño?”
“God, yes,” Haley gushed, then looked away in embarrassment.
Her best friend chuckled. “Then he made you come?”
“Uh-huh. Several times.”
“Oh yeah?” Yolanda grinned. “Now, it’s getting good. How about with his—” She arched a brow.
“No.” Haley shook her head. “We’re not going there. I’m not going to describe his anatomy to you.”
Yolanda smirked. “You got it bad for him, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t. It’s just a fling. That’s all,” she said, still trying to convince herself.
“Then why are we going to meet his sister?”
“Because he invited us, and I thought it would be fun. I haven’t been to Disney since I was a kid.”
“But you hate crowds and never go on the rides.”
“Only because I don’t like those crazy ones you always want to go on. I’m afraid of heights. A lot of people are,” she added defensively. “But you’re right. Maybe we shouldn’t go. I’m starting to think this is a bad idea.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” Yolanda laid a hand on her arm. “I’m not going to let you back out just because you’re getting cold feet.”
“I don’t have cold feet. I just have more important things to do than cavorting at an amusement park.”
“He scares you, doesn’t he?”
Haley scowled. “What do you mean?”
Yolanda’s gaze held hers. “I mean, you really like him and don’t know how to deal with it.”
“There are a few things I like about him,” Haley hedged. “But I’m not in any danger of falling in love, if that’s what you think.”
“Why?” Yolanda asked. “Because he doesn’t fit your ideal?”
Haley laughed. “Reid? Not at all. He’s about as far from my ideal as I can imagine.”
Reid was far more complex than she’d ever imagined. It would be all too easy to lose herself in a man like that, but logic insisted that he was all wrong. Totally wrong for her.
“Why? Because he’s a marine and not some university geek? When did you become such a snob?”
“I’m not. But maybe if Reid was in school we’d at least have something to talk about.”
“First off, men aren’t good talkers, Haley. Save the talking for your girlfriends. Men excel at other things.”
Haley heaved an exasperated sigh. “You’re missing my point. I’m saying we have nothing to build a relationship on.”
Yolanda cast a slow gaze over the rumpled bed. “Several orgasms in one night? It seems to me you have more than enough. And you’re still here, aren’t you?”
“We’re all entitled to a few stupid mistakes, aren’t we? It’s not like I plan on making a habit of it…of him.”
“Don’t underestimate him, chica.” Yolanda grinned knowingly. “I think your cowboy has very different ideas.”