My words trail of and Reed cocks his head in question. "Iron on?"
I shake my head. "My purse on the counter."
"You don't need it," he says as he opens the door and motions me in. "We're not going anywhere."
I swallow hard as I turn to face him fully. He gives a short, sterile sweep of his eyes down my body and I don't miss the slight flare of shock in them. It's the first time he's seen me in a dress.
Reed doesn't say anything but just waits expectantly for me to enter. I swallow hard and feel like I'm marching off to the guillotine or something. When I step past Reed, I stumble slightly as I realize he's wearing cologne. I've never smelled it on him before, but oh my God, is it good. Like so good I want to lean toward him and sniff harder.
But I don't. I march into his living room, surreptitiously wipe my hands on the bottom of my dress, and then come to a dead stop when I see his dining room table. Because his condo, like mine, is an open layout, his dining room table separates the living room and kitchen. It's laid out with formal candlesticks with long tapered candles in them, and they are glowing. He's got plates set out formally, and by formal I mean he put little folded paper towels beside them with a fork, knife, and spoon on top. There's a bottle of wine in the center of the table and two wineglasses half filled with ruby red liquid. Perhaps it's from seeing the table set so nicely, but I involuntarily inhale to check out the scent in the air I'd vaguely noticed when I came in.
Tomato sauce and cheese.
I turn to look at Reed, who is watching me closely.
"What is this?" I ask softly as I gesture to the table.
He shrugs. "Just thought I'd cook you dinner."
I noticed he said you and not us.
"You don't cook," I reply stupidly.
One corner of Reed's mouth lifts, then twitches. "How do you know I don't cook? You've only seen me order pizza or meals from a restaurant, but that doesn't mean I can't cook."
"You said you hate to cook," I remind him.
"Well maybe I make exceptions sometime," he counters.
I sniff again and realize there is a subtle hint of something that I had missed before. "It smells like something's burning."
For a brief moment I can tell that statement doesn't penetrate Reed's mind, but then his body jolts as he lunges past me into the kitchen. He utters a string of curses when he opens the oven door and black smoke slithers out. Reed slaps at the temperature controls to turn the oven off and let's five F-bombs slide out of his mouth as he pulls what looks like a burned lasagna from the oven. My hand slaps to my mouth to cover the snicker that wants to pop out when I notice that the lasagna is actually the frozen kind in a foil pan.
"Goddammit," Reed sighs as he stares at the charred cheese on top.
"Maybe we can pick the burned stuff off," I suggest with a little chuckle. "Or we can drink the wine first, get really drunk, and then we wouldn't notice how it tastes."
Reed slowly tilts his face to look at me, and I can see he's not taking my suggestions kindly. He gives me a frustrated look and asks, "How do you feel about frozen pizza?"
I grin back at him. "As long as you let me cook it."
"I can cook a damn frozen pizza, Josie," he grumbles.
"I'm really, really hungry, Reed. So let's not risk it and let me cook the pizza."
This is all hysterically funny to me, and I'm assuming at some point Reed's going to start laughing it off. However, he looks more disgruntled than when he realized his lasagna was burning.
I take a step closer to him and ask, "What's going on here?"
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it, but Reed's face actually flushes and red tinges his cheeks. He shrugs and mumbles, "I just thought I'd make you a nice meal."
I reach a hand out and lay it on his arm giving him a slow squeeze. "That's very sweet. But you know I'm a no-fuss kind of girl. Pizza would have been fine."
Reed's face is like a blank mask as he stares at me. Most times, I can imagine the wheels turning inside of his head before he even says something. It's like he's at a complete loss as to what to say to me now. I don't understand why he would be struggling with this, because it's just me. I'm just Josie, his friend.
I can't tear my eyes from his as I wait for him to start processing something. I'm surely confused, but he doesn't seem to be...anything. Just staring at me blankly as if he's waiting for an answer to come to him.
Long moments pass and we enter into the realm of awkwardness. I decide to make light of the matter and possibly drop a really funny joke just to get Reed to snap out of it. I open my mouth, the words perched on the end of my tongue to set things straight, but I'm utterly shocked down to my toes when Reed's hands fly out to grab me by my shoulders. He pulls me toward him so quickly I let out a squeak of fright, then I actually gasp when his mouth crushes down on mine.
My first thought is that Reed has lost his ever-loving mind.
That slithers away and is immediately replaced with, Oh my God...Reed is kissing me.
Oh good God.
Reed. Is. Kissing. Me.
And it may be the best thing I've ever experienced in my life. My hands go to his chest, fingers flexing down into his muscles as Reed's hands move from my shoulders to my face. He groans when the tip of his tongue touches mine, moving his body closer to mine.
My head spins, the world dips, and I start to drift away to a place where nothing exists except for Reed's kiss.
My friend's kiss.
Friend.
Reed is my friend.
I tear my mouth free of his and take a step back, my chest heaving with a distinct lack of oxygen, which he seems to have sucked from my lungs. Reed's eyes are fevered looking, his expression determined. He's clearly not feeling anything but in the moment, whereas I have gone all worried, neurotic woman on him.
"What are we doing?" I say in between panting breaths. My fingers curl and flex into my palms, itching to pull him back to me.
"I was kissing the fuck out of you," he mutters, and takes a step toward me. "Going to do it again once you get this out of your system."
"Get what out of my system?" I ask, completely miffed at him for downplaying my right to be concerned about this.
"Whatever worries you've got going through that pretty head of yours," he replies smoothly.
"We're friends," I blurt out.
"Yup," he says matter-of-factly, palms still cupping my face as he peers down at me. "And I'm no expert, but I feel like that made the kiss better, right?"
"Um...right."
Reed grins at me, his eyes shining with amusement and something else I can't quite put my finger on. But then I don't see him anymore because my eyes close involuntarily when he kisses me again.
And I start to slip away again. Overwhelmed with such intense feeling that he's provoking, I'd happily stay lost. There have been countless times I'd imagined this. At first, I felt bad about lusting after a friend, but then I realized it was inevitable. Reed can't continue to be such a good guy, coupled with his gorgeous face and body, for it not to happen.
I just never thought it could ever be real, because I am not his type.
Or am I?
The kiss sure seems to be an indication that we're suited in one way.
The pressure of Reed's mouth lessens and he pulls back enough to mumble against me, "Okay...let's slow this down and figure out what we're going to do for dinner."
This pulls me right back to reality, and without thinking, I grab Reed's belt and try to jerk him closer to me as I press my mouth back to his. He jerks in surprise, because who would have thought little Josie Ives would be so bold, but then he's kissing me hard again.
For a long, glorious moment he kisses the daylights out of me, and only one stupid thought goes through my head.
Thank God I put on sexy underwear.
"Okay," Reed blurts out as he gently pushes me back in a sudden move that has me blinking. "We definitely need to slow this down or I can't be res
ponsible for what happens to you."
I continue to blink at him, my lips tingling and my legs shaking. He stares back at me thoughtfully, his hands still on my face, thumbs skimming my cheekbones.
Finally I manage to take a shaky breath, and when I let it out I say, "I don't understand. Why do you want to slow it down?"
Reed's eyes soften and his smile is so sweet it almost makes my heart break. "Because I like you, Josie, and you're not a notch in my bedpost."
I give a hard shake of my head. "But I wouldn't be."
"I respect you too much to try to push this fast," he counters firmly. Like he's given this a lot of thought.
"I don't even know what this is," I tell him softly. "But if I may be so bold as to say, I don't want to slow it down."
Now Reed is the one blinking in surprise. I can tell by the look on his face he never once thought that I might be as attracted to him in this way as he clearly is to me. I see the realization in his face that a slow seduction might not be needed, because I might actually want something more than a buddy-type friendship with him.
"Are you sure about this, Doc?" he asks, reverting back to his friendly nickname for me, perhaps as a reminder to me that we were friends first, and that is exactly what's at stake here.
I lift an eyebrow and give a teasing little tug on his belt. "You started this, Reed. You can't take that kiss back, and I don't want to wait anymore to see what comes after it. I'm a big girl."
"I know that," he says dryly, but his smile is endearing to me. "I just want you to know that you're not like my Barbie squad. I'll take it slow if you want."
There's only a moment for me to study him...memorize that look on his face, which is a cross between unfettered hope that we'll be naked very soon, and a sincere promise that this is indeed different for him.
My lips curl up at the corners and I whisper to him, "I don't believe I've ever seen your master bedroom before. Heard the headboard banging, but never seen it. Why don't you show me?"
Reed's smile back to me is blinding and I know I made the right choice.
Chapter 9
Reed
Josie isn't the first woman who has slept in my bed all night. There have been occasions where I've fallen into a dead sleep after sex and just didn't have it in me to insist a woman leave. Sometimes I've even wanted the woman to stay, figuring the prospect of morning sex would be a good thing.
But Josie is the first I can honestly say is a good thing to actually occur. The early morning light filters in through my blinds, throwing patterned stripes across her naked back and ass. She's sound asleep, her breathing deep and slow. Apparently she's a stomach sleeper, which is fine by me because I am not minding the view of her beautiful, rounded ass.
I'm a back sleeper and I'd woken up a few minutes ago, my head immediately turning to her side of the bed to ensure she was still here. She had embraced the pillow, arms wrapped around it tight, and her face was relaxed in slumber. I turned on my side and rested my head in the palm of my hand so I could check her out. There was a moment where I got sidetracked staring at her thick lashes resting against the delicate skin under her eyes. But then I let my gaze wander right down her naked body, taking in the smooth, soft skin that my hands spent a great deal of time touching last night.
My mouth too for that matter.
Christ, Josie is amazing. Every single thing about her.
When I led her into my room last night, her eyes immediately went to the bed and her lips curved into a smirk. She nodded toward the headboard and the clear scuff marks on the wall behind it.
"Ah," she said in recognition. "The infamous banging board."
For a moment I was embarrassed, but that quickly dissipated when her smile went from teasing to sensual and she added, "Let's see if we can add our own marks."
Then it was on.
Clothes flying, hands groping, kissing turning hotter and hotter by the minute.
And Jesus...when I was finally inside of her, I swear the only sense I could make of it was like it was a homecoming of sorts.
How fucking crazy is that?
I extend my arm, pressing my palm lightly to the middle of her back. She doesn't stir and I take a moment just to relish the warmth and softness of her skin. Sliding my hand down, I trail my fingers down her spine and over the rounded slope of her ass. Her body twitches but she's otherwise still deep in sleep.
Scooting in closer to her, I lean forward and slide my lips over her temple. She makes a tiny, purring noise deep her in throat as her eyes flutter open to stare at me.
"Morning," I say with probably what would pass for a dopey smile on my face.
She smiles back at me, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth that I had always thought made her smile shine at the brightest of wattages. "Morning."
"Sleep good?" I ask her.
I get a sleepy sort of nod in return followed by a shy lowering of her eyes.
Fucking adorable.
Rolling to her, I press another kiss to her cheek this time before sliding my mouth to her jaw. She hums in the back of her throat and then sighs.
I slide in closer yet and put my mouth on her shoulder. A kiss. A tiny lick.
Josie shivers, and that turns me the fuck on.
She takes in a deep breath and then holds it, waiting to see where my mouth goes.
My lips feather over her shoulder blade. I shift my weight, put a hand to the mattress to lift up slightly, and kiss my way down her back. When I reach the base of her spine, she lets the air out of her lungs and sucks a shaky one back in. Her skin prickles under my ministrations, and that turns me on even more.
Her skin is salty on my tongue as I drag it slowly over the swell of her ass.
"Reed," she whispers, and the neediness in her tone stabs me right in the gut even as it turns my dick harder.
I bare my teeth and give her a small but sharp bite to her ass cheek. Josie yelps as her hips shoot off the bed, but I use a hand to press her right back down again. I soothe the sting with another lick of my tongue, and then because I'm a mischievous fucker, I bite her again.
This time Josie's hips shoot high and her body flips right underneath me. "Damn, Reed."
Laughing, I roll over on top of her, shoot to my knees so I straddle her at her waist. She glares up at me, face all flushed and nipples hard as little rocks, so I know she liked that just a little bit.
"Don't you look at me like that," I scold her.
Her glare turns more fierce and it's also fucking adorable.
My fingers go to her ribs and I start to tickle her. Josie shrieks and starts bucking underneath of me, her laugh echoing through the room. It's contagious and I start to laugh as well, continuing to tickle her the entire time.
It's not lost on me that in my entire sexual life I've never tickled a woman in bed.
Josie tries to throw me off, gasping and writhing under me. "Stop it, Reed, before I pee on the bed."
I tickler her even harder, which isn't all that hard to begin with, but she has the most sensitive ribs imaginable.
Josie starts to shriek and snort and it's fucking cute as all get out. But all this tickling hasn't done anything to quell my desire for her, so I give her a little bit of respite. I roll off her, coming to lie by her side, and my hand goes right between her legs.
Josie goes from hearty laughter to a low, deep groan as I press a finger deep into her. Her hips rock up and her head tilts back with eyes closed.
So fucking sexy.
I lean into her, put my lips against her neck, and murmur, "You're wet, Doc. Seems like a medical emergency to me."
Josie chuckles and swivels her hips, urging me to give her more. Then she's turning into me, her arms wrapping around my head, and she's kissing the fuck out of me.
God, she can fucking kiss too.
I pump my finger in and out, circling her clit with her wetness. She makes tiny sounds deep in her throat, almost as if she's in distress.
Almost as if she needs to co
me.
Josie slips a hand between us, wraps it around my dick, and I can't stop the groan of need that rumbles out of me. She tightens her grip and strokes me in a way that's so perfect I could die a happy man right now.
She mumbles something against my mouth and I can't understand her. I pull back from her slightly and she licks her lips before saying, "Condom."
Condom?
Oh, right...condom!
I reluctantly roll away from her, yank the drawer open on my bedside table, and snatch a condom. When I roll back over, she's jerking it away from me, eyes focused intently on the wrapper as she frees the rubber. Josie pushes my chest lightly, indicating she wants me on my back, and I happily oblige.
My cock is straining for more of her touch as she rolls the condom on me, then she's pulling me right back on top of her. Our mouths fuse as I settle in between her legs, using a hand to help guide me to her heat.
Fucking heaven envelopes me as I push into her. Josie's fingertips dig down into my shoulders and she pants with need.
So fucking glorious as I sink deep into her, bottoming out and letting that homecoming feeling wash over me again.
I open my eyes--hadn't realized they'd closed--and find Josie staring up at me in wonder.
I give a tiny shake of my head as if I just can't believe any of this. "You are so fucking sexy, Josie."
She shakes her head in reply. "Am not."
"So fucking sexy," I reiterate, and swivel my hips slightly to snuggle in deeper.
Josie moans as she flexes her fingers into my shoulders just a little harder. Another push of my hips and I feel the bite of her nails.
I strain not to go all caveman on her, fighting the overwhelmingly insane need to start battering against her sweet body. But then something hits me.
Blinking to focus my eyes on her, I feel the need to tell her something.
"Hey, Doc," I say softly.
Her gaze focuses on me, her eyes warm and comforting.
"I've never had sex with a friend before," I tell her earnestly. "It's kind of cool."
Her lips curve, her eyes start to sparkle with something that's just uniquely Josie.
"It's kinda cool," I say as I hold perfectly still within her body. "I know exactly when you'll roll your eyes at me."
And on cue, she rolls those beautiful eyes.