Page 27 of Brodie

Reese

Lying next to the pool on my belly with my eyes closed, Irelish the feel of the sun on my skin and roll my eyes when Brodie’s hand landson my ass in a silent claim. He’d lied when we were in New York. Things didchange when we got back to Florida but in the best possible ways. Not only thesex—I mean, that’s at the top of the list—but his possessiveness is the thing Ihadn’t expected from him. And although I’m sure it makes me sound crazy, I likethat he feels so territorial around me. It makes me feel oddly secure in ourrelationship and gives me a sense of power because I know I’m just as importantto him as he is to me. Only time will tell how the two of us cope when hisofficial season starts, and I begin school, but I have a feeling we’ll figureit out just like we are now.

“What time is your aunt’s flight getting in?” he asks,patting my bottom. I turn my head his way.

“Four. I told her and Marco that we’d have dinner with themtonight so they can meet you.”

“Are we cooking or ordering in?”

“Ordering in.” I lean up on my elbows so I can reach undermy lounger and get my phone to check the time. “It’s three. By the time theyget out of the airport and home, it will be close to six.”

“Enough time to shower.” The smirk on his face causes mytoes to curl. I like showering with him. I like lying in bed with him. I likebeing in the kitchen with him and…

“Ree, I can’t see your eyes, yet I still know what you’rethinking. Stop, or I’m going to drag you upstairs. You’re the one who wanted tocome down to the pool.”

“It’s getting too hot to stay out anyway,” I mutter, and helaughs. God, I love making him laugh. Or maybe it’s just that I love him.

“Did you call your mom back?”

“Yes.” I sigh, rolling to my back. “She and Richard decidedthey’re going to have their wedding in Minnesota. That way, I can make it evenif I have school.”

“They want you there.”

“I know.”

“I’ll be there with you.”

“Like you have a choice.” I look down at his hand when itlands on my thigh. Two days after New York, he convinced me to call my mom andtell her everything that’d happened between Kirk and me and exactly why I leftMinnesota the way I did. It wasn’t a comfortable conversation, especially whenshe put me on speaker so Richard could hear what I was saying. But I feltbetter afterward. And I felt validated when the two of them told me theyunderstood why I left and said they didn’t blame me for needing to get away.They did, however, make me feel guilty when they said they wished I would havetold them everything from the beginning. Apparently, they’d thought they haddone something wrong.

The day after I spoke with the two of them, Richard calledme on his own to apologize on Melissa’s behalf, then told me that if I evercome to visit my mom, regardless of Melissa being his daughter, he will makewhatever arrangements are necessary so I don’t ever feel uncomfortable in theirhome. It was sweet and made me like him a whole lot more.

“Are you ready to go back upstairs?” Brodie asks, cuttinginto my thoughts. I turn my head his way. I can’t see his eyes with hissunglasses on, but I can feel his hot gaze on me.

“I think I want to stay down here for a while longer.” Ilift my arms above my head and hide my smile when he stands.

“Ree.” He looms over me, his hand going to my thigh, hisfingers digging in and making me squirm. “It’s time to go upstairs.”

I want to tease him and tell him no, but then his fingersslide farther up my inner thigh, and I know there is no way I’ll be able toplay that kind of game with him. He’ll win every time without even trying.

“Okay.” I bite my bottom lip and sit up. A few minuteslater, we are both standing in the chilled elevator on the way up to his place,the moment feeling a little like it did all those weeks ago. Only now, thingsbetween us are totally different. I have never felt more comfortable just beingmyself with anyone. He accepts me just the way I am, and I return the favor,which isn’t hard to do since he’s pretty perfect.

“I love you,” I blurt. He drops his gaze to mine. “I don’tknow how long you’re supposed to wait to say that, but I do.”

“Ree.” He shakes his head while staring at me.

“Don’t feel like you have to say it back,” I say before hecan tell me that he doesn’t feel the same. “I just want you to know because…Well, because I do.” I shake my head. “Love you, that is. And—” My babblingends with a gasp when he wraps his hand around the back of my neck and pulls meforward, crashing his mouth down onto mine. The kiss is deep and wet, and sofilled with emotion that I feel my nose sting. When he releases my mouth, hedoesn’t let me go. Instead, he drops his forehead to mine.

“I love you, too, Ree. So fucking much.”

My heart swells with relief. “Good,” I whisper, and helaughs.

“How did I get so lucky?”

“I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure out how Idid.”

Epilogue

Reese

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