Page 81 of Lush

I nodded slowly, feeling a little hopeful. “A truce sounds good.”

Reese smiled.

“I think we need to add Dante to the list of suspects.”

“Dante? But?—”

“I saw him with Blair. And my mother, she’s terrified of him.”

Reese cursed. “Okay.”

At my house, Reese parked, his hands lingering on the wheel. We were both quiet. I could only hear Walter’s soft breaths, all snuggled up in my arms, fast asleep.

“Crazy, isn’t it? I used to drop you off way back there, right at that gate.” He gestured toward the dark iron gate farther down the drive. “Didn’t even think I’d get this close to the house without your family calling the cops.”

“We don’t have to sneak around anymore,” I said, my voice dropping as I leaned in slightly, eyes locked on his. “We’re getting married.”

Reese watched me settle Walter gently in the back seat, his eyes following every movement. I leaned over toward him, the space between us shrinking, and reached for his seat belt. My body pressed closer to his, my breath warm against his skin as I unbuckled the strap, feeling the faint tension in the air.

I let my lips brush near his ear, my voice a teasing whisper. “Is this part of the truce?”

“I guess it is,” he muttered, his eyes briefly meeting mine with a flicker of something unreadable.

Reese swallowed hard. But then something shifted inside me, a boldness I couldn’t ignore. I reached for him, my hand sliding to the back of his neck, fingers threading through his hair with a possessive pull, drawing him to me.

His breath hitched, just a beat before his lips pressed against mine—slow, deliberate, like he was savoring the moment. I melted into him. Reese’s hand slid from my neck down to my waist, pulling me closer until I was almost in his lap, our bodies pressed together in the confined space of the car.

“Laurene…” he breathed against my lips, and I could hear the strain in his voice. “We shouldn’t do this.”

“Do you want to stop?”

Reese blinked slowly, and for a moment, I saw that familiar glint in his eyes—the lively, mischievous one. It was like seeing the old him.

“I need you.”

He pulled me fully onto his lap, and I gasped, my knees sinking into the leather seat on either side of him. He dragged his thumb over my bottom lip; I let his thumb slip inside my mouth, and I sucked.

A low growl escaped his throat as he felt my lips close around his thumb. I ground my hips down, feeling him growing hard beneath me, his fingers digging into the fat of my hips.

Yes.

The outline of his cock between my thighs was enough to make my mouth water and remind me how long it had been since someone had touched me. I pick up my movements. He urged me to move faster, his breath coming out in hot, soft pants.

His lips and teeth grazed my skin, a soft groan rumbling in his chest, a desperate need in his touch, as if he couldn’t get enough. I let out a soft moan as I shifted my body, feeling theseam of my jeans brushing against my clit with the perfect amount of friction.

Suddenly, the car door flew open, and a gust of cold air blew in—along with a voice.

“Miss Laurene.” The calm, unflinching tone of my mother’s butler sliced through the haze.

I froze, flushed, my heart hammering in my chest. Reese held on to my waist just a beat longer than he should have, then sat up straight, letting out a breathy sigh of frustration.

“Your mother wants to know if you’re coming inside.”

I searched Reese’s face one last time. His smirk sent shivers down my spine and made my heart race. He stayed silent, leaned back, eyes twinkling mischievously.

“Yeah.” I hauled myself out of the car and grabbed Walter. Reese’s gaze followed me. At the doorway, I took one last look.

Reese remained motionless, his dark silhouette a stark contrast against the car window, his intense gaze fixed on me, an unnerving intensity that had consumed me.

---