Page 44 of That Time in Venice
A few minutes later, Reed came back into the room and got down on the floor in front of Anika and his daughter, who still hidherface.
“Hey, there. What’s wrong, honey? Talk to me.” He brushed aside a swathe of hair so he could see the side of her face. Brielle didn’t respond. He opened his arms. “Comehere.”
With her head bent low, Brielle slipped from Anika’s lap and stood in front of her father. He tilted up her chin with one finger. “What’s wrong? Does talking to Grandma makeyousad?”
She nodded and then fell intohisarms.
“All right. You don’t have to talk to her right now, okay?” He rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. “Want to dancewithme?”
“Yes,” Brielle saidsoftly.
They stood and Reed turned on the stereo. As the doo wop hit “Travelin’ Man” poured out of the speakers, Anika moved to the sofa. Reed and Brielle moved in time to the music, in what appeared to be a choreographed dance they’d done before. It was the cutest thing she’d ever seen. Reed treated his daughter with such tenderness and care, her heartmelted.
“You have to dance with Miss Anika now, Daddy,” Brielle said when the songended.
“I do? You think she’ll want to dance with me?” He slanted a glance in Anika’sdirection.
Brielle came over to the sofa. “Do you want to dance with my daddy? He’s a gooddancer.”
Anika suspected that for this little girl, there was nothing her father couldn’t do well. “I would love to,”shesaid.
“We’ve got to do what the young lady says,” Reed teased, extendingahand.
She went to him and he pulled her close with one arm around her waist as “I Only Have Eyes for You,” by the Flamingoes came through thespeakers.
Their bodies glided across the floor in time to the music. “I hope you’re having fun. I know we can’t really talk with her here—or doanythingelse.”
“I’m enjoying myself. I love spending time with Brielle,” Anikaquipped.
“I think I’m jealous.” Reed turned them in a slow circle, laughter in his eyes. “She likes youalot.”
“I like heralot.”
“I like youalot.”
Anika’s heart raced. “I like you alot,too.”
He rubbed his palm up and down her back, and her body came alive. She let the fingers of her right hand trail through the curly hairs at his neck as she gazed into his yes. They still hadn’t made love, temporarily settling for amorous kisses and heavy petting—but nothing like the night at Paschal’s, and her libido was in protest at being unsatisfied. It wouldn’t be so bad if Reed wasn’t the affectionate type. He thought nothing of touching and kissing her. Anika returned the constant contact, building the frustration to the boilingpoint.
“Are you free Friday night?” Reedasked.
“Areyou?”
“I can be.” He lowered his voice. “Shawna told me whenever I need a break, I was welcome to let Brielle spend the night. I think I might cash in that favor this weekend. So what do youthink?”
Anika’s body swayed with his. “That’s a good idea, but I’m attending a cocktail party at city hall at six, and then I’m going to an art stroll to source art forclients.”
“Care for some company at the artstroll?”
“I don’t hatethatidea.”
“In that case, I’ll cancel the limo and chartered plane I had rented to take us to New York for thenight.”
“My, my. You had bigplans.”
“Yeah, but since you have that art stroll, let’s just stay in town and have some adult conversation and do other adultthings.”
Anika laughed softly, a tremble of anticipation filling her stomach. “You’re just full of great ideas,aren’tyou?”
“I try.” His eyes sparkled withamusement.
“My turn!” Brielle wedged her body between them and forced them apart. Anika returned to the sofa and basked in the warmth of Reed’s smile as he looked over his daughter’s head at her. She smiled back, heart full and excitement bubbling upinsideher.
The pain had melted away and hesitation was a ghost from the past. Part of her wanted to slow down the speed with which she and Reed were moving forward, but another part knew it was impossible—that there was no way to ignore the magnitude of her emotional response to him. Their connection was undeniable and had survived the years they’d been apart. She knew she was taking a risk but dived in anyway, heartfirst.
Hoping, and praying, that she was not making a mistakethistime.
