Page 24 of Complete Me
“He cancelled?”
“Of course he did. They all do. Or they take me on a few dates and then run the other way the moment they meet my brothers. I swear those boys find out I’m dating and they’re like bloodhounds, sniffing them out and scaring them off.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Anyone who doesn’t make you the center of their universe is a goddamn fool. If he isn’t man enough to take on those four Neanderthal brothers of yours, then he isn't the one for you. Fuck ’em.”
A self-deprecating chuckle comes out of me, making Reid smile. “Yeah, fuck ’em.”
“Thatta girl. Now, since your dinner plans were bombed, have you eaten? I’m starving.”
“You look like you’re probably always starving.”
His eyes narrow at me, heavily lidded as he looks over my face briefly, it’s heated, and my core turns to molten freaking lava.
“I am,” he groans.
Unsure what to do or how to respond, I clear my throat, running my hands through my hair. “Me too.”
“You up for pizza from the market?”
Is he seriously offering to feed me? My mind wars with wanting him to hang out with me as a friend and not out of pity. But I’m a glutton for punishment, I suppose.
“It’s my favorite.”
He pulls out his phone, relaxing back into his chair, the book falling off to the side. This time, I can’t help myself, I climb out of my seat, reaching over and picking up the book, looking around for something I can set inside to mark his page. With nothing in sight, I remove the thin, soft scrunchie from my wrist, setting it inside his book and closing it gently, placing it flat on his desk while giving him a glare.
“Noted,” he mouths to me while he waits on hold to place our pizza order.
Plopping back down in my seat, Reid speaks up, ordering a large pepperoni and bacon pizza before covering the speaker and looking at me. “What would you like?”
“Barbeque chicken, please.”
He smiles at me before ordering a second large pizza with my toppings. After he hangs up, his thick fingers rub through his beard, my eyes tracking the movement, making my heart flutter, and warmth pools between my legs.
Does this man have any idea just how ridiculously handsome he is?
CHAPTER 6
reid
“So, I have a question for you,”Kinsey says, reaching for her third slice of barbeque chicken pizza. I love seeing her eat. There’s something so sexy about a woman who isn’t afraid to stuff her face with food. Watching Kinsey enjoy food is an experience. She takes each bite like it’s her last, practically moaning as the flavors explode on her tongue. She enjoys it thoroughly, with no rush, savoring every bite and appreciating it. It’s hypnotic, almost sensual, and currently taking up all of my focus.
“Shoot, sweetheart.”
“Why don’t you ever come to Sunday dinner? I know you’re asked constantly, but we all really would love for you to be there.” I’ve been best friends with Sawyer for practically a decade now, and I’ve never once attended their weekly family dinner, except to drop in for a moment. I love their parents, and my lack of attendance isn’t personal, although I’m sure it looks that way. I continue to eat my slice, chewing slowly and methodically while I figure out how to explain this to her.
There’s a huge part of me that wants to open up to Kinsey, but the other part, the Rogue part, doesn’t want her to know.
“I want to be there, Kins, please don’t think I don’t go because of anything personal.”
“I figured. I’ve never seen you with your parents, so I just wanted to make sure you knew you had a place where you were always welcome.”
Another sore topic. My parents would love to see me for their own family dinner. It’s not for lack of them trying, either. For my own selfish reasons, I can’t bring myself to share a meal with my parents, who still hold out hope that their baby girl is alive and will walk through their front door someday. I can’t sit there with a straight face and talk about the weather when I know that Lena’s decaying body is resting six feet under on Hell’s Heathen property under an Aspen tree.
“I have other obligations that take me out of Aspen Ridge every Sunday.”
Her pretty eyes look up from her pizza to meet mine, and I wait for her to ask me to elaborate further, but she just nods her head like she’s thinking it through.
“That makes sense. Does Sawyer know?”
