Page 84 of I Choose You
“What?” My nose was scrunched up, but I had nowhere else to go after having pulled away from him already. His nearness now made me feel like I was backed into a corner. A reporter walked to the front of the table, snapping pictures. “Back up, Will.” My voice held a venomous undertone. At the same time, I smiled politely for the camera until he got hisshot and moved on.
“You’ve changed since we’ve been apart. You’re so much angrier now.”
“Ha.” My mouth hung open like an abandoned ventriloquist doll. “I’m not angrier now. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been. I’ve simply found my voice in recent months, and I no longer feel the need to silence myself for the sake of others, including you.”
His head pulled back at my words, the shock of my fury surprising him. “Find someone else to parade around on your arm, Will. I know what love looks like, and I’m not settling for anything else. Certainly not you.”
I could see my mother making her way over to us, but she stopped to talk to some of the donors.
Good. I really didn’t have the patience to deal with her meddling right now. I was tired, and despite telling Will how happy I was, I was angry that he was in my space. Things were going really well with my mother this weekend, and I didn’t want it to end on a sour note when she tried to force Will’s company on me.
Whatever conversation she was having didn’t last long, and before I knew it, she was walking up to my table.
“Melanie, this night was a clear success. Congratulations on a job well done, as always,” Will said. His slimy charm was giving me the ick. His rehearsed smile, his fake tan, his too-white teeth… what did I ever even see in him?
“Thank you, Will. I was actually hoping to steal a moment of your time. I have some people that I’d like you to meet.”
Will jumped at the chance to expand his social network. My mother wrapped her hand around Will’s bicep as they started to make their way through the throng of people tothe other side of the room.
She looked over her shoulder at me, offering a quick wink before shooing me away. Instead of having Will’s company thrust upon me, she was effectively saving me from dealing with him any longer. As soon as they were out of sight, I grabbed my coat from the coat check stand and headed out.
Screw the time it would take; I was heading home.
27
Reid
The smell of oranges tickled my nose. I opened my eyes slowly, adjusting to the bright sunlight. Claire was draped across my chest, her head on my pec. Gently, I pushed the hair back from her face. She was so beautiful it was painful.
A quiet hum of appreciation emanated from her as I stroked her hair, massaging her scalp.
“Good morning,” she whispered.
“Morning. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“Not at all. And even if you did, this is the best way to be woken up.”
I couldn’t agree more. Anytime I could wake up with Claire wrapped around me, it was the best morning. The words that I wanted to say were on the top of my tongue. I pressed my lips to the top of her head, holding them in.
“I thought you were staying with your parents another night. What time did you get in last night?” I asked.
“About 2:00 a.m. I wanted to get home,” she said.
My heart stopped beating for a moment. My throat was thick with emotions that I was trying to swallow back. Shehad wanted to come home. To Calla Bay. To me.
“What time is it?” She pressed a soft kiss to my neck, and her hand trailed across my abs and around my waist. I pressed my already hard length into her belly, letting her feel the way she affected me.
“We have plenty of time.” My voice was gruff from sleep. I slid my hand up her little tank top, feeling the weight of her tits in my hand.
She pushed me onto my back and tossed her leg over me. Her center dragged along my shaft. I pulled her face to mine, kissing her hard and deep.
Living without this, without her, for a long weekend was painful. How was I supposed to survive when she was gone? She held my heart in a vise grip. I should have been smarter than that after everything that happened with Kayleigh, but Claire snuck through my defenses until she was burrowed so deep into my soul I couldn’t breathe without her.
Claire pulled back and glanced at the clock. “Ugh. We need to get ready for work. We don’t have time for this.” She hadn’t stopped grinding against me though.
I pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor.
“We’ll just have to make it quick.”
