Page 66 of Heart of Stone
“The kind of date that’s just professional?” I asked.
Reid chuckled. “No. I’d like you to go with me as the woman I’m finding myself growing very fond of, the woman I’m not going to be upset about having people wonder why I’m holding her close or kissing her neck or touching her leg.”
My eyes locked on his, the exchange long and intense. He was serious about this, about us. He wasgrowing very fond ofme.
I licked my lips. And in those moments of silence, with quick, shallow breaths, I became acutely aware of the heat that spread through my body. My voice became a deep rasp. “I see.”
He was interested in giving us just a bit more time to keep things private before putting it out there. I liked it as much as it freaked me out.
Maybe this was just more of what I needed, though. More proof from Reid that this wasn’t just a passing thing for him. He was willing to allow the people employed by his father to see him making a connection with someone. I didn’t think Reid would get involved with me if this was just a game to him.
“What if I declined?” I asked him. “Would you find someone else to take?”
“I’m not interested in attending if you’re not with me.”
What was I supposed to say to that? How could I turn him down?
“Okay, but I like to dance.”
“Looks like I better prepare myself, then.”
He had an answer for everything.
The more time we spent with one another, becoming friendlier and cozier, the easier it seemed to get for Reid. In the beginning, when he was doing everything to avoid me, I had a much simpler time of throwing him off balance. Now, it seemed the opposite was true.
There was no doubt about it.
Reid knew what he was doing, and he was doing all the right things.
And it left me asking myself one question. If I were already this caught up in how great this man was, how was I going to handle it if I wound up allowing that hand of his between my legs at some point soon?
TWENTY
Natalia
Being the kind of determined woman that I was, I didn’t often find myself struggling to do things.
Lately, with everything that had been happening between Reid and me, remaining headstrong had been a bit of a challenge.
Because it wasn’t as easy as it should’ve been.
Sure, the quiet, intimate moments between us were wonderful. There wasn’t a single thing I found challenging about flirting and kissing and teasing with Reid.
It was when I was alone with my thoughts or in the presence of others that I struggled with more than I had anticipated.
Because there was so much that I wanted to do and had to hold myself back.
Reid and I hadn’t exactly put a label on what we had between us. We saw each other nearly every day, he’d invited me to join him at the Christmas party, and we spent as much time as possible kissing one another.
All of that indicated things were in a great place between us. I didn’t think Reid would doubt that was the case, either.
But when I was alone in my bed at night, I wondered about where we were headed. I questioned what went through his mind about the reality of our situation.
Was this just a good time for him? Did he want something serious?
Maybe it was crazy of me to do it, but I needed to get some answers, or I was certain I’d lose my mind.
I’d just finished up my day at work and decided I’d head over to his office to have a chat with him about it. Or, at the very least, I’d let him know I wanted to have a discussion tonight.
