Page 69 of Heart of Stone
They made it impossible not to have hope again.
“Maybe you should take me out to dinner now, so you can tell me more about that,” I suggested.
He grinned at me before pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
Then he released his hold on me so I could grab my purse.
And when I returned to his side, he took me by the hand and led me out of the cabin. Evidently, he liked the thrill of knowing we could be caught.
As for me, even though nobody had been around as Reid escorted me to his car, Reid’s lack of concern about anyone learning the truth left me feeling comforted about where things were headed.
Reid
I yanked the door open at the unexpected knock and stopped breathing.
All it took was one look at that bright, beaming smile and beautiful eyes, and everything seemed to stop functioning properly.
She’d been so unexpected. Not just here in this moment, either.
It was no secret I hadn’t exactly been the most open-minded when I first arrived here, but Natalia had turned everything around for me. And she’d done it in a matter of weeks.
“What are you doing here?”
Somehow, her smile grew. “You aren’t the only one who can show up on someone’s doorstep unannounced. I wanted to surprise you tonight.”
I stepped back to allow her to come inside.
Natalia glanced behind her before crossing over the threshold. “You were right.”
“About what?”
“I’m enjoying this sneaking around a bit more than I thought I would. How long do you think it’s going to take people to figure it out?”
I closed the door behind her, slid my arm around the back of her waist, and tugged her close. After pressing a kiss against her temple, I said, “I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
Her body tensed. “What? What do you mean?”
“Relax. It’s nothing bad. At least, I don’t think so.” I gave her a reassuring squeeze and led her over to the couch.
“Did someone already find out?”
I shook my head. “No. But I get the feeling it won’t be long.”
Natalia’s brows knit together. “What makes you say that?”
“My parents called me earlier today.” Her eyes rounded, forcing a laugh out of me. I swung my legs out to lay on my side, taking Natalia with me. Once the front of her body was pressed against mine, I said, “They’re so disappointed that they can’t make it to the Christmas party this year. Mom is getting better and moving around a lot more, but they think the party might be pushing for too much too soon.”
“Oh, that’s awful. It didn’t even cross my mind until you brought it up. I know how much they enjoy the event every year.” Her fingers drifted into my hair, and I relished the feel of her touch. I loved it everywhere, wanted more of it in places she hadn’t yet explored. “I don’t understand what this has to do with you and me, though.”
My fingertips found the sliver of exposed skin where the hem of her shirt had drifted up her back. “They were curious if you were going to join me for the holiday again.”
“Like, on Christmas Day?”
I nodded. “You’re invited to dinner.”
Her grip on my hair tightened. “Do they know what’s going on between us?”
“I haven’t told them.”
