Page 63 of Off Camera
I pluck the list of specials from her hand and drop it on the seat next to me, glaring at her some more. “When were you going to mention Reid, your husband’s best friend and the guy I’ve hung out with three times now, is also the man who works for the DC Titans?”
“Did that not come up?” Maven twists a lock of blonde hair around her finger. “To be fair, I didn’t know you two were seeing each other until the morning after the wedding. He mentioned your name, and I didn’t tell him who you were.”
“Why not?” I press. “You know our history. I’ve sat in this exact booth and bitched about him being a giant pain in my ass. You’re telling me you went home, sat in your living room, and listened to him do the same aboutme?”
“The only reason I kept my mouth shut is because up until two weeks ago, I never thought you two would see each other again, let alone hook up. You and I are both so busy during the NFL and NHL seasons,wehardly see each other. There didn’t feel like a need to bother you with this trivial knowledge about who Dallas’s friends might be. I didn’t imaginethisever happening.” There’s sincerity there, in the quiver of her tone and the regret in her eyes. “Howdidit happen?”
I tell her about the date at the bar and sit back in the booth, letting out a sigh. “Throw in the wedding and the flowers he bought me, and I was so caught off guard when he tracked me down in Vegas.”
“Reid is an all-in guy,” Maven says. “When he likes something, when he truly cares about someone, he’d move mountains to make them happy. He never went through a phase where he slept with dozens of women. He doesn’t do one-night stands, and I don’t think he’s ever asked for a woman’s number. When he’s committed, he’scommitted, and I promise what he did leading up to this big reveal was genuine. The guy you met is therealReid Duncan. I’m convinced the him on the internet is an act.”
“That one-night stand fact got mentioned when he pinned me against a wall.” I blush at the phantom touch of his hand under my dress. His mouth on my skin and the look in his eyes when he dropped to his knees. I blow out a breath and fumble with the pitcher of water the server brings over, pouring myself a full glass. “I was impressed.”
“You don’t have to give me details, but Ineedto know. How is he in bed?” she asks.
I gnaw on my bottom lip. Heat inundates my body, and I’m thrown back to that night.
To both nights.
When Reid got in his groove, hereallygot in his groove. Tender and sweet with surprising forwardness. Hot and heavy with a side of funny and laid-back. Small puffs of laughter as we tried to find a comfortable position, followed by the soft brush of his thumb over the curve of my ass.
“Fantastic,” I blurt out, half expecting him to pop out from behind a corner and hear me flattering him again. “He was—” I fiddle with my necklace and ignore the aching sensation in my chest. “The best I’ve ever had.”
It wasn’t just the physical act of fucking; it was everything that came with it.
After, when he grabbed a damp rag and cleaned me up.
During, when he asked for permission before trying anything new.
Before, when he took his time, using his hands, his mouth, his fingers to carefully explore parts of my body that haven’t been touched in years.
I like that we made mistakes.
I like that it wasn’t perfect.
I like that we laughed.
I like that he wanted me so badly, he almost got off from getting me off.
“Really?” Maven asks.
“Really,” I say.
“I knew it. Emmy, Maverick’s fiancée, and I always say we think Reid could be the best of the three boys in bed. He’s very thorough, and he gives his full attention to things. I figured that applied to taking care of women too.” Her grin is sly and catlike. “I bet he has notes on what you like.”
“Oh, he does not. I believe he has notes on how to annoy the shit out of me, though, because he does that way too easily.”
“They might not be written down, but he definitely does. If you two hooked up again, he’d do everything you’d want without having to ask. When are you hanging out with him next?”
“Never. The only communication we’re going to have is through our official accounts,” I say. “And the occasional text to irritate each other.”
Maven snorts. “Okay. We’ll see how long that lasts.”
“It’s going to last. Before I found out who he was, we agreed on a friends with benefits arrangement. A mutually beneficial physical and casual relationship where we could put our emotions aside and indulge in each other. We can’t do that now. It would be too messy. Too complicated, and I don’t want complicated. Work is my number one priority. It’s going to stay that way, no matter how good his dick is.”
“Interesting how you can’t stop talking about his dick,” she teases.
“Hush,” I say.
