I‘d never been ashamed to look at my own actions with a critical eye and admit when I was right or wrong. I never lied to myself.
I was attracted to Reese Maxwell; I wasn’t going to deny it. After the divorce, I’d set rules for myself. I wouldn’t date any time soon, especially not someone who was a public person in any way, shape, or form. And yet I couldn’t stop thinking about Reese. But I wanted to respect her boundaries, so over the next two weeks, I kept the contact to a minimum.
But I knew tonight was going to be challenging.
The event was taking place at a gallery in Bucktown. Monika had included a lot of details in the email. I’d skimmed over it; I didn’t care because I wasn’t going to engage in any silly activity tonight. I’d write a big fat check and be done with it. I was here for Reese and Reese alone.
And just like that, I was breaking yet another rule. I was chasing a woman who wasn’t ready. What the hell had gotten into me? I wasn’t ready either… was I?
Over these past weeks, I’d also done something I’d never done before: I had Malcolm investigated. I knew what he’d been up to these past few years. He was working at an obscure investments firm. They likely paid a good salary, but not enough for him to be attending charity events.
‘Ms. Maxwell, you’re here,’ a voice said behind me.
I turned around and nearly choked on my breath. Is this woman trying to kill me?
She looked absolutely stunning. Her dress was light pink with some sort of spaghetti straps that were bunched together on one shoulder. I walked straight to her. I heard someone call my name, but I couldn’t have cared less.
‘Good evening,’ I said when I reached her.
‘Hey.’ She sounded shy.
I gave her my arm. ‘Ready for another fake date?’
‘Oh yeah.’
‘You look fantastic, by the way.’ I towered over her and had a glorious view of her breasts. I took in a deep breath, instantly looking elsewhere. Fucking hell, I was going to pin her against the nearest wall and kiss her if I didn’t get myself under control.
‘I know, right? I wanted to pick something tonight that would make everyone look. My revenge dress, so to speak.’
I felt as if someone had thrown ice cubes at me. She’d dressed like this for him, not for me.
‘Now, did you get your auction stickers?’ she asked.
‘I did. What are we supposed to do with them?’
She giggled. ‘You didn’t read the instructions, huh?’
‘No. Figured I’ll just write a check.’
‘Well, it’s easy this time. We’re betting against each other by placing stickers on the paintings we want.’
‘I’m not an art collector,’ I said flatly.
‘You can put it in your office or donate it.’ That was a good idea. ‘Anyway, the highest bidder wins.’
‘That is straightforward. Thank fuck for small mercies.’
‘I can’t believe they closed off the gallery for us. Monika has skills.,’ she said as she kept looking around.
I knew exactly what she was searching for. ‘I haven’t seen them anywhere.’
She relaxed. ‘Maybe they’re not here.”
‘I’m willing to bet money on it. We would have run into them by now. He seems to make a habit of getting in your face.’
‘That’s true.’
Suddenly her body language changed. She wasn’t hanging on to me for dear life anymore; she was simply lacing her arm through mine. Her shoulders rolled back. Her smile was easy. Even her eyes seemed lighter. I wanted to remove that asshole from her life completely since it clearly weighed so much on her. It should be illegal to make anyone suffer. Reese didn’t deserve this.
We walked around the perimeter once while Reese placed stickers on half a dozen paintings. I put some on three paintings that weren’t impossible to look at. I really wasn’t a fan of art.
‘I can’t believe people call this art.’
She snickered. ‘Oh, you’re such a grump. What can I do to lift your mood?’
‘We could grab a drink.’
‘They arranged a bar in one of the rooms.’
‘We’re good at bars,’ I told her with a wink. “Lead the way.”
She laughed. ‘Yeah. It’s like they inspire us, huh? Thank God Malcolm isn’t here tonight. I’m so much more relaxed without him.’
‘I was going to mention that. You completely transformed when I mentioned he isn’t here.’
We walked through two more art-filled rooms before entering one that was dimly lit. There were paintings hanging on the brick walls, too, but the focus wasn’t on them. Everyone was hanging around at low tables dispersed throughout the room. The bar itself was a pop-up.
People were staring at us, and I knew why. Reese looked stunning and deserved to be ogled.
Once we reached the counter, I looked at Reese. ‘Our usual?’
Something flickered in her eyes. She cast a glance downward and then at the bartender. ‘Yes, our usual is Negroni. Two, please. With lime if you have it.’
‘Right away,’ he said.
‘You’re getting me hooked on it,’ I whispered in her ear.
‘It is addictive, huh?’
‘And so are you.’
‘I am?’ She smiled.
‘Yes.’
And then I kissed her.
There was absolutely no need for me to do it. Her stupid ex wasn’t here. But I wanted her, and I needed this kiss. I needed to know that she felt the connection between us just as strongly as I did.
I was greedy, and she responded in kind. Something unfurled in my chest when she wrapped a hand around my neck and then ran her fingers through my hair. I kissed her so hard that she stumbled backward, but I held her by the waist. Her breath quickened, and she released the most delicious sigh. This kiss was real; I knew it in my bones. Nothing else was, but I was going to change that.
I only came to my senses when she moaned against my mouth. It wasn’t loud, but it reverberated throughout our bodies. She pulled back, glancing around.
‘I like how your lips look right now,’ I said.
She covered her mouth. ‘Do you think anyone heard me?’
‘No, it was a soft sound. Relax,’ I murmured as I put my hand at the small of her back.
The bartender looked like he was about to burst out laughing as he shoved our cocktails in front of us. We clinked glasses, but Reese kept looking down as she sipped her cocktail.
‘Reese, are you avoiding me?’
‘No, I’m just…’ She put her glass down, finally making eye contact. Her mouth wasn’t red anymore, but her cheeks were. ‘I’m not sure what that was. I mean, Malcolm isn’t around.’
‘No, I didn’t do it for anyone’s benefit. I told you, you’re too damn irresistible and addictive.’
She narrowed her eyes. ‘I believe you only said ‘addictive’ before.’
‘That statement needed amending,’ I said with a wink. ‘I just wanted to kiss you.’
‘Oh.’ She put her hand to her stomach and took another sip, then swallowed hard. ‘I’m flattered, but I…’ She looked around. ‘Should we go somewhere else?’
‘Find an empty coatroom?’
She laughed. ‘Something like that.’
We took our glasses and looked around. There was no need for a coatroom, though. We went to one of the tables in the corner.
‘Tell me what’s on your mind, Reese. I can feel you thinking,’ I said. I barely refrained from reaching out and pulling her closer to me, holding her by her lower back against my body. I couldn’t explain why I always wanted to be touching her.
She pressed her lips together, then parted them. ‘I really liked the kiss.’
Fuck me. ‘That wasn’t what I thought you were going to say.’
She shrugged one shoulder. ‘Neither did I, but it’s the truth, and that’s the only thing I’m sure of right now, Dom. But…”
I liked hearing my name in her mouth. I wanted to hear it while her legs were wrapped around me when I was buried inside her.
‘What? You sound like you want to add something.”
‘Oh, so many things, but I’m afraid to voice them.’
‘I can help with that.’
She laughed. I liked seeing her relaxed around me. ‘Dom, I’m not even sure I know how to flirt.’
‘No problem. I’ll take the reins.’
‘I think you already did that back at the bar.’
I wiggled my eyebrows. ‘I have zero regrets.’
‘Neither do I.’ Taking a sip, she added, ‘Sometimes I overthink situations, but I’m not sure if that’s the case here. I’m just not sure if this is a good idea.’
‘Want another kiss, just to see if that clarifies things for you?’
Her face opened up in the biggest grin I’d ever seen on her. ‘Don’t tempt me. I might take you up on it.’
‘Happy to sacrifice myself for a good cause.’
She snorted. ‘So generous of you.’
‘Always.’
We both downed our drinks, and then Reese bit her lip. ‘What do you say we get out of here?’
‘Fuck yes. Thought you’d never ask,’ I said.
Being impulsive wasn’t in my nature, and I figured it wasn’t in Reese’s either, but we brought that side out in each other. I grabbed her hand, interlacing our fingers as we strode toward the exit. The lines were blurring. I wasn’t even sure what was for show and what was real, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t pull her hand back.
We made a big deal of saying goodbye to Monika. She wasn’t surprised to see us go, but I caught her fixating on our intertwined hands a few times while we spoke.
Once we were outside, I said, ‘I’m here with my car. You?’
‘I came by Uber.’
‘Then I’ll drive.’
‘Where are we going?’ she asked.
I turned around, tipping her chin up. ‘Wherever you want, Reese.’
‘Okay.’
I guided her to my car and opened the door for her, but she avoided my gaze when she climbed in. This wasn’t a good omen. I hurried to get into the driver’s seat. She swallowed hard, and then I heard her stomach rumble.
‘I have a proposition,’ I said.
‘I’m all ears.’
‘Food?’
‘God, yes. I’m starving. I didn’t even look at the canapés. Were they any good?’
‘I don’t know. I didn’t see them. What are you hungry for?’
‘There’s a Taco Bell drive-through.’
I turned to her. ‘Reese, I can take you out somewhere.’
‘But Taco Bell is much faster. And my guilty pleasure.’
‘Got it. Tonight is the night for guilty pleasures, huh?’
‘Or just pleasure,’ I heard her mumble, and my cock twitched. I needed to get myself under control.
I put Taco Bell into the GPS and took the route to the nearest drive-through. I could practically feel Reese tense up on the way.
Once I entered the drive-through line, I really looked at her. She was fiddling with her thumbs and starting to shift her weight from one buttock to the other. I held my palm open, and she put her hand in mine.
‘Reese, talk to me.’
‘I’m nervous. This seemed like a good idea back at the gallery.’
‘Do you want me to drive you home after picking up food?’
She glanced at me abruptly. ‘You wouldn’t mind?’
‘Of course I wouldn’t mind. What kind of moron do you think I am?’
‘I don’t know. I didn’t want you to expect something and be disappointed.’
I shook my head. ‘I’m not fucking disappointed. You’re a human being, Reese, with emotions. And I understand that. Now, what do you want to order?’ I asked her once we reached the speaker box.
She immediately leaned over to my side of the car and spoke loudly. ‘One crunchy taco and the cheesy gordita.’ She said it quickly, in one breath.
‘You didn’t even look at the menu.’
She smiled. ‘Told you it’s a guilty pleasure.’
‘Two orders of that, please,’ I said into the speaker.
‘You can pick it up at the next window,’ the sales associate replied.
‘Oh, and two Pepsis.’ Glancing at Reese, I added, ‘Unless you want something else.’
‘No, that’s good.’
I finished ordering, and by the time we got to the next window, everything was ready. I glanced at Reese, pointing at the parking lot. ‘Want to eat it on the way or…?’
‘No, let’s stay here in the parking lot. Otherwise, you won’t be able to eat at all, and it tastes best when it’s hot.’
‘Good thinking. Let’s see what the fuss is about. I’ve never been—’ I stopped, thinking I didn’t want to sound like a food snob.
She gasped. ‘You’ve never had Taco Bell?’
‘No.’
She narrowed her eyes. ‘How about Chipotle?’
‘Also no.’
‘Kentucky Fried Chicken?’
‘No.’
‘Are you an alien?’
‘My parents never took me when I was a kid, and I guess I never got into the habit.’
‘Huh,’ Reese exclaimed. ‘Dad didn’t take us either, but guess who created that habit by stopping by after school? That’s right. This girl right here.’
I took a bite out of the gordita. ‘This is good.’ I frowned. ‘Really good, actually.’
She grinned. ‘Yeah, welcome to the world of cheap but super-delicious fast food. It’ll probably give me a coronary by the time I’m fifty, but nothing makes me feel better than this.’
I stole a glance at her. She was busy with her food, but something about the way she’d phrased the sentence bothered me.
‘You needed a pick-me-up after tonight?’ I asked her. ‘Reese… I know I crossed a line.’
‘It’s not about you,’ she said so quickly, the words almost ran together, but I picked up the gist of it.
‘Talk to me,’ I urged, turning to face her even though it was dark in our corner of the parking lot. The nearest lamppost was at least five cars away.
‘I liked tonight. I like you. I liked the kiss.’ I was sensing a but coming, so I didn’t interrupt her. ‘But I’m afraid of liking it. I’m afraid of liking you.’
I had no comeback to that, so we both ate in silence for a bit before Reese asked, ‘Are you mad at me?’
‘No. Why do you keep expecting me to be mad at you? I’m just processing what you said. Please tell me that moron was never abusive to you.’
‘Not physically, but looking back, I think he was emotionally. I just didn’t see it at the time. I was so desperate to please him, to make the relationship work, but I didn’t realize he wasn’t meant for me. He wasn’t the one.’
‘So you don’t regret that your wedding blew up?’
‘No. I would have been unhappy with him. I have no regrets about not being married to him.’
Once I finished my food, I cleaned my hands off on a napkin, tossed our garbage in one of the cans, and drove out of the parking lot.
‘Want me to drop you off at home?’ I asked.
‘Yes. Thank you.’
‘No problem. I told you that we’ll do whatever you want.’
She laughed, but it sounded nervous. ‘I bet this isn’t what you thought I’d say.’
‘Regardless, Reese, this evening was great.’
‘It was?’
‘Yeah. I kissed a gorgeous woman. It was the best kiss of my life. And then I had Taco Bell.’
She jerked her head toward me. ‘Wait, what? Rewind. What was that about the best kiss of your life?’
I turned onto the main street. ‘It’s true. I don’t see why I should keep it a secret.’
‘Hmm.’
‘What?’ I asked.
‘Nothing. Then I can admit that it was the best ever for me too.’
‘I’m glad we’re on the same page about that.’
We arrived at her building far too quickly. I pulled the car right in front of the entrance. ‘Is there anywhere I can park so I can walk you up?’
‘No.’ Her voice sounded like a squeak.
‘Reese?’
She cleared her throat. ‘I mean, it’s best if you don’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because unless I’m way off, you might kiss me again.’
‘There’s a high probability,’ I admitted.
‘And then I’ll fall prey to your charms and invite you inside.’
‘I see.’
‘Do you?’
‘Yeah. I can barely keep myself from kissing you senseless and tearing off your clothes right here, let alone if we were at your place.’
She gasped.
‘Too direct?’ I suggested.
‘Um… I… wow, this… I wasn’t expecting… never mind. I’m too lost for words, but when I recover, I’ll text you.’
I laughed.
‘Oh, stop it. I know I’m being weird, I’m just… God, this night didn’t go at all the way I thought it would.’
‘Same goes for me,’ I said, managing to finally stifle my laughter. It was so easy to be happy when I was around Reese.
‘Good night, Dom.’
‘Good night. Text me when you’re upstairs.’
‘You think I might get lost on the way?’
‘Just text me, Reese.’
‘Okay.’ Then she leaned over closer to me. For a brief second, I thought she wanted me to kiss her, but then she put her lips on my cheek before quickly pulling back. ‘Thank you for tonight.’
I watched her walk inside and waited for a few minutes until I finally got a text.
Reese: I’m up in my apartment still pinching myself, wondering if this evening was real or not. I’m tempted to ask you to come up and prove it was.
I groaned.
Dom: I’m of two minds to come bang on your door anyway.
Reese: You’re still here?
Dom: Told you I was waiting for your message. I’m leaving now.
Then I turned on the engine and drove off right away. I needed to put some distance between us, or I was going to do something reckless.
