Page 135 of The Temporary Fiancée
“When my mom got sick,” I say, “it was so hard on all of us. It really strained my parents’ relationship. They’re so in love, and for a little while, things got so difficult between them.”
I pause to take a sip of wine. I can feel Reed’s eyes on me, intent.
“But… they got through it, and on the other side, I think their relationship was even stronger than it was to begin with.”
“That’s exactly the sort of thing I’m talking about.”
“Challenges don’t drive them apart,” I say. “They bring them closer.”
He breathes in quietly through his nose, nodding slowly. “Yeah. Exactly.”
There’s a pause as the two of us finish up the last of the fruit. The crickets’ song grows louder in the silence.
Then he says, “I have to admit something to you.”
His tone catches me off guard. He sounds… uncertain. Cautious. It’s very unlike him. “Yeah? What’s up?”
He hesitates, then sighs. “I… I once dated a married woman.”
I open my mouth to respond, then close it again, unsure what to say. I thought there was nothing else he could say that would shock me… and here we are.
“I felt like shit afterward,” he says. “As soon as I found out.” He shakes his head. “For the most part, the rest of my relationships were only scandalous to the press because, well, there were a lot of them. But that… that was different.”
“Reed…”
“I never wanted to help someone be a cheater. If I had known…”
He trails off, and I listen to the crickets, thinking. In a way, this confession is frightening to me. It makes me worry about his past, and his tendencies. I’ve known for a long time that he was a playboy, but this… it’s the most damning piece of evidence I’ve heard against him so far.
But on the other hand, I find myself affected by his admission. By how open he is, and how honest he’s being. I feel like I’m seeing a part of him that not a lot of people do, a part that’s vulnerable, humble. A part of him that wants to be a better man.
I clear my throat and say, “Well, at least you learned something, right?”
His gaze turns to me. His brow is furrowed.
“I mean, it’s okay to make mistakes sometimes,” I add. “Everyone does. It doesn’t have to be something that haunts you forever. It doesn’t have to be a permanent blemish on your character.”
A small, wry smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. He shifts his position on the lounge chair so that he’s facing me. Then he touches the side of my face, his fingertips brushing my cheek.
His brown eyes are so warm, so tender, that I feel myself drawn to him, despite all reason.
As I lean in to kiss him, the sound of his sharp, surprised breath mingles with the distant roar of the waves and the crickets’ constant song.
Chapter 29
Olivia
My lips tingleas they meet Reed’s, and he kisses me like he never wants to stop, like he could do this for the rest of his life and never, ever get bored. His tongue parts my lips and slants against mine, and goosebumps dance over my skin.
I draw my hands up to his face and slide my fingers into his hair. His hands trail down my arms in light, lingering passes, and the familiarity of it makes my chest hurt.
Reed shifts onto my lounge chair, and I make room for him as he leans over me. The warm string lights above us throw an amber glow across his face, catching in his hair, and his eyes are soft and hooded.
He kisses me again, possessive but as if he’s in no rush. Like he’s savoring me.
“You’re gorgeous,” he murmurs against my jaw, his mouth trailing down toward my throat as I lift my head to give him better access.
He takes his time undressing me, and then himself. We keep getting distracted by kisses and touches and whispered words, but once we’re both naked, he leans back a little to look down at me.
