Tempted (In Too Deep) (7 page)

Chapter 17

Taylor

A
fter sneaking out of Colt’s room while Reis was still asleep, I settle on my bed, and power on my laptop. Last night probably wasn’t the smartest move, sleeping in the bed with Reis like that, insisting that he hold me, allowing him to help me change. And I intended to come clean with Colt this morning, but he usually seemed quite unconcerned at the thought of Reis and I together. And it was completely innocent. I wouldn’t do anything to betray Colt’s trust. And I decide that if he doesn’t seem to mind me spending time with Reis, then I shouldn’t either. It’s not like anything was ever going to happen between Reis and I. Plus when Bria let herself into his bedroom, our conversation was taken in a completely different direction. As hard as it was to accept Colt across the ocean in a hotel room with her, I knew he was right. Driving a wedge between us was exactly what she wanted. I couldn’t feed right into her plan.

I check the unread emails in my personal account and respond to one from my
mom, and another from Piper. Then I check for any new assignments in my school email account. There’s one from Colt from yesterday morning. I open it. He wants me to search out some information on an accomplice of their target. A guy named Alton. Should be easy enough. I scroll down the length of the email, seeing that it was originally an email exchange between Colt and Bria that he forwarded to me. I start at the bottom and read my way up.

The first email is completely
innocent and professional. But their replies get increasingly flirty, like his emails with me. I hate that they know each other so well. Did he mean to forward this to me?

I reread Bria’s first note back to him, studying each word in disbelief.

TO: Colt Palmer

FROM:
Bria Simonson

SUBJECT: Pay up, sugar!

Colt,

We both know you agreed to take me out once I got you this information. So pay up!If not, I know where you sleep
.

I swallow down the salvia that’s rapidly accumulating in my mouth and read Colt’s reply.

TO: Bria Simonson

FROM: Colt Palmer

SUBJECT: RE: Pay up, sugar!

Bria,

You knowing where I sleep is concerning. I may have to call security for an extra deadbolt just in case
.
As for me talking you out….hmm… I don’t recall promising, I just said maybe I’d take you out. But I’ll play nice.

Wear something nice and I’ll meet you in the hotel lobby at 7. Sound good?

Her last note to him is even more suspicious.

TO: Colt Palmer

FROM: Bria Simonson

SUBJECT: Win!

Colt,

I promise we’ll have fun. And everything will stay between us. Trust me, okay?

I close my laptop and pad down the stairs to talk to Reis. I need another opinion on what this means before I scream or hit something or call Colt and do exactly what Bria wants.

“Reis.”
I shake his shoulder.

He blinks twice, seeing it’s me and closes his eyes again.
“Shh. Sleeping.” He tugs the pillow to his chest, and rolls to his side, facing me.

I sit on the edge of the bed and watch him. His sandy brown hair
brushes against his forehead. He wears his hair longer than Colt’s, just as messy though. The look suits him. It’s very California surfer. I have no idea why my fingers itch to brush the hair back from his face. I clasp my hands in my lap instead, stifling the urge I feel.

Reis peeks one eye open at me. Then he suddenly pulls me down next to him, snuggling me in against his side. He releases a comforting sigh in my ear. “That’s better.”

As soon as I settle in against his body I feel something stiff at my back. “Ew! Reis!” I jump up off the bed, the comfort I felt interrupted by his rigid body. Gross!

He chuckles and opens his eyes, shifting on the bed to pull the sheet over his waist. “Calm down. I can’t control it.”
He’s not the least bit embarrassed.

I roll my eyes and pick up his jeans off the floor. “Put these on.” I toss them at him.

He shuffles out of bed, stepping into his jeans one foot at a time, while I desperately try not to notice the intrusion in his boxers.
Gah
!

He chuckles again at seeing my discomfort. “Relax, Taylor.” He slips a T-shirt over his head. “I take it you’re not here for a run this morning, considering the state you were in last night.”

“Yeah, about last night…” I fumble with the hem of my shirt.

“Stop.
You don’t need to worry. I enjoyed taking care of you. That’s all. Okay?” He steps closer, closing the distance between us. “You feel better today?” His eyes are gentle and probing.

I can do little more than stand there, numb, and nod.

“Good. You want to go get pancakes? You’re probably starved.”

“No, not at that place again. Please.”

He studies me for a second while slipping on his shoes. “That was one of Colt’s girls, wasn’t it?”

I nod.

He hisses a breath out through his teeth. “Damn him. I knew it.” He shakes his head. “If you were mine, there wouldn’t be any of that shit to worry about.” He takes my hand before I have the chance to respond. “Come on.”

Chapter 18

Colt

B
ria bends seductively at the waist, reaching to the ground to remove her shoes. I tear my eyes away and flip through the papers on the desk. She releases a deep moan in the back of her throat and my eyes flip back to her. She slides the sandals from her feet slowly, one at a time, depositing them by the door. My eyes travel up her legs, then linger on her ass. Black thong today. Damn.

She clears her throat, catching me in the act. I quickly turn back to my work.

She laughs. “It’s okay. You can look.” She comes up behind my chair and places her hands on my shoulders. Her fingertips massage into my neck and scalp.

My eyes drift closed against the pressure. I picture Taylor and my eyes snap open.
“Bria, stop.” I stand, abruptly.

She pouts, sucking in her bottom lip.

“I love Taylor.” It spews from my mouth without my permission. I hadn’t even said those words to Taylor yet, and here I was admitting it to Bria.

She shrugs.
“Your loss. Again.” She stomps away for her bedroom.

I may not know what I’m doing, but there’s one thing I’m sure of. Falling in love is the quickest way to getting your heart crushed.

My Dad was the perfect example of that. He’d never recovered after my mom’s death. Instead of he’d become a workaholic hell-bent on never feeling a true emotion ever again. I guess I should be grateful that at least Reis doesn’t seem to be following in his footsteps. And I won’t either if I can help it.

Chapter 19

Taylor

Reis and Logan sit on the floor of the rec room, battling each other in some zombie video game. MJ and I lounge on the couch alternating between watching the action on their game and having girl talk.  She’d had a case translating sensitive reports from German to Portuguese. When she comments on her absence, I blush realizing I hadn’t even noticed she’d been so wrapped up with the case. I’ve been spending all my free time with Reis.

Despite the hour drive, he’s been here most days after school and stays over on the weekends too. This weekend coming up will be Colt’s third weekend away. His daily phone calls have turned into occasional texts and emails. We’ve only spoke twice in the last week. And even then, I could hear
Bria in the background and he cut the conversation short.

Reis drops
the controller on the floor. “You killed me.”

Logan smiles proudly.

Reis scoots back against my legs, resting his head on my knees. MJ lifts her eyebrows seductively looking between Reis and I.   I roll my eyes and shake my head. I know MJs thoughts on Reis. She thinks he’s a better choice – less emotionally damaged than Colt, my age, and strikingly normal, without the demands of a fulltime job. That idea is crazy. Even with Colt’s issues, he’s still the one I want.

Reis skims
his palm along my calf. His fingertips are feather light and teasing, absently tracing patterns into my skin. It’s innocent, yet sensual at the same time. My heart jumps in my chest. The way his fingers dance over my skin leave a lingering awareness of my ache for Colt, to be touched, held, close to someone. I try to rationalize my reaction, maybe it’s just homesickness disguised as hormones brought on by the too-good-looking-for-his-own-good Reis.

I avoid
MJ’s watchful eyes, knowing she’s suspicious of just how close Reis and I are becoming. Over the past few weeks, Reis has become more comfortable around me, his gazes linger longer and penetrate deeper, and his touches and hugs are more frequent. I knew it was all adding up to him having feelings for me, possibly more than a friend, yet I felt powerless to do anything about it. The truth was, I enjoyed his attention. I didn’t want to do anything to stop it.

Instead of looking at MJ and Logan who were now wa
tching me, waiting to see if I’ll stop him, I focus on Reis’ hand slowly massaging my leg.

He gi
ves my leg a playful squeeze, and slaps the top of my foot, breaking me out of the spell. “Let’s go for a run or something.”

“Sure.” My
voice sounds thick and unsure.

I follow
him out of the room without another glance at MJ. As much as I preached about Colt’s behavior with girls and worrying over him being trustworthy, I knew MJ would call me out for allowing Reis to flirt with me. And I just didn’t want to hear it.

We stop to part at the stairway and Reis waits for me to pass. “Come get me after you change.”

I nod and race up the stairs. I can feel him watching me as I go. Why do I feel like something’s changed between us?

I throw on my shorts, sports bra and tank top and head down to Colt’s room. I push the do
or open without knocking. Reis stands in the center of the room in his shorts, bare-chested. He’s tan and perfectly toned. Reis smiles at me appreciatively. “Like what you see?”

“Hush.” I brush past him
to make his bed while he laces up his running shoes.

I fish
the pillows out from under the covers, wondering how someone can get the bed this messy from just sleeping. I straighten the sheet and pull the comforter tight over everything. Satisfied it will do, I stand and turn around to see if he’s ready.

He
stands in place, staring at me, his eyes soft and hooded, his mouth slightly open.

“What?” I ask
, pulling at the hem of my shorts.

“Sorry,” he chuckles
to himself and runs his hand over the back of his neck, “but you have the hottest fucking ass ever.”

His words rock through
my body and my knees nearly buckle. Am I so needy for male attention that Reis is affecting me this much? Colt had only been gone two and half weeks. My cheeks flame at his words and the view I must have given him, bent over in these little shorts making the bed.

“Reis.”
I can’t help the pleading in my voice. “You can’t say stuff like that to me.” I unconsciously tug the little running shorts lower to be sure they’re covering everything they’re supposed to. My curves are typically a source of frustration, as I’m constantly on the hunt for jeans that make my butt look smaller, but now Reis is telling me it’s the hottest ass ever. I wonder if Colt feels that strongly about it.

He steps
in closer. “Sorry, but it’s just a fact, sweetheart.” His fingers graze down the length of my arm.

I swallow
roughly. My mind shouts at me to pull away, to walk out of the room, but my body is held captive, enjoying his closeness, the scent coming from his skin, the longing his eyes reveal.

His gaze
drops to my mouth and my mind shouts at me to move, but I can’t. Reis wants to kiss me…and all I feel is curiosity.

As if suddenly realizing what he
’s doing, he steps back and gives me some space. I pull a breath into my lungs. It succeeds in clearing my head just enough. “What are you doing?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I’m sure he’ll laugh, blow off my comment and say he was only joking, but his eyes burn with intensity. They have the same flecks of gold and green making them hazel in a certain light, just like Colt’s.

He looks
down and wipes his palms on his shorts, buying more time. “If you were with me…” He stops himself and shakes his head.

“What?” I probe. If I walk away now, he won’t tell me what he’s about to say, and maybe we need to have this conversation.

He meets my eyes again. “You deserve more than having to duck around his past.”

We stand in silence, watching each other, neither of us moving, or even blinking. I note the warmth I feel under his admiring gaze, the comfort of being near him. And even though I’ll admit I like him, I don’t feel that electricity, that indescribable pull toward him like I do with Colt. “I’m sorry Reis. I don’t…”

He stops me with a fingertip across my lips. “It’s alright. You just need to know. You have options. Okay?”

I nod softly.

“Let’s go run.” He takes my hand securely in his with no nervousness, no awkward fumbling despite what just occurred between us. Twining his fingers in mine, he pulls me from the room. The fact that he’s still touching me makes wonder if I should have been more firm. If I should have told him this closeness between us isn’t appropriate. But I can’t bring myself to do that. And besides, we haven’t done anything wrong. As we begin our run, the pounding of my feet on the trail pushes it to the back of my mind.