Brooklyn & Beale (31 page)

“When you told me you wanted us back! What did you think was going to happen? You were going to live in LA and I was going to stay in Memphis? When we saw each other again for the first time, you said you hated LA. You said you couldn’t write and you weren’t sure you ever would again.”

“My life is in LA.”

“And mine is in Memphis.”

Reid shook his head to wipe away the memory. “What she told you at the studio, about me moving to Memphis, she really thought that was the plan. I should have realized sooner. She’d hinted over and over again, but I just . . . I didn’t.”

“Why would she think that?” Chloe asked in a hushed voice.

“Because I was a wreck when we got back together. I was so done with LA and everything it encompassed. She assumed that meant I was done. I honestly don’t think we would have ever gotten back together had she thought differently. In the beginning, anyway,” Reid added, thinking about their time in New York and the promises he made. Promises he was wrong to make.

“So you guys were on the wrong page. It happens. That doesn’t mean you had to end it,” Chloe said with a shrug, her eyes downcast.

“That wasn’t the main reason, Chloe.”

“Do you love her?”

“What?”

“Chloe. Do you love her?”

“Jess, don’t do this.”

“Do you think I’m blind? I saw your notebook. I saw the things you wrote about her. I see the way you look at her. It’s written all over your face.”

“What else is there?”

Reid swallowed and sucked in a sharp breath. “Not what. Who.”

Chloe shook her head as she wound her trembling hands. “Don’t make me ask.”

“You,” he answered simply. “She saw the way I look at you, and she knew.”

“What did she see?” Chloe choked, her voice breaking and her eyes shimmering with tears.

“Jess . . .”

“Are you going to deny it?”

“No.”

“How could you do this?”

“I tried to fight it, Jess. The last thing in the world I wanted was to hurt you, but I couldn’t stop it. I just couldn’t.”

“That I’m in love with you.”

Silence swelled around them. Chloe clutched the pillow to her chest, her gaze burning into Reid with an intensity he’d never experienced. “I don’t understand,” she finally said.

Reid smiled and nodded. “I know exactly how you feel. I thought I had it all figured out. Jess and I were together for years and I ruined us. When my life went to shit years later and she took me back, I thought everything was finally like it was supposed to be. Then I met you.” He dropped his head and chuckled. “You fucked everything up.”

“I’m sorry,” Chloe said, soft and sad. The tone of her voice caused Reid’s head to snap in her direction and his jaw to clench. Before he could give it a second thought, he was on his knees, her hands clasped in his.

“Don’t you dare be sorry. You fucking up the future I had planned was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Don’t you see, Chloe?” he implored. “You and me, we’re supposed to happen. You’re the one I’ve been waiting for and I didn’t even know it. We can be something special; you just need to believe it as much as I do.”

Chloe shook her head. “How can you say that? For months, you’ve talked about Jess and what she means to you. You were with her in Memphis, and until this morning, she was with you in LA. How can you say you’re in love with me and your sheets haven’t even cooled?”

“I haven’t been with Jess in that way,” Reid admitted. “Not since Paris. I felt wrong just holding her hand. I should have known then, but it’s a hard thing to accept, ya know? Realizing I was wrong about everything. We slept in the same bed, but we might as well have been on separate continents.” Raising up on his knees, Reid cupped her jaw. “She was my connection to the man I used to be, who I thought I should be.

“That’s why I couldn’t tell her about my relapse. She might have said all the right things, but when it came down to it, she expected me to be the guy I was before. The one who wouldn’t dare do something so stupid. Her belief that I was moving back to Memphis is proof of that. I was scared to show her who I am now—this messed-up guy who just can’t seem to get his shit together. But, you? I wasn’t scared to show you my weaknesses. I wasn’t scared to let you see my flaws. I
wanted
you to see them, because I knew even if you were mad, you wouldn’t think less of me. That you would still look at me just like you are now.”

Chloe sniffled as Reid used his thumb to brush away the tears sliding down her cheeks. “And how am I looking at you now?”

Reid smiled and chuckled softly. “Like you love me too.”

Chloe sucked in a choked breath and her eyes fell shut. “For months, I’ve fought my feelings for you. I have berated myself, felt guilty, questioned my morals for wanting a guy who belonged to someone else. Now I’m suddenly allowed to love you and not feel guilty. I don’t know how to explain how mixed up that makes me feel. But you are right. I do love you.”

Reid’s heart pounded and his eyes closed as he pressed his forehead to Chloe’s. They stayed in that position with their heads bowed while they regained control of their erratic breathing. A shiver ran down Reid’s spine when Chloe brushed a hand through his hair. Reluctantly, he lifted his head to meet her gaze.

“I’d really like you to kiss me now,” Chloe whispered, her eyes searching.

Releasing a shaky breath, Reid leaned forward and kissed her softly. The feel of her lips, the heat radiating from her skin, it was almost too much. He held still, their mouths only a hairsbreadth apart. He’d barely kissed her and he felt dizzy.

Chloe twisted her fingers through his hair and tightened her grip. “You’re killing me,” she mumbled, brushing her cheek against his.

“You have no idea how hard I’m trying to control myself. I don’t want to mess this up.”

Chloe tugged his hair gently until their eyes met. “The only way you’re going to mess this up is if you overthink it. Do what feels right.”

“Do you realize what you’re saying?”

Chloe tugged on her lip ring. “I hope so.”

Without another word, Reid slid his hands around her neck into her hair. Tilting her face, he kissed her again, and this time he didn’t hold back. Their mouths moved in perfect sync, as if they’d been doing it for years. Pulling her lip into his mouth, Reid traced the smooth metal ring with his tongue then bit down. It was something he’d thought about doing a million times, and making it a reality caused his muscles to tighten with need.

Reaching around her waist, Reid lifted her from the side of the bed and carried her to the center as he crawled over her. Settling between her parted thighs, he rocked his hips. The feel of her body, soft and warm, elicited a tortured groan from his throat as he broke their kiss.

Dropping to his elbows, he brushed his lips over her cheek. “Chloe,” he whispered. “Tell me to stop.”

Chloe smoothed her hands down his back and gripped the bottom of his shirt. Pulling it up his body, she trapped him with her violet-blue eyes. “I don’t want you to stop.”

“God,” he exhaled, trembling as he twisted so Chloe could pull the shirt over his head. He watched her lips part as she used the tip of her finger to trace the tattoos covering his chest. His muscles tensed and goose bumps covered his skin as she worked her way to the button of his jeans. Licking his lips, he moved his hand to the sliver of exposed skin between the hem of her shirt and her shorts and waited. Chloe sat up and lifted her arms, answering his silent question.

Desire burned through his veins as his eyes swept over tattoos that, until now, had been hidden from view. Bright colors swirled around her side and disappeared under the lace of her bra. “Fuck. Look at you,” he murmured, placing a soft kiss to her shoulder. He couldn’t take his eyes off her sweat-glistened skin. He wanted to explore every inch of her body with his mouth, and he would.

“Take this off,” he urged, unfastening her bra. Chloe laughed softly and slipped the straps down her arms.

A mischievous smile curved his lips. “Are you laughing at me?”

“I wouldn’t dream of doing something like that, Padawan.”

The familiar nickname caused something to settle inside his chest. He cupped her jaw, smiling when she leaned into his touch. “I know this might seem fast, but it doesn’t feel wrong.”

“I know.”

Reid dipped his head and kissed the side of her neck as he eased her back onto the bed. Moving to the column of her throat, he kissed his way down her body, making sure his lips touched every piece of hidden ink. Chloe’s skin prickled when he nipped her hip bone as he dragged her shorts and panties down her legs.

He took his time, continuing his way down her body, stopping to place featherlight kisses to the inside of her thigh, the bend of her knee, the smooth skin on the inside of her ankle. Removing the remainder of his clothes, he began his ascent back up her body, kneading and stroking, licking and sucking until Chloe was moaning and gasping his name in broken pants.

Claiming her mouth once more, he wrapped his hand under her thigh and tugged, tilting her hips and opening her up to him. He paused when he felt the soft warmth of her body and broke their kiss. “Wrap your legs around me,” he whispered, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke.

Chloe did as he asked, her arms and legs anchoring him, surrounding him with every part of her. With parted lips and their eyes locked, he rocked forward until their bodies connected in every way. A wave of heat rushed under his skin, the feeling so intoxicating he struggled to keep his eyes open. But he refused to break their connection, the one that had nothing to do with sex. Being inside her, above her, looking into her bottomless violet eyes was like nothing Reid had ever experienced. He knew then he would do anything in the world to keep her. Anything at all.

Halos of light dotted his vision when Chloe moaned softly, her trembling muscles tightening around him. She dug her nails into his back, intensifying the fire gathering in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to see her come undone. He wanted to swallow her moans and feel her muscles clench around him as waves of pleasure left her breathless.

“Oh God,” she gasped, her mouth falling open and her back arching.

Releasing a shaky exhale, Reid slid his hands underneath her, the angle deepening his long strokes and pushing him closer to the edge. She tensed, her body stiffening before she cried out and began to spasm around him. It was all Reid needed to let go. He kissed her with a groan as the fire in his stomach ignited, spreading through his veins like a drug. With each pulse of pleasure he drifted higher; weightless and sated.

Unable to support his weight, Reid rolled to his back and pulled Chloe against his side. With his arm around her back and her head nestled on his chest, he kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. Never had he felt more complete, more at peace, than he did holding Chloe next to him. Covering their bodies with a blanket, he pulled her leg over his hips and relaxed into the mattress.

“Chloe,” he whispered, smiling when the sound of her soft, even breaths was her only response. Feeling the lure of sleep dragging him under, he laced his fingers around her and sighed.

“I love you.”

The beginning traces of dawn were filtering through the window when Chloe began to wake. The first thing she noticed was how warm she felt. The second was the source of said warmth. Blinking once, then twice, Chloe’s vision came into focus. For a moment, blinding panic crashed over her before the previous night came rushing back. She was with Reid. He was single. And he said he was in love with her.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and a soft smile curved her lips. Tilting her head, she placed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. When he didn’t respond, she laughed softly and turned to slip out of the bed. As soon as she moved, Reid tightened his arms around her and groaned.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to use the bathroom.”

Reid opened one eye no more than a slit, his face twisted with displeasure. “Fine, but hurry up.”

Chloe patted his arm and stood, grabbing his shirt off the floor as she made her way to the bathroom. When she turned on the light, she grimaced. Dark smudges of mascara ringed her eyes and her hair was a disaster. Slipping Reid’s shirt on, she grabbed the neck and pressed it to her face. Faint traces of laundry detergent and body wash filled her senses. It was a simple thing, smelling his shirt, but the intimacy of wearing it while doing so caused warmth to spread through her.

With a silly smile, Chloe cleaned up a little before tiptoeing back into the bedroom. Reid was in the same position, his chest rising with deep, even breaths. For a moment, she just stared at him, wondering how in the matter of a few hours everything could be so different. Not wanting to wake him, and unable to go back to sleep, Chloe grabbed her phone and earbuds and settled in the chair across the room with her notebook. Flipping through the pages, she stopped when she found the lyrics she’d written about Reid. The memory of the night he kissed her then left her feeling hurt and ashamed came rushing back. She smoothed her hand across the words and sighed.

There were millions of songs and poems about unrequited love. The longing. The loneliness. The self-loathing. But to experience those feelings when she stared a little too long or allowed her thoughts to venture down a reality that didn’t exist could never be put into words. Flipping to a blank page, Chloe turned on her music and started writing random thoughts, rhyming words, and fragmented sentences that would eventually come together. Nearly an hour passed before her stomach rumbled. Rubbing her bleary eyes, she gasped when she realized Reid was sitting up in the bed staring at her.

“I didn’t know you were awake.”

Reid smiled. “I don’t think you would have noticed a tornado tearing through the room.”

Chloe shrugged and ducked her chin. “You should have said something.”

Reid smirked and stood, his boxers hanging low as he crossed the room. “I liked watching you. I’ve seen you writing in that thing for months but never while wearing my shirt.” He slipped his hand under the material and squeezed her thigh. “Good morning.”

Chloe leaned forward and touched her lips to his. “That it is.”

“Are you hungry?” he mumbled, moving his lips to her jaw.

“Starving.” Chloe worried if he kept kissing her like he was, they would die of starvation before she allowed either of them to leave the room. Apparently reading her mind, Reid placed a final kiss on her neck and stood.

“Why don’t we get ready and go grab some food?” he asked, pulling her to her feet. “I’ll run to my room then come back here, okay?”

Chloe reluctantly agreed before stripping out of his shirt and handing it to him with a smirk. “You might need this.”

With a mischievous smile, Reid slowly pulled the material from her hand and dropped it to the floor. Tracing the curve of her waist to the underside of her breast, he stepped closer. “I think breakfast can wait a little.”

Chloe couldn’t have agreed more.

A little more than an hour later, the pair stood side by side in the elevator as they made their way to the lobby. A wave of unease rolled over Chloe as she thought about seeing the others. She and Reid hadn’t discussed what, if anything, they would tell everyone. She didn’t want them jumping to conclusions about how things had unfolded.

“You okay?” Reid asked, threading his fingers through hers and squeezing.

“What will the others think? You know,” Chloe said, lifting their joined hands, “about this.”

Reid nodded in understanding. “Honestly, I don’t care what they think. But I don’t want any misunderstanding about me and you. So we can say nothing and I’ll try my best not to be obvious about the fact that I’ve seen you naked, or we can just tell them and let them deal with it how they want.”

Chloe tugged the piercing in her lip as she thought about their options. Reid leaned into her and moved his mouth to her ear. “It’s gonna be really hard not being obvious that I’ve seen you naked,” he whispered.

Chloe raised her brow. “And why is that?”

“Because I’ve seen you naked,” he laughed. “Trust me. Guys pick up on that kind of thing.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She couldn’t help but think about Inky’s dog and bone analogy. The last thing she wanted was the image of herself as a bone again.

“Hey,” Reid whispered, stepping in front of her. “I didn’t mean to upset you. We can keep things to ourselves for now, okay?”

“It’s not that,” Chloe said. “It’s just . . . I don’t want them to think we were together before, you know?”

“I know. I doubt they’ll notice anything,” Reid said with a reassuring smile.

The elevator dinged, and with a sigh, Reid released her hand and moved a couple of steps away. She hated the distance. It wasn’t that she wanted to hide; she just didn’t want people she considered friends thinking she was a floozy.

Just as they stepped off the elevator, their phones buzzed. They looked at each other in confusion as they read the messages.

Chloe spoke first. “It’s from Inky. They’re in a private room in the hotel dining room.”

“I got the same message from Tom.” With a shrug, Reid shoved his phone in his pocket. “We gotta eat, right? Plus, this will prove you have nothing to worry about.”

Chloe pulled in a deep breath. “Okay.” She followed Reid through the lobby and into the dining area. As the hostess led them to the private room, Chloe smoothed her hand over her hair and pressed her palm to her forehead. She was nervous, which was crazy. It wasn’t like she was wearing a sign that said, “I just had sex.”

“Hey, guys,” Drew said as soon as they walked into the room. “How’re you feeling, Chloe?”

Chloe cleared her throat and smiled. “Fine. I’m good.”

“We just ordered some food,” Inky said, her voice filled with mischief. “I heard the T-bone is amazing.” The moment Inky spoke, Chloe knew the jig was up.

“That actually sounds really good,” Reid said, causing both Inky and Chloe to burst into laughter. Chloe couldn’t help it. She knew what Inky was inferring, and for Reid to agree was too much for her to handle.

“I win,” Inky cheered, slapping a twenty-dollar bill on the table. “Pay up, fools. Mama needs a new tattoo!”

“What the hell?” Drew yelled. “How do you know? You don’t know!”

Inky nodded, still laughing. “I do know. I do. They totally banged.”

Chloe covered her face with both hands and bowed her head, her shoulders shaking. She should have been mortified that their friends made a bet about whether or not she and Reid had sex. The truth was, if they were willing to make bets, it meant they weren’t mad or disappointed in them.

“Can you explain how saying a steak sounds good led to Inky saying we banged?”

Chloe wiped under her eyes and shrugged. “I’m a bone.”

Reid looked around the table, bewildered. “Be honest. Let’s see a show of hands. Who dropped acid this morning?”

Drew chuckled and tossed a twenty on the table. “I can’t speak for the others, but I have not partaken in psychedelics in months.”

“Then what the hell is going on?” Reid asked again, annoyance slowly overtaking his amused confusion.

“We kept drinking after we checked in to the hotel,” Tom said in answer to Reid’s question.

“He might have told us about you finally straightening out your shit,” Drew added, his eyes drifting from Reid to Chloe.

Chloe sat back in her chair and sighed. “I need a drink.”

Tom shook his head. “No more alcohol. I’m already going to need earplugs tonight or my head might explode.”

“What I want to know,” Greer said, pulling everyone’s attention in his direction, “is if you’re going to stop being such a moody bastard all the time?”

Wide-eyed, Chloe looked from Reid to Greer. They had a way of setting each other off, and Chloe worried how this would shake out. Reid slid his arm around Chloe’s shoulder and leaned forward to look Greer in the eye.

“That depends,” Reid answered, his words clipped. “Are you going to stop hitting on Chloe?”

Greer looked at Chloe and winked. “I’ll do my best.”

Chloe laughed and leaned into Reid. “That’s really the best you’re going to get.”

With a sigh, Reid nodded as the server entered the room. “Let’s eat.”

For the next hour, the group ate breakfast and talked about the upcoming tour. Completely at ease, they laughed as they told Reid and Chloe about their night of drinking. No one looked at Reid twice when he rubbed his hand over Chloe’s shoulder or when he leaned closer to press his lips against her temple. It made her earlier worries seem silly. When the plates were empty and the table was clear, Tom clapped his hands.

“Okay, guys. We’ve got about an hour before we need to leave for the venue. Get your things together and meet back in the lobby.” With nods of agreement, everyone went their separate ways except Chloe and Reid, who walked hand in hand to her room.

“Did they replace that speaker from sound check?” Reid asked, adjusting the tuning pegs on one of his guitars.

“Yeah. They brought one over from another venue. We’ll have to get a replacement for the rest of the tour,” Tom answered as he typed out a message on his phone. “I’m going to go check on Drew and see if he found his extra set of sticks. This is what happens when I drink with you assholes; everything falls apart.”

Reid laughed. The entire building could have collapsed and it wouldn’t ruin his mood. Not now. “I didn’t drink shit. That was all you.”

“I still blame Greer,” Tom mumbled, shooting a glare at Greer before disappearing into the hall.

Greer sighed. “It’s not my fault he can’t hold his liquor.”

Reid laughed and slapped Greer’s outstretched hand. “He’s always been a bit of a lightweight.”

Greer shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. “Just so you know, I really am happy things worked out the way they did.”

Reid raised a brow. “Are we going to have a bonding moment?”

“Fuck you, Reid,” Greer chuckled. “I’m just saying. I always knew you getting back with Jess was a bad idea. You did it for all the wrong reasons. I was there the night that kid died. I know how much you blamed yourself. You might have thought Jess was the answer, but I knew better. It’s why I busted your balls so much. When Chloe came along, man, a blind dude could have seen how bad you had the hots for her.”

“Yet, you hit on her constantly,” Reid pointed out, annoyed and guilty at the same time. As much as he hated to admit it, Greer was right.

“She’s fucking hot,” Greer shot back. “If you wouldn’t have been with Jess, you would have been all over her. You can’t blame me for taking my shot. That being said, she’s also a cool chick to joke with. She never made it a thing. I like that about her.”

Again, Reid couldn’t argue. That didn’t mean he had to like it. “Well, I’d really appreciate it if you could stop taking your shots. My head is completely out of my ass now.”

Greer laughed. “I’m just glad to have you back, man. I’ve missed you.” He stepped forward and gave Reid a quick hug, slapping him on the back before stepping back. “Also,” Greer said, his eyes filled with mischief, “I knew you’d hit that.”

Reid laughed and punched Greer in the stomach, “You’re such a dick.”

“Yeah, well, so were you. But in all seriousness, I’m really looking forward to this leg of the tour. We’re gonna blow this fucker up.”