Fall for You (8 page)

Dot looked relieved. “So, there's nothing going on between you and…”

Reed filled in the sentence. “Sophie. Her name is Sophie.”

His mom tried putting another serving on his plate. “It doesn't matter since you aren't seeing her.”

He bristled at the satisfaction in her tone. “Now, I didn't say that. I said I was there on business. If I were seeing her, it wouldn't be anyone else's business
anyway!”

Dot took his plate and began scraping it off in the trash with quick, agitated motions.

He took the plate from his mom and placed it in the sink. Reed put his arm around her. “Look, Mom. I appreciate your concern, but I'm a grown man. My private life is private.”

She appeared forlorn. “I only want what's best for you.”

Smiling, he led Dot back to her seat and helped push in her chair.
“Now that that's settled. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

She eyed the coffee pot with indecision. “Is it fresh?”

Reed had no idea how old the coffee was. Yesterday? To be on the safe side, he dumped out the carafe in the sink and started a new pot.

Sophie stood in front of her closet, fruitlessly trying to figure what the heck to wear. She didn't want to dress up (again) because it would look like she was trying too hard. If she went with her normal Sunday evening at home outfit of yoga pants and a tank top, Sophie would look like she hadn't bothered with her appearance at all. Unfortunately, Reed had already seen Hobo Sophie.

Max wasn't much help in choosing an outfit either. She had sixty-five pounds of puppy dog lounging on her queen-sized bed, contentedly watching her.

“
You know this would be much easier if Tracy were here.” He put his head on his paws and whined in what almost sounded like an apology.

“
It's okay, buddy, you can't help it if you're not fashion forward. I'll just have to find something somewhere
between too much and not enough.”

He perked his ears up in agreement, then yawned.

Four outfits later, she decided on a pair of white shorts with silver-toned embroidery at the hem and a raspberry colored scoop neck T-shirt. The shorts went right above mid-thigh and the shirt was form fitting without seeming too tight.

She turned to ask Max what he thought, but he had already fallen asleep.

The sound of the doorbell chiming startled her. Sophie hadn't realized that she'd taken so long getting dressed. Max woke up with a loud bark and leaped off the bed.

She did a quick hair and makeup check in her dresser mirror before leaving her room. Sophie was actually wearing makeup and her hair was down and brushed. She called it a win and went for the door. Max managed to walk circles around
her while moving down the hallway at the same time. He barked the whole way while she tried not to trip over him.

Please, Sophie. Don't break your neck before you get to the door.

Through the frosted, beveled glass on her front door, she saw the outline of Reed highlighted by the setting sun. One hand was on his hip and the other appeared to be holding a clipboard. His face was turned in profile
as he waited. The wood casing around the oval of glass framed him almost perfectly.

As soon as she opened the door, Max stretched up and put his big paws on Reed's chest. With his tongue lolled to the side, he panted hot and not so fresh dog breath straight into Reed's face. Reed took a step back in surprise, then gave Max a good scratch behind the ear.

“
Hey there, boy. Aren't you friendly?”

Sophie pulled her dog by the collar in a Herculean effort to get him off her guest. “I'm sorry! He normally isn't this exuberant, but he is a bit of a dog slut. He'll treat you like his best friend for a belly rub or a scrap of food.”

She finally got the dog to move away long enough for Reed to come in. As soon as he crossed the threshold, Max bumped his head against his hand for some more petting
and scratching.

Sophie sighed and closed the door. “As you can see, he has no shame.”

Reed grinned and looked content to give Max all the scratching a dog could want. He talked to him as he ran his fingers through his tawny fur. “So you're the man in Sophie's life. I don't think I can compete with a guy this handsome.” Max, canine harlot that he was, closed his eyes in ecstasy and rolled over
on his back for some more petting.

* * * *

Reed glanced up from where he was crouched and asked, “What kind of dog is he?”

Sophie looked at her dog affectionately. “Max is what I call a wonder mutt because I wonder how many dog breeds are in him. He was a rescue dog. I decided to get a pet to keep me company when Tracy moved out. Luckily, I adopted him in time before, well, you know.”

She
shook her head as if to dispel the thought of her dog almost being put to sleep. Reed admired Sophie for having such a big heart. He'd wanted a dog since he was a kid, but his Mom was allergic to them.

Sophie invited him to have a seat on her overstuffed burgundy sofa. “Would you like a drink or do you want to get right to it?”

He raised his eyebrows and she blushed as pink as her T-shirt. “What
I mean is would you care for a drink before we review the papers?”

Reed decided to let her off the hook for the time being so he took a seat and placed his clipboard on the coffee table. Max plopped down and rested his head on Reed's boots as if claiming ownership.

“
A drink would be great.” He paused. “Then we can get right to it." He didn't think her blush could get any deeper, but he was wrong.

Rolling her eyes to hide her embarrassment, she asked, “Is iced tea okay?”

Reed leaned back and rested his arm along the back of the couch. “Iced tea is wonderful.” When Sophie took off for the kitchen, Max gazed up at Reed with big brown puppy dog eyes.

“
Don't give me the sad eyes," Reed whispered, "You're the lucky dog that gets to sleep next to Sophie every night.”

Max plopped his furry
head back on Reed's feet, apparently not in the mood to rub it in. He knew how good he had it.

Sophie returned with two ice-cold glasses, stepped over Max, and set them down on the table. Her soft blonde hair brushed his arm as she leaned forward to nudge his glass closer to him. She smelled like cookies again. He shifted to get comfortable.

“
I hope you like it sweet.”

“
I love it sweet." He
stared at her when he said it, not taking a sip yet. The look Reed gave her said he wasn't talking about tea. She took a big gulp from her glass before setting it to the side. She glanced at the clipboard and said, “So…”

Reed repeated, “So?”

Sophie inclined her head toward the estimate papers. “What's the damage? Is it going to cost me an arm and a leg?” He had a fleeting image of Sophie's naked
arms and legs wrapped around his body in a hot, sweaty, carnal embrace. He was so tempted to tell her yes.

“
Actually, it's not as high as you would think.” He handed the papers to her so she could skim the columns of figures. She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. “I don't see the cost of labor on here.” She flipped through the pages. “You've only listed the cost of materials.”

Reed leaned
forward to look at the paper. “No charge. It's a pretty simple job so labor won't be an issue.” Sophie looked incredulous. “But I have to pay you something. I wouldn't feel right taking advantage of you like that.”

He gave Max a little pat and sat back. “I like cookies.”

* * * *

“
What? You want me to pay for labor with cookies?”

“
Yes.”

“
What about Ben?”

Reed straightened. “Ben can keep his
damn hands off your cookies!”

Sophie wasn't sure if cookies meant
cookies
. “You're serious?”

He nodded. “Absolutely. A few dozen of your chocolate chip would put me in heaven.”

Okay then, so he
was
talking about cookies. To be sure, she asked, “Cookies?”

His smile was so wide that she could see his dimples. “Yes, Sophie. Cookies. Do we have a deal?”

She scanned the numbers one more time,
and with the absence of a labor charge, it was all surprisingly within their budget. “As far as I'm concerned, yes. I need to run it by Tracy for a final confirmation, but I believe we have a deal.”

Reed gathered the papers into a neat stack and pushed them out of the way. He turned toward her and asked, “Are we done talking business?”

Sophie felt a little disappointed that their evening was
coming to an end so soon. “Yes, I suppose we are.”

With a muttered, “good,” Reed lifted her up and set her on his lap. Before she knew it, he had positioned her so her legs were straddling him. He gazed intently into her eyes and said, “Sophie, bringing over the estimate was just an excuse to see you. You know that.”

He set his hot lips to the dip where her shoulder met her neck. She caught
her breath at the unexpected pleasure of it. After he gave her a lingering kiss there, he moved up her throat an inch. “I want to get to know you again, Sophie.” Feeling the seductive vibrations of his words against her neck, her heartbeat sped up. “I want to know your likes.” He nuzzled her skin before delivering another sensual kiss. Her breathing grew shallow.

“
Your dislikes.” One kiss closer,
enticing her with a brief press of his tongue. She grabbed his shoulders and held on.

“
Your hopes.” Another tempting kiss, this time behind her ear. Shivers shimmied up her spine.

“
Your dreams.” He said this while his mouth moved softly along her jaw. Her knees tightened reflexively against his hips.

Then his lips hovered barely an inch from hers before he breathed, “And what it takes to get
you to want me as much as I want you.” The last word was spoken as he pulled her down and closed the distance between them.

As soon as their lips met, Sophie knew she was in trouble. Reed cradled her head in both of his hands, his palms on her jawline and his fingers buried in her hair. This wasn't a kiss made in the heat of the moment. It was hot, deliberate, and made with the intent of total
seduction. If he wanted her to want him, she was already there.

Her hands strayed from his shoulders to glide down the broad length of his chest. The cotton of his T-shirt was soft, but the muscles underneath were hard. She felt the thumping of his heart under her right hand. Sophie kept it there. She liked to feel the beat quicken against her palm. Her left hand, however, slid lower to slowly
glide over the corrugated muscles of his stomach. Reed's abs tightened with a swift intake of his breath. Her fingers rose and dipped, then rose and dipped again. She could feel the definition of each muscle through his shirt and delighted in being able to finally touch him this way.

His fingers tightened in her hair a fraction before sliding over her shoulders and down her bare arms, ultimately
coming to rest on her hips. Reed angled his head to deepen the kiss. Sophie met the pressure of his tongue with the welcoming touch of her own. She put her arms around his neck and held on as he suddenly pulled her lower body up his thighs until she rested fully against him. This time, she gasped when she felt the hard ridge pressed intimately against her.

Sophie couldn't help it. He was so thick
and unyielding that she had to thrust down more firmly. She rocked her hips against his in a slow roll that had them both gasping. He broke the kiss long enough to groan, “Good God, Sophie. More. Do that again.”

She did it again, and again, until she became damp with wanting.

Reed grew even harder and more inflamed underneath her. She wanted to touch him everywhere and feel the heat of his naked
skin pulse against hers.

Sophie never knew a kiss could feel so erotic. She felt like every nerve ending in her body was electrified. He tasted her more deeply and drew her in to claim him the same way. She wanted to claim him. She needed Reed to be hers.

He pulled away to gaze steadily at her. “Do you want me, Sophie?” He caressed one small breast and rubbed a thumb against her nipple until
it tightened to the point of aching. “Am I the one who makes you this damn hot?” She was so hot she felt on fire. He angled his hips up and pressed perfectly against just the right spot until she moaned at the pleasure of it. “Are you wet for me?” His resonant words were like a sexy caress. He pushed up into her again. “Are you?”

She ground against him and breathed out, “Yes!” She'd never been
so turned on and the rasp of his sexy voice was only adding fuel to the fire.

More commandingly, he asked, “Yes, what, Sophie?” She tried to rock into him again, but he held her still.

“
Yes to all of it!”

His breathing was becoming more labored. He palmed her butt in both hands and helped her rock faster. Reed's head angled back and his jaw tightened. “Jesus, Sophie, what you do to me.”

She
leaned down and kissed him again. His tongue met hers in a carnal dance.

Sophie was close to coming undone and he was moving just right. She felt the prickling sensation start in the soles of her feet and move up her thighs. Reed put his mouth to the juncture of her shoulder and throat. She felt the hot slide of his tongue and the pressure of his mouth on her overheated skin. He whispered in
her ear. “Sophie, I'm going to be so deep inside you that you'll feel me everywhere. The tight, wet, clutch of your sweet little body is going to take in
every
last inch of me.”

The combination of his erotic words and the feel of him rocking into her again and again took her over the edge. Sophie cried out as she came in a series of deep rhythmic pulses. Reed held her and stroked her hair as
her body quaked in mini aftershocks.

Holy hell! Who knew Reed Sutton liked to talk dirty?

Sophie didn't know if she'd ever recover. This all felt surreal. He was better than any of her fantasies and they still had their clothes on! She lifted her head and gazed into his beautiful brown eyes. They held a mixture of satisfaction and strain. “Reed, did you, um, you know?”