Fireflies From Heaven (3 page)

“Do I make you
nervous, Ellie?” he asked with a smile in his voice.

“Yes.”

We’d stopped at
a red light and I looked over to see the surprise on Reed’s face.
 
“It’s not a bad nervous,” I assured him.
“I’m very aware of you and that makes me uncomfortable.”

Reed’s expression
turned to one of pure shock.
 
“I
make you uncomfortable?”

I frowned,
wishing I could take back my stupid words and start the conversation over.
“No.
 
Well, yes, but it’s not a bad
thing.
 
You just unsettle me, and I
thought you were flirting with me when you asked that, so I probably said the
wrong thing.”

“I was flirting
with you,” he admitted.

I gripped the
steering wheel tightly. “You were?”

“Yes.”

A country song
started playing on the radio and I listened to the words trying to slow the
crazy beating of my heart.
 
“You can
change the station,” I offered politely.

“I listen to country
music too.
 
That’s about all that’s
on my iPod.”

“Really?
 
I figured you for more of a hardcore
rocker.”

“Hey, you don’t
have to wear a cowboy hat to love the music.”

I smiled,
thinking Reed would look great in anything. “I’m not so good at flirting,” I
admitted to him, though I’m sure it came as no surprise. “I guess I should have
batted my eyes or flipped my hair and said,
Reed
.
You don’t make me nervous at all. Why do
you think that
?”
 
I raised my
voice an octave and giggled.

He
laughed.
 
“Yeah, that’s what most
girls would have said. Something like that.”

“Now that I’ve
failed at flirting with you.
 
What
do you suggest I do to redeem myself?”

“I think you’re
improving already with that question.
 
So do you have a boyfriend, Ellie?”

“No.”

“That’s
surprising.
 
If you want to practice
flirting, I could give you some pointers.”

“I’m not sure
that would be a good idea. Amber and I are friends.”

“I see,” he
said with obvious disappointment. “Sweet, beautiful and loyal.”

I pulled onto
Amber’s street, but there were cars already parked on both sides of her house
so I parked across the street.

“Here we are.” I
didn’t want him to go.

Reed didn’t say
anything.
 
He also wasn’t in a hurry
to get out of the Jeep, which I thought was sort of strange.
 

A moment later
Amber came out her front door but she wasn’t alone.
 
Hand in hand with a guy with sleeve
tattoos on both arms, they made their way to a motorcycle in the driveway.
 
The guy yanked Amber against him and
kissed her deeply while she melted against him.

The air froze
in my lungs.
 
Seconds slipped by
while I stared at them, dumbfounded, unable to believe what I was seeing.
 
My heart broke for Reed, but when I
turned to look at him, Reed was watching me instead of Amber and the guy.

“That’s Amber’s
new boyfriend, Cade. He did her last tattoo.” Reed spoke calmly, seemingly
unaffected by the duo making out a few feet away from us.

“I hope it
wasn’t your name,” I blurted without thinking.

Reed laughed.
“It wasn’t.”

“I thought you
were Amber’s boyfriend.”

“We broke up a
few months ago.
 
It didn’t work with
me being gone all the time.
 
Amber
wasn’t sure how to tell Isabelle, and I agreed to let her tell my sister when
she was ready.”

“Oh.
 
Do you want to get out of here?”

He nodded.

I started the
car and drove, unsure where exactly we were going. “Are you hungry?”

“Always,
Ellie.”

“What’s your
favorite kind of food?”

“I love almost
anything, but I’m in the mood for barbeque if that’s okay.”

I smiled,
noting something else Reed and I had in common.
 
“I know just the place.”

“Do you mind if
we stop by Isabelle’s place first?
 
I could use a quick shower and change of clothes.”

I waited in
Isabelle’s living room, flipping channels while Reed showered.
 
I tried, and failed, not to imagine him
naked, but thankfully it didn’t take him long and less than fifteen minutes
after we’d arrived at Isabelle’s apartment, Reed had showered and was dressed
in faded jeans, boots and a plaid button down shirt. He looked sexy and he
smelled amazing, like soap and aftershave.

I took Reed to The
Pit, one of the newest, coolest barbeque places in town with its down home
décor, large outdoor patio with dance floor and stage where live bands
performed almost every night.

“You’ll love
it,” I said with a smile.

Reed’s gaze
moved over the large tin roofed building with the American and Texas flags
flying at the entrance. “I already do.”

I couldn’t help
but smile at the pleasure in his voice.
 
“It opened last August and it’s been one of my favorite places ever
since.”

Reed got out of
the car, and before I knew what he meant to do he was opening my door for me
and placing his big hand at the small of my back as we walked toward the
restaurant.
 
A warm fire unfurled in
my lower belly, and I felt all tingly and alive beside Reed.
 

He towered over
my slender five-foot-four frame, making me feel delicate beside him.
 
Beneath his shirt his muscles bunched,
rippled and tapered over his cut abs. I tried not to stare, but my eyes kept
flicking over his chiseled body.

Reed was
watching me with a knowing-look in his deep, ocean blue eyes and I knew he was
aware of the affect he had on me.
 
I
thought I caught him checking me out with a similar look, but I wasn’t sure.

We both ordered
the special, which was sliced beef, sausage, potato salad, coleslaw, a roll and
sweet tea.
 
Taking a table on the
outside deck, we sat down to eat just as the live band began another song.

To distract
myself, I asked him the question that I’d been curious about for years.
 
“What made you decide to join the army?”

Reed’s hand,
which was holding the salt, stilled and he seemed to consider the
question.
 
It was a moment before he
answered. “I didn’t have any money for college, and I knew I had to do
something.
 
Four more years and
they’ll pay my way through college.”

“Four more
years?” I hoped he didn’t hear the disappointment in my voice, but I knew that
he did.

“I just signed
on for the additional four.” He didn’t seem happy about it, and I was suddenly
sad. “It’s my turn to ask you a question.”

“You want to
know why I’m going to school to be a nurse?”

He shook his
head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
 
“I think I already know the answer to
that, stop me if I’m wrong.
 
You
like helping people and it gives you a sense of satisfaction to know that you’ve
made a difference in someone’s life.”

I smiled.
“You’re good.”

His eyes
darkened. “Not always, Ellie.”

“You’re
flirting with me again?”

“Is that okay?”
His eyes locked with mine.

“It’s okay.”
The words shook a little.

“You still have
your dog, Jack?”

I couldn’t help
but smile to know that he remembered my dog, and I wondered if he ever thought
of that stormy afternoon when he’d driven me home.
 
“Jack lives with Dad, but I see them as
much as I can.”

“I always
wanted a dog.”

“Maybe one day
you’ll have one.”

“Maybe.”

“Do you want to
get married?” I asked, curious about his plans for the future. Unfortunately,
as soon as I asked the question I realized how it might sound to him. My cheeks
began to burn with embarrassment.

Reed stopped
chewing, swallowed and grinned.
 
“I’ll be overseas for the next few years but what the hell, if you want
we can fly to Vegas.”

It took me a
moment to realize how he’d misunderstood my question.
 
“I meant one day.
 
Do you want to get married and have a
family one day, but not with me,” I said, stumbling over my own words. “Not
that I wouldn’t want to marry you, but, well, you know what I mean.”

Reed seemed
like he was trying not to smile.

I put my hand
over my face, and laughed along with him.
 
“I’m making a fool of myself.”

“It’s okay.
 
I have that affect on women,” Reed
replied, sitting up a little straighter.

“At least
you’re used to it,” I told him, but I didn’t like thinking of other women
throwing themselves at Reed.

The sound of
his deep laughter seemed to tickle my skin and goose bumps popped over my
flesh.

“I was joking,
Ellie. I’m not that full of myself.”

“I didn’t think
that. You’re gorgeous and I can see women falling all over themselves for you.”

I’d surprised
him again.
 
“You’re the one that’s
gorgeous, and you don’t even seem to know it.”

I laughed
nervously, ducking my head.

Reed reached
across the table and took my hand.
 
“You have no idea how desirable you are, do you?”

“Reed, I
appreciate it but you don’t have to say that.”

“After everyone
thought you wrote that letter practically asking me to take your virginity,
guys went crazy over you and wanted to volunteer to take my place if I wasn’t
interested.
 
Every time I heard
someone talking about you that way, I was mad as hell.
 
I threatened to kick the ass of anyone
that touched you.”

I was stunned.
 
I’d had no idea.

“There’s
something about you, Ellie McAllister. I knew it four years ago, and you turned
me inside out.
 
That’s why I never
spoke to you again after that day. I felt guilty for thinking about you the way
I did. I had a girlfriend, and you were only fourteen and too innocent to know
what you did to me.”

I swallowed the
knot of emotion in my throat. “You were attracted to me?” This was something I
couldn’t wrap my mind around, because I’d always assumed my feeling for Reed were
one sided.

“Yes. I’m not
proud of it. You were too young for me.”

“I always
thought it was just me.
 
When I’m
around you, I’m so aware of you that I can hardly think straight,” I told him,
watching his eyes heat.

“Don’t say
anything else,” Reed replied, looking almost as if he was in pain.

I frowned,
worried I’d revealed too much.

 
His eyes darkened. “I haven’t been with a
woman in a long time. You shouldn’t say stuff like that to me when we’re in
public.”

All of the
sudden, I knew exactly what I wanted from Reed tonight, and I’d never been more
sure of anything.
 
“Cora is in Austin
this weekend. Do you want to come to my place?”

“I think you
already know the answer to that.”

I stood up so
quickly I knocked over my chair, but Reed caught it, with super-quick reflexes,
before it reached the deck.
 
He took
my hand and I thought we were leaving, but he led me onto the dance floor and
pulled me into my arms.
 
Reed moved
effortlessly to the beat of the music, and his body felt incredible pressed up
against mine. Resisting the urge to bury my head against his chest, I concentrated
on the steps and prayed I didn’t stomp on his foot.

“Ellie, I’m
leaving in three days and I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

He left it
unspoken, but I knew what he was trying to tell me.
 
We’d have only tonight, nothing more,
and he was giving me time to change my mind.

I looked into
his eyes. “If we don’t have much time, then we shouldn’t waste it.”

We didn’t wait
for the song to end. Taking my hand he led me down the ramp, toward the parking
lot, then he stopped, turned and gently pushed me up against the building.
 
His gaze dropped to my mouth, and my
knees went weak with anticipation. Reed was going to kiss me. His mouth
captured mine, kissing me deeply enough that my heart raced and shimmers of
excitement shot down my spine.

Later, I’d
wonder how we ever made it to my apartment.
 

As soon as we shut
the apartment door, Reed hauled me into his arms again and we kissed some more,
unable to get enough of each other.
 
I’m not sure I remember how we got to my room, but I do recall falling
into my bed with Reed on top of me. We touched and kissed and stripped each
other bare until we were both shaking with need.

“Ellie, are you
sure?” Reed asked in a strained voice. His arms were braced on either side of
me, as he looked down at me with a hunger in his dark blue eyes that I felt as
well.

“I want you,
Reed. Please.”

That was all
the encouragement he needed.
 
Reed
buried himself inside of me, taking my virginity in one sure, swift stroke.

I flinched.

Reed froze.

After a moment
he said my name and it sounded pained, as if it had been physically torn from
him.

“I’m okay,” I
whispered, sliding my hands down the smooth, taut muscles of his back.

Reed
swore.
 
“I should have known you
were a virgin.” He started to withdraw, but I reached up and held him tightly
against me.