If I Say Yes (23 page)

Everything is so simple with Reid in our little secret world, away
from the troubles of the world. We are in sync; when he moves, I move.
When I listen to the beating of his heart while I lie on his chest, I notice
how our heartbeats are one and the same. The same rhythm, the same
strong, beating heart. We have settled into a routine now. We spend
most of our days hiking along the numerous trails in the vast land
behind his house and having picnics. Our nights are spent curled up on
the couch, with his arm wrapped around me, and the two of us reading
together.

It really has been bliss.

Now, that world is about to come crashing down around us. It’s time
to return back to reality, and the jobs we can’t keep ignoring. I don’t know
how Reid managed to get us this much time off, but being the nephew
of the owner must come in handy sometimes. My stomach has been a
wreck since Reid told me that our little vacation is coming to an end and
tomorrow we head back to the office. First, it’s because I am sure the rumor mill will start once we arrive. I mean, we have both been gone
nearly two and a half weeks, and we are returning the same day. Yeah,
I
would think something is going on. Even if it isn’t anyone’s business.

The thing that scares me the most, that makes my stomach sicker
than hell, is my computer. The idea of receiving more emails is enough
to send me into hiding. I still haven’t shared anything about them with
Reid. It isn’t his problem. This is something I have to deal with on my
own, and he is already more involved than I want him to be. It’s time I take a stand for myself.
The time is now
.

“Liza?” I hear Reid calling up the stairs for me. I take a deep breath
and stare at the single duffle bag containing the few belongings I have here
.
Time to face the music
. I pick the bag up off the bed, sling it over my arm, and head downstairs.

“I’m coming,” I answer in a sing-song voice. Reid takes my bag
from me when I reach the bottom of the stairs and presses his lips
against the side of my head. “You really have no patience, do you?” I want to laugh because he is actually a patient man.

“I just want to be back in the city before dark and make sure you get settled in.” My heart stops for a brief moment. This is it. This is the moment where I return back to my apartment, the place that has been violated twice by at least one person. At this point, I’m not even sure anymore. I really need to start searching for a new place to live.

The drive is quiet and peaceful. Reid holds my hand gently and
doesn’t let go during the entire trip. I watch as the trees and hills blur
past us, becoming less frequent after an hour of driving and slowly
starting to morph into neighborhoods. Before I know it, we are in the
center of town. We are long past the turn to my apartment, and I glance
over at Reid nervously. “Where are we going?”

“My place.” He raises an eyebrow and glances at me as we slow
down at a stoplight. I furrow my eyebrows and shake my head. I honestly
wasn’t expecting this. “What? Did you honestly think I would let you
go back to your apartment?”

“I just assumed that I was.”

“Look,” he takes a deep breath, “if you aren’t comfortable staying
at my place, I can take you somewhere else. But I would really like it if you stayed with me so that I know you are safe.”

I sit and ponder this for a moment before I squeeze his hand. “I
have no place I would rather be.” And I mean it. Reid smiles before he
turns his attention back to the road and eases through the light. A few
minutes later, we turn on a road that is very familiar.

My heart stops and drops to the pit of my stomach. My throat dries
and I find myself struggling to breathe. It’s the same road that leads up
to the
house
, the one I grew up in and didn’t have the nerve to sell after
I made the drastic life change. Whether I like it or not, it’s a part of me,
a part of my past, and it will always be with me. That is something I can’t change.

A few minutes later, we are pulling through large iron gates not
very far away from my childhood home. I turn my head slightly as we
drive past the gate, gaze up to the top of the hill, and see that the house
is still standing there, as majestic and beautiful as it was the last time
I laid eyes on it. A tear stings my eye, and I casually wipe it away,
hoping that Reid doesn’t notice. I turn my head back down the winding
driveway when a large house appears in front of it. I hold back laughter
when I see it. The house is just what I expected when we had pulled into the front of the cabin house in the woods.

Large white columns line the front of the equally white three story
house. Perfectly trimmed rose bushes edge the walkway up to the
grand double doors. Reid pulls to a stop in front of the house and is at
my door in the blink of an eye. I smile as I place my hand into his, and
he leads me towards the house.

When I reach the doors, I see the wood is carved with an incredibly
intricate design. The detail in the wood is beautiful, and I stare for a
moment at the twirl and swirls of the lines before Reid pushes open the door on the left hand side. We step into a grand foyer, much like the one in the house I grew up in. “So this is it,” he says softly.

“It’s beautiful.” And it really is. I let go of his hand and walk to the
center of the foyer, spinning in a slow circle. The floor is checkered with
black and white tiles. A larger chandelier dangles above our heads. The
ceiling has a beautiful mural gracing it, like da Vinci himself rose from the
dead and painted it, and the staircase is made of dark mahogany wood.

“There’s time to see the rest of the house later,” he says softly. “Let’s
get you settled into your room.”

My room?
For
the
past two weeks, we’ve been
sharing
space.
Whether
we fall asleep on the couch or upstairs in bed, I’ve gotten used to his arms
holding me tightly against his chest, and feeling his warmth invade me.
Now we’re going into separate rooms. The thought is absurd, and I
almost say so as he leads me up the stairs. Maybe I am just overthinking
things, and maybe he isn’t trying to push me.

I follow him down a long hall off to the right of the top of the
staircase. Photographs line the walls on both sides, much like the ones
in the cabin, but here they are a bit different. Instead of just photos of his mother and him, they are family photos with his mother, a man I
presume to be his father, and another male who seems to be a few
years older than him but practically identical. I don’t remember Reid
ever mentioning he had a brother. I almost ask him about it but throw
the thought aside just as quickly.

If he wanted me to know about any siblings, he would have told
me. I can’t start prying into his life when I have secrets of my own that I am unwilling to share. I know I am being selfish, but the thought that
he is
keeping
something from me tugs at my heart. Reid has been nothing
but completely honest with me. Now, I am
beginning
to wonder if I really
know him all that well. Granted, he’s been an open book, answering any
questions that I have, but this is big. Having a brother is not something
that you easily forget.

You’re one to talk.
I shake my head and try to escape my inner critic.

We stop in front of a simple white door. Reid glances back at me
and smiles before he opens it. The door opens into a large room, just as
breathtaking as the rest of the house. Huge windows across the room
overlook a beautifully sculpted backyard. To my right is a large stone
fireplace built into the wall with a small sitting area placed in front of
it. A large four poster, canopy bed rests on top of a raised platform to
my left. Thick embroidered cream colored drapes surround the bed,
which are tied to the poles at the end of the bed, revealing a matching
bedspread that seems like pure luxury.

“I’ll let you get settled in,” Reid says as he pulls me into his arms
and brushes his lips against my forehead. “My room is just across the
hall.” I pull my head back and gaze up at him. A wicked grin spreads
across his face, and he winks at me before exiting the room.

I walk across the room and throw myself on the bed. Lying there,
I feel as though I am on cloud nine. The softness of the silky material
brushes against my skin, and I sink deeper into the bed. I let out a deep
sigh before pushing myself up and scanning the rest of the room.
I see a set of double doors off to the corner of the room and decide to go
investigate. I have an idea of what is behind the doors, and the thought
alone excites me. I can use a nice hot bubble bath right about now.

The last thing I expect to see when I pull open the doors is a fully
stocked closet with clothes in about my size. My excitement of finding
the bathroom quickly diminishes and turns into rage. I don’t know why
I am angry over the wardrobe. Any woman would love to find a new
closet full of clothes, but I am beyond pissed. I turn on my heels, storm
out of the closet that is nearly the size of my room, and head straight for the room Reid said was his.

I don’t knock before barging into Reid’s room, and I am caught off
guard when I see him shirtless. Yes, I have seen him shirtless more
times than I can count over the last few weeks, but it always takes my
breath away. I forget for a moment why I am in his room and take the
time to admire his smooth, perfectly carved chest. My eyes finally land
on the V-cut just above the top of his linen pajama bottoms. I hear Reid
clear his
throa
t and feel the heat of embarrassment rushing to my cheeks
from being caught. “See something you like?”

“Y-y-yes…” I manage to say. I shake my head and glare at him.
“I mean no. Stop trying to distract me. What the hell is that in my
bedroom?”

He smiles and shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Oh no,” I say, slightly irritated. I narrow my eyes on him and begin
to stalk across the room like a lioness after her prey. “You know exactly
what I am talking about.” The smile disappears off Reid’s face when he
realizes I am being quite serious. “The monstrosity in my closet. What
is up with all the clothes?” I stop just in front of him and cross my
arms over my chest. “I don’t need your charity.”

“It isn’t charity
. I-I-I thought you would like some clothes for work.”

I send a shooting glare at him. “I have clothes. If I wanted more,
I would have had you stop by my apartment.” Reid says nothing and
drops his gaze from mine. I know I’m overreacting, but for some reason,
the whole situation is getting under my skin. “Reid…” I reach out to touch his arm, and he pulls away from me.

“You’re right. I’ll send them back tomorrow.” He turns and heads
towards what I
assume
is his closet. My anger quickly
dissipates
, turning
into guilt. Why did I overreact about this? It’s just a bunch of clothes. I’m
sure he didn’t mean anything by it, other than to making me comfortable.
He probably didn’t think I would be feeling up to swinging by my
apartment to grab more, which would be correct. Reid might have
slightly gone overboard, but he meant well. Feeling defeated, I take a deep breath and follow him into the closet.

I can’t find him anywhere until I see light shining from underneath
a door to my right and hear water running. I knock slightly, giving
warning to my entrance, before I open the door. Reid is standing at
the sink with shaving cream on his chin. “You’re going to shave?” I
ask weakly. I take another step towards him. “I love the scruff.”

Reid doesn’t respond. I cast my eyes down towards the floor, afraid
to look at him, but I can feel his eyes on me. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I
overreacted. It’s just… you could have warned me about the clothes.”

I feel his arms come around me and pull me close to him. I take a
deep breath, inhaling the scent that is only Reid, and relax in his arms.
“We were both wrong.” He laughs deeply. “But we were both right. I should have told you about the clothes. I just wanted to surprise you.”

“I hate surprises,” I mumble into his chest. I can feel his laughter vibrating through me.

“I know.”

I pull back and gaze up at him. I press my lips against his. He breaks
free first. “Liza?” He laughs softly. “You have cream on your face.”

“I don’t care.”

I press against him again, straining to reach his lips again, but he
holds me back. “Let me get this cleaned off, and then we can make
something to eat and watch a movie.”