Graham holds out a hand and Reed shakes it, the two of them displaying the expected politeness as he greets Graham back and gives him a charming smile. It’s his public smile. I’ve seen him smile a million times over the years when he’s visited Griffin. The smile he uses with friends is totally different from this. That smile reaches his eyes and has a certain peace and comfortableness held in it. This one is bright, but careful and perfectly measured.
It’s both a weapon and a shield.
“I believe you know my partner, Bea,” Graham says as she leans in, kissing Reed on both cheeks, the beads on her dress scraping against my arm as she closes in on him.
“Reed. What a wonderful surprise.”
“Bea,” Reed replies in a monotone voice as she pulls back and tinkles out a laugh.
“Oh, you. Always a man of so many words. And who is yourfriend?” She turns to me, a thin smile spreading over her lips.
“Don’t take it personally.” She lowers her voice to me before Reed has a chance to answer. I glance at him, and his jaw is set hard. “I’ve heard he has trouble with names if he doesn’t need to remember them the next day.”
Bitch.
She has no right. She doesn’t know him… not really. I mean, he’s Griffin’s best friend. And he’s my… well, he’s Reed.
I take a deep breath to compose myself as I plaster on a smile, running my spare hand up over Reed’s chest and wrapping myself against him.
“Oh, he won’t need to use my name tomorrow. Saturday is our special day together, isn’t it, Babe?” I press my hand flat against his chest and let out a breathy sigh before looking directly at Graham. “I like him to call me baby girl on Saturdays. It’s my daddy day.” I pout and then glance up at Reed, catching his darkened gaze boring into mine. “Oh, don’t look so worried. It’s hardly unusual. I’m sure Graham and Bea have special days in their home, too.”
“Our home?” Bea’s polite bitch mask has slipped, leaving her sour-faced as though she’s just been told being a witch went out of fashion decades ago.
She scowls at me as I continue to talk. “Oh, sorry. I just assumed. Silly me.” I roll my eyes with a giggle. “You two just look so wonderful together. I assumed it must be serious and you live together.”
Take that, bitch. I know how to hand out shit disguised as sugar.
“It is serious, very serious. But we haven’t found the right place yet. Everything in the city we’ve seen so far is too… ordinary.” Bea’s gaze drops over me again, one brow raised, and I know she’s trying to get a rise out of me. I smile sweetly at her instead and she looks back at Graham, who is running a hand around the back of his neck and looks like he might break out in a sweat any second. I almost feel sorry for him.
“Oh, well, how exciting when that day comes. Although I bet you’ll hardly get any unpacking done. There’s something soexcitingabout a new place together while there are boxes everywhere, isn’t there, Babe?” I rub my hand over Reed’s chest, noticing the way Bea’s eyes follow my movement.
“Yes. There is, isn’t there?” Her gaze turns cold as she looks back at my face with a smirk. “I remember that all too well after I moved in with Reed when we got engaged.”
My hand freezes for a micro-second before I continue stroking Reed’s chest. His heart is pounding.
“Well, you two beautiful lovebirds wouldn’t be here today if that had worked out, so…” I give her another sweet smile and then turn to Reed, widening my eyes as the band begins a new song.
“You know I love this one. Can we dance?”
“Of course.” Reed takes my hand in his as he nods goodbye.
“So nice to meet you both,” I call over my shoulder, wiggling my fingers in a small wave as Reed leads us to the dancefloor and then pulls me into his arms.
“What was that?” he hisses in my ear as we move to the music. It’s a slow song, so I wrap my arms around his neck as he rests his hands on my back.
“They’re looking this way. Put your hands lower.”
“What?” He leans back, but I grip him to me.
“Bea and Graham. She doesn’t look happy. Put your hands on the top of my ass,” I instruct.
“Harley, I—”
“Do it,” I whisper in his ear, feeling the low grumble from his throat as he slides his hands down and rests them on the curve of my lower back, his fingers lightly grazing the top of my butt cheeks. “Better,” I hum in his ear as we move to the music.
“So now, can you tell me what the hell that was all about?” His voice is low and gravelly against my ear as we move around the dance floor with the rest of the couples.
I shiver as his breath teases the side of my neck. “She was being rude about you.”