“That feels nice.” Reed sighs as my fingers massage his scalp.
I try to shut all thoughts of Bea out and concentrate on what I’m doing as I rub the oil into his hair.
“You’ll probably have to wash your hair a couple of times to get the oil out, and we should probably treat me as well. They like to transfer. And don’t go believing that nonsense about them only liking dirty hair, or clean hair, or whatever the rumor is, because I can tell you, me and my brother and sister all had them as kids and Mom used to make us wash our hair every other day. I think that’s a lot for a kid at that age. I’m sure they don’t need to wash it that often, it doesn’t get oily. Do you know how often Paige washes hers?”
I pause and lean around so I can see Reed’s profile. He’s chuckling. His dark brown brows pulled together as his eyes crease up.
“What’s so funny?”
“I don’t think you need to treat yourself, Harls. They’ll have jumped off your head so they can get some peace—Ow!”
I tug on a few strands of his hair and then pick up the fine-toothed comb Maria lent me. “Oh, did something hurt? It must have been a cootie biting you, trying to get through your thick skull.”
Reed’s shoulders shake as he hooks his arms around the back of my calves and strokes his hands up and down my legs. I can hear the amusement dancing in his tone as he talks. “Harley?”
“What?” I mutter as I comb.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I sigh.
“I mean it.” He squeezes my legs with his large hands. “It should be me taking care of you.”
“I’m not taking care of you. I’m doing it for the cooties.” I sniff. “They’ve had enough of you as well. We are the worst couple for cooties. They hate us. Me for talking. You for being annoying and unfairly handsome. They’ll never return. They’ll put up a sign warning all future cooties to proceed at their own risk.”
Reed laughs as his fingers knead into my calf muscles and he massages them before letting out a deep groan. “Fifteen minutes is a fucking long time.”
“It’s been five already.” I keep combing as I sigh in ecstasy at the way his skilled fingers are working me. “You’re impatient.”
“When it comes to you, I am. I need you, Harls. I need to be in our bed with you. I needed it hours ago.”
I recognize the extra weariness creeping into his voice tonight. It’s the same as every night this week so far. And each of those nights he’s fucked me deliciously slowly, spooning me from behind. He must be exhausted with everything at work.
“Won’t be long,” I whisper.
He turns around and gifts me with the most beautiful smile. His smoky quartz eyes hold mine, and I lean down and kiss him, ignoring the fact he’s covered in oil that will go all over my t-shirt. I kiss him and kiss him and kiss him.
When I open my eyes, he’s looking at me in a way that makes hidden parts of me fizz and flutter and explode into showers of warm stars. I oil my hair quickly, and then we go to the bathroom and wash in silence. I wash Reed’s hair and he washes mine. We don’t seem to need more words tonight. We are both content to just smile at one another. As I rinse the shampoo suds from my hair, Reed strokes me, keeping his eyes glued to mine the entire time. He strokes my face, my neck, my breasts, my stomach. Featherlight touches everywhere, except between my legs, where I so desperately ache for him.
After we get into bed, I expect Reed to want the tired, slow spoon sex, but instead he pulls me to him as we lie facing one another and wraps one of my legs around his waist. Then he puts a condom on and slowly sinks inside my body with his eyes on mine.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmurs as he kisses my cheeks first, then my eyelids, then my nose, and finally my lips. “You’re so beautiful, Harley.”
“Is Reed all set for the election next week?”
“Yeah, he is.” I smile at Suze across Maria’s kitchen island as she pops another chip in her mouth.
We’ve decided to have a girls’ night in. Reed and Griffin are out at a bar, so we’ve taken over Maria and Griffin’s penthouse. It looks like an explosion in the snack aisle at the grocery store. Bowls of chips are scattered about, along with various dips, hot baked doughballs, vegetable sticks, and spring rolls. And two empty bottles of wine so far.
“He seems calm about it. Tired, but calm,” I say, thinking about how worn out he’s looked this week. But despite it, the attention he’s giving me has only increased. It’s like something shifted between us since the cooties were evicted. He would always kiss me goodbye before work in the morning. But now he’s taking twice as long to do it, holding my head in his hands, stroking my face. We often end up having sex against the wall in the hallway minutes before we both have to leave. Him in his suit, me with my panties pushed to one side and my lips on his as we pant out our pleasure together and he tells me how much he’s going to miss me. Then he kisses me in the elevator if we’re alone, before holding my hand until the very last moment on the sidewalk where we have to part ways.
Reed Walker is firmly embedding himself deeper in my heart each day.
“He should be. I’m sure he’s going to win,” Maria says, refilling Suze’s empty wineglass.
“I hope so. He deserves it. He’s worked really hard, and he’s passionate about it.”
“He’s passionate about you,” Suze pipes up, taking a large sip of her wine.