Blurred Lines (21 page)

“I think Kennedy will pop a kid before Reid and I have another one,” I said, looking pointedly at Kennedy. Her brows furrowed as she took a sip of her red wine.

“I still have to finish school,” she argued half-heartedly. “And I’d like to get married first before Dane and I start talking babies.”

I hid my smirk, knowing that Dane was going to propose at our little get-together. His plans were postponed the day Daniela was born, but according to Reid it suited him just fine. Poor guy had been nervous all afternoon, but Reid and I assured him he had nothing to worry about. Kennedy was so in love with him there was no chance in hell she would say no, that much I was sure of.

Reid and Dane were manning the barbeque, talking about whatever guys talked about with our fathers, Chase, and Grady’s boyfriend, Daniel, while the rest of us – Kennedy, Ashley, Reid’s mother, my mother, and Grady – sat on the deck. It was the first time in weeks that we were all together, aside from the few visits everyone had paid after Daniela and I were home from the hospital.

Speaking of the little Princess, I smiled when I saw she was fast asleep in my mother’s arms while she talked animatedly with Reid’s mother. When it came to spoiling our daughter, her grandmothers were the culprits, although I suspected Reid was guilty of that too. 

“I think Ashley will be next,” said Grady. “The rate you and my brother are going, I’m going to be an uncle before the year is up.”

Ashley’s cheeks reddened, and she ducked her head with a giggle. “Your brother’s the screamer, not me.”

Grady rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what made me think I could handle living with you two. I’m starting to think I should shack up with Kennedy and Dane.”

I snorted. “They’re not any better,” – I winced when Kennedy kicked my shin under the table, - “Maybe you and Daniel can get a place together. You look pretty serious about him.”

Grady sighed, and looked to where all the guys had gathered. Daniel was dressed in dark jeans, a navy polo, and a cream sweater. He wasn’t what I had envisioned Grady going for, but when I saw them together for the first time, I knew Grady was a goner. I was thrilled for him. After his attack he’d become a little hard to reach, but Daniel persisted, and Grady was so happy it was sickening.

I saw my mother stand, and I rose to my feet so that I could take Daniela from her.

“Thanks mamma,” I kissed her cheek.

“I hate letting her go,” said my mother. “But she’s tired.”

“I’ll put her in her crib. I’ll be right back.”

I walked inside, and took Daniela to the nursery. I was tucking her in when two arms wrapped around my waist.

“There’s my two favorite girls,” murmured Reid.

“I was just putting our Princess to bed. Too much time with her grandmothers wore her out.”

Reid chuckled. “It’s a good thing they’re going home later, otherwise we’d never get her back.”

“Yeah,” I sighed contentedly.

“Dinner’s ready. Let’s go outside and feed the people so they can leave. I can’t wait to get you alone.”

I turned around and wrapped my arms around Reid’s neck. “We’ve waited this long,” – I brushed my lips across his and smiled when he groaned, - “I’m sure we can last a few more hours.”

I sighed inwardly, and felt my blood warm. I’d been given the all clear from Dr. Burke, but had yet to give Reid that little tit-bit. I was having too much fun getting him worked up, only to tell him, “not yet.”

Not anymore,
I thought.

“You’re killing me,” he whispered. “But for you, I’ll suck it up. Besides, we have to wait for Dane to do his thing.”

“I’m so excited,” I told him, dropping my arms. “Better not keep him waiting too long, he might just chicken out.”

Reid took my hand and we joined our guests outside. The conversation flowed, and I couldn’t help but feel the happiness around me, staring at all the people I loved gathered in one place.

Dane stood up, and cleared his throat. “I’d like to make a toast,” he said. I traded a knowing glance with Reid.

“To Daniela Sofia,” continued Dane. “And the love of good friends, family, and the person who completes my life.”

He pushed back his chair, and held out his hand to Kennedy. She looked around, perplexed, and stood to join him. When he dropped to one knee we all gasped, and I squeezed Reid’s hand under the table.

Dane removed a small black box from his pocket, and Kennedy covered her mouth with her hands.

He looked up at her, his expression a mixture of nervousness, and pure adoration. “Kennedy Monroe, I love you more and more every day. You make me want to be a better man, and have chosen to love me despite our past. I want to give you everything, and spend the rest of my life being yours. I want to have a family with you, make pancakes on Sunday mornings with you,” – Kennedy giggled through her tear-filled eyes – “and grow old with you. Make me the happiest man on Earth, and marry me. Be my wife.”

Kennedy’s breath shuddered, and then she fell to her knees with a resounding “yes!”

We cheered as Dane and Kennedy embraced, and then laughed when Dane fumbled with the ring until it rested on Kennedy’s finger. As soon as they stood up they were swarmed as we all exchanged hugs, and congratulations.

When I pulled back from Kennedy we were both a little emotional. “I’m so happy for you,” I told her. “You deserve it.”

“Who would’ve thought,” she sniffled, wiping her cheeks. “I’m marrying my used-to-be enemy, and you’ve just had a baby with your best friend since childhood.”

“It can’t get any more perfect than that,” I replied, looking back at Reid. He caught me staring, and gave me that lopsided grin that was reserved only for me. In that moment, I realized every decision, and every mistake, even the big ones, had led me to him.

He was wearing only his cotton drawstring pajama

bottoms, and left his upper body bare, giving me the most spectacular view of his back.

“You need to sleep now, Princess,” he told Daniela in a hushed whisper. “It’s been eight weeks and Daddy really wants to practice making your brother.”

I giggled, and Reid’s head snapped up. His face broke out into a roguish grin, his cheeks reddening slightly as a result of being caught.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to tell our daughter such things,” I laughed. I walked over to where he was standing, and smiled when Daniela saw me.

“It’s not like she understands what I’m saying,” he retorted. He looked back down. “Isn’t that right, baby girl?”

“Yet,” I mused. “She doesn’t know what it means
yet.
”

Reid scowled and I kissed his shoulder. “We’re not having this argument again,” he said. “I’m so not ready to worry about it yet.”

I sighed, amused by his overprotectiveness and thought back over the last two months. Bringing Daniela home had been intimidating, for both Reid, and myself, but we eventually got the hang of it. Daniela was the sweetest baby – obviously that was her father’s disposition and not mine – and only cried when she was hungry.

Reid was finishing his final semester at school, but still got up when I had to feed Daniela in the early hours of the morning. He was smitten, as was I, and there was nothing sexier than seeing him dote on his little girl. She was only two months old, but she already had her daddy wrapped around her little finger and I was proud to say that’s a skill she inherited from me.

“Sing to her,” I told him quietly. I took hold of Daniela’s small hand, feeling my chest swell when she wrapped her tiny fingers around mine. I lifted my other hand, and brushed her dark hair from her forehead as Reid started humming. It only took five minutes for her eyelids to start fluttering, and by the time Reid reached the chorus, she was fast asleep.

“How wonderful life is, now you’re in the world,” he finished. He laid her down in the crib, made sure her baby monitor was on in case she woke up, and quietly dragged me out by the edge of the shirt I was wearing. It was one of his button down shirts, and being the strategic thinker that I am, I wore it because it always drove him crazy seeing me in his clothes. That, and I was so ready to
have
him again, the anticipation was already making me jumpy.

“Someone’s a little eager,” I mused. He shot me a dark look over his shoulder, and kicked the door shut to our bedroom once we were inside. One look was all it took, and nothing about what happened next was slow.

Clothes flew, landing haphazardly on the new hardwood floors we’d had put in, and our bodies collided in a frenzy of rushed movements. Our mouths fused just as Reid lifted me up in his arms, and walked us to the bed. He lowered me, and stared, taking note of how my body had changed. He didn’t make me feel self-conscious about my slightly wider hips, or the feint white lines on my stomach. I still had a little baby weight to get rid of, but that didn’t bother him. In fact, judging by the look in his eyes, it made him want me more, and I loved him for that.

“Are you sure?” He asked, his voice thick with yearning.

I nodded, and bit my lip to stop myself from yelling, “Just do me already!”

Reid reached for his bedside drawer, and pulled out a condom. He hated using them, but having another baby right now wasn’t the smartest decision. Daniela’s arrival was a blessing, but no less a shock, and when we finally did decide to expand our family, I wanted us to be ready.

Reid kneeled between my parted legs, and when I felt him at my entrance I sucked in a breath.

“Easy, baby,” he murmured. “We’ll take it slow.”

His hands gripped my hips, and he slowly entered me, inch by delicious inch. It had been too long, but my body knew his, and opened up willingly. I breathed through the slight discomfort, but then arched my back when he filled me to the hilt. His head lowered, and he trailed wet kisses down my neck to the valley between my breasts. I felt his tongue swirl around my nipple, and my eyes rolled back as the sensation zipped through my body and stopped between my legs.

I lifted my hands, and pulled Reid’s face up towards mine. I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth, and started rocking my hips to let him know I
needed
him to move.

His hips moved back, and then he slowly entered me again, and again, and again until I was writhing. When he felt comfortable that he wasn’t hurting me, he sat back, and hooked one of my legs over his shoulder, hitting me deeper as he thrust forward.

“Oh yes,” I moaned breathily. “God, I’ve missed this.”

My neck arched, and I shook my head from side to side. It was building, that wave of euphoria, and I craved it to the point of mindlessness. I was desperate for that connection with Reid, having felt like we’d spent too much time without it.

I dropped my leg, and hooked my ankles around Reid’s back, urging him to come closer. He lowered his weight onto me, and shivers coursed up my skin when I felt his damn skin meet mine. My hands slipped under his arms, and over his shoulders, giving me a better grasp as his movements became harder.

I felt his hands take hold of my butt and lift me up. I cried out when the head of his cock hit me so, so, so deep, and tucked my head into his neck when he did it over, and over, over again.

“Fuck,” he grunted, “I’ve missed being inside you, missed being like this with you.”

“Please, Reid,” I begged shamelessly. “Please, please please.”

Reid answered by biting my neck gently, and with one swivel of his glorious hips I fell apart. Reid and I shook together, the room filled with the smell of
us
.

“Ohhh,” I panted shakily. My arms were unsteady, and my legs were weary but I didn’t want to let go of Reid just yet. I wanted his weight on me, his heart beating with mine, his hot breath hitting my neck and my shoulder.

“Fuck me,” exhaled Reid. “Eight weeks of foreplay, and we didn’t even last twenty minutes.”

My laughed joined the sound of our heavy breaths. “No, but with more practice like
that,
we’ll have a football team by the time we’re thirty.”

Reid lifted his head, his arms caging me in against the bed. “You’re really happy to spend forever with me?”

I smiled shyly, rubbing my feet up and down his calf muscles. “If you’ll have me.”

“Meh,” shrugged Reid. “You’ll do.”

He kissed me before I could respond, and spent the rest of the night giving me glimpses of our forever. He’d been there, waiting for me our entire lives, and after making a mess of things we finally found ourselves face-to-face. His body was my body, his heart was my heart, his soul was my soul, and it all started when we unknowingly blurred the line between friendship, and everything else we were meant to be.

~ The End ~

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

About The Author