Chapter One
“Damn! Calm yourself down!”
Reed’s fingers fumbled over the last button on his silver Gucci button down. Smoothing his hand down the sleeve nervously, he lectured himself to take it easy. It’s okay to be late. However, Reed really wanted to be at the ballroom before his brother and future sister in-law made their grand entrance.
God, he couldn't believe his younger brother, Rylie, was getting married. The big rehearsal dinner tonight began the wedding festivities. A few days from now, his brother would be a married man. How could Rylie be old enough to be married; where did the time go? Giving in to the thought, Reed closed his eyes, remembering the younger kid brother he left behind. They were six years apart in age, and the last time he spent any time with Rylie, he was a lanky teenager who did little more than play video games for most of the day. Today, Rylie stood close to Reed’s height, almost six foot three inches tall. His almost too thin frame had turned muscular and solid, with not an ounce of fat anywhere to be seen. They both shared the same handsomely chiseled facial features, naturally blond hair, and deep emerald green eyes. But after five years in the military, most of it in the Marine’s Special Forces division, Rylie’s eyes held something more—the weight of a seasoned warrior and a battle weary fighter.
Forcing his mind away from thoughts of his brother, Reed glanced at the small alarm clock sitting on the night stand beside his bed as he hurried back into his bedroom. He ran his eyes across the two printed silk ties lying on the hand carved antique dresser. Reed fondly remembered the little antique shop in Europe where he discovered this treasure. Smiling, he smoothed his hand across the cool marble top before settling on the pink and gray Saint Valentine by Hermes tie perfect for this special occasion. Turning up the collar of his neatly pressed dress shirt, Reed stood in front of the dresser’s mirror, and absently tied a Windsor knot. He’d tied this same knot almost every day of his adult life, and didn’t need the mirror to know he tied it perfectly.
His mind stayed focused on Rylie, thinking back to the day when his brother announced his engagement. He truly couldn’t have been happier for the two of them. The love Rylie held for his beautiful bride, Elise, shone bright in his eyes every time he spoke of his childhood sweetheart. The love and romance of the situation made Reed wonder if maybe someday his brother might stand up next to him, and be his best man. Perhaps Rylie might feel this same deep pride and happiness he felt at this very moment.
Reed chuckled at the absurdity of it all and he pushed all wayward thoughts aside. Who was he trying to fool? No way could he ever be the settle down type of guy. It didn’t matter that his ancestry was full of those kinds of men. For as long back as he knew, the men of his family not only met their soul mates, but stayed with them until they died. No instance of divorce or separation appeared anywhere in their long family tree. However, those same ideas didn’t seem to run true with Reed. Not once in his life did Reed feel a deep connection with any other. Too many lovers passed through his front door, and he never considered sharing his life with any of them. Hell, if truth be told, they weren't even lovers. They were merely just tension relievers; distractions to help pass the time.
Many in the circles Reed ran in considered him a wealthy playboy. Reed rightfully earned his reputation of a hardedge lawyer who would fuck you in and out of the courtroom, but very few knew it was all a game to him.
Almost from the beginning, Reed embraced his homosexuality. Europe didn’t have the same deep prejudices toward his lifestyle as many here in the United States. Although his family fully accepted him, it still caused Reed issues every once in a while when he visited the states. But for awhile now, Reed felt ready for that something missing from his life to make its presence known. His deepest, secret desires were the love and romance of finding his one true connection, the one person he might wake up and go to sleep with every single day for the rest of his life. And if the fairytale ever landed on his doorstep, he would readily hang up his playboy ways and give himself as freely as Rylie did to Elise.
Maybe moving back here to his hometown truly was the best possible choice. Reed felt closer to his brother at this moment than any other time in his life. He spent the last few years abroad, interning, learning from the largest international law firms, while Rylie chose the military route, working for years at a time overseas. Their schedules rarely matched up. Time passed too quickly. While Reed kept up with Rylie through text, email, or the occasional phone call, he still regretted not being there to play big brother to him. So when Baker&Pruitt offered a full partner position with an obscenely large salary, Reed seized the opportunity and happily moved back to the Washington DC area where he grew up.
Selecting a pair of onyx and diamond cuff links, Reed secured them through his cuffs. He sprayed himself with Clive Christian, his favorite cologne. The black Armani suit jacket lay across his bed. He picked it up, sliding it easily onto his broad shoulders, before making his way back to the mirror. With one last glance, Reed ran his fingers through his thick blond hair and grinned at his reflection. Everything looked in place.
His iPhone and the keys to his new Porsche Carrera GT—Reed’s gift to himself for the new promotion—lay at the end of his dresser. He grabbed both before heading out the door. Thank God the hotel was just a few miles away; the drive went quick. The valet stood ready and waiting as he pulled into the circle drive of Hotel Zaza. Quickly, he leapt from the car, tossing the keys in the valet’s general direction.