Truth

Reid’s brows scrunched as he gave me an are-you-stupid look, but his face quickly relaxed. “So you think us getting to know each other will make us more comfortable and allow me to write again?”

I bit my lip and nodded slowly.

Reid cocked an eyebrow after he scanned my crisscross applesauce position on his bed. “You look pretty comfortable to me. What are those? Pajamas?”

I sooo should have bought that matching pj set from Target.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes. “I don’t mean literally comfortable. I just think that if we got to know each other, maybe we could open up a little more. Maybe it would make us less cat and dog and more like…” I thought for a moment. “Bambi and Thumper.”

Reid looked at me questionably, but then he cocked his lip upward, and I was beginning to see spots in my vision. My mind traveled back to the Google search I did, and I swore that same look was on the cover of a Vogue magazine, and it caused my panties to slowly creep down my legs. I, then, hurriedly clicked out of said search. Reid was hot, and he knew it.

“Are you saying that I make you uncomfortable?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Was he making me squirm on purpose?

“No!” I shouted.

Reid let out a deep chuckle, and my eyes, which were trained on the comfortable blanket underneath my legs, widened. How does a chuckle sound so… sexy?

“I think I do make you uncomfortable, Brooklyn. Very, very uncomfortable,” he said again, this time definitely using some over-the-top sexy voice.

He was toying with me! I almost growled aloud as I whipped my head up to his.

“You annoy me. Stop messing around and let’s get to work.” There! Take that, Mr. I’m-Going-To-Do-Everything-I-Can-To-Make-This-Difficult-on-Brooklyn. “You’re not going to distract me from getting you to work up the courage to write again. Nice try.”

Reid looked offended, but I was certain it was all part of his game. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I gave him a pointed stare, and he huffed. Then he mumbled, “I hate Carissa. Giving me someone who…” Then the rest was inaudible.

“I’m here to help you, Reid.”

“No, you’re here to irritate me.”

I grinned. “The sooner you cooperate, the sooner I’m gone.”

Reid threw his head back and stared at the ceiling. After a few seconds, he swiveled his head toward me, almost appearing vulnerable with his slacked jaw and no longer steely glare. “You really think you can help me?”

I gulped and tried to sound as confident as possible. “I do, but only if you agree to participate.”

I heard him sigh and watched as he rested his head on his propped-up arm. “I don’t understand how this is going to help me, but whatever.” Then he thought for a moment, those eyes working back and forth as he sorted something out. “The most normal thing I did as a teenager would probably be… I don’t know…” He shrugged one shoulder. “Toilet papering a house.”

I nodded as

a smile touched my lips. “Mmm. The ol’ toilet papering trick.”

He let out a sound that was somewhere between a grunt and an acknowledgment.

I pulled myself up to rest on the back of the bed, far, far away from Reid and his somewhat sensual lying posture. “Okay, your turn. You get to ask me something now.”

Reid sucked his bottom lip, and I had to turn my gaze away. So, okay. It’s not just extra enhancement on all those fancy cameras that professional photographers use during shows or interviews. Google didn’t lie—Reid King is really just that freaking hot. Noted.

“Okay… Why did you really take this job?”

My stomach dropped. “Really? Diving right into the deep stuff?”

He angled his head to mine and nodded. “I just want to know your true intentions. I already know you’re not here because you’re some type of “super fan.” I can tell the crazies from the normal people.”

I chuckled. “The crazies? Please enlighten me on how you can tell which ones are the crazies.”