“Well, I’m not giving you everything.”
“What? You always do.”
“This is different.”
Emily raised her brows. “Really? Like how different?”
“He wants to move into my bedroom.”
Emily laughed. “Wants or is?”
I snorted. “Yeah, you get it.” Then I told her about jumping off the cliff, go-karting, and Monopoly.
“Jesus, Ream can have fun. He’s always so serious or raving mad. Well, he was lunatic mad whenever he saw Crisis flirting with you. So are you ever going to tell me what drove you to piss him off so bad with that guy at the bar? Trust me, I get the not wanting to share part, but I’m here, Kat. No judgments. You know that, right?”
I nodded. I did. Emily was the type of girlfriend you wanted on your side of the court. She had this subtle strength about her, resolute, honest, and unshakeable. But sharing this part of myself had never been about her, it had been about me and how I saw myself.
“We need a bottle of wine. Maybe two … or three.” Because it was time I let her in.
It was midnight. We were smashed after three bottles of wine and a whole water trough of tears on her part after I told her. At first she was shocked and a little pissed off I kept something so serious from her, but Emily was Emily. She got it. She understood why I didn’t want anyone to know.
Then she told me … after the second bottle … what happened in Mexico. Alfonzo, the waterboarding, the public sex with Logan. She cried and we held one another, a new chapter born between us. We both saw strength in the other for what we had gone through except mine … well, mine was still unknown. No one knew what would happen. But it wasn’t as scary suddenly. I never thought I’d say it, but I felt stronger with her knowing. Ream was right; hiding it had been doing the opposite of what I thought it was doing.
We ended up blasting the music and dancing. I had to stop a few times when my legs began to get the pins and needles, but I’d never give up something I loved. I figured if I went slow and moved my upper body rather than my lower I could manage the dancing. It was sexy as hell, at least that’s what Emily said.
We were dancing slow and seductive to Joshua Radin when the boys came home. I was sliding my hands down my sides and Emily had her hands in her hair, her hips moving as she spun.
When we noticed them, all four stood in a line at the edge of the living room. Crisis smiled ear to ear while Kite tried to hide his grin by looking at his feet because Logan looked at both of them, scowling.
“Geez, it’s late.” Kite looked at his non-existent watch and vanished.
“Sugars, looks like you girls need some man company.” Crisis wasn’t so smart and started walking toward us. Ream grabbed his arm and I saw Crisis wink at me before he put up his hand. “I get it. No touch.”
“Disappear,” Logan said, and Crisis chuckled then left. Yep, always the shit disturber. “Upstairs.” It was all Logan had to say and Emily was giggling as he stalked from the room.
Then we both said at the same time, “Drunk sex.”
Emily walked, or rather tried to walk, more like stumbled over to Ream and stopped. He looked down at her frowning. Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I get it now. Look after her.”
His eyes widened for a second. Then he looked at me and Emily was gone. “You told her?”
I nodded. Him standing there looking at me like he wanted to devour every inch of my body … the tingles were good ones, and I was throbbing and drunk and needing him to walk toward me and kiss me.
Then he did.
And it was so hot. Confident, sexy, and badass because Ream had that darkness in his eyes that was mysterious. You were never really sure what he was up to, and that was a total turn on. He made me feel so feminine and desired, and my body screamed at him to get to me faster.
There was no hesitation when he reached me. His hand cupped the back of my neck, and with one pull, I was up against him as he looked down at me.
“You’re too drunk for lazy slow sex,” Ream drawled, and I felt his fingers curling in my hair, making the goose bumps I already had scurrying down my spine, scurry faster and call all their friends to join them until my body was covered in them.
I gave a half smile. “Yeah.” ’Cause I was and I’d be asleep or passed out before he got to tasting me if we didn’t get to where I wanted him fast.
Ream’s other hand was at the small of my back, pressing me against him. “You going to remember this in the morning?”
I squished my lips together and thought about it then shook my head.
“Then I’ll wait ’til morning to tell you how much I love you.” He didn’t wait for a response as he grabbed my hand and started striding through the house, me stumbling behind.
Floored by his words, it took me a few seconds, probably longer because my mind was swimming in red wine, to comprehend that Ream just told me he loved me. And he was going to tell me again in the morning when he was sure I’d remember him telling me.
But really we only made it to the kitchen and then he stopped. I banged into his back and he grunted before picking me up in his arms and carrying me the rest of the way.
He wasn’t smiling, but I wasn’t sure if it was because there was no lazy slow sex tonight, because I couldn’t walk in a straight line, or because well, it was Ream.
He slammed my door shut with the heel of his foot then walked to the bed and tossed me on it. I bounced twice then settled and got up on my elbows as I watched Ream undress. It was methodical and concise and the whole time he kept his eyes locked on me.