Reed (Cold Fury Hockey 10)

Ever since that night he took me to see the meteor shower two weeks ago, I can't really say this is just a friendship anymore. Reed's unbelievably sweet gesture to give me something I would have never thought to give myself made it very clear to me he cares. And because it made me absolutely gooey, lying beside him on that blanket and just watching the stars streak across the sky, I knew that I was developing feelings as well. This alarmed me, but not enough to cool things down.

Instead, we've been together every night since. Many times it's just the two of us chilling with a nice meal and conversation--followed by hot sex. Other nights, we'll go out with some of his friends--also followed by hot sex. We even had a double date with Sutton and Alex so they could have some away time from the baby while her mother baby-sat. We've gone grocery shopping together, seen a few movies, and one day explored downtown Raleigh while eating ourselves sick because they had a food truck rodeo going on. That night we did not have hot sex because we were both too full to even try.

I stir the sauce again, turn the flame down to the lowest setting, then put the spoon on a rest beside the burner. "How much longer do you think you'll be?" I ask Reed.

"Maybe another ten minutes," he says, and I translate that to mean at least an hour. I'll hold on boiling the pasta for a while.

Reaching into the fridge, I pull out a bottle of water and twist the cap loose. I walk into the living room and set it down on the floor near Reed's knees. He glances at it and says, "Thanks, babe."

And yeah...that little endearment gets to me.

I tap my fingers on the bill of his hat in response and head back into the kitchen, but a knock on my door stops me. Reed doesn't even flinch but starts muttering some type of curse at the cable he's fiddling with.

I keep my laugh to myself and change course toward the front door, figuring it's an errant salesman or one of Reed's Barbies snooping around for him. This thought actually amuses me, so my smile is flashing when I open the door.

And then it slides off as my jaw drops open to see Aiden McCune standing there. It's been two years since I've seen him and he looks the same, and yet so different. He's leaner, overly tan, and scruffy looking. The Aiden I knew in residency was always clean shaven with his hair clipped close.

But he's not scruffy in a slovenly way. It's more of an "I've been traveling the world" way.

"Hey, Josie," he says, and I can hear the emotion in his voice and see it swimming in his brown eyes.

As if ignited, I can feel a rise of emotion within me to see him standing on my porch as the realization sets in that he actually came to see me.

Came. To. See. Me.

I can't explain the response, but a weird combination of joy that he's alive and safe and trepidation that he's here fills me up, but I push the fear back and choose to concentrate on the good.

I throw myself at Aiden and he catches me in a big bear hug. "Oh my God...Aiden. What are you doing here?"

His arms squeeze me tight and he presses his cheek to mine briefly before releasing me. I step back, eyeing him up and down, and then lock my gaze to his waiting for an answer.

"I'm on a bit of a break and thought I'd come back to the area, see some friends," he says casually. "You're obviously one of the first I looked up."

"I just can't believe it," I gush as I take him in, and I realize all of a sudden that my happiness to see him has almost nothing to do with my prior feelings but everything to do with the fact that I've had a low-burning worry about him doing such dangerous work. "You look great. And you're in one piece."

He nods somberly. "I've been in some hair-raising situations for sure."

"Well, come on in," I say as I step backward and press against the door to give him room to pass.

Aiden bobs his head in acknowledgment, gives me a shy smile, and steps over my threshold.

After I close the door, I go first into the living room and find Reed still kneeling by the TV with an expectant but pleasant smile on his face.

I make hasty introductions. "Reed...this is Aiden. We were in residency together. And Aiden, this is Reed. My neighbor."

The minute I say the word neighbor, I know it's wrong, but I don't know why I'm feeling awkward about these two men meeting and how I characterize them. Reed, however, doesn't seem fazed by my characterization as he pops to his feet and gives an outgoing smile to Aiden along with an outstretched hand. "Pleased to meet you, man."

"Yeah, likewise," Aiden says with a hearty handshake. He turns to look at the TV and mishmash of cords. "New TV?"

"Yeah," I say with a nervous laugh, because all of a sudden I'm worried that these two are standing in the same room with me. "Reed's been trying to figure it out for hours now."

I wince internally at what could be deemed a backhanded slap at Reed's abilities, but again, he laughs and points to the TV. "I'm about ready to give up."

"What's the problem?" Aiden asks as he takes a step closer to the TV and looks at it with grave concentration.

"I can't get the Xbox to connect and I'm thinking maybe the HDMI cable is bad because I've tried everything else," Reed says as he points to the mess.

"Mind if I try?" Aiden asks, but doesn't wait for an answer. He just jumps in and starts rearranging things while Reed watches raptly.

I watch mesmerized as Aiden works and Reed offers suggestions. I focus in on Aiden's hands. A doctor's hands that can whip stitches or comfort a child who is sick. I compare them to Reed's hands, which are large, calloused, and scarred on a few knuckles. Hands that know my body far better than Aiden's ever did.

That thought requires a hard shake of my head and I inhale a quavering breath.

Reed's head snaps my way. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure," I say with a tiny laugh.

"There, that should do it," Aiden says as he straightens up. He takes the remote, points it at the TV, and turns it on. He then presses a button, and lo and behold, Reed's Xbox menu appears on the screen. "Voila."

"Awesome, dude," Reed says exuberantly. "Thanks so much."

"Yeah," I mutter in agreement. "Thanks, Aiden."

"Well, listen," Aiden says as he rubs his hands together while turning to me. "I didn't mean to intrude. Just wanted to let you know I was back in town and maybe we could get lunch sometime next week."

"Um...yeah, sure," I say with a bright, forced smile. "That would be great."

"Still got your same cell phone number?" he asks.

I nod dumbly, feeling all kinds of weird about this, and yet...I want to know what he has to say.

"Great, I'll text you and we'll work around your schedule," Aiden says cheerily. He turns back to Reed and sticks his hand out. "Nice meeting you."

"Likewise," Reed says with a return smile. "Thanks again on the TV."

Aiden nods and then turns to the door. I walk behind him, realizing that my palms are s

uddenly sweaty. I get a final smile and nod of the head from Aiden, and then he's gone.

My heart is hammering as I turn back to face Reed. Again, I get a carefree smile from him and he says, "Nice guy."

"Yeah, nice guy," I murmur, and then decide to put a little more distance between us. I walk to the kitchen and say, "I'm going to start boiling the pasta."

"Sweet," Reed says casually, then flops down on the couch, picking up a game controller. "I'm going to kill some enemies while you do that. Unless you want me to help?"

"No, I've got it," I return breezily. "Happy hunting."

"You're the best, Josie," he replies, but then his attention is fixed on his game. My attention is only half on the pasta, wondering why in the hell Aiden would ever come to see me when things ended so badly between us.

Chapter 15

Reed

I wait for Josie to explain Aiden to me but it never comes. Not while she finishes our dinner and not while we eat. Not while I clean the kitchen and she piddles around with her puzzle. Not while we watch a movie together on her couch.

Though I would not have appreciated it while I was kissing her after the movie, so I was grateful for that, and I sure as shit didn't want to know anything about him while I was fucking her in her bed. And it was definitely my name and not his she was moaning when she came. But I do know he is something to her, I sense it.

The bigger question is what am I to her, since she introduced me as her "neighbor." That's true enough, and she and I have never defined our relationship. I have never felt the need before now to do so, but I'm not sure if I should push her on that just yet.

I'm lying in bed while Josie's in her bathroom, doing her thing to get ready to go to sleep. She'll come out in a T-shirt of mine that she nabbed a few days ago, but I sleep naked. I told her she's sexy as hell in my shirt, but she was prohibited from wearing her panties in bed. She thought that was hilarious I'd demand such a thing, but every single night she comes to bed without them on.

Finally, the bathroom door opens, and for a moment she's silhouetted. The T-shirt is baggy, but she's still about the sexiest thing I've ever seen. As she walks toward the bed, she's rubbing her hands together, presumably with lotion, and I can smell its scent before she hits the bed.