It was six in the morning when Jenna let herself into Reece's apartment. She'd considered going during the night, but she wasn't sure if he'd still be at the hospital with Edie and his dad. And besides, she'd wanted a few hours to get a handle on her thoughts.
Now that she'd managed that, she was done waiting.
She hadn't bothered knocking, nor did she bother calling out once she was inside. The garage apartment was tiny, with a loft-style bedroom over part of the living area, a kitchen tucked into a sunlit corner, and a decent sized bathroom on the opposite side of the space.
That's where Reece was. He'd left the door slightly open, and steam from his shower escaped into the apartment, a swirl of white mist that seemed to draw her near. She could smell him. Or his soap, at least. A clean, masculine scent. And when she pushed the door open and stood on the threshold, she could see his outline behind the foggy shower door.
For a moment she simply watched him, succumbing to the rush of pure, visceral need that coursed through her, settling between her thighs and making her wet. Then she walked to the stall and opened the door.
"I was wondering if you were going to join me," he said, his back still to her. He turned. "I was hoping you would," he added, and if the state of his erection was any sign, he meant it.
"You knew I was here?" A stupid comment, since obviously, he'd known. She glanced down, saw again how hard he was, and swallowed.
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes never lost their heat. "Come on in. The water's fine."
"We need to talk."
She thought she saw worry flicker in his eyes, but then he turned off the water. There was a white towel hanging on a rack beside her, and he reached for it, his arm coming within a few inches of her. She didn't move, and she could feel the heat rising off of him.
He dried off, then wrapped the towel around his waist before he stepped past her. He continued into the living room, then sat on the edge of the sofa. The house was built on the crest of a hill, and the garage apartment was the highest point of the property. The living room boasted an east-facing picture window, and the couch sat in the middle of the room, so as to face the rising sun. She stood with her back to the window, so that Reece was the most beautiful thing in her view.
"Tell me." His voice was unusually tight, and she realized with surprise that he was afraid she'd come to tell him that the whole thing was a mistake. She felt a twinge of guilt because that wasn't her purpose at all. But she didn't dispel his misunderstanding right away. Instead, she cherished it, the knowledge that he feared losing her as much as she feared losing him providing a concrete underpinning for the words that were to come.
"Brent knows," she said. The announcement was only a preamble, but from his expression, she could tell that he thought that was her primary purpose.
"I know," he said. "He called me last night."
"He did?"
"Told me it was between you and me, that he thought we were good together, and that if I hurt you, he'd rip my balls off and feed them to Gregor," he concluded, referring to Mrs. W's German Shepard.
"Oh." She grinned, a fresh sense of relief washing over her with the knowledge that Brent had given his blessing to both of them. "That's great. But it wasn't what I came over to tell you."
"No? Why did you come?"
"To tell you that you're an ass."
For a second, he just stared at her. Then he nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching as he fought not to laugh. "You're not the first one to say so."
"I mean it. I saw the look on your face yesterday. All that talk of flower girls. You looked like you wanted to sprint across the park and find a bolt hole."
"Did I?"
She lifted a shoulder. "Maybe not quite that obvious, but I knew that you were watching me. Like I was a time bomb just waiting to spew rice and floral arrangements and embossed invitations."
He leaned back, his legs spread just a bit, offering her a teasing view of the shadow beneath the towel and between his thighs. She cleared her throat and forced herself to look at his eyes. And nowhere else.
"I don't have illusions," she said. "Hopes, maybe, but I know that marriage isn't on your radar. I know the man you are, Reece, and I know the way you look at the world. Probably better than anyone else. Most of all, I know that you love me. Hell, I even know that you like me."
"Jenna..." He leaned forward, clearly about to stand up and come to her, but she held her hand out to stop him.
"No. Let me finish. The thing is, I'm not looking for the world right now. I'm not an idiot. I know we're just starting this journey. All I want is to look into the future and see you standing beside me."
"Baby, I've never been anywhere else."
"I believe you. I guess I just want to know that's not going to change."
"Come here," he said, beckoning to her. She walked to him, and he turned her around, then put his hands on her hips as she faced the window. "Do you see that? The morning light breaking through the trees? The vibrant colors? The promise of a new day?"