Henry. He held it to his face before it disappeared
again inside his shirt.
He likes me and wants to keep me .
Reed didn't much care for the way he phrased
it, like she was a used car or a stray dog, but his desire seemed
genuine enough. Her desire for him certainly was. If she'd been
honest with him, instead of reacting like a wet cat every time he
said something she didn't like, he'd know she wanted to keep him
too, maybe not in her home or in the dojo but somewhere close.
Now who sounds like she's collecting
strays with flees ?
Reed flushed, uncomfortable with the jumbled
mess of thoughts vying for dominance in her head. She was ashamed
of the lie she'd screamed at him, she knew she shouldn't have said
it as it was coming out of her mouth, she just couldn't seem to
help herself. And now she had to fix it.
She did like him. She liked him since
she saw him pinching the bridge of his nose after getting hit by
the glass door Jesse threw open in the art museum. He could have
yelled or thrown a fit, but he didn't. He could have made Jesse
feel badly for still being the awkward teenager he was, but he
didn't. He'd been calm in the face of her rudeness and he'd been
charming at dinner. He didn't even complain when she had her foot
to his throat after she dropped him on the dojo floor, or later
when she heard the men's laughter from the locker room after they
found out he married her. And perhaps most telling of all, Jordon
didn't laugh at the thought of having her as a wife, for which she
was profoundly grateful.
She liked him alright. He'd seen into her
soul and he hadn't run away. And she threw a shirt at his head.
He wants to stay .
Reed knew she'd given him more than enough
reason to leave, and yet he didn't. He chose to stick around in
spite of the fact that he loved someone else, even though that
someone was dead.
Emily .
The pain in Jordon's voice when he spoke
Emily's name, coupled with the despair clearly etched in every line
on his handsome face, told Reed all she needed to know about how
deeply this man could love. No one had ever loved her like that,
and oh how she wanted to experience it, even if it was just for a
little while. Maybe with Jordon she could pretend love like that
was possible and could last a lifetime. She was willing to try.
She and Jordon were more alike than his over
priced shoes and macho demeanor suggested. They both were scarred
by past losses. They both turned to martial arts to help exorcize
the pain and stayed with it long enough that it became not
something they did as much as a vital part of who they were. Not a
bad foundation on which to build.
Henry said Jordon needed her. Maybe she
needed him too.
Reed turned to her closet, pulled out the
one frilly dress she owned, and threw it on her bed on her way to
the shower. She wanted to look like a girl for the apology she had
in mind.
...
Jordon heard Reed coming, she wasn't very
good at walking silently through the woods. So much for the wood
elf theory. The cadence of her step indicated she was a woman on a
mission without a care for how much energy she expended
accomplishing it. Jordon was learning to judge her mood by the way
she moved.
He would have known she was near even
without the noise she made with every determined step. She couldn't
mask her scent. He'd know her even if she came to him silently in
the dark. All he had to do was taste the air and know she was with
him.
"I'm keeping the shirt." He said, alerting
her to the fact that he knew she was behind him.
"I'd have given it to you if you'd asked
nicely."
Jordon turned around and looked at her.
She'd showered and lost what was left of her pajamas. She was
wearing a sleeveless summer dress that tied in back, tennis shoes
with no socks and a straw hat. It was decidedly more feminine than
anything else he'd seen her in, including the dress she wore to
their five minute wedding.
"Liar."
She came within a foot of him and stopped.
Her soap and flowers scent
again inside his shirt.
He likes me and wants to keep me .
Reed didn't much care for the way he phrased
it, like she was a used car or a stray dog, but his desire seemed
genuine enough. Her desire for him certainly was. If she'd been
honest with him, instead of reacting like a wet cat every time he
said something she didn't like, he'd know she wanted to keep him
too, maybe not in her home or in the dojo but somewhere close.
Now who sounds like she's collecting
strays with flees ?
Reed flushed, uncomfortable with the jumbled
mess of thoughts vying for dominance in her head. She was ashamed
of the lie she'd screamed at him, she knew she shouldn't have said
it as it was coming out of her mouth, she just couldn't seem to
help herself. And now she had to fix it.
She did like him. She liked him since
she saw him pinching the bridge of his nose after getting hit by
the glass door Jesse threw open in the art museum. He could have
yelled or thrown a fit, but he didn't. He could have made Jesse
feel badly for still being the awkward teenager he was, but he
didn't. He'd been calm in the face of her rudeness and he'd been
charming at dinner. He didn't even complain when she had her foot
to his throat after she dropped him on the dojo floor, or later
when she heard the men's laughter from the locker room after they
found out he married her. And perhaps most telling of all, Jordon
didn't laugh at the thought of having her as a wife, for which she
was profoundly grateful.
She liked him alright. He'd seen into her
soul and he hadn't run away. And she threw a shirt at his head.
He wants to stay .
Reed knew she'd given him more than enough
reason to leave, and yet he didn't. He chose to stick around in
spite of the fact that he loved someone else, even though that
someone was dead.
Emily .
The pain in Jordon's voice when he spoke
Emily's name, coupled with the despair clearly etched in every line
on his handsome face, told Reed all she needed to know about how
deeply this man could love. No one had ever loved her like that,
and oh how she wanted to experience it, even if it was just for a
little while. Maybe with Jordon she could pretend love like that
was possible and could last a lifetime. She was willing to try.
She and Jordon were more alike than his over
priced shoes and macho demeanor suggested. They both were scarred
by past losses. They both turned to martial arts to help exorcize
the pain and stayed with it long enough that it became not
something they did as much as a vital part of who they were. Not a
bad foundation on which to build.
Henry said Jordon needed her. Maybe she
needed him too.
Reed turned to her closet, pulled out the
one frilly dress she owned, and threw it on her bed on her way to
the shower. She wanted to look like a girl for the apology she had
in mind.
...
Jordon heard Reed coming, she wasn't very
good at walking silently through the woods. So much for the wood
elf theory. The cadence of her step indicated she was a woman on a
mission without a care for how much energy she expended
accomplishing it. Jordon was learning to judge her mood by the way
she moved.
He would have known she was near even
without the noise she made with every determined step. She couldn't
mask her scent. He'd know her even if she came to him silently in
the dark. All he had to do was taste the air and know she was with
him.
"I'm keeping the shirt." He said, alerting
her to the fact that he knew she was behind him.
"I'd have given it to you if you'd asked
nicely."
Jordon turned around and looked at her.
She'd showered and lost what was left of her pajamas. She was
wearing a sleeveless summer dress that tied in back, tennis shoes
with no socks and a straw hat. It was decidedly more feminine than
anything else he'd seen her in, including the dress she wore to
their five minute wedding.
"Liar."
She came within a foot of him and stopped.
Her soap and flowers scent
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