Where You Are

He chuckles softly and shakes his head.

I clear my throat. “So… do you have another… erm…” My face warms, but timidity is silly at this point. “Because Emily made sure I came to LA with a ginormous box of them stuffed into my luggage, which I didn’t know about until I unpacked…”

I was so, so grateful that I hadn’t been selected for a random luggage search at the airport on this trip when I unearthed the box of condoms that had stowed away in my suitcase. A sticky note was attached, reading: Happy “PREMIERE”!!! luv, em.

He cocks an eyebrow up and locks his lips together, trying not to laugh at my pointless embarrassment. “Are you suggesting we take this celebration to your room?”

At his words, I imagine confetti falling all around the bed. “Is it a celebration?”

His fingers journey down my side, keeping me close as he lifts his weight from me and lies on his side, positioning us face to face. “Hell yes it is.”

My hands curl against his chest. “What are we celebrating?”

Closing his eyes, he presses his face to mine and hums a warm breath past my ear. “That we will be doing this—” he skims my face with his and then kisses me until I’m breathless with want “—for the rest of the night, and most of tomorrow, and however long you’ll consent to be mine.”

When I can breathe again, I ask how long he’s got.

“Hmm. Sixty, seventy years?”

“I guess that will have to do,” I laugh, pushing him onto his back.

Chapter 33

Brooke

The sun’s not quite up when I check out. No one comments on the fact that I’m wearing my sunglasses. Not the bellhop, not the front desk, not the valet. They all assume I’m masking the hangover I would welcome in place of this aching emptiness.

It didn’t take long to get Reid to open the door last night. He had the gall to appear utterly indifferent, standing back to allow me into his room as though I’d rapped politely rather than cursing and banging on it with both fists. As though I was expected. Which I guess I was.

“What the goddamned hell, Reid? You lying bastard!”

His mouth twisted with amusement and my hands became hard fists at my side. The door shut behind me and he followed as I stormed into his suite. “Are you sure you want to fling that particular insult, Brooke?”

I hit him. Or I would have, if he hadn’t dodged so that it barely glanced off of his shoulder, harmless. I tried again. Grabbing my wrist, he just shook his head like he was sort of sorry for me, but not really. I swung my other fist at him and he caught that one, too.

“It was a house of cards, Brooke. You had to know it.”

“You told her. You told her to go talk to him!”

He peered at me, still holding my wrists. “I know you think I’ve got no morals, but I seem to have at least one you don’t.”

I tried to yank my arms free but he held them fast. I knew what he was going to say. I didn’t want to hear him say it.

“I’ve never lied to get a girl into bed with me.”

“I know,” I sneered, “because you’re the almighty Reid f**king Alexander and you don’t have to lie to get whatever girl you want. How well did that work with her, though? She didn’t want you.”

There. He still had my hands imprisoned but he looked like I’d slapped him. Eyes widened. Mouth slightly ajar. He recovered too quickly for my liking.

“You’re right.” His expression transformed from shock to contempt right in front of me. He didn’t just release my wrists, he threw them down. Turned and walked to the minibar. “She didn’t want me.” He grabbed a bottle and twisted the cap, leaning a hip against the bar. “Just like he didn’t want you. The difference is, I’m not willing to lie to get her, or I’d have told her last September that I was falling in love with her. How fast would she have fallen for that? How persuasive do you think I could have been?” His mouth lifted on one side. So charming. So beautiful. Damn him. She’d have melted on the spot, and don’t I know it.

My body was on fire. I hated him, standing there like he was better than me. Again. “You say you’ve never lied to get a girl? You lied to me. You said you loved me.”

He looked at me a long minute. Drank the contents of the bottle down, his eyes never leaving mine. “I did.”

Did what? Did lie to me? Did love me? Does it even matter now? I will never ask him.

“I hate you, Reid.”

He laughed—no amusement, just insolence. “I know.”

That was when the reality of what had just occurred hit me. What I’d done. What I’d lost. I’d made an all-out play for Graham, and it had failed. Crash-and-burn failed. But it was more than that. After years of friendship between us, I’d betrayed that relationship. Completely. Betrayed him. And now, he knew it.

“Oh my God.” My legs collapsed under me and I sank to the floor, my nails anchoring into the carpet. “Oh my God.” I’d lied to him. Tricked him. The full impact of what I’d just lost crushed me. Our friendship was over. I’d been so sure I was prepared to gamble it away on the prospect of getting more. Such an absurd, senseless risk. I started sobbing and couldn’t stop.

“Shit.” Reid heaved a sigh and came closer. Squatted down in front of me. “Give him some time. Maybe he’ll forgive and forget.”

I shook my head. “He’ll never speak to me again.”

Reid had no answer to this. I struggled to stand, ignoring the offer of his hand. “Brooke, I just couldn’t—”