“At your service, madam.”
“Oh . . . so you’re my slave?”
“Absolutely,” Reid said. “Your wish is my command.”
She scooted into a cross-legged sitting position. “Well, now, I like that. I like it a lot.” When she reached for a chicken leg, the sheet slipped. With a little squeal she tugged it upward.
“You’ve got to be kidding. I’ve seen every inch of that super-sexy body of yours.”
“I know, but . . .” A pretty pink blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. She shrugged, making her breasts brush against the sheet.
Reid felt a sexual stirring in his blood and was surprised how quickly his depleted body responded to the sight of her naked in his bed. But he wanted her to enjoy her dinner and so he reluctantly asked, “Would you like me to get you a shirt?”
Ducking her head, she nodded. “Please.”
Reid had no problem parading around naked. He slipped from the bed and opened the chest of drawers, locating a short-sleeved Western-cut plaid shirt instead of a T-shirt, thinking he’d like to do that snap-popping thing on her later.
“Thank you,” she said, and shrugged into it.
“You sure look good in my shirt,” he told her with a grin.
“Are you quoting the Keith Urban song?”
“Yes. So you really do like country music?”
“Why do you seem so surprised?” she asked as she dabbed at her mouth with the napkin.
Reid swallowed a bite of potato salad. “I don’t know. I guess it goes back to my preconceived opinion that you were a Hollywood socialite with your nose in the air.”
Addison shook her head. “You couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
“I know that now. I’m sorry.”
“Well, I had the image of big-bellied farmers in baggy overalls, spitting tobacco. So I was dead wrong too.”
“I do own some overalls,” he admitted. “But I also own a tux.”
Her eyes widened.
“What—you can’t picture this country boy in a tuxedo?”
“Wrong, I totally can and it’s getting me all hot and bothered. Don’t you know that you have the kind of look that could grace the cover of GQ?”
Reid waved a chicken leg at her. “Yeah, right. With a pitchfork in my hand?”
“Those blue eyes, that sexy stubble.” She reached over and caressed his cheek. “Those dimples, and don’t even get me started on that hot body of yours, Reid.”
“Seems like you’ve given this some thought,” he teased.
“In passing,” she said, but laughed. “But, seriously, I have to tell you that it’s refreshing that you don’t obsess over your looks or body. It gets really old and exhausting. Luckily my parents believe in health and fitness but not some silly obsession with never aging or having an ounce of body fat.”
He chewed on a bite of chicken. “Will your parents be visiting soon?”
“Right now they’re in Hawaii on a second honeymoon,” she said, but glanced away.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling homesick?”
“No, not really.”
He put a hand on her arm and squeezed. “Oh, wait. . . . Don’t tell me. Are they taking the honeymoon that you would have been going on?” He asked casually and out of concern, but the thought that she had almost married someone else bothered him.
“Yes.”
“Do you miss him, Addison?” He didn’t want to fall for someone who still loved someone else.
“I suppose I do in some ways.” She lifted one shoulder. “It’s weird to have someone in your life, care about them, and have it all go so wrong and then to no longer see them, speak to them, and have to figure out where to file the good memories.”
“I understand. Life sure is unpredictable. Sometimes it’s hard to know which fork in the road to take.”
“I do think that I’ve learned from it, though.”
“What did you learn?”
“What love . . . isn’t.”
Reid reached over and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, lingering on the petal-soft skin of her cheek.
“Love isn’t simply having fun. And it isn’t just friendship or even passion.”
“So, then, what is love?”
“All of the above. It’s caring so much about that person that you’d do anything to make them happy and support them in so many ways. You’ve seen your parents work together to keep this farm. My dad took a step back to allow my mother to shine. I see it with my cousin Mia and Cameron. She misses him so much, but baseball is his dream and she loves her job and so they somehow make it work even though it’s got to be really hard. Uncle Mitch left Chicago and moved here to Cricket Creek to be with his wife. Nicolina is more important to him than power or money.”
Reid nodded, thinking he’d been so wrong about her. “You didn’t really answer my question. But you don’t have to, Addison.”
“Reid, I can tell you with absolutely certainty that I am not in love with Garret. In fact, I never was. I realize that now. He falls into the category of what love isn’t.” She gave him a level look but remained silent when he wanted to know more. She handed him a strawberry.
Instead of taking the strawberry from her he brought her hand to his mouth and took a bite. She finished the rest of the strawberry and then reached for another one.
“So . . . have you ever been in love, Reid?”
“There were a couple of girls in college that I dated for a while.” He shrugged. “I guess I thought so at the time, but nothing became serious, much to my mother’s sorrow.” Reid shook his head. “Poor Mom. She is so anxious for a grandbaby. But twins run in her family. My grandmother is a twin. So she might get two for one after Sara gets married.”
“Well, I’m an only child, so I’m the only hope.”
It occurred to Reid that she’d make a good mother, patient and loving. He’d never talked to a woman about having kids before but, then again, he’d never really thought about marriage. He’d also never had a picnic in his bed with a woman either. Or had the urge to cuddle or massage tired feet. But he wanted all of those things with Addison.
Reid inhaled a deep breath. He wasn’t thinking; he was finally feeling. Did he have it in him to take that scary-ass leap of faith?
Yes, he did. But should he tell Addison how he felt?
“Reid, hey, don’t look so freaked-out. We can stop talking about children. I don’t know how we got on the subject but it’s clearly wigging you out,” she said in a lighthearted voice, but there was a rather forlorn look in her eyes. She fell silent.
“You’ve got it all wrong.”
“It’s a pattern with me,” she said with a small laugh. “So, are you going to enlighten me?”
Reid gave her pretty face a searching look. He decided that he’d wait to tell her what he wanted and how he felt. He wanted to give her time to forget about the past and build trust between them. Besides, showing her was much better than telling her, anyway. Reid wanted to treat her in the manner she should have been treated all along. Instead of being expendable or used, Addison deserved someone who would treasure her for all that she’s worth.
“Reid?” She tilted her head to the side.
“No, but I am going to kiss you.” He leaned in and captured her mouth in a sweet, lingering kiss. “Addison?” he whispered in her ear.
“Mmm?”
“Last one in is a rotten egg.”
She opened her eyes. “Last one . . . ? Oh, in the hot tub?”
“Yes, I’ve got it heating up.” Reid scrambled from the bed and held out his hand.
“What about the food? We didn’t eat it all. I don’t want to waste any of it.”
Reid nodded, liking that about her as well. “You’re right.” He tugged on his boxers and then started gathering up the leftovers.