Page 39 of I Choose You (Wilder #2)

Claire

My stomach grumbled. Loudly. We were finally back in town after being on the road from New York for the last eight hours.

Besides some snacks we’d picked up at a gas station, we hadn’t had any real food since this morning.

Combine that with our lack of food while we were holed up in the hotel, and I was at risk of becoming hangry.

Reid’s cheek twitched when my stomach protested its lack of contents again.

“Do you want to grab something to eat before we head home?”

Home.

Calla Bay had quickly become a home to me, more than any other place I had lived. I loved staying at Wyatt’s cozy house. I loved the smell of the ocean air when I passed by the waterfront downtown. I loved the friends I had made, Maeve and Scarlett especially. I loved…

Shoot.

Reid had forced his way into my heart, and I wasn’t sure I would be able to entangle it from him when the time came .

“Yeah, there is no way I’m making dinner tonight.” I smiled at him. “You have to be starving too.”

“Oh, I am. You just can’t hear me over all the sounds you’re making over there.”

I swatted him on the arm. “Shut up.”

“It’s okay, I’ll get you fed in no time.”

Reid reached out and took my hand in his.

His rough skin pressed against my soft palm.

I pulled my hand away from where it was joined with his and brushed my fingers across his.

He tried to twine our fingers together again, but I wanted to explore him more.

Every single piece of him. I wanted to study it and memorize it so I could keep it with me.

My fingertips traced a path up each finger individually, massaging his knuckles and the grooves between each finger.

I flipped his hand over, my thumb making wide circles across his rough palm.

I took my time, focusing on the pressure points of the hand, pressing lightly in some spots and deeper in others.

He looked at me, his eyes reflecting my emotions back at me.

I finished my exploration of his hand and intertwined my fingers through his.

The roads through town were covered in a thin layer of slushed ice. It wasn’t nearly as bad here as it had been in Buffalo. Reid carefully navigated the U-Haul, keeping his speed low as we made our way to the diner.

The setting sun was making the already cold temperature turn frigid. I jumped out of the U-Haul just as Reid was rounding the truck to help me out. An icy patch caught my foot, and my arms pinwheeled behind me as I tried to keep my balance .

Reid rushed toward me, reaching for my arm to stop me from falling.

The back of my head hit the side of the truck as my feet came out from under me. I landed on the ground with a loud “umph.”

“Love, are you okay?” Reid asked, his lips pursed tight together as he tried to contain his laughter.

“Ugh,” I laughed, rubbing the back of my skull.

“Come here.” Reid hauled me to my feet, his hand gently stroking my hair. “That was some fancy footwork you had.”

“And graceful too, right?” I asked. Reid’s soulful eyes shined back at me, his cheek still cocked in amusement.

“Absolutely.”

He held my hand as we walked up to the diner. Every set of eyes was glued to us as the people by the windows stared, so I offered them a bow.

Inside, the diner was warm and cozy. Sheila didn’t seem to be working, but the waitress told us we could sit wherever we wanted, so Reid led me to a table in the back, his hand still holding mine.

“Everything looks so good. I am so hungry,” I said when the server brought us the menus.

Comfort food, loaded with butter and carbs.

Meatloaf, chicken pot pie, shepherd’s pie…

I was pretty sure everything here came with mashed potatoes.

“The turkey dinner plate sounds amazing, but that chicken pot pie is calling my name.”

It hit me that I hadn’t been paying as much attention to what I ate since I arrived at Calla Bay.

In Connecticut, eating nothing more than salad or a small portion of high-end cuisine was the norm.

I was tall and relatively thin, but I knew I had put on a couple of pounds since being in Calla Bay.

Frankly, I could have probably used the extra weight, considering my height.

“I’m getting the turkey dinner, so if you want to get the chicken pot pie, you can always have some of my turkey.” Reid put his menu down and reached across the table. I put my hand in his. I knew that we looked like lovesick fools. I could see it on his face, and I knew mine must look the same.

Oh, well. I liked feeling his skin against me. I liked knowing that he wanted to touch me just as much as I wanted to touch him.

I knew what I felt for Reid wasn’t just an attraction or even lust.

I loved him. I was in love with him.

And there was no doubt in my mind that he felt the same.

The server dropped off our dinner, and Reid and I had to drop our connection so we could eat.

Reid pushed his plate across the table. My brow furrowed.

“Move over,” he said as he got up and came around to my side of the booth.

“Reid,” I chided. “We don’t need to sit on the same side of the booth.”

My bottom lip pulled into my mouth as my eyes danced with amusement. I pushed closer to the window to make room for him. Sure, we didn’t have to sit on the same side, but I kind of liked that we were.

“I couldn’t put my hands on you from over there without having to reach across the table. This is way easier.”

My face was split into a big grin as I laughed at him. There was no decorum with Reid. There was no pretense or playing around. He was who he was. I was a little envious of his confidence in showing himself without restraint, but more than that, I loved it about him.

Reid kept his hand on my thigh while we ate.

It was only five months ago that I would have been in a Michelin-star restaurant, sitting across from someone who wouldn’t be caught dead holding my hand across a tabletop.

Calla Bay had changed me in more ways than I could count. I found that I liked who I was here.

* * *

I woke up on Monday morning in Reid’s bed. Instead of dropping me off at my place last night, he brought me back to his house. The shower was running, so I decided to help him conserve water by joining him. I opened the bathroom door, wearing nothing but one of his T-shirts.

Reid’s heated gaze raked over me. He looked like a god standing in the stream of water. His broad chest tapered to a slim waist, iliac furrows sculpted into his hips. His muscular thighs looked like they were made of steel. But it was his swollen cock that stole the show.

I pulled the shirt over my head, letting it drop to the floor.

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“Damn, love. You have no idea the number of fantasies I’ve had that start this exact way. Get your ass in here.”

I stepped into the spray of water and rubbed my hands up his chest before wrapping them around his neck. His kiss was like fire. He wound one arm around my waist, trailing his hand over my butt, his other hand massaging my breast.

“Mmm,” I moaned. I reached between us and wrapped my hand around him, stroking him. “What was next in your fantasies? Would I get on my knees for you?”

“Yes. You would take me in your mouth, all the way to the back of your throat.” His growl was pure lust. I dropped to my knees and looked at Reid from under my lashes. He fisted my hair in his hand, holding on to me.

I licked up his shaft, watching him intently. I circled his tip with my tongue before taking him into my mouth. My eyes closed as I took him deep, feeling him hit the back of my throat just like it wanted.

“Eyes on me, love. I want to watch you,” he said, his voice strained.

My eyes were watering, but I kept my suction tight and worked him relentlessly.

“God, you have no idea how sexy you look.” He thrust his hips into my mouth, his hold on my head setting the pace. I let him fuck my mouth, trying not to gag but knowing that he liked it when I did anyway.

He was close. His thrusts were becoming wilder, his hold on me tighter. I cupped his balls, tugging on them lightly. Reid growled, and I had never felt more powerful or desired. He pulled out of my mouth just as his orgasm hit, his warm jets of release covering my breasts.

Reid bundled me from the shower floor and wrapped me in a tight embrace. He leaned back against the wall, breathing heavily. “Holy shit. I didn’t even have time to warn you, it hit me so fast. You are incredible.”

“I’m glad you liked it.” I smiled at him. Making Reid feel good was becoming an addiction for me. He never held anything back, never tried to play it cool, like he was unaffected by me. It was such a turn-on .

He cupped my face in his hands and brought me to him in a searing kiss. It wasn’t urgent or aggressive. It felt different, more raw.

Reid cleaned me up, taking his time and running the facecloth over my skin in a deliciously, tortuously slow speed.

He swiped a path through my core, spending only a moment to massage my clit.

It was the same with his tongue on my nipples.

He worked my body slowly and skillfully, never staying anywhere long enough.

By the time we were done in the shower, I was pulled so tight with need I thought I would snap.

We fell into bed together, Reid settling between my thighs.

I shot up, needing to feel his mouth on mine like I needed my next breath.

It wasn’t a hot and heavy make-out session like it usually was.

Reid took his time with everything. The way his hands moved across my body, the way his tongue mingled with mine.

It was so much more intimate than anything we had shared.

Reid reached for his nightstand to get a condom, but my words halted him mid-reach.

“I’m on birth control. And I was tested after… I’m clean,” I told him.

His arm was still outstretched when he turned to me, his wide eyes boring into me.

“Are you saying you want to do this bare?”

“Yes, but only if you want to.”

He kissed me again, and it stole my breath away.

“I’m clean too,” he said when he finally pulled back. “You sure?”

“Yes.”

The tip of his cock was already at my entrance, looking for home.

He pushed in slowly, pulling out before he was fully seated.

Pushing in again, not quite all the way, and back out.

His restraint was pure torture. I loved every second of it.

He fused his lips to mine and slammed into me. My back arched as I gasped.

He showered me in kisses, his every thrust telling me the words we hadn’t spoken out loud, or at least not out loud on purpose. But there was no doubt in my mind that Reid meant those softly muttered words. I just hoped he could feel the same love pouring out of me.

* * *

We were late for work, and by the looks on everyone’s faces, they knew why. My phone rang just as we arrived.

“I’m going to take this in my office,” I told him.

Reid leaned in and kissed me chastely before yelling at me to get to work.

I shook my head at him and swayed my hips as I made my way to my office. When I looked over my shoulder, Reid’s eyes were firmly on my ass.

“Hi, Andrew,” I answered, closing the door behind me.

“Claire, how’s the progress coming along? I hope you can tell me you and that contractor have gotten a lot more accomplished since I was on-site.”

“ That contractor’s name is Reid,” I said before I could stop myself.

If Andrew wanted to be condescending, he could do so with me.

I was his employee, and I had been condescended to most of my life—I was used to it.

But he could check his attitude if he thought he could be demeaning toward Reid.

“And everything is on track to be completed on time and on budget.”

“And you and… Reid… have been nothing but professional, I should hope,” Andrew said, his tone making his suspicion known.

“You have nothing to worry about,” I said, neither confirming nor denying anything. If he thought I was going to discuss my sex life with my boss, he was dead wrong. It wasn’t any of his business.

“Good. Listen, I’ve got a new designer onboarding in the next few weeks. You’ll need to get to the office to show her some things.”

He wanted me to show her a few things? He had done nothing but criticize my performance since day one on this project, and now he wanted me to train someone else?

I was starting to agree with Reid that maybe Andrew was taking advantage of me.

First, I was needed on-site all day, every day, to stay on top of my project, then I was given half of Derrick’s workload, and now I was going to be training the new designer—one who didn’t have to put years into being a research admin before finally getting to manage her own project.

“Not a problem,” I said. “Just let me know when.”

I cringed at myself and my stupid overcompliant attitude.

I needed this job. I needed to show my father that my choice to drop out of law school and get a degree in history instead wasn’t a huge mistake.

I needed to prove that I could make a real living, doing something I loved, without his money—or his support, as it was.

“I’ll let you know. And while you’re here, we can discuss what’s next after the Delano Library project is finished. Pending the final results, of course.”

My heart sank at the reminder of what came next.

This project wasn’t going to last forever.

At some point, sooner rather than later, I was going to be off to the next jobsite.

Not sharing coffees and laughs with Richie, Shawn, and Dale.

Not waking up in Reid’s arms every morning, working beside him, sharing our days and nights. Sharing our hearts.

I barely heard the rest of the conversation with Andrew, my mind racing to a future that didn’t look as bright as it once did.