“No,” he answers firmly.

“So you still want this?”

He drops his head and it hits the headboard with a loud thump. “Yes, whatever the fuck this is, I still want it. You’re in control here, Dylan. You have all the fucking control.” His eyes are burning into mine with the same intensity they’ve always shown for me. I’m in control? Of what? Of us? I decide not to probe because I’m not sure I want to know the answer. He lets out a forceful breath that warms my face. “If something would have happened to you tonight…” His eyes close tight and the crease in his brow appears. Oh Reese. The man’s mood swings are enough to give me permanent whip lash.

“Nothing happened. I’m okay. I called you and you came for me.” I reach out and stroke his face as his eyes pop back open, green and blazing. His tenseness softens a bit.

“I tried locating Heather and sorting this shit out with her but I didn’t find her. All fucking weekend I’ve been looking.” He grits his teeth. “She wasn’t at her house and she’s not answering my calls.” I swallow loudly and he shakes his head. “I’m fucking dealing with it I just wanted you to be prepared. Fred didn’t deliver that package so just don’t open any that aren’t from him. Okay?” I nod. Jesus. I really don’t want to have to deal with this again. But if Reese is dealing with it then I’m sure it will be dealt with, in a very Reese like manner no less. “But after tonight, Dylan, I don’t want you there by yourself.” His hands grip my waist and pull me closer to him, our foreheads falling together.

“I don’t want to be there by myself either, but I want to keep an eye on my shop. It’s important to me. It’s mine and I’ve worked hard for it.” His hand reaches up and pulls my bun loose, letting my hair fall down my back. “I’m going to have a door installed at the top of the stairs. I’ll call about getting it done along with the window repair and a security system tomorrow. I can’t believe I never thought about having some type of system in place already.” He nods at me but I know that isn’t what he wants to hear. I lean in and kiss him gently. “I’ll be fine, I’ve lived there on my own for three years. Plus, I have you and you’re only five minutes away if something happens.”

His hands brush lightly down my back, playing with the ends of my hair. “It will never take me five minutes to get to you. I think I made it there in two tonight.” I giggle slightly and see his lips curl up. “I might be getting a few red light camera notifications in the mail.”

“Worth it?” I ask, running my hands through his hair.

“Worth it. You hungry?”

I nod frantically and he laughs, the infectious sound pulling me in with him. “Sit tight.” I’m slid off as he hops out of bed, disappearing down the hallway as I watch his glorious backside stride away. Laughing quietly at the realization that he always asks me if I’m hungry after sex, I grab one of his pillows and press it to my face, inhaling deeply as his voice comes down the hallway.

“Do you like your pizza cold or heated up?

“Cold.” Yum. Cold pizza and a sleepover with Reese? Yes please. Glancing around the room, I spot his iPad on his dresser. I scramble out of bed and grab it, flipping it open and turning it on. I have some googling of a certain CPA to do. The screen comes to life. Oh. Oh my. The wallpaper is a picture of me, in this bed. I’m sleeping, curled up on my side with the sheets covering me up to show only a tiny bit of cleavage. My hair is a mess of blond waves that are spilling down my right shoulder and my lips are parted. The camera is mainly focused on my face and I look to be in a deep sleep. I look up and see Reese staring at me, stopped in the doorway carrying our food.

“Umm, you found my iPad I see.” He moves towards the bed and puts the plates down on his nightstand, his eyes only momentarily leaving mine. “Nobody sees that. I would never show that to anybody.”

Placing it down on the bed, I get up on my knees and crawl to the edge where he’s standing, pulling him towards me and wrapping my arms around his neck. After a moment’s hesitation, he wraps his arms around me and relaxes against my body. “You’re not mad? I can take it off.”

I reach around and place my hand over his mouth, silencing him. “I’m not mad. It can stay on there.” Dropping my hands, I scoot back over and reach out for my plate playfully as his smile returns.

“Cold pizza huh? I thought I was the only other person that still preferred it cold to heated.”

I take a bite and shake my head. “I hate heated leftover pizza. The cheese gets all rubbery and gross.” He drops a chilled bottled water in my lap and I yelp. “So, why did you take that picture of me?”

He stops chewing briefly, looking over at the iPad on the bed. “I don’t know. I think I just wanted a reminder of you in my bed, just in case you refused to get back in it.” I laugh and he winks at me. “I watched you for hours before I took it. Do you know you make little noises while you sleep?”

I swallow my bite and arch my brow at him. “Little noises? Like what?”

“Like moans. Tiny little whimpers.”

“What? No I don’t.” I unscrew my bottle and take a big sip while he nods at me. “I do not make any noises when I sleep.”

He turns and places his empty plate on his nightstand. Jesus, the man devours his food in a matter of seconds. “Yes you do. You even said my name a few times.” My mouth drops open.

I place my plate down on the night stand before I trample him. “No I did not. Take that back, Carroll.” I’m poking him everywhere, trying to find a weak ticklish spot on his body and he’s only laughing at me in amusement.

“Reese. Oh Reese. Right there.”

I feel my face redden. “You’re evil.” I scoff before I roll off him and lie back on my pillow, pulling the covers up over my head. Good Lord, I hope he’s joking because if he isn’t, how embarrassing is this?

His laugh shakes the bed and I feel the covers slowly slide down to reveal his face hovering over mine. “Love.”

“What?” I try to pull the covers back up but he holds them down. I’ve never been told I talk in my sleep before or make any weird noises, and I’ve had plenty of sleepovers with Juls and Joey. Of course, I doubt they watch me for hours after I pass out. Humph. He climbs under the covers with me and pulls me close to him so that we’re nose to nose.

“So, I hear we’re going to be paired up at the wedding.” His hand trails down my shoulder to my waist and holds me there as I try to keep my smile at bay. “You okay with that? It will be like a date you know. Rather intimate.” His lip curls up and I give into it.

“I’m okay with that. I have been on a few dates before. Have you?”

“No, well not in a really long time.” A really long time? What classifies a really long time? Why is he so against dating now? I push these questions out of my head and focus on another.

“Have you always been monogamously casual with girls?” This has definitely been on my mind recently. I had initially pegged him as a total player with multiple women at all times but had never dared to ask.

His eyes flick to mine quickly before he drops them. “No.” I reach up and run my hand down his arm, rubbing his shoulders the way he likes and seeing his eyes close slowly. “I’ve never really wanted to be before you.” I stop breathing at his admission. Holy shit. Was Joey right? Am I a game changer? My hand stills on his bicep and his eyes shoot open, locking onto mine. “You make me want different things, things I’ve never wanted before.”