Page 101 of Honor

I hung around to offer her moral support after I dropped off my boss’s watch. She cried in my arms and on the garment bag containing the suits when the jeweler told her he could replace the diamond with a comparable stone that was much less expensive.

After that, I stopped by the library to drop off two books that were due back tomorrow. My last stop was a record store called Vinyl Crush. My sole mission there was to find a copy of arecord produced more than thirty years ago. I know why Reid is searching for it. It’s a gift for Norbeta. I saw her mention it in an email she sent him over the weekend. Since she copied me on it, I had already jotted a note into my phone to seek out a copy for her.

I came up empty at Vinyl Crush, so I’ll find one online and have it shipped to her apartment as a surprise from her former boss.

I glance around Reid’s bedroom. I hung up the suits I picked up from the drycleaner and watered his plants. They’re still barely hanging on. I can finally take care of that final task on the list.

It was numbered tenth, and since there isn’t an eleventh task listed, I assume that means I can take as long as I like to complete it.

I head toward the bathroom attached to his bedroom.

It’s a masculine space, but has definite feminine touches, including a spot of pink on a small glass dish that sits on a shelf near the mirror. I step closer to find an earring with a pink stone in it, along with a tie clip.

The clip is embossed with a silver H, so I know it belongs to Reid. There’s not a piercing anywhere on his body, so the earring must have been left behind by a woman.

Jealousy soars through me. I attempt to chase it away with a simple reminder to my reflection in the mirror. “You’re not his first lover. You won’t be his last.”

That slays me, but it’s the truth. If I lose sight of the fact that our fucking is fun and not based on a mountain of emotions, I’ll come out of this with my heart intact. That’s what I want most.

My finger trails over the bottle of luxurious bubble bath from Matiz Cosmetics. It’s not surprising that I’d find it here next to his large tub. After all, the last and final task on the list wasto enjoy a bubble bath break and not to leave before he arrives home.

I check my watch as I remove it. It’s not quite four yet. I’m not sure if I should indulge in the bath now or wait until closer to six since that’s when he tends to leave the office for the day.

“Fuck it,” I whisper with a laugh. “I can take two baths if I want.”

I start filling the tub before I pour in some bubble bath. As a rose scent fills the air, I undress quickly, carefully folding my clothes before placing them on the bathroom counter.

I take one last fleeting glance at the earring before I lower myself into the tub, knowing I’ll be the only woman he’s thinking of when he gets home.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

Reid

I practically stranglemyself with my tie as I struggle to remove it before I reach the door to my apartment. I know what’s waiting for me inside, and that’s provided both torture and temptation throughout the day.

As soon as I’m inside my home, I slam the door shut with my foot before locking it. I’m immediately greeted with the sound of music filtering through the sound system. I haven’t taken the time to figure out how the hell that works. I’m surprised and happy that Evangeline has because I can also hear singing in the distance.

My clothes leave a path from the front door to my bedroom. By the time I’m next to my bed, the only thing left to discard are my boxer briefs. I slide them off and run a hand over my erection.

I was hard as soon as Basil pulled up to the curb in front of the building. He barely stopped the car before I was out of it and on my way in. I’m pretty sure I planted a one hundred dollar bill in the doorman’s hand today, but I don’t give a shit.

He deserves it, and besides, I’m feeling incredibly generous right now. That will benefit Evie greatly.

I step through the open doorway of the bathroom and see an image that I know will never leave my mind.

It doesn’t matter what direction my life takes from this point forward. I’ll never forget how I felt when I saw the most striking woman in the world in my bathtub, surrounded by fragrant bubbles.

Her eyes are closed, and her lips part with each word she sings. I’m not sure if she applied fresh red lipstick before she got in the tub, but I’m grateful either way.

I’ve heard enough of the repetitive chorus of this song that I join in and sing along with her. “Don’t tell me this isn’t right. I know what I feel.”

Her eyes pop open just as she lets out a scream.

It takes all of two seconds for the scream to shift into an open-mouthed laugh. Tears stream down her face. “It’s you.”

“In the flesh,” I say, accentuating that with the movement of my hand over my dick.

Her gaze follows its path. “Look at you.”

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