Page 52 of Breakaway Hearts

After some Googling and mildly heated debate over what film to go see, we decide on a thriller movie I’ve never heard of, but which everyone else seems super excited about.

“Sorry,” Reese whispers in my ear as we walk slightly behind the group to the theater. He has an arm wrapped around my waist, even though nobody is watching, and I can’t help but lean in close to him. It brings a heat to my body that I don’t recognize, something I’ve never quite felt before.

“Why are you sorry?” I whisper back.

“I know you aren’t the biggest movie person. But I thought it’d be best if the group didn’t get wasted tonight. Or rather, that Theo didn’t get wasted tonight.”

My heart does a little stutter step in my chest. Reese has always looked out for me, ever since we became friends all those years ago, but I’ve never been quite so aware of it as I am now. Austin was a fan of doing one big grand gesture every once in a while—on my birthday or Valentine’s Day, maybe—but it was almost like he thought it gave him a free pass to disregard my feelings the rest of the time.

But Reese? He keeps doing these little things that constantly remind me that he’s thinking of me. He’s shown me in a hundred different ways, large and small, that I matter to him.

Impulsively, I reach down to grab his hand where it’s resting on my hip, threading my fingers through his.

“I don’t care what movie we watch,” I tell him honestly. “I’m just glad I’m here.”

He glances down at me, the lights from a bar we’re passing reflecting off his brown eyes. “Me too.”

When we reach the movie theater, it’s mostly empty, and we all shuffle into the theater that will be showing the thriller. Everyone spreads out a little as we take our seats, and Reese and I end up in a spot a few rows behind the others.

Theo is still grumbling about what happened tonight and Sawyer offers simultaneously snarky and comforting remarks in response. Judging by the comforting ones, I know he must make an amazing father to his son. It makes me think of my own dad, and how he always knew what to say to make me feel loved and safe.

“Sawyer sure knows how to parent Theo,” I whisper to Reese. “It’s impressive.”

Sawyer isn’t much older than Theo, and they’ve actually both been married and divorced, although I’ve barely ever heard Theo talk about his ex-wife. But something about being a parent gives Sawyer a ‘dad energy’ that clearly comes in handy when talking his teammate down from a potential confrontation.

“Yeah, it is.” Reese nods, leaning his head closer to mine to speak in a low voice. “And it’s a good thing that at least one of us can be the voice of reason. Honestly, I was so pissed, I might’ve encouraged Theo to go after that scumbag. Shawn Kaplan deserves it, if you ask me.”

I hum under my breath as the previews start playing. “I’m glad you didn’t talk him into trying to track down Kaplan… even if I sort of agree with you. The two have a long-running rivalry, right?”

“I wouldn’t call it a rivalry.” The lights dim in the theater, and I can barely see Reese anymore when I glance over at him. “I think they just wanna murder each other.”

I wince, hoping the animosity between them will die down a bit before the next time they have to face each other on the ice.

We turn our attention to the previews, and Reese whispers in my ear, telling me which movies he’s going to see and which he predicts will be total busts.

Once the previews finish, the lights dim even further, and the movie starts playing. We watch for a few minutes, and although I’m definitely not a big thriller girl, I do my best to keep up with the twisty plot line as more characters are introduced.

I’m just about to lean over to Reese and ask him to remind me who the character with the beard is when he reaches over and lays his jacket over my lap. I frown at it in confusion until he slips his hand beneath the jacket, resting on my thigh. The warmth of his palm against my bare skin is like a shot of electricity, and I suck in a soft breath.

His fingers stroke lightly over my inner thigh, leaving goosebumps in their wake, and any hope I had of following along with the plot of the movie flies out the window. Reese keeps his gaze trained straight ahead, and so do I, but I’m not really registering anything on the screen.

All I can focus on now is his hand and how it feels.

His palm slides higher, to where my thighs are pressed together, and he gives my leg a little squeeze. Then he leans in toward me, his lips barely brushing my ear.

“Tell me to stop if you don’t want this,” he breathes.

I don’t say anything, pressing my lips together to make sure no sound escapes.

His mouth is close enough to my ear that I canfeelit curve into a smile.

“Good girl,” he whispers, and the way he praises me does something to me that I’ve never quite felt before. “Then spread those gorgeous thighs for me.”

Glancing around to make sure that no one is watching us, I follow his command, spreading my legs wider beneath the cover of his jacket to give him better access. His hand slides higher, his fingertips teasing the edge of my panties, and I grip the armrests tightly.

He takes his time, teasing me with barely there touches to my clit through the fabric of my panties and then backing off. He keeps doing that, working me up with the subtlest of touches until I start to squirm in my seat, shifting my hips to try to get his fingers where I need them and silently begging for more.

Finally, he slips one finger into my panties, sliding his fingertip through my folds.

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