My cheeks heated. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag.”
“Hard to miss the way he looks at you. Happy for you both.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
Daniels nodded and took the bag from my hands. “I’ll get this into the bin.”
“Thank you. I need to go check on Thor. He probably needs to go out.”
Our new puppy had been quickly named and promptly tuckered out. I’d finally had to put him in his crate in the house.
Daniels waved me off. “Go on ahead. I’ll get the rest of this.”
“Thanks.”
I hurried down to the house and inside. As I peeked into the living room, I found Thor fast asleep in his kennel, letting out tiny puppy woofs in his sleep. Maybe he didn’t need a break quite yet.
I straightened and turned, nearly running smack into Reed. “Oh, geez. You scared the heck out of me.”
“Sorry,” he said with a grin that wasn’t all that repentant. “Just wanted to see if you needed any help.”
I took a step back. “I’m good, actually.”
Reed moved back into my space. “We could hang in here for a while. Just you and me.”
My heart rate picked up speed as I tried to sidestep him. “I need to get back to Lawson and the kids—”
Reed caught my wrist in a bruising grip. “Stop being such a cock tease, Hallie. I know you want me. I’ve seen the way you eye me. How you wear those second-skin leggings when you know you’re gonna see me.”
I jerked my wrist free from his grasp. “No, I don’t. I’m in a relationship with Lawson, and I don’t want you to touch me again.”
His face mottled red. “Fucking the boss, huh? Maybe I need a taste to see what has him panting after you.”
Reed moved faster than I thought possible. One second, he was next to me. The next, he had me shoved up against a wall so hard I saw stars.
Panic dug its icy claws into me as dark spots danced in front of my vision and Reed’s laughter echoed in my ears.
45
LAWSON
“I’d sayyou made your kid pretty damn happy today,” Holt said as we loaded gifts into large tote bags that Hallie had brought over for exactly this purpose.
“They’re all the happiest I’ve ever seen them.” God, that felt good to say. To know without a shadow of a doubt.
Holt grinned at me as we started toward the house. “You look happier, too.”
“I am.” Despite everything we’d been through recently, I was happier than I’d ever been.
“You love her?”
I glanced at Holt. “Nosy.”
“It’s a simple question.”
Still, it made my chest convulse. “Yeah. I love her.”
“She know that?” he asked as we started up the stairs to the house.
