I felt a ripple of anger flow through me. “That’s rather insulting. To both of you, but especially you. You’re his daughter. Surely, he knows you better than that?”
She smiled at me. “I love that you immediately jump to my defense.”
I shrugged. “I know you well enough to know that.”
“I was embarrassed and upset. It caused a rift between us. Richard was furious and went straight to my father, with Katy in tow, and told him off. They both did. Richard told him he should be proud of me, not casting aspersions on my character—or his. He said my father had insulted him and his wife, and that they were both very fond of me. He said his expectations of me were business-related and nothing else.” She lifted one shoulder. “He told my dad to get his head out of his ass, apologize, and figure out what year it was. He made him apologize to Katy.”
“What about you?”
“My dad waited a few days, called me, and I went to see him. He did apologize to me.” She sighed. “He’s a hard man at times, but he is my dad.”
“What if he hates me and tells you to dump me?”
She was silent for a moment. “I hope that doesn’t happen, Reid,” she admitted. “But I’m a grown-up. I decide who will be in my life, not my dad.”
“It would still be difficult.” I ran my fingers through her hair. “I don’t want to complicate your life. But at the same time, I want to be in it.”
She smiled, cupped my cheek, and pressed her mouth to mine. “We’ll figure that out when it happens, okay? Right now, I’m happy to be here with you.”
I tugged her closer. “Me too.”
A while later, she shifted and met my gaze, her expression curious. We hadn’t moved, curled together on the sofa, talking, kissing, and holding hands. I hadn’t gotten any of the things done I had planned, but I refused to move. I liked being near to her.
“Reid, I need to know . . . why-why are you still a virgin?”
I lifted one shoulder, trying not to grin at her hesitance in asking. “How I grew up wasn’t exactly conducive to having a girlfriend, Becca. I mean, I kissed a few girls when I was a teenager, and I dated a couple of women when I got out of prison, but somehow, to me, I wanted it to be special. No one ever made me feel as if I wanted to share that part of me. It was one thing I had that was mine.”
“I’m not a virgin,” she stated, worried.
“I would hardly expect you to be. I think if I hadn’t gone to prison, I wouldn’t be one right now either. But that’s the way life turned out. I’m not ashamed of it, even though I know it’s highly unusual.”
She looked toward the counter, tracing her finger around the edge of her coffee mug. A smile played on the corner of her lips as she remembered how I vaulted over it earlier. The thought made me smile as well.
“Is it wrong I find that kind of hot?” she asked under her breath. Her gaze flew to mine. “The virgin thing—not that you’ve been in prison.”
I chuckled. “I figured that. But, seriously, Becca, will you be able to move past the prison thing? And the fact that I have no family, no clue who I am, really?”
She frowned. “I’m sorry you were in prison. I hate what you went through your entire life. But you do know who you are. You chose that person. You’re Reid Matthews.”
“And Reid Matthews is . . .” I left the sentence hanging, wanting her to finish.
She smiled. “Reid is someone I want to spend a lot of time with. I want to know him—all of him.”
“I’m rather new to the whole dating thing. I’ll probably screw it up.”
“I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. We’ll take our time and learn together.”
“Does time include more kissing?”
“Definitely.”
“And, ah, other things?”
“When you’re ready. You’ve waited so long, Reid. Don’t rush.” Before I could reply, she said the words I was desperate to hear.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
We spent the entire day together. I worked on the system, with Becca acting as my assistant. More than once, she rose up on her toes for a kiss. More than once, I had her pressed to the wall, devouring her mouth. It was the best install I had ever done.
“You are such a good kisser,” she murmured against my mouth. “How can a virgin be so good at kissing?”
Pleased she was enjoying my caresses, I grinned. “I have kissed girls and women, but, as I said, I haven’t gone beyond that.” I cupped her face, dragging my lips across her cheek to her sensitive earlobe. “I was waiting for the right person.”
“And I’m that person?”
“Yes,” I stated with conviction, dropping another kiss to her mouth. “You are.” I ran my fingers over my lips, then grabbed my drill.
“Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“You press your fingers on your mouth every time we kiss.”
“Oh, ah . . .” I stalled, looking over her shoulder. I felt heat prickle my neck.
“Tell me,” she insisted. “I want to know.”
“I like how it feels when you kiss me. I guess I’m sort of sealing you into me. Keeping your taste locked into my mouth.”
She stared at me, blinking and silent.
“Is that weird? It’s weird. I’m sorry.”
I wasn’t prepared when she launched herself at me. The drill flew one way; we hit the wall behind me, a mass of entangled arms and legs, her mouth on mine, hard and passionate. I slid down the wall to the floor, taking her with me. She was ferocious in her intensity, her kisses deep and possessive.
“You say the most erotic words,” she groaned. “Sealing my taste into you?”
“So, not weird?” I moaned as she kissed her way down my neck.
“No, not weird.” She hovered over me, her dark hair falling like a waterfall around us. “You turn me on like no man has ever done, Reid. Ever.” She kissed me again.
I was good with that.
Eventually, we got off the floor, finished the install, and I explained how everything worked. Since her apartment was smaller and older, she had no use for many of the features, but I liked knowing her place was more secure. She loved the little camera so she could see who was at the door and the fact that she didn’t have to have keys since she admitted to losing them a lot.
I pushed her laptop toward her. “Okay, you need to input your password. Make it something you can remember, but it needs a capital letter, a number and a special character.”
She frowned in concentration.
“I can always override it, if you forget,” I offered.
She tapped the keys with a grin.
“Enter it again.”
She did, her grin getting wider. I looked at my screen. “Okay. You’re done.”
“You want to know what it is?”
“Um, you want me to know? I can unlock your door, then.”
She sidled close, sliding her arm around my waist. Tucked in tight to my side, she grinned at me.
“Reidskiss#1”
I chuckled. “Really?”
“Yes.”