 
**Reluctant**

By Marla Josephs

Copyright Beverly Fields 2014

© Tempfield Press and Beverly Fields May 2014

Cover photo by Beverly Fields and Amado Temporal

Check out more titles by Marla Josephs at:

https://www.facebook.com/Marlajosephsauthor/

A special thanks to my love, my life, my hero, my husband. Without you I would never have been able to get through the last two years. You have been my rock, as always. And, my boys who stepped up to take such good care of your Papa and then your Mom. I love you all so much.

Immeasurable gratitude to my awesome mother and sister for taking care of my guys while I couldn't, so that my honey could take care of me. I can't tell you how much your support meant. And, to my cousin, whose prayers were so very effective in my copying and healing.

Another special thanks to my very special friends. Thank you for all of your support, venting sessions, and encouragement, sharing this experience with me, and supporting us through it.

Chapter 1

Fallon stood there solemn and alone at her father's grave site. Her face was expressionless as one of the Marines played taps while the others held the flag. It was a private ceremony. There was no one to see her tears as the marines folded the flag and gave her father his final salute. Well, no one but the Marines.

Just like her father, Fallon didn't like sharing her feelings, her pain. She didn't want condolences. Most of what people said irritated the hell out of her. Why did people not think before they spoke? These relatives, these distant people who hadn't been there to share any of the trials and tribulations she and her father had shared, now wanted to come out of the woodwork with their empty words. One had sent her a text message that read: stay proud. What the hell did that mean? Somehow her father's death had stolen her pride? She couldn't even think of any logical explanation of what that was supposed to even mean. And, if she heard another person say, "Well, we all have to go sometime," she would either scream or slap the shit out of them. Was that supposed to make her feel better? She hadn't asked not one person for condolences. So, if this was the extent to their uninvited condolences, Fallon would prefer they shoved them up their own asses.

Rather than be caustic or mean, Fallon knew when it was best to stay away from others. Surely, they must mean well...she guessed. The kindest, most heartfelt words she'd received had come from strangers and mere acquaintances.

The movement of the marines recaptured her attention. She noticed one of the marine's hands shook ever so slightly as he folded the flag, and perspiration had formed on his upper lip. She stared at him, vaguely feeling sorry for him because he seemed to sense her silent pain. They all did really. She'd expected that they would definitely act appropriately and wear solemn expressions, but they all seemed to genuinely feel some of her pain. Maybe they felt sorry for her because she was alone, she wondered absently. When the one soldier came to hand her the flag, she stared blankly at him as tears flowed freely down her still stoic face.

"On behalf of the President of the United States, the Marine Corp and a grateful nation," the soldier began. Fallon noted his voice trembled and sounded strained. Her vision blurred through his next words as fresh tears poured heavier from her eyes and her lip trembled. "Please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your father's service and our condolences for your loss."

He extended the flag to her and she took it. He made a crisp turn, as did the others, and they marched away. By the time her father was secured in his final resting place, Fallon was all tapped out. Her tears had dried and her face was blank. She just wanted to go home and go to bed. She vaguely realized that the soldiers were gone. She'd meant to thank them. The graveyard attendants, or whomever they were, were the only others around. She was alone in the world now. It had always been her and her father.

Chapter 2

When Fallon arrived home, her cousin, Shelton, was waiting for her on the porch.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a tone that sounded dead even to her own ears.

"I let you bury him alone, Fallon. That's the extent of your wishes I'm able to grant." Shelton's voice was quiet and firm. Fallon looked away from his pained eyes. "There's no way I'm letting you stay here alone tonight."

"Why didn't you just let yourself in with your key then?" She asked, not really caring.

"I did," he answered. He stood slowly and came towards her. "I couldn't stay in the house, so I came out here to wait for you."

"Oh."

"Come inside."

He pulled her forward and put an arm around her shoulders, leading her into the house. Once inside, he slid her purse from her shoulder and led her to the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway and a chuckle of faint amusement made its way past her numbness. There was a cake sitting on the counter.

"It's that chocolate caramel thing you like," Shelton said, giving her a tug and gesturing her to a chair. "Take those boots off."

She sat and he knelt before her and took the boots off of her feet as Fallon noticed the other bags on the counter.

"What did you do, go shopping?" she asked in confusion.

"Yes, I did. I got as many of your favorite things as I could," he replied resolutely. "There's tiramisu, a box of nuts and chews from See's Candies, cake batter ice cream in the freezer, that pesto pasta dish you like –"

"Is there anything healthy in there?" she snorted, cutting him off. "Or, are you just trying to make me fat?"

"A few days of indulgence won't do you any harm," Shelton waved away the beginning of her protest.

"Well, in that case, serve it up," She acquiesced, feeling the first pangs of hunger. She hadn't eaten much over the last few days. Granted, this was not going to be the meal of champions, but she wanted it anyway.

After sampling all of the terribly unhealthy yet deliciously naughty delights Shelton had brought her, she walked around doing random cleaning. As usual her stomach began bloating and cramping. At first Fallon had thought this was due to stress. The last two years had been rough on her. Seeing her father valiantly face his fight with cancer day after day was sometimes more than she could bear. Yet, bear it she did. But, lately she was noticing all sorts of strange gastrointestinal symptoms. She was beginning to think something more was going on. Her doctor had told her that she might be developing an ulcer or something. Fallon had made an appointment to run some tests, but then her father had passed away and she was behind schedule with her appointments.

After an hour or so, she finally sat down on the sofa next to Shelton and he pulled her into his side for a side hug.

"I was wondering when you would finally wind down," he said kissing the top of her head. She slid down so that her feet were in his lap and she was lying on the sofa.

Shelton was her cousin on her mother's side, but they were more like brother and sister. He was the only one of her cousins she had really been close to growing up. Because her mother had left her and her father when she was very young, her father had taken care of her by himself. Her mother's brother, her Uncle Andrew, had tried to make sure that she and Shelton got together whenever he could as they were growing up. Not living very close though, they didn't get to see each other too often. But, being only children, they'd kept in contact in every way they could. They were on the phone constantly or on the computer chatting with each other. They didn't have all of the tablets and other devices that the kids had now, but they had had enough.

And, once they were able to drive, there was no keeping them apart. They'd find their way to each other's houses almost every weekend. He was like the brother Fallon had never had. Uncle Andrew used to say he didn't understand why they wanted to be around each other so much when they started arguing. Truthfully though, they hadn't argued that much. They only argued when Shelton tried to get overprotective and really act like a big brother. He was only a year older than Fallon. She had not been about to let him get away with telling her what to do. And, if she was being honest, when she got too bossy with him about the stupid girls he would date, they'd argue. But, he really did seem to choose girls with no brains, though this affliction had improved as he got older. Otherwise, they actually got along rather well, even better than siblings.

Most importantly, Shelton got her just like she got him. He understood who she was inside and out. They were so opposite in many ways, yet no one understood them better than they understood each other. He was very social, and she was very private. It didn't matter if the world was falling apart around her, she didn't like to show any inner turmoil. Maybe it was because her dad had never shown inner emotions and turmoil. She used to think he was super human. The man gave nothing away. Only as she'd gotten older, she'd learned to read the signs that betrayed his stress, fears, pain, or upset. They seemed to be the same symptoms or signs she'd show when she was feeling similar.

She knew everyone else wondered why she wanted to bury her father alone. However, Fallon really didn't care or expect anyone else to understand. His relatives that felt they were so close to him lived so far away they never saw him. They had not shared in their moments of triumph, their challenges, their ups and downs, pains, victories, or grief. No, this was their last moment together and she wanted it for herself; needed it for herself. She did not need an audience to witness her final goodbye. She wouldn't have been able to do it with an audience sharing such a precious moment. If that was selfish, too bad. Her father had been sick for a while. Anyone who wanted to be there could have been there then. She didn't need them now. Shelton got that. Though she knew he wanted to be there with her to offer what he could, would have been there in a heartbeat, he understood what she needed. She needed solitude and that final moment to say goodbye. She hadn't forbidden him from being there. After all, he was the one who had been there for both she and her father through it all. She hadn't even asked him not to come and hadn't been sure if he would be able to stay away. He'd been close to her father as well. He'd been there with her, holding her father's hand when he took his last breath. And, she wouldn't have minded him being there one bit. Still, she was fine with the fact that he wasn't there.

She realized now as she was dozing off that he was patting her feet.

"Hey, I'm not carrying you to bed. Go get ready for bed," he tried to tease. She smiled sleepily at him and brought her feet to the floor. Then she sluggishly pulled herself to a seated position and thought briefly of protesting him telling her what to do, but changed her mind. Fallon was too tired to even pretend.

Chapter 3

Fallon woke up the next morning to Shelton trying to ease away from her. He'd come in to check on her after she'd gone to bed and saw her silent tears. He'd already been ready for bed and promptly crawled in beside her, pulled her close, and let her cry all over him until she finally fell asleep. That was Shelton. Being only children raised by single, hardworking dads, they'd cried on each other a lot over the years. It was such a comfort to have someone who really got you and new just what you needed.

Under less dire circumstances, he'd have teased her mercilessly about crying all over him and ruining his shirt, or some other nonsense. However, last night he'd said nothing. Just silently let her cry while he held her close.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you. I've got to go to work."

Fallon rubbed her eyes and squinted at him through her, no doubt, swollen eyes.

He hesitated, "Unless, you need me to stay. I can call in sick."

"No," She croaked back. Her throat ached and sounded scratchy. "I'm going down to Alexa's today. Besides, you already let me cry all over you and didn't complain once."

Fallon tried for a smile, but it felt weird since her eyes and face felt puffy. He gave her a pained smile in return, full of compassion and his own pain.

"I look that bad, huh?" she asked, scrunching up her face.

"Yep," he said honestly. "Be thankful for those beautiful genes, because you look like a beauty that's been run through the ringer a few times. I win the most gorgeous contest hands down today."

"Thanks," she snorted. "I can always count on you for honesty."

"Always," he grinned.

Two hours later, Shelton was gone and Fallon had showered, dressed, and was attempting to eat some fruit and toast for breakfast when the phone rang. It was Alexa.

"Are you on your way yet?" came her anxious voice over the phone.

"I'm just getting ready to leave. You aren't there anyway. Maybe I should wait and come tomorrow."

"Nonsense," She insisted. "You need to get away. I'm just sorry I won't be there when you get there. You have the key, right?"

"Yes. I told you it arrived days ago. And, I don't mind being by myself," Fallon reassured Alexa for the hundredth time.

"Well, the next time I talk to you, it better be from my house," Alexa commanded, using her most authoritative voice. She should know by now it didn't work on her, Fallon mused. "Nick will be there to take you out tomorrow night. You know he will worry if you don't show."

Nick was Alexa's brother. She and Fallon had met their freshman year of college. Though they hadn't known each other all of their lives, it was as if they'd grown up together. While Shelton was like the brother she had never had, Alexa was like the sister she had never had. During college Fallon had gotten to know Alexa's whole family, and they had taken Fallon in like she was one of their own. She had spent spring break with them in her freshman year and gone on various family vacations with Alexa and her family during summer and other breaks from school. Nick, being several years older, had immediately taken on the role of big brother and protector on her first vacation with them to Mexico.

While Alexa and Fallon played in the pool or on the beach, Nick had glared at any guy who looked at them in their swimsuits. And, he blocked any guys who didn't heed his glare and had the audacity to try to approach them. Nick and Alexa had argued constantly, however, Fallon had been touched by the way he had included her in his overprotectiveness. Considering she hadn't been in Mexico to hook up with guys, she hadn't seen the point in doing a lot of protesting. Alexa, on the other hand, considered it a matter of principle. Fallon supposed she was right. If it had been Shelton, she would have given him what for. But, Shelton was only a year older than her, barely. Nick was a good four years or so older than Alexa.

"I might as well leave early tomorrow morning or later on towards evening then," Fallon mumbled thoughtfully into the phone. If she was just going to leave her house to be alone in Alexa's house, what was the difference?

"Well, I can't argue I guess, as long as Shelton is staying with you," she acknowledged grudgingly. "He will stay with you, right?"

"Yes. He was here last night," Fallon frowned. She didn't want him to have to stay with her again. She had seen him texting his latest girlfriend, Rachel, and Fallon kind of liked her. She actually seemed to have a brain. Fallon didn't want to keep him away from her too long. He might lose her and find another empty headed, but pretty, moron.

Shelton wasn't really shallow, he just wasn't looking for serious of any kind. When he ended up in a serious relationship, he sort of fell into them accidently. And, Fallon was hoping he'd fall into one with Rachel. Otherwise, it would be hard to do any type of double dating or socializing when he had some girl with the brain capacity of a flea hanging around him.

"Well, if he stays, then I guess leaving tomorrow will be ok," Alexa sighed heavily. "Either way is fine. Just let me know what you decide."

After hanging up, however, Fallon paced around the house for a while and realized she had nothing else to do. Well, she could dust or re-clean the bathroom, or something. Otherwise, there was nothing to do. Not wanting to be in the house a moment longer, and really not wanting to do any chores, local errands, or work, she decided to leave. She wouldn't wait until tomorrow. She'd just have a leisure drive down to Alexa's. She lived roughly six hours away by car. She would just make it an all-day thing.

Fallon wasn't big on driving. She just wanted to get where she was going as fast as possible. She was in Northern California and Alexa was in Southern. But, the hassle of trying to fly was more time consuming than just driving. Driving to the airport at least two hours before the flight to make sure she got through security, then the flight if it wasn't delayed, the drive to Alexa's house from the airport, would take more time than it would to just get in her car and go. It would undoubtedly be more of a pain too. Besides, she wanted to have her car.

She figured that today the drive would do her some good. She could stop at Harris Ranch for lunch and any other place she wanted to see along the way. It wasn't even ten o'clock in the morning. At this time of day, traffic wouldn't be bad for most of the drive down.

Chapter 4

Reid Snow knew he shouldn't be bringing Misty back to Alexa's house. But, where else could he bring her? He didn't want to be caught checking into a hotel with her by the paparazzi so they would be splashed all over the internet before he'd even gotten her naked. He definitely didn't want to take her to Nick's house. Nick wouldn't have minded, since they were basically roommates, but Reid didn't want Misty to be able to follow him back to Nick's. Nick had asked him to stop by and put some edible food in Alexa's kitchen for her since they were both out of town. Apparently, Alexa's best friend was coming for a visit, and Nick wanted her to be comfortable until he could get there to greet her tomorrow.

Reid had bumped into Misty at breakfast this morning. He'd gone down to his more exclusive breakfast spot and recognized Misty. Or, rather, she'd recognized him. Misty was a groupie and often hung out at the clubs and watering holes celebrities were likely to frequent. Heck, that's how he'd met her. Nick and Alexa had been on his case about his newly developed taste for women like Misty. But, Misty didn't pretend she was something she wasn't. He'd had his experience with the gold diggers and wannabes. They crawled around Tinsel Town like high priced roaches. No, thank you. Reid Snow was done with them. He clearly couldn't separate the widow from the wheat when it came to figuring out which women were the honestly into you type from the ones that were into your fame and money type. Girls like Misty were good-time girls. And, considering he hadn't gotten laid in over a week now, he knew he would get exactly that, a good time. Misty knew there was nothing more coming out of this. It was a hookup.

The only problem with Misty was that she was insatiable. Well, maybe that wasn't exactly a problem, but he still didn't want her showing up whenever she wanted. They would get together on his terms and when he was in the mood. No surprise pop up visits. He didn't want to give her any ideas. If she didn't know where he was staying, then she couldn't give him any surprise visits.

He'd told her to meet him and given her Alexa's address. He had to get groceries for Alexa's friend and he wasn't about to go shopping with Misty. He'd told her the truth, he was stopping by a friend's house who was out of town. He'd told her he'd be there for a couple of hours if she wanted to stop by. She'd readily agreed. Reid hadn't been in the house two minutes before he saw Misty's car pulling up to the gate. He'd buzzed her in before she even pushed the call button. And, less than three minutes after that, he had her on the kitchen counter top with her blouse open and his hand up her skirt.

Chapter 5

Fallon ended up not stopping for lunch and drove straight through. Because she'd left so early, she ended up arriving in the late afternoon. Once she brought her suitcase and things in, she decided to take a swim. Alexa had a nice sized pool in her back yard. It was nice to play in, but also long enough for serious laps.

After some serious swimming for a good twenty minutes, Fallon did cool down laps for another ten minutes. Starting to feel the first twinges of hunger, she hopped out and headed for the kitchen to see what Alexa had to eat. She hadn't really eaten all day. With her stomach upset over everything she ate, eating wasn't high on her priority list these days. Hopefully she wouldn't have to go out and get something.

She walked in the sliding glass door drying her hair and froze at the sounds of movement in the kitchen. She looked up to see a strange man and woman going at it on the kitchen counter. At least the woman's ass was on the kitchen counter, her blouse open and one hand belonging to the man standing between her spread legs was moving rhythmically under her skirt. She must have gasped, or made some other noise, because the man finally tore his lips from the woman's, though his hand never stopped moving between her legs.

"What the hell? Who are you people? And, what are you doing here?" Fallon sputtered in shock.

The man turned the hottest look on her Fallon had ever seen. Instead of looking surprised, chagrined, or something appropriate, his eyes took a slow perusal down her body and an even slower one back up.

"Shouldn't I be asking that question?" he asked with a slow, knowing, and wicked smile spreading across his face. "It's okay. Come on in. I won't kick you out. I'll be with you in just a moment, love. Just let me finish with her."

Fallon's eyes widened in disbelief. Was she somehow in the wrong house? She couldn't be. She'd used the key. What was going on here?

"Excuse me?" Fallon demanded, taken aback and full of indignation. Who was this Cretan? "How did you get in here?"

"The better question is, how did you get your delectable self in here?" the stranger said in a husky voice. The woman writhing insistently on the counter began to whimper under his steady fondling. For a moment, Fallon thought he would lose his concentration and take the obviously overheated woman right there on the counter, the way she was tugging and squeezing him. She seemed to not even care that Fallon was there.

Please, oh god, please," she whined.

He'd turned to her, crooned something to her, and kissed her. Then he turned back to Fallon. Was this for real? This was some sort of sick joke, right?

"Did you follow me here?" he asked, fixing that sexy gaze on her. Fallon didn't know whether she wanted to call the police or keep staring. This was unbelievable.

"Follow you? Kick me out?" She growled. His words finally penetrated her understanding and her outrage came to center stage. "This is my friend Alexa's house. I don't know who you are, or what is going on here. But, you'd better leave, or I'm calling the police."

"You know Alexa?" Crazy Man asked. His eyes narrowed now and some of the heat lessened there.

"Of course I do. She's my friend. Why else would I be in her house?" Fallon snapped in utter perplexity. His eyes widened and he jerked away from the woman in surprise.

"You're Fallon?" he asked clearly stunned. "But, Alexa said you wouldn't be here until tomorrow."

"Wait. How do you know my name?" Fallon asked cautiously. This was getting more and more bizarre by the second. Romeo there had frozen and was giving her his full attention now. He momentarily seemed to have completely forgotten the woman he was just finger fucking on the counter. She let out a whimper of protest.

"I promised I would be here to meet you and keep you entertained," he blurted out.

"Look. I don't know who you are, but I don't need entertaining. Obviously, there's been some sort of mistake," Fallon said hesitantly. She didn't know if she should risk the sudden movement of making a run for it or to take the time to grab her things and get the hell out of there. Deciding that he literally had his hands full pleasuring the more than willing woman with her ass on the counter, she figured it was safe to grab her stuff and go. She cautiously began to make her way around the counter, never taking her eyes from him. He never took his eyes off of her either, which was a bit disconcerting. As soon as she was around the counter, she dashed down the hall and into the guestroom.

Shit, shit, shit, Reid thought silently. He'd been struck dumb at the sight of the woman in the bathing suit coming through the door. Damn she was hot! All that golden skin and innocent wide-eyed gaze. And that body! Lord, she was wearing a sports suit, but she might as well have been wearing a bikini. The one-piece competition style suit showed every perfect curve. That's why he'd assumed she was a groupie who'd somehow followed him here. It wasn't like it hadn't happened before. Her body and all that wet, curly, dark hair tumbling over her shoulders was straight out of a fantasy. Right now, however, his wet dream was probably calling the police. He had to get rid of Misty... now. Damage control had to take precedent over hot, meaningless sex. Alexa was going to kill him. Nick would probably kill him too. He wouldn't have cared if he'd caught Reid with some woman in his house. But, to find out that this Fallon had caught him with Misty on Alexa's kitchen counter? Yes, there would be hell to pay. And, Alexa would probably try to castrate him for defiling her kitchen counter.

After all but tossing Misty out with a quick apology, Reid hurried down the hallway after the woman he now knew was Alexa's best friend, Fallon. When he rounded the corner of the guestroom doorway, she was dressed in damp clothes that looked like they'd been hastily pulled on over her still wet swimsuit. She was frantically tossing things into a bag. When she looked up and saw him in the doorway, panic lit her eyes. Yep, Nick and Alexa were going to kill him.

Reid took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm. He could do this. Charming women had never been a problem for him. He just had to get rid of his own panic and stay calm. There was no way he was going to have Nick chopping him up into little pieces and Alexa serving him his own nuts over this. He could do this.

Chapter 6

Once she'd made it into the hallway, Fallon had practically sprinted down the hall to the bedroom where she'd left her things. She could hear what sounded like female whining and male cajoling, but didn't take the time to try and make out what was being said. She hastily pulled jeans and a shirt on over her wet swimsuit. She didn't want to risk taking the time to change. She shoved the few toiletries and things she had unpacked back into her suitcase. She zipped her bag and turned to her purse sitting on the bed. She dug through it to find her cell phone. Fallon didn't know what the hell was going on here, but she certainly wasn't sticking around to find out. She would call Alexa and tell her that she could give her a call when she got back. For now, there was some strange man here screwing women on her kitchen counter, albeit a hot man, but a strange one nonetheless. She would just have to get a room somewhere for the night.

Fallon found her phone, slung her purse over one shoulder, grabbed her suitcase with the other hand, and swung towards the door only to let out a little squeak of surprise at the sex crazed, mystery man leaning against the door watching her. He was leaning casually in the bedroom doorway like everything was normal, just watching her. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were intense. However, Fallon couldn't read what was going on in that head of his.

"What are you doing?" he asked narrowing his eyes and glancing at her suitcase, then back to her face.

Fallon lifted her chin defiantly and tried to keep her voice even and calm. "I'm leaving. Clearly there has been some mistake. I'm sorry to have, uh, interrupted you."

"Mistake?" he asked tilting his head a bit to the side in confusion. "Why do you think there's been a mistake?"

"Because, no one was supposed to be here but me," She answered with forced politeness. "Look. Just go back to your lady friend, and I'll be out of here. I don't even want to know what's going on. I just want to get out of here. So, if you'll please step out of the doorway so I can get out, it will be as if I was never here."

He looked amused. "Misty is gone. And, the only mistake was that I was under the impression that you were arriving tomorrow. Well, and the fact that I thought you were here to make my twosome a threesome today."

Fallon involuntarily opened her mouth appalled. When nothing came out she closed it. He shrugged. Who the hell was he that he thought she would be here for him? She didn't even know him...did she? He did look a bit familiar. Still, she didn't know him. If she had met him before at one of Alexa's business parties or something she would remember. Then she realized it was the second time he had mentioned he was expecting her tomorrow. Did he know her?

"Do I know you?" She asked now scrutinizing him.

He looked surprised for the briefest of moments before he replied, "I don't believe we've ever met."

"Then why did you say you were expecting me tomorrow?" She asked, growing more and more confused.

"Alexa asked me to be here to greet you."

"Why would she do that?" Fallon asked clearly not buying this. Alexa wouldn't have done that. She definitely wouldn't have done it without telling her. Alexa had told her Nick would be here to take her out tomorrow.

"I guess she didn't want you here alone," he shrugged.

"So, she sent you and your girlfriend here to stay with me?" Fallon asked skeptically. She just couldn't believe Alexa would do that.

"No," he chuckled. "Just me."

She shook her head in disbelief. This guy was too much. Her head was starting to hurt trying to figure this out. Hadn't she already decided not to figure it out and just leave?

"Well, like I said, I'm leaving. So, you and Misty, or whomever, can have the place to yourselves," she said, taking a step forward towards the door. He immediately straightened from his lounging position.

"Don't leave," he said in a low voice. Fallon automatically took a step back even though there was nothing threatening or menacing in his voice. Her eyes searched his face and she saw...panic?

"Why not?" she asked warily.

"Because, Alexa will kill me if you do," he said, putting his hands up in a surrendering gesture and taking a step back, obviously noticing her wariness. "Look, I'm sorry you walked in on that in the kitchen. Sorry for mistaking you for a..., well you know."

No. She didn't know. But, she didn't say anything.

"But, don't go," he continued, somewhat pleadingly now. "Where would you go anyway?"

"To a hotel, or home," she replied in growing confusion.

"No. Don't do that. If I make you feel that uncomfortable, then I will be the one to go. Alexa wants you here. I am the one who messed this up. So, I will leave if you don't want to be alone in the house with me."

"Okay," Fallon said slowly. She was unclear where this was going. He was sounding as if he were talking to a spooked animal.

"Just tell Alexa that you didn't feel comfortable staying in her house with a strange man, and I'll tell her the same thing."

"Okay," she repeated uncertainly. No other response was coming to mind.

"Only, could we agree not to mention Misty?" He asked with a wince. He was clearly uncomfortable and apprehensive now.

Fallon frowned in confusion and then her eyes widened with understanding. The words left her mouth before she could think of what she was saying. "Are you Alexa's boyfriend?"

Alexa hadn't mentioned anyone, but why else would some strange guy have a key to Alexa's house? She'd had to use the security code to get into the gated property and the key to get in the house. And, she was sure she had locked the door when she had come in. So, why else would some guy be able to enter Alexa's house when she wasn't home.

"You're cheating on her!" Fallon accused, a new surge of indignation and disgust filling her.

It was his turn to look surprised. His eyes widened momentarily before he schooled his features with an indulgent smile. Fallon realized she knew nothing of this man. Confronting him for cheating alone in this house probably wasn't the smartest idea. "You know what? It's none of my business. I don't want to know. Like I said, I'm leaving. So, whatever you do is your business."

She did not want to give this man any reason to kill her and hide her body somewhere. But, she was definitely going to tell Alexa the first chance she got. She knew the saying about killing the messenger. However, this was not something she would keep from Alexa. They had been friends far too long. And if Alexa had caught her man cheating and didn't tell her, Fallon would never forgive her. She would definitely tell her what she had walked in on, but he didn't need to know that. Alexa knew, just as Fallon did, that they would never lie to each other about something like this. He could call her a liar or make up whatever story he wanted. What Alexa chose to do after Fallon told her about this was her decision to make.

"Uh, no. I'm not dating Alexa. Nor have I ever, nor will I ever date her," he said and then shuddered with seeming distaste. What was that about? Alexa was a beautiful woman. She wasn't sure she believed him. But, did it really matter? So, she stood quietly waiting for an opening to make her escape.

"I'm Reid. I'm Nick's friend and a friend of the family," he explained and then paused for a moment. He seemed to realize that she wasn't going to respond and continued. "He was supposed to be here to greet you, but wasn't coming back when he originally thought he was. He asked me to make sure that the house was stocked with food for you. He wasn't sure what time he would make it here tomorrow and asked me to meet you here tomorrow. He told me that he and Alexa didn't want you here alone and asked if I would meet you here and keep you entertained until one of them could get home. So, Alexa doesn't even know I am here. And, they will both kill me if they find out I've messed this up. So, you see, you hold my life in your hands."

"So, Alexa didn't send you?" Fallon clarified. Man, oh man. Fallon was sure he melted many a female heart and dropped many female panties with that vulnerable pleading look he was giving her right now. Though she felt the beginnings of unwanted twinges, she ignored them.

"No. It was Nick. He said he'd be here tomorrow. He didn't know what time you were coming and asked if I'd be here early tomorrow to greet you since he wasn't sure if Alexa had any food in the house. I decided to stock the kitchen today."

"Fine. I won't say a word," Fallon nodded. "Can I go now?"

"How about I take you to lunch and we talk a bit. If you still don't want me around, I'll leave."

"Lunch isn't necessary. I'm sure I can find something to eat."

"I'm trying really hard to apologize and make things right here," he said, sounding pained. Boy he was good. "Are you going to keep shooting me down until I can't pick myself back up anymore?"

"I'm not trying to shoot you down," Fallon said evenly, sticking to her guns. She was simply trying to get the hell out of there in one piece. "It's just not necessary for you to be here with me. I'm sorry that Nick put you up to this."

"How about I call Alexa, tell her I am here with you in Nick's place, and she can assure you that I am not planning to attack you in your sleep, nor am I a serial killer?" he smiled cajolingly.

She lifted her phone. "How about I call?"

"That's fine. Just please don't mention Misty," he pleaded.

She speed dialed Alexa on her cell phone, and she picked up on the second ring. Fallon had her on speaker phone so that this guy could hear the call too. She realized belatedly that she didn't even know his name.

"Hey Fallon. You'd better not be calling to cancel on me. I'm really busy right now and am going to be mad as hell if you make me march to your house and drag you to mine once I leave here," Alexa's voice spewed out from the small phone speaker.

"I'm calling from your house, Alexa. No need for marching or dragging," Fallon drawled sarcastically.

"Oh, well then, what can I do for you?" she asked, her voice taking on a chipper tone. "Are you finding everything okay? Did you have any problems?"

"As a matter of fact, there is a problem. It seems there is some man here who says you sent him to entertain me?" Fallon asked, her voice full of accusation. She turned to mystery man. "I'm sorry. What is your name?"

"Reid," the strange, admittedly, sexy man said looking amused. That was right. He had said his name was Reid. And why was she noticing he was sexy?

"Reid? Is that you?" Alexa asked.

"Hey, Alexa. Yeah, it's me."

"What are you doing there?" Alexa asked not sounding the least bit alarmed.

"That's what I'd like to know," Fallon muttered.

"Nick wasn't sure what time he'd be able to get here tomorrow, and he'd promised you he'd be here to greet your friend, Fallon, here," this Reid guy explained, looking Fallon over with a gaze that made her feel strange all over. "So, he asked me to be here for him and you."

"Awe, that was sweet of you. Thanks, sweetie."

"Anything for you," he said in his low, seductive voice. He'd said that he and Alexa weren't dating, so what was with all the "sweetie" and seductive "anything for you" stuff?

"I think our Fallon here was a little startled to find a strange man here, and isn't quite convinced that I'm not a murderer or serial rapist." He looked directly at her now, his eyes taking on a challenging look as he spoke.

"Reid's good people, Fallon. I didn't ask him to keep you entertained, but I would have if I'd known Nick wouldn't be there. You don't recognize him?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"Should I? Have we met before?" Fallon asked, looking him over now. There was something familiar about him.

"No, we've never met," Reid answered smoothly before Alexa could speak. "Alexa just assumes everyone she knows, knows each other."

Alexa let out a laugh that made Fallon feel like she was missing something. She spoke before Fallon could ask her to let her in on the joke. "Well, Reid is good people, like I said. He's not only a friend of the family, but Nick's best friend. You are in good hands with him."

Fallon wasn't so sure about that. The way he was watching her was making her feel like prey being stalked by a large cat. His face looked merely curious, but his eyes were blazing with sexual heat. It could have very well been left over from his clearly unfinished encounter with Misty, but she wasn't certain.

"Thanks for the endorsement. I'll keep an eye on her until you or Nick gets here."

"Thanks. I will be a few more days. You and Nick take care of my girl for me until then. Just like you and Nick are best friends, she's my best friend," Alexa said in a commanding voice.

"Will do," Reid smiled.

"I've gotta run you two. Have fun," Alexa was saying. "Show my girl a good time, Reid. Bye guys."

And with that she hung up. Fallon stared down at the phone realizing, yet again, her mouth was hanging open. She closed it and looked up to find Reid watching her with an unreadable expression.

"Now that you know I'm not a murderer or anything, why don't I take you to dinner? We can start over. I didn't realize you were coming today. Otherwise, I would have been prepared to greet you properly."

"Thanks. I'm not really hungry right now, and you really don't need to entertain me." Fallon tried for a polite smile. "I'm sorry for surprising you and interrupting your plans. I wasn't planning to come until tomorrow but decided to come earlier. It's my fault, and I can always come back when Alexa returns."

Fallon was tired and wanted to be alone. She hadn't slept well for days now. She was trying to get away, only to walk in on this Reid guy getting busy with some woman. Now, she found herself in a bedroom with him, and her body doing funny things in reaction to his nearness. He had just had his hand between some other woman's legs, his fingers sliding in and out of her, and Fallon's body began tingling whenever he gave her that slow smile? She was clearly too tired for this. Her head was starting to pound. She was missing her dad and just wanted to be alone and catch her breath for once.

"Fallon, please don't leave," Reid pleaded. His low voice pulled her from her own spiraling emotions. He was frowning at her with concern now, and she wondered what her face looked like. She focused on fixing her face into a neutral expression again.

"I told you. I will leave if you are uncomfortable with me being here, or just want to be alone. I can go to Nick's house, okay?" His eyes were searching now as if trying to reach into her mind. She looked away.

"Okay," She nodded jerkily.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said, looking up at him. She realized she had her arms crossed in front of her and was rocking a bit. She stilled. "I'm fine. Just a little tired."

"I'll tell you what," he said in a companionable tone. "Let me make you something to eat, and then I'll leave you alone."

"No. Thank you. I'm not hungry," she said, declining his offer again just as her stomach growled loudly. He gave her a pointed look.

"Either you let me feed you, and I go away. Or, I stay until you decide you are hungry and eat," he said all business now. His voice brooked no argument. "If you're afraid I'll slip you something and take advantage of you, I'll order take out and have it delivered."

"Fine. I can eat a bowl of cereal or something," she yielded reluctantly and walked towards the door. He stepped aside as she reached him and walked into the hallway.

"I've got some pasta salad and chicken salad from the deli in the fridge. You're welcome to it. I bought it today," he informed her as he followed her down the hall and to the kitchen.

When they entered the kitchen, he immediately took down two plates and began pulling food containers out of the refrigerator. Clearly, he knew his way around Alexa's kitchen. It was also clear that he planned to eat with her.

"You are going to sterilize the countertop, right?" Fallon asked, frowning at the spot on the counter where Misty's ass had been.

"I'll do it right now. Just for you," he smiled and winked.

True to his word, after piling their plates with food, he got some spray cleaner and wiped down the counter top while she put a few pieces of food in her mouth experimentally. It was actually quite good, or maybe she was just hungry. They ended up eating in silence though Fallon could feel him watching her.

Once she had finished her plate, she picked it up, washed it, and set it on the dish rack to dry. She turned just as he was bringing his own plate over to the sink.

"Thank you for lunch. I think I'll go take a nap now," she mumbled. "You are leaving now?"

"I wrote my number down on the notepad next to the phone. Yes, I'm going to head over to Nick's now," he answered seeming not to be bothered by her pointed question regarding his departure. "Call me if you need anything. Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow."

His eyes had taken on that searching gaze again. He didn't even know her. Why was he looking all concerned about her?

"Thank you," Fallon replied stiffly and turned on her heels heading to the guestroom she would be staying in. She heard the faucet in the kitchen go on then off. Then she heard the front door open and close. She needed to take a shower, but didn't dare to undress and get into the shower until she knew he was gone. She left the shelter of the room and looked out the living room window. Reid got into a very sleek, black sports car and slowly drove down the drive and onto the street. She let out a sigh of relief when the gate closed behind him.

She headed back to the guest room, feeling relieved now, and pulled off her damp clothes that she had pulled on over her wet swimsuit and jumped in the shower. She really was tired. Thank goodness her stomach hadn't given her much grief this time. Maybe this was a good sign.

After her shower, she pulled on one of her Dad's oversized tee shirts and crawled into bed. Fallon had always loved lounging in her dad's shirts, though it drove him crazy. He always said she ruined them by leaving boob prints in them. He'd sworn that he could never wear them again once she had worn them. Since her breasts were not that big, and as long as he didn't see her in them he didn't complain, she'd just wore them when he wasn't around. He had loved to complain that he thought having a daughter meant that she wouldn't be in his clothes. Fallon chuckled through her tears at the memory as she fell asleep.

Chapter 7

Reid thought about the alluring, and somehow sad, Fallon all the way home. What a moron he was to have mistaken her for a groupie. She had straight-laced stamped all over her. But, that body of hers made that ugly, one piece, knee-length swimsuit look sexy as hell. He envied that suit. It hugged every delicious line, curve and dip of her lush, wet dream of a body.

Fallon was no toothpick, skinny, Hollywood model. She was more realistic. She had a little substance to her and that bottom of hers. Oh, he was drooling over that perfect little butt. She definitely had a woman's body. And from what he could tell, she was well toned. That suit covered up a lot of flesh, but not so much that he didn't see her well-shaped legs and arms. He couldn't stop looking at her. Her face was exotic and striking. Still, it was in direct contrast with her sirens body. She looked like the beautiful, but innocent, girl next door. Reid imagined that if she'd actually tried to look sexy, however, he'd have swallowed his tongue. But, she hadn't done anything at all to capture his attention. In fact, Reid noticed she had a pinched and tired look about her, as if she was upset by something other than finding him and Misty in the kitchen.

Reid's phone rang disturbing his thoughts, and he pressed the phone button on his steering wheel to answer through the car's Bluetooth.

"Hey Reid. Alexa just told me you met Fallon today," Nick's voice boomed through the car speakers. "It's a good thing you went over there today."

"Actually, I think I scared the hell out of her," Reid spoke into the car. He always felt funny speaking on the phone in the car when he was alone. He wondered if anyone who happened to look in his window wondered if he was talking to himself. "She was not pleased to find me there."

"I can imagine," Nick chuckled. "But, no one knew she was going to be there today. She mentioned to Alexa that she would leave later and be there late tonight or early tomorrow. If I'd known she was coming sooner, I'd have given you both a heads up. I was trying to avoid telling Alexa I wasn't going to be there when I thought I was to greet her."

"I take it she called you as soon as she got off of the phone with Fallon?"

"You know it," he said. "Luckily though, she said that she wasn't going to fuss at me since I at least told you to meet her there. I guess in hind sight I could have given her and Fallon some warning."

"Well, it's all fine now," Reid said. "She said she wanted to be alone, so I'm heading to your place. She looked rather tired and said she wanted to take a nap. So, I fed her some of the food I brought, left my number for her, and left."

Reid wanted to ask if Nick knew why she looked sad, or exhausted, or something, but figured he'd better not. He'd heard Alexa and Nick talk about Fallon in passing occasionally, but he now wondered why Nick hadn't said more. She looked to definitely be Nick's type, and he had just recently broken up with his girlfriend. And, it was obvious he liked her a lot. Reid had always assumed Nick saw Alexa's friends the same way Reid saw Alexa. She was just a little sister. The few times he'd been aware that Fallon had come to visit, Reid hadn't been around, or Nick hadn't even invited him to hang out. He hadn't thought much of it. He barely registered the woman's name when they'd talked about her since he didn't know her. Now Reid wondered about this. Usually, it didn't matter who was around, Reid was always welcome to hang out or tag along. After getting a good look at Fallon, Reid wondered if Nick had been keeping her under wraps.

"I don't really like the idea of her being alone," Nick's voice came through the speakers. Reid could almost see his frown. "But, if that's what she wants, then I guess there's not much I can do."

"Well, she clearly didn't want me there," Reid drawled. Why couldn't she be alone?

"Hey, I have to go. I'll call you later. Let me know if she calls or needs anything, will you?"

"Will do," Reid agreed. He would have to be careful with this whole Fallon situation until he understood just what was going on here. Nick was just a little too concerned.

Chapter 8

Fallon sat straight up at the sound of her cell phone going off right beside her. She had a bad habit of finding it in the bed with her, which was stupid because it always startled her when it rang right next to her head.

"Hello," she said in a surprised voice.

"Oh, hey. I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" Nick asked.

"It's okay. I needed to get up anyway," she said on a yawn and lay back down.

"No you don't. You need to relax," came his deep voice.

He really did have a sexy voice. Though he didn't quite move her that way, she could totally see why the ladies threw themselves at him. He was one yummy example of eye candy. And that voice was definitely ear candy.

"I was just calling to apologize for not being there when you arrived, and to tell you I'll make it up to you tomorrow. I caught an early flight, so I should be there sometime in the morning. So, I can take you either for a late breakfast or an early lunch."

"You are so sweet. You don't have to do that. You don't need to make anything up to me," Fallon said, wondering what time it was.

"I know I don't," he chided, "but I want to, and I'm going to. So, don't try to go all modest on me young lady."

"Fine," she laughed. "In that case, I'll expect to be taken somewhere really nice."

"That's better," he said. She could hear the smile in his voice. Then his voice turned concerned. "How are you doing, Sweetheart?"

"I'm hanging in there."

"You sure? I asked my friend, Reid, to go over tomorrow to greet you for me. Luckily, he decided to go over today to make sure the house was ready for you. I told him you weren't coming until tomorrow, but I wasn't sure what time. He said you wanted to be alone."

"I appreciate it, but I wasn't going to do anything but take a nap and relax."

"Are you okay being there by yourself tonight?" he asked, his voice still concerned. "Reid is good people. You can trust him. And, after tonight, I'll be home. So, you can stay with me, or I'll stay at Alexa's house with you until she arrives. I don't want you spending too much time alone."

"I'm fine, Nick," Fallon replied gently, but firmly. "Stop fretting over me. You sound like a mother hen or something."

"Okay, okay," he laughed. "You have my number if you need me. Reid said he also left his for you on the kitchen counter. Don't hesitate to call, Fallon."

"I promise I will call if I need to."

"Good girl. I'll see you tomorrow."

Now that she was wide awake, she realized she was a bit hungry again. She hadn't had an appetite for so long, it actually felt good to feel something as normal as hunger. She slid out of bed and padded down the hall. She was just pulling the pasta salad out of the refrigerator when her cell phone rang again.

"Hi Alexa."

"Oh. That was fast. The phone barely rang," Alexa said in surprise.

"I had it right next to me. I just got off the phone with Nick. What is this? Are you guys taking turns calling me?" Fallon teased half-heartedly.

"No, I actually just talked to Reid. I'm glad you decided to just come today, and glad Reid went by the house to make sure it would be ready for you. He was asking a lot of questions about you. He sounded concerned, so I thought maybe you might need to talk."

"Concerned? Why?" Fallon frowned.

"I don't know. But, considering you just lost your father, he must have been picking up on something. Did you tell him about your dad?"

"No. I didn't tell him anything like that." Fallon could just imagine what he was concerned about. He was concerned that she would tell Alexa what she'd walked into when she came in from the pool. "He doesn't even know me. I don't know what he could be concerned about."

"Alrighty then," Alexa said, sounding apologetic.

Her voice sounded a little crabby, so Fallon softened her tone. "As I just told your brother, I am fine. I just woke up from a nap and am now raiding your fridge."

"Well, eating is always a good sign."

"Well, I am definitely eating. So, see? You don't have to worry about me," Fallon said with exaggerated cheerfulness.

"And, you're okay being there by yourself?" she asked apprehensively.

"Why do you guys keep asking me that?" Fallon grumbled in exasperation. "I am perfectly fine by myself."

"We're just worried about you."

"Well, don't be. I'm fine," she assured Alexa.

"How about I just try not to let you know about it. I'll feel better tomorrow when Nick gets there."

"He already told me that I can stay at his place until you come home, or he can stay with me here. However, if you two keep this mother hen routine up, I might just have to run away and go home."

"Alright. I'll tone it down," Alexa sighed and then a note of something sneaky entered her voice. "So, what did you think of Reid?"

"I don't know," Fallon answered slowly, trying to understand what Alexa was getting at. "What was I supposed to think?"

She let out a snort of laughter, "You have no idea who he is, do you?"

"Uh, why would I know who he is?" Fallon asked in confusion. "I just met him today. Or, did I meet him before and just don't remember?"

This was a real possibility. She tended to forget people she'd met in passing, but he did look familiar to her. Alexa always thought it was funny that she would forget people or never really notice them most of the time. But, unless she'd had some sort of meaningful interaction with them, why would she remember them? A simple meeting was not necessarily meaningful enough.

"He's Reid Snow, only one of the hottest actors to hit the big screen lately. He's in that movie Home Front that came out last year. Didn't you see it?"

"No, I haven't," Fallon answered dumbly. She hadn't seen many movies at all in the last year, but that would explain why she thought he looked familiar. And, it probably explained his arrogant attitude. Fallon could swear he was genuinely surprised that she wasn't there to take Misty's place on the counter when she'd walked in on them. What had he said? He had thought she was there to make his twosome a threesome? He had thought she was some sort of groupie then?

"I keep forgetting that you haven't gotten out much in the last couple of years," Alexa said gently, bringing Fallon back to their conversation. "He also did a few commercials but got his big break in that movie. Right now, he's a hot commodity. He just finished filming another movie."

"That's great," Fallon retorted without enthusiasm. Why did Alexa think she would care? Why was she telling her all of this?

"I know you don't care," Alexa drawled, seeming to read Fallon's mind. "I just figured you should know."

"Well thanks for telling me," Fallon replied, trying to sound a bit more interested. This was yet another reason to stay clear of this Reid person. Star struck was something she had never been. And, she certainly didn't want to deal with someone who was so full of himself he thought every woman he saw wanted him.

"If you're going to watch our dance show tonight, can we at least text each other about it like we normally do?" Alexa asked, obviously realizing Fallon was done with the Reid topic.

"That sounds great. We'll meet up in text land around nine."

The rest of the evening was uneventful. Alexa and Fallon texted each other throughout their favorite dance competition show as planned. They had a few shows they both liked to watch. Rather than talk on the phone through the shows, they often texted about the shows during commercial breaks. It had become part of their routine. This little ritual went a long way in making Fallon's night go smoothly. She hadn't been able to watch the evening shows she used to share with her dad. They used to always compete with each other while watching Jeopardy to see who could get the most answers right the fastest. In the last few months, that had been the only one of their activities she and her father had been able to continue. The pain from the cancer had become so severe that the hospice nurse had increased his medication to the point that he slept most of the time. When he was awake, he was often so loopy he couldn't keep a thought in his head and would get confused, or forget what he was saying. However, he'd been coherent enough to know how loopy he was and it bothered him. And, why wouldn't it? He'd been a Marine. And, after he'd gotten out of the service, he'd gone on to become an obscenely successful business man, computer whiz, and financial guru. This was a man who was as sharp as a tack, brutally honest, and didn't suffer fools lightly. And, Fallon had been told more times than she could count that she was just like him. She smiled at the thought and her bitter sweet memories.

After her show went off, she decided to read a book so she could unwind and get some sleep. She'd been reading light comedic books lately. She hadn't been able to handle anything more intense than that. Finally, she felt her eyelids drooping and turned the bedside lamp off. She was asleep moments later.

Chapter 9

The next morning, Fallon was just sitting down and taking her first sip of coffee when Nick called to tell her he would be at Alexa's house by eleven to pick her up for an early lunch or late breakfast. It was ten now, which meant she had an hour to get ready. She had stayed up late into the night reading until she couldn't keep her eyes open. Her sleeping schedule had also been completely off as of late. She tended to fall asleep late, wake up a few hours later, fall back asleep after an hour or two, and wake up much later than usual.

This morning she had awakened after a full six hours of sleep, which was good. She had lain in the bed in a kind of thoughtless haze. Finally, the urgency of nature's call had her heading for the bathroom. From there she went to the kitchen for her morning cup of wake me up. Being in a different place somehow felt better than waking up at home. She still half expected to get her morning call from Dad, even though she knew she would never again get such a call. Still, she hadn't waken up with the old routines dogging her every step.

Fallon finished her coffee and got dressed. The coffee hadn't been kind to her stomach. She thought belatedly that she should probably have had some toast or something with it. She felt like she needed to eat something that would soak up the acid in her stomach. She looked through the pantry and found some popcorn. By the time she heard a key in the front door she was ready to go. She was sitting at the kitchen table with the bag of popcorn and her book.

"Fallon?" Nick called from the entry way.

"I'm in the kitchen," She called back. She stood and closed up the popcorn bag and put it away. It had seemed to help. When she turned, Nick was coming through the archway leading from the family room.

"It's so good to see you," he said and wrapped his arms around her in a warm brotherly hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head on his chest. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good." Her voice was muffled against his shirt.

"I bet you're tired of people asking you that, huh?" he chuckled sympathetically.

"No. I just don't know what to say," She smiled up at him and dropped her arms.

"Well, you look stunning as usual," he said as he put his hands on her shoulders and held her away from him. It was then that she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see Reid watching them from the archway.

"You met Reid yesterday, right?" Nick asked also turning to look at Reid.

"Yes. We met," she replied stiffly stepping back from Nick. Reid was watching them with a thoughtful expression.

"Good morning, Fallon," he said softly. His voice was very formal.

"Good morning," she returned just as formally.

"I hope you're hungry. Are you ready to go?" Nick asked.

"I am," she answered, picking up her purse. Nick led her out and Reid followed.

Fallon was decidedly uncomfortable throughout brunch. Nick had pulled up in front of a swank little restaurant. As soon as they walked in, she noticed every female head turning in their direction with appreciative glances. Nick was an extremely attractive man and so was Reid. Both could have graced the cover of any magazine. Nick was tall with dark curly hair and light brown eyes where Reid had dark brown curly hair, deeply bronzed skin, and startling green and hazel eyes. Fallon was immediately the most envied woman in the room.

"Mr. Connor, Mr. Snow. It's a pleasure to see you again," the auburn haired hostess said giving both Nick and Reid a dazzling smile. "Your table is right this way."

She led them to a more secluded area of the restaurant.

"Your waiter will be right with you," the hostess informed them after they were seated and given menus. She smiled politely at each of them in turn before her eyes settled back on Nick.

"Thank you, Jill," Nick said, returning her smile with a friendly, yet professional, one of his own. He was clearly not acknowledging her flirtatious smiles. Fallon turned away to hide her amusement only to find Reid watching her. She met his gaze, but he didn't look away. Not interested in a staring contest, Fallon looked away and opened her menu.

"So, what would you like to do today?" Nick asked, opening his own menu.

"Actually, I need to get some work done," she answered not looking up from the menu. Nick was about to protest when the waiter came up to take their orders. She had a feeling that whatever she did with Nick today, she would also be doing with Reid. She really didn't feel comfortable around Reid. There was just something about him that unsettled her.

Fallon focused on the menu, still ignoring Reid. She wasn't a big breakfast eater, but the spinach omelet sounded good. She'd order toast with it just to make sure she wouldn't get all of that stomach acid. Now that her appetite was coming back, eating was complicated. If she ate, she'd have stomach cramping and bloating. If she didn't eat, she actually felt hungry now.

After the waiter had taken all of their orders, Nick excused himself to take a call. She sipped her water and tried not to look at Reid, who was not trying to conceal that he was looking at her.

"Nick and Alexa told me about your father yesterday," he said quietly. He waited for her to look up before he spoke again. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," she said evenly. His eyes and voice showed sincerity. Finding it difficult to meet his bold gaze, she again glanced away. What was it about this guy?

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" he asked, causing her to look at him again. The question caught her off guard. For a moment, she just looked at him. Yes. He did make her uncomfortable. She wasn't sure she wanted to admit it to him though.

"Yes," She finally said, opting for the truth.

"Why?" He sounded only mildly curious.

"Because you keep staring at me," she answered, starting to sound a bit flustered.

"I'm just trying to figure you out," he said giving her a self-deprecating smile. "You're very difficult for me to read."

"What is it you want to know? You could just ask rather than stare at me," Fallon suggested.

"I'm not sure it's that easy," he said, sounding doubtful.

"Try me."

"Okay. Is there anything going on, or that you would like to go on, between you and Nick?"

"Me and Nick?" she asked, frowning. "No."

"That's what he said."

"You didn't believe him?"

"I wouldn't say that. I guess it just confuses me," he shrugged.

"Why?" Fallon asked, getting more and more confused by the moment.

He shrugged and looked up just as Nick began to make his way back to the table.

"Are you seeing anyone," he asked smoothly changing the subject without answering her question.

"Since we both know you are, why do you ask?" Fallon asked, not answering his question.

The corners of his lips turned up into a smile as his eyes zeroed in on her mouth, "I'm just curious, that's all."

"Well, I don't think Misty would like your display of curiosity," she said politely, looking away from those gorgeous, sexy eyes. She could feel heat crawling up her neck and slowly spreading down in her nether regions. She took another sip of ice water.

"I'm just trying to get to know you. What's wrong with that?"

"That's not what it feels like," Fallon replied, turning back to him only to find his eyes taking a slow stroll over her body. She raised a brow at him and schooled her face into what she hoped was a disapproving expression.

"What does it feel like?" he asked, his voice sounding low and seductive as he looked over her chest.

She didn't have large breasts, so she wasn't quite sure what he found so fascinating. Though she was eternally grateful for having her B cups, the way men and women went on about big boobs, she didn't think hers rated that much attention. Fallon never personally cared what other people thought. She'd always thought oversized boobs made women look like they were going to tip over and threw their shape out of whack. She liked the overall balance of her breasts to body ratio and preferred it to what seemed to be conventional thought. Also, of the women she knew who had naturally big breasts, she never heard them talking about the benefits of them. Fallon knew several that had gotten breast reductions and also complained about back issues. Why anyone would pay to have those problems with implants, she couldn't fathom. She didn't personally know anyone that had. However, she was a firm believer in "to each his own." Obviously, it worked for some people. As for herself, Fallon was more than happy with what she had. Her cleavage was great, she didn't flop around as long as she had on a bra, and she didn't have to strap the girls down with a heavy-duty bra either.

When Fallon didn't speak, Reid's eyes finally made their way back to her face. His look, however, was appreciative and unapologetic.

"What does what feel like?" she asked after waiting for his eyes to return to hers.

He smiled a smile that told her he knew he'd rattled her.

"You said my questions didn't feel like I was just trying to get to know you," he reminded her. "So, what do they feel like?"

"With the way you are looking at me, and your line of questioning, it doesn't feel like simple get to know me questions," she said, going for sarcastic but sounding a little breathy.

"I'm a man and you're a beautiful woman. Just because I'm seeing someone doesn't mean I wouldn't be curious about you."

"Well, I'm going to suggest you keep your interest directed at Misty," she said, giving him her best cheery and professional smile.

"Sorry about that. After breakfast, I'm going to have to go into the office for a few hours," Nick stated as he resumed his seat at the table and gave Fallon an apologetic smile. Nick's return cut off the uncomfortable conversation between herself and Reid, but it didn't stop Reid from directing a wicked smile her way. "I should be able to get back to you by late afternoon."

"No. Don't worry about it. Like I said, I have to get some work done," Fallon assured him, jumping at the chance to bring this outing to an end. She didn't want to be in Reid's presence any more than necessary. She was surprised at her physical reaction to him. Her body was paying no attention to her mental warnings. She'd met him in a private moment with another woman, yet her body didn't seem to have a problem with that. Damn her libido. Luckily, she wasn't a woman ruled by her libido. That was what her logical mind was for.

"I'll probably be working the rest of the day and into the evening. I have some deadlines coming up," Fallon said. She directed all of her attention to Nick and completely ignored Reid.

"Are you sure?" Nick frowned.

"Yes," she smiled patiently. "You guys have to stop mothering me. I'm going to run back home screaming if you and Alexa don't stop."

"Okay, okay," he chuckled. "Can I at least call and check on you?"

"Yes. As long as you don't ring my phone every five minutes," she said, reaching over and squeezing his hand. "I really appreciate you guys looking out for me, but don't fuss."

He brought her hand to his mouth and gave the back of it a quick kiss.

"Okay. I'll try."

Fallon sat quietly through the rest of breakfast as the men talked shop. Nick owned a chain of high end car dealerships, and he and Reid seemed to be able to talk cars all day. Finally, breakfast came to an end and she was taken home, or rather, back to Alexa's home.

"I'll pick you up for dinner," Nick was saying as she climbed out of the car. "What time will you be finished."

"I'm not sure. Don't worry about me. I'll find something to eat. I'm not sure what Alexa has going on. She asked me to look over a few things for her. I also have some projects I need to finish up. I'll be at Alexa's office for a while."

"Then, I'll catch you there when I'm done. At the very least, I can bring you dinner," Nick insisted.

"See you then," she agreed, giving in and shaking her head. Clearly, Nick was not giving up. She glanced at Reid sitting in the passenger seat, and he nodded as Nick pulled away.

Fallon spent the rest of the day working on various graphic design projects. Alexa owned her own talent and modeling agency, and she had her very own photographer and studio on the premises. Jake was an independent contractor, but the two worked together more often than not. They had all gone to college together, though she hadn't seen Jake much in the last few years. Alexa had asked if she would come and manage the shoots that some of her models were doing while she was out of town. She'd offered Fallon her own office space for work in exchange for help. Fallon knew this had just been another ploy to get her to come visit, but she didn't mind. She could work from anywhere.

Fallon had a few book covers to do and, since Alexa and Jake had the models, she figured it would be a good situation for all involved. It would also be fun working with Jake again. She walked in and said hello to Michelle, Alexa's assistant. She hadn't actually met Michelle but had talked to her many a time on the phone. After the initial greetings, Michelle led her to Alexa's office and Fallon got to work.

"Hey, Sweet Thing. When did you get here?"

She looked up about an hour later to see Jake grinning at her in the doorway of Alexa's office. She was going over the photos Alexa had contracted for Jake to do for the models she wanted to sign and shop. There were only three models. Jake had, of course, taken some beautiful shots.

"I snuck in a while ago. You were too busy drooling over your cameras to pay any attention to me," Fallon teased and stood. As she came around the big desk, Jake took the few steps to her and enveloped her in a bear hug. She hugged him back tightly.

"Man, it's good to see you again," he breathed and then released her. "It's been far too long."

"It's good to see you too," she agreed, leaning back and smiling up at him. Jake was an outrageous flirt, but a wonderful friend. They'd kept up with each other through Alexa for the last couple of years, and she had seen him roughly a year ago when she visited Alexa for her birthday. But, they had done a poor job of actually keeping in touch. Truth be told, Fallon had done a poor job of keeping up with everyone over the last year while her dad battled cancer. Alexa had just refused to allow her to keep her out. She'd called constantly and threatened to come invade Fallon's house if she didn't keep in touch.

Jake had called and checked in with her over the last couple of months, and he'd called with his condolences when her father finally lost the battle and was able to rest. So, she wasn't surprised that he didn't mention it now. He and Alexa were on a mission to let her grieve but not let her fall apart.

"I have an appointment with a couple of models for portfolio shoots. You want in? I know that you are all about graphic design now, but I also know that you know your way around a camera."

"Sounds good," Fallon agreed. "As long as you set up the lighting."

She never was one for studio photography. She'd sort of specialized in natural settings and sports photography as much as she could when they were in college. However, one seemed to not be able to avoid portraits and studio lighting if one got into photography classes. Jake, on the other hand, could do it all.

"Already set up," he chuckled. "Alexa also said you had projects involving photography you needed to complete."

"Yes. I need a couple of models to do a simple cover shoot for a book cover. It won't pay much, but the cover will be on their resume."

"I'm sure we can work it out."

Two photo shoots and several hours later, Jake and Fallon were reviewing the results of their work.

"You enjoyed that today, didn't you?" he said with a self-satisfied grin as he came and stood behind her. He began kneading her shoulders as she looked at the computer monitor reviewing the photos they'd taken.

"Yes. I did," She smiled. "It was like old times."

It had truly been like old times. Jake had been a constant flirt when they were in college. The only problem was, he was always flirting with every other available woman too. He may have been, and still was, panty dropping gorgeous, but she'd never felt the need to drop hers for him. However, he and Alexa were her closest friends in college. He'd been seriously trying to get her into bed when they'd first met. But over time, their friendship had grown, and he seemed to value that over getting her naked.

Reid had spent a lot of time thinking of Fallon and had come to the conclusion that she just wanted to get away from him this morning. Staring at her probably hadn't helped him any. She had such an expressive face, a beautifully expressive face. Only, he couldn't tell exactly what her expressions meant. He found himself watching her closely to see how she reacted to different things and trying to decipher what the reactions meant. He wanted to ask Nick about her but thought better of it. Whether Nick was interested in her or not, she was still Alexa's best friend. Either way, she would be off limits to him. It had to do with that don't shit where you play rule. He certainly wasn't looking for a relationship. Still, he couldn't deny that something about Fallon had him standing at attention whenever she was near.

He'd taken care of some things while Nick was at work and then they'd headed to the gym. After showering, Nick wanted to come and get Fallon to make sure she ate dinner and wasn't working too hard. Reid hadn't hesitated to come along. So, he'd climbed back into Nick's car anticipating his next encounter with Fallon.

When they arrived, Nick stopped to talk to Alexa's assistant. She informed them that Fallon was in Alexa's office. While Nick talked to Michelle, Reid continued on down the hallway to Alexa's office where he heard voices. He reached the doorway and saw Fallon and Jake looking at a laptop computer screen.

Fallon must have had her own laptop, because Alexa's computer was on her desk, and the laptop Fallon was looking at was on the side of the desk. Had she been on Alexa's computer she would have seen him. With her laptop where it was though, she and Jake had their backs to him.

"Speaking of old times," Jake was saying as he trailed slow kisses along the back of Fallon's neck to her ear. "How about we play a little photographer and model on that sofa over there now that everyone is gone. You know how much you turn me on whenever you get a camera in your hands."

"What does that have to do with old times," she laughed and began to pull away from him. Her laugh was cut short, however, when she glanced over her shoulder to look at Jake and caught a glimpse of him in the doorway. She jerked fully around to see him standing there watching them. Reid fashioned a blank expression on his face. He didn't want them to see the anger that he felt. He didn't even know her. He had no right to feel anything. She obviously knew Jake, which only made sense. He knew Alexa had gone to college with both of them. So, they'd obviously all known each other.

Further down the hall Reid could hear Nick's voice and that of Michelle.

"Hi. Can I help you?" Jake stood all business now. "Oh, hey Reid."

"Jake," Reid smiled and nodded at him politely. His eyes were carefully blank, and the smile was gone when he returned his gaze to Fallon. He couldn't quite hold a smile for her right then.

"Hey, Jake. How's it going?" Nick said, coming into view behind Reid. Reid entered the room and stepped to the side to let Nick and Michelle enter.

"Hey Nick. How've you been, man?" Jake said as the two men gave each other man hugs.

"I've been good."

"Sorry to interrupt," Michelle interjected. "But, Jake, you have a call on line one. It's the Glitz editor and he doesn't sound too happy."

"Ah, damn. Transfer him to my office line," Jake replied and then turned back to the room. "I've got to take this. Damn uptight editors. I'll be back in a few minutes, Fallon. You can go on through those shots without me. Just pick the ones you like the best."

With that, he headed down the hall to his own studio office.

"I can show you where Alexa has a copy of that car request you were asking for, Nick," Michelle was saying. "You can just leave it there when you're done with it."

"Sounds good," Nick answered as he followed her out of the room.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Reid said softly now that no one else was in the room with them. He couldn't help it. He had to know who she was involved with. What he would do with the information, he didn't know. He was just drawn to her. Maybe knowing she was involved would cool his interest in her.

"You didn't interrupt anything," she said distractedly, focusing her attention back on the computer screen.

"Then what did he mean by, like old times?"

"Jake just likes to flirt with me," she said on an exhaled sigh of fatigue.

"Really?" Reid said, his voice taking on a hot, contemplative tone that made her look up. He wasn't looking at her face. Instead his eyes were roaming over her body..., again. He couldn't get enough of looking at her. What was it about her? She was wearing jeans and a jersey knit top. It wasn't like she was wearing something revealing.

"Would you stop looking at me like that?" she hissed.

"I'm trying to imagine you in that skin-tight swim suit you were wearing yesterday," he said, bringing his eyes to her face.

She opened her mouth to say something just as Nick walked in.

"You about done, Fallon?" he asked. "Or, should I just bring you something to eat?"

"No. I'm going to be here for a while, but I'm not hungry. I had a big lunch plus the breakfast you already fed me. I'm good."

"Are you sure? It's no trouble," Nick frowned.

"When did you turn into a mother hen?" Her voice was teasing, but Reid thought she was trying to be patient. She didn't like them fussing over her, that was obvious.

Fallon actually hadn't eaten lunch. But, she didn't want to eat. Her stomach had already protested the breakfast she'd had. She'd probably settle for a bowl of cereal later. Though she knew if she told Nick that, he'd be trying to shove food down her throat. She was hoping calling Nick a mother hen would remind him to back off. He and Alexa were treating her like she was so fragile. It was nerve-racking. Why couldn't they just treat her like normal? It wasn't like she was going to lose it at any moment.

"I'm going to be here for a while. Stop worrying. I'm having fun."

"Okay, okay," Nick said, holding his hands up. "I don't want to be called a mother hen again. If you say you are fine, then you are fine."

She stood, walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I appreciate your worrying. I really do. But, it's not necessary."

"Promise you'll call if you need me?" he asked, looking down at her.

"I promise," she smiled, giving him a squeeze. He kissed the top of her head and released her.

"Then, I will leave you to your work. See you later."

Thank goodness. She really didn't have that much work to do. She also couldn't concentrate to save her life. Her mind kept wondering back to Reid and those hot penetrating eyes. If it wasn't for Reid, she probably would have left with Nick. Reid was putting her in knots, and he seemed to be sticking to Nick like glue. Maybe if she hadn't met him the way she had, she wouldn't know just what a man whore he was. But, there was no way she was going to get involved with him no matter how attracted to him she felt. She wasn't looking to be involved with anyone anyway. But, getting involved with Reid was just plain dumb. And, he was making no secret about the fact that he was interested in her.

Fallon didn't know how long she'd been sitting and staring at the computer screen when Jake came back into the room.

"How far did you get?" he asked.

"Not far. I think my brain is fried. I'm tired."

"Yeah, me too," Jake agreed. "Plus, I've got a few more things to finish. You can head out if you want. We can finish this tomorrow."

Fallon knew that was best. She said her goodbyes to Jake and Michelle and headed out the door. After getting to Alexa's, she was able to convince Nick that she would be fine alone. She called him to let him know that she was in for the night. She was planning to take a nice long bath and then get some sleep. He reluctantly gave in.

Chapter 10

The next morning, Fallon woke to the sounds of someone moving around quietly in the kitchen. Belatedly she realized she smelled coffee. She stumbled out of bed and to the kitchen to find Alexa cooking up some sausage and sipping a cup of coffee.

"Oh, you're awake." Her voice was chipper and way too perky for morning. Fallon was not a morning person, but Alexa knew that. They had, after all, been roommates. The fact that Alexa ignored her morning grumpiness was one of the reasons they had gotten along so well. She just went on talking as if Fallon had answered her. "I got the photos from the first shoot with Amber. Jake said you shot quite a few of those pictures. They're great."

Fallon made her way over to the coffee pot.

"Thanks," Fallon mumbled as she grabbed the creamer from the fridge.

"He also told me that you're doing some book covers and would like some models?"

"Yeah. I need some male and female models to pose together in sexy embraces. They're contemporary romances, so I won't need any difficult costuming. And, it won't pay much for those that are chosen."

"Not a problem. I have some in mind already that could use the work and the experience on their resumes."

"Sounds good," Fallon nodded, taking her first sip of coffee and settling in at the table. Alexa sat a bowl of berries in front of her and a plate with two breakfast sausages on it.

"I guess this is still a typical breakfast for you?" Alexa asked, gesturing to the plate she'd just given Fallon.

"Yes. Thanks," Fallon answered.

"You're welcome," Alexa tossed over her shoulder as she turned back to the stove and removed two more sausages to a waiting plate. Then she came over and sat across from Fallon at the small kitchen table. "Get whatever you are doing today done before five this evening. One of my clients and friends is having a little get together tonight, and you are coming with me."

"What kind of a get together?" Fallon asked skeptically between bites of fruit and sausage.

"It's his birthday. We're going to head down to this little club to celebrate. He's already reserved the VIP section. And, before you even think of bailing out, you can't. You are going," Alexa commanded. She was so pushy.

Fallon hadn't even thought of saying no. She hadn't been interested in clubbing over the last few years. It just wasn't any fun anymore. Well, truthfully, she'd never been one to go clubbing very often. She went out occasionally. She loved to dance. But, the club scene was just not fun unless you had someone with you that would keep the creeps away. Still, it would be something to do. And lately, Fallon was all about distraction. She decided she would make it fun. Besides, it was always better when you had a group. If it was for someone's birthday, and they bothered to reserve the VIP section, then there would be a group. She wouldn't have to worry about having to dance with strange guys who didn't understand that dancing was all she was interested in. She was going out and that was that.

She spent the day working on the portfolio cards with Jake for the models they'd shot photos of the day before. Jake did more of the choosing and Fallon did more of the designing of the portfolio cards. It was common for models, especially aspiring models, to have several different photos on a five by seven photo sheet showing various poses when handing out their cards for potential jobs, or mailing out their portfolio. Alexa used them as advertisement when she mailed things to her clients. The design of the cards were based on what she was sending out the advertisements for. But, pretty much anything that Alexa had to mail out would have some photos of models on it with her business logo, and Fallon often designed them for her. Most of the time, they were forwarding things via email until they achieved the look they wanted.

Spending the day working with Alexa and Jake really brought back the feelings of the good times when they were in college together. She'd missed them more than she knew. And, working with them had kept her mind off of Reid, for the most part. Thoughts of him flittered in and out but weren't all consuming.

When Fallon and Alexa arrived at the club later that evening, Nick greeted them at the door and led them over to the VIP area. Fallon passed on wearing a short dress or skirt and settled on some city crepe, soft fabric, tapered ankle black pants with a blood read blouse. She'd wanted to wear boots, but the tapered ankle meant pumps were in order. Fallon had resigned herself to having a few drinks and people watching. And, if the atmosphere and the people were right, she might even dance.

She hadn't realized Nick would be there, but was pleased to see him. Surely, she could finagle him into being her dance partner once or twice. Once they arrived at the reserved table, she was even more surprised to see Reid, though she shouldn't have been. Hadn't he been everywhere Nick was lately?

Tonight, Misty was nowhere to be found. Instead he had a tall, lean, strawberry blond plastered to his side and several other scantily clad women trying to get his attention.

"Fallon," he called over the music. Her name rumbling from his throat sent unwanted prickles down her spine along with the heat in his eyes, "glad you made it."

She gave him a perfunctory smile. He was sitting there with another woman. He had no business looking at her as if he were undressing her with his eyes. She was surprised and disgusted with her traitorous body's reaction to this obvious rogue.

Nick and Alexa introduced her to the others at the table. Austin, who was in charge of advertising for some clothing label, was the birthday boy. He had a couple of women hanging off of him too. He introduced Gina, Lisa, and Liz. Apparently, they were all part of Austin's entourage, as were Mike, John and Tim.

"And this is Denise," Reid said, gesturing to the woman practically sitting in his lap.

Fallon gave Denise a friendly smile, slid into the seat next to Alexa, and ordered a drink. She was as far away from Reid as possible. Now that Reid was here, she wasn't sure how this was going to go. She should have known when she saw Nick that Reid wasn't far behind. She was now doubting her decision to come here. What was she doing here? She was more the stay at home and watch television type, or go out and have dinner with a few close friends type. She'd barely had time in college to do any partying. Her dad may have been a financial guru, but he didn't let her off easy. He'd paid for tuition and books. Her living expenses were her own. So, she'd worked fulltime and went to school fulltime. It had literally been years since she had stepped foot in a club. Resigned, Fallon sat back listening to the noise around her before Lisa's words caught her attention.

"So, I heard the new Florentine line coming to Nordstrom's is your account," Lisa was saying to Austin. "I love their clothes."

"Yes. That's true. However, it will be under a different name for the Nordstrom's label, and the collections will be exclusive to Nordstrom's."

"Wow, so basically you are licensing intellectual property?" Fallon asked fascinated.

"Yes," Austin said, flashing her a pleased smile. "Specifically in the fashion space right now. Though, we have been able to contract a few celebrity brands that have accessories that we are able to license to certain retailers."

"That's genius," Fallon blurted out realizing that Austin was more than just a handsome face.

"How do you know so much about the licensing of intellectual property?" Austin asked, giving Fallon his full attention now and ignoring his three companions.

"I guess I'm sort of a geek," she shrugged not wanting to get into talking about a stock she held in the same type of business. The glazed looks coming over Gina and Liz, along with the flicker of annoyance at the loss of his attentions, had her looking away. She didn't want to be a buzz kill. She caught Reid looking at her from the corner of his eye, as was Denise.

"I don't know exactly what you're talking about but it sounds interesting," Denise said looking interested. Maybe she wasn't a total airhead.

"I don't know all of the inner workings, either. When I first heard of it, I thought it was interesting too." Fallon smiled tentatively back at her. "I guess Austin would be the one to give us all the details."

"Women whose eyes don't glaze over at business talk," Austin quipped and gave an exaggerated sigh of delight. "I think I'm in love."

"You've already got your hands full," Alexa drawled, gesturing at Gina and Liz huddled up on either side of him. To Fallon's surprise, she and Denise shared an amused smile.

She seemed like a nice girl. And, Fallon had no doubt that she knew Reid was watching her. It wasn't like he was being subtle, but it didn't seem to bother her. Weird, was all Fallon could think of that. And what was with his close scrutiny anyway? He wasn't staring. It was more like he was watching all of her reactions and interactions. What was he looking for?

As the evening wore on and more drinks were consumed, everyone got up to dance except Fallon. She hadn't been dancing in so long, she wasn't sure she remembered how. However, judging from the lack of ability she was seeing, she knew compared to this rhythm-less nation she hadn't missed a step. She guessed those dancing while cleaning episodes had kept her in dancing condition. She might not know the latest dances but, from what she could see, these people didn't know the old ones or the newest ones. She was glad to see Alexa and Nick could still dance. And, Reid was actually a pretty good dancer himself.

After a couple of dances, Reid walked back over to the table and slid into the booth. The booth was rounded like a horseshoe and he slid in directly across from her.

"You don't want to dance?"

"No. I'm good."

"So, does that mean you can't dance, or you just don't want to dance?" he asked playfully.

"I can. I'm just not in a dancing mood," she answered lightly.

"Hm. Maybe the person you want to dance with isn't here tonight?" He kept his tone light, but she could see his gaze sharpening on her face. "Where is Jake? I thought he was coming?"

"I thought he was too, but I guess he couldn't get away," she shrugged.

He leaned back and studied her. "So, you and Jake aren't involved, huh?"

Fallon frowned. "I told you we weren't yesterday?"

"Well, from the way he was kissing on your neck and touching you when I walked in yesterday, it sure looked like you guys were involved?"

"Why do you keep asking me who I'm involved with? First, Nick and now Jake?" Fallon asked, irritation beginning to show. She wanted him to stop with his questions, and heated eyes, and interested, sexy looks.

"I want to know more about you?" he said in that low, bedroom voice of his. And just like that he was giving her the heated eyes again.

"Why?" She scowled at his words, as well as the way the words set off fluttering in her belly. How could she get turned on by a guy who seemed to collect women like candy?

"I want you," he stated as if he were saying he wanted another drink. She stared at him in disbelief. She couldn't have heard him clearly. She closed her mouth and beat back the heat pooling between her thighs. Seriously? Her body had literally lost touch with her mind and reality. She hadn't been out in a while and he was very, very attractive. That had to be it.

"Wow, I would think that you had enough to keep you busy with Misty and Denise. Two isn't enough for you?" Fallon finally said, managing to sound sarcastic.

"What do they have to do with anything?" he asked as if he really didn't understand.

"Well, let's see. It's rude to flirt with other women when you are already with a woman, not to mention a total turn off."

Well, usually it was a turn off. And, actually, it did make it easier for her mind to keep her body in check. Yes, he was gorgeous, and that sexy voice and the hot looks he kept throwing her way could make her panties damp, but she wasn't exactly tempted to throw caution to the wind and get naked with him, despite her bodies reaction.

"They're just friends. Nothing more," he shrugged, leaning forward and gazing into her eyes. She leaned back.

"Friends with benefits is more than just friends," she said raising a brow.

"Not necessarily," he countered.

"Yeah, well, I don't have sex with my friends. So, clearly you and I don't have the same definition of friend. And, I doubt very seriously either of them would appreciate you flirting with me."

"They both know we are not in a committed relationship. Misty is an old friend I ran into yesterday morning, and –"

"Why are you telling me this?" Fallon asked, cutting him off. "I'm really not interested in your personal business."

"I think you should know," he said unruffled with a shrug.

"Look. I don't get involved with men who are involved with multiple women, or even one other woman. I don't do the friends with benefits or the sharing thing," she said, trying to sound as casual as he did.

"You'd never have to worry about that, which is why I think you should know my involvement with Misty and Denise." He smiled mischievously at her. That was it. She snapped. He just would not let this bizarre conversation go.

"Why the hell do I need to know who you're fucking?" she hissed, totally baffled and flustered now.

"Because if I was fucking you, I sure as hell wouldn't be fucking them," he grinned a totally wicked and unbothered grin.

Again, she sat there looking at him with her mouth open at his crude, unexpected words and calmness. Shock made her mind go blank and humor seemed to flicker in his eyes. Luckily, reason began to filter back in. Who was he kidding? He was clearly an unscrupulous rogue that would say anything he thought a woman wanted to hear. Then again, he couldn't possibly think she wanted to hear what he had just said. Could he?

"I'm not having this conversation with you," Fallon said, somehow mustering up a cool smile of her own. So what if her heart was beating like a drum. He was an ass. He wasn't going to get under her skin. She could be cool too. She could be the ice queen. "You probably should save your energy for those women that believe your pretty lies. I'm just not one of them."

With that, she scooted out of the booth and stood, intending to walk to the bathroom to get away from him, but he stood and put a hand on her arm to stop her.

"I've offended you. I'm sorry," he said, his eyes searching her face. The humor was gone now. "That wasn't my intention. I was simply being honest."

"I'm not interested in getting involved in any way with anyone right now." Fallon stated pulling her arm out of his grasp. "I'm just trying to spend some time with my good friends. I don't want this to be awkward or uncomfortable. There are plenty of women who would be interested in whatever game you want to play. I'm just not one of them."

Reid had been around long enough to know when a woman wanted him. And, Fallon wanted him. However, it was clear that she didn't want to want him. He'd miscalculated. Clearly, she wasn't charmed by his good looks and fame. Hell, she apparently hadn't even known who he was before, and wasn't impressed now that she knew. And, that made her that much more appealing.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I don't want this to be awkward or uncomfortable either. I'll be on my best behavior from now on. Just know that if you change your mind, I'm right here."

"You really are full of yourself, aren't you?" she said in seeming amazement.

"I'm apologizing," he said, raising both hands. Then he grabbed her hand and stepped so close they were practically touching. He could feel her startled reaction and the heat coming from her body. She made an attempt to step back, but he tightened his grip on her hand and placed it on his chest. "Please accept my humble apology if I've made you feel uncomfortable."

He was making slow circles over the back of her hand and he felt her shiver. His eyes narrowed, but the sincere look on his face didn't slip. He was completely aware of the physical reaction she was having to him, regardless of her mental reactions. Her eyes widened and she jerked her hand. Reid released her, and she fled to the bathroom.

Reid cursed under his breath. He had come on way too strong. He'd been reacting to her reaction to him. He couldn't help it. He could see her reactions in her eyes. She was good. At first, he hadn't been able to understand what all the little nuances meant. But, the more he studied her, the more he was starting to understand that she was fighting her purely physical response to him. Still, if he wanted to get any closer to her, he knew he had to tone things way down. She was going to need a bit of coaxing and wooing. And, he was surprised to find that he wanted to coax and woo. He didn't want to examine that thought too closely since he hadn't wanted to have anything more than sex with a woman since he'd gotten rid of that gold digging bitch, Karen. Fallon, however, was proving difficult to prevent from monopolizing his mind.

Chapter 11

When they arrived back at Alexa's home, Fallon immediately headed for the shower. She felt tired and sluggish. It had been a long time since she'd been out late. Her whole life for the last couple of years, and definitely the last year, had consisted of no more than work and taking care of her father. There were no nights out with the girls, dinners out with friends, or even dates for that matter. She'd tried to get in a few workouts a week, but clearly it hadn't been enough to compete with staying up late and going out with her friends. If she were being honest, she simply wanted to find a deserted island and stay there all by herself sleeping for a long while. Life was just feeling a bit too complicated. Reid was muddling her mind. And, she just wanted to call a time out.

She climbed into the shower and contemplated how she felt. The way she felt scared her. She didn't understand it. She didn't have any energy, she wasn't driven to do things anymore, but she seemed helpless to do anything about it. And, on top of that, her stomach was getting worse. She had to be very careful about what she ate. She'd have to go to the doctors about it if it didn't clear up. Something was wrong.

This listlessness just wasn't her. So, she was trying to find a happy medium between just continuing to move forward and taking it easy. It wasn't working. She hadn't had a bad time this evening, but she hadn't had a great time either. What was wrong with her?

When she walked out of the bathroom and back to the guest room, Alexa was sitting on the bed.

"Hey?" she said in surprise.

"Hey yourself. Get in here," Alexa said, looking concerned.

"What's going on?" Fallon asked, hitching the towel up so she could sit down on the opposite side of the big bed.

"How are you doing really?" Alexa asked, her face now a mask of worry.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not," she said, rejecting Fallon's answer. "You were very quiet tonight, and you didn't dance once."

"I'm just tired."

"Are you sure?" she asked, searching Fallon's face as if the answers were there. "You just don't seem like yourself. I know you're mourning your dad, but are you okay?"

"I'm as well as can be expected," Fallon shrugged. "What else can I say? I'm okay one minute, sad the next, and crying yet another? I'm going to go through this until I'm not anymore. But, I am okay, Alexa. Really."

"Would you tell me if you weren't doing okay?" Alexa asked, her concern getting to Fallon.

"Yes," Fallon smiled and patted her hand. "I would tell you if I thought I was going over the deep end or something."

"Okay," she said, standing reluctantly. "Maybe you should take a few days off. It's okay to take a few days off you know."

"I haven't been pushing it," Fallon defended. "Work keeps me busy. I'm taking it easy and just doing enough to stay busy."

"I know you are. But, just don't feel like you can't take a whole day if you want, or several even. Jake and I can cover some of what you need done. We've all got the training, regardless of our career choices," she assured Fallon heading for the door. "Get some rest. Sleep in tomorrow."

"Now that, I believe I will do. I am really tired," Fallon yawned lazily. "I'll come in later and maybe start working on the two book covers I need to complete. Those are quick and easy."

"Sounds good," Alexa smiled. "Sleep well."

Fallon woke the next morning to the sound of Reid calling her name and the feel of him shaking her gently. She opened her eyes to see him sitting beside her on the bed and looking down at her. Wow. She'd been sleeping so hard, she hadn't heard him come in or felt him sit down beside her on the bed. She was normally such a light sleeper.

"Reid?" she mumbled.

"Yes. It's me," he smiled down at her.

"What are you doing here?" Fallon asked, squinting at him and trying to focus.

"Alexa sent me. She said that you were planning to come in later, but she hadn't heard from you and you weren't answering your phone," he explained. "She asked me to come and check on you. Do you want some coffee?"

"My phone? What time is it?" she asked, sitting up on her elbow and looking around the room.

"It's two in the afternoon."

"What?" she asked, sitting straight up. How long had she slept? She remembered going to bed a little after one in the morning. They hadn't stayed out all night since everyone had to work the next day, and she had fallen asleep right away.

"Thirteen hours?" she said in wonder. How had she slept so long?

"Are you alright?" Reid asked, looking worried.

"I don't know," she said. "I mean I feel fine, but very tired."

"Maybe you should just rest. Would you like tea instead?"

"No. Coffee sounds good. I need to get up," she replied, pulling the covers back and moving to the side of the bed next to him so her legs hung over the side of the big bed. She looked up at him and realized she was wearing a night shirt that was barely covering her crotch. His eyes were fixated on her thighs. He stood abruptly and their eyes met.

"I made coffee," he blurted out. His voice had taken on a quality that had Fallon's stomach muscles clinching. There was a flicker of heat in his eyes before he turned away and headed out of the room.

Fallon jumped up, dug out her pajama pants, and quickly pulled them on before dashing to the bathroom. When she returned to the room, Reid was there waiting with a mug of coffee in his hand. He handed it to her and she took the first sip. It was perfect.

"How did you know how I liked my coffee?"

"I asked Alexa," he smiled. "Where's your phone?"

"Uh, I think it's in my purse on vibrate," Fallon said, looking around for her purse.

He walked out of the room and returned moments later with her purse.

"Thank you."

"Why don't I take you to lunch?"

"No. Thank you," she said, shaking her head. She was in no mood to endure his sexual banter right now. Honestly, she just wanted to go back to bed. But, she'd already slept half the day away. She needed to get up, move around, and get her juices flowing.

Reid knew he shouldn't push, but he couldn't help it. Aside from looking sexy as hell all bed rumpled and her curls all over her head, she looked a little lost.

"Just lunch," Reid said, looking into her eyes. She looked haunted. "I promise to be on my best behavior."

When she said nothing, he went on.

"You've been through a lot, Fallon," he said, trying to appeal to her reason. "I think you're sleeping because your body needs to recover from the shock. You need time to heal."

"I know what I need, Reid." She looked away from him and sipped her coffee.

Reid sighed. He'd made her wary of him. It was going to take some gentle but persistent coaxing to get her to lower her guard for him. As much as he wanted her, right now he just wanted to get some life back into her. For all of her outward vibrato, seeing her wake up unguarded for a moment, she looked like she was caving in on herself.

"I'm just offering lunch or maybe a movie. One day of letting everything go and just having some fun. When was the last time you did that?" he cajoled.

She said nothing. But, Reid could see her thinking. It had probably been a long time since she'd had a day of nothing. He'd asked Alexa about her, despite his knowing he shouldn't be showing so much interest in her. He couldn't help it. He needed to know more about her, and she wasn't giving away much.

According to Alexa, each of her days had been attending to her dying father and trying to make each day as peaceful and pleasant as it could be for him. Other than that, it was work and taking care of the everyday chores. It had to have been physically exhausting and emotionally draining.

"Come on," he encouraged. "I promise you'll have a good time. Go get dressed, and we'll go have some fun."

After a long moment of scrutinizing him, she reluctantly nodded and took a long sip of coffee.

"Good," he smiled. "I'll wait in the kitchen while you get dressed."

"I need to call Alexa and let her know I'm not coming in," she began.

"I'll take care of it," he said, pulling out his phone and walking from the room. He didn't want to give her a chance to change her mind.

He called Alexa and explained that Fallon was fine, she had just been sleeping. This alarmed Alexa. Reid assured her that Fallon just appeared tired, and he'd convinced her to let him take her to eat.

"Thanks, Reid," Alexa said with relief in her voice. "I'm really worried about her."

"She seems overly tired. She just needs some down time," Reid explained. "Since I have down time right now, I'm happy to take her out."

"I just bet you are," Alexa said. Reid thought he heard speculation in her voice. "Just remember, Reid, she's my best friend. She's not one of your bimbos."

"How could I forget," Reid drawled.

Reid arranged for them to enter a theater through a back entrance where they discretely entered a movie just getting started through an upper level. They sat at the top where two seats had been reserved for them.

"We can watch it in an empty theatre if you like," he whispered once they were seated.

"No, this is great," she whispered back sounding delighted. He'd asked her what she wanted to see and she told him something light and fluffy. Well, it didn't get any lighter or fluffier than an animated Disney film. She said she'd wanted to see this, but hadn't had the time before. A theatre worker came through the back door and handed them a big bucket of popcorn. Reid handed him some money. For the next hour and a half, they sat there eating popcorn and watching a movie. Reid watched more of Fallon through the movie, but she didn't seem to notice. She laughed, chuckled, and seem to relax and lose herself in the movie. For some reason, it gave Reid pleasure to know he'd taken her away from her troubles, if only for a little while.

"That was too funny," Fallon laughed when the movie came to an end. Reid put a hand at her back and guided her to the stairs that would lead them to where they had come in. The movie had just ended, but the theater lights hadn't come up yet. The manager was waiting in the hall.

"Did you enjoy your movie?" he asked graciously.

"Very much so," Fallon chuckled still tickled by the ending of the movie.

Reid realized as she laughed during the movie that he'd never heard her laugh. He found he liked it.

He had always been a sucker for a good Disney movie. They never disappointed. And there were so many layers that, the adults would get humor that was completely over the heads of young children. There was always something for everyone.

"Thanks, George," Reid said, shaking the man's hand.

"Anytime, Reid," he replied, grasping Reid's hand and pulling him in for a man hug. "Good to see you. And, a pleasure to meet you, Fallon."

"Likewise," she said, extending her hand to him. He took her hand in his big one but, instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips and placed a kiss on the back of her hand.

"Hey, George," Reid said in mock irritation, "go find someone else to charm."

George just laughed and Reid took her hand from his, twining his fingers with hers. He led her back to his car. He didn't let go of her hand until they were standing by the car and he was opening the passenger door for her. He wasn't sure if she'd even noticed he still had her hand. She hadn't protested. He figured that was a good sign.

"My Lady," he said grandly, gesturing for her to climb in. She did and he closed the door.

Reid had just closed her door and Fallon watched him make his way to his side of the car. He'd held her hand from the theatre all the way to the car. It had felt so good she hadn't pulled away. It was just a friendly gesture, nothing more. She hadn't wanted to ruin the moment. The movie had been great, just what she needed. It was the next best thing to a deserted island.

She fished her phone out of her purse while Reid climbed in the driver seat and backed out of the parking stall. She checked her phone and saw that she had a text from Shelton, but that was it. Things must be going well at work. She'd call or text Shelton later.

"I'm surprised you're driving such a sedate car," Fallon blurted out. She wasn't a car person, but this was some sort of sedan. Expensive, no doubt, but sedate.

"Why?" he asked, glancing at her keenly. "Did you think I would be driving a red Ferrari or something?"

"Well, something flashy I guess," she shrugged.

"Well, I do have a flashier car, but I don't drive it that much. Contrary to your popular belief about me, I'm not that flashy a guy. I like my privacy just like the next guy. Driving a flashy car draws too much attention."

"So, what do you have the flashy car for?"

"I drive it when I am going to a public event where I'm making a public appearance. It's my business car," he explained. "This is my everyday car."

"Interesting." She had to admit as she looked around the well-appointed car, it had everything, but it definitely wasn't flashy.

"What's interesting? The fact that I'm not the wild Hollywood bad boy you thought I was?" he asked, a teasing note in his voice.

"That remains to be seen," she countered, raising a brow. "Just because you are driving a sedate car today doesn't mean you are a saint."

"No. I'm definitely not a saint," he chuckled and the full, throaty sound danced up her spine. His throaty laugh was sexy and he wasn't even trying to be. "Don't think I'm cut out for sainthood. But, I do try to be a nice guy at least."

"You are that," she agreed sincerely as he pulled into the parking lot of an upscale Italian restaurant. He flashed her a calculating grin before climbing out and holding her door as he offered her his hand.

She placed her hand in his and stood, feeling a little wobbly. She was having a great time, but his nearness was awakening feelings in her she would much rather stay dormant. How crazy was that? Yes, he'd been a total gentleman and very attentive today. That was no reason to start getting all weak in the knees.

He led her again through a side entrance of the restaurant. They were once again greeted by what must have been the manager and led to a secluded table. He too greeted Reid warmly as if they knew each other well.

"Do you just make a habit of getting to know all of the managers of the businesses you like to frequent?" she asked once their waitress took their drink order.

"Henry isn't the manager, he's the owner," he said, glancing over his menu at her. "George is also the owner of that theatre. I grew up here, so I know a lot of the people here who've never left. I like to frequent their businesses."

"Oh," she said, looking over her own menu. "Must be nice."

"So, you think I'm a nice guy, huh?" He put his menu down and gave her his full attention.

"Uh, huh," she answered casually keeping her eyes on her menu and not meeting his gaze.

"What changed your mind?" he asked lightly. "I was under the impression you thought I was a womanizing, Hollywood socialite."

"You probably are that too," she said nonchalantly still perusing her menu. "You just happen to be a nice one."

He laughed softly and she finally looked up to find his eyes waiting for hers. He had boyish mischief in them grinning back at her.

Reid kept her laughing all through dinner. When they finally pulled into Alexa's gated drive, Fallon felt lighter than she had in a long time. He got out and walked her to the door.

"Thank you so much, Reid," she said as he unlocked the door for her. "I really had a good time today. I think Alexa is home. Are you coming in?"

"It was my pleasure," he said, pushing the door open and stepping aside for her to enter. His voice had taken on a husky tone that made her breath catch in her throat as she turned to see the matching flicker of desire in his eyes. "No, I'm not going to stay. I've got to get back to Nick's. I have to fly out on business in a few days and I need to take care of a few things."

"Oh," was all that came out. She was actually feeling a little disappointed.

"Listen, I'll only be gone for a few days, and I have a few days before I leave," he said, banking the fire burning in his eyes. "Do you have to go in tomorrow, or do you think we could play hooky another day? I really enjoyed today with you."

"I don't know," Fallon hedged, not wanting to say no but knowing she should. "I don't want Misty or Denise coming after me."

"No one would come after you," he sighed. "I told you they are just friends. And, before you start, I'm not asking you for sex, just another day of fun. You know, friends without benefits."

"I don't know, Reid."

"I promise to keep you entertained," he enticed. "Come on. I'll make sure you have more fun tomorrow then you did today."

Fallon had every intention of saying no. Reid was a good guy, but she had no doubt he would definitely move her to the benefits category if given half a chance. He'd given her enough scorching looks to leave no doubt. And, the fact that her body was on full alert around him, and her attraction for him grew every moment they were together, spending another day with him wasn't a good idea. So why she heard herself agreeing to spend tomorrow with him was beyond her.

"Okay, I guess?"

"I'll see you tomorrow then," he said softly and squeezed her hand.

Fallon stood in the doorway and watched Reid as he made his way back down the drive. When she finally closed the door and turned around, Alexa was standing there with an all too knowing look on her face.

"So, how did it go today with Reid?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant. The big wide grin on her face ruined the effect.

"Don't give me that look," Fallon warned, waggling a finger at her. "I had fun today. Nothing is going to happen. I know he's a man whore. I'm not interested in getting involved with anyone."

"He really isn't the man whore you think he is," Alexa smirked knowingly. "He is capable of having a long term, monogamous relationship."

"How would you know?" Fallon asked uncomfortably. Had they dated? No. Alexa wouldn't be seeming to be trying to push them together if that was the case. They did not do exes.

"I've seen him with several girlfriends," she said patiently. "Duh, he is Nick's best friend. I've known him longer than I've known you. The last girlfriend he had was the first one he's had since he became a well-known celebrity. He found out a little too late that he'd have to be a little more selective about choosing a girlfriend now that he has groupies and gold diggers following him around."

"Yeah, I guess that would make you more cautious."

"He seems to have taken an interest in you though," Alexa said with a smirk.

Fallon didn't like the calculating smile tugging at Alexa's face. "Don't even start. We went out and had a fun day. That's all."

"Yeah, but you have more life in you today than I've seen or heard in your voice for a while," Alexa observed as she scrutinized Fallon.

"I'm tired." Fallon waved Alexa off dismissively. "I'm going to bed."

"I'll leave you alone if you do me a favor and take a few more days off to do whatever."

"Deal. Now go away," Fallon agreed heading for her room.

"Oh, my parents want us all over this weekend for a get together Saturday and brunch on Sunday," she added as Fallon turned down the hall.

"Sounds good," she called over her shoulder.

The next morning Fallon was again awakened by Reid's low voice very close to her face.

"Rise and shine." His voice was barely above a whisper. She opened her eyes to see him carefully waving a mug of hot coffee under her nose. He smiled. "Well, your eyes are open now. That's a good sign."

"What are you doing here?" she groaned and rolled away from him.

"Getting you out of bed," he said in the same low whisper. "According to Alexa, you normally don't sleep this late."

"What time is it?" Fallon's muffled voice came from the pillow her face was mashed into.

"It's nine o'clock."

That had her sitting up.

"Nine?" she asked, looking for her phone. Alexa didn't have a clock in this room. Maybe that's why she couldn't keep up with the time. She was using her cell phone as a clock for now.

"Nine twelve to be exact," Reid offered cheerfully. "And, you need to get up and dressed if we aren't going to be late."

"Late for what?" Fallon asked, confused now. They hadn't made any plans besides just spending the day together. He handed her the cup of coffee and she took it.

"Late for what I have planned," he said as if his planning her day was a normal occurrence. "You agreed we could spend today together. Don't try to back out now."

"I said we could spend the day together, not that you could plan the day," she mumbled.

He shot her an 'are you serious' look before he spoke again. "Uh, do you remember me promising to keep you more entertained today than you were yesterday?"

He spoke these words slowly as if he was talking to someone dim witted. She sipped her coffee slowly, realizing she did remember those words. He went on, not waiting for her response.

"And do you remember agreeing to those terms?"

"Okay. Yes. I remember," she groaned. "But, you didn't give me a time."

"I'm going to leave you now so you can get dressed," he said in a mock, parent like voice. She hid her smile in her coffee mug.

After lugging herself out of bed and getting herself fit for the public, she walked into the large family room. Reid was flipping through one of Alexa's coffee table magazines.

"I'm ready," she announced somewhat defiantly. She had on jeans and a t - shirt, her hair was in a ponytail, and she had only put on a tinted lip gloss. If that wasn't good enough for him, then that was too bad. She wasn't one of his glamour girls. Besides, he was wearing jeans and a t - shirt too.

However, the complaints or disapproving looks she had expected never came. He looked up and did a head to toe and back again as a smile blossomed on his face.

"You look great," he said standing. "Are you hungry though? Do you want something to eat?"

"No. But, I can pack something," she shrugged, trying not to appear as disconcerted by his perusal as she felt. "I'll be hungry in about an hour."

"Don't bother. We can eat while we're out," he said, gesturing her towards the door.

"So, where are we going?" she asked, swinging her purse up onto her shoulder.

"You'll see," he grinned.

"I don't really like surprises," Fallon warned.

"You'll have fun," he said, waving away the warning. "It's nothing overly shocking, just fun."

It was fun. He took her to a movie production studio where they were filming some special effects scenes on one of the sound stages. It was quite fascinating to her artist's eye. The whole scene was produced in miniature. She was fascinated at how the camera would sweep across a scene yet, when watching it on the monitor, it appeared that certain props on the set were moving.

Fallon had experience with some video production work, but nothing like this. Her expertise ranged from weddings to sports events produced for local youth teams. And in the majority of those cases, she was only helping. This, however, was utterly fascinating.

"Told you you'd have fun," Reid whispered in her ear during a filming break where the techs were tweaking the set. She realized she'd been staring in sheer fascination and probably looking wide eyed. She felt like a kid on Christmas day. It must have shone in her face when she looked at him because his smile broadened.

"I am having more than fun," she whispered back, answering his smile with a big one of her own. "I could watch this forever and never get tired."

"So, this is the lovely lady who was interested in sitting in on the taping?" a masculine voice enquired from behind them. Fallon turned to see an older gentleman, dressed as casually as the rest, smiling and looking her over appreciatively. He had the hint of a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Terrance," Reid smiled and came around to give the man a hand shake. "You're doing some cool stuff here, man."

"We try," he shrugged smugly.

"Terrance this is Fallon. Fallon, Terrance," Reid said, motioning between them. "He's the man behind the magic here."

"A pleasure to meet you," Fallon said with genuine warmth and offered her hand for a shake. He took her hand but didn't shake it. He brought her fingers playfully to his lips and brushed them with his mouth. There was a look in his eyes that Fallon didn't understand. She was certain he wasn't flirting with her. She also wondered why everyone was kissing her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said warmly before turning his curious gaze on Reid. "She's not at all like your regulars, Reid. Where have you been hiding her?"

"I haven't been hiding her anywhere," Reid replied, a slight furrow of irritation between his eyes. "She's a friend of a friend."

"I see," Terrance retorted with amusement. Now Fallon understood. Terrance was messing with Reid. With a smile, she decided she'd play along. "Well, since she's not one of your so-called friends, then you won't mind me stealing her away."

With that, he offered his arm to her and she took it, looking up at him as if she were captivated.

"Let me give you a tour of some of the other sets," he was saying as he led her away. Reid caught up after a second and walked on her other side. When she glanced over at him, he was looking indulgently resigned and slightly amused.

Reid sighed, knowing exactly what Terrance was up to. And, he had no doubt if given half a chance, Terrance would try to snatch Fallon right from under his nose, the old rogue. Fallon, however, was a tough nut to crack. And, Reid knew she wouldn't be around Terrance long enough for him to be a threat. So, he'd endure Terrance and his flirting.

Fallon clearly found his tour fascinating. Terrance explained how all of the set scenes would be integrated to live action with the actors. He showed how the camera angles gave a different perspective on movement, which Fallon seemed to completely understand. She expressed to Terrance though that she wasn't sure she'd be able to duplicate it on such a large scale. She looked more energized and alive today than he'd seen her in the few days he'd known her. Had it only been a few days?

Reid was enjoying watching her excitement. Every time she looked at him, he had a smile on his face like the kid that knew he'd aced his final and held bragging rights to being the highest scorer in the class. He was bound to win some brownie points with today. He was the one who had brought her here. He could see how much less guarded she was, and it was captivating.

"Hey, Boss," one of the men on the set called to Terrance. "We're ready."

"I'll be right there," Terrance replied and then turned back to them. "Are you guys going to stick around a while longer?"

"I'm sure Fallon would love to but, as she hasn't eaten anything, I think I better feed her before she falls out," Reid said.

He knew she was hungry, but she obviously wasn't ready to leave. Both he and Terrance were looking at her now as if they were afraid to take a lollipop from a baby.

"There's food on the set," Terrance offered. "You're welcome to it."

"Thanks," Reid said wryly. "I think I'd better take you up on it."

"No, no," Fallon finally spoke, appearing to try and rein in her enthusiasm. They had been there for hours and she had to be starving. "I do appreciate the offer Terrance, but I wouldn't want to impose."

"Nonsense," he frowned. "That food is for the crew, and there's plenty of it. Just go right through that door and eat as much as you want."

He gestured to a door at the far end of the sound stage.

"I'd join you if I could but, deadlines and all," he said, putting both hands in the air.

"We'll do that," Reid smiled, taking her arm. There was no way he was going to take her away if he didn't have to. He was racking up points like crazy, and he didn't want to stop now. He led her over to the door Terrance had indicated. There was indeed a veritable feast. Thankfully it wasn't all unhealthy stuff either, though that was there too. He knew Fallon didn't eat a lot of junk food.

As he watched her, she loaded up on salad, veggies, and meat. He was pleased to see that he was starting to know her. After finishing her plate, she went for desserts. He liked it even better that she really ate and would eat dessert too. She ate salads and healthy food, but she wasn't one of those barely eating and no dessert women.

"Reid," came a caressing feminine voice as he watched Fallon eyeing a chocolate éclair.

Chapter 12

She and Reid were both standing at the buffet style tables holding plates when Fallon turned to see a tall, leggy, brunet wrap her arms around Reid and plant a kiss on his lips. He put his free hand at her waist but neither pushed her away, nor pulled her to him. Actually, he looked uncomfortably startled.

"I thought that was you," she said with her arms still around his neck and pressed up against him. There was no space between them. Fallon wasn't standing very close but felt she should get even further away. She began to turn away to find a place to sit and give them more space when Reid side stepped away from the woman and grabbed Fallon's arm. Thankfully he didn't actually pull her arm since he grabbed the arm she was holding her plate with. She fumbled the plate a little but steadied it with her free hand. His movement, however, had caused the woman to break her hold on him.

"Elizabeth. It's good to see you," he said in a stiff but friendly voice before turning to Fallon. "Fallon, this is Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is Fallon."

"Nice to meet you," Fallon greeted the woman with as professional a smile and voice as she could muster. What was he doing? She wasn't interested in meeting one of his women. She knew he had them. She just didn't want to think about them today.

Elizabeth gave her a startled look before looking a little chagrined, and then gave Fallon a soft smile. "It's nice to meet you too."

With introductions over, Fallon started to turn away again only to feel Reid's hand tighten on her arm, holding her in place. She looked up at him questioningly, but he was looking at Elizabeth with the same reserved smile. She barely stopped herself from snorting uncomfortably with laughter. The look on his face, along with the lipstick she'd smeared across his mouth, made for a comical image. Her own discomfort about seeing the woman who was so different than herself that he'd obviously had intimate contact with, was slightly less uncomfortable. She didn't want to examine that too closely.

"We were just getting something to eat," he said companionably as he took two steps away from Elizabeth, taking Fallon with him. "Are you working with Terrance?"

"No," she smiled wanly. "Terrance just lets me come in and get some food whenever I'm here. What are you doing here? Are you on set?"

"No. We just came to hang out with Terrance for a while. He's got some really cool things going on."

"Yes. He does," she said, glancing over at Fallon again and then back at Reid. "I better let you go. I'm just grabbing some food. I have to head over to building 19. It was nice meeting you, Fallon. Good to see you again, Reid."

"Good seeing you again too, Elizabeth," he said, pulling Fallon along towards the few tables in the small room as Elizabeth moved away to grab a plate for herself.

"Well, that wasn't awkward," Fallon muttered sarcastically once they sat down at a table out of Elizabeth's earshot.

"Sorry about that," Reid grimaced.

"Sorry for what exactly?" Fallon asked. She was certain they weren't thinking on the same page with this strange encounter.

"Sorry, it was awkward that we ran into her I guess," he said, digging into his food.

"It wasn't awkward running into her. You have lipstick smeared all over your mouth by the way," she added casually, digging into her own plate. "Why, exactly, were you holding onto my arm?"

"Because I didn't want you to leave me alone with her," he said absently.

"Surely you can fend off your exes without using me as a shield," she said baldly. He flinched a little at her words.

"She's an exception," he mumbled, glancing at her and then refocusing on his plate.

"Oh, come now," Fallon said, getting into the spirit of this. She found his discomfort amusing. She hadn't meant to tease him, but this was too good to pass up. "A big man like you scared of a little thing like her."

He looked up and narrowed his eyes at her.

"You are finding this amusing, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, sorta," she smiled at him unapologetically. "I mean you're a grown man acting all scared of some tiny woman."

"I'm not scared of her," he sighed, rolling his eyes a little. "I just don't want to hurt her feelings."

"What's wrong? She wouldn't take no for an answer?" Fallon snickered.

"Actually, no, she doesn't," he said with exasperation. "I've told her over and over, as nicely as I can, that I'm not interested in a relationship. But, she still keeps throwing herself at me, literally, whenever she sees me. She's like a fatal attraction."

"Did you explain these important details of not wanting a relationship before or after you had sex with her?" Fallon asked through bursts of laughter she was trying and failing to hold in.

He winced and, to her surprise, began to blush.

"You really are enjoying this, aren't you?" he chuckled.

"Well, it is rather funny," she pointed out giggling now. "And you're getting what you deserve. Maybe you'll be more careful in the future if she stalks you for a while."

"Ouch," he said, taking on a pained expression. "No sympathy from that direction."

"Nope. None."

She forked up a bit of pasta salad and saw him watching her through narrowed eyes.

"What?" she asked with the fork halfway to her mouth.

"Nothing," he murmured thoughtfully, then shook himself. "You almost done?"

"Yeah. I'm getting full now."

"Do you want to watch more of the filming?" he asked, putting his fork down in his empty plate and leaning back in the chair.

"Sure."

They watched for a few more hours before Fallon finally let Reid lead her away. Fallon had promised Alexa she would help her go over some of the portfolio shots for more of her models tonight. And, Alexa promised to provide dinner. When they arrived, she and Nick were there waiting for them. Nick met them at the door.

"Hey, Nick," Fallon said, giving him a hug as she walked in.

"Hey, Fallon. How was your day?" Nick asked. She noticed him giving Reid a narrow-eyed stare when she released him to greet Alexa who'd walked up behind him.

"It was great," Fallon said over her shoulder as she gave Alexa a quick hug. "Reid took me to a sound stage, and I got to watch some special effects filming. It was so cool!"

"Well, if you're saying it's cool you must have had a great time," Alexa laughed and turned to Reid. "Thanks for putting a smile on my girl's face."

"Yes," Fallon said, turning back to Reid, remembering her manners. "Thank you, Reid. I don't think I thanked you for today. I had a really great time."

"You are very welcome," he smiled with a nod. "I had a great time too."

"Would you like a drink, Reid," Nick asked.

"Yes. A beer would be good," Reid answered, following Nick into the kitchen.

For the rest of the evening, Fallon went over pictures with Alexa while Nick and Reid watched sports in the family room.

"My eyes are crossing now, Alexa," Fallon groaned after several hours of going through photos.

Alexa laughed. "Okay, okay. Go to bed."

Chapter 13

For the next couple of days, Fallon worked with Jake and the models to complete the two book covers. The rest of the projects were being handled by, Cole and Linda, two very talented and capable graphic artists that worked for her. Cole was a student who would be graduating after this semester. And Linda was a graduate who had been with Fallon before she graduated last year. They both did excellent work and sent Fallon daily updates on what was going on.

Most of the things that came Fallon's way, she could handle from anywhere. She had a wonderful customer base that gave her a great deal of repeat business as well as new referrals. Any new things coming up, Linda could either handle, or she would call if there was anything she couldn't.

Reid had offered to entertain her for the next few days, but Fallon forced herself to decline. His business trip had been postponed. Though he hadn't come on to her or shown anything other than platonic attention, she could still feel the undercurrents of physical attraction whenever they were together. Spending that much time with him would be a mistake. He clearly was a nice guy, and maybe they could eventually turn this attraction into a strong friendship. But, for now, Fallon didn't think he was willing to spend all this time with her because he couldn't find something else to do. From the many times she had looked up to see him watching her with barely concealed lust in his eyes, she was well aware that he still wanted her. She was also aware that their attraction was mutual. Only, she wasn't interested in acting on it.

Chapter 14

When Saturday arrived, Fallon was somewhat surprise when Nick arrived to drive them down to his and Alexa's parent's home. She shouldn't have been surprised to discover Reid was in the car with him. She hadn't seen Reid in a couple of days. When she told him that she couldn't play for the next couple of days because she had work to do, he had accepted her words easily. She hadn't even heard from him the first day. The second day he sent her a text just saying hello and asking about her day. He hadn't mentioned the weekend at all.

She hesitated before climbing into Nick's car. She was beginning to doubt the wisdom of not having her own vehicle. Driving down with everyone would mean that she was stranded without her own form of transportation. However, everyone vetoed her idea that they should probably take two cars. So, she slid into the backseat with Alexa. Thankfully the guys sat up front.

Although their parents only lived a little over an hour away, they were all staying the night. Fallon suspected this was supposed to be for her benefit. It seemed everyone was trying to cheer her up these days. She didn't realize she seemed to need so much cheering up. Usually when she came down to visit Alexa, she would always spend at least a day with the family. The Connors would usually have them over for dinner. Granted, she usually didn't stay for such a long time. This time she planned to stay with Alexa for at least three weeks.

Alexa had informed Fallon that her parents were giving a barbeque on Saturday with friends and family, but wanted to have brunch with them on Sunday. There was really no reason for her not to agree. So, here she was.

Fallon settled in for the ride to the Connor's spacious home. She didn't talk much, just closed her eyes and listened to the guys chatting in the front while Alexa worked on her laptop. When they arrived, Mrs. Connor met them at the door.

"Fallon!" exclaimed Mrs. Connor as she enveloped her in a hug. "You look great. It's so good to see you again. How are you, Sweetheart?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Connor," Fallon assured her, hugging her back. "It's good to see you too. Thanks for inviting us to invade your house for the weekend."

"Oh, please," Mrs. Connor released her and waved away the comment with a smile. "I love having my kids here with me. And, you and Reid are just two more of my children."

"Fallon," Mr. Connor said, also embracing her gently in a hug and murmuring the next words in her ear. "I'm so sorry to hear about your father."

Mr. Connor was a big man. He was tall and broad shouldered. Though he was in his sixties, he was extremely fit. Both he and Nick were extremely handsome, though they really looked nothing alike. Nick had taken after his mother with dark brown hair and hazel eyes where as Mr. Connor had jet black hair and very dark eyes that held a slightly exotic slant. Aside from the fact that they were both tall, and Nick had a hint of that exotic slant to his eyes, they really didn't have any other features in common.

Alexa, on the other hand, looked like her dad had simply spit her out. They looked so much alike with their raven hair and matching eyes, nose, mouth and cheek bones, it was hard not to stare when they were together. Luckily nature had softened her father's features on her, making them smooth where his were rugged and more feminine where his were masculine. Alexa wasn't tall, but she wasn't exactly short either, at least not by Fallon's standards. She was five feet seven inches, which was two inches taller than Fallon.

Mrs. Connor hugged both of her children and Reid as they came to the door. Mr. Connor also gave each of them a hug, once his wife released them, but chose to give the guys a manlier one-armed hug. Then, they were ushered out onto the back patio where Mrs. Connor already had a wonderful spread laid out. Mr. Connor had the grill cranked up and several of their guests had already arrived. Fallon was being introduced to several unfamiliar faces when Jake came up beside her.

"Hey, Sweet Thing," he said, pulling her into a hug and waggling his eyes suggestively and exaggeratedly.

"Hey, Jake," Fallon chuckled. She was really glad to see him. In her peripheral vision, she saw Reid frowning at them.

"Give it up, Jake," Mrs. Connor teased. "You've been trying since you all started college. Clearly she's not going to fall for you."

"Aw, Mrs. C.," he whined playfully. "I had to give up on you because your husband threatened to kill me if I kept flirting with you. Now, you're telling me I have to give up on Fallon too?"

She rolled her eyes, but was smiling and patted his arm. "You'll be fine, dear."

"Nope. I'm going to die a broken hearted, lonely man," he shook his head in mock despair before turning his gaze on another young lady Fallon had just been introduced to and winking. "Don't you want to help me forget my sorrows?"

The woman giggled.

The Connors had invited only a few neighbors and friends. Reid and Jake seemed to know everyone, which only made sense. They lived here. Fallon hadn't brought a swim suit because she hadn't intended to swim this weekend. So, while Alexa, Nick, and Reid, along with a few other guests swam in the large pool or relaxed in the spacious hot tub, she lounged in a chair and relaxed. Okay, well, she ogled Reid and relaxed. But, with her dark tinted glasses no one knew about her covert ogling.

He really had the body of a male model. And, well, before he was doing movies, he had modeled, according to Alexa. But, good lord was the man gorgeous. It was sinful to be that gorgeous. He had to have a personal trainer. Who looked like that without a team of people working for them? Fallon worked out all the time. And, yes, she knew she was well toned, but still. She didn't think she looked like she actually stepped off the cover of a magazine.

Reid, Alexa, Nick, and Mr. Connor started up a game of water volleyball. Fallon had to concede that Nick was just as sexy as Reid. And Mr. Connor was pretty hot himself. This was definitely an overdose on eye candy moment.

"Enjoying the view?" Mrs. Connor asked with a knowing smirk, settling beside Fallon in a lounge chair.

"I certainly am," said the woman who came up with Mrs. Connor and settled next to her. What was her name? Cammy? Yes. Fallon thought that was it.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Fallon said haughtily and lifted her nose in the air in feigned insult. The older woman laughed.

"Even, Bruce. My, my," Cammy exclaimed fanning herself. "Who knew the man had all that going on."

"Yes, well," Mrs. Connor drawled. "Now you know why I'm always working out. No way am I going to walk around all round and flabby while he walks around looking like that."

"You aren't round or flabby," Cammy frowned.

"Exactly," Mrs. Connor snorted. "I make sure that man keeps his eyes on me."

"As if he would do anything else," Fallon murmured. "He loves your dirty drawers."

"Crass but true," she giggled like a school girl. "He really does adore me, doesn't he?"

Mrs. Connor truly was a beautiful woman. If Fallon didn't know she was in her early sixties, she would have thought she was a very athletic early fifties, maybe even forty-nine.

The Connors were all very active and naturally lean people. Fallon, on the other hand, had natural curves that she had to ruthlessly stay on top of to keep sexy rather than plump. She could still eat pretty much anything she wanted as long as she kept it moving. When she and Alexa had first started college, they did a lot more studying and a lot less walking, playing, and working out. Still, Alexa gained nothing while Fallon hadn't stopped at the freshman fifteen. She blew past that and headed for twenty. By the time summer came, she had gained twenty-five pounds. She'd almost fell off the scale the day she noticed she couldn't get into her favorite jeans. Luckily, she hadn't been a big person to begin with. However, from that point forward, Fallon religiously made movement part of her routine even if it was just going for a walk. It had taken her almost three months to get the weight off.

Luckily, she hadn't had to do any strict dieting. She ate fairly healthy already, aside from her chocolate habit. She started jogging some days, dancing others, walking and light weights on others. And, she never wanted to have to do that again to lose weight. It felt much better working out to stay fit and maintain her weight than to have to do it to get the weight off. She would feel guilty anytime she took a day to just sit on the couch and watch television, or just not exercise. Now when she took a day or two off, or went on vacation even, it was no big deal.

Shouts of woe and triumph came from the pool as Mr. Connor spiked the ball and Nick and Reid, who were on the apposing team, missed the ball. Alexa and her Dad were whooping, high fiving, and celebrating.

"Nice shot, Honey Buns," Mrs. Connor yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth. Mr. Connor shot her a sexy grin. Several of the guests sitting around the pool watching the game laughed and cat called.

"Oh, wow, Mom," Alexa said, rolling her eyes, but she was laughing. "Honey Buns?"

Reid and Nick snickered as did several of the other guests that had taken seats to watch the game. Fallon covered her mouth to hide her smile, but Mr. Connor was unfazed. Fallon was used to their antics and found them to be a very young at heart and fun-loving couple.

"Don't worry Sugar Lumps and Honey Biscuits," Mrs. Connor called to Reid and Nick sweetly. "You'll get him next time."

More laughter erupted around the pool.

Throughout the rest of the game, the spectators had fun making up sappy nick names for the players as they cheered a play or commented on a miss or hit. Everyone had gotten into the fun and, by the end, there was loud, raucous laughter and lots of ribbing to go around. Nick and Reid did pull out a win, but barely.

After the game, Reid hopped out of the water and Fallon's tongue nearly went down her throat. The water sluiced off of him, and he looked like a television commercial. What he was advertising, she didn't know. Sex maybe?

He grabbed a towel and walked towards her as he toweled off. Fallon tried to push her face into something of a smile since she couldn't stop staring. Thank goodness for darkly tinted glasses. He plopped down on her other side in an empty lounge chair.

"Tired?" Mrs. Connor asked, looking past her to him.

"Yes," he said sprawling in the chair. "What the heck do you feed that man?"

"Thought you were just going to easily beat the old guy and the girl, did ya?" Mr. Connor replied to Reid's words with an amused grin as he strolled up toweling off and sat on the side of Mrs. Connors lounge chair. Then he leaned down and gave her a kiss, and Fallon's heart gave a little flutter. They were such a sweet couple, obviously still in love after all these years.

"Fallon, I think your cell is ringing in your purse," Jake yelled from the sliding glass door leading into the Connors big family room. "It's making some kind of noise."

She had left her purse in Alexa's room. She hadn't realized Jake was missing from the poolside fun until he called out to her. She stood and made her way to the door.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked him as she reached the doorway.

"Got a situation with work," he said, giving her a tired smile. "I've been on the phone for the last hour trying to rearrange things."

She gave him a sympathetic pat as she walked past him and down the hall to Alexa's room. She heard a strange beeping noise as she made her way down the hallway. She reached Alexa's room just as the strange beep came again. It was indeed coming from her purse. She dug around in her purse, finally locating her phone, and it beeped again in her hand. This was not a sound she had ever heard before. The message on the screen said that she had several messages waiting, but her message memory was full. Then, it asked if she wanted to delete all of her voicemail messages.

Unlike a lot of cell phone services, Fallon didn't have to call in to a voicemail system to retrieve her voice messages. The messages arrived directly on her phone and she just pressed play. She realized she often listened to the messages but didn't bother to delete them. She just assumed they would eventually fall off like the messages on her home phone did. She hit the keys on the phone and went into her voicemail box to see how many messages she had.

"Holy moly," she muttered. There were a gazillion of them. The message popped up again telling her that she had messages waiting, but her mailbox was full, and did she want to delete them all. She sighed. She would have to clean out this darn mailbox. It could be work, and she couldn't afford to miss calls. Fallon comforted herself by saying that she wouldn't have to clean it out completely now. She just needed to delete enough for the current waiting messages to come through and any more messages that might come through in the next few days.

Chapter 15

Twenty minutes later Fallon was still deleting messages. Apparently, she had already missed quite a few calls. Each time she deleted a few, one would come in. So far six messages had come in, and they weren't all from today. And the darn message kept coming up asking her if she wanted to delete them all while she was trying to go through them to choose the ones she could delete. How annoying. She sighed and hit the play button again to see if this message was a keeper or not.

"Hi, Fallon," came the voice of one of her customers. "Just wanted you to know that the advertisement poster came out wonderful. We've been getting so many new orders-"

She deleted the call and went on to the next. She knew that had already been taken care of. She pushed play.

"Fallon!" her father's voice boomed in her ear. She froze, almost believing he was talking to her. Then her body jerked at his next words.

"Don't you know when I call you, you are supposed to answer the phone," he teased in his mock authoritative voice. "Just because you think you're grown now doesn't mean I won't turn you over my knee."

She choked on either a sob or a laugh. Then his voice turned silly and light in that way it always did when he used his "daddy" voice in her messages when he was thoroughly amused with himself. "Okay, call me later. Bye."

She snorted with laughter followed by a sob. She could feel herself shaking. His voice had sounded so real, like he was actually talking to her. And, of course, he was. It was an old message. She knew she would never hear him talking to her again, but she had never considered that she might have old messages from him on her phone. Of course, she had video of him on various vacations and holidays. But to unexpectedly hear him addressing her so directly had been such a shock, it had taken her a moment to realize he wasn't on the phone. And it was so typically her dad and his off brand of humor, that it made her want to laugh just as much as it made her want to cry. She felt the stabbing realization all over again that she would never get one of those messages again.

She'd been casually leaning against the wall when she had first started listening to the messages. Now, she slid down the wall in an emotional heap of laughing snorts and tears. She was clearly going crazy.

Reid had been waiting for Fallon to return but she didn't. Jake had said her phone was ringing and she was probably on a call, which was preventing her from coming back. Still, he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that he should go check on her. It was a hot day, and he was basically dry, so he pulled his shirt on and went inside to find Fallon. When he turned down the hall towards Alexa's room he heard sounds coming from down the hall. He couldn't tell if someone was crying or laughing. He picked up his pace. When he entered the room, he found Fallon on the floor appearing to be crying and laughing at the same time.

"Fallon?" Reid called softly from the doorway. She started. She clearly hadn't heard his footsteps coming down the hallway. She didn't look up though. Her face was buried in her knees as she sat there on the floor having some sort of emotional breakdown. Reid approached her slowly and knelt down beside her.

"Fallon? Honey, what's wrong?" he asked in a calm voice laced with concern. "Fallon? Sweetheart, talk to me."

He was brushing her hair back in an attempt to get her to raise her head.

"I – I – I'm fine," she managed between sobs.

"No. You aren't fine," he crooned gently. "What happened? Tell me what's wrong."

"My, m – m –my, dad," she stammered.

"Your dad?" Reid asked still in what he hoped was a calming voice. What was she talking about? "You miss your dad?"

"No! I mean yes, but-" she broke off not able to continue. She wasn't making sense. She breathed in deeply and let it out, visibly trying to get control of herself.

"But what?" Reid asked, continuing his gentle inquiry. "You miss your dad, that isn't what has you upset?"

She nodded her head and looked up at him finally. She had tears streaming down her face, but she wasn't sobbing anymore.

"So, what has you so upset?" he asked, brushing more of her hair from her face. The tears were making it stick to her cheeks.

She smiled at him through her tears, or at least she tried.

"He called and left me a message," she said and her face crumbled again. She lowered her head to her knees then, and he hoped his expression didn't show what he was thinking. He really was starting to wonder if she had gone around the bend. He didn't understand what had triggered this.

"Your father called and left you a message?" he asked cautiously, trying not to sound like he was sure she was losing her mind.

The snorts of laughter started up again. This time she looked at him and fell into a fit of laughter as tears rolled down her face. To his credit, he sat there patiently through her current spasm of the crazies. When the intensity of the emotions began to fade, she closed her eyes and took deep, slow breaths as she leaned her head against the wall. After a few moments, when she had sufficiently calmed down enough to speak, she began to explain.

"To make a short story shorter, I had to clear out my voicemail inbox in order to get some waiting messages," she intoned with no inflexion. "I started with the oldest and there was one from my dad that I didn't realize I had. It's over a year old. Suffice it to say, when he said my name so unexpectedly, it startled me and sent me into this obvious emotional meltdown."

"I can definitely see how that could send you for a loop," Reid smiled. And he really could see how that could catch someone off guard. He was starting to feel relieved that she wasn't losing it. It was just a shock. "I take it the message was a funny one?"

"Yes, it was," Fallon smiled a little smile, seeing relief flicker in his eyes and the grave concern lessen. Great. He probably thought she was bat shit crazy.

"And, yet, knowing you won't ever talk to him again made you cry, hence the crying and laughing?"

She nodded. He did understand. How strange. She barely knew him. She looked away from his overly insightful, sympathetic eyes.

"I feel like it was such a gift to hear him talking to me in a way I never thought I'd hear again," she wheezed. "But, it still hurts."

"That's completely understandable," he said, putting an arm around her and easily pulling her slowly to her feet. Then he enfolded her in his arms which sent her into another crying spell. Reid held her to him, stroked her hair, and made soothing sounds as she silently soaked his shirt.

"Better," he asked when this crying jag finally ended, his voice barely a whisper. Fallon nodded against his chest.

"I'm sorry for soaking your shirt," she said, looking up at him and found that she couldn't look away from the depth of tenderness in his eyes.

"Nothing to be sorry for," he murmured as he wiped tears from her face with a gentle stroke of his thumb. He continued holding her to him with his right arm firmly around her waist. Through the tender gaze he was holding her spellbound with, Fallon was rapidly becoming aware of the fact that she was pressed flush against him.

"You can soak my shirt anytime," he went on. His eyes began to search her face. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Uh, yes," she mumbled dumbly, trying to control and make sense of this insane reaction she was having to him. She was enjoying the feel of his arms around her and being pressed against him way too much. She wanted to stay right there in his arms. She was alarmed at the feeling that she needed it, needed him. She needed him to make her feel alive again. Of course, this was absurd. This need to be held, loved, needed, and just taken over was just more proof that she was losing it.

Reid didn't move as Fallon stood there staring at him. He could feel the tension growing between them. It was as if he could read her thoughts, and heat began to flair in those fathomless eyes. He belatedly realized she was clutching his sides, clinging to him. The thumb that had been brushing her cheek made its way down to caressing her lower lip, and he felt his stomach clinch and desire flitter through him as he felt her soft gasp.

"Fallon?" He heard the note of questioning censure in his voice and saw her face began to crumble. "Shh. Don't cry."

He dipped his head and began barely brushing his lips against her mouth. He eyed her with cautious eyes. When she fisted her hands in his shirt at his sides, he lowered his mouth to hers in a gentle kiss.

Her lips were soft, warm, and hesitant. Unable to control his own need for something more, Reid leaned into her. That was all she needed to deepen the kiss. His arm tightened reflexively around her, and the other hand that had been stroking her face made its way to the base of her neck. He deepened the kiss, seeking entry, and she opened her mouth to him on a moan. That moan was almost his undoing. She was so responsive, and she felt so good in his arms, the urge to tumble her onto the bed and take her right there was unbearable. But, he didn't want her like that. When he finally made love to Fallon, he wanted it to be because she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, not because she was emotionally vulnerable. That didn't mean he was willing to pass up an opportunity to kiss her however.

She tasted better than he could ever have imagined. And, the way she was clinging to him and pressing her body into his like she couldn't get close enough to him was shredding his self-control. He deepened the kiss and pulled her closer to him when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He reflexively raised his head and eased his hold on her.

Chapter 16

Fallon couldn't hold back. Her whole body felt hot and tingly, and Reid was supporting all of her weight now. She knew she would probably regret this, but she needed this now. She gave herself over to him completely and was willing to let him do what he pleased just as long as he made her feel good. She wanted someone to take over and make her feel good, if only for a little while.

Suddenly Reid raised his head, breaking the kiss and she whimpered, opening her eyes and looking up at him in confusion. He hadn't let her go and she was about to protest when a voice from the doorway stopped her.

"Fallon?" came Nick's voice. Reid still didn't release her, so she couldn't see Nick. There was silence for a moment and then she heard Nick's footsteps stalking towards them and coming further into the room.

"What the hell is going on?" he began and then stopped abruptly as he came into view and caught a glimpse of her tear stained face. Alarm flittered across his face. "Fallon, what's wrong?"

Fallon finally took a step back and Reid released her, dropping his hands to his sides.

"Fallon was having a moment of emotional crisis, that's all," Reid responded evenly.

"And, Reid was kind enough to let me soak his shirt with my tears," she added, feeling and sounding embarrassed.

Nick was looking anxious and confused as he glanced at Reid's, shirt then back to her. "But what happened? Did someone say or do something?"

"I was deleting voicemails and came across one from my dad," she breathed.

"Oh, Fallon," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She reached up placing a hand over his and gave it a squeeze, but didn't let him pull her into his arms for a hug. Not that she wouldn't like a brotherly hug from Nick. He was probably safer than Reid, since she didn't get urges to jump him.

"No," she said, mustering a tired smile. "If you hug me now, I'll start all over again and end up soaking your shirt too."

"Ok. I'll hug you later," he said with an understanding smile of his own before turning a suspicious and rather overprotective brotherly glance at Reid. "Thanks Reid. I'll take it from here."

Reid hesitated as if he was going to protest Nick's obvious dismissal.

"I'm fine now," Fallon said, reassuring both men. She'd seen how menacing and big brotherly Nick could get. But, Reid was his best friend. The last thing she needed was them fighting because of her. "I'm just going to splash water on my face and then I'll be out."

"You sure you're okay?" Reid asked, that searching look back and laser focused as if he were seeing into her.

"I'm sure. You guys go," she insisted and made a shooing gesture as she made her way past them and down the hall to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, she closed the door and turned the water on. She splashed her face with cold water and then leaned on the counter with her face over the sink. She lifted her head to look at herself in the mirror and groaned, not so much at her reflection, but at what she'd just done.

Not only had she just crossed several lines with a guy she had no business getting involved with, she'd crossed those lines with a guy who she'd met barely two weeks ago with his fingers between another woman's legs.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Fallon hissed to herself in the mirror. Being overly emotional was no excuse to get all kissy with Reid. There! She'd chastised herself for her lack of judgment and tried to ignore the shiver that ran through her at the very thought of the kiss she'd shared with Reid. She had to give it to him, the man could kiss.

She snatched up a hand towel from the pile Mrs. Connor always had on the counter for guests to dry their hands with and dried her face and hands. Then she dropped it in the little basket for used towels and pulled herself together. What was done was done.

Chapter 17

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Nick demanded incredulously of Reid once Fallon was no longer in earshot. Nick wasn't stupid. And, Fallon's kiss swollen lips would have confirmed his suspicions.

"She was upset," Reid tried. "I was just-"

"So, you took advantage of her momentary weakness to cram your tongue down her throat!" Nick snarled. "What the hell is wrong with you, Reid?"

"I wasn't trying to take advantage of her, and I didn't cram my tongue down her throat," Reid countered, trying to keep his own anger in check. He was damn frustrated. He hadn't meant to kiss her. It just sort of happened. She was looking up at him practically begging him to kiss her. What was he supposed to do? And, when his lips touched hers, raw desire ripped through him like a rocket. He was lost. He had barely heard Nick's loud footsteps coming towards them, which is why Nick was upon them before he'd broken the kiss.

"Bullshit!" Nick growled. "Fallon is Alexa's best friend, Reid. She's also a friend of the family. She's not one of your random, hit it and quit it hookups!"

"You think I don't know that?" Reid shot back, his own anger bubbling over now. "Back the fuck off, Nick. I wasn't trying to take advantage of your girl. Do you think I don't know how this could blow up in my face? I know not to piss in my own pool."

Nick looked taken aback. After a moment, a calculating gleam came into his eyes. Reid wasn't sure what to think. Nick's explosive reaction had halted, but he could still see the simmer of his anger in the tightness of his features.

"She's not one of your toys, Reid," Nick warned.

"I know that."

"Do you?" Nick challenged. "Because, this is going to blow up in your face if you don't."

Without another word, Nick walked away towards the bathroom. Reid had wanted to wait for Fallon to come out but figured he'd better not press his luck. Nick had posted himself outside the door and would only balk at Reid joining him. Besides, he had some thinking to do.

Fallon had shown no real sign of breaking and giving in to his flirting. Had he just caught her at a weak moment? He knew she was attracted to him. He'd also decided that him coming on so strong to her was more likely than not to push her away. She wasn't a woman who gave in at the slightest hint of temptation. She was a woman who was very definite about what she wanted and didn't want, desire be damned. If she wasn't interested in a fling, then no amount of desire was going to deter her. So, why had she looked at him with such need in her eyes? He hadn't had any intention of kissing her before that. Somehow, her decision had changed in that moment. Maybe he had unwittingly taken advantage of her. But, he felt more like the one who'd been taken advantage of. She'd asked without a word, and he had obeyed. He was running on pure instinct.

He made his way back out to the pool area, but he was no longer in the mood to play water games and socialize. He was more in a mood to brood.

When Fallon came out of the bathroom, Nick was waiting for her. He frowned in concern and she knew he was seeing her flushed face and slightly reddened, puffy eyes. To his credit he didn't say anything about it. He simply put an arm around her shoulder, gave her a squeeze, and led her back out into the family room.

Alexa was there talking quietly to Jake. Reid was nowhere around.

"There you are," Jake smiled. "Everything, okay?"

"Yes."

Alexa looked as if she wanted to probe, but didn't.

The rest of the day passed without incident, though there was a noticeable tension between Reid and Nick. Thankfully, Mr. and Mrs. Connor and the other guests didn't seem to be aware that anything had happened. When their guests had all left later that evening, Alexa's parents found their children and their friends all lounging around the game room in the Connors' huge home watching movies.

"Here you guys are," Mrs. Connor exclaimed as she entered the room. "I should have known you'd all be up here. Bruce and I are headed to bed. We have plenty of room, so you guys just grab one of the guestrooms and make yourselves comfortable."

"You're sleeping in my room, right?" Alexa asked Fallon.

"Yeah. That way Reid and Jake can have their own rooms," Fallon nodded. She and Alexa had been sharing a room since they were dorm mates. Well, once they'd moved out and gotten their apartment, they'd had their own rooms. Still, whenever they came to her parents' house they shared a room.

"Yes, well, work it out," Mrs. Connor said. "We'll see you in the morning."

Fallon was also feeling exhausted and tired of the tension in the room between Nick and Reid. She left shortly after the Connors did to take a shower and head to bed. Alexa followed.

Alexa had a huge, king sized bed in her room. Though she didn't live here anymore, her parents hadn't done much to change their children's rooms. If they were needed as guest rooms when the children were away, then they were used as guest rooms. Nevertheless, when Nick or Alexa came and wanted to stay the night, they already had their old rooms ready for them.

As girlfriends often do, Fallon and Alexa had no problem climbing into the bed together. And, as usual, Fallon expected they'd talk and laugh as girls usually do at sleepovers. However, if she had known what the topic of conversation would be, she'd have thought better of sharing a room tonight with Alexa.

"I've given you enough time," Alexa began. "What happened? Why are Reid and Nick all weird with each other?"

"I don't know why Nick and Reid would be weird with each other," Fallon answered, reaching to turn off the lamp on her side and rolling onto her back. If she turned her back to Alexa right now, she'd think Fallon was trying to avoid her.

"Well, what happened?" Alexa insisted. She didn't turn the light off on her side. She was on her side facing Fallon across the bed. "Reid said that you'd had an emotional moment. But, after Nick returned from checking on you, there was obvious tension between them. They acted as if they had been arguing."

"I don't know why they would be arguing," Fallon answered, trying to sound mildly irritated. Yes, she had a pretty good idea that Nick knew Reid had been kissing her. But, she wasn't sure of that. After all, Reid's back was to the door. Nick hadn't had a clear view. "I was clearing out my messages because my voicemail box was full. I couldn't receive any more messages until I deleted some. While I was deleting them, I came across one from my dad. It totally took me off guard, and I had a meltdown."

"Oh, Fallon," Alexa said with her eyes full of sympathy. "It was a good message though, right?"

"Well, yeah," Fallon shrugged impatiently. "You know my dad and his sense of humor. He must have been giving me the razz for not calling him back or something. It was actually kind of funny. I could just see his face. Anyway, I started laughing and crying after the initial shock, and that's how Reid found me."

"Well that doesn't seem like any reason for them to be fighting." Alexa looked off in confused contemplation. "He's been treating Reid the way he used to treat my boyfriends in high school. What did Reid do?"

"He lifted me off the floor and let me soak his shirt and babble about why I was crying and laughing until I could finally make sense."

"This is so hot," came Jake's low voice from the doorway. Both women turned to look at him.

"What are you talking about?" Alexa frowned at him. He walked in the room and stood at the bottom of the bed, grinning at them like an idiot.

"Two hot women in the same bed," he said shaking his head. "That's just hot."

"Jake, has anyone ever told you that you are a pervert?" Fallon asked him with playful disdain.

"You used to tell me on a regular basis," he chuckled. "Those were the days."

"You act like one of those guys that walks around being creepy all the time," Alexa sneered. "Thank goodness you don't do that with anyone but us. If only all those women panting after you could see you now. They'd know you weren't all smooth and cool, just your average pervert."

He laughed and climbed in the middle between them. "That's why I love you guys. You know all my flaws and still love me. So, what happened this afternoon that has Reid and Nick all pissy?"

Fallon groaned and Alexa filled him in. Fallon refused to tell them about the kiss. No one ever had to know about that. What had happened was a moment between Reid and herself. Telling them would breathe more life into it rather than let it just die a natural death.

"I'm going to sleep," Fallon yawned now, turning her back to the two of them. "I'm sure whatever is going on between them, they can work it out on their own."

"Yeah, I'm ready to get some sleep too," Jake said lazily. "Scoot over Alexa so I can get under the covers."

"Get out," she ordered and smacked Jake in the head with her pillow.

"Ouch! You violent woman!"

"Out!" she repeated, louder this time.

"Okay, okay," he said sliding off the bed. "I'll just go back to my lonely room and see you two in the morning."

"Good night, Jake," Fallon laughed.

"Night ladies," he called over his shoulder in a whisper as he made his way out the door and back to his own room down the hall.

Chapter 18

Despite the fact that she hadn't fallen asleep until almost one in the morning, Fallon woke up at six-thirty and couldn't go back to sleep. Not wanting to wake Alexa, she eased out of bed and made her way down to the kitchen in search of coffee, only to find Nick sitting at the table sipping on a cup and reading the paper.

"Oh, good morning," she said cheerfully as she looked over at the steaming hot coffee pot. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I usually get up around this time," he replied. "Doesn't matter what time I go to bed, I'm just used to waking up around this time."

Fallon nodded and found a coffee mug. She filled the cup and added some creamer before going to sit across from Nick at the table.

"What are you doing up this early?" Nick asked easily, eyeing her over the rim of his mug as he took a sip of this coffee.

"Just couldn't sleep. Lately either I'm sleeping too long or waking up too early," she shrugged.

"Well, maybe it's a good thing. I wanted to talk to you alone," he said in a serious tone, and she knew what was coming next. But, coward that she was, she feigned confusion.

"Why? What's up?"

"I know Reid was kissing you when I walked in and found you two yesterday," he said bluntly.

She almost choked on the sip of coffee she'd just taken. Her heart started pounding in her chest as if she'd just been caught sneaking out of the house or something as a teenager. What was wrong with her? She took a long deep breath and forced herself to appear calm.

"Nick, you're not my father you know-" she began, but he put his hands up and cut her off.

"I know I'm not. And, I know it's none of my business," he went on quickly. "You're like family to me, Fallon, to all of us. Reid is my best friend and like a brother to me. I don't like the idea of him taking advantage of you just because you were having a moment. I'd be just as pissed if he tried some shit like that with Alexa. It's not right."

"Is that what you think? He was just taking advantage of me?" she asked without inflexion.

He hesitated. "I don't really know. He says he wasn't. It just happened."

"And, you don't believe him?"

"I don't know," he scowled. "All I know is that ever since that gold digger messed him over, he hasn't been the same. He's turned into a bit of a man whore to be honest. And, while that's his business if he needs to get over what happened, it becomes family business when he starts messing with someone in the family."

Fallon knew that they considered her family, but it still never failed to make her feel special whenever they said or did things to show her how they felt.

"You are Alexa's best friend and he's mine. You don't get involved with people in the family that easily. That's a mess just waiting to happen," he grumbled.

"Well, it won't happen again," she assured him, trying to adopt an air of lightness she didn't really feel.

"Tell me this," he said, turning his frown on her, but she saw speculation in his eyes now. "Would it have happened at all if you weren't so emotional at the time?"

Probably not, but she wasn't ready to admit that right now. It probably wouldn't have happened when it did, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't have happened. Ignoring her attraction to Reid was no easy task. Only the fact that she didn't want to become another notch on his Hollywood playboy bed post, and the fact that he'd been practically having sex on Alexa's counter when she had first met him, kept her libido from taking over her common sense.

"I appreciate your concern, Nick. I really do," she began carefully. She really was touched by all his big brother indignation. "But, it really did just happen. But, I don't intend to let it happen again. So, can't we just let it go?"

He looked at her for a long moment before nodding and turning back to his coffee and the paper.

"Where is Raven?" Fallon asked, trying to ease the tension in the room. "I haven't seen her, nor heard you talk about her."

Raven was Nick's girlfriend. In her own self-absorption, Fallon hadn't noticed her complete absence before now.

"Raven and I broke up," he replied stiffly. Great. She'd picked the perfect topic.

"No!" She said full of concern. "What happened? I really liked her."

"It just didn't work out," he replied, clearly indicating the topic was not open for discussion. Why hadn't she done that? Why hadn't she just shut the conversation down?

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," she said softly. He made a noncommittal noise but didn't look up. Since it was obvious that thread of conversation was not up for discussion, and she certainly didn't want the conversation directed back to her and Reid, Fallon excused herself and quietly made her way to the veranda to enjoy her coffee alfresco in the early morning sun. She'd barely been there five minutes before Reid came out. Great. This should be interesting. He sat in the chair opposite her with his own cup of coffee.

"Good morning," she greeted him cheerfully, refusing to act awkward though she felt awkward. They hadn't spoken really since the kiss. Though they had all been in the same room watching movies and chatting, Reid and Nick had sat far away from each other and had said very little. She and Reid were even farther apart and said nothing to each other. Most of the conversation had been between Jake, Alexa, and herself.

"Good morning," he returned also sounding friendly, if not a bit wary. "I was hoping to catch you alone."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, well, I wanted to know if you were alright," Reid, said shrugging uncomfortably. He'd wanted to get her alone to talk to her last night. But, with everyone around, he figured he'd better not. He didn't want Nick's whole family after him. So far, he, Nick, and Fallon were the only ones who knew about the kiss. It was probably best to keep it that way.

"I am," she smiled. "Thank you for asking. And, thanks again for letting me cry all over you yesterday."

"I'm just glad I was there to let you," he smiled back and then his face became serious, searching. "And, I wanted to talk to you about that kiss."

Why the hell would he want to talk about a kiss? He was a guy. Maybe he wanted to tell her that he was sorry and shouldn't have kissed her. Maybe his fight, or whatever it was, with Nick had him coming to reassure her that it was a mistake and shouldn't happen again. Fallon's stomach clinched at the thought. Admittedly, it was in both of their best interests not to take this any further, but that kiss was amazing. It was sweet, and deep, and hot. Fallon didn't want the memory of it ruined by hearing from Reid what she already knew.

"Look, Reid, don't worry about it. It was an emotional moment. It's not a big deal," she assured him. "And, Nick will get over it. His big brother instincts are just messing with him right now. You know how over protective he is."

He didn't say anything for a moment. He just stared at her with an unreadable expression. Fallon waited for him to say something, but he didn't. He just looked at her with his narrow eyed, piercing gaze.

"What?" she asked with a frown of her own now. What was he frowning for? He finally blinked.

"So, you're saying the kiss didn't mean anything, and we should just forget it?"

"Exactly?" It was meant to be a statement but came out sounding more like a question.

"So, you felt nothing at all," he tilted his head and studied her like she was something very strange indeed. "You were just having an emotional moment, and kissing me helped you through it."

"Well, yes, it was an emotional moment," she tried cautiously. "But, I didn't kiss you. You kissed me."

"Semantics," he shot back. "You sure as hell were kissing me back. There was nothing one-sided about it."

"I didn't say there was," she flushed. "I'm just saying that in the heat of the moment, and during an emotionally stressful one at that, we ended up doing something we otherwise wouldn't have done. There were extenuating circumstances. That's all I'm saying."

"So, if Nick had come in, you'd have let him put his tongue in your mouth?" he asked, sounding matter of fact. However, there was nothing matter of fact about his face. It was very serious and controlled.

"Of course not," Fallon answered evenly, keeping ruthless hold of her calm. What was he getting at?

"What about Jake?" he continued. "Would those extenuating circumstances had you letting Jake stick his tongue down your throat if he'd been the one to find you?"

"No," she gritted out. "What is this about, Reid? I'm trying to tell you not to worry about it. It wasn't a big deal."

"You're trying to tell me or yourself?" he smiled but it wasn't a smile that reached his eyes.

"You know what?" she said, giving up and grabbing her coffee cup to leave, "I don't know what this is about. I'm sorry for whatever I've done that's made you... well, whatever it is you are."

"You want to know what I think?" he asked but didn't bother to let her answer. "I think you enjoyed that kiss as much as I did, regardless of the circumstances. I think you are just as attracted to me as I am to you. Maybe being a little more vulnerable allowed you to do something you wanted to do anyway, but don't try to pretend you didn't want it."

"Ok. So what. I'm attracted to you," Fallon shot back sardonically. "So what?"

"Now we're getting somewhere."

"No. We aren't," Fallon hissed, trying to keep her voice low. "It doesn't change anything. It doesn't make the kiss any less a mistake. And, it doesn't change the fact that it won't happen again."

"Why not?" he challenged calmly. His calm demeanor was getting to her. "Why was it such a mistake? Why can't it happen again?"

Fallon's eyes were wide with surprise. Was he serious? Did he not remember how they'd met roughly two weeks ago? After a moment, she found her voice. "I know you are used to women falling all over you, but I'm not one of those type of women."

"What does that have to do with anything?" he actually sounded incredulous. He really was crazy..., or something.

"Remember I met you barely two weeks ago? You were finger fucking some groupie on Alexa's kitchen counter, prepared to do a lot more if I hadn't interrupted?" she ticked off on a finger. "In the barely fourteen days I've known you, you were with the previously mentioned woman, then with some other girl when we went out a few days after that, and just a few days ago that girl at the studio just walked up to you and tried to stick her tongue down your throat. You go through women like water, Reid."

He nodded, seeming to understand finally why the two of them were not a good idea. She was not the type of woman he went for, attraction or no attraction. And, he certainly wasn't the type of guy she would look for if she were looking.

"I can see where you are coming from, but those woman were casual hookups."

Fallon let out an incredulous huff of breath. "Exactly! I'm not the casual hookup kind of person. Sooo, obviously you and I wouldn't work. I don't do casual hookups. And, I certainly don't want anything to do with the whole Hollywood women throwing themselves at you dating scene. Clearly you have plenty of women to choose from that would be more than happy to play that part for you. So, what are you getting your panties all in a bunch about?"

He was the one blinking in surprise now. His eyes widened and the corners of his mouth were twitching as if he were trying not to smile.

"My panties in a bunch?" he repeated and then let go of a bark of laughter. "I can assure you, I don't wear panties."

"You know what I mean," Fallon said, not able to contain her own smile. He had a really beautiful smile. The way his eyes crinkled in the corners and his mouth..., that mouth. He had such a sexy mouth. Fallon mentally shook herself and forced her eyes away from his mouth. "Look, you are a really nice guy, Reid. You've been very kind to me since I've been here, and I really appreciate that. What you do in your private relationships is your business. I'm not judging you. I'm just saying we are very different and definitely not compatible."

"I'm not incapable of having a committed relationship, Fallon," he said soberly, all hints of laughter gone.

"I never said you weren't," Fallon said diplomatically. "I'm just saying we aren't compatible. Besides, I don't think committed is what you're looking for with me, and you know it. Nick is right. It would just be a mess with you being his best friend and Alexa being mine. That's just a disaster begging to happen."

"I think we are very compatible, but you just keep lying to yourself," he said, leaning back in his chair and giving her that damn discomforting, assessing gaze. "And, I'm not stupid enough to risk my friendship with Nick or Alexa, or Mr. and Mrs. Connor for that matter, for something as simple and easy as casual sex."

Oh..., okay. Now what exactly did that mean? Realizing her mouth was hanging open slightly, she shut it and looked away. "Yeah, well, I'm leaving in about a week. So, it really doesn't matter anyway. I'll be going my way and you'll go yours."

Thankfully, he didn't say anything else. They just sat there in silence for a long time thinking their own thoughts. When Fallon turned to look across the yard at the pool, she could see Reid looking down into his coffee from the corner of her eye. She glanced down at her own coffee and contemplated taking a sip, then decided against it. She already felt jittery from her encounter with Nick and now Reid. She didn't need any more stimulation.

"You're going home isn't really a problem, but I can see you need time to get used to the idea of us getting to know each other more intimately," Reid stated, breaking the silence. "Your kiss tells me you want me, Fallon. You already know that I want you. Lucky for both of us, I'm a patient man."

With that parting line he stood, grabbed his mug, and went back inside.

As frustrated as he was, Reid refused to let it show. He'd known that Fallon wouldn't be easy. And, the way they'd met hadn't done him any favors. Reid was a man who was used to getting what he wanted. And he wanted Fallon. He just hadn't known how much until he'd kissed her. After that kiss, he couldn't back out now if he'd wanted to.

Once he entered the house, Nick had called out to him. He'd sat down waiting to hear more fire breathing about Fallon, but Nick had started talking sports. He realized that Nick's anger or protectiveness had all but dissipated. That was a relief. He had a feeling he was already in for a ride trying to get Fallon to trust him. He really didn't need Nick breathing down his back. He needed to think. He knew he wanted her, but he hadn't been in the market for a relationship any more than she had been. Once he got her, what was he going to do with her? He knew she was more than a casual hookup, but he still had to tread lightly. He wasn't stupid. He knew this really did have the potential to blow up in his face. But, the fact that he was willing to risk his relationship with his best friend was saying a lot. It sent an uncomfortable prickling sensation all over his body. If he was being honest, he might not want to ever let her go when he caught Fallon. And, the way she'd responded to him left him no doubt that she would be caught by him.

Reid didn't say much to Fallon for the rest of the morning. That didn't stop him from sending her hot little looks every time their eyes met though. Every time she looked his way, he made sure his eyes were waiting for her. She seemed so flustered by the time they were leaving that she jumped at the chance to ride back home with Jake. Reid smiled to himself. She could run but she couldn't hide. Sooner or later he would catch up with her. Heaven help them both when he did.
Chapter 19

Fallon ended up riding back to Alexa's house with Jake. No way did she want to be in the car with Reid. During brunch, she realized the tension between Reid and Nick seemed to have been forgotten. They were talking and acting as they normally did. Reid seemed to be in a jovial mood. She was the only one who seemed to have the slightest discomfort. No one seemed to notice that Reid sent her scorching, naughty looks every chance he got either. Fallon told herself to ignore him, and that he didn't affect her. But, the dampness between her legs had made her squirm in her chair all through brunch, and the heat blooming deep in her stomach was silently calling her out as a liar.

When Jake announced he had to go, Fallon pounced on the chance to get out of there. Reid just gave her a self-satisfied smile but said nothing. Nick chimed in that they probably all should get going and the mass exodus began.

Fallon was so relieved to get into Jake's car, she didn't even mind the over the top flirting she was expecting from him. Surprisingly though, Jake didn't flirt with her at all. They didn't talk much on the way home but, when they did, it was about work or him asking how she was coping.

"I know I tease you a lot, and you know how much I love flirting with you, but you do know that I'm here for you, right?" he'd asked after one long stretch of silence.

Fallon reached over and patted his arm. "Of course I know."

"Okay," he smiled what appeared to be a relieved smile. "Good."

Fallon's phone rang just as she was walking into her room at Alexa's house. It was Shelton.

"Where the hell have you been, Fallon?" his voice came booming from the phone. "I've been trying to call you all weekend."

Damn. She'd forgotten to call Shelton back or text him after her emotional meltdown.

"I'm sorry, Shelton-" she began, but he cut her off.

"Are you alright? Didn't you get my texts and messages?"

"Yes, I did," she said louder into the phone. "Stop yelling at me. I'm sorry. Everything is fine. We went down to Alexa's parent's house for the weekend and apparently my voicemail box was full. I didn't realize it until yesterday and had to clear out a bunch of messages in order for the new ones to come through."

"Was your text inbox full too?" he grumbled sarcastically.

"Oh, stop it," Fallon chided unruffled. "I said I was sorry, and I am. I am sorry for worrying you."

"When are you coming home?" he asked still sounding grumpy, but there was no real steam behind his words.

"In about a week," she replied smiling. Shelton never could stay mad at her. "I haven't decided if I want to leave Friday or Sunday. I'm leaning towards Friday though. I'm helping Alexa with a few things at work that are kind of fun."

"Well, I'm glad you're having a good time."

"I am. I'll see you in about a week."

"Make sure you answer my texts and messages until then," he demanded.

"I promise," she laughed. "Bye."

She was unpacking her things when she heard the front door opening. It must be Alexa. She and Jake had left a little sooner than everyone else, but they wouldn't be far behind.

"Fallon?" Alexa called out right before she heard the front door close.

"In here," Fallon yelled back.

"I thought you guys were ahead of us. But, since I didn't see Jake's car, I wasn't sure if I'd somehow gotten here before you."

"No. Jake didn't stay," Fallon explained. "He just dropped me off."

"Yea, Nick just dropped me off too. I'm really pooped," she sighed. "I think I'll go take a shower and get into my lazy clothes."

"Sounds like a plan," Fallon answered. "I think I'll do the same."

"Meet you in the family room for a chick flick?" Alexa grinned.

"I'm there."

Chapter 20

For the next two days Fallon didn't see or hear from Reid. She'd gone into the office each day though to work with Alexa and Jake. She'd even completed a few projects she'd had her assistant, Linda, forward to her. By Wednesday, she was feeling tired again and decided to work only a little from Alexa's house. Of course, that was when Reid decided to show up unannounced. She was sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee and contemplating what to do with her free day, when she heard the front door open.

"Alexa?" she called out.

"Nope. It's me," Reid answered, appearing in the entryway.

"Oh," she said acutely aware that she was wearing nothing but an oversized t - shirt. "What brings you here this morning?"

"I figured I'd see if you wanted to do something together since you didn't go into the office this morning."

"How did you know I didn't go into the office this morning?" she frowned suspiciously. Why did he always seem to know where she was?

"I called and asked to speak to you. Of course, I was told you weren't in today."

"Well, maybe I wasn't in because I had something else to do, or somewhere else to go." Fallon said, sounding a little snarky even to herself.

"Do you have something else to do today?" He looked as if he hadn't considered that she might.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no."

He grinned, "A little grumpy this morning?"

"No. I just don't understand why you're checking up on me."

"I'm not checking up on you," he said patiently. "I just thought if you hadn't had breakfast yet, maybe we could have breakfast."

Fallon hadn't eaten anything, and she was hungry. Still, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Reid noticed her hesitation.

"Come on. It's just breakfast," he encouraged with a boyish grin she did not trust, then he consulted his watch. "Well technically it's brunch. But the place I want to take you to has the best champagne brunch."

"You want to take me to a champagne brunch?" Fallon's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well, I'd prefer not to go by myself. The food is excellent. You'll love it."

The food was excellent. They had tiny pastries filled with smoked salmon and sweet cream cheese, eggs that were to die for, and just a smorgasbord of wonderful delights. Fallon chose to drink a mimosa instead of straight champagne. The mimosa was excellent and their waiter made sure her glass stayed full. Normally, she wouldn't think of drinking before afternoon. Well, normally, she didn't drink at all unless she was having an occasional glass of wine with dinner or drinks with friends. But, mimosas at a champagne breakfast were her one exception to the before noon rule. These mimosas were so good, they went down like water. Fallon easily lost track of how much she was drinking because the waiter kept filling her glass back up before it could get empty.

Of course, Reid knew the owner and the chef. They made time to come over to their secluded table to speak to him personally. Fallon had donned some of her business casual clothes since they weren't just going down the street to the local watering hole. She wore a pair of navy dress slacks and a silk blouse. As she sipped her drink, she wondered absently just how many woman he'd treated to this breakfast. Then, she decided not to think about it as the idea made her feel strange in some way she couldn't describe. He wasn't hers. It was just breakfast, or rather brunch, nothing more.

She turned towards the approaching waiter and her vision blurred and she felt a wavy feeling. She sat her glass down. Obviously, she had drank a little too much. She looked around slowly, not wanting to move her head too fast, and wondered if she could stand.

"Can I get anything else for you?" the smiling waiter asked.

"Nothing for me," Fallon said carefully, making sure she wasn't slurring her words. She wasn't. So, only a little tipsy.

"Are you finished?" Reid asked. Fallon carefully swiveled her head back in his direction. He was looking at her curiously.

"Yes. It was wonderful, and I'm stuffed," Fallon beamed. She was feeling very light hearted. However, she knew it was partially due to the mimosas. So, she tried to curb her overly bubbly feeling.

Reid looked amused, but he didn't say anything. He handed the man some dollar bills and didn't bother to wait for the check. Considering the waiter was thanking him profusely, Fallon figured it must have been enough to cover their bill and then some.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a smirk when the waiter walked away.

"I think I drank too much," Fallon said in a low voice. Reid's smirk turned into a wide grin.

"Can you walk?"

"Yes, I'm sure I can. I'm tipsy not drunk," She chided, trying to appear dignified.

"Then, shall we go?" he said in a dapper voice as he came around to help her with her chair.

Once she was on her feet, Reid placed her arm through his and led her out of the door. Fallon was happy to note she was walking just fine, though all of her concentration was on walking. As long as nothing got in her path, she would be fine. A giggle erupted from her at the thought.

"What are you giggling for?" Reid asked, chuckling at her. She looked up to see him smiling down at her. He couldn't help it. She was adorable. He just hoped she hadn't drank too much. She wasn't slurring her words or staggering. She wasn't even really using him for support. She'd just gone a little goofy.

"I never drink before noon. Well, I don't really drink much at all. But, I love mimosas," Fallon said gleefully and another giggle escaped.

"I'd better get you back to Alexa's," Reid chuckled, placing a steady hand around her waist. Another giggle escaped and then another. She had no reason he could see for giggling and that seemed to make her giggle all the more. Reid could tell she was trying to hold in her giggles, but a snort of laughter escaped and then she was laughing like a loon.

"What are you laughing about?" he repeated with an exasperated smile. Her laughter was contagious. It was such an intriguing sound. And the way her face lit up was breathtaking. She was beautiful. And when she turned her smile on him, she was stunning.

"I'm sorry," she breathed as she tried not to double over with laughter. "I know it makes no sense..., but I can't stop laughing."

Fallon bent over slightly, hit with another wave of giggles and his arm tightened around her waist. She started pulling in huge gulps of air. At first, he was wondering if she was going to have another meltdown. Then, he realized she was trying to get her giggles under control.

Fallon chanced a glance at Reid's perplexed face and burst out laughing again. Fortunately, they had made it to his car. She had always been prone to fits of laughter without the aid of alcohol. Things would just strike her funny for no reason. She normally had a very strange, if not a dry, sense of humor. Something would simply strike her as hysterical and she would be off. Usually she had the benefit of Shelton or Alexa's company, and they would both be doubled over with laughter. Her father had always tried his best to frown at what he considered silliness, but his lips would often twitch. However, she hadn't had one of her giggling fits in a very long time. There just hadn't been much that was funny in her life lately. This time she had no clue why she was laughing, and that in itself was the cause of this fit of laughter.

"I am so sorry," she said, leaning against the passenger door trying to get herself together. He didn't release her, however. He adjusted his arm, but it was still firmly around her waist. It felt good. Then she wondered if she should be thinking about how good his arm felt around her and another giggle escaped. But, she was starting to get herself under control.

"What in the world is so funny?" Reid asked, looking totally confused and highly amused now.

"I have no idea." Fallon was shaking her head and holding back another snort of laughter. "I'm so sorry. I just had a fit of giggles, I guess."

"Don't apologize," he said, putting a finger to her chin and lifting her eyes to his. "It's quite appealing actually. I just wasn't sure what brought it on."

"I'm sure the champagne had something to do with it," Fallon said, still grinning. She was rapidly becoming aware that they were standing very close, too close. That proximity was starting to awaken places in her that she wasn't sure she wanted awake. "I'm better now. I guess I was feeling very light hearted. I haven't felt that way in a very long time."

"I've never seen you laugh like that." His voice had deepened and his eyes darkened. "It's mesmerizing."

He moved his hand to cup her cheek and slowly ran his finger across her bottom lip. She shivered. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Fallon decided that she probably should put some space between them. Instead a sigh escaped from her lips and her eyes closed, but only for a moment. When she opened them, she looked directly into Reid's and saw heat flaring in those mossy green and brown depths. He was still making slow movements across her lip. Before she knew what she was doing, she turned and gently sucked his thumb into her mouth, watching him all the while. He sucked in a breath and froze. She pulled her head back slowly, scraping her teeth gently across his finger and watched his eyes smolder.

Fallon didn't have time to blink. Reid slid his hand into her hair and gently pulled until her head was tilted up, and his lips came down on hers. From the look in his eyes, she'd expected him to crush his mouth to hers in a hard kiss. But, this kiss was firm yet gentle. He teased and tormented her mouth until she was clutching his neck and pressing into him. He deepened the kiss, pulling her to him so that they were pressed together. The arm at her waist slipped down to grasp her hip and hold her firmly to him while he took total possession of her mouth. She whimpered with need and was ready to beg, when the sound of an approaching car made her realize they were in a public parking garage. Reid broke the kiss and they stood there, staring at each other mutely for a long minute, the only sound their harsh breathing. Fallon glanced around. Thankfully, it was currently an empty public parking garage as far as she could tell. Where the car had gone, she didn't know.

"I'd better get you to Alexa's," he said in a breathy voice, breaking the silence.

Reid opened the car door for her and then closed it after she slid in. Fallon was on fire. She was shocked at how just a kiss had sent her soaring. Hazarding a glance at Reid, she wasn't sure what he was thinking. His face was carefully blank and he hadn't said another word.

Fallon decided to focus on trying to reason with this new side of herself that wasn't alarmed at what had just happened. What she wanted was to get naked and sweaty with Reid Snow, and that was crazy. She wasn't some groupie wanting some brief fling with an actor, or model, or whatever. Still, at this very moment she wanted him.

As Reid drove them back to Alexa's house, Fallon went back and forth wrestling with her desire and the lack of intelligence of giving in to it. Luckily, by the time he'd pulled up to Alexa's house, she had gotten her lustful self under control.

"Thanks for brunch," she smiled at him reaching for the door handle of the car. "I really had a great time. Thank you for thinking of me and my stomach this morning."

"You're welcome," he replied, reaching for his own door handle.

"You don't have to come in," Fallon said, trying to be gentle. "I'm sorry about my giggling fit and-"

"I'm not. And, I'm not sorry I kissed you," he gave her a knowing smirk. "Don't worry. I'm not going to take advantage of you. I realize you were under the influence. But, I am coming in."

Knowing she couldn't stop him, he had his own key, Fallon got out of the car and went inside. True to his word, Reid was right behind her. She let out a yelp of surprise, however, when the door closed behind them and Reid had her neatly pressed against it.

"I thought you said-"

"Don't worry. I'm not planning to take you against the door," he mumbled into her neck as he placed hot kisses there. He nipped her neck and then sucked and she felt her knees go weak. "I just couldn't not touch you, taste you."

For the next Fallon didn't know how long, they stood there making out against the front door.

"Damn, I want you," he finally whispered against her lips before reclaiming them again in a hot, drugging kiss. After a few more moments, he broke the kiss and leaned back to look into her eyes. Then, he smiled a satisfied smile.

"What?" Fallon panted, her breathing loud in the silence of the entryway.

"I have to go." His voice was barely a whisper.

"Oh." Yep. That's what came out. No other response came to mind. For some reason, this made him grin even wider.

"I have to meet with my agent this afternoon," He said, releasing her and taking a step back. "But, I'd like to pick up where we left off when I see you again."

"You know Reid, we probably need to just stop this now," Fallon said, finally feeling her reasonable and rational side returning. "I'm leaving on Friday, and it would probably be better if we didn't take this any further."

"Why?" He tilted his head and studied her.

"Besides the obvious reasons, we don't even live near each other. I mean, after Friday it's not even likely we would see each other again anytime soon," she explained in her most reasonable voice. "And, while I know that would probably be fine with you, it wouldn't be fine with me."

"I told you where you live isn't a problem. And no, that wouldn't be fine with me," he answered evenly.

"Well, considering I live up north and you live, well, wherever you live, we don't even live close enough to see each other anyway."

"You live in the Bay Area, right?" he asked.

"Yes. In the East Bay."

"When we left here, my family moved up north to the Bay Area. I still have a house there."

"But, don't you work here?" Fallon asked, surprised and a little confused.

"Here and wherever else filming sends me. That's why when I come down here I stay with Nick. I don't want to buy a house down here. So, Nick and I are part - time roommates."

"Location isn't the only issue, Reid," Fallon sighed. "I know you don't understand this, but I'm a low-key kind of person. You live a high-profile life. I don't know every owner and manager at every restaurant I eat at, and I don't have to secure secluded tables to get some privacy."

"So, we can keep what we have discreet," he countered.

"I'm not interested in a fling either. And you've been with three different women since I got here," Fallon continued as if he hadn't spoken. "I haven't even been here for a full three weeks yet. That's like a woman a week."

"You aren't going to let that go, are you? Technically, I haven't actually been with anyone since you arrived," he clarified, looking a little irritated now. "You interrupted me with the first woman you're accusing me of, the second one was just a date, and the third came up and kissed me. I didn't even kiss her back."

"You expect me to believe you didn't have sex with Misty when you left here that night, or what's her name after you left the club the other night?" Fallon said, disbelief showing on her face.

"Contrary to your popular belief, I don't just have sex with everything in a skirt." His jaw was clenched now. "Yes, I would have had sex with Misty if you hadn't come along. We happen to have a long sexual history. But, I had no intention of sleeping with Denise after we left the club that night. I barely knew her and generally like to get to know a woman, at least a little, before I hop into bed with her."

Fallon held her hands up in a peace gesture. "Look, it's none of my business who you are, or are not, sleeping with. I'm not trying to start an argument here."

He ran his hands through his hair and let out a deep breath. "I get it. You don't want to get involved with me, despite our attraction. I can deal with that if you can. Does that mean we can't at least be friends?"

"Friends?"

"Yes, friends," he placed his hands on his hips and gave her a narrow-eyed stare. "Despite our mutual attraction, I like you as a person. We don't live that far from each other. So, when I am in the Bay Area, we can hang out as friends. Or, is that too much to ask?"

Fallon eyed him suspiciously, opened her mouth, and then shut it. She wasn't prepared for this. She had a litany of reasons why they shouldn't be involved. She hadn't been prepared for the friend's proposal.

"Just friends," he said, leaning towards her and looking her in the eye.

"Okay," Fallon heard herself saying. She wasn't sure, however, that she was making the right decision in agreeing to friendship with Reid. He was speaking again, interrupting her pondering of the wisdom of her choice.

"I have to go," he said, looking at his watch again. "I might not see you again before you leave. What's your cell number?"

"My cell number?"

"Yes. Your cell phone number," he said slowly. He'd pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at her expectantly. Fallon rattled off her number, and he punched it into his phone. Her cell phone rang in her purse and then finally stopped. He punched in a few things on his phone before looking back at her.

"Now, I have your cell number and you have mine. If I don't see you before you leave, then I'll call you when I'm up your way."

"Okay."

"If I don't see you before you leave, have a safe trip home," he said as he grabbed the door handle. Fallon stepped away so he could open the door. Then, he was gone.

Chapter 21

When Alexa got home, she announced that she had to go out of town to meet with another potential client on Thursday. So, Fallon's decision on when to leave was made for her. Alexa told her she was more than welcome to stay, but Fallon didn't really want to stay if Alexa was leaving. So, she packed her things and they both left Thursday morning. Alexa was headed for the airport and Fallon for home. By the time Fallon pulled into her driveway, she had three text messages from Shelton. Rather than try to text him back, she just called.

"What the heck have you been up to that you have such a hard time getting back to me?" was his greeting.

"Hello to you too, cousin," Fallon drawled. "Specifically at the time you were texting me, I was driving home."

"You're home? I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow or the end of the weekend."

"Yeah, well, Alexa had to fly out this morning. So, I figured there was no sense in me sitting around her house by myself when I could sit around here alone."

"Well, you won't be alone," he vowed. "Well, at least not tomorrow."

"I'm working tomorrow."

"I am too," he said impatiently. "But, after work I'm coming over to hang out, okay?"

"Sure," she agreed quickly. She was already feeling lonely here. "Is Rachel coming too?"

He hesitated before answering. "Uh, no. She's got something to do."

"Oh, okay," Fallon said, sensing something wasn't right but not wanting to pry right now. Something must have happened, and she could always find out about it tomorrow. "Well, that sounds good. What are you bringing me for dinner?"

"You are such a brat," he complained without heat. "What do you want?"

"I'm feeling Italian."

"Fine. Italian food coming up, but you have to provide dessert."

She could almost see his grin.

"Fine." Fallon answered sweetly. "What do you want?"

"Strawberry ice cream."

"Yuck! You know I don't like strawberry ice cream," she protested.

"Then, get yourself something else," he said smugly. Gosh, she loved Shelton. He was better than a brother.

"Okay," she conceded.

"I really missed you Fal," he said with genuine feeling this time.

"Missed you too, Shell."

After hanging up with Shelton, she felt much lighter. Her former feelings of melancholy and loneliness were pushed far back as she unpacked and began the laundry. She needed to get prepared for the week ahead.

Chapter 22

Shelton was already in her house when Fallon arrived home Friday evening. She walked in the door to find him sitting on the couch in the family room, shoes on the floor, feet up, a plate of food in hand, and the television on.

"Hey," he said with a nod, barely taking his eyes off of the pre-season baseball game.

"Hey yourself," she replied, setting down her purse. "How long have you been here?"

"Not that long. Just long enough to make a plate and sit down to watch the game," he said over his shoulder at her before letting out a whoop at the television.

"We are so not watching sports tonight," Fallon warned him as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Oh, come on," he yelled back. She wasn't quite sure if he was talking to her or the television until he continued. "This game is already half over anyway. Then, we can watch whatever you want to watch."

She smiled a knowing smile as she grabbed a plate and began to add food to it. Fallon was starving. Shelton obviously wasn't thinking when he'd said that. And, she was definitely going to make him watch the latest chick flick with her. She had several new ones on the DVR just waiting for her to find the time to watch them. Come to think of it, they might not be very current, but that didn't matter. They were still new to her. Now she wouldn't have to watch it alone. She took her plate into the family room, grabbed a tray, and sat down to watch the game without another word.

Fallon couldn't say that she was an avid sports fan but, if a game was on, she would watch it. She purposely never really became a fan of a specific team. Only when she was watching a specific game would she choose a team to root for. As Shelton knew, Fallon had a very competitive nature. And, once she got started, she could scream and yell at the television with the best of them. Something just took over when watching sports, or playing. So, it wasn't long before they were both enjoying the game and cheering like loons. Luckily, their team won, so they were very happy by the end.

Unfortunately for Shelton, this was when he realized what he had agreed to. When Fallon snatched the remote from him and started scrolling through the list of recorded shows and movies on the DVR, his victory grin began to fade and understanding began to dawn.

"Please tell me you're not going to subject me to a chick flick," he groaned.

"You subjected me to a baseball game," she retorted, smiling sweetly at him.

"Only half a game, and one that you quite enjoyed too," he shot back, ready to argue.

"Of course I enjoyed it. I can make the best of anything," she agreed amiably. "Just like you will thoroughly enjoy this movie with me."

He stood now and headed for the kitchen. "I'm getting a beer then."

"Oooh, will you bring me a hard apple cider?" Fallon called over her shoulder at him. A few moments later he returned with two bottles.

"This isn't a chick flick," he announced, handing her the bottle of cider. He settled back beside her on the sofa and took a swig of his beer.

"Not exactly, but there is definitely some great eye candy," she murmured, looking at the screen.

"Oh, yeah," he rolled his eyes. "I guess it has something for everyone. Chris Hemsworth and the little love story for the ladies. But, at least it's got some action and blowing up for the guys."

"Do you think he's that hot when he's not dressed as Thor?" Fallon mused.

"Well, considering I don't think he's hot," Shelton drawled with a raised eyebrow, "I don't think I'm the right person to ask. Now, if you want to talk Natalie Portman, then I could definitely give her a rating."

"She is a nice-looking woman," Fallon agreed matter of factly. "See how easy it is for a woman to acknowledge that another woman is attractive? Why is it so difficult for you guys?"

"I don't think we use the same scale?" he smirked.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she frowned at him. "Attractiveness is attractiveness. And, that's why everyone has a different view on what's attractive."

"You just proved my point," he grinned.

"How?"

"You are measuring with an attractiveness scale, which most women probably do," he explained. "We men usually measure on a fuckability scale. And, I haven't yet seen a guy I wanted to fuck."

"You are so crude!" she scolded and flung a couch pillow at him. He deflected it laughing.

"Well, it's true," he said still laughing.

"And juvenile!" Fallon added. He continued to laugh at her. "I don't know how Rachel puts up with you."

Fallon said the words without thinking and noticed Shelton's laughter immediately fade. She'd suspected something was going on and now it was confirmed. There was something going on with the two of them, and it wasn't good. Shelton turned back to the screen and didn't say anymore. Fallon decided she would wait until after the movie to approach the subject. That should give her enough time to figure out how to pull her foot out of her mouth. They settled into the movie and, after a few minutes, the tension in the room eased. Shelton had obviously seen the movie because he seemed to be able to anticipate when to laugh. Otherwise, he was quiet and considerate of the fact that she hadn't seen it.

After the movie went off, Fallon turned and looked at him speculating on whether she should say anything. Shelton appeared totally relaxed, so she decided her words hadn't done any real damage and dived in.

"What's going on with you and Rachel," Fallon asked gently.

His eyes sharpened on her now, then he turned back to the television screen and watched the credits. After a few moments he replied, "Nothing really."

"Come on Shelton," She coaxed. "Talk to me. What's going on? Did you guys break up?"

"No," he said and then frowned. "At least, I don't think so. We got into an argument."

"About what?" she pressed. He sighed.

"I just felt like she was getting too clingy. We were together all the time. And, after work last Friday I went to have a drink with some of the guys. When I got home, I called her and she started interrogating me."

"What do you mean interrogating you?"

"She asked me why I hadn't returned her texts and the one message she'd left."

"Oh, Lord." Fallon flopped back on the couch already knowing where this was going. "And, what did you say?"

"I told her I was calling her now. Then I asked what was the problem here," he glared. "It's not like she's really my girlfriend. I mean, we've been seeing each other for a couple of months now, but we've never made anything official. I'm not trying to get serious here."

"And, do you normally talk to her on Friday nights after work?"

"I've not only talked to her, but been with her practically every Friday night since we started seeing each other. So, I don't understand why she was getting upset over me going out with the guys for one Friday night."

"And, what did she say to that?" Fallon asked, shaking her head.

"She said she'd been waiting for me to see if I wanted to go out with her and a few friends, and that it got so late she ended up telling them to just go on without her," he shrugged, looking baffled. "She said she was worried something had happened to me."

"And what did you say?" Fallon asked, rolling her head to the side to face him.

"I told her I was fine, and she should have just gone out with her friends."

"Well, that doesn't exactly sound like an argument. What did she say then?" she asked, raising her head to look at him.

"She just said next time she would. Then, she said it was late and she needed to get some sleep."

He didn't say anything else, but Fallon knew there was more. She waited, but he still didn't say anything. She guessed he was going to make her ask.

"So, what happened next, Shelton?" she gritted out.

"I couldn't get ahold of her all weekend. I went by her house Saturday night but her car wasn't there. I left messages and texts, but she never called me back. I didn't catch up with her until I called her at work on Tuesday." He sounded frustrated.

"And?"

"And, she said a group of her friends wanted to go away for the weekend, so she went. Then, she said she was busy and couldn't talk right now and got off the phone. I haven't talked to her since."

"Have you tried calling her?"

"No," he answered softly.

"And, why not exactly?" she asked patiently.

"Because, I know if I do, then we will have to establish that we either are together or we aren't. I'm not sure I want to be in a committed relationship right now."

"So, what are you saying?" she raised her hands in an open palmed gesture.

"I don't know what I'm saying," he sighed.

Fallon stood. "Well, for the record, I like her. But, if you're having commitment phobias right now, then she's probably better off moving on."

"Hey! Whose side are you on?" Shelton complained.

"Hers! Because, even though you have obviously got it bad for her, in true moronic guy fashion, you can't commit. You want her to keep sleeping with you without giving her anything in return. Well, just like you, Shelton, she can get sex anywhere."

"Ouch," he frowned.

"Just keeping it real," Fallon shrugged and began gathering up her dishes. "You know I love you cousin, but if you aren't ready and she is, then she needs to move on."

"I'm not sure I want her to move on," he protested, gathering his things and following her into the kitchen.

"You know what your dad always says..., piss or get off the pot," Fallon said with an air of indifference. He was such a guy. She rinsed her dishes and put them in the dishwasher. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

"Yeah, me too."

"Night," she called over her shoulder as she left him in the kitchen to put his own dishes in the dishwasher.

"Night. I guess I'll just put the food away too then," he called back, his voice full of sarcasm.

"You're so sweet!" she yelled back chuckling. "Be sure to turn the television and lights out."

After taking her shower and finding her way to bed, Fallon found she couldn't sleep. She hadn't heard from Reid before she had left, or since. It was for the best, but in the darkness she could admit she missed him. On the one hand, she was relieved that she didn't have to continue to fight the growing temptation he represented. On the other hand, she longed for his company, the feel of him touching her, and the taste of his kiss. She even missed his smile and the sound of his voice. It was good that she'd left when she did. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out against his charms. Giving in to said charms would have been a disaster. She'd probably be in the same boat with Reid that Rachel was in with Shelton. Men! This way, he would quickly return to his womanizing lifestyle, and she was safe from falling victim to his wicked ways.

Fallon tossed and turned at the idea of Reid returning to his womanizing ways. The idea of him with another woman made her stomach churn in a sickening way. But, being made a fool of and having it plastered all over the media for everyone to see would have been much worse. She liked her quiet life. No, she relished her quiet life. No doubt, if she had spent too much more time around Reid, his public life would have intruded into her private one. When the end came, she'd be lucky not to see herself on the cover of the gossip magazines at the grocery store checkout stand. No thank you.

She turned onto her back now and realized her lips felt dry. She kept moisturizing lip balm right next to her bed because this seemed to happen to her at night. Unfortunately, she never kept a bedside lamp by the bed and always wondered why when she was in need of light and didn't want to get out of bed at night. She reached for the television remote instead and clicked the television on. She sat up and grabbed the tube of lip balm. As she began to apply it, Fallon looked up and saw what looked like people watching television on her television. A clip of one of the popular shows Fallon watched came on and someone was getting their hand chopped off. Fallon winced. Then the camera switched back to some people sitting on a couch starring at the television with horrified expressions and wincing just as she had.

"Oohh, I can't watch this!" one woman squealed as she covered her eyes. Then, the scene switched again to what looked like another group of people watching the same show and having similar reactions. She began to chuckle at all of the varied reactions the people were having to this show as the camera view continued to switch.

Fallon didn't know how long she sat there. But, it didn't take long before she was laughing uproariously. The clips continued of various shows, most of which she had never seen. And, the reactions of the people watching were hilarious. She was laughing not only at her own reactions to the clips they were showing, but all of the varied responses of the people they showed reacting to the clips. At one point, she let loose a loud burst of laughter and then caught herself. She didn't want to wake Shelton, who no doubt fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. So, she tried very hard to stifle her laughter. This show reminded her of the funnier times watching television with her dad and Shelton. She and Shelton would squeal, and react, and yell at the television.

"Don't go in there! He's got a gun!" Fallon remembered Shelton and her yelling warnings once as they watched one of their favorite shows.

"They can't hear you," her dad finally said with slight irritation. "No matter how loud you guys shout, they still won't hear you. I, on the other hand, can't hear the television."

Needless to say, Dad didn't like watching television with them. He claimed that he just couldn't understand why people yelled and talked to the television. Yet, if you put on a football, baseball, or basketball game, he yelled so loud the neighbors could hear him.

"What are you watching?" came Shelton's tired voice from the doorway.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?" she giggled. "I don't know what this is, but it's hilarious."

He came further into the room and looked at the screen. A few moments later he was also chuckling. And a few moments after that, he was laughing just as much as she was.

"Move over," he said, coming over to her side of the bed.

"No. You go on the other side," Fallon frowned, waving him away. He sighed and made his way to the other side of the bed where he climbed in. And just like that, it was like they were kids again. They would sit up in bed, watching television late at night in the summertime when they were supposed to be sleep, thinking they were getting away with something. It wasn't until they got older that they realized their dads knew they were still awake. They were probably just happy she and Shelton were contained and not bugging them.

Fallon knew some people who would separate boy and girl siblings or cousins from sleeping together, and others who didn't let their kids in the parent's bed. Their family was not like that, though her dad may have wished it later when he was squished between teenagers. Uncle Andrew never complained either when she stayed there. If he was watching something they wanted to see, they'd crawl right up on the bed during the day or in the bed if they were in their pajamas at night. Uncle Andrew, however, would wake them up if they fell asleep and kick them out. The few occasions they had taken over Fallon's dad's bed and fell asleep, he simply went and slept in Fallon's room or the guest room.

She and Shelton stayed up until two in the morning cracking up like loons at this crazy show. They had to pause the television occasionally. They were laughing so hard they couldn't hear what was happening next.

"We have to go to sleep, Shelton," Fallon said as the current show went off. Apparently, the station they were watching was running an all-night marathon of this show.

"You've got to set that to tape," he commanded, still chuckling and sliding down on the bed from his seated position to his back. He pulled the covers up to his chest getting comfortable. "I think this is one of my new favorite shows."

"You set it," she said, tossing him the remote and lying down with her back to him.

"You are such a brat," he complained.

"And if you snore you are so out of here," she tossed over her shoulder at him.

"Yeah, well, if you fart then you are out of here," he shot back.

"You are so gross!" she laughed, remembering how he used to fart on her to be gross when they were kids.

"Just warning you," he said, thinking he'd gotten one over on her. When they were kids, he could always get over on her by being gross. She would be too busy being grossed out.

"First, you can't kick me out of my own bed. So, if I fart, you can either sit here and smell it or get out," she said over her shoulder. She knew how to fight fire with fire now. It wasn't so easy to gross her out anymore. She laughed at how juvenile they became when they got around each other and acknowledged that, sometimes it was fun just to act like a kid again.

Chapter 23

Reid was having a hard time staying put. His work kept him in Southern California a lot, unless he was off on location for a shoot. He rarely visited his home in Northern California unless he was visiting family. Usually that seemed more like a visit, and home was here in SoCal. He and Nick were truly roommates and that had worked just fine..., until now.

Now, he found himself itching to go up north. Yes. He had an itch he really wanted to scratch up there, and her name was Fallon. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He hadn't wanted to call her too soon. Reid had a feeling that, despite the heated kisses they'd shared, Fallon wouldn't be rushed. As a matter of fact, Reid knew that Fallon was probably relieved that she no longer had to resist her attraction to him. After all, she hadn't called him either. And, he knew that if he left it up to her, he'd never hear from her. But, she wasn't getting off that easy.

Reid knew he needed to stay around for a while after Fallon left. If Nick or Alexa thought he was heading up north to follow Fallon, they'd be all over him. That was another reason he hadn't contacted her. If Alexa or Nick spoke to Fallon and asked if she'd talked to him, "no" was the only answer she could give. But it had already been a week. Giving Fallon any more time away from him would just allow her to build up resistance. He couldn't have that. So, he was headed up north to knock down whatever resistance still remained. She might not want to want him, but she definitely wanted him.

Reid ignored the nagging question that kept popping up in his mind. What would he do with her once he got her? He didn't know the answer to that. And, he got a little flutter of panic whenever the question came up. So, he didn't want to think that far. Right now, he just had to focus on getting her. He arrived home and began planning just how to get under Fallon's defenses.

Chapter 24

Fallon and Shelton hung out all weekend. He talked her into a game of basketball instead of the gym on Saturday, where he promptly beat her over and over again. She could give him a run for his money, but there was no way she could beat him alone. Finally, some guys asked if they could join in for a pick-up game. The very tall, chocolate, and yummy gentleman that offered to be Fallon's teammate evened the playing field out nicely. His buddy was no slouch though, and he and Shelton were playing to win. Only the fact that she'd played with Shelton and his friends since she was a kid helped Fallon hang in there with these guys. By the end, she was wiped out.

Kyle, Fallon's teammate, handed her a water bottle as he sat down beside her to catch his breath after they'd barely beaten Shelton and Kyle's friend Ben.

"Not bad, Short Stuff," he said with a gorgeous smile and a fist bump. "You've got some skills."

"Thanks," Fallon said, trying not to grin like an idiot or blush like a school girl. He was really cute. "But, we won because of you. Shelton would have continued to beat me without your help."

"No, it wasn't just me," he shook his head. "If you didn't have any skill, I wouldn't have been able to beat those two by myself. We were able to play to each other's strengths and minimize the weaknesses. Don't sell yourself short."

"Well, thanks," Fallon said, raising her water bottle to him.

Shelton and Ben joined them then, and the guys talked guy talk. Fallon sat there for a while, not really paying attention, and then began to feel icky as she felt the sweat drying on her. She needed a shower.

"I've got to get out of these sweaty clothes and take a shower," She announced to no one in particular and stood up slowly. She glanced first at Kyle and then at Ben. "It was a pleasure to meet you both."

"Well, I hope to see you guys around again," Kyle said, standing when she did. His message was plural, but he was only looking at her. "I'd love to do this again some time."

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but didn't. Fallon suspected he wanted to ask for her number, or give her his, but didn't want to appear too forward. What a gentleman, she thought and blushed. She got the impression that they had originally thought she and Shelton were together. They'd asked to play and offered to play as one team with Fallon and Shelton as the other team. But, when Shelton suggested they mix it up, effectively trading her in for a guy he felt would be a better player, it wasn't long before the question of if they were related came up. Ben smirked at Kyle and pulled out his wallet. A moment later, he was handing his business card to Shelton.

"Yeah, it was great playing with you guys. I don't live too far from here, and it's always nice to have someone to shoot some hoops with," Ben said smoothly. "Let me know if you guys are ever around in the evening or the weekend. We could hook up for a game or two."

Ben was a rather nice piece of eye candy himself. He had the most gorgeous green, blue, and hazel eyes lashed by dark lashes and a killer smile. And, why exactly was she taking such notice of these two hotties? Okay, they were hotties. It had been quite some time since she'd spent so much time ogling guys. She could probably blame this new awakening on Reid.

"That sounds good," Shelton answered Ben enthusiastically. He and Ben exchanged information as Fallon headed towards the street. She would walk back home. She was too tired to run. Kyle fell in beside her.

"Did you park around here?" he asked companionably.

"No, we decided to jog."

"Oh. I see," he said and then slowed in the little parking lot beside a very nice, understated sedan. Not being a car person, Fallon had no idea what it was. "Well, I really do hope I'll see you again soon."

"Me too," she said and gave him a wave as she found the energy to turn and jog away. She was pretty sure that if she stayed any longer, or gave him the slightest encouragement, he'd be asking for her number. And, if he asked, she was pretty sure she'd give it to him. Shelton caught up with her a few minutes later and they both slowed to a walk.

Later that afternoon, Shelton got a call from some of his buddies and talked her into going out dancing with them. She tried to refuse, but he was having none of it. She did have a good time. And, it was better than sitting around thinking about Reid.

Fallon knew most of Shelton's friends. And, since most of them came without a girlfriend, she never lacked for a dance partner. However, they also kept plying her with drinks. So, while she wasn't actually drunk, she did drink too much and was definitely feeling it Sunday.

When they finally got up and started moving on Sunday, Shelton headed home to get ready for work on Monday. Shelton had worked for Uncle Andrew in their family property management business. However, Shelton had sort of taken over when Uncle Andrew had decided he wanted to retire. Uncle Andrew still worked practically every day, so all he'd really given up was being the man in charge. He did what he wanted, when he wanted.

Fallon was sort of dozing in and out and debating whether she should get up and feed herself Sunday afternoon when her phone rang. It was Alexa.

"Well, hello, Mystery Woman," Alexa said in a low, mysterious voice.

"Mystery Woman? What are you talking about?" Fallon asked and rolled onto her back.

"It seems you are on a little online blog being called Reid's mystery woman," Alexa explained, sounding amused.

"What? What blog?" Fallon asked, opening her eyes and sitting up straight now.

"It's some who's who, in Hollywood thing. They even have a picture of you two looking cozy in some restaurant."

"Seriously?" Fallon groaned.

"Oh, don't stress out," Alexa ordered. "It's just funny. I doubt anyone will even pay any attention to it."

Chapter 25

Obviously, people were paying attention to it. When Fallon got to work on Monday, she wasn't there five minutes before being questioned about it again.

"So, do tell how you went down to SoCal for three weeks and came back Reid Snow's mystery woman," Linda, her personal assistant, teased coming in her office door.

"You saw it too?" Fallon groaned.

Linda's eyes widened with surprise. "That really is you? I just thought it was someone that looked like you."

Linda began to giggle and then plopped down in the chair on the other side of Fallon's desk in a fit of disbelieving laughter. By the time Fallon explained to her and then Cole that Reid was Alexa's brother's best friend, and it wasn't what it seemed, an hour had passed. Apparently, they'd been convinced it wasn't Fallon. Had she known that, Fallon would have denied it. Too late now.

Fallon had them pull the picture up so she would at least know what she was dealing with. The picture of her wasn't very clear. The picture caught Reid head on. But, she was facing him and had turned to look at something. So, only the side of her face was visible. And, because it was so far away and dark, it wasn't very clear. After swearing them to secrecy and getting them back on task, the day went smoothly.

Fallon was surprised to get a call from Reid on Monday evening. He left a message saying he'd just wanted to say hi, and he was sorry he hadn't seen her before she'd left. Then he asked how she was doing and said he'd call her back that evening. True to his word, Fallon's cell phone rang at eight o'clock that evening.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Fallon. How are you?" Reid asked, sounding happy to hear her voice.

"I'm good. How are you?" she asked, trying not to sound just as happy to hear his.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Hey, I will be up your way on Friday. I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner."

Fallon hesitated. Of course, she wanted to go out with Reid, but she didn't want to find her picture in any more tabloids.

"I don't know, Reid. I've been catching up this week at work, and I'm not sure I would be up for going out to dinner."

It was Reid's turn to hesitate now. His voice was more cautious when he spoke again. "So, are you saying you don't feel like going to dinner, or that you don't want to see me?"

"I'm just saying that I'm not sure about dinner."

"What if I offer to bring dinner to you?" he suggested, sounding a little less cautious now. "We don't have to go out. I could just meet you at your place after work and bring dinner."

"That sounds good," she agreed slowly. She didn't sound convinced even to herself, but Reid didn't appear to notice. She had her doubts about inviting Reid to her home. "I mean if you don't mind just hanging around here on a Friday night."

"I don't mind at all," he assured her. "What would you like for dinner?"

"Whatever you bring will be fine," she said. Fallon didn't know what she would be eating tomorrow for dinner. Friday was too far away to contemplate. Reid asked her for her address and she gave it to him. So, it was settled. Reid was coming to her house on Friday.

Chapter 26

Reid smiled to himself as he hung up the phone. Yes. His little Fallon was already drawing the boundary lines. Hmm. When had she actually become his Fallon? He wasn't sure, but she was. She may not know it yet, but she was his.

Reid arrived home on Tuesday. He spent the day visiting with his parents. He wanted to make sure he got all of his visiting with his family out of the way. If he didn't, they were bound to hear of his return and then come visiting him. He couldn't have that if he was going to make any headway with Fallon. He had a feeling Fallon wouldn't be ready to meet his family just yet. And, his mother would be marching over to his house if she found out he was in town and hadn't come to see her. It was better to get the family visiting out of the way first before he began working on Fallon.

Wednesday night he hung out with his little brother, Jared. They had beer and watched a game at a local sports bar they'd been coming to for years. Jared had mentioned the internet picture. He wondered how long it would be before his mother heard about it. Thank goodness, she wasn't always on the net. But, he was pretty sure someone would mention it to her.

"The picture wasn't a clear shot of her, but what I did see looked pretty hot. Who is she?" Jared had asked.

"She's Alexa's best friend. Alexa had to work and asked me to entertain her. She didn't even know who I was when I met her," Reid said casually.

"Wow! That must have been a change for you," Jared said, laughing. "So, did she still throw herself at you once she realized who you were?"

"No, she definitely didn't throw herself at me," Reid chuckled. "Finding out who I was didn't impress her at all. I'm sure she's not going to be happy to find out about that picture either."

"A woman that doesn't fall all over herself to take a picture with Reid Snow? I think I'd like to meet her," Jared said and then took a swig of his beer.

Reid had been worried that she might have seen that picture when he'd called. But, she hadn't mentioned it, and hadn't refused to see him. Hopefully nothing had changed since he'd spoken to her.

They were interrupted yet again by some very beautiful women that approached him to flirt and ask for his autograph. He politely signed their shirts, per their request. But, he ignored their subtle and not so subtle invitations for more. Of course, Jared noticed and had to make a comment when they were alone again.

"So, does this mystery woman have anything to do with you turning down all of these not so subtle invitations?" Jared asked, watching him. He should have known Jared would notice. It wasn't like him not to even flirt back. But, he found he wasn't interested in flirting with these women, or doing anything else with them.

"It might," Reid admitted, but didn't meet his brother's eyes.

"Now I really want to meet her," Jared laughed.

Reid tried to frown at Jared but found he couldn't. He would usually have talked to Nick about his conflicting feelings over Fallon. Since that wasn't a real possibility without creating tension, he found himself feeling the need to talk to his brother.

"She's Alexa's best friend," Reid began slowly. "And, normally I wouldn't think of getting involved with her."

"But?" Jared prompted when Reid didn't continue.

"But, I can't seem to help myself," Reid shrugged.

"Well, what exactly are your intentions?" Jared asked.

"What difference does it make?" Reid asked, giving Jared a puzzled look.

"Uh, it means everything," Jared retorted as if Reid were dim witted. "If you are just looking for a casual hookup, then you had better leave it alone. That would surely cause some major waves with all of the Connors if she is Alexa's best friend. But, if it's not just physical, they will back off the moment they realize it's not."

"The problem is, I don't really know what my intentions are," Reid said, feeling stupid at hearing his own words. "I mean, I want her physically. And, she's definitely not just a random hookup. But, I'm not feeling like things have to be serious either."

"Then I guess you better tread lightly," Jared said, looking amused.

Chapter 27

When Friday came and Reid called to ask Fallon what time she would be home, she started to feel nervous. The week had been so busy she hadn't had much time to think of Reid, except at night when she was in bed. And, she hadn't heard from him again after their brief conversation on Monday. So, she'd begun to wonder if he was still planning on coming Friday. After she hung up the phone that morning with a confirmation that he'd be at her home around six thirty, there was no doubt.

Fallon left work thirty minutes early so that she'd have time to take a quick shower and change before Reid arrived. Just as she was walking from her room, freshly showered and clothed in jeans and an oversized t-shirt, her doorbell rang. She opened it to a grinning Reid holding bags in each hand.

"Hey," he said, looking her over slowly.

"Hey," she said, stepping aside to let him in and trying to keep her pulse from hammering. "Here let me help you."

She reached for one of the bags, but he pulled away.

"No, I've got it. Just direct me to the kitchen."

Fallon led him into the kitchen and he placed his burden on the counter top. Then he immediately turned to her and pulled her into his arms for a soft, gentle kiss. Caught off guard, she didn't react at all at first. However, the feel of his soft lips brushing gently across hers had her sighing and melting in mere moments. He took advantage of her sigh and slid his tongue in her mouth, deepening the kiss. Time stood still as he expertly explored her mouth and held her helplessly lost in his soft, wet kiss. When he finally did pull back a little, Fallon slowly realized he had her pinned against the counter and her arms were around his neck, one hand clutching the back of his neck.

"I missed you," he murmured against her lips.

"I missed you too," she said, pulling her arms gently from around his neck and placing them on his chest. She knew they were heading in a direction she hadn't even decided to go, and she needed to redirect things quickly. Reid must have felt the change in her. He had one hand at the nape of her neck, and one around her waist, holding her intimately to him. He dropped his hands reluctantly and took a step back.

"You've got a nice place here," he said, looking around her kitchen, throwing her off balance. It wasn't large, but it wasn't small either. She had a kitchen island with bar stools, and over by the double doors that led to the backyard there was a table that seated eight. The chairs were light with comfortable looking seats.

"I like it," she shrugged.

"I hope you're hungry. And, I hope you like Chinese food," he said with a knowing smile. She was fighting. But, he was going to keep her off balance. "We'd better eat before it gets cold."

He began opening cabinets looking for plates as he spoke his next words. "Since you weren't up to going out to dinner and a movie, I took the liberty of bringing a movie to you along with dinner. I hope you like Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg."

"Oh, man! Two guns?" she asked, excitement clear in her voice.

"Don't tell me you've already seen it." Reid narrowed his eyes at her.

"No. But, I wanted to see it when it was at the theaters. I just never got a chance."

"Well good. I guess I made a good choice," he said, searching around for silverware. He'd already located two plates. Fallon reached over and pulled out the right drawer for him.

"Thanks," he smiled. Then he reached into a bag and pulled out a DVD and handed it to her. "Why don't you cue this up while I make our plates."

"Okay," she answered enthusiastically, grabbing the DVD and grinning stupidly down at the cover. Reid would bet she was a Denzel Washington fan. Great. So, instead of being aware of him, she'd be drooling over Denzel. Well, maybe Denzel would get her warmed up for him.

"Does your enthusiasm have anything to do with Denzel Washington?" he asked.

Fallon looked up, and he could see the answer in her face. He tried to give her a speculative look, but the look on her face was humorous.

"Truth?" she asked with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Of course. I can take it."

"Heck yeah! Just to see Denzel walk around and speak gibberish would be worth the price of admission," she said a little too enthusiastically for Reid's taste. Luckily, she was here with him and not Denzel. If he ever ran into the man, he'd keep Fallon far away. Reid snorted with laughter at his musings, causing Fallon to look over at him.

"I guess that means you're a fan?" he asked sardonically. Fallon just looked away from him with a wide grin on her face.

"I guess that grin answers my question," he shook his head in mock disgust.

"I'll just go set this up, shall I?" she said innocently and turned on her heels.

With the movie started and their plates full, they sat there for the next hour and a half or so engrossed in the film. Fallon made sure to keep her internal dialogue about the complete hotness factor of Denzel to herself. She thought to text Alexa a few times but refrained. If she told Alexa she was watching the movie, she might start asking questions or even call. Because they lived so far away from each other, they would often text, or even talk, to each other while watching the same show. And, she definitely couldn't openly drool over Denzel with Reid there. Nor, did she want Alexa to know Reid was in her house eating dinner and watching a movie with her. Nope. Texting was not a good idea.

"That was really good," Fallon said, stretching when the movie credits began.

"It really was," Reid agreed, turning to her. Then he squinted his eyes at her and frowned.

"What?" Fallon asked, wondering if there was something on her face. Had she smeared some sauce from that yummy walnut prawns dish on her face?

"I think you missed some drool," he began as he brushed the side of his own mouth with his finger, indicating where the supposed drool was on her mouth.

"Oh, like you weren't drooling over Paula Patton's boobs," Fallon retorted with a flick of her hand in his direction. "You didn't even blink."

He chuckled. She stood and gathered their dinner plates. When she headed into the kitchen, he stood and followed. Now that the movie was over, Fallon couldn't help asking herself, now what? She wasn't sure what was on Reid's mind, or what he was expecting, and it made her feel awkward.

"Do you want any more food or something to drink?" she asked as she began to wash the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

"No, no. I'd better go," he sighed and leaned against the counter watching her. "It's getting late."

"Oh, okay," she said, trying not to sound relieved. "If you'll give me a minute, I'll walk you to the door. I can pack up these leftovers for you."

"No, don't pack it up for me," he shook his head. "You keep them."

"But, you bought it. Are you sure?"

"I bought it for you," he said and reached over to brush her hair out of her face. That simple contact had her going all weak in the knees. She gave herself a mental slap. "Are you busy tomorrow?"

The question and his touch caught her off guard.

"Um, no. I..uh, don't think so," she stammered like a moron.

"Would you be available to maybe come up to my place and go to dinner and a basketball game? You do like basketball, right?"

"I love basketball," Fallon answered reluctantly. The idea sounded fun. But dinner and basketball would mean that they would be very exposed. She had to remind herself that she really wasn't keen on the idea of seeing herself in another tabloid.

"Good," he smiled with relief. "I have floor seats."

Floor seats. Great. How was she going to get out of this? Fallon chewed on her lip and focused on putting away the food as she tried to think of a way to say no.

"Fallon?" Reid murmured. She looked up to see the questioning look in his eyes. "Is it the basketball game or something else you don't want to do?"

"The game sounds really fun," she hedged. "I'm just not sure I want to do that tomorrow."

"That's no problem," he shrugged. "We can do whatever you want, that is, if you want to spend the day with me tomorrow. Are you okay with coming to my place and spending the day? We don't have to decide now what to do."

She nodded her head as she wiped down the counters. "I can do that."

"Okay, then. How does noon sound? My house is about forty-five minutes from here."

"Noon, sounds fine," she agreed, hanging the towel and turning to him.

"Noon it is," he nodded and pushed himself away from the counter. "I'd better get going."

Fallon followed him to the door, but he didn't open it. Just as when he'd arrived, he pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. Only this time it wasn't so sweet and gentle. This one was more urgent, and needy, and wet. And, just like before, she melted into him. Her arms were around his neck and she answered his body's call by pressing her body into his.

Maybe having a little fling with Reid wasn't such a bad idea. She'd have to make sure he wasn't sleeping with anyone else currently, but as long as they kept it their little secret, maybe she could go with it. It's not like it would be long term or anything. She wasn't looking for a relationship and neither was he.

He pulled back, breaking the kiss, and they stood there with their arms locked around each other, forehead to forehead, panting and staring at each other. Reid's eyes were blazing with desire and she was more than ready. Thankfully, the voice of reason that had been thrown to the bottom of her mental well was yelling loud enough to be heard. Better to sleep on it and figure out how she wanted this to go first. She slowly began to ease back. He released her and dropped his hands to his sides.

"See you tomorrow?" he asked, grinning a wicked smile that sent shivers all through her body.

"Tomorrow at noon," Fallon croaked. Her voice sounded cracked and dry.

He dipped his head and pressed a quick kiss to her lips and then pulled the door open. Fallon stood in the doorway and watched him fold his tall frame into his car and then pull away.

Chapter 28

Saturday dawned bright and cheerful. Fallon received a text from Reid sometime in the night with his address and directions. She also received a message from Alexa around ten this morning asking what plans she had for the weekend. Certain that Reid wouldn't have told Alexa she was coming over, Fallon texted her back that she had errands to run and was going out with Shelton tonight. She promised to give her a call tomorrow, hoping that would keep Alexa from calling Fallon today.

When she arrived at Reid's huge home, he was at the door waiting for her. He lived on a huge gated estate. Reid buzzed her through the gate and she drove up the drive to the main house. Reid gestured for her to pull up right in front of the house as he jogged down the few stairs to greet her. She had barely put the car in park before he was opening her door. And just like last night, the moment Fallon was out of the car, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Only, this time he didn't wait until they were inside and behind closed doors. He didn't deepen the kiss though, but kept it light and fairly brief.

"Glad you made it," he said taking her hand and leading her up the few steps he'd just hopped down.

"Can I get you something to drink or eat?" he asked, beaming down at her as he led her through the front entryway. Fallon hadn't expected his level of excitement. He was like a kid who'd just gotten his birthday wish granted. She couldn't help but feel thrilled at his seeming enthusiasm to see her. His entry way was huge as was the living room they passed as Reid led her to the kitchen. She barely got a glimpse of the white walls with dark contrasting furniture as they breezed by.

"Um, I am actually thirsty," she smiled back at him.

"What would you like to drink? I have juice, beer, wine, soda and water," he rattled off as he peered into his refrigerator.

"Water please?"

"Do you want bottled or filtered tap with ice water?"

"Filtered tap with just a little ice, please," Fallon answered, feeling self-conscious as she took a seat on a bar stool at the kitchen island. His kitchen was huge! It was the size of half of her house. He opened a cabinet, pulled out a glass, and filled it with ice and water from the refrigerator.

"So, what do you want to do today?" he asked as he placed the glass in front of her.

"What do you want to do?" Fallon asked, trying to get a feel for what he was thinking or expecting to happen for today. It wasn't that she thought he had an agenda, well not a definite one. She just felt like she didn't know what all was prompting his level of enthusiasm. She also had no idea what they were going to do since she didn't want to be out in public with him.

"Well, there's a wine festival in town and an art showing," he began but stopped as Fallon shook her head.

"I'm not sure I want to really go anywhere right now," she frowned. "I just got here."

He tilted his head and studied her through narrowed, thoughtful eyes. Fallon sipped her water and tried not to squirm under his scrutiny. Being in his house alone with him was a bit too intimate. Going out with him in public was too great a risk for becoming tabloid fodder. That didn't leave a whole lot of options.

"Does your not wanting to go to a basketball game, dinner, wine festival, or basically anywhere public, have anything to do with that online picture of us that labelled you my mystery woman?" His head was still slightly tilted to the side as he asked the question.

"Yes," Fallon answered truthfully, grateful that she hadn't had to bring it up.

"I was afraid of that." He lowered his head for a moment in thought and then returned his eyes to her face. "That bothered you?"

"Yes," she repeated with emphasis.

"Can I ask, why exactly?"

"I don't want my face plastered all over the internet or grocery store checkout lines. I like my anonymity, my privacy."

"So, it's not that you just don't want to be seen with me? You just don't want your privacy invaded?" He was looking at her with such a focused intensity, Fallon felt like he was trying to lift the answer directly out of her brain.

"I don't have a public life like you do," she began, trying to explain. "Just from that one photo, I've already been questioned three times. So far, it's only been my staff at work and Alexa. I don't want to start being bombarded wherever I go and speculated about."

"I can understand that," he nodded thoughtfully. "So, for now we'll stay out of the public eye together. And, if you change your mind later, we can always just make the statement that we are just good friends."

"Oh, yeah. That certainly won't fuel any gossipy fires," Fallon said sarcastically.

He shook his head and looked at her with amused confusion. "You are very different, Fallon. Most women make it a mission to be seen with me in public. You make it your mission not to be seen in public with me. My ego isn't sure how to take that."

"I have nothing against you or your ego," she said, patting his hand. What she didn't say was that her ego wouldn't know how to take being drug through the tabloids as another one of Reid's girl toys whether anything happened between them or not. Whatever happened or didn't happen between them needed to stay between them.

"Well, let's see. I'll just have to think of ways to keep you entertained." He stood up straight now and looked around the kitchen. "We can cook, watch movies, work out, play video games or just talk. I would say we could even hang out in the hot tub, but I'm doubting you brought a swimsuit. And, while it's not a requirement for me that you have one, I'm assuming it is for you."

"I'm liking the idea of a movie and talking," Fallon said, ignoring his comment.

"I don't have a lot of movies, but I might have something you'd like to see."

"Do you have any of your movies?" Fallon asked hopefully. His eyebrows flew up in surprise.

"You want to watch one of my movies?"

"Yes. I actually have never seen any of your movies."

"Well, I've only had bit parts before the last one. No one was stopping me on the streets or recognizing me before. That's why I totally get how you feel about not wanting to be in the public eye. It can be more than a notion."

"Does it bother you? People taking your picture and posting it on the net or in tabloids?" Fallon asked. She was glad he understood.

"Not really, so far. I find it more surprising and shocking more than anything." He came around the breakfast bar and took the seat next to her. "I mean, why would anyone care where or what I was eating and who I was with?"

"Exactly," Fallon agreed. "I just don't get it. I've never been a celebrity follower, but apparently a lot of people are. The last time I was in Paris, there was this t-shirt vendor near the Eifel Tower trying to sell me a shirt by telling me it was the one Beyoncé had bought just a month ago. I honestly didn't know why he kept saying that and shaking it in my face. I was with my cousin and we were speaking English, so I thought maybe he thought I didn't understand him. Finally, I told him in French that the shirt was not one I liked. You know what he said?"

"What?" Reid asked chuckling.

"He said, 'But Beyoncé bought this exact shirt,' as if that was supposed to mean something to me."

Reid let out a hoot of laughter now and she began to laugh too.

"Then, he grabbed another shirt and told me that Brittany Spears had bought that one," she said, enjoying the deep, rich sound of Reid's laughter.

"I would like to say you're joking, but I've seen it enough in L.A. to know it happens," Reid said once his laughter subsided.

"It's the truth," Fallon said, holding up a hand. "I just thought that was the oddest thing. And, in France of all places. Then I couldn't help but wonder, did he just assume all Americans would be interested in what American celebrities buy? I can't imagine that sales tactic working out too well. But hey, what do I know?"

"So, you speak French, huh?" he asked, looking at her again with that speculative look of his.

"Yes, but I've gotten a bit rusty," she admitted.

"How did you learn to speak French?" he asked. He looked so interested. "Well, my mother's side of the family is French. However, I had limited contact with them growing up. Still, I took Spanish and French all through high school and college, and did an exchange program in high school."

"So, you were an exchange student? Where did you go?" He asked, seemingly totally engrossed.

"France mostly. The family I stayed with lived in France. However, during the exchange program we were taken on excursions to Italy, Switzerland, and all over France."

"So, you actually lived with a French family? How was that?"

"It was great." Fallon grinned. They'd been awesome actually. "I was a little afraid at first that my French might not be good enough. But, I was able to communicate with no problem. The daughter was learning English, and at first, we'd both ask each other how to say words we didn't know in each other's respective language. But after a few days, we had even picked up slang from each other. I was answering her with, ouais instead of oui, and she was answering me with yeah instead of yes. We would have whole conversations where she would speak to me in English and I would speak to her in French. However, since she was the only one I heard speaking English, and only sometimes, on my way home when I got off the plane in O'Hare and heard all of the English again for the first time, it took me a minute to understand it. It sounded so harsh."

"That is so cool," he said, laughing with delight. "Well, I guess trying to impress you with a trip to Paris wouldn't be so impressive."

"I love Paris," she laughed. "I think I loved La Côte d'Azur even better. But, no. That probably wouldn't impress me."

"Oooh, fancy. La Côte d'Azur, huh?"

"Sorry," Fallon grimaced in embarrassment. "Honestly, I have a hard time remembering the English names for things and places in France. I've never really spoken about them in English. I'm not always sure I know the English names for them."

"Really?"

"Well, yes. I mean when you are in France speaking French, you learn things the way they say it. But..., let's see. La Cote d'Azur in English is the French Riviera." she frowned. "Yuck. That doesn't even sound right."

"So, you are fluent?"

"Um, I don't consider myself so. I mean, if I'm out on the street I can talk to anyone. But, I notice when I start talking to someone about computers, medical terms, legal terms, or things like that, I am lost. I don't know all the jargon."

"Well, a lot of people would have that problem, right?" Reid asked.

"Well, not necessarily. I mean, we could have a basic computer conversation if we didn't talk about taking it apart. But, I find that when I'm speaking to someone in French or Spanish about a computer, there seems to be a much bigger gap in communication."

They went on talking about their travels and the places they really enjoyed visiting for most of the afternoon. Reid enjoyed traveling also, so that was one thing they had in common. He'd been to Greece, which was somewhere Fallon really wanted to go. They'd both been to Italy, but instead of Switzerland, he'd been to Germany. The only other places they had both visited outside of the United States were Mexico and Canada. Reid had only gone to British Columbia and Fallon had gone there and Québec. They discussed the things they liked or didn't like in the places they'd both been, and took turns telling each other about the places the other hadn't been. By 3:00 their stomachs were growling and Reid was pulling out lunch.

"I have a chef who cooks for me and leaves me readymade meals in my fridge when I'm home," he admitted sheepishly. "I don't always have time to cook, and I have to stay in shape for my movie rolls."

"Hey, I understand. We should all be so lucky," Fallon said, watching him take food containers out of the refrigerator and pulling out plates. "I'd rather have a cook than a maid."

"Really?"

"Yep. I can clean when I want to, but eating isn't something easily put off when you're hungry."

"You've got a point."

They took their plates in his living room, and he put in the DVD. The food was delicious. It was a three-salad delight. Asian chicken salad, fruit salad, and pasta salad.

"I'm not sure I want you to see this movie."

Fallon looked up from her food and was surprised to see that he wasn't joking. In fact, he looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Why not?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I haven't seen it myself," he confessed, looking even more awkward.

"You haven't watched your own movie?" she asked, taken aback. She was missing the introduction, but she was too curious about his obvious discomfort to care. "Why not?"

"I just find it awkward to watch myself on screen. And, then there are a few love scenes I really don't want to see."

"We don't have to watch it if you don't want to," Fallon vowed. If he would really be that uncomfortable, then she didn't have to see it. She leaned back on the sofa and tried not to be totally charmed by this totally charming and self-conscious side of him. He was practically blushing.

"No. We can watch it. I guess I can grin and bear it." The look on his face was pained.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Pay attention it's coming on now." He waved his hand in the direction of the television.

The first scene was a sweeping view of a farm house. There was the sound of someone chopping wood and then the camera slowly settled on a man, bare from the waist up, chopping wood.

"Hello," Fallon said abruptly as the camera did a three sixty, showing the man's muscles rippling from his back to his chest as he raised the ax and brought it down on a piece of wood. Reid's face came into view just as he brought the ax handle down. Reid groaned and tried to snatch the remote off the table. It was closer to Fallon, and she snatched it out of his reach and held it away from him.

"Oh, my," she teased in a breathy whisper and exaggerated southern accent to cover her own peaked interest at seeing him bare from the chest up. "I do believe I may have the vapors."

The scene then changed to show Reid now in the house dropping his pants. It only showed him unfastening his belt and then the pants hitting the floor at his ankles. Then his feet were shown stepping out of the pants and then padding to the bathroom and into the shower.

"What is this? A porno?" Fallon asked, holding her hand up and away from him as he lunged for the remote again. The nozzle of the shower came on and then there was Reid, washing that awesome chest. She just about swallowed her tongue.

"No. It's nothing like that. I knew these scenes would be in the beginning, but I didn't think it would be the opening scene," he complained.

"How could you not know?" Fallon asked, sounding a tiny bit breathless with her eyes glued to Reid's naked, soapy chest on the screen.

"Scenes are filmed out of order. We did most of the house scenes that day."

In the next scene Reid exits the bathroom in only a towel around his waist and discovers a naked woman on his bed. Fallon couldn't help it. She burst out laughing.

Chapter 29

"That's it!" Reid yelled and sprang at Fallon reaching for the remote. She tried to jump to the end of the couch and off, but he caught her by the waist and yanked her back. She was holding the remote above her head and struggling to get away from him through peals of laughter. The sensation of her wriggling body beneath him was rapidly turning him on, which caused him to lose his hold on her and knock them both off balance. They tumbled off the couch and onto the floor where she was pinned between him and the couch. Quickly, Reid shifted and she was beneath him. He was holding her down with his body and wrestling the remote from her hands.

Fallon was laughing so hard, she could barely breathe. Her words came out between giggles. "I thought you said this wasn't a porno."

"It's not! She plays my wife in this movie," Reid said, trying to sound grumpy but the smile that he felt threatening to break out across his face ruined the effect. "There's tons of action and other stuff."

He was really trying hard to glare down at her, and she appeared to be trying hard not to let a hoot of laughter escape her. She lost the battle a moment later and a snort of laughter escaped. Then the whole dam broke. Reid started laughing then and they were both laughing like crazy, which was causing some very erotic sensations with him still prone atop her. He heard Fallon gasp as she tried to catch her breath. He was sure she was also feeling his erection pressing into her stomach. When he started to move off of her, her breath hitched and her body involuntarily arched ever so slightly into him. Her eyes flew open and the flash of desire he saw in them was just about his undoing.

Heat ripped through him as Reid settled himself more comfortably atop her. Fallon's legs fell open just enough to accommodate him snuggly between them. Her eyes flew to his as he inhaled sharply. Their eyes locked and, for one stunned moment, they stared into each other's eyes. He held her gaze as he gently rocked into her. Her body automatically arched into him as he watched the evidence of her pleasure at his movement flitter across her face. Then his mouth was covering hers in a demanding kiss.

Reid resisted the demand of his body to strip her fast and ride her slow and hard. He knew if the kiss was hard, she might have been able to pull away. But no. Fallon was responding to his gentle but insistent touch. Reid's kiss was full of the need, and longing, and the desperate desire he was feeling for her right now.

He reached up to gently cup her breast and she let out a little sound of pleasure. That was all Reid needed. She was definitely not saying no, and she was sober. His hands began to roam her body as he nipped and pressed soft kisses across her skin. She was so responsive that she made it hard for him to go slow. But he wanted, no needed, to savor her. He made his way down her body, exploring her with his hands and his mouth. She was like fire in his arms all soft and warm, and gasping and sighing. She reached for his shirt and pulled. He let her pull it over his head and raised each arm to let her pull it off. The feel of her hands roaming all over him had him clinching his teeth and reaching for control. When she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer to her, he forgot about control. He somehow got their clothes off in record time.

He took a deep breath as he resettled himself between her legs. He felt her slick wetness as he settled his erection against her and wanted to slam into her. But once he began to push gently into her, he was glad he had regained his control and took his time. She was tight, despite her wetness. She arched which had him sliding in deeper and he began to sweat. He couldn't feel anything but her, and the sensation was so intense he felt tingly all over. When he was finally buried deep inside her, the pleasure was so intense he couldn't move for fear that he might lose it right then.

Fallon grew restless beneath him and began to squirm sending shock waves of feeling through him. He tried for a slow pace, but Fallon wasn't having it. She drove him to increase the pace and she met him thrust for thrust until they were both gasping for breath and falling over the edge of ecstasy.

When Reid had finally caught his breath, he winced at the idea that he'd just taken her on his living room floor. He'd barely remembered to pull a condom from his wallet and put it on.

"I'm sorry. I'd planned for our first time to be in a bed." Reid gave Fallon a sheepish grin before recapturing her mouth. After long moments of drowning her in his kiss, he reluctantly pulled his mouth from hers and hissed as he slid from her body. He rolled onto his back still breathing hard and pulled her into his side.

Fallon lay there, listening to their mingled harsh breathing returning to normal and reeling at what they'd just done.

I'll be right back," he whispered and leaned over to kiss her nose. He rose and strode stark naked from the room. Fallon lay there listening to his footsteps receding and feeling a plethora of emotions settling over her. She had just had sex with Reid Snow...on his floor. What was supposed to happen now?

The most acute feeling she felt at the moment was awkwardness. She was lying on his living room floor completely naked. This was one nagging feeling she could quickly fix. She hopped up and began gathering her scattered clothing and putting them on so he wouldn't come back and find her wantonly displayed across his very plush carpet. When he walked back in the room as naked as he was when he walked out, Fallon was trying to finger comb her hair and pull it back into a ponytail.

"What did you go and put all your clothes back on for?" he complained, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her to him. He began lazily depositing kisses along her neck as he spoke in that wickedly seductive voice of his. "I'll just have to take them off again."

"I'd better go. It's getting late," Fallon said, ignoring the trail of heat he was creating down her neck and blooming between her thighs. Upon hearing her words, his head jerked up

and his eyes searched her face.

"You're leaving?"

"It's already after five," she said weakly. "I don't want to drive back too late."

"You could always stay the night," came his low reply. His searching eyes never left her face.

"But..., you want me to..., I mean, I have no clothes," she stuttered. She hadn't expected that. Should she spend the night?

"What's wrong, Fallon? Did I do something?" Reid was looking concerned now.

"No. I just...I mean, I just figured I'd better go so I wouldn't be driving home too late."

"So, you aren't having misgivings about us having sex?" he asked pointedly.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I'm not sure how I feel."

"Are you having regrets?" His voice was almost stiff, and his body had gone slightly rigid.

"No. I don't regret us having sex," Fallon said finally meeting his eyes. And, she didn't. It had been wonderful, mind blowing even. She just wasn't sure what she was feeling now. "Honestly, I don't know how to feel about it."

"Well, I'm rather happy about it myself. And, I hope to do it again really soon. Like, within the next hour soon." He was grinning now and she could feel the muscles in his body relax.

"And, that's why you want me to stay?" she teased, oddly feeling calmer. She took a mental deep breath and began to rationalize. She was a grown woman. Reid wasn't a stranger. She wasn't looking for a relationship and neither was he. What would be so wrong about her letting go and having a fun, and yes, sex filled weekend with Reid. She wasn't naive enough to think that she wouldn't pay for her indulgence. But, she wasn't the type of woman that couldn't let go. She wouldn't be following him around pining after him. She would miss him terribly when he moved on after this weekend. But, she would move on eventually also. And if what they had just shared was any indication of how good the weekend would be, then it would be worth it. She would have good company and a hot time with Reid making her feel like the most beautiful and important woman in the world. She was in. She would handle the consequences later.

"It's not the only reason but definitely one of the reasons," Reid was saying as he nuzzled her neck. His breath against her neck tickled and set off little shivers all over her body. When his mouth made its way back to hers, Reid lifted her, and Fallon wrapped her arms and legs around him as he carried her to his bedroom.

"So, does this mean you'll stay the night?" he asked, lowering her to the bed and making himself comfortable on top of her again.

Fallon nodded a little nervously. "I'll stay."

Later on that night, Fallon woke to abdominal pain. She had bloating and just felt like her whole stomach and abdomen was queasy. She was sleeping with her head on Reid's chest and his arm wrapped around her. She tried to move slowly, but Reid woke as soon as she began to sit up.

"What's wrong?" he asked sleepily.

"Nothing. Just going to the bathroom," she whispered back and scooted to the edge of the bed. When she stood, she felt a little nauseous. That wasn't normal. She hadn't eaten anything unusual. And, though she'd like to think maybe something she'd eaten with Reid had made her feel sick, she'd been having enough gastrointestinal issues to know it wasn't likely. Besides, Reid seemed just fine. She paused for a moment and let the nausea pass and then slowly headed for the bathroom.

When she came out Reid was up pacing the floor. He'd turned the bedside lamp on.

"Are you okay?" he asked as soon as she stepped out of his lavish bathroom.

"I'm fine. My stomach is just upset," Fallon said weakly.

"You don't look fine," he frowned. "Did you eat something that made you sick? Are you allergic to anything?"

"No, I'm not allergic to anything. I don't have any food allergies. I just need an antacid or something. My stomach is really not happy." Fallon was trying very hard to sound nonchalant, but she really felt awful.

"Fallon, you don't look good. And, you were in there for a long time. Are you sure you don't need to go to emergency?" he asked, looking a bit panicked. Did she look that bad?

"No. This has happened before. I'm not sure what triggers it, but trust me, it's nothing a few antacids won't fix. I have some in my purse," she explained as she stepped past him towards her purse. She dug around and pulled out the little blister pack with the little green pills in it and popped one in her mouth. She stepped back into the bathroom, cupped her hands under the faucet, and drank a little water from her hand to help her swallow it. Then, she made her way back over to the bed trying not to show just how much discomfort she was in. Reid climbed in beside her and hovered over her as he rubbed gently up and down her belly.

"Are you sure you are okay?" he asked, worry etched on his handsome face.

"Fine. In twenty minutes, I'll be fine," Fallon assured him.

"Fallon, if this has happened before, have you seen the doctor?" Reid asked.

"Actually, I have. She seems to think I might have developed an ulcer or something over the last two years due to all of the stress with my dad."

"Did they test you to see if it was an ulcer," Reid asked.

"Well, no," she hedged.

"I can have my doctor check you out tomorrow. You need to be tested," Reid said seriously. Fallon figured she must look something awful for him to react this way over an upset stomach. She was afraid to ask.

"That's not necessary. I planned to make an appointment once I got home, but I got busy with work and forgot. I will make an appointment on Monday."

"Make sure you do, Fallon," Reid insisted. "You really don't look like you feel well."

Thankfully about twenty minutes later Fallon was feeling better. She took a second pill just to make all of the discomfort go away. Reid had lay there, cradling her and rubbing lightly on her belly until she'd finally gone to sleep. When she'd awakened, Reid had already been awake.

"How are you feeling?" he asked watching her closely. She'd given him quite a scare last night when she'd scooted to the edge of his bed. Something about it was strange, clumsy maybe. And, when she'd stood up, she'd swayed as if she were going to lose her balance. Then she'd stayed in his bathroom so long he'd barely restrained himself from knocking on the door and coming in after her. Relief flooded him when she smiled up at him.

"I'm fine. Good morning. How are you?" she replied as she stretched. Reid noticed her color was better. She'd been looking a little pale and green the night before.

"Tummy feeling all better?" he asked.

"Yep. Good as new."

"Good," he said, leaning down to brush his lips over hers. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"Mmm. I get breakfast too? This is a full-service weekend," she grinned up at him. She really was irresistible all sleep mussed and warm.

"Sweetheart, you've been getting fully serviced since you got here," he said, rolling so that she was pinned beneath him. Reid proceeded to make love to her before finally getting out of bed to make them breakfast. If he hadn't pulled himself away from her, they would end up in the bed all day and probably collapse from hunger or thirst.

He wasn't sure how Fallon was feeling about all of this, but he was pretty certain he wanted to keep whatever was going on between them going. He had a feeling that she might be a bit reluctant, but that was fine. What was life without a challenge? She might be fighting now, but he knew she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. So, she was fighting herself and her own attraction to him. He'd just have to make sure she lost the battle.

He made her steak and eggs for breakfast. He knew she liked fruit in the morning too, so he put a little dish of fresh berries on the tray before he brought it to her. When he walked in the room, she was just brushing her hair back and fastening it with one of those darn ponytail things. He loved to see her wild, curly hair down. But, she seemed to like it off her neck and out of her face. She was dressed and turned in surprise when he entered the room.

"Wow, that looks great!" she said, looking pleased. "You actually cooked that?"

"Didn't I tell you I can cook?" he asked placing the tray down on the bed. "But, you were supposed to be in the bed. You know, I was going to impress you with breakfast in bed?"

"Oh. Sorry," she shrugged. "I didn't realize you were going to cook. And, I really need to get on the road."

"Trying to get away from me already?" he teased, but he was wondering at her sudden need to leave. Was she feeling uncomfortable again? She flashed him a smile and he felt his tension ease.

"No. It's just that it's Sunday, and I have laundry and chores to do if I am going to be able to make it to work on Monday in clean clothes," she said as she sat on the bed and forked up a berry. She popped it in her mouth. Then she cut a piece of steak and some egg and slid that into her mouth. Reid decided he liked watching her eat. "This is delicious."

She looked up at him and he could see the surprised pleasure in her eyes. "Thanks. We aim to please."

Reid sat down on the bed and dug into his own plate. It wasn't exactly breakfast in bed, but breakfast on the bed was close enough.

Chapter 30

Fallon arrived home Sunday afternoon around one. Reid had tried to get her to stay the day, but she had laundry to do if she was going to have any clothes to wear for work on Monday. And, truthfully, she felt the need to get back to reality so that she could put her weekend with Reid in perspective. She wasn't delusional. She and Reid weren't dating. Fallon hadn't forgotten about the different women he'd been seeing when she'd met him. And, as mind blowing and wonderfully distracting as the sex had been, she knew she couldn't continue to be one of the women Reid just happened to be currently sexing. At best, they would have a short fling if he wasn't currently seeing anyone else. It was better their fling was already over. Fallon was folding the laundry she'd just pulled from the dryer when she heard Shelton's ring tone.

"Hey, Shelton."

"You and Reid Snow, huh?"

Fallon froze. How could he possibly know she'd spent most of the weekend with Reid?

"Why exactly do I have to find out from the internet?" Shelton went on.

"What are you talking about?" Fallon asked cautiously.

"The picture of you and Reid Snow eating in some restaurant. The one with the caption that says something about Reid Snow's mystery woman. It's not a good picture, but I know you when I see you, Fallon."

Fallon inwardly sighed with relief. She'd thought that somehow news of her weekend with Reid had gotten on the internet. Fallon had forgotten temporarily about the internet picture of them.

"That's just a picture of us in a restaurant," she said dismissively. "We were having breakfast for goodness sakes."

"And, since when did you start having breakfast with Reid Snow?" Shelton demanded. He sounded a little exasperated now. "How do you even know him?"

"He's Nick's best friend," she explained.

"Alexa's brother, Nick?"

"Yes. They've been best friends for years."

"No shit? How come you never told me this before?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'd actually never met him before going down to visit Alexa this last time, nor did I even know who he was when I did meet him."

"That sounds about right." Shelton drawled. Fallon could picture Shelton frowning. "You need to get out more. So, how did you end up being in a restaurant with him?"

"What is this, an interrogation?" Fallon tried to sound irritated. That would have been her normal response. But, currently she was only really feeling relief that her secret time with Reid was still secret. "Alexa and Nick were working, so he offered to take me to breakfast. End of story."

"Alright, already. Don't get feisty," he said. "You didn't have any problem hemming me up about Rachel. Turnabout is fair play. So, nothing is going on with you two?"

"We're just friends and barely that," she lied. Well, they were just barely friends. It wasn't exactly a lie. It's not like they were dating. One day and night of hot sex did not mean they were dating. And, they likely wouldn't be seeing much more of each other after Reid returned to his womanizing, Hollywood bad-boy life.

"Hm," was his noncommittal reply. "Well, I got a call from Ben. He said, he and Kyle play ball after work sometimes. He told me to give him a call if we ever want to set something up during the week. I told him I have to go out of town this week, but next week will probably work. Since work is closer to you than home for me, I can come straight from work and either go home or stay with you after. What do you think?"

"Sounds good. Where are you off to?" Fallon asked.

"There's some property up north I'm interested in taking a look at. I'm thinking of opening another office there."

"Oh, okay. Well, let me know how it goes."

"Will do."

Since Fallon never got a chance to watch Reid's movie, he let her borrow it. After hanging up with Shelton and finishing the laundry, she watched it. It wasn't a porno. It was only rated R due to the nudity in the beginning and probably some violence. Reid looked exceptionally hot in the movie, but not as hot as the real thing. No wonder women were throwing themselves at him. The movie, however, was about a man trying to protect his land.

After the movie and Shelton's phone call, curiosity got the better of Fallon. She went online to take a second look at the picture of her and Reid. What she didn't anticipate was the dozens and dozens of pictures of Reid and all of his other women. Image after image, and story after story, of Reid and all of his other women scrolled along the pages. And, nestled in on the first page was her. Fallon felt a little sick.

The last twenty-four hours she'd spent with Reid came screaming back to her and suddenly it wasn't any more than a lust filled, horny, sexed weekend. That reality was very sobering. Obviously, she wasn't expecting that they would start dating and planning their children's names. That was the reason she didn't want to get caught up in a public relationship with Reid. When things were over, she didn't want tabloids offering to pay her for all the intimate details. However, seeing that very public lifestyle with all of his very public affairs made the whole weekend seem dirty. It forced Fallon to get very honest with herself. She couldn't do this. She'd had her fling and could probably get past the fact that she was nothing but a notch on Reid's bed post if she didn't think about it too much. But, there was no way she could do it again.

Chapter 31

Fallon was sitting in her office Monday morning, trying not to think about her weekend with Reid, when her phone rang. It was Reid.

"Hi, Reid," she answered in her best polite and friendly voice.

"Good morning," came his languid reply. Why the hell did he have to sound so sexy in the morning? "Are you working?"

"I am," she replied, maintaining her friendly, polite voice, now infused with professionalism. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you were free this evening. I thought maybe we could go out to eat. And before you say no, I have arranged for us to have a private entrance, exit, and seating."

Fallon hesitated, trying to figure out how to tell Reid that she wouldn't be seeing him again. She wanted to believe that they could still be friends, but her night of tossing, turning, and overthinking had made it clear that a plutonic relationship at this point wasn't possible. They had already passed the point of no return. It was bad enough knowing that she was simply his latest toy. The likelihood of him wanting to remain friends once he knew that sex was off the table was highly unlikely. And, even if he was fine with it, she wouldn't be. No. There was no way she would be able to hang around being his friend while watching him hook up with every skirt wearing woman who threw herself at him. There was nothing between them but lust right now. But, Reid was someone she could quickly care about. She needed to quit while she was ahead, and while she could blame their weekend on being caught up in the moment.

"Fallon?" Reid's voice called in her ear bringing her out of her thoughts. He wasn't sounding so sexy now. His voice had taken on a confused, inquiring tone.

"I'm here," she answered quickly. "Um, you know Reid, I don't think that's a great idea."

"Are you busy tonight?"

Fallon steeled herself. She was going to have to do this now. Get it over with. She wouldn't make excuses and she wouldn't lie.

"No. I'm not busy." She could hear her voice faltering. She cleared it and continued. "I had time to think about this weekend. I realize that we got caught up in the moment on Saturday and one thing lead to another. But, I can't do this."

"Caught up in the moment? One thing lead to another?" he was sounding confused and a little heated now. "What exactly are you trying to say, Fallon? You didn't know what you were doing? Because, I'm pretty sure you knew exactly what you were doing and loved every minute of it."

"No, Reid, I'm not saying that. I knew exactly what I was doing. And, yes, I did enjoy it." Fallon choked that last part out trying not to sound embarrassed. "I'm just saying that I realized it might not have been the wisest thing to do on my part. I'm sorry."

"Really? And why was it so unwise? What exactly about our weekend is it that you are regretting now?" he was now sounding a little angry.

"Reid, I don't live in your world," Fallon tried to explain, her voice pleading, trying to make him understand. "I don't regret anything about this weekend. I just know that I can't do it again. I can't do the whole no strings attached thing and neither of us is looking for a relationship. But, I also can't be just one of the women you happen to be sexing at the moment. I don't want my face plastered all over the media, and I don't want to wonder who you're sleeping with when you aren't with me. I just can't do this."

He was silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his words were measured and careful.

"No, I wasn't looking for a relationship, but that hasn't stopped me from wanting you and wanting to get to know you. And, as far as my sleeping with anyone else, you don't have to worry about that. I told you, if I was having sex with you, I wouldn't be having it with anyone else, and I meant it. Why can't we just have a good time and see where this goes?"

"I just can't, Reid."

"So, are you saying we can't even be friends, or we just can't have sex?"

"We definitely can't continue sleeping together."

"Why?" he asked in frustration. "What happened between you leaving my house and now that's put you off?"

"I just had time to think clearly. Are you really telling me that you plan to give up your groupie a week, two on weekends, just for me? Your life is plastered all over the internet and in tabloids. You change women like you change your sox. I just can't be one of them. Or, rather, can't continue. This weekend was great. We had fun. I was your woman of the week. I get it. But, I'd rather not do it again. I'd rather be discarded now."

"Discarded?" he said in insulted surprise.

"Look. Maybe I'm not saying this right," Fallon said, feeling her own frustration rising. "The bottom line is, I just can't do this."

"We need to talk," he said sternly into the phone. "I'm coming over tonight, and we are having dinner."

"Reid. No. Are you listening to me? I said I can't do this."

"You said we couldn't fuck, Fallon. I'm coming over to talk. Just talk," he said, sounding angry now.

"Reid, -"

"I'll be at your house to pick you up at six."

"Reid!"

"Goodbye, Fallon."

And with that he hung up.

"Son of a biscuit eater!" Fallon yelled.

"Uh, oh," came Linda's voice right before her head popped around the door frame. "That bad huh? Can I help?"

"No. No, I'm sorry." Fallon ran her fingers through her hair. "It's nothing."

"You sure?" Linda asked skeptically. "You look a little..., I don't know."

"I'm positive." Fallon looked up, still holding the sides of her head, and gave Linda what she hoped was a smile and not a snarl. "I've just got to take care of some things."

"Okay, well, call me if you need me."

"Will do," Fallon replied and sat up straight. Her phone beeped, telling her she had a text message. She glanced at it.

It was a text message from Reid asking her if she'd made a doctor's appointment. She growled before picking up the phone and making the appointment.

Fallon spent the rest of the day burying herself in work. She did not want to think about Reid. However, that didn't stop her from thinking. What was his problem? The male ego? She pondered that for a moment. That was it. He needed to feel like he dumped her. Reid was the type of guy that woman fell all over themselves to get to. So, he was used to saying when and how things would end, if they ever really ended at all. But, she had turned him down. She needed to come up with a plan to extricate herself while not bruising his male ego.

By the end of the day, Fallon had unfortunately not come up with a plan. She was not going to continue being his fuck buddy until he got tired of her just to satisfy his ego. So, she really had no other choice but to just somehow make him understand that it wasn't that she didn't want him. That was the most important thing, right? If he knew she still wanted him that should satisfy his ego. Turning him down the way she had probably made him think he didn't satisfy her, or some other inane male insecure thought. Yes. That was it. She would just have to make him understand that she was satisfied, still wanted him, blah, blah. But, for her own sanity, she couldn't continue with their little fling.

Chapter 32

Reid couldn't believe this. He was sitting in front of Fallon's house waiting for her to arrive. Why he was surprised, he didn't know. This was so typically Fallon. He wasn't going to let her get away that easy. He shook his head wondering if he needed his head examined. Why oh why had he picked a woman who seemed bent on driving him crazy. His phone rang then, and he saw his brother Jared's face appear on the screen.

"Hey Jer. What's up?" he asked.

"What's up with you? You sound a little grumpy or something," Jared said cautiously.

"No. I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"Oh, well hey, I was wondering if you wanted to get together tonight and hang out?" Jared asked.

"I can't. I've got something to do tonight," Reid replied trying to sound more relaxed.

"Are you still up here? You aren't back in L.A. working, are you?" Jared asked, sounding disappointed.

"No. I'm still up here," Reid assured him. "I just have something to do tonight. Maybe tomorrow night we can hang out."

"Does this have anything to do with your mystery woman?" Jared asked, a sly note entering his voice. "Because if it does, I doubt tomorrow night will work either."

"How about I just call you and let you know when I'm free," Reid replied.

"So, where are you now? Is she with you?" Jared asked.

"I'm alone Jared, and I have to go," Reid said impatiently.

"Okay big bro," Jared chuckled. "Let me know when you have some free time for your brother."

"I'll call you later tonight," Reid said and hung up before Jared could say anything else, the nosey bugger.

Chapter 33

Reid was early. When Fallon arrived home at six o'clock, he was already there waiting for her. He climbed out of his car as soon as she pulled in and opened her door for her. He didn't look mad, thank goodness. He actually looked happy to see her. When Fallon stepped out of the car, though, he immediately reached for her and tried to pull her in for a kiss. She put her hands up and he took a step back, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Sorry," he said softly and the wattage on that killer smile faded just a bit. "I forgot. Do you want to change or anything, or are you ready to go?"

"I'm ready to go," Fallon answered, thinking it was probably not a good idea to invite him in.

They didn't speak on the way to the restaurant. As usual, it was some nice, quaint place. And, just as he said, they pulled into the back and entered through the kitchen where they were led by a pretty brown skinned woman named Jade to a closed section of the restaurant. If it wasn't for the noise Fallon could hear from the other side of the wall, she would have thought the restaurant was closed. Fallon looked around and realized that they were in a banquet room. She'd reserved many herself when she was taking a client to lunch or dinner.

Once they were seated, their drink orders were taken and the hostess, or whomever she was, advised them that she would be back shortly to take their order. Apparently, Jade had been assigned to be their hostess and waitress.

"So, what's going on, Fallon?" Reid asked once Jade walked away.

It was show time. Fallon took a deep breath and jumped in. "Look, Reid. I really like you. I do."

"Yeah, I kind of got that impression."

Fallon went on, hoping he wasn't going to keep interrupting her. "And, this weekend was great. It really was."

"But?" Reid was watching her closely with an unreadable expression.

"But, I just can't do this, Reid." Her voice came out almost in a whine.

"From the things you said this afternoon, I think you have the wrong impression of how I see this. This was not just some weekend fling, Fallon."

Like hell it wasn't, Fallon thought to herself but kept quiet. Luckily Jade was back to take their order. Fallon ordered seafood pasta and Reid ordered a steak. Thankfully, when Jade walked away with their orders, Reid did not return to the subject of them. He asked her how work was going and the tension she'd been carrying began to ease. They spent the rest of dinner simply talking. They talked about her work and he told her about a new film he'd start shooting in a couple of weeks. He made no moves to flirt with her, kiss her, or touch her in any way that wasn't strictly platonic until they reached her front porch.

"Can I come in," he asked quietly as she opened her front door. She turned to him.

"Reid, it's getting late. And, I have to go to work in the morning."

"I just want to talk, Fallon. I know you don't want anything more than that. I just want to talk," he said, crowding her in the open doorway, causing her to step back. With each step she took back, he advanced until he was inside. He closed the door behind him.

"Did you make an appointment with your doctor?" he asked, throwing her off with the question.

"Yes. I have one tomorrow morning before work."

"Good. I'm not going to stop trying to explore what's between us, Fallon," he said, throwing her off again. The way he was switching topics was making it hard for her to keep up.

"Reid, don't do this," Fallon pleaded. "Everything was going so well."

"Don't do what? I'm just trying to understand what's so wrong with us exploring what's between us."

"There are literally thousands of women, I'm sure, that would take you up on one of your little flings. Why are you doing this to me?"

"I'm not doing anything to you. What I want to do, you won't let me," he said, sounding a little pouty. "And, I don't want thousands of other women. I want you. And, stop referring to us as a fling."

"No, you don't," Fallon countered, waving his words away. "You just want one of your hookups with me for a little while so you can satisfy your lust."

"Wow. Is that what you think?" he asked incredulously. "How come you can't believe I like you and just want to get to know you better."

"Reid, your whole public life is plastered all over the media for the world to see. I'm sure you wanted to get to know all of the women you've been screwing better before you moved on to get to know the next one better. I mean there is a whole slew of pictures of you with women on the internet."

"So that's what this is really about? All of the other women I've been with?" he asked defensively.

"No Reid," Fallon sighed. "It's not just that. It's about me being a private citizen and you living in the public eye. It's about me needing to survive with my anonymity, privacy and dignity intact when you move on to get to know the next women when you finally admit, I can't and don't want to fit into your very public life."

"I already told you there are no other women. Those women on the internet were before I met you," he said heatedly. He paused and seemed to take a deep breath trying to summon patience. "I already told you, if you want to keep our relationship secret and quiet, I'm fine with that. So, why can't we just agree to those things and still explore this?"

He was like a cat with a freshly caught mouse. He wasn't giving up. Fallon shook her head and walked over to the curtained window.

"I don't understand, Reid," Fallon finally said turning to face him. "What if this were the other way around?"

"What do you mean?"

"What would you be saying if the roles were reversed, and Misty or one of your other fuck buddies was telling you that they wanted to continue seeing you when you'd already told them you didn't want to see them?"

Anger flitted through his eyes. "Is that what you're saying to me, Fallon? That we were just weekend fuck buddies? You have been accusing me of having all of these hookups, but it's sounding more to me like that's how you saw this past weekend."

"Well, wasn't it?"

"I don't know, Fallon. Was it?"

Reid's voice was deceptively casual. Fallon was definitely feeling like she was walking a mighty thin line, and she just might be about to slip and fall.

"No, Reid. It wasn't. At least not for me. I just don't believe it was more than that for you. And, even if it was, we still aren't compatible. I mean, I have to be true to myself. And, I know I don't want to be a part of your public lifestyle."

"So, we'll keep a low profile. How many times do we have to have this conversation?" Reid's frustration was showing now. "You keep giving me the same excuses, but I don't think that's it. I think you really don't believe I want you for you. You may not believe it now, but this weekend was not some casual hookup for me either. I like you, Fallon. I want the chance to know you better."

"Well, we don't need to have sex for that," Fallon interjected. That should put him off. It wasn't that she thought he was lying. Maybe it was more to him than a casual hookup. But, not much more. Once sex was off the table, he'd probably lose interest really fast. So, maybe that was it. She should agree to just be friends. Without sex, he wouldn't stick around long. "I mean, I have gotten to know a lot of people quite well that I've never had sex with."

"You think I can't be friends with you without having sex with you?" Reid narrowed his eyes at her.

"I don't know, Reid. Can you?"

Reid advanced towards her until he was right in front of her. He leaned down until he was just inches from her face, but he didn't touch her. "Yes, Fallon. I can. As much as I want to touch you, kiss you, taste you, slide into you and make love to you until you're screaming my name and moaning in that way you do, I can still be your friend without it."

Fallon stood there, staring at his mouth. She started to feel light headed and realized that she was holding her breath. Reid took a step back, and she let out a pent-up breath forcing herself to breathe.

Reid walked to the door.

"Good night, Fallon. I'll see you tomorrow."

Without another word, he opened her door walked out to his car, got in, and drove away.

Chapter 34

The next day, just like the day before, Reid was at her house when Fallon got off work.

"How did the doctor's appointment go," he asked as soon as she got out of the car.

"Fine. I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist next Thursday. My doctor says I need to be tested to figure out what's going on. She also ordered blood tests, so I feel like a pin cushion. They took several vials of my blood," Fallon said, grabbing her purse and heading for the door. Reid followed.

"Good. Let me know how that goes. When will the blood tests be back?" he asked.

"They were already online this afternoon. Basically, I showed low iron, but that's about it. She's concerned about that too. She says if I have a bleeding ulcer, it could be causing me to be slightly anemic."

"Well, keep me posted. Have you had any more stomach issues like you did the other night?"

"No. Nothing that bad. But, I have had a few milder episodes. It seems to come and go." Fallon dropped her purse by the front hall table and stepped out of her shoes. Reid walked to the kitchen with the bag of take-out he'd brought. They spent the evening watching television and eating take out. Reid left around nine, advising her he'd be back tomorrow.

Reid met her at her house every night that week after work. Each day he'd bring dinner, and they'd sit and watch television or movies. He tried to get her to go to a friend's party with him, but she refused. Even though it was a private party, she knew showing up with Reid as his date for the night wouldn't prevent her from being tabloid fodder. After all, everyone had cell phones. And, in a small party setting, she wouldn't be his mystery woman anymore. She could just see the headlines with her name plastered all over them.

He'd been very interested in her GI appointment. When she told him that her doctor scheduled her for an endoscopy and colonoscopy the following week, he had insisted he would take her when she went in to have her procedure. The gastroenterologist suggested she could have an ulcer or even Crohn's disease. She'd explained to him that she'd never had a sensitive stomach and had always been able to pretty much eat anything she wanted. He said he suspected it was possibly an ulcer due to all the stress she'd been under for the last two years, but they'd know for sure once they took a look. Then, she could be treated and get on with life.

She'd told Reid that she would have someone else take her, but he insisted he would. He was so adamant about it, she decided not to argue. She needed someone to drop her off and pick her up and he was willing.

Reid had been true to his word. He'd been at her house every night. He'd even spent the weekend with her and had not tried to push for anything more than friendship. She wasn't convinced that he was content with this, or that he'd given up. But, she was finding his presence nice, which she suspected was part of his plan.

Shelton called Thursday to say that he would be home by Monday. He'd arranged for a game with Kyle and Ben and wondered if she wanted to play. Reid had already told her that he had some functions to attend in Los Angeles over the weekend and probably wouldn't be back until the middle of the week. Since she refused to go with him, he promised he'd be back to take her to her appointment on Wednesday. So, she wouldn't have to worry about him. Still, once Reid came back and Shelton was home, she'd have to come up with something to keep Shelton out of the loop. Maybe she'd have to restrict her and Reid's hanging out to the weekend.

Reid had been a perfect gentleman all week. In some ways, hanging out with Reid was a lot like hanging out with Shelton, minus the moments of lustful tension and scorching looks. Still, he'd made no move to touch her until Thursday. He was leaving on Friday morning, heading down south. Before saying goodnight on Thursday, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Fallon hadn't remembered she was supposed to protest until he pulled back and brushed a finger over her cheek. And then he was gone.

Instead of Reid, it was Shelton who was waiting for her when she arrived home from work on Monday. Only, Shelton was sitting on her sofa watching television.

"We're supposed to meet with the guys in about fifteen minutes," he said, checking his watch. "You gonna be ready in time?"

"Hello to you too. I sure hope those are not my chocolate covered almonds you are eating," Fallon admonished, continuing straight to her room to change into some leggings and a workout shirt.

"I'll buy you some more," Shelton's voice followed her down the hallway.

Fallon quickly dawned her workout clothes, and she and Shelton headed to the park. Ben and Kyle were there already shooting some baskets when they arrived.

The guys all greeted each other, and Ben shot her a smile and a greeting.

"Hi Ben," Fallon waved.

"Good to see you again," Kyle said, standing beside her before turning to their little group. "Same teams? Fallon and I against you two?"

"Sounds good," Ben agreed and sent Fallon a conspiratorial wink. Obviously, Ben knew, just like she did that Kyle was interested. Shelton was suspiciously silent. Fallon suspected that Shelton knew too. Knowing Shelton as well as she did, Fallon thought he would rather protest the team arrangement, but he didn't. Over the last few years, he'd learned to not let his big brotherly ways show.

An hour and a half later, they were all tired and sitting on the benches court side to catch their breath. There was major trash talking going on with the guys, but it was all in fun. Fallon and Kyle played very well together and had won several games.

"I know it's a work night. But, I was wondering if you guys would like to come by for a beer?" Kyle asked, making a point not to look directly at Fallon. "I don't live far from here. If you guys want to go get cleaned up and come over, Ben and I will be hanging out watching the game."

"Sounds good to me, but Fallon doesn't like beer," Shelton offered before Fallon could say anything. On the one hand, Shelton seemed to want to go, but didn't seem to want to leave her alone.

"That's okay. Shelton, you go. Have fun," Fallon encouraged.

"You should come too, Fallon. You don't have to drink beer. I can make you a victory drink," Kyle suggested. "After all, we did beat them three games to two. I can make whatever you want, Cosmo, margarita, whatever. Or, I also have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks. Ben is ordering pizza."

"Yeah, Fallon. You should come. You played too," Ben encouraged. "Don't worry. We won't make you feel like you accidently took a wrong turn and ended up in the men's locker room. Besides, my girlfriend is meeting us for the game. She'll be happy to have another female there."

"Okay," Fallon agreed reluctantly. "I'll come."

Fallon and Shelton agreed to come over after they went home first to get cleaned up. Ben greeted them at the door and led them into a very masculine family room where Kyle and Ben's girlfriend were. Ben's girlfriend turned out to be Jade, the waitress from the restaurant Reid had taken her to. Her eyes widened momentarily with recognition when she saw Fallon, but she schooled her features immediately. It wasn't until introductions were made, and Kyle had made her some incredible drink with vodka that tasted like a cream sickle ice cream that Fallon loved as a kid, and the guys were all engrossed in the game, that Jade approached her. Fallon had only taken a sip of her drink. She'd watched Kyle make it, but she wasn't keen on accepting a drink from someone she didn't know very well. Some might say she was overly cautious, but she'd never had any of the horrifying experiences she'd heard from colleagues or fellow high school or college classmates about date rape, doctored drinks, accepting rides with people you barely knew, or any of the others associated with being too trusting. Yeah, she had a suspicious, untrusting nature and, as far as she could tell, it had served her well.

"So, you are the mysterious Fallon that Kyle can't stop talking about," Jade said quietly. Fallon had gone in the kitchen to grab a slice of pizza. She blushed as she looked up from the pizza box and into the amused eyes of Jade. This was embarrassing. Fallon didn't know what to say.

"Too bad he doesn't know about Reid Snow," she chuckled.

Fallon wanted to say that she and Reid were just friends, but that would be a lie. Whatever they were, it wasn't just friends.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I was just surprised to see you."

"I can understand that," Fallon said dumbly. She'd been surprised as well.

"Don't worry. I won't say a word to anyone. I was sworn to secrecy at work when I took care of you guys that night," she shrugged. "And, from the look on your face, I can see you haven't been encouraging Kyle."

"No. I haven't. I have only seen him twice including today."

"Yeah, he said that. I've heard him and Ben talking about you. Ben has been encouraging Kyle to ask you out. Kyle said you didn't seem the type to just accept a date from a guy you barely know," she tilted her head. "I think I agree with Kyle."

Fallon just stood there dumbly holding a plate with a slice of pizza on it. What was she supposed to say?

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable," she grimaced. "I'm probably talking too much."

"No. I just..., uh, I don't know what to say," Fallon said, flailing around for something to say.

"We don't have to talk about this. Just know that Kyle is working his way up to asking you out," she said. "Just a heads up, if you wanted or needed it."

"Uh, thanks. I appreciate it," Fallon hastened to say. "I like Kyle. I mean, I don't really know him well, but he seems nice. But..."

"But, I'm guessing that your private dinner with Reid Snow means you aren't exactly available."

Fallon grimaced. "Something like that."

"I can tell Ben I saw you in my restaurant with someone. I don't have to say who. He'll tell Kyle."

Fallon considered it, but thought that might be the coward's way out. Besides, Kyle hadn't actually said anything to her. And, Jade would probably say something to Ben anyway.

"What are you two in here talking about?" Ben asked as he walked in and lifted the pizza box. "You guys are talking like you know each other."

Jade gave a secretly amused smile but didn't say anything.

"We have met before," Fallon said. Jade raised an eyebrow as if in question and Fallon nodded slightly.

"Really?" Ben asked, looking up from the pizza box with interest. He looked at Jade and then at Fallon.

"Yes, Fallon came into my restaurant once," Jade explained. "The restaurant was busy, and it was one of the private banquet rooms, so I met her as I was helping out the wait staff."

"Hm," Ben said speculatively. He didn't say anything else, but Fallon figured he'd get the rest of the story out of Jade later. He grabbed his pizza and headed back to the game.

Fallon and Jade ended up talking until the game was over. Jade was actually nice to talk to. She promised Fallon that she wouldn't tell him who she was with, but agreed Ben would be asking. Fallon found out that Jade was actually the restaurant manager, and that her Uncle owned it. Small world.

Once the game was over, she and Shelton said their goodbyes and headed for the door.

"Hey, here's my card," Jade said handing it to her. "Give me a call anytime you want to come by and eat."

"Thanks," Fallon said, accepting the card. She'd had a really good time talking with Jade. Jade was a very blunt but bubbly person. Fallon thought she might have just made a new friend.

It wasn't actually that late when she and Shelton arrived back at Fallon's home. So, Fallon decided to watch the show that she'd found when Shelton had stayed over the last time. She was in a light-hearted mood and wanted to watch something funny.

"Hey, Shelton! I'm going to watch that crazy show we watched last time. Apparently, there was a marathon because there are a bunch of them on the DVR!" Fallon yelled from her bedroom.

"Sounds good! Be there in a second," Shelton called back.

And for the next few hours they watched television and laughed until they finally fell off to sleep.

Chapter 35

Fallon could have sworn she heard a song playing. Then she heard Shelton groan. He rolled over, reached over her and the noise thankfully stopped.

"Hello," she heard Shelton's sleepy voice above her. Then he shook her gently. "Wake up, love. Phone for you."

Fallon groaned as Shelton unceremoniously placed the phone on her face and flopped back down beside her.

"Hello?" she said in a muffled, lethargic voice since her face was partially smashed in the pillow. No answer. "Hello?"

The phone was completely silent and then she thought she heard a click. She frowned and pulled the phone from her face to look at it. The screen was on the main page with all of her icons. Maybe the call was dropped, or the caller had the wrong number. Shelton sighed and got up. Fallon closed her eyes and rolled back to her side.

"I might as well get up," Shelton announced as he stretched.

"Can you keep it down?" Fallon mumbled grumpily. "Trying to get some sleep here."

"Whatever. Do you want a doughnut and Coffee?"

"Sure."

Fallon was sleep before Shelton left the house. The next thing she knew Shelton was putting coffee at her bedside and telling her something about leaving for work.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks," she grumbled impatiently at him as he left.

Fallon's latest doze was interrupted by an insistent pounding on the front door. What the hell? Had Shelton forgotten something? His damn key maybe? She was trying to sleep damnit! They'd stayed up too late watching television. And, Shelton knew she was cranky when she didn't get enough sleep. Fallon flung the covers back and stomped to the door. She wrenched the door open ready to blast Shelton, but got no further than standing there with her mouth open.

The door was ripped from her grasp and banged against the wall as Reid swung it wide open and pushed inside, forcing her to take a few hasty steps back.

"Reid?" Fallon gasped her eyes startled and wide.

"Where is he?" Reid demanded in a low, menacing growl.

"Where is who?" Fallon asked, her voice full of alarm and confusion. He looked like he was ready to tear something, or someone, apart.

"The son of a bitch you're sleeping with behind my back," his voice was feral, his eyes blazing with rage.

"What?" Fallon's voice came out several degrees higher than normal. She was wide awake now but totally confused. She felt totally disoriented. What the hell was wrong with Reid?

"Don't play dumb with me, Fallon!" he said, stalking past her and down the hall to her room. Fallon followed close behind him. He looked around the room. Not seeing whatever he was looking for, he snatched her by the arm and pulled her smack up against him in one motion.

"Reid," she pleaded. "What's wrong? And, who are you looking for?"

He put his face right in hers and his voice was menacing, "The guy you slept with last night and who answered your phone this morning. You know, the one I heard waking you up right next to him so you could take my call."

Fallon jerked at his words. Reid was the one who called? And then she remembered that Shelton had answered her phone and her eyes widened again. Shelton! Oh, yuck! Seriously? Whatever he saw in her face, he didn't like because he tightened his grip on her arm.

"You're hurting me," She ground out, and heard panic in her voice. Reid released her so quickly that she stumbled backwards and fell back on the bed with a bounce. He was livid. Lord and what a misunderstanding. Fallon took a deep breath to still her hammering heart, but she didn't dare say anything. In the state of rage he was in, he probably wouldn't believe her anyway.

"You said you didn't want to get involved with me because I was an actor," he ranted. "You didn't believe I could be faithful to you, because I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of women throwing themselves at me, but you are the one who cheats? We've barely gotten started, and you are the one who cheats after all the reasons you gave me for not wanting to get involved?"

Fallon just sat quietly, not moving or speaking. She just watched him. For a moment, he just stood there glaring at her. However, her silence seemed to enrage him more.

"What the hell is this? Who is he, Fallon?" his voice was low and deadly now.

"Apparently you wouldn't believe me if I told you," she managed to choke out.

"Try me," he demanded through gritted teeth. "Or, are you planning to lie yourself out of this?"

"I have no reason to lie," she hissed back, her own anger beginning to rise. He had come into her house in a fit of rage. She could see how things probably looked, but they weren't dating. They'd had one weekend of sex. And, he obviously didn't even hold the tiniest bit of doubt that maybe things weren't what they had seemed.

"No. I guess you don't, since I already know there was another man in your bed with you this morning," he said with obvious derision. "Or are you going to tell me there wasn't?"

"No. There was most definitely a man in my bed this morning," Fallon growled a growl of her own. What made her risk provoking him further, she didn't know. Perhaps the idea of being tried and convicted before ever being given the benefit of the doubt was what triggered her own temper. Or, maybe it was just the utter falseness of the accusation. "And, I most definitely slept with him!"

Reid jerked back as if she'd slapped him. He stood there staring at her, frozen to the spot. She saw surprise and confusion at her anger flicker across his face. Then suddenly he stepped back and let out a deep breath. He closed his eyes, put his hands on his hips and stared down at his feet taking in slow deep breaths.

Fallon slid off the bed and moved to the opposite side of the room. His eyes pinned her and watched her every movement. The sheer hatred in his eyes caused her to shiver all over.

"Why?" came his deceptively calm and quiet voice, just as the front door opened.

He must have read the fear in her eyes, because his lip curled in a disdainful sneer. He didn't stop her though when she rushed out of the bedroom and down the hall.

"Oh, good you're awake," Shelton smiled at her. Catching sight of her face, his smile immediately turned to a look of alarm. "What's wrong, Fallon?"

Then he was looking past her. To his credit, he stayed very calm though his face became wary. He put down the bag he was holding on the entryway table. Fallon found herself standing between him and Reid, but Shelton walked to her and put himself between her and Reid.

"You must be, Reid," he said companionably and stuck out his hand. "I'm Shelton, Fallon's cousin."

"Cousin?" Reid repeated, sounding unconvinced and flickering a narrowed gaze at her and then back at Shelton. He did not take Shelton's hand. After a moment, Shelton lowered his hand and rested it on Fallon's shoulder.

"Yes. My father and her mother were brother and sister. Since Fallon's mother died when Fallon was very young, we grew up more like sister and brother, but we are actually cousins."

"And, you always sleep with your cousins," Reid sneered.

"Well, that answers that question. I thought you said you two weren't involved," Shelton said, grinning at Fallon before turning back to Reid with deceptive friendliness. "Not always, but, often enough. Definitely after Fallon has seen a scary movie, though. She's kind of wimpy that way."

When Shelton spoke again there was a definite edge in his voice, "I can personally guarantee, Reid, that unlike you, I've never had sex with Fallon. I take it you are the one that called this morning?"

A flicker of apprehension finally flickered across Reid's face, cutting through his anger at Shelton's big brother tone. The two men watched each other now as if sizing each other up. It was Fallon's turn apparently to step between the two of them.

"Shelton," she said, putting a hand on his arm. "I've got this."

"What did he do to you, Fallon?" he asked in a low companionable voice, never taking his eyes from Reid.

"Nothing," she answered quickly, turning to face Shelton. "Shelton, he didn't do anything to me."

"Oh, really?" he laughed without humor and looked down at her. "And, that is why you came running out of that room with fear in your eyes?"

"He didn't do anything to me, Shelton," Fallon said firmly, grabbing both of his arms. "Don't go into big brother mode now. You don't get to go all over protective on me."

He looked down meaningfully at her arm where Reid had grabbed her. It was a little red, but it wasn't bruised.

"Fallon, why don't you get some coffee," Reid said evenly not taking his eyes off of Shelton. His anger was gone. "Shelton has some things to say to me, I'm sure."

"No!" Fallon yelled at both of them. "You two can have a pissing contest later. Shelton, why are you back? I thought you were going to work."

"Your boyfriend here woke me up early with his call. So, I decided to replace some of the things I ate and pick up a few more," he shrugged.

"Well, thanks. You can go to work now," Fallon gestured to the door.

"I'm not leaving you alone with him," Shelton said indignantly.

"Yes, you are," Fallon insisted.

"I wouldn't hurt her," Reid assured Shelton. "You're right. I am the one who called this morning. And, I came here enraged and under the impression that Fallon was sleeping with someone else."

"She was sleeping with someone else," Shelton interrupted. "Me. Sleeping being the operative word here."

Reid's mouth twitched, and the beginnings of a sardonic smile threatened at the corner of his mouth. "Yes, well, I'm sure you can also see how I might have misunderstood the situation this morning. I'm going to ask you to consider if you were me for just a moment and how you would react. Then, I'd like you to consider letting me now apologize and make amends with your cousin. There's plenty of time for us to fight and argue if that's what you want."

"Tell you what. I'll go in the kitchen and put these groceries away while you guys talk," Shelton said amiably. Fallon wasn't buying it. Still, she figured that was the best she was going to get from Shelton. He would be fine once he calmed down.

"That sounds good," Reid said, also trying for amiability. Fallon didn't miss the hard look Shelton shot at Reid before picking up the bag and heading for the kitchen. Reid didn't miss it either. He followed Shelton with his eyes until he disappeared into the kitchen.

"I don't know what to say," he finally said, turning back to Fallon with a grimace.

Fallon wasn't sure what to think or say. On the one hand, she was furious at the way Reid had behaved. On the other, she wondered if maybe she had been misjudging him.

Reid stepped forward so that he was directly in front of her and spoke in a low but determined voice. "Look, Fallon, I realize that I probably just made a complete ass of myself. And, you are probably mad. I'll let you chew me out if that's what you want. But, just understand this. You're mine."

"Reid-"

"No," he said, putting a finger over her lips. "No more stalling, Fallon. I want you, only you. And, you want me. Otherwise you would have never stayed at my house and made love to me the way you did. No more fighting me. You're mine."

"Reid," Fallon said, her voice now taking on a warning tone.

"I get it. You don't want to be pulled into my public lifestyle. That's fine. We'll keep you out of it. There are a lot of celebrities who you don't even know who their significant other is. You're not the only private person attached to a public personality. We can handle that."

"I don't know, Reid."

"Tell me you don't want me as much as I want you. Tell me you don't enjoy being with me as much as I enjoy being with you."

Fallon remained silent. She couldn't begin to say the words of that lie.

"Then stop fighting it, and let's see what happens," he continued after a moment.

Fallon chewed on her lip, trying to think straight. After a moment, Reid cupped her chin and placed a sweet, lingering kiss on her mouth.

"I hate to interrupt, but the man has some valid points, Fallon."

They both turned to see Shelton standing in the entryway to the kitchen with a coffee in one hand and a doughnut in the other. Reid grinned.

"No one asked you, Shelton. Don't you have to go to work?" Fallon asked irritably.

"Yes, but I was trying to wait for the two of you to get through your private moment so I could get to the door."

"There's the door, Shelton," Fallon glared.

"Seriously, Fallon. You told me that he was just Nick's best friend. You didn't say anything about spending a weekend at his house."

"Can we talk about this later?" Fallon said through clenched teeth.

"I'm just saying. I know you. You wouldn't have...," he stopped and cleared his throat. His voice was a little choked when he started to speak again. "You wouldn't have spent the time you spent, and done the things you did, if you weren't into the guy. He seems to be into you too. Sometimes, you have to just let go a little."

"Shelton," Fallon said flabbergasted. "Get out."

"Okay," he said, passing them and opening the front door. "I'll be back this evening."

"Yes. Uh huh. Have a nice day," Fallon replied angrily and slammed the door behind him. The traitor! Then she turned her angry eyes on Reid.

Reid wasn't sure what to say. And, with Fallon looking at him like she was ready to skewer him on a spit like a stuffed pig, he didn't think anything he said would help. But, one way or another he would get through to her.

"Fallon-"

"Get out, Reid. I don't want to talk to you," she growled.

"I can see that," Reid said in all seriousness. "But we need to talk."

"No, Reid, we don't. I'm going to get ready for work now. And you, you are leaving," she said swinging the door open and stepping aside. Fine. Clearly, she wasn't ready to hear him right now. Maybe Shelton was on to something. He'd just come back and talk to her tonight. But, unlike Shelton, he wouldn't tell her he was coming back.

"Fine," he said stiffly. "I'll go. But, we will talk, Fallon."

She didn't say a word. She wouldn't even look at him. So, without another word, he turned and walked out the door.

Once he'd driven away from her house, he pulled over to just catch his breath. He'd called her this morning and heard the sound of some obviously sleeping male voice answer her phone. At first, he'd thought he'd dialed the wrong number. That was until he'd heard the man murmuring to her, waking her up. When he'd heard her sleepy "hello" he'd seen a haze of red.

He'd been on his way to her house anyway, hoping to bring her some coffee. He'd been calling to ask if she wanted something else. Reid knew she had to go to work, but he just wanted to see her. He'd not been prepared to deal with hearing some man on her phone. Her cousin? What the hell? How could he have possibly known that?

She was obviously pissed now and definitely not interested in seeing things from his point of view. And the fact that he couldn't stop thinking about her, wanting to talk to her, see her, and be around her was telling him something he had been trying to ignore. She had gotten inside of him somehow. And that fact scared the hell out of him. So, maybe he could understand where she was coming from. After Karen had suckered him, and he'd fallen for her hook, line and sinker, he didn't want to go through that again. Maybe their circumstances were different, but emotional pain was emotional pain. He understood avoiding it at all cost. He just found himself in a position where he couldn't avoid it. To be without her would cause him emotional pain. It was time to bring in the big guns. It was time to play dirty.

Chapter 36

Fallon was so out of sorts when she got to work, she couldn't seem to accomplish anything. She'd been waken up too early, then blindsided by Reid's maniacal crazy man routine. Then Shelton, who was closer to her than anyone else in the world now, had taken Reid's side. He didn't even fricking know Reid! She was too tired for this.

By noon, Fallon decided she was just spinning her wheels. She wasn't sure why she was so upset. Her whole morning was just upsetting. Where the heck had Reid come from anyway? And why had he reacted like that? They weren't even actually dating. Had it been the other way around, she would have questioned him about it and probably been quite angry. But, she'd have at least given him a chance to explain. She certainly wouldn't have barged into his house like a crazed bull. She sighed and sat back in her chair just as her phone rang.

"Have you cooled off enough to be reasonable?" Shelton asked cautiously. Her ire began to rise.

"I don't want to talk to you. You traitor!"

"Oh, come on, Fallon," Shelton chided. "Let's be reasonable."

"Reasonable? How is it reasonable for you to take his side? You don't even know him!"

"But, I know you." His voice was gentle but unwavering.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Fallon bit out not willing to let go of her anger just yet.

"I know you keep everything inside. I know you don't like to get too close to people. And, I know you've been through hell the last couple of years. So, that makes you lock people out even more."

"I do not lock people out," Fallon denied.

"You even locked me out, Fallon. But, I understand. I understand you," he explained gently. "And, I'm only going to let you go so far."

"Whatever, Shelton. And what does that have to do with Reid?" Fallon asked grumpily.

"Well, hell. When I first got back to your house, I didn't know what the hell was going on. I thought he was threatening you or something." Fallon noted his frustration coming through. "I was ready to kick his ass. But, then when he started talking about you spending the weekend with him, and he didn't deny having sex with you, I was blown away. You didn't deny it either."

"So, what!"

"So, what?" he sounded irritated now. "Fallon, you are not the type to just sleep around. And the fact that you are such a private person means you would normally stay clear of someone like Reid Snow. He's too public for you. But, you didn't stay away from him. Why is that?"

"We spent roughly twenty-four hours together, Shelton. We're not dating. I don't know why it happened, but it was a mistake."

"Bullshit, Fallon," he countered with no heat. He just wasn't having it. "You don't make those kinds of mistakes. You can lie to me if you want to, but don't lie to yourself. You have feelings for him. And, he has feelings for you. I know you want to be all mad at him for coming to your house and accusing you, or whatever you have going on in your head. But, honestly, if I called a woman I'd just spent twenty-four hours making love to and another man was in her bed, one of two things would happen."

Fallon waited for him to continue, but he didn't. She realized he wanted her to ask him what would happen. She refused.

"Do you have a point, Shelton?"

She could almost hear humor in his voice when he spoke again. "If I wasn't into her, I would have just hung up and not bothered calling back. Hell, I probably wouldn't have called in the first place. But, if I really liked her and was into her, I'd want to beat the hell out of the son of a bitch."

"And, this means what to me?" Fallon asked, sounding unmoved. He sighed.

"Look, Fallon, Sweetheart, you know I love you. Though you are as stubborn as a mule and can be extremely pig headed at times, I still love you to pieces. And, I know how hard things have been for you lately. I know how much you turn into yourself when you are dealing with strong emotions and stuff. I get it. But, I really think this guy is into you. And, obviously you are into him too. And, I hope you aren't so pig headed you won't at least find out if you guys can make something work. Give the guy a chance. You know what you say about us guys, we're all broken. But, Fal, he's what you want."

"You suck, you know that?" Fallon said with no real anger. Damn him for knowing her so well. He'd effectively taken all of the wind out of her sails.

"I know. But, you love me anyway. So, it's okay. I'll see you tonight."

After Shelton hung up, Fallon sat there frowning, knowing she couldn't deny the truth in Shelton's words. Well, what he'd said about her was true. What he said about Reid, she wasn't so sure. That's why she didn't like doing the relationship thing. The few times she had, she'd known that the guys were definitely into her. She just hadn't been overly into them. Not that she hadn't cared, because she had. She'd had strong like and caring. But, she'd never really been in love. Wait... love? Was she in love with Reid Snow? Was that why she felt this overwhelming need to run? Just as she began to explore the idea, her phone rang again. It was Alexa.

"Hey, Alexa," she said, trying for a chipper tone.

"Hey. What are you doing?" Alexa asked.

"Well, I'm supposed to be working, but that's not working out so well."

"Would that have anything to do with Reid?" Alexa asked.

"Reid?" Fallon said after a slight hesitation. What did Alexa know of Reid?

"Yes, Reid," Alexa went on. "And before you try to deny it, I already know something is going on between you two. Reid called me this morning. Something about calling you this morning and Shelton answered your phone?"

Fallon groaned.

"Hey, you know I know how stubborn you can be –"

"Why does everyone keep saying I'm stubborn?" Fallon groused.

"Because you are, Sweetie," Alexa said lightly.

"I'm not stubborn. I'm realistic, practical."

"Okay, well, whatever you want to call it," Alexa agreed dismissively. "We all know you've been through a lot, but so has Reid."

"I already got a lecture from Shelton, of all people. Clearly everyone is on his side," Fallon said dryly.

"No one is on anyone's side," Alexa sighed. "I'm only saying that Reid has been through a lot too. He went from being like a girl's perfect dream boyfriend to a commitment phobe."

"Why? What happened?"

"It's not really my story to tell. But, what I will say is it involved another woman. And, what he went through wasn't easy either. We all go through something. But, he's willing to put his reservations aside...for you. You might want to consider that before you throw away what he's offering."

Throw away what he's offering? What was he offering? Fallon was so taken aback, she was speechless.

"Just hear him out, Fallon. Give him a chance."

"I have to go, Alexa." Fallon said finding her voice.

"Okay, okay. I'll call you later."

Fallon hung up the phone and decided her day was truly screwed. Her head was starting to pound and she clearly wasn't going to get anything done. Some days it didn't pay to get up in the morning. She shut everything down, told Linda to call if she needed anything, and went home.

When she got home, she headed straight for the freezer and pulled out her animal cookie ice cream. Too bad she didn't know how to mix drinks, she'd have made herself some sort of vodka drink. Where was Shelton when she needed him? On second thought, never mind.

After polishing off the rest of the ice cream, Fallon decided a cleaning frenzy was what she needed. She hadn't been home to do the dusting, mopping, or other things she reserved for the weekends. She'd just finished the vacuuming and was dusting the living room when there was a knock on her door. She walked over and stuck her eye to the peephole only to see Reid standing there.

"What are you doing here?" she asked after wrenching the door open in surprise.

"I called your office and Linda said you'd left for the day. I came by to see if you were here, and if we could talk."

Fallon wasn't angry anymore, just tired. And Reid was standing there looking like a lost puppy. She stepped back to let him in. He cautiously stepped across her threshold, and she quietly closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, Fallon." The words tumbled out of him the moment she turned to face him. "I'm really sorry. I had no right to burst in here like that. I just thought..."

He trailed off, looking at her with a hint of pleading in his eyes.

"I know what you thought," Fallon said without heat. "And, I guess I could understand, considering how it seemed."

Some of the chagrin left his face, and hope lit his eyes.

"So, does this mean you aren't mad at me anymore?"

"No. I'm not mad. I'm not sure I was ever simply mad, exactly."

"Fallon, I know that you don't want to be part of my public life," he began and then paused to swallow. "But, I want you in my life."

"You're right, Reid. I don't really want to be part of your public life," Fallon stated. His face fell. "But, if we are going to make this work, I know I'll need to compromise."

A huge grin lit his face. Then, Reid pulled her into his arms and crushed his mouth to hers.

Reid almost hadn't believed his ears. He'd reacted before he knew what he was doing. But, feeling her in his arms now, the way she was kissing him back, told him that he'd heard correctly. The kiss had started out frenzied, but Reid slowed it down. He wanted to savor her. As the kiss deepened and Fallon softened against him, a tender peace began to spread through him. He gently lifted her and she instinctively wrapped her legs around him. Somehow, he found his way to her bedroom without breaking the kiss or running them into a wall. After, laying her down on the bed and removing their clothing, he took his time making love to her. He observed every sigh and moan before the sexual heat between them finally sent them both over the edge.

"What are you doing here?" Fallon asked, pulling Reid out of his sensual fog as they lay there catching their breath. They were lying on their backs and he turned his head towards her confused by her question.

"What do you mean, what am I doing here?" he frowned.

"You weren't supposed to be back in town until Wednesday, Remember?"

Reid relaxed. "Oh, well I finished up early. My agent was negotiating my production schedule before I sign on for this movie. They wanted an exclusive contract. But, I have other engagements already contracted, and they need to work around those production schedules.

"Oh."

"So, you have me for the rest of the week," he said, turning to his side and grinning at her.

Shelton declined to come over once he called and found out Reid was there. Reid suspected it was to give them time alone. Reid did not leave at night either. She'd gone to work on Tuesday and Reid was there with dinner waiting when she got home.

Chapter 37

Because she was not allowed to eat the day before her procedure, Fallon hadn't gone into work on Wednesday. She also had to drink some stuff that made her go to the bathroom a lot. She'd tried to kick him out and send him away, but he refused to go. He was beginning to understand that she preferred going through things alone.

"All I'm going to be doing today is starve, drinking this nasty stuff, and going to the bathroom all day. It's already disgusting, I don't need to be embarrassed too," she pushed. Reid didn't budge.

"What is there to be embarrassed about?" he asked amiably. "So, we'll stay in and watch television and starve together."

She gave him a frustrated look, but appeared too tired and preoccupied to fight or argue. So, they spent the day watching the DVR and pausing the television for her to either drink the clear stuff or run to the bathroom. Reid made a point to only eat when Fallon was in the bathroom. He felt guilty eating when she was starving and feeling awful from the stuff that she had to drink to clean her system out before the procedure. But, he needed to eat.

The next morning, she was looking a little pale and tired when he hustled her out of bed to get ready for her appointment. He made a point to pack a little snack bag for her so she could eat as soon as she woke up from the procedure. He would take her to eat of course, but after not eating for over twenty-four hours, he assumed she'd be happy to eat just about anything when she woke up.

She was to arrive an hour before her appointment, but they took her in, in less than twenty minutes. Reid was allowed to stay with her while they prepped her for the procedure though, of course, Fallon insisted it wasn't necessary. He was getting pretty good at ignoring her protests. He was surprised, however, to feel his palms sweating and his anxiety level rise when they put an I.V. in her arm and wheeled her away. He sat there for twenty minutes are so forcing himself not to get up and pace.

Fallon awoke as they were completing the procedure. She saw something on a monitor and asked what it was. The tech or nurse, looked at her sharply and said they were all done. They wheeled her back into the prepping area and told her the doctor would be there to talk to her in a few minutes. Once they pulled the curtain around her little area, she got up and began dressing. She was a little off balanced but otherwise fine.

"Are you okay?" Reid asked, jumping to his feet to assist her.

"I'm fine," she said pulling on her shirt. She was surprised that she was so comfortable dressing in front of Reid. Then again, they'd been practically living together for the last week. He'd had her naked plenty of times. Still, this was the first time she'd dressed in front of him. "Can you pass me my shoes?"

Reid looked so concerned and relieved. Fallon didn't have time to ponder this as a nurse came in interrupting her train of thought.

"Oh, my. You're awake?" she said in surprise, and rushed to get a wheelchair for Fallon to sit in. "Sit, sit. And, let me take the I.V. out of your arm."

She asked Fallon a few questions that she answered with no problem and removed the I.V.

"I'll go get the doctor. I know you can walk, but we're required to wheel you out of here to your car," she said apologetically.

It seemed no sooner had the nurse left, then the doctor appeared with a paper in his hand. He held it low so that Fallon could see it from her seat in the wheelchair, and then began talking with no preliminaries. He seemed quite surprised and agitated.

"You had one polyp that we removed and one tumor that must be removed," he stated and Fallon heard Reid make a slight cry of surprise as the doctor continued and her heart began to race with fear. "Do you know of a surgeon that you'd like to use?"

"I-I...no. I don't know any surgeons," Fallon said dumbly feeling dumbstruck. "Is it benign?"

The surgeon looked at her now with a doubtful expression and he seemed to calm the sense of urgency in his voice before he spoke again. "We won't know that until after a biopsy of the samples has been done. Either way, it's too big and needs to be removed. I will have my office call you and give you the name of a very good surgeon I use. She does laparoscopic surgery, and it's something that should be fairly easy."

"Thank you," Fallon said in a faraway sounding voice. She felt numb and hot all at the same time. Tears began to involuntarily prick her eyes. Disbelief, shock, and fear were trying to break through her numbness. Was she getting ready to re-experience the hell that she had just watched her father go through? The doctor adopted an expression of outward detachment that doctors often do and nodded before walking away.

A nurse appeared and Reid pushed her wheelchair to the car as Fallon struggled to get her tears under control. Her face was expressionless, but it was though her eyes were crying of their own accord. She knew she would need to send Reid away so she could deal with whatever was coming, but at the moment she felt as though she were two beings completely detached. One was mourning, afraid, lonely, and defeated. The other was simply there, unemotionally observing the scene playing out.

Once in the car, Reid tried to encourage her to eat. As hungry as she was, the idea of trying to eat made her feel nauseous. Reid had asked if she wanted to go out to eat, but she'd declined. She simply wanted to crawl into bed and disappear.

Chapter 38

Reid finally got Fallon in the house. He gave her a hug that she didn't returned, told her that he was there and everything would be alright, and gave her a minute to herself to undress and crawl into bed. He felt shell-shocked. He couldn't even make sense of how he felt, so he couldn't begin to imagine what she must be feeling. And, after going down this road for the last two years with her father, heaven only knew what she must be feeling.

"You should go, Reid," she said numbly when he came into her room to try again to get her to eat something.

"I'm not going anywhere, Fallon," he gritted out. "I know this is a shock. And, I can't even imagine what you're going through. But, the truth is, we don't know much right now. We only know that it's a tumor and it needs to be removed. For all we know it's benign. But, no matter what, I am going to be here, and there's not a damn thing you can do to make me go away. So, stop trying to make me."

She said nothing, but her empty eyes began to leak tears again and her face crumpled. His heart broke in a thousand pieces, watching her bury her face in her pillow. Reid climbed onto the bed with her and pulled her into his arms.

"Shhh. It's going to be okay," he murmured into her hair. "We can't just go with panic and fear. We have to be strong and have faith."

"I don't have any more strength, and I'm really short on faith these days. I can't go through anymore, Reid," she cried.

"Luckily, I have enough strength and faith for us both. I've never been a religious person, but I am a spiritual one. And, I truly don't believe that this is the end all be all. I don't know why this is happening right now. And, Lord knows you've been through enough. But, I believe you will get through this, and everything will be fine. And, I have to go with what I feel inside. Behind all of the shock, hurt, and fear, is this knowing that everything is going to be okay," Reid said with conviction, feeling his own emotions rising. "I have to believe that feeling, Fallon."

Chapter 39

The next few weeks were a blur of doctor's appointments, a CT scan, MRI, blood tests, and consultations. Fallon had never had so many doctors' appointments in her life. And through it all, Reid was right there. He came to every appointment and made sure he knew everything that was going on. He acted as though it pained him to leave her side.

She told her staff what was going on. It would be obvious to them that something was wrong with her work schedule being so effected by all of the appointments. But, she hadn't wanted to tell anyone else. Reid insisted that she tell Shelton. Of course when she did, he was worried and concerned and driving her nuts as she'd expected he would. Reid compromised on her not telling Alexa and Nick until everything had been settled, though he didn't approve.

"I can't Reid. The more people you tell the more they hover, worry, and drive you crazy. I know people mean well, but I can't function and stay positive when I'm constantly bombarded by everyone else's concern and fear. They never let you forget it," Fallon had argued.

"Alexa and Nick are not like that," he defended.

"They won't be when they know all of the facts. But, right now we don't know them. And, all they can do is worry and call me up constantly to ask me how I'm doing, or come up here and hover like you and Shelton," she grumbled.

"Is that what I'm doing? Hovering?" he asked. Fallon thought she detected a hint of hurt in his voice and hurried to reassure him.

"No. You have been wonderful. I'm sorry. I'm just a bit snippy," she said apologetically. "But, that's my point. I can barely deal with my own emotions and fears and keep them contained. I can't deal with everyone else's."

"Fine. But, once we get all the results back and set the surgery date, you have to tell them," he insisted gently.

"Agreed."

As the days rolled by and the test results came in, things were looking better and better. Blood tests showed that there was no spreading, as did the CT scan and the MRI. Also, the biopsy of the samples showed that the tumor was mostly a polyp that had just begun to turn cancerous. It was thought to be mostly a polyp. And the lymph nodes showed no cancerous activity. While Fallon felt more and more relieved with each test result showing good news, she was more than apprehensive about her surgery. Fallon had never so much as broken a bone. The worst she'd ever had was a sprained finger from a gymnastics mishap when she was a kid. That only required she wear a splint for a few weeks. The idea of being put to sleep and cut on was terrifying.

Once the surgeon got all of the test results back, there was a consultation and the date was set. Now was the time to let everyone know. She already had Shelton and Reid practically living with her. Shelton had of course told Uncle Andrew, so even he was making frequent appearances these days. Her work staff tried very hard, but failed to not hover. She could barely move without someone trying to do things for her. However, she didn't find it as irritating as she thought she would. For one, when she gave them the signal to back off, no one took it personally. And, the gym became her refuge. Not only did she read that working out and being as fit as possible before surgery would help her recover, it did wonders for her peace of mind.

Fallon called Alexa first.

"Well, hello there stranger. I was under the impression you were avoiding me, or that Reid was keeping you so busy you didn't have time to talk," Alexa teased when she answered her phone.

"Hey Alexa," Fallon replied, trying and failing to sound casual. "Are you busy?"

"What's wrong?" Alexa asked, all humor gone and replaced with sharp interest.

"Are you busy? I need to talk to you about something, but I can wait until you're free if you're busy now," Fallon said, hoping for a reprieve from what she had to say.

"As of right this moment, I have nothing to do but listen to whatever it is you need to talk about. Spill it," Alexa demanded.

Fallon proceeded to tell Alexa about the GI procedure and the tumor being found all the way up to the current surgery date.

"Oh my lord, Fallon. Are you okay? And, why am I just hearing about this? Reid told me you would be calling to tell me something and to stay calm, but I had no idea it was something like this. I thought maybe he'd knocked you up," she rambled on, her words coming out in a rush. "I guess that means Reid knows. No wonder he's been up there with you and not been talking much to Nick. Nick thought it was because he was afraid that Nick was upset about you guys being involved. Oh, my goodness, I'm coming up there tonight."

"That's not necessary –"

"Not necessary!" Alexa practically yelled, cutting off Fallon's words. "Don't you dare try to shut me out, Fallon. I'm coming. Wild horses couldn't keep me away from you right now. That's what friends are for."

"Alexa, I'm not shutting you out," Fallon assured her. "I'm telling you now, aren't I? I'm just saying that you don't have to come now. My surgery isn't for three weeks and there's nothing much to do now. I just thought you might want to come closer to the surgery date."

There was a pause before Alexa spoke again. "I have to come now. I need to hug you and just be there for my own peace of mind. But, I will come tomorrow then, stay for a few days and then come back closer to your surgery date."

"That's fine. Just be aware that Shelton and Reid have practically moved in with me," Fallon said, feeling tears prick her eyes at her friends concern. She hated that they were so concerned. She never liked people to worry. She was the one that always helped other people get through their worries. She hated that they were now worrying over her. Yet, she was so touched and so overwhelmed by their love and support for her, she wasn't sure what to do with all of the fullness she felt.

"And, I'm telling Nick, Mom and Dad," Alexa added defiantly.

"That's fine," Fallon chuckled through her uncontrollable tears that were freely falling now. When had she become so emotional? "I really don't want to have to go through the telling again."

"I love you, Fallon. You know that, right? You are the sister I never had," Alexa said and Fallon could hear the emotion in her friend's voice.

"I love you too, Alexa. You are my sister," Fallon answered.

Not only Alexa, but her entire family came to visit. Mr. And Mrs. Connor made such a fuss over her she was worried that Nick and Alexa would feel like they'd been replaced. Shelton had graciously made a house not that far from Fallon's available for their usage. It had just been vacated and he'd been in the process of re-renting it. Nick stayed at the house with his parents for the most part, but Reid, Shelton and Alexa stayed with Fallon. Uncle Andrew had taken over Shelton's house since he wasn't there.

The Connors stayed for a whole week. Fallon was grateful that they didn't dwell on her condition. They went out to movies, dinner, shopping, and even a day of wine tasting. Fallon had such a good time doing fun and normal things, she barely had time to dwell on her upcoming surgery. When the week was over, Fallon was sorry to see the Connors leave and was in such great spirits. She was feeling her strength again and feeling like she could get through this. She made a point to stay as positive as possible and continue doing everything as she normally would, including work and working out.

Her jovial mood seemed to help everyone else stay jovial. Reid flew to Los Angeles for a day. He said he needed to meet with some people there to change the production schedule.

"No, Reid," Fallon argued. "You can't put off the production schedule."

"Yes, I can. And I will," he shot back adamantly. "Your recovery time will be four to six weeks barring no complications. I'm not going to be off shooting some movie."

Fallon didn't argue. She had learned in the last few weeks that when Reid decided something, it was very difficult to change his mind. She didn't want him gone either. So, this was one battle not worth fighting.

Fallon's surgery was scheduled for a Monday. The Friday before her surgery, her fears and anxiety began to rise. By Saturday she felt like she was coming out of her skin. She couldn't think or talk. She couldn't seem to understand what was being said to her when people talked to her.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Reid asked when they were finally alone Saturday evening. Shelton had taken to stopping by each day but not staying. Apparently, Shelton and Reid had gotten past their first awkward meeting and bonded. They now had a burgeoning friendship, yet Shelton didn't want to be there when they went into Fallon's room at night and closed the door. Not that they did anything to make Shelton uncomfortable. She just figured Shelton didn't like the idea of knowing they were sleeping together.

"I'm-I'm...scared," Fallon said in a breathless voice as tears began to fall. Darn those tears! She'd been holding up very good and keeping them at bay until now.

"Come here," he said, pulling her into his arms and holding her. "It's normal to be afraid."

"I know. But, I keep thinking horrible thoughts like, what if I die? Or, what if something goes wrong?" she sobbed. "It's totally irrational. I have no reason to think any of the scary thoughts going through my mind. But, sometimes they take over and I can't stop them."

"Don't try to stop them. Let them come. The more you fight them, the more they come. Stop fighting them and they will stop. You will just start thinking about other things," he instructed gently as he pulled her onto his lap and let her cry.

"I've never cried so much in my life. I'm such a cry baby," she fussed.

"Baby, you can cry as much as you need too. Don't be hard on yourself. If you need to cry, then cry. Do whatever you need to get it out and move on." Reid brushed her hair back gently.

Fallon did cry then. She stopped fighting all the fear, hurt, confusion, and sorrow she'd had pinned up inside. And, slowly but surely, it did dissipate. The thought kept coming to her mind, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Fallon was also not one that anyone could ever call religious. While she would never knock anyone's religion, she'd studied religion from a historical perspective. She'd gotten more understanding from studying world religions in college than she ever had in any church service. She found that most had the same fundamental beliefs that were sound, but were covered over with a lot of other man-made nonsense to control the masses. She preferred to stick with the pure fundamental, spiritual truths.

"Better?" Reid asked once she'd calmed. She could only nod and feel bad at the feelings of pain and empathy she'd caused in his eyes.

"What if something goes wrong?" Fallon asked in a strained voice.

"I'm not a religious man, Fallon. I think I've told you that. But, I don't believe God would place you in my life right now and then take you away. You are what I have been missing all of my life, and I didn't even know it," he said with an abundance of emotion in his eyes.

Fresh tears clouded Fallon's vision and Reid brushed them away with his thumb. Then he bent his head and kissed her gently. He deepened the kiss as she began to respond to him, effectively distracting Fallon from her current crisis of emotions.

Chapter 40

Reid paced the waiting room of the hospital waiting for news of Fallon. The Connors had flown in and met Reid at the hospital around eight in the morning, but Fallon had been taken in for surgery prepping at seven that morning. His phone vibrated in his pocket startling him. It was his mother. He walked to a secluded area of the waiting room to answer.

"Hi Mom," he said unable to speak with the ease he'd been going for.

"How are you, Sweetheart?"

"I'm good. Just waiting."

"Still no news?" she asked concerned.

"No. But, they said it would be a few hours," Reid said, trying to reassure himself that all was well.

"I know you didn't want us to come down. But, we can't let you be there waiting alone," his mom said sheepishly. "I thought I'd better let you know that we are about five minutes away. Don't worry. She'll never know we were there."

Reid had told his mother about Fallon, who of course told his father. Jared already knew about Fallon. But, he hadn't broached the subject of them to Fallon. He didn't think she'd be up to meeting his family right now, especially considering they still hadn't defined their relationship. He didn't think he should push her on that front either before now. However, after today, he would give her a few weeks to recover and then he was going to be doing a lot of pushing. He was aging by the hour worrying about her. He couldn't even be upset that his mother had rallied the troops to come and be there with him while he waited for her to come out of surgery.

"Reid, don't be upset, Honey," his mother pleaded.

"I'm not upset, Mom. I'm grateful," he said with genuine relief. Nick and his family were there, and that was one level of support he desperately needed. But, having his own family there just made him feel even more that everything would be fine.

"Oh, good," his mother replied, and he could hear the relief in her voice. "We don't have to meet her now, but we can at least be there for you, son."

"Thanks, Mom. I love you," he said, smiling for the first time today.

A few minutes later, Reid's mom, dad, and brother were walking through the waiting room doors. The Connors and the Snows greeted each other warmly after each giving him a hug in turn. After everyone settled down, he could hear his mother and Mrs. Connor chatting quietly.

"She's like a daughter to us. You will love her," he heard Mrs. Connor saying softly to his mother. "I'd half hoped she and Nick would get together. But, they are as much brother and sister as Alexa and Nick are."

Reid found it interesting that his mother's and Mrs. Connor's match making didn't bother him in the least.

"How are you holding up, man?" Nick asked as he and Jared came over to stand next to Reid.

"Have you eaten?" Jared asked.

Reid looked back and forth at them blankly trying to process their words.

"She's going to be fine, Reid," Jared said, placing a hand on Reid's shoulder. "Why don't we go down to the cafeteria and get you something to eat."

"No, I need to stay here," Reid asserted.

"She won't be out for a while," Nick said gruffly and Reid could see the worry in his eyes too. "Jared is right. You need to eat, and so do I. Let's just take a walk down to the cafeteria, grab some coffee and something quick, and come back up."

Nick put his hand on Reid's other shoulder and gave him a nudge. Reid reluctantly unglued himself from his spot and allowed his brother and Nick to escort him down to the cafeteria.

"So, how are you holding up?" Nick asked again.

"Good, I guess," Reid responded absently. They made their way down to the cafeteria. Reid looked around at the cafeteria with disinterest and Jared gestured him and Nick to grab a table.

"Grab a seat. I'll get us all some coffee and muffins," Jared said and walked away. Reid sat down at the nearest table and Nick sat next to him.

"You know, when I found out you were up here and I could barely get ahold of you, I thought you were trying to hide your relationship with Fallon from me," Nick began. "But, I see now that you had a lot more things to worry about than my overprotectiveness. Why didn't you tell me?"

"You, of all people, should know how Fallon is," Reid said dryly and snorted with a humorless laugh.

"She didn't want you to tell anyone," Nick nodded, knowingly and then shook his head. "That girl can try a saint's patience with her pig headedness. Thinks she can take on the world by herself."

"I made her promise to tell everyone once she got all the test results back and set a date for surgery," Reid explained. "But, I kind of understand her enough that I couldn't go against her wishes. She really goes inward when she's dealing with things. It's her process. And, she can't handle all of the bombardment from the outside until she gets it all together in her own head."

Nick was looking at him speculatively now.

"You are in love with her, aren't you?" Nick said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Obviously," Reid retorted. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"You would have been here no matter what. You're just a standup guy like that. That's why we're best friends," Nick grinned and gave him a light punch in the arm.

"What's this about love?" Jared asked, setting a tray down on the table and passing out coffee and muffins.

"Reid here is in love with our Fallon," Nick teased.

"Oh, yeah," Jared shrugged. "He's been a goner for a while now."

Nick chuckled before responding. "So, your folks have already met her too? What do they think?"

"No. She hasn't met them," Reid shook his head. "They know about her, but she doesn't know that either."

"Why doesn't she know they know about her," Nick frowned.

"Because, before I was able to move things in that direction and officially push her into defining our relationship, all of this happened," Reid said, throwing his hands up in a frustrated gesture. "I didn't think she'd respond well to being pressured about our relationship and meeting my parents."

"You'd be right," Nick agreed, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Don't worry. I'm going to give her a few weeks to recover and then she's going to have to face my family and us," Reid said poking the table with his finger.

"That's it big brother! Let her know who's boss," Jared joked.

"Yeah, good luck," Nick snickered.

"By the way, how did we score that private waiting room? Did you arrange that too?" Jared asked.

"Well, not purposely," Reid shrugged. "When we had to pre-register her for surgery, the admittance lady recognized me. I told them she was my fiancé, and today we were escorted there this morning. I don't think it's totally private though."

"Oh, it's private," Jared assured him. "When we came in and asked for Fallon, we were escorted passed several other waiting rooms full of people to that one."

They spent a few more minutes chatting and polishing off the coffee and muffins. Reid found that he did actually feel better after he'd eaten something. He felt a little steadier than he had before. After dumping their trash and putting their tray away, they headed back upstairs to wait.

Chapter 41

When Fallon woke she felt like a heavy blob. There was lots of noise, and lights, and talking.

"Shallow breathing," she heard someone say. Then a face came into view as a woman with a mask over her face bent down to speak to her. "Try to take deep breaths."

Fallon did as directed, but her chest felt too tight and the effort felt enormous. It was strange not being able to take a really deep breath, but Fallon was too tired to care. She just wanted to sleep. Still, she took as deep a breath as she could. The woman asked her a question and Fallon absently answered it.

"You probably won't remember any of this," the woman said kindly before turning to someone else. "She's awake."

Then suddenly she was moving. Her gurney was pushed down a hall, into an elevator, then down another hall. Then she was wheeled into a private room. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure. Turning her head to see who it was, her eyes focused on Reid. He smiled softly at her, as the nurses hooked up all of her equipment in the room. He looked haggard.

"This is for pain," one of the nurses said handing her a button attached to a cord. "Just push this button whenever you feel any pain. And, this is your call button. Push this button if you need anything."

Fallon nodded and returned her gaze to Reid. As everyone slipped out of the room, Reid dragged a chair closer to her bedside and took her hand.

"How are you?" he asked quietly, his voice almost a whisper. He looked like a man in mental agony. There was relief in his eyes, but also deep worry. His hair was standing on end as if he'd been constantly running his hands through it, and he had dark circles around his eyes. The worry in his eyes pulled at her heart. Fallon nodded and tried to smile but wasn't sure if she did. She was so groggy she didn't know what her body was doing. Her eyes must have slid closed because, the next thing she knew, she was opening them again to try and see Reid.

"Shelton, Alexa and the crew are chomping at the bit to see you. Are you up for them visiting for a moment? I won't let them stay long," Reid asked, sounding unsure.

Fallon nodded. She really didn't want to see anyone right now. Well, maybe Alexa and Shelton. They'd seen her sick, grumpy, and just not at her best. She really didn't even want Reid to see her like this. She must look a mess. But, her need to have him near her overrode her vanity. She couldn't believe how relieved she felt to see his face when she'd been brought to her room.

"I'll go get them so they can see you're alright. Then you can get some rest," he said, standing slowly. He walked out briefly and came back with Shelton, Uncle Andrew, and Alexa hot on his heels.

"Hey, Sweetheart," Shelton murmured as he sat in a chair on her left side. Reid stood while Alexa took his chair on her right side. Uncle Andrew stood near the head of her bed and looked down at her with emotion filled eyes. She thought she saw the flicker of alarm in his eyes when he first came in, but now his face was carefully expressionless. However, the moisture in his eyes gave away his deeper feelings. She turned her attention back to Shelton and Alexa and could see them both glancing around at all the equipment. She also began to do inventory. She had an I.V. attached to some machine, a catheter, and another tube coming from her abdomen somewhere. Holy crap, she must be full of tubes. She could only stare back at her friends and family and watch the emotions reflected in their faces. Her vision went blurry and she realized that her eyes were filling with tears again.

"Are you hurting?" Alexa asked almost in panic. Fallon lifted her hand to wipe her eyes only to feel the I.V. tubes pulling on that hand. So, she switched to her other hand and shook her head.

"I'm fine," she replied, glancing at Shelton and Reid whose faces also looked stricken. She winced at the sound of her hoarse voice. "Just tired and overwhelmed."

"She needs to rest," Reid stated.

"I don't want her to be alone," Shelton answered, glancing at Reid and then back at Fallon.

"She won't be," he said. "I'll be here. They even have a fold out bed for me to stay."

Shelton and Alexa looked at him curiously.

"Okay, but let me know when you need a break. Call me anytime, and I will be here," Shelton said to Reid. Then he turned back to Fallon. "Get some rest. I'll be back tomorrow."

After gently giving Fallon kisses on her forehead and squeezing her hand gently, Shelton, Uncle Andrew, and Alexa left saying they'd let everyone else know she was fine. Mrs. Connor, however, came in briefly just to give her a kiss and left.

When Fallon woke again, Reid was sitting in the chair near her bed staring at the screen of his iPad. He looked up at her slightest movement. Fallon had no concept of the time, but she could see through the window that the sun was going down. Realizing she felt like her stomach was so full she was going to explode, she pushed the pain medication button and drifted back to sleep. And, that was the way the night went. At one point, she woke to find Reid curled up on the pull-out bed sleeping.

Chapter 42

The next morning Fallon wanted nothing more than to stand up and move around.

"When can I walk?" Fallon asked the first nurse that came in.

"You want to walk?" the nurse asked in surprise. "Usually we have to encourage patients to get up and walk."

"Yes, I'd like to get up. I'm very uncomfortable. I feel like I've been in this same position for days. And, I can't turn on my sides or stomach, or lay flat, so I'm pretty much stuck in this semi seated position."

"Well, let me check with the doctor," the nurse smiled. "I'll be right back."

As soon as the nurse came back with the okay from the doctor, Reid was there to help her get up. She was so weak she couldn't even lift her legs without help. The feeling was terrifying. She paused for a moment to subdue her rising panic at feeling so weak. Getting to a seated position was like she'd been rock climbing or something. While she sat there, Reid secured all of her tubes to the roll about that her I.V. was attached to. She was amazed at the tubes and such that had to be secured to this I.V. machine just for her to be able to get up and walk. Reid helped her to her feet and she felt a wave of nausea. As she began to walk it got worse. She hadn't even made it to the door before she was backing up to sit back down on the bed.

"What's wrong," Reid asked in alarm.

"I'm nauseous," Fallon said in surprise pushing the button for the nurse. The nurse came quickly and Fallon told her what had happened.

"That happens sometimes. Let me put some nausea medication in your I.V. and then you can try again in a few minutes if you like. Your doctor has it in your chart that you could have this medication if needed."

Thankfully when Fallon tried again the nausea was gone. Now she only had to contend with being so weak that she walked slower than a turtle. She was pretty sure that Alexa's ninety-year-old grandfather would beat her hands down in a walking race. She timed herself and it took her eleven minutes to walk to the end of the very short hall. She couldn't move very fast nor move her feet to far from each other. Her balance was good, but she shuffled along like a very decrepit person.

"It's going to take me forever to get back to my room," she stated in frustration to Reid.

"Are you tired? Do you need to rest?" he asked in concern.

"No, it's just that it took me eleven minutes to go a distance it shouldn't have taken but a few seconds."

"Babe, you are doing really well. You aren't even needing to use this I.V. pole thing for support," he said patting her hip lightly. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Baby steps."

"Obviously baby steps are all I'm capable of," she grumbled as she began to make her way back down the hall to her room. Once inside she felt like she'd spent that twenty or so minutes on the elliptical at the gym doing sprints. She'd even broken a sweat. Pathetic, she thought. After she'd made her way to the bed and settled herself back in it, the phone began to ring. Fallon wanted a shower and to wash her hair. Not that she'd have the energy for it, but she hadn't showered in over twenty-four hours.

That twenty-four hours turned into five days. She'd needed Reid to help her at least towel off which had been slightly embarrassing. But, she couldn't stand not having some form of a bath. Reid had taken such good care of her. He helped her up each time she wanted to walk, helped her secure all of her tubes, put on her socks and shoes since she could no longer bend that far, and walked with her around the floor.

"You are doing really well," he said on the third day. "It only took you three minutes to make a circle around this area. That's huge improvement."

He was always so excited about every little accomplishment she had. Her bloating had gone down considerably. For someone who wasn't even allowed to eat, she'd blown up like a balloon after the surgery. When her doctor came to visit on the third day, she said she'd instruct the nurses to remove the catheter and I.V. in the morning. Once removed on the morning of the fourth day, Reid was there to help her to the bathroom along with the walking. Fallon was touched and overcome with emotion at Reid's attentiveness. After the first day, Shelton, Alexa, and the rest of the Connors visited daily. But, Reid wouldn't let anyone else take care of her. He only left briefly to get food for himself when someone was visiting. Because she wasn't able to eat anything but ice chips, he refused to eat in front of her. Everyone commented and gave Reid knowing looks and he didn't seem to mind at all.

"I guess it's too late for you now, Nick. Reid's got her now," Mrs. Connor said to Nick one day while they visited. Fallon flushed with embarrassment while everyone else laughed.

"You've got that right, Mrs. C," Reid replied.

On the fifth day, which was actually her sixth day without food since she wasn't able to eat twenty-four hours before her surgery, Fallon was finally cleared to eat solid food. She'd been cleared on the fourth day to have clear liquids, but broth, tea, popsicles, and juice were not satisfying. She'd had to wait until her body gave the signal that everything was working properly. Fallon was so excited she could finally eat something, she ordered three types of pudding, some mini burgers, a muffin, and any other thing that looked good on the menu when the cafeteria worker came to take her dinner order. She hadn't eaten in six days! Once they had removed her I.V. on the morning of the fourth day she'd actually started to feel hungry.

When the food finally arrived, she dug into a chocolate pudding cup. She slid the spoon in her mouth and savored the rich sweet taste before taking another spoonful and then another. However, after the fourth spoonful, Fallon noticed that she was beginning to feel full.

"What's wrong?" Reid asked watching her closely.

"I think I'm full?" she said curiously.

"Full?"

"Yes. I feel like I've eaten a lot of food, but I haven't," Fallon replied and took another spoonful. She was eating slower now, but after the next couple of spoonfuls she felt stuffed. "I can't eat anymore."

She looked down into the pudding cup. It wasn't even a whole cup of food and she was stuffed.

"Seriously?" Reid asked, looking amused.

"Seriously. I'm stuffed," Fallon said in bewilderment. "But, it's not even a cup of food. It's barely a half a cup."

So, I guess you won't be eating the rest of this will you?" Reid smiled. She rolled her eyes and smiled at him as she pushed the tray towards him.

"Just leave me the muffin," she said, shaking her head.

Reid made short work of the sliders, the other two pudding cups, and the other little dishes on the tray. He even drank the broth.

"Do you still feel stuffed?" he asked, eyeing the muffin.

"Yes. But, you can't have my muffin. If I get hungry in the middle of the night, I want to be able to eat something," she asserted.

"Fine," he said, bending over and giving her a quick kiss on the mouth. "You keep the muffin."

Fallon's doctor told her that if she tolerated the solid food, she could go home that night. Reid had to leave to pick up her prescriptions and wasn't sure if he would be able to get them all before the pharmacy closed. The pharmacy that her prescriptions had been called into was not a twenty-four hour, and they didn't have one of the prescriptions. So, Fallon ended up on the phone trying to get the prescription moved to another pharmacy.

"I don't want you coming home without your pain meds. We can't have you suffering in the middle of the night because I couldn't pick them up," he insisted.

Looking at Reid, Fallon felt that he needed a good night's sleep. The pullout wasn't very comfortable and he got very little sleep. She'd tried over and over again to get him to go home and get a good night's rest, but he refused. But, his nursing was taking a toll.

"I will stay the night here if you promise to go get a good night's sleep," Fallon said, trying to compromise again.

"I'm fine, Fallon –"

"No, you aren't, Reid. You are exhausted. So that's the deal. Take it or leave it," Fallon said stubbornly.

Reid finally left to go try and get her pain meds, groceries for the house, and run a few more errands. Fallon was surprised just how much she missed his presence. It wasn't like he was going to be away very long. Just the rest of the evening. She'd convinced him that it would probably be best if she stayed anyway to make sure she didn't have any problems, and he could get a good night's sleep. If he was planning on staying with her, which he told her and everyone else he would, then he would be taking care of her without the help of the nurses. When they'd asked her if someone would be home to take care of her once she was discharged, or if she needed to be released to a skilled nursing facility for recovery, Reid had spoken up before she could. She figured Alexa and Shelton would also be there, if Reid let them. So, he definitely needed at least one night of uninterrupted sleep.

Chapter 43

Fallon woke up at three in the morning missing Reid. She was happy that he was sleeping finally but felt very lonely in this hospital room by herself. She was wide awake for some reason, so decided to get up and brush her teeth and maybe take a midnight stroll around the floor. She needed to do something. Hopefully a walk would tire her out enough to probably go back to sleep. She was still very slow, but she could get out of the bed by herself now. Reid had brought her some shoes that she could slide on so she didn't need to bend down to lace them up. As she pushed herself to the side of the bed to get up, her cell beeped on the tray table beside the bed. She picked it up to see a text message from Reid.

Are you awake?

She sent one back:

Yes. What are you doing awake?

I can't sleep. Are you ready to come home now? Came his reply.

Yes, come and get me. Fallon texted back and laughed as tears pricked her eyes.

Reid was there by four in the morning with a bag of clothes for her to come home in. By five, Fallon was home and in the shower. Her doctor had given her permission to bathe as normal once she was home. A shower never felt so good. She even washed her hair. Reid helped her wash and rinse her hair, put on her lotion and night gown, and then they were crawling into bed. Reid was out like a light. Fallon smiled, knowing that he was finally getting some much needed sleep.

The rest of her recovery time wasn't so easy though. Reid insisted it was because she wasn't being patient and she wanted too much too fast. Her bowels had a mind of their own. One day she was constantly in the bathroom and the next she barely went at all. She couldn't do so many things for herself that she was always frustrated at having to ask for help. Everything seemed to wear her out, and she slept all of the time.

"You need to let Shelton come and take care of me, Reid," she insisted on one of her grumpier days. "You don't need to be stuck here with me day in and day out. Why would you want to be stuck her with an invalid? What if this doesn't change and I'm never going to be back to normal again?"

"You aren't an invalid. And, even if you were, I'd still be here with you," he replied patiently. "And, you are being too impatient and too hard on yourself."

"Why, Reid? What if I'm going to be having these issues forever?"

"You will be fine, Fallon. And where else would I be. I love you, no matter what happens," he said, looking into her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."

Fallon was speechless for a minute, shocked by his admission before she burst into tears. He'd never actually told her he loved her.

"I tell you I love you, and you burst into tears?" he frowned.

"I'm sorry," she smiled wobbly. "I'm just very emotional lately. I don't know why. I love you too."

Six weeks later, Reid walked in the door to find Fallon waiting for him. She'd gotten better and better. And, though she wasn't one hundred percent, he could see her confidence grow with each week as she progressed. They'd had a setback when she'd unexplainably started getting weaker and more tired. She'd planned to call the doctor in the morning, but the next morning she'd almost fainted and he ended up rushing her to the doctor. Turned out that she'd had extremely low iron and an infection. She'd been doing light workouts, which the doctor told her she'd have to stop doing until her iron came up. For the next week, she'd been too weak to do much besides lay around and sleep.

But when he walked in today, Fallon was in her underwear and giving him a look he was all too familiar with. While he'd been so worried about her, his libido had been subdued. But, as she'd gotten better and better, and he'd been helping her dress and bath it had re-awakened. Still, he'd waited for a sign from her that she was ready for intimacy. Each time she gained an independent milestone like not needing him to help her put on her shoes or bathe, his desire for her pulled closer and closer to the surface. Still, he waited for a sign. Now that she was giving him a very definite sign, he had to admit he was a little afraid. He didn't want to hurt her.

She was watching him carefully so he felt even more pressure. He tried not to show his own concern, least she take it to mean he didn't want her. He definitely wanted her.

"Reid?"

"What's up?" he asked, pulling her to him for a quick kiss.

"I was wondering," she started, sounding unsure. "Well, I mean, you haven't seemed very interested in sex lately..."

She trailed off looking away from him.

"I was just waiting for you to be ready," he said, smiling down at her. She looked back up at him in surprise. "But, are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."

"I would like to try," she said, biting her lower lip.

Reid couldn't believe his palms felt sweaty. He hesitated and her face began to fall. He gently pulled her in close and pressed his lips to hers. She relaxed against him. When she sighed he slipped his tongue in her mouth to taste her. It seemed like forever since he'd held her this way. From his body's response, he knew the rest of him had no reservations about making love to her. He picked her up and placed her gently on the bed. How was he going to do this? He lowered himself to the bed, careful not to put his body weight on her.

There lovemaking was very slow, which had them both going over the edge faster than he would have liked. It had been so long, and she'd felt so good. He'd turned her to her side, afraid that he might accidently put too much weight on her and found that this position opened wonderful new possibilities he was looking forward to exploring.

"Well, I think that went rather well," she said, smiling at him.

"Yes, it did," he grinned back. "So, since you are ready to resume your wanton ways, there's something else I think you are ready for."

"Wanton ways?" she protested in mock insult. "What else am I ready for?"

"Meeting my family," Reid said, watching her closely. Her smile disappeared and his heart fell.

"Your family knows about me?" she asked, looking confused.

"They know all about you," Reid said, trying to keep his voice neutral. "They were at the hospital waiting with us during your surgery. And, they have come down a few times just to check on us. They really would like to meet you."

Her face went blank. Reid wasn't sure what that meant. She just seemed to be considering his words.

"Why didn't you tell me they were there? Why didn't you spend some time with them?" she asked after a few moments.

"We are getting off the subject here," he said, going for lighthearted. "How do you feel about meeting my family?"

"I-I'm fine with it. I'm just surprised you told them about me?"

Reid scowled. "Why would that surprise you? Why would I not tell my family about the woman I love?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just getting used to the idea that you love me," Fallon shrugged and looked at the ceiling.

"Fallon, if you don't know I love you by now, you need your head examined," he said rolling over and frowning down at her. She smiled and touched his face.

"I do know, Reid. I'm just getting used to knowing it." She pulled him down for a kiss. "And, I love you too."

Reid was filled with so much joy and relief. Was it really going to be that easy? Fallon's doctor had told them that the pathology report after the surgery indicated that it was indeed a polyp that had just started turning cancerous. So, the whole thing hadn't been cancerous. And, the lymph nodes she'd been required to remove also showed no signs of cancer. Fallon would have to be monitored and tested for the rest of her life, but she was fine. So now Reid was ready to get on with making a life together. She didn't know it yet, but they would be making a life together. Baby steps, Reid smiled to himself.
Epilogue

Two months later, Fallon was standing in front of the mirror in Alexa's house examining the dress Reid had bought her.

"You look stunning!" Alexa was saying as Fallon looked at herself and chewed on her lip.

"I do like it. But, don't you think this is a bit too much cleavage?" Fallon asked dubiously. She was going to a party with Reid... a Hollywood premiere party. It wasn't for Reid's movie that he'd just finished shooting, but for another of his actor friends.

"I'm showing more skin than you are, Fallon. Do you think my cleavage is too much?" Alexa asked with mock insult.

"Yeah, but you're used to all of this. You run a modeling agency."

"True," she laughed. "But, you look fantastic. Now let's go!"

Fallon was grateful that both, Nick and Alexa would also be attending the premiere with her and Reid.

"Baby, you are breathtaking," Reid said from the doorway. The raw admiring heat in his eyes left no doubt in Fallon's mind.

"Told ya," Alexa winked as she made her way out of the room. She patted Reid on the shoulder as she exited. "Down boy."

Reid ignored her as Alexa laughed at her own joke and headed towards the living room where Nick was waiting for all of them.

"Thank you," Fallon smiled warmly at Reid.

"No. Thank you," Reid said, coming to stand before her. He pulled her into his arms and bent his nose down to run it gently up the side of her neck, before coming back up to look in her eyes. "Are you nervous?"

"No. Not really," Fallon answered truthfully. And, she really wasn't. Over the last eight weeks, she and Reid had spent a lot of time together. He'd even talked her into spending a few days with him in Cancun where he was filming. She stayed for one of the two weeks he'd been there. Since he'd changed his whole schedule for her, she figured it was only fair to change hers for him now that she was able to get around. She'd visited the movie set a few times, meeting his co-stars and all of the many other people on site for the movie production. But, most of the time she was out site seeing or just relaxing by the pool while he was busy shooting. He was gone for long hours and the shooting schedule seemed to encompass all hours of the day and night. But, when Reid wasn't shooting, he was with her. And, when he'd returned from his weeks of filming, he'd practically moved into her house.

This was her first Hollywood party, but she'd been to some of the production parties while she'd been on set with Reid. And, when they'd gone out a few times before and after the shoot, her picture had shown up in a few places. But, overall, her life hadn't been effected that much. The biggest change had been having Reid in her life constantly and meeting his family. She found they were much like the Connors. Reid and his family had gone a long way towards chasing the rainy day clouds away from her life. Reid was her sunshine after the storm.

Reid proffered his arm in a gallant gesture. "Shall we go before I change my mind and lock us in this room for the rest of the night?"

Fallon placed her arm in his and smiled. They had the rest of their lives to be locked in rooms together. She found she was looking forward to it.

Check out more titles by Marla Josephs at:

www.marlajosephs.net

Note

While the basic story is fiction, the events of my father's two-year battle with cancer and my own after his death is not. This book came from writing what came to me at the time I was dealing with my father's last days, his death, my grieving, and then my own subsequent diagnosis and treatment.

Never let doctors tell you that you are too young for something. I had to be very insistent on getting tested. I was told for almost a year that I was too young to get the tests I needed and misdiagnosed until I insisted very strongly that I be referred to GI. My insistence saved my life along with the grace of God.
