Maybe This Time (Maybe #1)(47)

“Okay, baby girl,” he says.

“I want you to be happy,” I tell him, smiling at him fondly. “You know I still have all the money you sent me sitting in a bank account.”

“Really? You didn’t spend any of it?” he asks, frowning.

“No, I didn’t want your money back then, dad. I just wanted you. I didn’t know the whole story, so I thought you were just paying me off for being absent.”

He closes his eyes and I curse myself for bringing it up. “Hey, I know it wasn’t like that now. And now I have money saved away for a rainy day,” I say.

“You want any more money you just gotta say the word, baby girl. I’m not hurting for it,” he says.

“I know, dad, but I’m okay and I like working for my own money,” I say.

He grins. “You’re a good girl.”

“I try,” I say, satisfied.

“You gonna feed me now?” he asks with a grin.

I laugh. “Of course, old man. Take a seat.”

After classes that day, I head to the library to study. With a heavy sigh, I pull out my text book and highlighter, and get straight to work. After an hour or so, I look up when I hear someone pull out the chair opposite me.

“So we meet again, Silas,” I say, amused.

Today, though, Silas doesn’t seem to have an easy smile for me. In fact, he looks a little worried.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah, why?” I ask, feeling suspicious.

“Just wondering.” Hmm.

“What have you got today?” I ask him, glancing down at his own massive text book.

“Commercial law,” he replies with a groan.

I grin. “Sounds so interesting.”

“It’s not. But it’s all about the end goal, right. I’ll be able to help people that need it,” he says quietly.

“Help people how? By sucking their blood?” I say, giggling. “Okay, I’m sorry, no lawyer jokes. Even though I have a shitload of them.”

Silas gives me an amused look, shaking his head at my antics. “You might need me one day. You know, to divorce your third husband or something.”

“What are you trying to say?” I demand, gasping in mock outrage.

“Nothing at all,” he says, smirking.

“Okay, I need to study so I’m going to ignore your presence for a little while. Don’t take offence,” I say, continuing with my work. After another hour, I’m done. I look over at Silas to see him chewing on his pen, brows scrunched in concentration. Not wanting to disturb him, I quietly pack my books and stand up to leave.

“Bye,” he says, glancing up from his work for a sec.

“See ya,” I say before I walk out. The sun hits my eyes as I exit the door, so I find my huge red sunglasses in the bottom of my bag and put them on. Xander calls these glasses my ‘bug’ glasses because they cover half my face. I prefer to think of them as my hangover glasses.

When I walk into my living room after an uneventful drive home, I’m surprised to see Reid lying down on the couch. His bare feet are hanging off the edge, and when I step closer I see he's wearing nothing but a pair of jeans.

Now, this is a sight I could get used to coming home to.

“This is a nice surprise,” I say, sitting on the edge of the couch next to his hip.

“Hey, beautiful,” he says, his voice thick. His blue eyes smile at me.

“Were you sleeping?” I lean over and nuzzle his neck.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Slide over, baby,” I say, trying to wedge myself in. Reid chuckles and lifts me up so I’m lying directly on top of him, every inch of our bodies in contact. “Someone’s happy to see me,” I say, grinning. I grind my hips into his, earning myself a throaty moan.

“Always happy to see my girl,” he says, smiling at me.

“Didn’t you have work today?”

“Nah, Ryan said it’s dead so there was no point going in.”

“That was nice of him.” I lay my head on his hard, warm chest. I run my fingers up his arm, feeling his smooth skin.

“How was class?” he asks, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

“Good, actually. I’m on top of everything,” I say, stroking his chest absently.

“On top of everything, indeed.” I roll my eyes at his lame joke.

“What are we doing tonight?”

When Reid stills, I look up into his eyes. “What is it?”

“Ryan told me what happened at dinner,” he says, his jaw set stubbornly.

“Yeah, that guy's an *,” I mutter.

“Yeah, he won’t be bothering you again,” he says, his voice sure and determined.

“What did you do?” I ask, frowning.

“Nothing yet, but I asked your dad to move the fight up,” he says, sounding smug.

I sigh. “Reid, what’s that gonna accomplish?”

“No one disrespects my woman.”

“Caveman.”

“You love my caveman tendencies,” he says, grinning.

“Only in the bedroom,” I admit, earning me a deep chuckle.

“Seriously?” I hear Xander growl as he enters the lounge room. I sit up off of Reid and smile up at my brother.