BARE_A Hollywood Romance Read online

  She looked up at him, surprise in her dark brown eyes.

  "But that doesn't mean I didn't think about you every day," he continued. "I am so sorry I messed up our second chance with that arrest, but I need you to know I want a third. And when I mess that one up, I want a fourth. And a fifth, and a sixth."

  Tears brimmed her lower lashes, but she kept her gaze on their hands clutched together between them.

  "I've made a lot of mistakes, Teag, but falling in love with you is not one of them." He carefully pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. "And whether it's eight years apart or two months, I'm in love with you, Teagan. I always will be."

  A flash in the corner of his eye caught him off guard. He looked to see several restaurant patrons had their phones out and were taking pictures of what probably looked like a romantic, intimate moment between lovers.

  Teagan's eyes widened. "We should get out of here."

  "Agreed." He grabbed a few bills out of his wallet and put them down on the table. Grabbing her hand, he led them out of the restaurant and made the first turn down an alleyway.

  She looked confused, but he stepped closer to her, backing her against the brick wall until he had her pinned. Her chest began rising and falling faster as his lips hovered over hers.

  "Teagan…tell me you feel the same way." His palm slid down her neck, cupping her jaw as his thumb gentle caressed her cheek. "Tell me you're as in love with me today as you ever were."

  "Reed, I told you two months ago that there was no hope left here," she reminded him, though her expression didn't match her words. "I…I told you."

  "And I told you that I was going to do anything I could to bring you back to me."

  She swallowed hard, placing her hand against his chest. "Things are different now, Reed. I have other…responsibilities…to think about."

  Reed shook his head. "Teag, if you want to look for a reason for us not to be together, you're going to find one. But I'm here now, and I'm telling you that I'm ready to devote everything I am and everything I have to you. Hell, I'd marry you right now. Let's go find a chapel and make it official. You're it for me."

  A small smile lifted the corners of her lips. "Reed, don't be ridiculous."

  "No part of me is joking," he replied, lowering his lips to hers again. He brushed against her gently, waiting for that hitch in her breath that told him she wanted this as badly as he did.

  Then, there it was, that tiny gasp as she leaned into him. Her breasts pushed against his chest, and he tried to ignore them, but really all he wanted was to pull off her shirt right then and there and have her nipples in his mouth. His mind was playing tricks on him because he was almost sure they seemed bigger than before.

  His lips pressed against hers, a soft moan escaping her and allowing his tongue to slide inside her mouth. Their bodies pressed tighter together, a frantic feeling coming over him at how desperately he needed her right then and there. He wanted to hitch up her skirt and plunge inside her right in this alleyway.

  He growled in her ear. "Fuck, Teag…"

  "Not here." She shook her head. "Not now. I…I have something to show you first."

  "Please tell me it's you naked and stretched out across my bed."

  Teagan giggled—literally giggled. He'd never seen her do that before. Hell, he'd never seen her this happy before. "It's not that. But kinda naked-body-related."

  "I'm intrigued. Where to?" He pulled his car keys out of his pocket and directed them back onto the sidewalk and in the direction of his car.

  "It's about ten minutes away," she replied. "I'll tell you how to get there when we're in the car."

  He frowned, but decided not to push further. She was a different version of the Teagan he knew—more confident, happier, and more take-charge. He liked it, and if it would bring her back to him, he was all for whatever she was about to show him.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  What the hell am I doing? Teagan sat nervously in the passenger seat of Reed's car as she tried to come up with some explanation for why she'd lost her damn mind.

  "Turn right, and then it's that parking lot up there," she instructed him.

  He eased the car into a parking spot and then put it in park. "An office building?"

  "You'll see." She climbed out of the car, and the moment they were by each other again, he took her hand. She didn't stop him, and she didn't pull away. She couldn't.

  She didn't want to.

  Trying to resist his advances over lunch had been the most excruciating thing she'd ever done, but she didn't want him to make any decisions until he knew the full truth. Learning about his last few months, and seeing the difference in his demeanor and spirit, it was everything she'd one hoped for from him. He was calmer, gentler, and there was a contentment in him that she'd honestly never thought she'd see.

  It was like he'd finally stopped running and embraced the demons that had been chasing him. And maybe they weren't demons at all.

  It was no wonder why she wanted to throw her arms around his neck and tell him how much she loved him, too. Because despite her constant denouncements and their multiple breakups, she felt exactly the same today as she did the first time she saw him walking toward her across the quad in college.

  But he needed to know what he was signing up for. He needed the full picture.

  She walked him into the building and down a back hallway, then quickly ushered him into an office before he could look around.

  "Ms. Reynolds," the receptionist greeted her. "Oh, and Mr. Scott." The older woman blushed deeply, like she had a secret, and suddenly Teagan wondered if this was a good idea.

  "Is Dr. Natividad available for a moment?"

  She nodded furiously. "Of course, of course. I'll go get her now. If you want to head back to the first exam room, she'll meet you there."

  "Teag," Reed lowered his voice. "What's going on?"

  She put a finger to her lips and led him back to the exam room. Small and humble, the room didn't boast more than the necessary medical equipment. She hopped up onto the table, watching the emotions and confusion pass over his face.

  "I don't understand." He was looking around the room for a clue. "Are you sick? Are you hurt? Is it your leg? None of this changes how I feel, Teagan. If that's why you're showing me this—it changes nothing."

  Her heart melted at his words, and when he leaned in to kiss her again, she held on a little longer.

  "Ahem," the doctor cleared her throat, and they quickly pulled apart. "Hi there, Ms. Reynolds. Mr. Scott, I presume?"

  "Hey, doc." He shook her hand. "I've got to admit, I'm a little out of the loop here."

  The doctor looked at Teagan for clarification.

  "Is it—I mean, can we show him?" she replied, the hints of a smile pulling on her lips.

  The doctor grinned. “I think we can make that happen.”

  She pulled a monitor over close to the exam table and settled into a chair.

  Teagan lay down flat then lifted her shirt. The doctor squeezed some gel onto her stomach, then pushed a wand against her slightly swollen abdomen. A loud noise came through the speakers—ba dum ba dum ba dum ba dum ba dum.

  Reed's eyes widened as he looked at the screen, then down at her. "Teag?"

  She smiled, unable to hold back her excitement.

  His jaw tensed and relaxed as he obviously struggled for words. "Teag, are you pregnant?" he finally managed to get out. "Are…are we pregnant?"

  Teagan slowly nodded her head, but the moment she confirmed it, he threw his arms around her and they almost toppled off the table. "Reed!"

  "I'll give you two a minute alone,” Dr. Natividad said with a smile as she left the exam room.

  "I'm sorry." He quickly righted them, tears streaming down his face. "I just…"

  "Are you crying?" She wiped the tears from his cheeks with her thumb.

  "Happy—so fucking happy—tears." He kissed her again, harder this time, and his tears mixed with hers. "Holy shit, Teag. We're
going to be parents." Suddenly he paused. "Oh, damn it. Jason's going to be fucking thrilled. I hate making that fucker happy."

  Teagan laughed, holding on to his shoulders for support since he was bouncing them all over the place.

  "Babe, I know I said that falling in love with you was the best thing I ever did, but that was wrong." Reed shook his head, then pointed toward the image on the ultrasound of their baby. "This…This baby is the best thing I'll ever do in my entire life. Teagan, this is the most amazing thing you could have ever done for me."

  "Uh, I didn't do this." She laughed, standing from the exam table and wiping the gel off her stomach. "You did this in my dressing room when you didn't use a condom."

  "Fine, I'll take the credit. Go, Reed. You're killing it at life, man." He pretended to pat himself on the back, and she just laughed harder.

  She offered him her hand. "Come on. Let's go home."

  "Yeah? Whose home?" He kissed the back of her hand as they walked down the hallway and into the waiting room.

  "I’ve been staying with my parents until I find a place big enough for the baby and me out here for when I’m filming Break Down 2. I’m still keeping my apartment in New York and plan to go back and forth until I can’t fly anymore. Or, at least, that was the plan." Teagan glanced sideways at him. "I'm not…I mean, I don't know…do you still want this? This is basically an insta-white-picket-fence family, and I just don't know if you're ready for that. Do you still want all the things you said at lunch now that you know?"

  He squeezed her hand. "I want it more."

  She wanted to believe him. But how many times had she believed him before?

  Teagan noticed a woman in the waiting room surreptitiously lifting her phone and aiming the camera in her direction. She quickly ducked her head, but it was probably a dead giveaway that she had one hand on her stomach, and the other hand in Reed's…in a gynecologist's office.

  "You know this is about to become front page news, right?" Reed whispered to her, leaning in closer.

  Teagan chuckled. "I really should have re-thought this whole tell-him-with-an-ultrasound plan."

  He shrugged, opening the front door for her as they headed for his car across the parking lot. "I kind of like it. Let everyone know." He cupped his hand by his mouth and started shouting. "The love of my life is having my baby!"

  "Oh, my, God! Reed!" She put her hand over his mouth, trying to muffle him. They were both laughing too hard to do any sort of damage control. "You're going to get us in so much trouble."

  As much as she loved hearing that he cared for her, and how happy he was, her heart was trying to put on the brakes. This man in front of her was incredibly different from any version of him she’d met before. She barely recognized this Reed. There was no doubt in her mind that he'd taken a lot of time over the last few months to reevaluate his life, and she felt a sense of pride in him knowing he'd been strong enough to do so much work on himself.

  "Are you kidding? Jason's going to be fucking thrilled. He's going to be planning how to make money off Peanut the moment he finds out." Reed growled, suddenly looking protective. "Don't worry. I won't let him."

  When they got to the car, he went to open the door for her, but then paused. Pressing her back against the car, he kissed her again. "Tell me now," he urged. "Now that I know, and there are no secrets left…tell me where we are."

  Teagan inhaled slowly. "I can't Reed. I just can't say it yet."

  As badly as she wanted to tell him that she loved him—she'd never stopped—and that she wanted to make them work, her fear held her back. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. She wasn't going to be the woman who went for a third time.

  Reed pulled her tighter against him, his hand stretched over her stomach. "We'll get there."

  She nodded, letting him kiss her because, God, there was nothing better than how his lips felt against hers. Now she just had to figure out a way to open her heart and trust he wouldn't break it…again.

  Chapter Thirty

  "Can you tell?" Teagan turned her body to the side and smoothed her hand over her belly. "This dress is practically a second skin."

  Reed grinned, having loved every minute of watching her get dressed for the movie premiere. Her dress was floor length and gold sequins that shimmered around her, elegant and breathtaking. He could stare at her all night—though he was seriously considering stripping the dress from her right then and there.

  "I think you should move in with me," he said, instead of answering her original question.

  Her eyes met his, a startled expression on her face. "What?"

  "Move in with me. Marry me." He took her hand and pulled her against him, letting his fingers trail down her bare back where the dress dipped low. "We're together, so let's be together."

  Teagan slid her tongue across her bottom lip, then shook her head. "You've lost your mind. It's too soon, Reed. We shouldn't even be having this conversation."

  "I've known you for over a decade—how is that too soon?"

  "That doesn't count, and you know it." Teagan stepped back toward the mirror and began putting on her earrings. "We're not going to get married just because we're having a baby."

  "I'm with you because I love you, Teag."

  The corners of her lips twitched into the hint of a smile. "Then there's nothing to worry about. We'll get there. Eventually."

  "I have to be honest," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and trying not to think about the diamond ring burning a hole in his pocket. He'd planned to propose to her later at the premiere, really make it romantic and special, but when he'd seen her just then…rubbing her hands over her belly, gorgeous in that dress. He hadn’t been able to help himself. He’d needed to ask her right then and there. "I really didn't expect you to turn me down."

  "Now you know what it feels like," she replied, chuckling and tossing a makeup sponge at him.

  He grinned, glad that they were in a place that they could joke about his mistakes early on in their relationship. "That's cold, woman."

  She shrugged, now placing a diamond necklace around her neck and then touching up the last of her makeup. "Are you almost ready to go?"

  "I've been ready." He waved his hands down the length of his body—a classic tuxedo that fit him perfectly. "Unless you want to take it off and start over."

  Teagan flashed him a teasing smile. "Think you have another round in you?"

  "Without a doubt." He leaned in and kissed her softly, taking care not to smudge her makeup. "Come on. The limo is waiting."

  She took his hand and then grabbed her clutch in the other. "Do you think this is a good idea? Showing up together?"

  "Babe, have you seen the headlines today?"

  Teagan shook her head. "I've been in a fitting since early this morning."

  Reed pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled to TMZ. Handing it to her, he watched her expression as she looked at the top story on their page.

  "Ugh.” She groaned. “That was fast."

  "I'd say the cat's out of the bag, Teag," he stated.

  "Thank God my family already knows. They'd be so pissed if this is how they found out," Teagan mused, handing him back his phone.

  "Oh, shit." Reed's eyes widened. "I should probably call my sister."

  Teagan grimaced. "Oops."

  "The moment the premiere's over, I'll tell her." Reed took her hand again, leading her out the front door and to the waiting limo. They climbed inside and settled on the backseat cuddled into one another.

  "How's my favorite Hollywood power couple?" Jason turned around to look at them from the front seat. "We should talk."

  "What the hell are you doing here, Jason?" Reed's brow furrowed as Jason climbed out of the passenger seat and came around to join them in the back.

  "Scoot over," he instructed.

  Reed and Teagan acquiesced, though neither were happy about it.

  "So, first of all, thanks for keeping me in the loop about your big baby
reveal to the world." Jason's sarcasm was thick, but his excitement was still easy to see.

  "It wasn't really a planned moment," Teagan defended herself, placing a hand over her stomach. She was barely showing, but now that he knew, Reed was acutely aware of the slightly rounded swell of her belly.

  "Fair enough," Jason replied. "But, second, now we need to plan what you're going to say. The reporters on the red carpet are going to be all over this story."

  "We can just say we're in love and having a baby." Reed shrugged his shoulders. "Seems simple enough."

  "Nope. You've got to add the movie in there—promote the fuck out of it. Say you fell in love on camera, and this baby is a direct result of Break Down."

  "Ew." Teagan grimaced this time. "That sounds weird."

  "Driver!" Reed called out to the front, rolling down the barricade between them. "Can you stop the car?"

  The driver slowed the limo, still only a few feet out of his driveway.

  "Call a cab, Jason." Reed opened the door for him. "We're going alone on this one. The only third party needed in this relationship is our baby."

  Jason rolled his eyes. "Don't be dramatic, Reed."

  "Seriously. Out." Reed pointed toward the open door.

  Jason's nostrils flared and he exhaled loudly. "Fine, but we're meeting Monday to talk baby endorsements."

  "No, we're not," Reed called out after his retreating figure as he climbed out of the car. There was no way he was going to use his future child as a money-making machine, nor was he going to let anyone else do that either. Reed closed the car door behind him. "Driver, you can continue. Thank you."

  Teagan's hand was in front of her lips, but it was clear she was smiling and trying not to laugh.

  "What?" he asked.

  She shook her head. "I'm just so glad someone finally stood up to him." She was laughing now. "His face was priceless."