The Risks we take

Twenty One

Reed

I slammed the door closed behind us, pressing Sloane into the door as I turned the key in the lock and tossed the keys in the general direction of the bowl I keep them in. My lips were far too occupied with hers to give a fuck about where they ended up.

"Off-" Sloane pulled at my tee-shirt and I laughed.

"Let me get you upstairs first."

"No. Off." She pulled again.

"You're literally wear that guys shirt-" She scowled at me again. Wrinkling her forehead so hard I had to stop myself laughing. She's so fucking cute. In one move, she reached down, pulling the hoodie and tee-shirt off. Leaving her in just her pants.

"Off." I wasn't going to fight her. "You know that top is the first one I've seen you wear that isn't a first off, a shirt, second, isn't black or white."

"You like it?" I pulled her up, wrapping her legs around my waist. Sloane nodded. "Then I'll buy more."

"Just for me though."

"What?"

"Just wear them around me. Not for anyone else." She pushed her slender fingers through the front of my hair, sending goosebumps across my skin as I laid her back down into my bed. Where she'd be staying. Not in the spare room. If he was going to show up at her place I'll be moving her in here tomorrow. "You look good in a little colour."

"My girl less than 5 minutes and you're already jealous of people looking at me."

"Please, I don't need to be your girl to be jealous." She pulled her lip between her teeth as I kissed along her neck.

"Well, you're mine so be as jealous as you want darling. I'm not letting anyone else touch you."

"Now who's jealous?"

"Me. In fact. I might get you a jumper with my face on."

"I won't wear it."

"Are you sure? What if I promised you wearing that would get you something special?"

"Is it what you're going to give me anyway?" I smiled at her "Because I mean, if it's supposed to be a treat, you probably shouldn't give it out so easy."

"Oh, is that so?" She giggled. A sound I would give anything to hear again. "You're a little cocky you know." I fell into the bed beside her, too content with having her here with me to ruin it right now. There'd be more than enough time to be between her legs.

"Aren't you going to?"

"I honestly just want you close right now Princess."

"Close?"

"Mhm." I nodded, wrapping her legs around mine until I could feel more of her against my skin than without her. "5 years, 4 months and some stupid amount of days I've known you existed Sloane. And yet this is the first time I have wanted you close and not just to tear into you. I'm trying to work out how I landed you because god knows you're so far out of my league. I don't want you to start feeling like that's all this is to me. It's how it started sure, but I've learned so much about you since you got here this time Sloane and I know there's still an encyclopaedia worth of things and I want to know it all. I want to know what you had for dinner six years ago and the name of your Kindergarten teacher and every secret you've never told anyone."

"I don't have secrets."

"You have to have some secrets Sloane. Everyone does."

"You have secrets?"

"From other people. Yes. Not you."

"What secrets?"

"That I'm adopted. My mom owning the diner. That I own 4 coloured tee-shirts. That's it. All my secrets."

"Only 4?"

"Why would I need more?"

"I don't know. Vacations?"

"My vacations are to Washington or away for the Critic Prints. That's it."

"You don't go on holiday? Like proper holidays. Somewhere sunny."

"New York gets sunny." Her mouth fell open and I blew a puff of air into it, laughing when she snapped it shut, blinking quickly at me.

"I'm taking you on holiday."

"You're not-"

"AP!"

"Sloane-"

"Nope. No if's buts, but plenty of coconuts."

"Is that another British term I should get used to hearing?"

"Mhm." She yawned. "I don't have my meds."

"What meds?"

"My anxiety meds. My spares are in my bag which is still at Zak's and my others are at the office."

"You have anxiety meds?"

"Secret number one I guess." Sloane closed her eyes. Lashes fluttering against my bare chest like butterfly wings. "I was a little high at the awards. If it's bad, I have some CBD oil."

"Weed?"

"I mean I have that too but not when my parents are here. They don't know it's that bad. They know about the meds. Only me you and Drew know about the oil. Logan caught me smoking a blunt after the shooting at the bar when he came to check on me at home. Didn't know about the meds until then."

"Why do you keep it hidden?"

"Can you imagine if it got out? I run how many papers? If people found out it all gets too much sometimes and I have to drug up they'd start thinking I couldn't handle it and that makes me an easy target for people like your dad. Imagine what he'd do if he got that information. Especially considering weed can be such a touch subject. It's not legal in the UK so lord knows what I'm going to do when I go home."

"You're going home?"

"Well yeah. Eventually. That was the plan. Set this up for a year. Make the changes, get it running in the background and be home for Christmas. Have 3 or 4 trips back here a year to check in."

"Okay."

"Sorry. Now's a bad time to drop that-"

"No. It's not you didn't need to tell me before. 3 or 4 trips a year?"

"Yeah. Once a quarter pretty much." I nodded against her head, placing kiss on her forehead as she looked up at me.

"I haven't been to London before. I reckon I could take this little job I've made myself on the road."

"Really?"

"Well, the other option is only seeing you 4 times a year Sloane and that's just simply not happening. You need me to move to London then I'll start looking into it Princess. I've told you, you're mine."