In the cab, Reid kept his arm around Chloe, her body pressed against his side. He moved his hand over her arm in a soothing manner, occasionally leaning forward to look at her and ask if she was okay. Chloe hated the way her heart raced when their eyes met. How her skin tingled and heated from his touch.
When the cab came to a stop in front of the hotel, Reid paid the driver and stepped out of the car. Chloe slid across the seat, her eyes widening when Reid took her hand and helped her out. As soon as she stepped onto the sidewalk, Reid wrapped his arm around her once more and led her into the hotel. Through the lobby, in the elevator, and down the hall to her room, he never let go.
Once inside, he grabbed the empty ice bucket. “I’m going to grab some ice. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” Chloe moved into the bathroom and dropped the towel from her face. The sight of dried blood covering the lower half of her face made her wince. The pain had lessened, but her nose was still a little swollen and red. It wasn’t broken, but she expected to use a lot more concealer than usual over the next several days.
She looked down at her body and grimaced. She was a complete mess. Unlacing her boots, she tossed them out into the bedroom and grabbed a washcloth. Steam rose from the sink as she held the cloth under the warm water. When she looked into the mirror, she froze. Reid stood in the doorway, a bucket of ice in his hand. Their eyes locked in the reflection as he walked to her side and set the bucket on the counter. The intensity of his gaze caused a shiver to run up her back and her breath to still. He’d never looked at her like that before, but she wanted him to do it again and again.
Without a word, he pulled the washcloth from her grasp and lifted it to her face. With gentle motions, he wiped away the blood. Chloe’s chest ached, her lungs burning from the breath she refused to take. She was afraid to move, afraid of breaking the spell they’d fallen under. Reid dropped the cloth on the counter and cradled her jaw with both hands. He turned her head ever so slightly from side to side, inspecting every inch of her face. She felt exposed, vulnerable.
“I’m so sorry about what happened,” he whispered.
Chloe wrapped her fingers around Reid’s wrists and smiled. “It wasn’t your fault. That guy was completely wasted.”
“Doesn’t make me any less sorry.” He stared at her in silence. A sense of loss swelled inside Chloe as she waited for their connection to break, for the moment he would drop his hands and step away. Chloe shuddered when, instead of letting go, he swept his thumb across her cheek. “Thank you for the song tonight. No one’s ever done anything like that for me.”
Chloe smiled and her shoulders relaxed. “Well, I knew buying a gift was pointless. You already have everything you want, and if you don’t, I’m sure you’d have no problem getting it.”
An emotion Chloe couldn’t decipher, yet caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach, flickered across Reid’s face before vanishing as quickly as it appeared. “You know the saying—you can’t always get what you want.”
Chloe hummed and swayed slightly. “But if you try—”
“I might get what I need,” Reid murmured, his voice low, his eyes filled with conflicts Chloe didn’t dare to try to decipher.
“I want that for you more than anything. I hope you know that. It’s why I did what I did for you tonight.”
Reid blinked, his confusion clear. “What?”
Chloe mimicked his expression. “Inspiration,” she said, the word sounding like a question. “I want you to get your words back.” Chloe’s eyes widened before she diverted her gaze to the floor. Embarrassment heated her skin and she shifted her body away from Reid. “God, I feel really stupid right now. I had them bring you to the club because I’d hoped playing ‘The Weight’ would work like playing Creedence did. But saying it out loud made me realize how completely absurd it sounds.”
Reid halted her retreat and shook his head in mock disapproval. “What kind of Jedi trainer are you? Second-guessing yourself is a rookie mistake. Always go with your gut.”
Chloe laughed softly, her eyes reflecting the relief coursing through her body. “I never thought I’d see the day when you used my obsession with all things Star Wars against me. Maybe your training is complete.”
Reid smiled and slid his hands from her face to her shoulders and down her arms. “I have much to learn, Master.”
Before Chloe could reply, there was a knock at the door. The bubble Reid and Chloe had formed around themselves burst as Reid dropped his hands and stepped back. Chloe shifted her weight and looked over Reid’s shoulder toward the door.
“I better get that.”
Reid nodded and moved to the side. Chloe walked past him, the backs of their hands brushing against each other. His footsteps echoed behind her as she made her way to the door and opened it. Greer, Inky, and Drew stood in the hallway, their faces pinched with concern.
“Chloe, are you okay?” Inky asked, stepping into the room and wrapping Chloe in a hug.
Chloe nodded and waved for the others to come in. She cut her eyes to Reid, whose gaze darted from Chloe to Greer.