Chapter 8
Amy woke up, doubled over in excruciating pain. What on earth? No no no! Today was swim day at the gym and she was eager to increase her lap count. Attempting to get up, she realized she couldn’t stand, so she crawled to the bathroom, where she realized exactly why she was in so much pain. It had been months since she had had a period this bad, and she thought it was because of the exercise. But she couldn’t even walk without wanting to scream. There would be no exercise today. Slowly making her way to the kitchen, she got a bottle of water and the meds the doctor had prescribed for such a time as this, and then made her way back to her bed, getting the heating pad set up. Oh! Before she zoned out, she needed to let Rhett know she wouldn’t be there today. Sigh. He had become so very important. She was ready to toss caution to the wind and sleep with him. He was funny, smart, caring, and drop-dead gorgeous. Only, he didn’t see himself like that, at least not like most men would. Grabbing her phone, she sent him a quick text letting him know she was under the weather and wouldn’t be there today.
Letting the meds work, her last thoughts were that sometimes, she hated being a girl.
Hours later, hearing a knock on her door, she carefully made her way down the hall and peering through the peephole, saw Rhett standing there.
Feeling self-conscious, because she was still in her sleepwear and her hair was somewhat willy-nilly all over, she opened the door. “Hey, I didn’t expect to see you today. Did you get my text?”
Looking at her carefully, he could see she was in pain by the way she was holding herself. “Yeah, darlin’, I did, but I wanted to check on you myself, especially when you didn’t answer your phone. I got worried. Now, can I come in so you aren’t flashing anyone but me?”
Rolling her eyes, she opened the door wider to let him in, then closed and locked it behind him.
“So, what’s wrong, darlin’? Your text was a bit vague.”
Oh lordy, how on earth did she answer this one? Feeling her face flush, she looked somewhere over his shoulder and said, “Sometimes, I get horrific cramps at the start of my period. Today was one of those days.”
He could tell her admitting that was embarrassing to her, and he decided to put her mind at ease. “Okay, then, do you have anything you take when that happens? What helps? What can I do to help? I know you’re training, but one of my sisters swears by chocolate while another swears by wine.”
“Um, well, I have pain meds from the doctor, and I usually lay with a heating pad and pray for a quick death.”
“No, no dying on my watch! Okay, well, how about you go take a hot shower and I’ll get your bed changed and order some Chinese take-out, so we can watch stupid movies while you rest?”
“That sounds heavenly! Lots of duck sauce, please, and I love pepper steak! I’ll be out as soon as possible. Thank you, Rhett. No one has ever done this for me. I try not to succumb to it, but for whatever reason, this morning it hit hard.”
Thirty minutes later when she came out of the bathroom, refreshed but with the pain ramping back up, she saw him sitting up against her headboard with the take-out food on trays. He watched as she slowly walked across and over to her side of the bed, before she sat down and then scooted back so her back was against the headboard too. “Okay, darlin’, I’m sure you have to eat before you can take any more medicine, so let’s do that, okay?”
“Um, yeah, sure. Thank you.”
While they ate, he took the remote and found a marathon of Tyler Perry movies. She didn’t know it yet, but he wasn’t leaving. Seeing her like that, almost smaller than normal as she tried to hunch from the pain, had his heart beating even faster. “What do you think, darlin’? I’ve seen a lot of these, and they’re pretty funny.”
“Oh yes, I love Madea! Not sure how much laughing I’ll do, but this is fine with me.”
Cleaning up their lunch, he got her meds and another bottle of water, made her take them, then pulled her down so she was draped across him with the heating pad laying on her abdomen. As she lay there, he began massaging along her waistline, hoping to release the trigger points and help ease her pain. Hearing her moan, he couldn’t wait until that moan was for an entirely different reason. Soon.
Chapter 9
“Rhett! You cheated!”
“Ah, no I didn’t darlin’, I was ahead of you all the way! Now, time to pay the bet up!”
Grinning, she walked over to him and reaching up, pulled his head down to her and gave him a quick peck on the lips before she darted away. “Ah, she’s being funny today! C’mere, darlin’, and give me a real kiss.”
Oh he loved this sassy side of her that was showing up, now to get her to pay up! Grabbing hold, he pulled her closer and, framing her face, leaned his forehead against hers. “Waiting on you, darlin’, you going to pay up now?”
Grinning, she looped her arms around his neck and closing her eyes, she proceeded to knock his socks off, kissing him thoroughly and with a great deal of enthusiasm. And then, he took over and the kiss hit a level on the stratosphere that she was sure hadn’t been discovered yet! Holy smokes! Thank goodness she was sweaty from their run. The extra wetness she was feeling could be explained away.
Without breaking the kiss, he let go of her face with one hand and pulled her closer into him, as he continued to show her with his lips and tongue exactly what he wanted to do with her. Since hanging out with her that day a month ago when she got her period, he had worked to insinuate himself into her life as much as possible. He swam with her, challenging her to increase her lap count, spotted her when she was doing her weights, and of course, running with her every other day. She was up to seven miles at a good, steady pace, and he knew she was going to do well when they ran the 5k. Finally breaking the kiss, he brushed her hair off her forehead and said, “Amy, you’re killing me. I want you so much and am trying my damndest to exercise patience, but I have to warn you, it’s wearing a bit thin. Throw me a bone, darlin’, and tell me we are moving in the right direction.”
Looking at him through her lashes, she said, “Yeah, we are. Um, I have to grab a shower before I do a teleconference for my next job. Can you come for dinner tonight?”
“Would love to. Need me to bring anything?”
“Just yourself. I’ve got it under control.”
“Then I’ll see you when I leave the gym, darlin’, and if I do need to grab anything, you be sure to shoot me a text, okay?”
“Yes, sir!” she answered, rather smartly. Giving her a light smack on the ass, he kissed her on the forehead and helped her get into her car.
Chapter 10
Amy put the salsa chicken together in the crockpot and set it on low. She had stumbled across the recipe quite accidentally and found it to be flavorful and filling. Hopefully, Rhett liked it as well. Now that all the dinner preparations were done, she had time to buzz through her house and straighten it before heading to get cleaned up. Taking time in her shower, she shaved her legs and then proceeded to agonize over what to wear. Finally deciding that her normal yoga capris would work, she found a top from her recent shopping expedition and finished getting ready. Rhett didn’t know it, but she was ready to take their relationship to the next level. Now, how on earth did she communicate that to him? Her experience level was close to zero, and she had never felt the way she did for him. Hmm, the race was in two months…no, she couldn’t wait that long to find out what being his felt like. Their relationship was unlike anything she had ever had before, he treated her with respect and affection, and they had developed somewhat of a routine. With a little time before he arrived, she went ahead and made a salad and the brown rice that they would put the chicken over, plus a batch of fresh steamed green beans.
Arriving at Amy’s, he thought of the day after leaving her earlier. While working out with one of his buddies, they had overheard two of the women who worked out somewhat regularly talking about Amy, unaware that he was right there. As he spotted his friend, Harry, he couldn’t believe how denigrating they had
been toward her, downing her on everything from what she wore to work out to the fact she wasn’t stick thin like they were. About to say something, he saw Harry shake his head slightly and then watched as he proceeded to go up one side and down the other on them, telling them that their petty behavior was likely one reason why they were still single, that every member he knew admired the petite redhead’s determination to get healthy, and that even before she started shaping up, she was still more woman than they could ever hope to be. As he and Harry walked away, he could still see their jaws hanging open, and if he wasn’t mistaken, they both looked somewhat embarrassed at how they had shredded another person’s character so thoroughly.
Reaching her door, he was about to knock when she opened the door, smiling widely at him. “Hey Rhett! Just in time, I have dinner about ready to serve up. I hope you’re hungry!”
Hungry? Yes, yes he was very hungry, but not for whatever she had made that smelled so darned good. He was hungry for her. Stopping her with a hand on her arm, he pulled her close and kissed her hello. “Hey, beautiful. How was the rest of your day?”
“Good, actually. Did some errands, whipped up a culinary masterpiece and slaved over a healthy yet tasty dessert.”
“It smells good, darlin’, really good.”
Headed into the kitchen, he watched as she brought everything to the table, then got them drinks. As they sat and ate, he could tell something was on her mind, and wondered how to get her to spill the beans.
“Darlin’, you okay? You seem to have something on your mind. Want to tell me about it? Hopefully by now you realize I’m a helluva good listener.”
“What? Oh, well, I realized something today but I’m not sure how to go from where I’m at to where I want to be.”
“Well, that’s kind of vague. Personal, professional or to do with your lifestyle change?”
“Um, personal. Like I said, I realized something but have no clue how to communicate it to the person involved.”
“Straight-forward and honestly is always the best way, darlin’, don’t you think?”
“Yeah…well, it kind of has to do with us,” she said.
Us? Hmmm, perhaps his girl was finally on the same page he was on.
“Us? How so?”
Looking at him and blushing, she said, “Yeah, us. Rhett, I think I’m ready to take our relationship to the next level, but I’m nervous as hell.”
“Darlin’, why nervous? It’s just me. And you. And I know you know how much I desire you. I thought I had made that obvious.”
“Yeah, you have, but I’m not…I mean, well…hell, this shouldn’t be so difficult! I’m not that experienced and I don’t want you to be disappointed.”
Realizing that what he said next would set the tone and that his first goal was to get her to relax, he reached over and took her hand in his and said, “Darlin’, I don’t think either of us will be disappointed. Now that I know, we’ll take it slow and steady, okay?”
Exhaling, she squeezed his hand and said, “Yes. We can do that, but you’ll be patient, right?”
Laughing inside, he looked at her and pulling her close, kissed her on the tip of her nose before saying, “Absolutely. As patient as I can be after having pictured you in every fantasy since meeting you.”
“Oh lordy, should you have told me that?! What kind of pressure does that put on me? The reality is never better than the fantasy, at least that’s been my experience.”
“Well, darlin’, you’ll just have to wait and see. No pressure. Ever. Anything we do will be because we both want it. Now, how about we clean this up and go watch the sun set on the back deck?”
Standing up, she started gathering the dishes while he did the same. She loved her back deck, part of it was screened in for comfort, and the other part was open with her grill. She knew they would probably end up on the chaise she had out there and her pulse quickened. Would it be tonight? Or would he wait? Throwing caution to the wind, she decided whenever would be fine, sooner rather than later, but at least he knew so the ball was in his court.
He could see the wheels turning in her head, wondering if he would make a move tonight. As much as he wanted to, he wasn’t prepared and wouldn’t put her in that position, especially since they hadn’t discussed anything like birth control. Besides, he really wanted her in his bed for that first time.
As they grabbed some drinks and headed out to the back deck, he pulled her in close and gave her a quick kiss. “Darlin’, no worries for tonight, okay? I wasn’t prepared to hear that, although I’m ecstatic, and have nothing here for birth control.”
“O-okay. Yeah, I’m not on anything either. Guess we need to talk some more, huh?”
Getting her comfortable, tucked alongside him on the chaise, he leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, “Yeah, darlin’, we need to talk some more.”
He knew from their prior kisses that she lit up whenever he touched her and like always, he planned to push the envelope just a bit this evening, given the news she had just shared. Pulling her close, he angled his head toward her and began dropping kisses on her lips, occasionally swiping his tongue over her bottom lip. Hearing the small moan in the back of her throat, he curled her almost underneath him, entwining their legs so she could feel just what she was doing to him, and proceeded to kiss her with all the desire and want he had previously held back.
Holy shit! She thought he had kissed her before, but right now, her brain was misfiring, all pleasure sensors were on go and all he had done was take this kiss to a level unlike anything she had ever experienced before. As one hand played in his hair, the other gripped his t-shirt close to his waist. Ohmygosh, he felt so good. As he continued dropping kisses on her eyes, her cheeks, behind her ear, she felt like molten putty in his hands. He had touched her before, but now, his hands felt as if they were branding her, marking her as his. She could feel every place his hands and lips had been and her heart? Felt like it did after they completed their run. His hands ran up her side to just below her breasts and she could feel them getting heavier even as her nipples tightened. She felt like one giant ball of nerves and knew that she could potentially spontaneously combust if he kept it up. At that thought, a giggle bubbled up and she opened her eyes when she felt his forehead touching hers. “If you’re giggling, darlin’, I must not be doing something right,” he softly said.
“Um, no, I was thinking about how good I’m feeling and then thought that I might just spontaneously combust if we keep this up, which made me giggle. You’re…you’re doing just fine.”
“Well, darlin’, I definitely don’t want you spontaneously combusting on me, but I love how responsive you are to my touch.”
“Um, it’s never been like this, Rhett. Ever. Kind of feel like I’m on the top of one of those giant rollercoasters about to head down and then around and upside down, if you want the truth, but I like it.”
Reaching up, he cradled her face as he looked at her, seeing just how turned on she was, and he resolved that tonight, even though they couldn’t get to the “good stuff”, he was going to continue to rock her world. Kissing the tip of her nose, he said, “Amy, I’m gonna take your shirt off, darlin’, so I can see what I’m feeling.”
“O-okay.”
Leaning back, he helped her take her shirt off, and went ahead and removed his as well, wanting to feel her skin against his own. Looking down at her, face flushed and lips swollen, he reached down and cupped her breast through the lacy bra she was wearing. Rolling his fingers back and forth, he could feel her nipple hardening, even as a look of what appeared to be wonder crossed her face and a low moan sounded from the back of her throat. Unable to resist, he leaned back in and gently nipped her nipple through the bra, which elicited a small yelp and another moan. Pulling the strap down, he saw the dusty rose-colored nipple, puckered and waiting for him. As he proceeded to suckle and lick and gently nip her, he felt her hands threading through his hair and heard the low moans. Sexiest sounds he had ever heard. Shifting
her around without releasing the nipple he was loving on, he released the other breast and then began stroking it before moving his head.
“Oh, Rhett,” he heard on a breathy sigh. “That…that feels wonderful.”
Stopping for a moment, he looked at her and, realizing he might need to slow it down a bit, curled her even closer, and said, “Darlin’, I gotta ask, you’re so responsive to me, did your ex not enjoy you like this?”
“Um, well, no, not really. He was kind of the get it and go type and since he was the only one I’ve been with, I had no clue that I could feel like this.”
Comprehension dawned on him – her ex did not take care of her and likely, any foreplay they engaged in was minimal at best if her reactions were anything to go by.
“Well, beautiful, this is foreplay and I’m enjoying learning what you like. And, based on how you are reacting to what we’ve done so far, my guess is that your worries about me being disappointed can be thrown away. I can smell your arousal and feel the heat your pussy is putting off through your pants.”
Ducking her head and blushing, she mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, “I’m sorry,” so he lifted her head and looking into her eyes, said firmly, “There’s nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart, I am loving this with you and wish we could take it all the way. Nothing between us is wrong as long as we both want it, yeah?”
She could see the truth in his eyes and, taking a deep breath, nodded. “Thank you, Rhett. I know I don’t have the experience you’re used to, but I’m a quick learner.”
Closing his eyes against the feelings that welled up in him, and silently cheering that it appeared he would be giving her some new experiences after all, he said, “Talking is over now, at least for a while.” And with that, he captured her lips again as his hands began leisurely running back down her body. He hadn’t lied to her, he could feel the heat and if he wasn’t mistaken, she was soaked. For him. Somehow, he recognized that this was new for her, even if she wasn’t a virgin. Running his right hand down and across her stomach, he felt her flinch and then relax, which confirmed his suspicions that foreplay was non-existent for her previously. “Darlin’, I can tell you’re soaked for me and I cannot wait to taste your sweet pussy.”
Scars of the Soul Page 3
