“Hey,” I say awkwardly with a toss of my hand.
Rhett doesn’t say anything. No, that would be simple. And God forbid Rhett do anything the simple way. Never breaking eye contact, he walks straight to me. Standing toe-to-toe, he reaches his hand to the side of my neck with his thumb stroking my jaw. He places a kiss on the corner of my mouth.
“You look gorgeous, M,” he whispers as he squeezes my neck lightly before dropping his hand. He takes a step back and grins at me. “Shall we?”
It’s not until he reaches for my hand that I realize I’ve been holding my breath. I slowly let it out and take his hand. I make eye contact with Cam, who’s fanning her face and mouthing the word “hot.” Goof.
“Before we go, I need to do something,” Rhett says, reaching for his back pocket. He pulls out a silky black blindfold. I only get a second to be confused about it before Cam snatches it out of his hand.
“Holy shit, Rhett! Blindfolds are totally hot, and on a first date, no less! You are more kinky than I gave you credit for!” I shoot her a death glare before looking to Rhett and raising one eyebrow. I’m still trying to figure out what the thing is needed for.
“Never doubt my abilities, Cam.” He smirks as he grabs the blindfold back. “M, just trust me. I want this to be a surprise, so I would be ever so grateful if you would wear this until we reach our destination.” He clasps his hands together, pleading. Even though his tone is joking, his eyes are begging me to give him this.
“I always trust you. But if you try anything sneaky, I’ll throat punch you.” I bat my eyelashes and give my best fake smile before turning around.
He has the blindfold securely in place before he leans in to whisper in my ear, “Define sneaky.” I have no time to respond before I’m whisked out the door and off to whatever adventure this crazy man has planned.
We’ve been in the car for a while—at least it feels like a while. We’ve talked about everything and nothing, but it has been wonderful. There hasn’t been a moment of awkward silence. We’ve laughed and shared, and I’m more at ease now than I have been in so long.
“Here we are!” Rhett says, with what sounds like a mix between excitement and worry.
The car rolls to a stop before he’s out and opening my door. He grabs my hand and leads me a little ways through what feels like grass. He positions me right where he wants me before he comes to stand behind me.
“Welcome home, M,” he says quietly as he removes the blindfold. I blink a few times, adjusting to the low light. When my eyes take in everything before me, I am momentarily stunned silent.
I’m staring up at something I never thought that I would see again: our treehouse. The place where I went to grieve the loss of my mom and find acceptance of my new family. The place where Rhett held my hand and vowed to always be my best friend. The place I clung to as my sanctuary for two of the most traumatic years of my childhood.
It’s been repainted recently, and the inside is lit up. The memories begin to flood my mind, and I can’t form a complete sentence. I look to Rhett with tears in my eyes.
“What? I mean, how? Rhett, what in the world?”
“Linda moved to Georgia a few years ago to be closer to her son. The timing was just right. I was able to buy this house for a great deal. And this was something I could never part with,” he explains, gesturing to the treehouse. “C’mon up, M. Let’s have dinner.”
He flashes me a smile and helps me up. I crawl through the makeshift door that’s still hanging on the front, and I take in all that is our treehouse. Twinkling lights are strewn across the ceiling, providing a soft light. Two new red beanbags sit on one end. A basket and a bottle of wine sit in the middle of the floor. I climb onto the beanbag directly across from the door and watch as Rhett climbs through.
“Dinner is served,” he says as he reaches for the basket. “Peanut butter, jelly, and bananas.” He hands me a sandwich. Peanut butter, jelly, and bananas—my absolute favorite sandwich. I used to beg my mom for these when I was little. If I had it my way, I would have eaten them for every meal, every day. It’s been years since I’ve had one. He opens up a container of fruit and pours the wine into some plastic cups. “It’s nothing fancy, I know. I just thought it would be a great way to bring a smile to your face. And that’s all I want, M. Your smile.”
“It’s perfect, Rhett. Better than any five-star restaurant.”
We make small talk over our sandwiches and wine, catching up on the ins and outs of our lives that we missed over coffee the day before. We talk about my college experiences and the things that Rhett had to do for his EMT training. Just like the conversation in the car, it flows. It’s easy—just like everything with Rhett has always been.
“So, tell me about the trail of broken hearts you’ve left,” he says after putting away the trash and settling in.
“No broken hearts. I haven’t really dated anyone seriously…well, ever. I’ve dated a few guys here and there, but nothing ever really got serious. Relationships aren’t my thing. They bring complications that I just haven’t had time for,” I respond, shrugging my shoulders.
“What about now?”
“What do you mean ‘what about now?’”
“Do you have time for those complications now?” he inquires.
“No one really has time for complications, Rhett.”
“Well, let me make this as uncomplicated as possible, M. I know it’s soon, but I want to pursue these feelings I’m having for you. We can go as slow as you want. All I know is I want you. Period. I want you in my life. I want you by my side. I want your smiles. I want your laughter. And more than anything, right now, I want to kiss you. I really need you to understand that I’ll wait for all of those things, no matter how long it takes. I’m a patient man, babe.”
I blink back the surprise. Talk about just putting it all out there. And as much as I want Rhett to kiss me, I’m still nervous about the relationship thing. I don’t want to ruin what we have when it’s still so fresh.
“Time.”
“Time?” he questions.
“I need time before I can just jump into a relationship. We’ve only been back in each other’s lives for a week. Dating casually is one thing. But a relationship—Rhett, those things take time.”
He sits back and looks at me as he takes a sip of his wine. He sets it on the floor next to his beanbag and leans forward into my space again.
“So, this dating casually thing, we would still be seeing each other, just no exclusivity? No commitment?”
“Yes,” I reply slowly, not sure where he’s going with this.
“And I still get to kiss you?”
I nod my head.
“Fair enough.”
His hands cradle my head as he pulls back and looks into my eyes. He bends again and takes my mouth in a kiss that I’m certain will never be replicated ever again. It’s slow and sweet and teasing. His tongue moves against my lips and I open for him. He tastes like red wine mixed with a flavor all his own. I grip his biceps and hang on for dear life. I know that his kisses are going to be the death of me. He pulls away slowly, nipping at my bottom lip. He’s still cradling my head when I open my eyes to look at him. For the life of me, the only word that I can mutter is “Damn.”
Chapter Eleven
Rhett
I decide to just drop M off at her door, because I know there is no way in hell I’ll be able to control myself if I decide to go in and hangout for a little while. My resolve is already so close to shattering. I’m not sure how one girl—woman, oh yes, definitely a woman—can make me so crazy. I could spend a month just having her lips on mine. So soft. So fucking sweet. And fuck me if I can’t feel myself stiffening at the thought. Get your shit together, I think to myself.
“Umm, Rhett, are you okay? You look like you’re in pain. Are you sure you don’t want to come in and sit down for a minute?” M asks as she unlocks her door, concern written all over her face.
“Oh no, no, I’m okay. I rea
lly should get home. I didn’t realize it was so late,” I say, trying not to look at those lips.
“Well, okay, if you’re sure, but will you at least just grab a bottle of water?” she asks. “I had an incredible time tonight, Rhett. It really was the best date. I will always remember tonight, and I don’t particularly want my date passing out or something.”
“I’m glad you had a good time, beautiful, and I promise I’m okay,” I say, looking down at her lips.
Suddenly, her tongue darts out to lick her bottom lip. That’s it. A man only has so much will power.
“Fuck it,” I say, and in a flash I’m on her, pinning her against the door and making it slam shut. I don’t care if Cam is here. I don’t care that this feeling inside me is so carnal. Like she’s a lamb, pure and innocent, and I’m the wolf, wild and hungry. None of that matters. All that matters is this moment filled with so many answers to so many questions. She’s all I see. She’s all that matters.
“Hold on, baby,” I say as I grab her face and crash my mouth to hers. She gasps, opening her mouth for my tongue to enter.
This kiss is nothing like the last. This kiss is filled with desire. Filled with sorrow from years stripped away. Filled with hope of what’s to come. It blows my mind that so many emotions can be behind one kiss. I feel her fingers digging into my shoulders and I lift her up.
“Wrap your legs around my waist,” I say before assaulting her mouth again. I have a thirst, and she’s the only thing that can quench it. She wastes no time wrapping herself around me. I have no intention of taking things further, but I need to feel her warmth, if only just for this one intimate moment. I carry her to her room, our lips never breaking. I set her down on the bed. Pulling away is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I need to prove to her that I only want to care for her, to make sure she’s okay. She looks at me, bewildered, her lips swollen from our kiss. I bend down and remove her shoes and kiss each foot. I take them over to her closet and drop them in. Her dresser is there, so I open the drawers, searching for what I’m looking for. I find an oversized tee, no doubt for sleeping in, and I take it over to the bed.
“Let me do this for you, M&M. Just, I need to make sure you’re taken care of before I leave, okay?”
She nods her head and sits there in silence. I begin unbuttoning her jeans and slide them slowly off, letting my fingers glide down her silky skin. She gasps but I keep going. My fingers grab her shirt, and I ever so gently pull it over her head, never breaking eye contact. Both of us are breathing erratically at this moment, and I unclasp her bra, letting it fall, but I make it a point to never look. I keep my eyes trained on her beautiful gray eyes. In this moment, our eyes are saying so much more than words could. I pull her tee over her head and pull her blanket over her. Still, no words are spoken. No words have to be spoken. She sits up and her lips connect with mine. This is a soft kiss, gentle, and it’s exactly how I want to end our night. She pulls away and I kiss her forehead.
“Goodnight, beautiful. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Goodnight, McCoy,” she tells me, pure contentment in her voice.
I slip out her door and ease it shut, then see Cam sitting on the couch, grinning.
“You know these walls are thin, right?” she asks.
“Yeah, about that. Nothing happened, Cam. I swear, she means more to me than that.”
“Yeah, dude, I know. I heard you. I just want to say thank you. You seem like a good man, and Em acts so much happier now. She’s always been happy, but there’s always been this missing piece. Hopefully you are her piece, Rhett. Take care of our girl, buddy, or I’ll rip your balls off.”
“I would never hurt her intentionally. You have my word,” I tell her, serious as hell.
“I know,” she says, getting up and heading for her room.
I think I just got Cam’s blessing. I head out the door with the biggest smile ever on my face and a feeling of pure joy.
Chapter Twelve
Emma Grace
“Letting the guy take you to bed the first night! That is so unlike you, miss thing!” Cam pokes at me as she joins me on the couch for some midmorning coffee.
I love Saturdays for the mere fact that I can sleep in as late as I want. This morning, I woke up at the crack of eleven after the most relaxing sleep I’ve had in a while. I’m sure it had something to do with the beyond spectacular date I had last night.
“Nothing happened. Well, that’s not true. Something happened. Just not what you are thinking.” I curl up in one of our Adirondack chairs and wait for the inquisition that I know is coming.
“I know that. I was on the couch when he left. We had a little chat.”
“Shit. Cam, I have no freaking clue what I’m doing here. I mean, let’s be real. I haven’t seen the guy since I was eleven. We’ve been back in each other’s lives for a week. He’s amazing. More amazing than I ever thought he would be—and trust me, I did think about it—but it’s like this whole thing is moving at warp speed, and I don’t know if I should be hitting the brakes or holding on for the ride.” I let it all hang out for Cam, knowing that no judgment will come my way. She has seen me at my highest highs and some of my lowest lows.
“You want my advice?”
“Don’t I always?”
“Here’s the thing, chica. You can’t plan these things. Call it fate, happenstance, karma—whatever you want. The thing is, you’re in each other’s lives again. And good or bad, Rhett knows what he wants. He wants you. He’s making that blatantly obvious. And Rhett strikes me as the type of guy who goes after what he wants almost ferociously. If you want this whole thing to end before you even give it a chance, then tell him. He’ll back off because he respects you. But be prepared for it to end. Completely. And if you want it to continue, then you go at your pace, and he will go at his. His is going to be much faster, because you tend to overthink things until you’re blue in the face. My suggestion? Hold on for the ride, baby doll. And don’t let a good thing slip through your fingers because of fear.”
I nod my head, absorbing everything she’s just said. She’s right, as usual. And I am continuing to overthink things, as usual. “Don’t you think it’s moving so fast?”
“Fast by whose standards, Emma Grace?”
“I don’t know—society’s in general, I guess.”
“Who gives a damn about what everyone else thinks. You do you and forget the rest. And technically, one could argue that you’re moving at a snail’s pace. Technically, you’ve known the guy since you were born.”
“Valid point.”
“So,” she says, slapping my leg and standing up. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We have a night out with everyone tonight, including your new lover boy. We’re going shopping. We’re buying fantastic new outfits. And we’re going to pray that Rhett has at least one hot friend who’s single and straight so I can fulfill my fireman fantasy. Got it?”
“Sounds amazing—but I’m saving for a car, so we’re budget shopping.”
“You shut your dirty whore mouth when you’re talking to me! Don’t hand me that shit. I’ve got this. Let’s go.”
The girl has more money than she knows what to do with, thanks to her trust fund. Being that she has nothing to do with her family and no one to spend her money on, she often spoils me with shopping sprees. It took a long time for Cam to learn that people didn’t have to be bought. The ones who truly love you will love you no matter what. I shake my head and get ready for a day of shopping with Cam. It’s always an adventure.
“We look so fucking hot!” Cam exclaims as we all gather in our living room.
Shayna showed up a few minutes ago, dressed to the nines. She looks fabulous in her sweater dress and boots. It’s amazing that she can take such a simple style and make it look like a million bucks. Cam is no different in her chevron-print pants and fitted top. Her wedges are to die for. I have actually contemplated stealing them no fewer than seventeen times since we left the mall. My wide-leg dark-w
ash jeans fit me perfectly, and according to Cam, the sage-green shirt I have on goes great with my hair.
“We so do,” I agree. “You girls ready to hit the town?”
After a resounding “yes,” we hit the road and head for Reed’s.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but this was definitely not it. Reed’s resembles a run-down biker bar, and I’m waiting on Jax Teller to be sitting at the bar when we walk in. He isn’t, of course, but there’s a table full of men who could give Charlie Hunnam a run for his money. They are the first thing you see when you walk in, and with good reason. It should be illegal for that amount of sex appeal to be in one room. I shoot Cam a look as she loops her arms through Shayna’s and mine.
“Sweet baby Jesus. It’s going to be a good night, ladies. A really, really, really good night,” she says as we start walking toward the table.
There’s a blonde guy in the middle of the group, standing and talking dramatically with his hands. Everyone else is sitting around the table laughing, with the exception of a beautiful strawberry-blonde woman, who’s scowling like the entire scene is beneath her. I know without a doubt the blonde guy is Micah. I’ve heard enough about him to know that he’s the crowd pleaser. Rhett is sitting to his right, laughing and shaking his head. He sees us coming and gets up to meet us. The strawberry blonde locks her eyes on him and shoots a look to me before rolling her eyes and walking away.
“Hey, M,” he says as he leans in to give me a short kiss.
“Hey,” I say timidly, not sure about how I will be welcomed into his crowd of friends. I already know that Cam and Shayna like Rhett, but his friends are a whole different story.
He slips his arm around my waist, his hand firmly gripping my hip, and turns to introduce us to his friends. “M, this is Micah, Luke, and Tanner. Guys, this is Emma Grace and her best friend, Cam. Y’all already know Shayna.”
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