With his thrusts I was being pushed closer and closer to my orgasm.
“I’m going to come!” I cried out and Rhett increased his pace. The knots in my belly came undone and my orgasm made my body shake, my toes curl…I felt him come too. Releasing himself like a bomb inside me, he growled and shook as he came and we orgasmed together. I felt like my soul was going to fly, soar above us…I never wanted this feeling to end because I had never felt anything like this before. Was it even supposed to feel like this? Was there going to be a price I had to pay for experiencing this?
None of that mattered in the moment, because all I could do was live that orgasm to its full potential, with Rhett Larkin still pumping inside me.
Chapter Ten
Rhett
I felt her body grow tender and I began pulling out of her. The force of my orgasm had jolted me and I felt disoriented for a few moments. When was the last time that sex had felt this good? This new?
I turned away from her to put my pants back on, and I could sense that Heidi was looking at me now. I disposed of the used condom in the bin next to my desk and tightened the belt at my waist.
“So, you’re just going to leave it there?” I heard her ask and I turned to her while fixing the cufflinks at my wrists.
“I’ll empty it myself in a few minutes,” I told her and watched as she ran a hand through her curls. Her cheeks were flushed and she had smoothened her dress. Other than the fact that there was a wild sort of blaze in her eyes, nobody would have been able to tell that I’d just fucked her.
Heidi grinned and I forced a smile on my face. I was feeling strange. A quickie wasn’t something I was new to although I’d never done it in my office before. But there was something about this experience with Heidi that was different somehow. I found myself wanting to talk to her, wanting her around and it was making me nervous.
“That was…” she said and looked away from me, like she was trying to find the right words to say. “That was…I’ve never done something like that before,” she added, leaning back on my desk with her hands behind her.
I pursed my lips and nodded.
“You’ve said that before and I believe you,” I told her and walked around the desk to my chair.
“It’s not like I’m trying to convince you of something, I’m just trying to make conversation,” she told me and her brows crossed. I didn’t mean to upset her, in fact I wanted the exact opposite of that. However, these feelings were strange and new to me and I didn’t know how to handle them.
“I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, I’m sorry to say,” I said and pulled out the chair. Heidi had turned to stare at me, and now her eyes were narrowed and penetrating my face. I could see that I had offended her.
“You’re not sorry to say that at all,” she said, bitingly as I sat down.
“Why would you think that?” I asked and pulled an open file close to myself. I was trying to avoid her eyes, because every time I looked at Heidi, I felt this inexplicable pull towards her.
“Because you are so typical. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am!” she said in a hissing voice and I jerked my head up to look at her. A smile was tugging the corners of my lips.
“What?” I asked, but Heidi wasn’t smiling. She was completely serious and had crossed her arms over her breasts.
“The expression. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am. That’s the philosophy you live by,” she said and scrunched up her face into a sour expression.
“I have no idea where you’re getting that from,” I said and Heidi rolled her eyes. She probably thought she looked fierce when she did that, but to me she just looked adorable.
“From your attitude and from what our relationship has been so far,” she enlightened me and I sat back in my chair and looked her straight in her eye.
“Our relationship?” I asked and cocked an eyebrow at her.
“I don’t mean it like that. I mean our interaction…our behavior towards each other.” Heidi looked frustrated; her face was turning red and she was breathing in and out harshly.
“What about our interactions?” I asked and narrowed my eyes at her. She looked away, rolling her eyes at me again and let out a huge sigh.
“This is ridiculous. There’s no point having this conversation with you. I shouldn’t have ever shown up here,” she said and angrily tucked in some curls behind her ears.
“But you did and what happened was good. I enjoyed myself,” I said with a smile and Heidi clenched her jaw.
“Yeah, it was very enjoyable. Have a good day,” she said, in a low mumbling voice and then whipped around from me and walked to the door and left.
I remained sitting at my desk long after she was gone. Now that she had left, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering what I could have done to make her stay. I despised myself for thinking that way, because I knew exactly what Heidi was talking about. I knew she meant it when she said that she hadn’t ever done something like this before. I didn’t want to think about what seeing her again could lead to.
I was in no position to even think about something serious. I had a business to run, an ex-con to worry about and a solution to come up with. I had no space or energy to dedicate to a woman, and especially not someone like Heidi who I knew would be hard work.
Quickies and one night stands were what suited my lifestyle and I never usually had problems with that. I always made it very clear to every woman I slept with, that there were going to be no strings attached and I wasn’t looking for anything more.
With Heidi, I hadn’t had the chance to give her that speech. Did I even want to give her that speech? What was I thinking? Why did I want to see her again?
My mind was whirling with conflicting thoughts and emotions and there were so many other things to worry about. Going back to Heidi’s café that evening was a bad idea. Sleeping with her now was a bad idea, but I couldn’t help any of those things because she was irresistible.
Chapter Eleven
Heidi
I banged the door of the café shut loudly behind me, and I walked in still fuming.
“Everything okay?” Lucia asked me as I walked past her and picked up the apron from the counter. The feelings of regret and sadness were yet to set it. For now, I was just feeling angry.
“Yes, everything is just peachy,” I mumbled and picked up the menu for the day and glared at it unnecessarily.
All the tables were occupied as usual, the cakes displayed looked good, and the smell of freshly baked bread wafted through from the kitchen. All in all, business was going well and I couldn’t complain.
“Did something happen?” Lucia urged me on and I looked up at her with my nostrils flared. I couldn’t get that image of Rhett’s smug expression out of my head. What an absolute cocky smartass! I couldn’t believe I had been so foolish as to sleep with him. Out of the blue. Like a complete fool. I knew nothing about him other than that he was an arrogant billionaire who clearly had a short temper.
“Yes, in fact something did happen,” I told Lucia and she raised her eyebrows inquisitively.
“Rhett Larkin. Remember Rhett Larkin? He sent me a check for five hundred dollars for the damages he caused,” I said snappily, but Lucia looked amused.
“Five hundred dollars? That’s way more than what it actually cost you. That’s very generous of him,” she said and I rolled my eyes.
“He’s just trying to buy me off,” I said, my voice dropping to a whisper now.
“Buy you off? Buy what?” Lucia drew closer to me and we were both whispering conspiratorially now.
“Buy my silence. So that I don’t go to the cops about the brawl he had here,” I told her and crossed my arms over my chest. Lucia twisted her face in a half smile and then shook her head.
“No way! Rhett Larkin is known to do things like that all the time,” she said and I stared at her.
“Things like what?” I asked.
“Donate money to charity, to small businesses, to local schools and things like that. All the
partners from C Scape do it. It’s like they have some kind of unspoken code. They never make a big show about it, just give people the money they need,” Lucia told me and I licked my lips.
“Why would I need the money? He should have given it to someone else,” I said and Lucia was shrugging her shoulders.
“Maybe he wanted to help you out. And of course he probably felt bad about what happened too,” she said and turned when the bell above the door tinkled. Some new customers had walked in and she was going to walk over to them with the menu.
I watched her as she seated the new guests, greeted them cheerily and handed them menus. I went into the kitchen to get away from everything, just to get a few minutes of peace so that I could wrap my head around what was happening.
I should have never kissed him, never slept with him because now I was going to be thinking about him all the time. I knew why I had done it, there was no denying it…he was the hottest guy I had ever encountered and it seemed like he was interested in me too. I had grabbed an opportunity, seized a moment but now I regretted it.
This was the very reason why I calculated everything. I weighed out the pros and cons of every decision I made which included who to date and who to sleep with. Not that the plan had worked with Jake. I had completely misjudged him to be a kind and supportive boyfriend…instead, he had turned out to be a jealous and competitive man who was less a partner and more an opposition.
I sighed as I made myself an espresso. I definitely needed the caffeine kick.
I didn’t know what I was supposed to do after this. How did these things work? Was I supposed to just forget about it and move on? Pretend like it never happened every time I bumped into Rhett?
I was new to this game and now the anger was slowly vanishing and replaced by regret, embarrassment and guilt. I wouldn’t have been feeling this way if I had just been able to control my attraction for him and kept my hands to myself. But Rhett Larkin had been irresistible. There was something strangely magnetic about him apart from his devastating good looks.
What was going to happen the next time I saw him? Would we keep doing this till I was driven to leave this town? Or would he just grow tired of me and stop initiating this at all? Had he already grown tired of me?
There was a good chance that I would never see him again, except maybe from across the street. There was no way that I would ever seek him out myself. I had enough of adventure and it was time to get back to the real world now.
I drank the espresso quickly and a buzz rang out in my ears. My nerves were jolted and rejuvenated again, giving me the energy I needed to get through this day. I shook my head, flexed my shoulders and tried to breathe in and out deeply. This was nothing but a two-day slip up. It was over now, out of my system and nothing to worry about anymore.
Fixing a wide smile on my face, I walked out of the kitchen and into the café.
“You look like yourself again,” Lucia said from behind the cash register and I smiled my widest smile at her.
“Temporary madness. It’s passed now,” I told her and walked over to one of the tables where some of my regulars were sitting.
“David! Meryl! It’s such a lovely day out isn’t it? You must try the lemon and poppyseed loaf I’ve baked fresh this morning. It’s gluten free too,” I was chattering away as normal, as though nothing had happened, as though Rhett Larkin had done nothing to change my life.
Chapter Twelve
Rhett
There was one table outside “Bread & Beans” as al-fresco seating and it had an umbrella for shade as well. It was a sunny day outside and one of the staff members of the café, a cheerful girl called Lucia, had served me my cappuccino and a croissant. There was no sign of Heidi yet, so I assumed that she hadn’t come into work yet.
I sat on the chair, flicking through the emails on my phone. Ten minutes turned into twenty and soon I’d been sitting there for close to forty-five minutes when I finally saw her approaching. My heart skipped a beat, in the usual way it did every time I laid eyes on Heidi. She was in a denim skirt and a summery floral blouse. Her hair was tied up in a loose, messy ponytail and most of her strawberry blond curls had escaped and were flying behind her as she walked towards me.
“Oh no you don’t! You’re not allowed here,” were her first words when she came to a stop in front of the table. I slipped my sunglasses off and smiled up at her.
“Good morning to you too, Heidi,” I told her and she placed her hands on her waist.
“Seriously, Rhett, what are you doing here?” she asked, rage splurging out from her eyes. I stood up from my chair and maintained the smile on my face.
“I wanted a coffee. Is that a crime?” I asked her and she rolled her eyes.
“You’re on some kind of name and shame mission,” she said and I took a step towards her. Heidi stepped away and looked up with a wounded expression on her face.
“It isn’t going to happen again, Rhett. It’s better if you just quit while you’re ahead,” she said and I gave out a small laugh.
“I’m not a quitter, unfortunately for you,” I told her and Heidi licked her lips and looked away.
“What do you want from me Rhett?” she asked while I studied her face. I would have given anything to kiss her again.
“First of all, I wanted to apologize to you for my behavior in my office. I know I was being cold and distant,” I told her while I watched her expression change.
“Are you in the habit of personally apologizing to all your conquests?” she asked me, with her hands still on her hips. She was ready for a fight.
“I don’t look at you that way…you’re not a conquest,” I told her and Heidi arched her eyebrows at me.
“Then what am I to you, Rhett? Do help me understand. We had sex. You asked me to leave and now you’ve come to apologize,” she said, narrowing her eyes at me. Every time she spoke, I couldn’t help but watch her mouth move. I’d kissed those lips. I knew what she tasted like.
“All of those things are true, but that doesn’t make you my conquest,” I said and she drew in a deep breath.
“A quickie then. A passing face? Well, either way, I’m not willing to turn into your fuck buddy,” she snapped and I flinched when I heard those words. Did she really think that was all I wanted?
“You’re not one for mincing words are you?” I said, forcing myself to also laugh.
“There’s no point when I know exactly where I stand. But you should know Rhett, that I’m not interested in that. It was a moment of weakness for me but now it’s passed,” she said, sticking her chin up at me and I smiled.
“So, you’re saying that you’d be able to resist me from now on?” I asked and Heidi’s nostrils flared.
“There will be no from-now-on. I plan on keeping my distance from you and I would appreciate it if you went for your coffee somewhere else,” she snapped.
“But I really like your baked treats,” I told her in a mock-pleading voice.
“I reserve the rights to refuse service,” she said, in a harsh voice and I fell silent and drew in a deep breath.
“I’m sorry, Heidi, if I led you to do something that you’re feeling guilty about,” I said, changing the tone of my voice. She detected the firmness in my tone and clenched her jaw.
“You have no idea how I’m feeling right now,” she said and I continued staring at her, imagining myself inside her again. In fact, I could stare at her all day.
“You’re guilty for sleeping with a stranger. You’re bruised because I also gave you a check. You wish that you’d thought about it harder before you came to my office. You are aware of my reputation of sleeping around and you wish you never got involved with someone who strictly does one night stands only,” I said it all in one breath and I watched as Heidi’s eyes grew larger with every word. She looked surprised that I was hitting the nail on the head on all accounts. When I was done, she whipped her face away from me and pursed her lips.
“If you have it all figured out so well
already, then what are you doing here, Rhett?” she asked in a quieter voice.
“I wanted to reassure you that you have no reason to feel guilty about what happened between us,” I said and stepped closer to her. This time Heidi didn’t move away, but she wasn’t looking at me either.
“Is this a speech you give to all the girls you sleep with?” she asked, turning her large, green eyes on me again. I felt like I could drown in them. They were mesmerizing and had a dizzying effect on me.
“I avoid ever bumping into them again if I can,” I told her.
Chapter Thirteen
Heidi
“Then why are you here?” I asked him and Rhett ran a hand through his dark, spiky hair. I could see that he hadn’t shaved that morning, and a dull, green shadow covered his jaws and chin. He was in jeans again today, no meetings I figured, and a white t-shirt that showed off his bulging biceps. The thin material of his shirt stretched over the vast expanse of his chest and I remembered how strong his grip on me was. How small I had felt in his hands. How much control he had over my body. Just the thought sent a shiver down my spine.
“I don’t exactly know, Heidi,” he said and fixed his blue eyes on me again. They were icy cold, eyes that I knew I couldn’t trust, a gaze that would only lead to my heartbreak because guys like him never fell for girls like me. I was just a new plaything in his hands, nothing more.
I took in a deep breath and nodded my head.
“I have no idea what game you’re playing, Rhett, but I’m not biting. Just like you strictly do one night stands, I strictly don’t do them,” I said and he nodded his head.
“Yeah, I figured,” he replied in a low, somber voice.
“Then you shouldn’t have come here,” I told him and he looked away from me again. He was squinting against the sun; his hands were thrust into the pockets of his jeans and he was leaning slightly towards me.
Touch Me Page 4
