Touch Me

by Kayla C. Oliver

  “You see, our father had left us when we were babies. Mom worked three jobs for several years to keep paying the bills and the mortgage and then she fell ill,” he continued and my hand automatically rose to my heart. Martha? I could hardly believe what he was saying and I was dreading to hear the rest of the story too.

  “My brother, Cormac, who you all know, was small and unless some money came in, I knew we were going to be taken away to foster care. We had nobody else, no family, no money coming in from our father…we had nothing,” Rhett continued and his voice cracked. There was still a buzz in the room, but everyone was paying attention to what Rhett was saying.

  “I’m not proud of what I did…but at the time, without the right guidance or the help, I thought I had no other choice,” he said and I could feel a cry erupting in my throat.

  “I dropped out of school and joined a local Brooklyn gang,” he admitted and a louder buzz broke out. Clearly, nobody in this town, or even Georgia…had expected to hear this from Rhett Larkin. He was the model, upstanding, successful citizen of their dreams, immensely good looking, intelligent and charming. I would never have guessed it either.

  “Let me explain…it started off as petty thieving, you know, cigarettes from the grocery store, bottles of beer from a departmental store. I was in training,” he said and Rhett’s eyes dropped embarrassedly to the floor. I could see that this was difficult for him. My heart was breaking as I listened to him speak.

  “But I thought this was going to be my life. I thought I was cool. I wanted to do bigger jobs with the rest of them, the people I looked up to. I was sixteen,” he said and some people around me gasped.

  “I was involved in a bank robbery. Some cash and jewelry were stolen. I never carried a weapon or hurt anyone, but I wanted you all to know that I’m admitting publicly of being involved in a minor bank robbery nearly fifteen years ago,” Rhett said and I saw him gulp and then lick his dry lips. I wished I could just run up to him and throw my arms around him.

  “The ring leaders were imprisoned, and after a short line of questioning by the cops, all charges against me were dropped. That having been said, I also didn’t want to continue to deceive you all. Everyone here who trusts me, deserves to know the truth about my past, so there it is,” he continued. There was honesty in his eyes and Rhett looked ashamed.

  “I am willing to face any consequences that you all think I deserve, but I couldn’t lie to everyone anymore. Not my family, my friends, none of you,” he said and just when he was about to let the mic go, somebody at the front of crowd clapped.

  It caught on quickly, and soon everyone around me was clapping. I was clapping too. At Rhett’s bravery, for his good work and his honesty. Three men joined him on stage, each as good looking as the other and besides Cormac, I assumed that the other two were probably Rhett’s business partners.

  They exchanged hugs while the crowd continued to clap, and one of them took the microphone from Rhett and thanked everyone for coming and supporting Rhett. I wasn’t even sure how long I’d been clapping. I couldn’t stop.

  No matter how angry I was at him for what he had done to me, I couldn’t help but commend him for his bravery. Getting up on stage and admitting that to everyone he knew couldn’t have been easy. He didn’t need to do that. He could have continued to live his life without ever admitting it and probably nobody would have ever found out. My respect for him grew because of the cause he was supporting and how he wasn’t afraid to admit the truth about himself. And I could see that other people around me were feeling the same way.

  If Rhett Larkin had been a town favorite before, now he was potentially their real-life hero.

  He had walked off stage, and was shaking hands with people who were enthusiastic to talk to him. People were thumping him on his back, congratulating him, trying to speak to him…and Rhett humbly walked down the clearing that had been made for him. And within moments, I realized that Rhett wasn’t just walking away from the stage, but he was walking away from the stage towards me.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Rhett

  I walked over to Heidi and while I did, I could see her green eyes growing wider and wider. I was on an adrenaline rush. I hadn’t expected the people in that room to react this positively to my story. I was pleasantly taken aback and feeling too joyful for words. There was still some hope for me. And this hope had given me the courage I needed to simply grab Heidi’s hand and pull her in the other direction, towards the back door of the lobby that I knew would lead us into the parking lot.

  “Rhett!” I heard her call my name out, but I pretended that I couldn’t hear her. I smiled at whoever was smiling or clapping at me, but I continued on my path. Then I pushed the door open with one loud thump and finally when we were outside, I let go of Heidi’s wrist.

  “What are you doing?” she screeched, and stepped away from me. I could see that her breasts were heaving and her cheeks were flushed. She looked excited and angry, all at the same time.

  “I brought you outside so we can have a private conversation,” I said and Heidi took in a deep breath and looked behind her, like she was expecting somebody to suddenly interrupt us.

  “Nobody’s going to come here. We can speak freely. Cormac will make sure of that,” I told her and Heidi shook her head.

  “That’s not what I’m worried about,” she told me and I stepped towards her. Heidi stepped away from me and I stopped.

  “What is it then?” I asked and she let out a sarcastic laugh.

  “What is it? What is it not? Everything about us is messed up. From the first day I met you, Rhett…nothing has gone right. I don’t know what more we could have to talk about. There is no need for a private conversation,” she said and I could see the sadness in her eyes. Her mouth was being forced to speak something else by her logical thinking brain, but I could feel that wasn’t all she thought. Maybe all hope wasn’t lost with her either.

  “Heidi…there were reasons why I behaved the way I did with you,” I said, in a soft and calm voice. Heidi crossed her arms over her breasts instead and looked away from me.

  “Yeah, everyone knows those reasons now. Although, I have no idea what kind of person you think I am. Did you really think I wouldn’t want to be with you, just because you’ve had a troubled teenage?” she said and the tip of her nose turned red and she dropped her eyes to the ground. I could see that she was trying to suppress a cry rising up her throat.

  “That was not the only reason, Heidi…and no, I knew you would understand,” I said and pushed my hands into the pockets of my pants. Heidi raised her head and our eyes met briefly and she looked away again.

  “Well, clearly you had your reasons Rhett…and I don’t see why those reasons would ever change. So there is no way that I can forgive you or be with you,” she said and her lips were quivering. This was painful for her and I didn’t want her to go through this. She didn’t have to. How much more heartache was I going to cause her? I wished I could just take her into my arms and stroke her hair.

  “Those reasons have changed because I’ve done something about it,” I said and she looked back at me sharply. Her dark eyeliner was beginning to smudge now because of the water that had collected at the corners of her eyes. Nobody had ever looked more beautiful.

  “What did you do? What were the reasons?” she asked and I took in a deep breath. All I had been doing that night was explaining!

  “The guy who had taken me under his wing, in the gang…he got out of prison and had tracked me to Brunswick,” I told her and even though Heidi didn’t gasp, I knew she had come very close to it.

  “And he was blackmailing me for money. He was going to reveal everything to the press and to the people of this town,” I said and when our eyes met, I held her gaze confidently. I wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed any longer, not when I had proof that Heidi didn’t care about my past.

  “Was he the guy who you were fighting with at the café? The one who broke into your mother’s house?”
Heidi asked, and now she was the one who stepped towards me. I nodded my head.

  “The note he had left for me, mentioned you in it and I wanted to keep my distance from you till I sorted everything out…I didn’t want to put you in danger,” I told her and Heidi’s eyes softened. She wasn’t even trying to control the tears any longer and a few fat ones rolled down her soft, luscious cheeks. I could nearly taste the delicious saltiness of them in my mouth. She was so close to me, I could smell her. I could have reached out and touched her. But I wouldn’t ever do anything she didn’t want me to, and I didn’t yet know for sure what she wanted.

  “So, this event…this confession…this was all so that this guy will have no reason to keep blackmailing you anymore?” she asked and I nodded my head.

  “Do you think he’ll stop being a danger to you?” she added and I sighed.

  “If he poses any kind of threat now, I’ll go to the police. I have nothing to hide from anyone anymore,” I told her and Heidi licked her lips. She was still nervous; still in two minds. “Heidi…I wanted you to stay with me that night. But I didn’t want Massimo to see us together. I needed him to think that he couldn’t use you as leverage,” I said and Heidi gulped, her green eyes were focused on me. Then she silently nodded her head, but said nothing.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Heidi

  “Heidi…I need you to understand that I had no other choice but to keep my distance from you,” Rhett was saying. I stared at him, at how the color of his deep blue eyes had changed to a softer hue. How chiseled his face was and how absolutely handsome he looked. The tone of his voice was different too. That confident stubbornness that was his trademark had been replaced by something softer, more pleading. I had never thought I would hear him speak this way.

  “Do you understand? Do you see what I’m saying?” he continued and I remained silent, just staring at him, admiring him. I couldn’t understand what I had done to deserve the attention of a guy like him. He had the pick of any woman he wanted, not only in Brunswick or Georgia…but now that he was famous nationally, anywhere in the country. What did he see in me that made him want to explain his situation to me?

  “Heidi…” When he said my name again, I was snapped out of my confusion and I nodded.

  “Yes, I understand,” I said nervously and our eyes met again. I looked away because I couldn’t hold his gaze.

  “Do you forgive me?” he asked in a whisper, and when he stepped towards me, I looked up to follow his movement with my eyes. He was so tall, hovering over me, looking down at my face. I knew exactly how small and defenseless he was capable of making me feel. But I didn’t feel safe anywhere other than in his arms. I had been craving that feeling since the last time I saw him.

  “What is there to forgive?” I spoke in a whisper as well, and Rhett reached out and gently touched my chin. With his thumb he stroked my skin and I felt goosebumps erupt on my arms, on the back of my neck. I didn’t think I would ever be this close to him again.

  “Forgive me for my behavior. For not telling you the truth from the beginning. From leading you to believe that I didn’t want to have anything to do with you. When the truth is, Heidi, I want everything to do with you. You’re all I’ve thought about since we first met,” he said and that word from Cormac, obsession, rattled in my brain again. Was it all true then? Did Rhett actually have those feelings for me?

  “You’re all I’ve ever thought about as well,” I said and courageously I raised my hands and placed them on his rock-solid chest and breathed in his nutty, masculine scent.

  “Will you give me another chance, Heidi? Will you allow me to prove to you that I will never let you down again?” he said and I looked up at him, right into his eyes. I had no other choice but to believe him, because I was falling in love with him and I had no control over my feelings anymore.

  “I would like nothing more,” I said and before I knew what was happening, Rhett had lowered his face to me and our lips met in a sparkling sizzle. He groaned and I gasped as he pushed his tongue into my mouth. I bunched up the material of his jacket in my fists as I pulled him closer to me. Rhett’s hands travelled down from my waist to my butt and he held me like that, pulling me closer to him, kissing me like he had never kissed me before.

  I was dizzy from the shock. Everything was happening so fast. I wanted him to rip my clothes off, to take me right there and then. I squeezed myself to him, allowing him to feel the bulge of my breasts. My nipples were stiff and sensitive, yearning to be licked and sucked. While Rhett’s tongue explored my mouth, I reached for his cock. He was hard and throbbing and I stroked him. He groaned in my mouth and his grasp on my butt grew stronger.

  Then he pulled away.

  “No, don’t, take me…do it right now,” I begged him, biting down on my red smudged lips. Rhett let me go and stepped away from me, running a hand through his ruffled, dark hair. His eyes looked dreamy and his lips were glistening and reddish.

  “No, not like this. We are going to do it right this time around,” he said gruffly and fixed his cufflinks. I had gone wet between my legs, and an ache had developed at the bottom of my belly. I wanted more than just that kiss…but I also knew that Rhett was absolutely right. This time, now that we had the chance, we were going to get to know each other first. There was a real connection here between us, more than just about sex.

  “Should we go back in? Mom has been waiting to talk to you,” he said and held out his hand to me. I stared at him, breathing hard, still trying to compose myself.

  “Martha’s here too?” I asked him and Rhett smiled.

  “She wasn’t going to miss this. And besides, she wanted to see you as well. She’s been asking after you since that night,” he said and I took his hand. We smiled at each other and he drew me closer to him. With the smile still on his face, Rhett planted a long wet kiss on my forehead that made my fingertips tingle.

  “Ready?” he asked and I drew in a deep breath and nodded. With our arms entwined, Rhett led me back into the museum. I was conscious of the eyes on us and the number of people who were turning to watch us walk back in. But I figured that I would just have to get used to this now. I was dating a celebrity.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Heidi

  Eight months later

  I stretched my legs out over the buttery smooth bed sheet and blinked my eyes open. The sun was streaming in through the windows and blinding me, and I wanted to get up and pull the curtains. When I moved, I felt Rhett’s strong tug as he was pulling me closer to him.

  I turned to him with a sleepy smile, but Rhett’s eyes were still closed. He had pulled me close as an instinctive reaction. He wanted to keep me in bed.

  “It’s nearly eight…we need to get out of bed,” I whispered softly and stroked his hair. Rhett forced his eyes open and we smiled at each other.

  “We don’t need to do anything we don’t want to do,” he mumbled and before I could pull away, he had nuzzled his face into my shoulder and his hand was moving down from my waist over my bare legs.

  “I have to go to the café!” I squealed and struggled against him. I knew exactly what was going to happen and I was late already.

  “No you don’t. Sophie and Lucia can manage for a day without you,” I heard him say, and then I felt his hand search for the sweet, fleshy spot between my thighs.

  “Rhett!” I squealed again and fell into a fit of giggles. He had encircled his arm around me to pin me down in position. I couldn’t move against his weight.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he said and now he was fully awake. We had fallen asleep the previous night after sex without our clothes on and now he slid down my side under the covers and I could feel his hard naked body against mine.

  “I’m going to be late,” I pleaded with him when I felt his breath fall on my legs. But within seconds, I was completely powerless against him. He was hidden by the covers now and he had wedged himself between my thighs. I felt the soft wet lick of his tongue and it
sent a tingle down my spine.

  Rhett said nothing, but instead he gently stroked me with his thumb and my hips moved. I had no control over my desire anymore and I reached for him. My fingers weaved through his hair and I held him like that while his fingers continued to stroke me there. I was moaning, already giving up the fight against him. Didn’t he always get what he wanted?

  Rhett’s tongue found me again and I moaned even louder. The light dusting of his morning beard bristled against my skin and aroused me even more. His tongue was pushing my wet, slippery folds apart, sliding into me. My hips were moving in a rotating motion, while Rhett’s mouth remained stuck on that sweet spot. He sucked and licked and stroked me with his tongue, his hands holding my thighs apart.

  As I moaned more, the quicker his pace got…till I knew what was going to happen any moment. I was going to come. The deeper and quicker his tongue moved, the closer I got to the precipice. He knew exactly which spot to stroke, and he moved his hand up so that his finger could rub against my clit. The feeling was unbearable. That ache in my belly was going to be replenished. How did he still have this effect on my body? Why was I still powerless against him?

  I came gloriously. My hands digging into his head as my legs shuddered and my body jerked. I moaned loudly and called out his name, begging him to not stop. Rhett didn’t. With his tongue, he continued to stroke me till he was satisfied that my orgasm had ended.

  I was breathing hard and my mind was dizzy when he came up from under the covers. He kissed me between my breasts, and then peppered my neck with more kisses before finally sitting up in bed.