“Honey, is that Rhett?”
“Move aside, Sarah, let me see.” I heard Nana’s impatient voice. I turned back to the webcam, seeing Nana pushing Mom out of her way as her face magnified on the screen, trying to get a closer view.
“It is! It’s Rhett! Hi, Rhett!” Nana waved overly enthusiastic.
“Hi, Nana,” Rhett smirked as he squatted so his head was in view of the webcam with mine. “Mrs. Conner,” he greeted my mom.
“Rhett, it’s good to see you,” Mom said a little confused at his presence in London with me. “So, you’re both in London?”
“It appears that way,” Rhett grinned, not giving my mother any further explanation. “I’ll let Ava fill you in. It was good seeing you both.” He kissed my temple before standing and walking back to the bedroom. Great. He couldn’t just be incognito until I had time to figure out what all I was ready to tell my family. I watched him walk away, not wanting to turn back and face my mom and Nana.
When I finally turned, Nana’s face was ecstatic, as expected. Mom’s had a questioning eyebrow raised, also as expected.
“So, Rhett’s here...,” I forced a clenched toothy smile.
“Well it’s about damn time,” Nana said firmly. “I thought I would be six feet under before you put your damn stubbornness aside.”
“What’s going on, Ava?” Mom asked, wanting an explanation, pushing Nana aside. Her face stern.
“Honestly… I don’t know. It’s all new and unexpected. And kind of a long story. Can we talk about it another time?”
Her face softened. “Sure, honey….just tell me one thing…are you happy?” The concern in her voice present.
“Yes,” I replied without a thought. “I’m very happy.” I smiled at her.
“That’s all that matters,” she smiled back.
“Thanks for understanding, Mom.”
“Of course. Well, it looks like it’s late there, and I need to get Nana home and fed some dinner. We’ll talk to you soon, okay?”
“Yep. I love you both.”
“Love you too, honey.”
“Love you, Ava! Give Rhett a squeeze on his cheeks for me,” added Nana.
“I’m hoping you mean the ones on his face, Nana,” I said disapprovingly.
“Both, dear. Both,” Nana responded, unashamed and grinning ear to ear.
“Mother, I swear,” Mom turned, reprimanding Nana…as she shoved her out of the webcam view. I giggled.
“Sorry, honey. Give Rhett our love. Talk to you soon.”
“Will do. Bye,” I said one last time before the screen went black. I remained staring at it for a little while. Missing them already. A piece of my heart aching.
I’m not sure how long I was staring at my laptop when I felt Rhett’s hands on my shoulders. His head moved down next to mine, kissing me behind my ear. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes. I just miss them.”
“Understandable.” He moved to my side, offering his hand to me. “Are you ready for bed?”
I nodded at him as I placed my hand in his. He guided us both to the bedroom. We lay in bed facing each other as I studied all the details of his face. He moved his hand to my cheek, brushing his fingers downward and then behind my neck, where his hands weaved into the hair at my nape.
“Where do you want to go next?”
I let out a sigh, not having even thought about our departure tomorrow. “Next?” I asked. “Are we not going to Carrara?”
“Yes. We will. I just didn’t know if you wanted to make a stop or two before then.” I rolled to my back, thinking about where I really wanted to go. Only one place came to mind. He shifted onto his elbow, so he could look down at me.
“I want to go to Carrara, next.” His face dropped, not liking my answer. “Then…I want to go home.”
“When you say ‘home’…”
“I mean Litchfield….and maybe New York. I would like to see my family and friends.”
“I think we can manage that.” He smiled down at me.
“Good. We have plenty of time to see the rest of the world. I just want to see them right now.”
He kissed me, rolling on top of me as he settled in his spot between my legs. I moved my hands to his butt, giving his cheeks a squeeze. I giggled through our kiss, unintentionally breaking it. He pulled his head back, looking down at me confused.
“That was from Nana,” I grinned, only moderately embarrassed. He chuckled, completely unembarrassed. He brought his lips back to mine before moving inside me, ruining me for any other man, making me his forever.
Our first day in Carrara, we toured the ancient and colorful town of Baroque architecture as we strolled along the old stone streets. We sat in the main piazza of the town, people watching and sipping our cold coffees that the locals called shakerato. The relaxed, unhurried vibe of the Italians had me wanting to sit there all day, soaking in the sunrays.
The small Tuscan town was not your typical tourist attraction. The people were friendly and buoyant, excited to share their town with us. They knew little English, but we were able to communicate well enough, seeing Rhett knew more Italian than I expected.
We were standing in a local shop that specialized in expensive tailored formal wear. Rhett had insisted we make the stop. I tried to avoid it. Afraid he was trying to trick me into allowing him to spoil me with lavish attire I would likely never wear. When he promised he wouldn’t, unless I saw something I wanted, I relented.
The shop was impressive, covered in marble and exquisite works of art. It had a historic elegance to it that could only be achieved over time. They served us tea as they measured Rhett. Thankfully, it was a man taking all the measurements. Otherwise, my possessiveness and jealousy would have reared its ugly head, with the precision they took and the proximity they were to every inch of his body.
While they busied with Rhett, I meandered through the shop, eyeing a beautiful black and white wide striped shoulder wrap that would be perfect for wrapping myself in as I sat on my balcony in L.A. I moved closer to run my hands over it. I gawked in shock at the price, dropping the expensive material and stepping away as if it had burned my hand with its exorbitance.
I looked over at Rhett, who was speaking to the tailor, impressed and turned on even more as the Italian vocabulary flowed freely from his lips. When he noticed the yearning that I am sure was written all over my face, he gave me a garish grin. “I may never stop speaking Italian, seeing you look at me that way,” he said as the older Italian gentleman left the room.
“Promise?” I goaded him, thinking that was the best idea he ever had, despite me having no idea what he had said in Italian. It didn’t matter. He could say whatever he wanted to me as long as he said it in Italian. The language only enhanced the effect his deep, sexy voice had on me.
He laughed whole heartedly, snaking his arms around my waist, kissing me.
The morning of day two in Carrara, I finally felt like I was doing my job. Tom had already emailed me a few times during the trip to see how things were going, wanting a status update. I gave him undescriptive responses of “everything is great,” “making lots of headway,” “excited to show you.” Every time I responded to one of his emails, the guilt from lying to my boss amplified.
We were on our way up the Marble Mountains in an off-road vehicle that snaked up the narrow, steep, dirt roads that led to the quarry. I looked down out the window once and immediately regretted it. I gripped the sides of the vehicle as it climbed. The edge of the mountain was a mere foot away, and I suddenly had visions of plummeting below.
Making it to the top of the mountain was worth the gut clenching drive. The breath-taking view revealed marble as far as the eye could see. In the distance, our eyes were rewarded with the gorgeous view of the Apuan Alps along with the Tuscan coastline. I watched in awe as the men working the quarry moved the massive tons of marble that would be worked into masterpieces.
After our tour of the mountain, we met with the head foreman of th
e marble manufacture that would be turning our selected marble into the final product installed in Rhett’s Malibu home. We spent a couple hours going over all the details and specifications. We would need to email him final measurements, once we got further along in the design process. We finished our day enjoying the local summer festival and open air markets of the charming little town.
Our last day and night in Italy, we spent at a seaside hotel twenty minutes from Carrara. The seaside resort had marvelous views of the mountains and sea, and food that left my taste buds wanting more despite my stomach being past capacity.
I sat between Rhett’s legs on a lounger on the beach. The cool, night breeze blew across our bodies. His warm, strong embrace enveloped me as we gazed at the soothing sea. I was pretty sure this was where dreams were made, at least, my dreams.
I just prayed nothing would ever come between us again. But I couldn’t help feeling things may be too good. What was going to happen when we returned to the reality of our lives? Before my thoughts of doubt could get carried away, Rhett squeezed me tighter kissing the top of my head. “We should get some sleep, beautiful. We have an early flight home tomorrow.” He held me a few more seconds, before shifting us both and guiding me back to our room for the night.
CHAPTER 9
I texted Lizzie as soon as we landed in New York. We made plans to meet up the following day after I had time to sleep off the jet lag. Jim was waiting for us at the airport when we arrived in New York. He gave me a jovial smile as we approached the limo.
“Hi, Jim!” I beamed as I rushed towards him. I had an urge to give him a big hug but stopped myself. Unsure if that would be considered inappropriate, I gave him an awkward pat on the arm instead. Sensing my discomfort on how to greet him, he chuckled to himself.
“Ms. Conner,” he bowed his head, “always a pleasure to see your smiling face.” He held the door open as I climbed in. Rhett followed behind me after greeting Jim.
I laid my head on Rhett, wanting to fall asleep for the night, even though it was only midday in New York. Rhett scrolled through his phone checking and responding to emails with one arm around me as we drove into the city.
I felt the limo slow and pull to the side to a stop. Rhett kissed the crown of my head. I sat up sleepily, expecting to be outside Rhett’s parent’s penthouse. I was caught slightly off guard when the building in front of us was not one I recognized.
“Where are we?”
“We’re home.” His simple words having more meaning behind them than just a statement of our location.
I looked at him and then back outside the limo as he gauged my reaction. “This is your place.” I confirmed more for myself. He turned away from me as Jim opened the door for us. Rhett stepped out of the limo and offered his hand to assist me with my own exit.
With his hand at my back, he guided me through the lobby of the modern, steel, glass building, nodding at the concierge sitting at the front desk. The elevator was already waiting for us at the ground floor. He stepped us both inside, punching a key code to take us to his penthouse.
Thoughts of our last elevator ride had me grinning from ear to ear as he stood behind me holding my back close to his chest. His arms were loosely snaked around my waist. My mind ignited my body with the thought of him pinning me to the elevator wall, again. My cheeks heated. My hips pressed backwards into Rhett - my subconscious taking over. I felt his body go rigid, responding to mine.
“Ava.” His tone was warning but pleading.
“Hmm?” I hummed feigning innocence. I moved to grind my ass into him once again. His arms moved quickly, planting his hands firmly on my hips, stopping their seduction. Mila-seconds later the door dinged open. A big burly man with a stoic expression and impenetrable stare stood facing us. Shit.
He acknowledged Rhett with his eyes only, as we approached a large, black, steel door. To say he was intimidating was an understatement. Rhett unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping aside for me to lead the way. His face was expressionless in front of the large security guard, but I knew he was affected by my little stunt in the elevator. He was fighting to control himself. And I wasn’t done teasing him.
I sauntered past him with a sway to my hips, biting the corner of my bottom lip with a grin as I walked past him. I barely made it through the threshold when the door slammed shut and locked. I turned with a gasp, startled by the loud slamming door. My feet left the floor before I had a chance to fully turn. I was dangling like a ragdoll over Rhett’s shoulder, laughing as he slapped my ass carrying me off to what I assumed was his bedroom.
He dropped me on the bed with a small bounce as he crawled over me with his wicked smile. “You, Ms. Conner, need to learn to control yourself.”
“You like me out of control,” I countered, pulling at the edges of his shirt collar to bring him closer to me. He hovered over me, his forearms caging me in. Our heads touching as I stared at his kissable lips. I licked my lips, inviting his to dance with mine.
“Only when I’m the one making you out of control,” he smirked. He moved devastatingly slow bringing our mouths together. His hands caressing and stimulating every inch of my body… slowly… torturously. He was evil. Pure, intoxicating, delicious evil. He was teaching me a lesson. Schooling me on the art of seduction. Teasing me until I was at the brink of losing my ever loving mind.
“Rhett,” I breathed, begging him to take me already. Just when I thought he couldn’t possibly make me feel needier and more desperate, I felt a vibration on my inner thigh. “Mmm…,” I moaned. What was that? Does he have a vibrator in his pocket?
“Damn it,” Rhett cursed, pulling away from me to reach in his pant pocket. His phone. His bloody damn phone, once again. I would prefer it to remain in his pocket, vibrating on my leg if it was going to continue to interrupt my reawakened sex life.
He pulled it out, glancing at the screen. His apologetic expression taking over his face. “Don’t you dare!” I warned wide-eyed.
“Sorry, babe. It’ll only take a minute,” he promised, moving his finger to answer the phone. The phone that I wanted to yank from his hands, throw against the wall, smash with my heel and then light on fire. Wow. Where did all this aggression come from?
He answered the phone with an abrupt greeting, pinning me in place when I tried to move from under him. His eyes warning me to sit tight. I watched and listened to his direct, short responses, not being too long winded in the conversation.
He hung up within minutes, but I could tell by the look on his face, we wouldn’t be continuing our little cat and mouse teasing game. “I have to go into the office, beautiful. I won’t be long. Then we can finish what we started here,” he assured me, pushing a wild hair from my face with his sexy smirk.
Frustrated by all the hot and cold this week, I responded like any sexually deprived woman would, “What if I don’t want to?”
“We both know you do, so don’t even try to argue otherwise.” He’s right. I hate him. I love him. Damn him. “Get some sleep while I’m gone. You’ll need your energy for when I get back,” he winked with a cheesy grin. I rolled my eyes at his presumptions.
“Why are you going in? You weren’t even supposed to be back from Italy, yet. You need your rest, too.” I struggled for ways to convince him to stay. Concern for him filling my heart. It seemed like he was always having to work, even when he wasn’t at work. Taking over the Blackwood Industries Empire was going to run him into an early grave.
“I’m fine. I’ll rest when I get back. There are some things I need to take care of that would be more easily handled at the office than from here.” He gave me a quick kiss before removing himself from the bed to shower.
I rolled to my side listening to the spray of water hitting the shower tile, wanting to join him, but not wanting to delay him any further. The sooner he was done with work and back in my arms, the better.
He walked back into the bedroom in a fresh, fitted suit that had me salivating. He straightened his tie before l
ooking up at me. His eyes roamed up and down my body as I lay in the bed. I watched his face as his mysterious mind worked. “What are you thinking?”
“I have envisioned you in that bed so many times. But nothing compares to seeing the real thing.” His face softened with his words. My heart faltered. Regret drowned my senses. He moved closer to me, trailing his hand on my cheek, knowing the guilt I was feeling. “All that matters is we’re here now.”
I know he didn’t blame me for the years we lost, but I couldn’t help blaming myself.
He gave me a soft but firm kiss before putting space between us to leave. He turned back to look at me one more time hesitating at the door frame. “Make yourself at home. Call me, if you need anything. I’ll leave my office phone and address on the counter….I love you, Ava Conner,” he said with a youthful smile.
I couldn’t help the corny grin that pulled at my cheeks. “I love you too, Rhett Blackwood. Think about me while you’re gone.”
“Always,” he promised before winking and disappearing from my sight. My panties disintegrated with that wink. I rolled my face into the pillow, once again, letting out a scream of frustration. And once again, it didn’t help.
I passed out in a deep sleep after Rhett left. When I awoke, it was dark. The only illumination in the room was the city lights coming through the floor to ceiling windows opposite of the bed. Wow. I sat up looking forward. How had I not noticed this view before? One word. Rhett. His presence was like blinders for me. He gave me tunnel vision. My focus always on him.
I shifted my body backwards to lean against the headboard as I stared out at the city. The penthouse was silent. I took that to mean Rhett still wasn’t home. I checked the time on my phone that sat on the nightstand. It was just past eight. After a few minutes of staring out at the view, I decided to get up and explore. I hadn’t had a chance to even look at his home, plus my mouth was dehydrated.
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