“It’s not like that, and I don’t want to discuss his sexual prowess with you.” Especially because I have no idea if those rumors are true. Although, after that kiss yesterday, I wouldn’t be surprised.
“Have your fun with him, Rhieve, but you will not marry him.”
“Again, Mother. That is not your decision to make.”
“We shall see about that. I feel a migraine coming on, so I’ll call you later to discuss this further.”
“I’ll be on a plane. Calum and I are headed to London.”
“You are embarrassing this family, and I will not stand for it.”
“Go lie down, and I’ll talk to you when you’re ready to let me be happy.”
I hang up, knowing this is far from over. There was never any doubt that my family would be horrified by this engagement, and I’ll have to deal with it later. I have too many other things to worry about right now. Namely, how I’m going to make things look real with Calum.
"That sounded fun," Jade says.
"My mother expects nothing less than perfection. Calum is definitely not perfect."
"No one is, Rhieve. I know you do everything you can to please your family, but I also know pretending to be someone you're not isn't worth it."
I know she was in Witness Protection, and lied to almost everyone in the Society about who she really was. I also know her husband, Nate, was part of her past, but she didn't know that. Admittedly, neither did he. It sounds like a crazy mess, but they worked it all out despite their problems, so I know she understands about keeping up appearances. Reina does, too.
"You both had to hide from your pasts. My problem is that I've been hiding from my present, or at least the person I really am in the present."
"It's a good cover," Reina says, and I can hear the apology in her tone. I would like to think I would've been chosen regardless of my status, but I know it's a big part of why they recruited me.
"The difference between you and my mother is that you allow me to be who I am when I'm not in public. She demands her "proper daughter" to be present at all times. Doesn't matter if it's just family, and no staff."
"I couldn't do it. You're one tough chick, Rhieve. I have mad respect for you."
"Thanks, Jade."
Reina squeezes my hand as we pull up to the plane. "We're all here if you need to talk, or vent, or just for anything."
"Thanks. I have a feeling I'll be taking you up on that."
"You better," Jade tells me.
I hug them both, and then get out of the car when the door is opened for me. I'm still not ready for this, but I have to be. My brother needs me to be. And truthfully, I want to prove to Jade and Reina and everyone else that I'm not just the pretty girl in the designer clothes. They say they know I'm more than what everyone else sees, and I want to believe them, but I've lived without real friends for so long that it's hard to trust anyone. Proving I'm valuable for more than my money is on me, and I fully intend to do just that, starting with this trip to London.
Calum
I've already got a glass of Scotch in my hand when I hear Rhieve boarding the plane. I'm going to need several more, because after that kiss yesterday, I don't know how I'll keep my hands to myself for the next ten hours. I want to make her fall apart in my arms, but I know I can't. I can't touch her, or kiss her, unless this act we're putting on calls for it. I love her too much to destroy her, because I know damn well that's all I can give her—pain and destruction. I walked away from her years ago, because I knew where my life was headed, and I'll be damned if I screw her up now.
"Who is she?" My flight attendant, Katie, asks. There's venom in her tone, and I don't like it. Yeah, we've fucked on some flights, but she has no claim on me, and she never will.
"Mind yourself. If I so much as hear that kind of tone to your voice when you speak to Ms. Madison, this will be your last flight. As for your question, she is my fiancé."
"No. You can't...but we'll still."
"We most definitely will not."
"What won't you do?" Rhieve asks, entering the rear cabin.
"Fuck," I answer honestly. I need her to realize I'm the bad guy in this situation, and while there's not a chance I'll cheat on her, I've slept with just as many women as she thinks I have.
"Oh, well, I certainly hope not."
Damn. She didn't even blink. "Rhieve, this is Katie. She'll take care of anything you need. You can give her your bag, and she'll put it in the bedroom for you."
She raises an eyebrow, and looks pointedly between Katie and I, and the bedroom door. I laugh. "Nope. You're the only woman who's been allowed in my beds. Any of them. Katie and I had our fun on the dining room table." She reacts to that, and not favorably. "Don't worry. I had her bleach her juices off there. I was wearing a condom when we did the deeds, and she swallowed it all when I was in her mouth."
"TMI, Calum. I don't need to know your sexual history. All that matters to me is right now."
"You're going to picture me and him on that table every time you see it. You should; we had lots of fun times on there. Lots," Katie tells her, ignoring my earlier warning, and pissing me off. Yes, I want Rhieve to know I'm not a saint, but I told this woman not to be disrespectful, and that's the first thing she did.
"Get off the plane."
"What?" she asks, her eyes wide.
"Get. Off. My. Plane. Now."
"You need a flight attendant."
"I'm sure Rhieve and I can manage without you. Collect your things, and go before I have you escorted off the plane."
She looks like she wants to say more, but the look on my face must stop her. I don't miss the tears in her eyes as she turns to go, but I don't feel bad; I warned her, after all. I pick up the phone on the table next to me, and call into the cockpit.
"Katie has been relieved of her duties. I'm sure we can handle anything we need, but you are trained back here as well aren't you?" I ask, Todd, the co-pilot.
"Yes, sir. I'm capable of helping with anything you require."
I'm tempted to tell him I won't be requiring his normal services, but I don't need Rhieve to know that he partook in most of my escapades with Katie. He's smart enough to realize that Katie being thrown off the plane signals this isn't business as usual. If not, he'll find out soon.
"Thank you."
"The Ice Queen isn't going to do it for you. You'll be sorry," Katie says as she wheels her carry-on bag out.
"Bye," Rhieve says, looking bored as she gives her a little finger wave.
If I wasn't watching so close, I would've missed the fact that she bent her other fingers slightly, allowing her middle one to stick out. I don't even try to suppress my laugh, although Katie looks at me like I'm insane, while Rhieve just smirks and gives me a wink.
"Didn't know you had it in you," I tell her one we're alone.
"There's a lot you don't know about me. That's what happens when you pretend your friend doesn't exist for two decades."
Ouch. I deserved that, but it still feels like I was stabbed in an area close to my heart. "I never did that." Not really.
"Close enough."
"I'm sorry, Rhi. I want to learn everything about you. Will you let me?"
"If you want me to be that vulnerable to you, you'll have to let me in as well."
"I don't let anyone in, but for you I'll try. I owe you at least that much."
"I don't think you owe me anything, and I don't want you to feel that way, either. If you tell me things, it should be because you want to, and not because you're trying to make up for all those years. You can't, by the way."
"Don't say that."
"It's the truth. We can maybe move forward, but the past isn't something you can fix by kicking your former fuck buddy off the plane, or being sweet to me. Those years...they were really hard, and my heart was broken."
"They were hard for me too," I admit. That's all I'm willing to admit right now, even to her. She deserves whatever I can give her, and though this seems small, i
t's a big thing for me.
"We could've helped each other. Why did you just cut me off? Was I not cool enough?"
She can't think that. Yet, when I look in her eyes and see the pain, I know she does. She honestly thinks I abandoned our friendship because of her. It was all because of me, but like I said, I can't tell her that.
"I don't want to talk about it. You already said we can't go back, so let's try and live in the moment, okay?"
I can see she wants to argue, but Todd comes over the intercom, telling us to take our seats. Saved by the co-pilot, at least for now. I have a feeling Rhieve isn't going to move forward as easily as she says she is. I can't give her the answers she wants, but I want her in every way possible. This is going to either be amazing, or it's going to end our friendship forever.
4
Rhieve
This flight is off to a great start. I should've known Calum would've slept with his flight attendant. Why wouldn't he when she was obviously so willing? She was probably adventurous, too. Maybe he even took her to one of the clubs. Ugh. I need to stop thinking these things. There are going to be all kinds of women in his clubs who he's done things with, and I have to pretend to be okay with that. I won't ever be really okay about any of this mess, but for my own sanity, I should probably try.
I also need to try what Jade, Reina, and I discussed. No time like the present.
"We have a long flight."
"Yeah, but you can sleep, and there's Wi-Fi on here," he tells me, not looking up from his laptop.
When we were told to take our seats, he chose one at one of the desks. I sat across from him, because I didn't know what else to do. Apparently, he really just wants to work. Well, I need to do my job, too, and that happens to be him right now.
"We need to be comfortable with each other. That's what I want to do during the flight."
That gets his attention. His head whips up so fast, I'm afraid he's going to fall out of his seat. His eyes search my face, and he swallows hard. "What do you have in mind?"
"For the press, we need to be able to kiss, and touch...be affectionate without it being forced."
"Yes," he agrees.
"And for your clubs, we need to be believable as lovers."
"Rhieve, are you saying you want to join the Mile High Club?"
He's trying to make a joke, but I can see that he's freaking out a little. Just like I was earlier today.
"What makes you think I'm not already a member?" I ask, keeping things light.
"The way your eyes flashed when I asked you. It was only for a second, but I saw it."
I'm the one swallowing now. He shouldn't have seen that break in my façade. There shouldn't have been a break. He's making me slip, and while that might be good for our cover since it means I'm getting comfortable with him, it's not good for me. I can't let my guard down.
"Whatever. Are we going to do this, or what?"
"I'm never going to say no to doing you, love. We should probably start with the kissing and touching first, though. I don't want to scare you."
"I'm not afraid of anything you want to do," I say, trying to show more courage than I feel.
"So if I call Todd out here to play with us, you'd be okay with that?"
What? No. Oh God, is that what he likes? Ménages? I'm not letting anything in where things should just be coming out. Nope.
"I-I don't want anything in there."
"In where, Rhi?"
"I really hate you sometimes," I tell him, deciding to abandon this part of the plan, and just fake it. I've been doing it for myself for years, so how hard can it be with him?
"Wait," he says, grabbing my arm. "I was just messing with you. I have been with Todd and other women. Other guys and other women, and a few girls at a time, too. If you were just someone I was fucking, everyone at the club would expect the same, but you're not just some random woman. You're my fiancé, and more than that, you were once my closest friend. I don't want any other man—or woman—touching you. I wanted to kill the guys you brought to the galas and parties, and all I saw them do was dance with you, put their arms around you, and on occasion kiss your cheek."
"You were jealous?"
"Yes," he admits with no hesitation.
"Why?"
"From the moment I saw you again, I wanted you Rhi."
"You never said or did anything to let me know that."
"No, I didn't. You know my reputation, so you know I'm not the guy for you. I will give you so much pleasure, you'll barely be able to stand being without me when we're apart, but I'll never be able to give you the fairy tale you deserve."
I want to tell him he's my fairy tale, but it's too soon, and I'm still not sure I can trust him with my heart, despite how sweet he's being. Instead of talking, I take his hand and lead him to the bedroom. There's a king size bed, covered in a fluffy, dark green comforter. I stop in front of it, and turn back to Calum. My hands are shaking, so I try to let his go. He holds on, and uses his other hand to cup my cheek.
"You don't have to be scared of me. I would never do anything that would hurt you, even if you asked me to."
"Do you like that? Pain with your sex?" I ask, trying to control my breathing, and praying he says no.
"I don't hate it. A little light paddling can be fun, but nipple clamps are not for me."
What am I doing here? Plain, boring Rhieve is not going to please Calum, and even though this is pretend, I need to please him. As much for me as for him. I close my eyes as tears start to form.
"Rhi, love, why are you about to cry?" he asks, and I can hear the panic in his voice.
"I'm boring."
Calum
Those two words shouldn't be sexy, but damn if they're not. She's worried about pleasing me, when all I can think about is making her fall apart. "You're beautiful, and sexy, Rhi. I can promise you when I look at you, the word 'boring' doesn't even cross my mind."
"Missionary," she blurts out, and I know she means that's all she's ever had. I'm not surprised.
"Yeah, like I said, I've seen the guys you've dated. I'm surprised they even got their limp dicks hard enough to slide inside."
"Sometimes, they didn't. I-I wasn't sexy enough. What Katie said about me being an Ice Queen? That's not the first time I've heard it."
It won't be the last, either, but not from me. We're going to be hot together. There's not a single doubt in my mind about that. "Are you trying to challenge me to melt that ice, love? Because I'm up for the challenge."
"Are you?" she asks, looking down at my pants, and I feel myself grow even harder under her scrutiny.
"There's my sassy girl," I say, before I can even think about what I'm saying.
"You always brought out that side of me," she reminds me.
I lean forward and kiss her. Just a sweet, long kiss. I need her to know I want her, but I won't take her like I've taken other women. She compels me to be slow and sweet. I don't remember ever doing that with a woman—or girl—in my life, but I'm going to do it with Rhieve.
I reach a hand down to unzip the strapless dress she's wearing. She starts unbuttoning my shirt as I slide the dress down her body. I want to break the kiss so I can look at her, but then again, I don't want to ever remove my mouth from hers. Her slightly pouty lips have been driving me crazy for years, and now that I have access to them, I want to sip, lick, and nibble on them forever.
She pulls away first, and smiles when I try to follow her lips with mine. "I need to look at your abs."
I burst out laughing. "I've had my shirt off at pool parties."
"Yeah, but I wasn't allowed to get close, or touch."
"Consider this your official permission to look and touch any part of me, any time."
She leans down and licks across one of the ridges of muscle, making me hiss. "I'm going to assume that licking, kissing, and sucking are acceptable as well."
"Yeah, definitely."
"You have permission too. I mean, if you want."
"I
don't just want, Rhi. I need that permission."
I spin us around, and sit on the bed. With her heels still on, I'm eye level with her ribs. That's as good a place as any to start, because although her lacy bra and panties are calling to me, I'm planning to worship every inch of her.
I lean forward and run my lips and then the tip of my tongue back and forth, just under the heavy swells of her breasts. Moving lower, I bite gently on her ribs as I cover them with my mouth as well. She moans, and I smile against her soft skin. My hands are still on her hips, torturing us both.
"Move back a little, love," I whisper in between flicks of my tongue on her belly button.
She does, and I slide my thumbs underneath the waistband of her panties. They're high-waisted, and again, shouldn't be sexy, but hell yeah they are. Grey satin, with black lace side panels, and a perfectly matching her bra, which I'll get to soon.
I keep my eyes locked on Rhieve's as I slide them down her legs. I want to let her know I'm with her here, and not just looking for my release. I'll take that eventually, but right now this is about making her feel sexy.
I run my hands up her legs, and spread them open. Now it's time to look. She moves her hands down to try and cover herself, but I swat them away.
"Beautiful," I tell her as I see her bare mound and folds, which are flushed pink at the moment and glistening with her arousal.
Reaching around, I cup her ass with my hands and pull her forward. She freezes and tries to pull away, but I don't let her get far as I look up at her.
"Wh-what are you doing?" she asks.
"If you don't know, then those guys you've been with need to have their asses beat."
"They've done it, but it's gross."
"Gross? You don't like to be eaten like you're the finest meal a man has ever had?"
"Um, I've never felt like that. It's always been kind of sloppy, honestly."
Oh hell no. I'm seriously considering finding every damn guy who's put his mouth on her, and cutting his damn tongue out. First, I need to show her how a real man does things with a pretty little pussy and clit.
Society Girls: Rhieve Page 4
