“Rick,” she sighed, giving in and leaning back against his arm as he continued to lave her breast. She wriggled her behind against him and he exhaled harshly, his breath raising goosebumps across her wet nipples. Escaping his grasp, Rachael rose to her feet and quietly clicked the door closed before sliding her panties down under her skirt. She reached down to unbuckle his pants; he shifted to allow her better access. Sliding her hand down, she grasped him, freeing him from his clothing. He sprang to attention. Dropping to her knees, she bit her lip and raised a brow at his fascinated expression. His eyes were flicking back and forth between her hands and mouth while he clenched the sides of the chair. Rachael leaned forward, touching her tongue to him, tasting him. He inhaled sharply, his death grip on the arms of the chair turning his knuckles white. Intoxicated by his reaction, she turned her full attention to pleasuring him, running her tongue up and down the length of him before closing her lips around the throbbing crown.
“God, yes,” Rick hissed.
She took him in deeper, letting her tongue caress the warm velvet skin of his erection. He moved his hands to her head, guiding her mouth over him. She hummed and licked her way up before taking him in more fully.
“Stop,” he moaned minutes later. “Too much, I’m going to come.” Licking her way back up along his ridged seam, she rose from her knees and lifted her skirt as she climbed on top of him, knees on either side of his hips. Rachael liked being on top, having control, being able to kiss him as she sat astride. He reached under her skirt and slid his hand to her apex, groaning as he felt how wet she was for him.
Kissing him passionately, she lowered herself to him as he positioned his bulging erection at her entrance.
“This,” he panted. “This is what I want. You and me.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly against him as she slid down his length. She ground against him, her breath coming faster. Rick surged and stood. “Wrap your legs around me,” he commanded. Leaning back against his arm, she gasped as his hips rocked into her, pelvis grinding. His pants dropped down to his calves and her skirt was bunched between them. But there was no stopping, no pausing to move them.
Rachael whimpered and he claimed her mouth and thrusted into her, making love to her mouth and her body.
“I’m close,” he gasped. His body was thickening, the fever increasing, and the pressure hit her over and over at the perfect place. A spool of heat gathered, tightening, coiling painfully, relentlessly. It was close, so close. He kept moving, kept lifting and pushing, filling her. His hands pulled her buttocks apart, surging in even deeper.
“Oh, my God. Oh, God. Yes!” she shouted, and he quickly covered her mouth, grinning as she moaned and came hard, falling against him. He rocked into her again and again, finally joining her in their shared high.
He held her against himself, both shaking, panting against each other. “I love you. Please say yes.”
She nodded breathlessly. “I love you, too.”
“Was that a yes?”
“It’s an almost yes.”
“What’s an almost yes?”
“Yes, I will probably live with you. But give me a little time to catch my breath and get used to the idea.”
He smiled broadly and lifted her higher against his chest, kissing her. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I am so thankful.”
“Me too,” she whispered, kissing him back.
They dressed quickly and returned to the living room to find it empty. “Car? Kim?” she called. They checked the backyard but didn’t see them. She passed through the garage and walked outside to the front, discovering them sitting on the curb, chatting.
“There you are!” she called.
They turned as one and Rachael could tell they knew what they were doing upstairs. She blushed but continued toward them. “What are you doing out here?”
Kim arched an eyebrow. “Giving you two a few minutes to, uh, discuss things.”
“Getting fresh air,” Carlie added, elbowing Kim.
Rachael glanced behind her to make sure he wasn’t out there yet. “What do you think about Rick?”
They glanced at each other and started grinning.
“Well?”
“He’s great,” Carlie gushed. “Seriously, the way he’s stepped in and helped with everything. Plus, he’s a freaking doctor. This is like Love Story 101. I approve.”
Kim nodded. “I don’t know what happened to the two of you, but you’ve got it bad. And so does he.”
“But it’s too soon though, right? I can’t believe I’m considering living with him.” She plopped down on the curb with them, contemplating the absurd beauty of it all.
Carlie tilted her head, her mouth pursed for a moment. “It is soon, and weirdly fast. I get the feeling that is not your doing. Why is he pushing for you to live together already?”
“Something to do with his childhood and his past relationships,” she mumbled vaguely, not wanting to share his painful stories.
They absorbed this in silence.
“I can’t believe this,” Kim said. “I never imagined the day . . .” She shook her head.
“Dad always says that when it’s right, it’s right. Maybe this is the one?” Carlie said wistfully.
Rachael was so conflicted, torn in her desire to be with him versus her need for independence. Could the two coexist? Could she have both? All she knew was she desperately loved him and couldn’t imagine not making a go of things.
“You ready to go?” Rick hollered, coming down the drive toward them. They jumped up and met him, Kim chatting about some of Owen’s pieces that would work with his décor, and Carlie sneaking questioning looks at Rachael.
Packed into his SUV to return home, Rick held her hand as they wove through the streets. Rachael watched him, still unable to believe that he chose her. That they chose each other. That this was real. He squeezed her hand, sharing a private connection.
“How did the call go with Mom and Dad?” Rachael asked over her shoulder.
“About what you’d expect. Mom was angry, Dad was angry. Both had wildly different ways of telling me how to deal with it. The usual.”
“How are you supposed to deal with it?”
Carlie stared out the window. “According to Dad, I should give myself permission to be hurt and sad, then find it in me to forgive him and move on.”
“Forgive him? Hell no. And Mom?”
“‘As the wronged party, you have every right to demand he move out and leave the property to you,’” she mimicked in Mom’s voice. “Like I’d ever want to live there again, with the memory of them banging each other in my bedroom, wondering if they’d screwed in every room of the house. God.”
“You do you, Car. Everyone else can hold onto their thoughts,” Kim consoled.
They pulled into the driveway of Rachael’s parents’ house. Rachael stepped inside, immediately greeted by Olive and Martini. The two pups jumped around like mad, begging to go out. Cripes, you’d think they’d been home alone all day. Rachael walked back through to the kitchen to let them out and gasped at the scene that greeted her.
Roses covered the deck. Hundreds upon hundreds of them. Vases on the patio table, side table and scattered about. Loose roses carpeted the deck. Every color, every size.
“Oh. My. God.” She stood frozen in the doorway, fingers pressed to her lips, trying to comprehend what she was seeing. Rachael turned back toward the kitchen, where the three were amicably chatting about tomorrow’s cookout. “Rick, this is . . .” she threw her hands up, unable to say what it was. “When did you have time to do this?”
Puzzled, they joined her and stared at the sea of roses.
“I didn’t,” Rick said.
“What?” She looked sharply at him, his eyes not giving any indication of his thoughts.
She pushed open the door and cleared a path through the flowers so Martini and Olive could get through. A vase on top of the patio table had a card in it. Addressed to her.
<
br /> “They’re not from you?” she asked again over her shoulder, dread pooling in her stomach.
His face darkened as he looked around. “No.”
Rachael plucked the card from the vase.
A flower for every moment I’ve missed you. I can’t stay away. I love you. G
She looked at Carlie, who just shrugged.
Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no!
“Wow. These are gorgeous,” whistled Kim. “A bit excessive, but gorgeous. Who are they from?”
Rick glanced at her. And walked away.
“Gabe,” Rachael whispered, watching Rick leave.
38
Rachael topped off her wine glass, frustrated at the damn roller coaster her life had become.
“What does that even mean, ‘I can’t stay away’?” she muttered.
Carlie shook her head, taking another drink of wine.
“I mean, we had a great conversation. We talked it out. He understood.” Rachael groaned, wondering if the whole world had gone mad. Clearly, Gabe had.
Kim had to leave to help Owen set up his upcoming exhibit, so Rachael sent her off with a few bushels of roses. Maybe they could find a use for them.
Carlie remained, standing across from the sofa Rachael sat on, watching her older sister quietly.
“God, I’m sorry Car. This is so shitty of me to be complaining with all you’re going through, but holy shit. Why is this happening?”
Carlie sighed and sat on the coffee table in front of her.
“Mom would kill you if she saw you sitting there,” Rachael said absently.
Carlie squinted her eyes, giving a pretty darn good Mom glare. “Rachael, what are you doing?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing?”
“Are you leading them both on?”
“No! Gabe and I had a physical thing. That was it. I love him but as a friend. Not like Rick. Nothing like Rick.” She frowned, staring into her wine glass. “What should I do?”
“First thing you’re going to do is pull yourself together. This isn’t the end of the world, Rach.”
Eyeing Carlie over the rim, she nodded for her to continue.
“Second, you need to figure out what you want. Who you want. It seems pretty obvious to me, but you need to decide for yourself. Then, as much as it sucks, you need to cut ties with the other person. Cold turkey. Finished. Kaput.”
Rachael sighed and set down her glass. “I know you’re right. God. What a pair we are, right? You’re dealing with the scumbag of the year and I’ve got to figure out what the hell I want to do with two guys. And a bazillion roses. Maybe I should just join a nunnery.”
“Convent. They’re called convents. And I doubt you would do well with celibacy, so we can rule that out as a viable option.”
“Carlie, I love him. Real, terrifying, freaking-the-hell-out-of-me love.”
“I know.”
“His ex-fiancé left him for another vet from his class, one who was willing to go all-in on a money-making practice. She cheated on him while they were engaged. He knew the guy. This has to feel like another slap in the face to him. Me choosing the guy with the money and fame.”
“But you didn’t choose Gabe.”
“I know.” Rachael picked up her glass and swirled the wine around, watching it cling briefly to the sides of the glass before sliding back down. She took a deep drink and closed her eyes. “He wants me to move in with him. I told him I probably would, but I need some time.”
“I assumed,” Carlie grinned. “But I think it’s wise to take your time. No sense rushing into something that has you this confused.”
She smiled, tears in her eyes. “You know, he healed my girl. He took care of Olive and took care of me when I was a mess. We went out a couple of times and we had an amazing time before the whole Gabe thing. When we eventually got back together, it all clicked. It was immediate and unlike anything I’ve ever felt. I can’t describe it.”
“So why didn’t you say yes?”
“I don’t know. It’s all so new. I don’t know what I’m doing. Look at you and Brent. And Kim and Owen. Does this stuff ever last? What if it’s just lust? Or a fling?”
“Is it just lust?”
“No.”
“Is it a fling?”
“I don’t think so. The way he makes me feel—”
A knock on the front door spooked them.
Gabe.
Rising to her feet, Rachael knew what she had to do. Time to close one chapter so a new story could unfold.
She took a fortifying breath and closed her eyes, not able to look him in the face—that beautiful face—as she put the final nail in the coffin. Rachael pulled the door open and started talking. “This is not going to work, Gabe. I can’t do this.” When she gained the courage to open her eyes, she was shocked to see blood-shot hazel eyes staring at her in confusion.
“Brent? What are you doing here? She doesn’t want to see you.”
“Is she here?”
“You need to leave.”
“Is she fucking here, Rachael?”
She stared at Brent, shocked.
“Carlie!” he yelled into the house. “Carlie! Please, I need you. We need to talk.”
Rachael put her arm across the doorway, bracing herself between the door and frame. “You are not welcome here. Go away.”
“Caaaarrrliiiieeee!”
“Do not make me call the police, Brent. Go home. You messed up. You had the best girl in the world, and you fucked it up. You! She walked in on you screwing another woman. And not just any woman. No, you had to do her friend! And like the loser you are, you didn’t even have the decency to do it somewhere else. Her home. How could you?!”
He dropped his head into his hands, moaning. “I know. I know. I don’t know how it happened.”
Carlie walked up behind her. “Go home, Brent.”
“Carlie! Please. I’m begging you, give me another chance.”
“No. Go home.”
“It’s our home. You belong there, Car. With me. Brent and Carlie forever, remember?”
Seeing the hurt and anger in her sister’s face, Rachael seethed. “Listen to me, Brent, and listen well. You lost her. You fucked up too many times. And you finally crossed the line and thought you could still keep her? Guess what? You. Do not. Deserve. Her.” Rachael attempted to slam the door closed, but his foot was wedged in the frame.
“I’m not leaving without you, Carlie.”
“It’s done,” Carlie said bitterly over Rachael’s shoulder. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t sit at home and pretend you love me, tell myself that you’re just too busy with work to be with me. All those late meetings . . . I can’t. I just can’t.”
“I’m not pretending, Carlie. I love you. You know that! Please, we can work this out. Talk to me. Come home with me. God, I love you. Please!” The haunted, pleading look in his red-rimmed eyes was unbearable. Rachael glanced over her shoulder, praying Carlie would stay strong.
You deserve better.
“I can’t,” she whispered before fleeing into the house.
“No! Carlie! You have to listen to me!”
“Brent, last time,” Rachael cautioned. He squinted down at her, his eyes wild. “You are leaving now, or I will call the police.”
“No need to call the police,” said a deep voice. “He’s leaving now, aren’t you?”
Brent spun around, wobbly. “Who the fuck’re you? She belongs with me. I am not leaving here without her.”
“I think you are.” Gabe stepped into the circle of light on the porch, his pale blue eyes promising destruction as his dark hair swirling in the wind.
Oh. My. God.
Her own freaking avenging angel.
“Carlie!” Brent tried again, straining against Rachael’s outstretched arm.
The sound of Carlie sobbing in the house reached them, giving Brent the final push to insanity. He shoved at Rachael wildly, trying to get into the house.
“No!” Ra
chael screamed, pushing him back. He slammed her against the door frame and threw an elbow at her, landing it squarely in her eye.
Gabe roared. “You do not touch her!” He grabbed Brent by the scruff of the neck, throwing him to the ground outside.
“Go to your sister,” Gabe said, breathing heavily and nodding to the house. “I’ll take care of this.”
Rachael nodded and pressed a hand to her face, stumbling into the house.
Carlie looked up from her tissue and stared, stunned.
“Rachael? Rachael! My God, what happened?”
Rachael sat in the chair and pressed her hands over her eye. “The same fucking eye,” she groaned.
Carlie ran to the kitchen and came back moments later with a bag of ice. “Here, want me to hold it?”
Rachael shook her head. “No, I’ve got it.”
They heard a door slam and a car take off down the road.
“He’s gone,” Carlie whispered.
The front door opened and Gabe stalked in, going straight to Rachael. “I could kill him. Rachael, are you okay?”
She pulled the bag away from her eye and looked at him through the swelling. “I’d really love it if the world would stop bashing the hell out of this eye in the future.”
“Damn. You’re going to have another doozy of a shiner,” Gabe noted.
Thanks.
“Brent did that?” Carlie asked, appalled.
“He heard you crying and lost it.”
“Oh, Rach. I am so, so sorry,” she cried. “This is all my fault.”
“Shh, it’s okay,” Rachael wrapped an arm around her sister’s waist. “It is not your fault. It’s over. He’s gone now.” She soothed her as best she could with a bag of ice between them.
Carlie nodded and hiccupped, tears running down her face.
“I need to . . . I have to go do my thing. I’ll be back. Are you okay here?” She looked from Rachael to Gabe and back again.
“Yes. Go do what you need to do. Do you need me?”
“No, I can manage.”
“Where’s she going?” Gabe asked.
Rachael waited until Carlie was out of earshot. “She gets severe panic attacks. Something like this could set her off if she doesn’t manage the stress. She’s going to meditate.”
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