“Who was that?”
“I don’t know. Must have been the wrong number,” I said as I joined Rhett on the stairs, ignoring the dread the call had provoked. He took my hand leading us back up the narrow staircase as I followed behind him. What was wrong with me lately?
Rhett climbed in my bed. I crawled in behind him. He pulled me into a spooning position. I took a deep breath, inhaling his calming scent that I loved before closing my eyes to go to sleep. “Goodnight, beautiful.” I felt his lips press against my head, before falling into a restless sleep.
CHAPTER 11
“I’m so tired,” I complained through the muffling of my pillow as I belly flopped face first onto my bed. My internal clock was beyond confused. All I wanted to do was sleep when we finally got back to my Santa Monica apartment.
“Come here, babe,” Rhett crawled onto the bed next to me, rolling the dead weight that was my body onto him like a blanket. My body melded into his as I lay limp across his large frame. My mind was on the verge of sleep as his fingers traced imaginary patterns on my back. “This is my favorite spot. With you in my arms, pressed against me. I don’t ever want to leave it.”
A smile crept across my face, hearing his words. “Good,” I mumbled into his chest, “Because I don’t think I can move anytime soon. You may be stuck there awhile until my body and brain recover.” I felt his body shake beneath me as he silently chuckled, before kissing my head.
“I need to get some work done.”
“You work too much,” I groaned. “How are you not tired right now?” I forced my head to lift and look at him.
“It comes with the territory. You get used to the traveling and time changes.”
“You need to rest, Rhett. It worries me how much you’re working. It’s non-stop.”
“Don’t worry about me, beautiful,” he brushed some rogue hairs behind my ear. My brow furrowed as I gave him my best look of disapproval. “How about I lie here with you until you fall asleep?”
“I’m not sure that’s much of a compromise.”
“Take it or leave it,” he shifted our bodies, so we were on our sides, spooning.
“I guess, if those are my only options, I’ll take it.” I didn’t have the energy to argue with him. I closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep.
I awoke from my nap, missing the comfort of Rhett’s arms. I sat up, looking around. Discovering he was no longer in the room, I got up in search of him. I could hear the wind and waves coming through the open balcony door off my living room. Rhett was sitting on a lounger with his laptop. The sun was setting over the beach, painting vibrant shades of pink and orange across the sky.
A relaxed Rhett, being framed by the beautiful ocean and sunset, was an image that would be imprinted in my memory forever. I stood, absorbing the whole scene for a few moments, not wanting to disturb him or the thoughts taking hold of my mind. I wanted this. Everyday. Him. Here with me. I didn’t want him to go back to New York.
“Are you going to stand there all evening or are you going to get your cute ass over here in my lap?” Rhett’s amused voice broke me from my revelation. He hadn’t even turned around to see that I was there.
I smiled sheepishly as I walked out onto the balcony. Rhett set his laptop aside. I shivered as the cool evening breeze hit my body. He pulled me down in between his legs on the lounger, wrapping his strong arms across my chest. Warmth flooded me from inside out.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked, kissing down the side of my neck to my shoulder, causing my insides to tingle.
“Yes. Did you sleep at all?”
“No. I will sleep tonight. Are you hungry?”
“A little, but I don’t think I have much in my kitchen. I’ll need to go to the store this weekend.”
“Do you want to go out to eat?”
“Not really…I can order a pizza if you’re okay with that. I mean… I know it’s not your usual caliber of food,” I teased him, looking up over my shoulder at his straight face. He pinched the ticklish spot on my side, triggering a giggle from me.
“Watch it, beautiful,” he warned playfully, a smile pulling at his mouth. “Pizza is fine.”
I turned my head to look back out at the ocean, neither one of us moving to order the pizza. We remained silent as we watched the sun descend behind the horizon. My mind was racing, trying to decide how to broach the subject of us and what would happen after this weekend when he returned to New York.
“Talk to me, beautiful. I can hear the wheels spinning in that sexy mind of yours.” I let out a small sigh, not responding. I gave a slight shake of my head.
“Ava.” My name was a command to speak. He was not letting me avoid my thoughts.
“I’m not sure how this is going to work.”
His body hardened with my words. Afraid he was misunderstanding me, I turned in his arms to face him. Concern was all over his face.
“Let me rephrase that…I want this to work. I want to be with you. I just don’t know how we’re going to make it work…with you in New York and me here. I don’t want to leave California. I love my job. The friends I’ve made.”
“Then I guess we should probably make sure that boss of yours makes our house a priority.” The tension left his body as he smiled slyly at me.
“What do you mean?”
“What do you think I mean, Ava?”
I looked at him dumbfounded. I think I knew what he meant, but I needed him to say it. When I didn’t answer, he proceeded to explain, “I have every intention of moving here. I never expected you to move to New York or leave your job. And there is no way in hell I’m being apart from you more than I have to be.”
“But…your company? Your family? Your life is in New York.”
“No. My life is you. And you are here, which means my life is here. As far as my family, Valerie will be moving here at the end of the summer. My parents are relieved that I’ll be here with her. They are retired and both of their kids will be here. I’ll see them plenty.”
“And your company?
“Well, there are perks to being the boss,” he grinned at me. “I opened an office in downtown L.A. The office we met at. I’m relocating the headquarters here. It has been in the works for months. I have a few loose ends in New York to take care of, getting someone in place to run things there. I’ll still have to travel back to New York occasionally, but for the most part, things will be ran out of L.A.”
I looked at him in disbelief. He said months. He has been working on moving here to be with me for months. Before he even knew if I would take him back.
“Months?” The only word I could say after everything he just dropped on me.
“Yes, Ava. I should have done it fucking years ago. But I wanted to give you the space you needed. You weren’t exactly making it easy on me, either. You kept going on dates. It was driving me crazy mad to the point I wanted to kill every single one of those bastards. The thought of them touching you.”
“How did you know about my dates? Were you spying on me?” My anger started to manifest.
“No. Your family and friends threw it in my face every chance they got, telling me I was being a damn idiot for waiting. And they were right.”
I looked away from him. The guilt suffocating me, once again. “Why now?” That was the one answer I didn’t know. What changed?
When he didn’t respond, I looked back at his face and saw him struggling to answer. Different thoughts and emotions appearing and fading on his face like a mood ring.
“Rhett?” Concern grew inside me. His face straightened to impassiveness, but I could see the emotion still in his eyes.
“I couldn’t allow it any longer. I couldn’t be without you.” His tone was matter of fact, demanding me to accept his answer.
I knew there was more he wasn’t telling me. I could see it in his eyes. Not that I didn’t believe his answer was true. I just knew it was only part of the truth, and he was avoiding the rest of it.
I started to push him
to tell me the whole truth, but was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He retrieved it from the side table, answering the phone before I could tell him not to. He shifted, turning his body away from me, wanting privacy for the call. Hurt by his obvious dismissal and avoidance, I stood, leaving him to go order the pizza.
I killed some time going through a couple work emails after ordering dinner, since he was still on the phone. When it seemed like he wasn’t getting off the phone anytime soon, I jumped in the shower, giving Rhett space to finish up whatever work he still had and me space to process everything he had told me.
I was relieved to know he would be staying in California with me, but it was being overshadowed by the thought that he was keeping something from me. The warm spray of the shower pelted my skin as I closed my eyes to rinse the conditioner from my hair.
I felt Rhett’s hands settle on the hips of my naked body, causing me to flinch from the surprise of his touch. I kept my eyes closed as the warm water continued to stream down me. I stood motionless, just wanting to feel his touch.
He glided them from my hips to my lower back, moving at a steady pace upwards. I felt the heat from his body radiating inches from me. “So beautiful.” I heard his husky whisper, forcing my body’s craving to take over.
My heart pounded with anticipation, my breathing erratic. I inhaled a small gasp of air when I felt the warm sucking of his mouth on my breast. Then sighed my displeasure when his mouth released me, but was immediately silenced as his lips danced up my collar bone to my neck before finding their landing place on my own lips.
He pulled our bodies together where I could feel his length pressed against me. He was ready and so was I. His hands tangled in my wet hair, deepening our kiss. His kiss was aggressive. He was using my lips as a punching bag to take out a frustration. I didn’t question it. I couldn’t. He was rendering me incapable of a single coherent thought.
Not able to remain idle any longer, I flung my arms around his neck. His hands moved to grasp my ass, lifting me into his arms. My legs wrapped around him as he turned us, pushing me into the shower wall, our mouths still taking each other hungrily. The cool tile sent a shiver up my spine.
He broke our kiss, breathing heavily, resting his forehead on mine. He held me in place as he tried to steady his breath. “Open your eyes, beautiful.” His voice was gruff, demanding. I opened them instantly, desperate for him to continue the pleasure he was bringing to my body.
His magnetic eyes locked with mine. I moved my hand down the side of his jaw, trying to read him like braille with my touch. Before I could decipher his coded face, he shifted, slamming his hard length into me. My head fell back from the gratifying pain. “Eyes, Ava,” he demanded.
My head snapped back up, watching him as he continued to move inside me, milking the pleasure from my body. He kissed me gently. His rough assault from seconds earlier tamed. Our bodies remained fused together until our harmonious climax exploded through our gasps and heavy breathing.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked Rhett as we lay in bed after we ate. My head was on his chest as he traced his fingers over the bare skin of my back.
“There’s nothing to talk about, babe.”
“Don’t shut me out, Rhett. I know something is bothering you,” I stared up at him. He studied me, contemplating whether to say anything. I gave him a comforting look, hoping to encourage him to open up to me.
“It’s nothing you need to worry about, beautiful,” he paused, “I have to go back to New York early Monday morning. It’ll just be a few days, and then I’ll be back.”
“Okay,” I relented after trying to read his eyes and finding nothing. I laid my head back down and traced figure eights on his chest. “Where do you plan to stay when you get back?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know…since the house isn’t done…. I mean, if you don’t have somewhere…”
“Are you asking me to move in with you, Ms. Conner?” I heard the amusement in his voice, obviously finding my nervous discomfort entertaining.
“Don’t be so arrogant,” I rolled my eyes. “I’m just saying, if you need a place to stay. You could stay here. With me…..”
His movement was swift as he rolled us. I was on my back as he grinned cheesily above me. “I would love nothing more than to fall asleep every night and wake up every morning with you.”
“So you’ll stay here? Until your house is built.”
“Yes, beautiful. If that’s what you really want.” I wrapped my hands around his neck, bringing his grinning lips to mine. Yes. That’s what I really want. Rhett in my arms. Everyday. Forever.
“Ava!” Joce screamed my name when I walked into the office Monday morning. She was up and running from her desk, throwing her arms around me before I made it two steps through the door. Drew followed sluggishly behind her.
I laughed, tickled by her excitement. “Did you miss me?” I asked sarcastically as she released me.
“Eh,” she shrugged her shoulder unconcerned before flashing her smile at me. “Maybe a little. It’s hard to have girl talk with Drew.”
Drew approached, hugging me as if hanging on for dear life. “Oh thank God you’re back, Ava,” he said dramatically. “I don’t think I could take anymore of Joce’s girl dilemmas.”
“I’m glad to know I was missed,” I laughed at the two of them as we all walked back towards my desk.
“Ava, good morning!” Tom came up behind Drew and Joce, who were still huddled around me. “How was your trip?”
“It was productive.” That wasn’t really a lie, per say. “Did you get everything I sent you from the marble manufacturer?”
“Yes, I did. Thank you again, for going on that trip. I know it was a lot of time out of your personal life. Along with being sprung on you last minute. Mr. Blackwood emailed me this morning with nothing but accolades for you. Said you exceeded his expectations.”
Of course he did…was that because he had me naked before we even landed? My cheeks flushed. Shoot me now. “Don’t mention it, Tom.”
Guilt. Nothing but guilt. I turned my eyes away from Tom, having a hard time looking him in the eye, only to catch Joce’s judging eyes. Her hip was cocked to the side, arms crossed at her chest, eye brow raised and a knowing smugness on her face. Shit. Did she know something?
“Right. Well, we’ll give you some time to catch up,” he shooed Drew and Joce back to their desks. “We’ll have our Monday morning meeting in a few hours to discuss all current projects.”
“Sounds good,” I said, taking a seat at my desk, trying to busy myself and avoid Joce’s laser beam eyes.
“Ava, stop trying to ignore me,” she whisper-yelled at me from her desk after Tom had returned to his office.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said full of innocence. At least, I hoped that is how it came across.
“We’re going to lunch today, so don’t make any plans. I want to know all about your little trip with the brooding, sexy Mr. Blackwood.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I said, still not looking away from my computer.
“Uh huh,” she said unconvinced. “Riley came to see me while you were gone.”
Shit. That had my head twisting over to look at her. “Oh, yeah?” I failed at keeping my voice steady. Her eyes narrowed at me, but the smirk on her face told me she wasn’t truly mad.
“Yes. You and I are talking at lunch.”
“Fine. Just keep your mouth shut,” I hissed at her. It was obvious Riley had spilled my dirty little secret. I just don’t know how much he divulged to her. I was already plotting his murder in my head.
I dropped my head down and got to work. I had a lot to catch up on. By mid-morning, I had finished responding to all the necessary emails and voicemails. I was actually feeling good. I had been stressed I would be further behind and having to work long hours, but Tom had kept his word about taking care of everything while I was gone.
After our mee
ting, Joce demanded we take an early lunch. I reluctantly grabbed my purse and headed out with her. Drew looked more than ecstatic that we did not ask nor drag him along with us. He had obviously hit his tolerance for girl talk over the last few weeks.
We ordered our drinks at our favorite little café, and I trained my eyes on my menu, pretending to be hyper focused on the specials, avoiding her expectant glare.
“Ava, seriously? We both know you’re going to order the same thing you always get. Quit pretending to read the menu.”
She was right. I always ordered the chicken salad sandwich here. It was my favorite. “I may want to try something new. Maybe my tastes changed after traveling abroad and trying new things,” I answered without lifting my eyes to her. The menu was suddenly snatched from my view. Joce had swiped it from me and now held both menus hostage.
“Are you going to make me use brute force to get you to talk? Because I will.” Jeez, she was worse than Lizzie.
“Fine. What is it you want to know?”
“The truth. All of it.”
I released a frustrated sigh as I watched the other customers sitting at the patio tables near us. That was one great thing about California. The weather was pretty much always great for having lunch outdoors. I turned back to Joce. “I don’t know where to start.”
“How about where you already knew Riley and Rhett the night we ran into them at the bar?”
“Yes, I already knew them….. Rhett and I had dated three years prior to that. It ended badly. I hadn’t expected to ever see him again. Or at least, at the time, I had hoped I wouldn’t. When he spontaneously appeared at the meeting and then at the bar, I panicked.”
“Riley said things were pretty serious between you guys before.”
“Remind me to kill Riley the next time he’s in town.”
She laughed at my threat. “If it makes you feel any better, he didn’t willingly tell me. I found a picture of you, Rhett and some blonde in a tabloid article that I was reading online. Something about a love triangle. You were standing on the street in New York when I knew you were supposed to be in Italy.”
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