Luckily, he knew how to use his tool. At the moment, he was taking her to school and teaching her everything she needed to learn about the act of sex. Each thrust and stroke was measured. He held back, prodding her forward, trying to ease another release from her heated body. Rhett looked into her eyes as he fucked her, like he was making sure she knew who was claiming her pussy.
It wasn’t forever, but for that moment, with their bodies entwined in passion and sweat, her body was his. He seemed to know every inch without ever having touched her before. Never before had she had a man who listened to her without her saying a word. Before she could ask anything, he was there, ready to give her what she needed.
She felt another release roaring down on her, knew any second she would explode and hopefully take him over the edge with her. But she didn’t want it to end, either. She loved the feel of his touch on her skin and knew one night wasn’t going to be enough.
Taylor closed her eyes, trying to stop the train of thought. One night. That’s all it could be.
“Open your eyes,” he said gruffly.
She obeyed, finding his stare. He adjusted himself, lifting himself on his knees more and widening his kneeling stance as he held that stare, his intense gaze stripping her more bare than her nudity did.
Rhett leaned in and captured her lips in a searing kiss as he thrashed inside her pussy. He swallowed her moans as she began to come, an eruption that tore her to shreds with each and every wave. He pounded her channel, filling her over and over again with his thick cock. Her walls clenched around his shaft, and she felt his body tense. Rhett ripped his mouth away and groaned loudly as a blast of heat filled her womb. She could feel the hot seed filling the condom as he milked himself into her body.
He continued to pump his hips, more languidly as the seconds passed. Finally he stilled and pushed her bangs away from her sweaty forehead and began dropping little kisses all over her face and lips.
Stunned by his sweet response, she lay there and let him continue. This was a one-night kind of mistake she’d willingly walked into. But she’d hold on to the fantasy a little bit longer if she could. In the weeks to come, his attentiveness would give her something to remember.
Rhett rolled over to his back, taking her with him. He readjusted the sheet to make sure she was covered before holding her tightly to him. Her ear rested just over his heart and the steady beating tempted her to drift into sleep again, but she couldn’t do that. There was too much work to be done, and she’d already spent too much time there.
Taylor listened to his even breathing, awkwardly wondering when she should ask him about leaving. She took too long and those long, deep breaths soon turned to soft snores. Closing her eyes, she made the decision she had to.
She waited until he was deeper into sleep before sliding from the bed. Once she got out without waking him, she tiptoed into the sunroom and put her clothing back on, borrowing the two pieces he’d given her, for her trek home. When she was dressed, she stopped at the end of the bed and looked at him for a long while, trying to burn the image in her head. Rhett looked so inviting lying there, his arm extended, the one she’d rested her head upon.
Shaking herself, she headed out of the room and down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. As soon as she was outside the door, her feet traveled the remembered path she’d ran so often as her old neighbor had chased her back to her parents’ property. This time, she couldn’t help but be sad at what she’d left behind, knowing she’d never be back.
* * * *
Rhett awoke with a start, the bed empty beside him. The room smelled of sex, and his body throbbed with the remembered touch of Taylor’s hands and body. He’d not expected to wake up alone and didn’t care for it at all. Where had she run off to?
He rubbed a hand over his face and got up, heading for the sunroom. Digging in his jeans pocket, he found his cell phone. Ten a.m. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d slept the morning away. Once he got his jeans back on, he wandered through the house, looking for her. Room after empty room, he found nothing, his concern mounting.
Had she just simply walked home? Without a word?
Rhett stormed back upstairs, angry at her for leaving like that. He didn’t know how long she’d been gone or if she’d even made it safely home. After putting the rest of his clothes on, he headed out, climbing into his truck. The engine roared to life, and he gunned the engine a few times, liking the sound. It matched his irritation.
Minutes later, he was heading down the dusty lane and then pulled out onto the main road. It didn’t take long to make it to the end of the Ashbys’ lane. When he pulled before their old farmhouse, he saw the car Taylor had been about to get into last night. She’d been gone long enough to walk home, get a ride back to the bar, and bring her car home. Had she been so ready to flee after they were done?
Rhett marched up to the front door, ready to give Taylor a piece of his mind. As soon as his knuckles hit wood, the door flung open and an aproned Mrs. Ashby was standing there with open arms. She enveloped him in a quick bear hug.
“About time you came to say hello!” she cried.
Rhett felt bad. She wasn’t the reason for his visit, but he kept his mouth closed. No reason to tell her he’d just fucked her daughter and wanted to make sure she was okay. He was fairly certain that would get him a boot out the door, not an invite inside.
“Come in, come in,” she said, backing up into the foyer.
Rhett followed her into the kitchen. He could smell wonderful scents and his mouth watered. He hadn’t had a slice of her pie in ages, but it was suddenly the only thing he could think about.
“You just missed Jim, but I’ll let him know you stopped by. It’s so nice to see you, but you do know Jennings doesn’t live here, right? He bought the old Foster place down the road. You know where that is?”
Rhett looked to the back stairs where he heard footsteps. Taylor was up there, his gut told him so. Was she hovering at the head of the stairs listening? Was she laughing, wondering if he’d implicate himself—because if he asked about her and if she made it home, her mother would probably know he was the reason she’d been out all night.
“Yeah, I know where that is. I’ll stop by to see him later. I actually stopped by to tell you I’m your new neighbor. I bought the Lutz farm next door.” Rhett chuckled at his own quick thinking, not yet giving anything away.
Mrs. Ashby’s smile widened. “Our neighbor? That’s wonderful, Rhett. About time someone took care of that property.”
A buzzer went off, and Mrs. Ashby headed for the stove and pulled out two gorgeous apple pies. The scent made his mouth water.
“Can I offer you a cup of coffee? Maybe a slice of pie? I know it’s early, but you look hungry. I’ve got two others I already took out of the oven that should be cool enough to slice.”
Rhett smiled. “You read my mind, Mrs. Ashby. I haven’t had pie like yours in years.”
Rhett soon had a cup and a plate set before him at their big kitchen island. He shoveled a spoonful into his mouth as Mrs. Ashby stood across from him, her own mug of coffee refilled. She took a sip, watching him closely.
“How long before you ask about Taylor?”
Rhett looked up from his pie, his mouth frozen in mid-chew. He finished his bite and swallowed, not really sure what to say. “Ma’am?”
“I saw her walking that old path home this morning, and I’d already heard you’d bought the place. Jim had to take Taylor to go pick up her car on his way into town, so we know she spent the night up there with you.”
Rhett knew there was no reason to lie. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Now Taylor is a grown woman and I don’t judge her choices and I don’t know your intentions. But I won’t sit quietly by while you use my baby to get over your ex,” she said. “I’d expect more out of one of Jennings’ best friends.”
“That’s not what it was. At least, I don’t think that’s what it was,” Rhett said, leaning across the table a
nd staring at Mrs. Ashby. “You know I wouldn’t knowingly hurt your daughter.”
Mrs. Ashby nodded and sipped her coffee. “Not knowingly. But you’ve just been through the ringer. Don’t take my daughter through it with you.”
“I’m not—” Rhett put his fork down, suddenly no longer hungry. Was that what he was going to end up doing? He didn’t want to hurt Taylor, but the thought of not seeing her again made him feel awful empty. Rhett suddenly felt very selfish. He lowered his fork and pushed the plate away. He’d told himself that he couldn’t drag her through the mud with him and now he was hearing the same thing. It wasn’t fair to either of them to pursue her anymore.
“Thank you for the hospitality, ma’am. I only stopped by because Taylor left while I was asleep and I wanted to make sure she’d gotten home safely. I was only concerned.” He stood and pushed his hands in his pants pockets. “Please tell her I had a wonderful evening and I wish her the best.”
A creak sounded in the ceiling sounded, and he knew she’d gotten his message. Her mother was right. There was no way he could drag her through whatever hell the next few months had in store for him.
* * * *
Taylor watched Rhett walk away from her bedroom window. He climbed into his truck, revved the engine and roared out of her life as quickly as he’d roared into it last night. His leaving was for the best. Their time was supposed to be quick, one night of fun with no strings. Neither had said the words, but Taylor had felt it was implied. No point dragging it out. He was gone, and she could move on.
She tugged the towel around her body tighter. After her shower, she could no longer smell his scent on her body. Luckily she still felt deliciously sore in all the right places. She smiled. She’d have to remember every little stretch and pull to sustain her. Graduation was just months away, and she needed focus to get her through. Her thesis was nearly complete, and she just needed a little more time before she could walk the stage and walk out of Dixon.
Taylor didn’t need a man like Rhett to make her rethink her plans. What was done was done, and she was moving on.
So why had she wanted to run down the stairs the whole time he was there?
Chapter Six
Three weeks of backbreaking labor and Rhett was finally starting to see a little progress on the house. The place was still mostly tore up for now. They’d torn down a couple of walls and reconfigured some spaces, but they were working hard to preserve the home’s original style. He was almost done refinishing the new ensuite for his master bedroom, enlarging the space by taking space from another bedroom. He could hear noise downstairs—the contractor and his team were working on the kitchen and downstairs bathroom.
He could’ve done the majority of the work himself, but Rhett had hired them because he wanted the house completely done well before he went back to training camp. He was still fully involved, mostly because he’d needed to do something physical.
He needed to occupy his body and mind to keep him from walking the trail leading him next door.
He laid the last set of tiles on the floor and stood up to look at his handiwork. Backing away, he walked into something solid. Rhett turned to see Jennings standing there. The next thing he saw was a fist to his face.
Sprawling on the newly laid tiles, he lifted a hand to his bloody lip and checked to see if there were any teeth loose. Luckily, there weren’t. “Took you long enough. I more than deserved that.”
Jennings glared at him. “When I first heard the rumors, I let it go. You’re both grown adults, so no point in getting pissed off and beating the shit out of a friend. But then when you’ve been seen out with three different women since then, I take a little offense knowing my sister was the first notch on your return to Dixon bedpost. How could you do that to her?”
“Three different women?” Rhett stood, shaking his head. “I haven’t been out with anyone since your sister.”
“Maria? Ashleigh? What about Jasmine?”
Rhett sighed. This was the bad part about small town life. The rumor mill was slanderous at best, and everyone knew your business. Bad thing was, sometimes they knew things incorrectly. “I went for drinks last week at Tom’s Place, trying to steer clear of Taylor. Maria was there and got handsy. I left. Alone. A couple of nights later, I had dinner at Max’s Grill. Ashleigh was there eating alone and she invited me to join her. We ate, we chatted, and then I went home. Alone. Last night, I went to the bowling alley with Jasmine—along with her brother Judd and Mike. We bowled a few games, had a few beers, talked about old times, and I went home. Alone.”
Jennings growled and walked out into the bedroom, his hands in tight fists. The nervous anger was rolling off him. “I really want to believe you, Rhett. But my sister? You don’t do that shit, man.”
“It just happened. We got caught up in the moment, and it just happened. I would never treat her like a notch in my bedpost. Your friendship means too much, and I know I crossed a line being with her, but it just was.”
“Well, make sure it doesn’t just happen again.” Jennings crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to have to kill you.”
Rhett put his hands up in mock surrender. “After being on the receiving end of one of your wallops, I’m almost scared to ask this, but what if I want it to happen again?”
Jennings scowled at Rhett.
“I can’t stop thinking about her, man. She got in my head that night and refuses to leave.”
“Wasn’t that the reason you came home? To get your head straight?” Jennings walked over to the window, quiet a moment. “Just leave it alone. She’s about to leave Dixon and she needs to. These rumors have only reminded us why she’s got to make a life for herself somewhere else before Dixon sucks her in and never lets her go.”
“Leaving?” She’d said she wanted to go, but somehow it hadn’t felt tangible. “I thought she still had a couple of months before she graduated.”
“She was offered a position in Houston prior to graduating and seems like she’s going to take it. If she’s smart, she will.” Jennings turned back to face Rhett. “Leave her be and let her go.”
Rhett stared at Jennings for a moment. “Why did you tell me if you didn’t want me to stop her? If I didn’t know, the thought wouldn’t have occurred to me.”
“I didn’t want you getting in the way of her moving on with her life. I had my chance to get out of here before my knee blew out. Fate seems to step in my family’s way when we’re about to spread our wings. I didn’t want you getting the smart idea to knock on her door before she walked out of it.”
Rhett nodded, completely understanding what his friend was telling him—not to be a selfish son-of-a-bitch and to let her go. “I won’t knock.”
“Good,” Jennings said before heaving out a long sigh. “How about a cold beer? You got some around this piece of shit house?”
Rhett smiled wanly, his emotions all over the place. “Be careful what you say about my baby here. She might not be much to look at right now, but in a few weeks, she’s gonna shine.” He clasped Jennings on the back and ushered him down the stairs, trying not to think of the blonde next door.
* * * *
Taylor walked down the winding trail that connected her house to Rhett’s. She didn’t have the right to go to him tonight, but she was going anyway. Knowing what he’d done to her body only made her crave more. She had been burning for him since the moment she’d walked away three weeks ago. On the cusp of an important decision, her head was a mess. It shouldn’t be a mess. The job offer she’d gotten would lead her away from Dixon, exactly like she’d always wanted. It wasn’t a job she wanted, and she didn’t want to rush into something she’d hate.
Anxiety swelled in her chest. All her talk of leaving and starting a new life out in the great wild had been fine. Now that the time had come for her to put up or shut up, she was stricken with fear.
She shouldn’t be afraid of the life she wanted. It was within her grasp.
Her feet had started down
the stairs and out her backdoor before she’d really realized where she was going. As soon as her bare feet hit the dusty ground, the realization hit as well. She wanted him. She wanted him to make her forget all her concerns and the fear. For just one more night. Lying in his arms, her mind wouldn’t be whirring with what ifs and buts.
She lifted her hand to knock on the front door. It was late, and he might already be asleep. Maybe it was best if he was.
The door opened wide a few moments later, as she stood there and weighed whether she should leave or not.
“Taylor?” Rhett lifted the back of his hand to one eye and wiped it, looking like he’d just awoken. He was in a pair of pajama bottoms and nothing else. The expanse of muscled chest only made the ache between her legs build.
He took her in from head to toe and back up again. All she wore was her nightgown. “Is everything alright?”
“No,” she said. It wasn’t.
He grasped her arm and gently tugged her inside and shut the door. She pushed herself into his arms and kissed his lips.
Rhett pulled back, a frown marring his handsome face. “What’s this?”
“I want you. Do you still want me?” She didn’t want to talk about her fears or the job. She’d already hashed it out enough with her family. Right now, she just wanted him to fuck her.
“Darlin’, I doubt I’ll ever get enough of you, but you show up in the middle of the night after avoiding me for three weeks?”
“It was only supposed to be one night, I know. But why can’t one turn into two?” she asked before leaning in to kiss him again.
“You said something was wrong. What’s wrong?” Concern lined his face, and he was keeping her at arm’s length. That just wasn’t acceptable.
“The only thing wrong is I’m feeling really needy tonight. I’d hoped you’d take care of that need.”
Sacking the Quarterback Page 5