Beneath the Truth

by Meghan March

  “I told my dad I would stay as long as he wanted, and I meant it.”

  Rhett turned slowly to look at me. “You can run your business from here?”

  I nodded. “I can run it from anywhere, provided I can travel on occasion for in-person meetings.” I hesitated before continuing.

  “What?” Rhett asked, reading me too effectively.

  “How long are you staying? Are you going back to wherever you were?”

  His gaze left mine for a moment before returning. “I’m not going anywhere until I find out the truth about what happened with my dad. I owe him that.”

  “And then?”

  “And then we need to figure out if you’re gonna give me a reason to stay longer than that.”

  “Wait, you mean—”

  “You figure into this decision, Red. I’m not gonna lie and pretend you don’t.”

  30

  Rhett

  You would have thought I told her I had the nuclear codes. That’s how dumbstruck Ari looked when I told her she played a role in my decision.

  I knew she wasn’t dense. She was a goddamned genius, after all, but sometimes she missed the simple things right in front of her face. I probably should have been insulted that she didn’t think I realized just how amazing she was and wanted to see where this could go. I’d have to be a moron to miss this opportunity.

  Which, apparently, I was for years.

  But no longer.

  Maybe there was some truth to the idea that things happen when and how they’re supposed to. I never would have believed any good could come out of the fucked-up events of this week, but I was willing to admit when I was wrong.

  Figure out what you want and go after it.

  That’s exactly what I was doing. My life was in ashes, so this was the time to rebuild. Something new. Something good. With Ari.

  And right now, I needed some of that good.

  I cupped her jaw and lowered my lips to hers. What surprised me the most was how fast and how hard she threw herself into the kiss. It had to be crazy spikes in adrenaline that we’d been running on throughout this roller coaster of a night.

  Ari slid to the edge of the seat so quickly, I wondered if she might climb right onto my lap, which for the record, I wouldn’t have had a problem with at all. One hand went behind my neck and the other dived into my hair. I groaned against her mouth, adjusting my grip to pull her closer.

  Fuck it. I dragged her over the center console of the Jeep. She straddled me, leaning up higher and pressing down.

  My dick, which I would have sworn would be dormant for days after tonight, went rock hard.

  She kissed me like she needed it more than air. Like this was all that was holding her together. I let it go on for another long minute, because I couldn’t find it in me to push her away, but I knew I had to stop it soon. If I didn’t, the first time I’d have Ariel Sampson under me would be in the front seat of my car after an exhausting, emotional night.

  I pulled back. “Ari, sweetheart.”

  “Shut up,” she whispered, going after my lips again.

  That’s when I finally understood. She needed this, and that meant I was going to give it to her . . . to a point.

  That point being the one I was about to hit in five . . . four . . . three . . .

  My countdown didn’t make it any further because someone knocked on the window and Ari jerked away and screamed.

  I yanked her against my chest and reached for the gun hidden between my seat and the center console. I had it pointed at the form beyond the window before conscious thought kicked in.

  Carver.

  Releasing my grip on Ari, I tucked the gun away and reached for the button to roll the window down.

  “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  “You need something?”

  I had to give the guy credit. He kept his eyes off Ari, which was the exact right thing to do.

  “I just wanted to make sure there were no issues and that Mr. Sampson was doing well.”

  Ari shifted in my lap, brushing my half-hard dick as she straightened. I suppressed a groan as she replied.

  “He was banged up and has a hip fracture, but it won’t need surgery, just rehab. Thank you for asking.”

  Carver nodded. “That’s good news.” He paused for a moment, not turning away like I expected. “Um, Ms. Sampson. One more question.”

  “Yes, Carver?”

  “Will Mr. Hennessy be staying? For security measures, it would help me to know.”

  Ari stiffened in my lap, clearly taken off guard by the question, but I didn’t hesitate.

  “I’m staying.”

  Her grip tightened on me as Carver’s gaze jumped from my face to hers, and she nodded, repeating my answer. “Yes. Rhett will be staying.”

  “Sir. Ma’am. I’ll leave you to it.” He backed away and disappeared into the side door of the massive garage.

  Ari’s head jerked toward me, and I wondered if she was going to comment on my jumping in and saying I was staying without consulting her, but she didn’t. Her fingers threaded into my hair again and her lips found mine. This time the kiss was desperate and wild, like she’d lost all inhibitions. Like she was afraid this was the only moment she’d get with me.

  It wasn’t. I was going to make damn sure we’d have a hell of a lot more.

  I reached for the door handle with one hand and kept the other wrapped around her ass.

  “Wait—”

  “Done waiting, Ari. Tonight, we’re taking.”

  Any other protest died on her lips. She freed me from my seat belt, shifting as I climbed out of the car and hefted her up.

  “Wrap your legs around me.” The command wasn’t even out before her skirt was pushing further up her thighs and her legs gripped my hips.

  It took extreme willpower to walk to the front door rather than lay her out across the hood of my Jeep and shove the skirt the rest of the way up her legs so I could find out what she was wearing beneath it.

  Ari’s lips sucked at my jaw, my neck, and my ear as I took measured steps toward the door. My fingers curled into her ass when we reached it, that willpower losing strength.

  I pressed her back against it, using the leverage to pin her to the massive wood panel. “Jesus Christ, woman.”

  My words stopped her movements long enough for me to return the favor, scraping my teeth over her jaw and down the tendon of her neck. Husky moans filled my ears and my cock pulsed in my pants. If I didn’t get her inside now, we weren’t going to make it there at all.

  Tearing my mouth away, I cupped her jaw. “The first time I sink inside you isn’t going to be up against your front door.”

  Her gray eyes hazy, Ari nodded in agreement. “Okay. But maybe the second?”

  “I’ll consider it. Keys?”

  “Should be open. Carver was here. He would’ve swept the house.”

  I didn’t like that answer, but at this moment, I didn’t care because the unlocked door meant there was one less barrier to getting what I wanted. “Hold on.”

  Ari gripped my shoulders, and I stepped away from the door and tugged open the handle.

  “Down the hall,” she said as she pointed, and I wasted no time striding toward the massive master suite.

  Even though I was determined that this wasn’t going to be a one-shot deal, I was going to treat it like my only chance to show her exactly what it was like to be my woman. Prove to her that I could give her something no one else could.

  When I strode into her bedroom, Ari’s lips were on me again, making it harder and harder to concentrate, but I found the bed in the middle of the giant space and laid her down on it.

  She reached for me, but I stepped away. I needed light. I wanted to see her face. This wasn’t happening in the dark.

  I switched on one nightstand lamp and a soft glow filled the room. She was beautiful. She’d always been beautiful, but I’d never let myself appreciate her until now.

  “You’re gorgeou
s.”

  A blush crept up her cheeks.

  “Don’t believe me? Because you are. And I’m gonna bet that applies to every damned inch of you, even the ones I haven’t seen yet.”

  The blush deepened and I stepped closer to her again, this time reaching out to pull her to her feet.

  “What—”

  “Time to take this sexy dress off.”

  31

  Ariel

  I’d been through the emotional wringer tonight, but my body buzzed with the high that came from too much adrenaline and too little sleep. Logically, I knew we both needed rest, but there was something else I needed more.

  Rhett.

  My heart hammered so hard, I thought it might be in danger of exploding. Wham-bam, wham-bam, wham-bam. The rhythm pounded in my chest as Rhett turned me around, found the zipper tab at the top of my dress, and slid it down. The cool air hit my overheated skin with each inch he uncovered, and when Rhett pressed his lips to the top of my spine, I thought I was going to trip right out of my shoes.

  But he didn’t stop there. He took his time, kissing a path down my back until he was kneeling behind me, my dress pooled in a puddle at my feet, and his lips just above the lace band of my thong.

  I thought he’d yank it down and keep going, but the man kept me guessing.

  I didn’t know why that surprised me most of all. Probably because I’d envisioned what this moment would be like hundreds of times, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. This wasn’t the crazed tearing at clothes like it was when it started in his Jeep. No, Rhett was savoring every moment, tasting every inch. Worshipping me. That’s what he was doing.

  Rhett kissed a trail around my hip, guiding me with his hands until I spun to face him and his lips were pressed just below my belly button. He leaned his forehead against my stomach and breathed me in.

  “I’m gonna devour you.” His husky voice sent shivers zinging to my clit and hardened my nipples. “I want you to know what my lips feel like on every inch of your skin.”

  He lifted his head, and I regretted the loss of contact for a moment before his eyes met mine with a swift emotional punch. “This isn’t a one-time thing, Ari. This is just the beginning.”

  “I don’t expect promises from you.” I didn’t recognize my own voice.

  “You’re getting one anyway.”

  The heat burning in his eyes wasn’t just arousal, it was a vow. Everything building between us had led to this moment.

  He scraped his teeth from my belly button to the top of my panties and reached up with both hands to drag them down my legs, his mouth following every inch he uncovered until he skimmed over my bare lips.

  “Red, you’re soaked.”

  I didn’t know what possessed me to say it, but I blurted, “Didn’t you know everything’s better when it’s wetter?”

  A moment of silence followed before Rhett’s entire body shook with laughter. His piercing green gaze met mine. “You’re priceless, and I swear I’ll always treat you like it. But right now, I’m going to eat this pussy until you scream.”

  One hand pressed to my stomach as he pushed me back onto the bed, where I landed with a bounce. Before I could say anything, he was between my legs, his tongue sliding through my wetness.

  I couldn’t tell who moaned louder, me or him. My hands fisted the covers as I pressed up against Rhett’s mouth. Whatever he was doing—

  “Oh my God.” I couldn’t possibly already be coming. It was impossible. Wasn’t it?

  But sure enough, the orgasm built and my cries grew louder and louder, until he slid a single finger inside and my climax slammed into me.

  “That’s right. Come hard for me, Red. Grip my finger like you’re gonna grip my cock.”

  Who knew Rhett was a dirty talker? It turned me on like I never would have guessed.

  His lips circled my clit as he pumped his finger in and out, sucking and nipping and tugging until the first orgasm stretched into two. If I’d been capable of rational thought, I would have worried about the wet spot I was surely going to leave on the bed.

  Rhett lifted his head, and my eyes took a few seconds to focus on him. “You come just like you do everything else. You don’t hold back.”

  My mouth was moving before I’d even consciously decided what to say. “Probably because you eat pussy like you do everything else—perfectly.”

  The grin. Oh sweet Jesus, that grin. It stretched across Rhett’s face and tugged at my heart. I was in serious danger here, and it didn’t scare me at all.

  “I’m just getting started.” He pushed in a second finger, cutting off any response I might have made with a harsh intake of breath. “You’re so damn tight.”

  “Uh . . . thank you?” I didn’t know if that was a compliment, but I was going to consider it one.

  Rhett’s laugh told me it was the right response. “That’s going to be what I say when I slide into your sweet pussy and you wreck me.”

  Having his magic fingers working me over and his hot eyes on mine while he said those things sent waves of heat up my cheeks.

  His eyes glinted as his grin turned lopsided. “It makes you even wetter when I talk dirty.”

  It wasn’t a question. He was stating a fact, and it occurred to me that he could tell.

  “I didn’t know—”

  “It’s sexy as fuck.” He pulled his fingers free and lifted them to my lips. “You ever taste yourself, naughty girl? Because I can tell you that it’s tart and sweet and spicy, just like you.”

  My eyes probably bugged out of my head comically. “Taste myself?”

  He painted his fingers along my lips, and I imagined him painting something else along them. My nipples hardened even further, pushing out the lace of my bra.

  Rhett missed nothing. “What’s that thought?”

  I swiped my tongue out to taste, and he was right. It wasn’t bad. It was different. “Could be worse.”

  “That’s not what you were thinking when those little nipples peaked.”

  I sharpened my gaze on him. “How do you know?”

  Rhett rose to his feet, the bulge in his pants becoming obscene. “Because I know you, Ari. Now tell me, what were you thinking?”

  He reached for the first button on his shirt and unfastened it. One after another, he released the buttons until he pulled the shirt off and dropped it on the floor. Then he reached for his belt.

  Oh God.

  “You were thinking of me rubbing something else against those plump lips, weren’t you, Red?”

  How does he know this stuff?

  As if I’d voiced my question, Rhett twitched his lips into a smile. “Yeah, you keep forgetting those detective skills I still have. Number one? Reading people, especially the beautiful woman who’s lying on the bed, legs spread, wet pussy waiting for me, when she’s thinking about what it’d be like to have her lips around my cock.”

  The flood of moisture between my thighs would have given me away if he’d still had his fingers inside me.

  “Don’t worry, Red, you’ll have your chance as soon as you admit it. I see it all over your face.”

  Leather hissed against the fabric as he pulled his belt through the loops.

  Oh sweet Jesus. How did I admit that I’d imagined this moment more times than I could count? The moment when I finally learned if the rumors I’d heard in high school were true? That Rhett Hennessy was hung?

  My breathing quickened and I was probably in danger of hyperventilating when he dropped the belt, thumbed open the button, and slid down the zipper. His thick bulge strained against the black boxer briefs and all the saliva in my mouth dried up.

  He might be even bigger than I thought.

  Rhett released his grip on his pants and they fell to the floor. After he stepped out of them, I levered up on my elbows and stared. He didn’t look like he had in high school. Nope.

  Rhett was built like a brawler, not a boxer. He was around six feet tall with broad, heavily muscled shoulders and a carved chest
that tapered down into a narrow waist gripped by the band of the boxer briefs. His thighs stretched the fabric to the limits, just like his erection.

  And those tattoos . . .

  I was a goner.

  “You should probably put your dick in my mouth.” I slammed said mouth shut, unable to believe what had just come out of it. It was a good thing I didn’t close my eyes too, because I would have missed Rhett’s jaw drop before he recovered and shot me a wicked grin.

  “I can honestly say those aren’t words I ever expected you to say.”

  My cheeks burned. I shouldn’t be allowed to talk. I’m totally screwing this up.

  “Umm . . .”

  “Do you know what the sexiest thing about you is, Ari?”

  I was naked except for my bra, laid out on a bed, and I wasn’t about to start guessing. “No.”

  “Your mind. Sometimes, it works so fast you don’t have time to filter it, and I get the pure, unvarnished parts of you. Smart, funny, sweet, sexy. You check all the boxes. You’re the ultimate package. The fact that you’re here, with me, shows me that sometimes life does work out the way it’s supposed to.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, but any other rational thought disappeared from my super-smart genius brain when he hooked his fingers in the sides of his briefs and tugged them down.

  Oh. My. God.

  Big, thick, and built just as solid as the rest of him, Rhett’s cock bobbed free. If it hadn’t been weighed down by its own bulk, it probably would have reached up to his navel.

  My mouth formed into an O as he stepped forward. I scrambled up from the bed and did the only thing I could think of.

  I threw myself at him.

  32

  Rhett

  Realistically, there’s not a damn thing a guy can do about his dick size. It’s either big or it isn’t. I’d never spent much time worrying about mine, but apparently, it’s impressive enough for Ari to launch herself off the bed and slam into my chest.