Rekindle (19 page)

We chat through dinner about work. Things are difficult right now at the station. The news has been all about the string of arson that has been taking place over the last few months. It’s the craziest thing. Investigators are having a hard time piecing it together, considering none of it makes any sense. There isn’t a single common denominator in any of the fires. It’s bizarre. No one is quite sure what to make of it, and all of the guys at Rhett’s station are on high alert constantly.

Once dinner is done, Rhett pays the check and stands to pull my chair out. His hand is instantly at the small of my back as he leads me through the dimly lit restaurant and out to his car.

We turn the opposite direction of my apartment and I look over to Rhett.

“Where are we going?”

“My place.”

“But Micah—”

“Is staying with Tanner tonight.” He cuts me off and looks over at me. There is an undeniable heat in his eyes that I can’t wait to explore.

The ride is quiet and filled with anticipation. I think back to the text that Rhett sent me earlier today. He sounded like he was okay with my wanting to try something a little out of the norm. I’ve thought about it before, but I’ve never been with someone who I trusted like I do Rhett. I know that no matter what we are in the middle of, if I say I’m uncomfortable, it will stop. I’m not scared to try new things—to give myself over to him completely.

I’m jolted from my thoughts when Rhett’s truck bumps into his driveway. He throws it into park and releases his seatbelt before leaning over the console and hooking his hand around my neck. His lips land on mine in a kiss so fierce I swear it could tear me in two. He releases my mouth and pulls back a fraction of an inch.

“I’ve been dying to get my hands on you properly all night,” he rasps before he hops out of the truck and comes to open my door.

I’m still breathless as we make our way inside. It’s dark, and Rhett doesn’t bother turning on any lights. He throws his keys in the direction of his coffee table and grabs my hand. His grip doesn’t loosen until we cross the threshold of his bedroom.

He leaves me standing in the middle of the dark room. Soon, it’s cast in a soft glow with the click of a lamp. Rhett is standing on the far side of the room. His gaze never wavers. It’s almost predatory, the way he’s looking at me, the way his muscles strain against his button-down shirt, like he’s holding himself back from attacking me. I can feel the heat of his stare as his eyes travel up and down my body.

It takes me a minute to notice what’s lying on the bed: a blindfold and the silk straps I ordered sit in the middle of his mattress. The “For Me” note I had clipped to them is laying on his nightstand. My eyes widen at the sight, and I look back to Rhett. He’s watching me closely, making sure that I’m still okay with everything. Loss of control is not something I give up easily and he knows this. I smile at him seductively, and I swear I hear a rumble leave his chest.

He grabs the back of his desk chair and flings it to the middle of the room, not far from where I’m standing. Walking by his iPod station, he grabs the remote and takes a seat. Making himself comfortable, he looks up at me through hooded eyes. He presses a button on the remote, and Rihanna’s “Cockiness” plays low through the speakers. I recognize the song immediately and raise one eyebrow at him.

“I want you to strip for me, M.” His words are barely audible over the music.

I stand stock-still. I am not sure I can do this. Holy shit.

I mean, yes, he’s seen me naked. Several times. But my body and my movements will be his entire focus for the duration of this little game he’s playing.

Rhett’s eyes never leave my face. He’s waiting to see if I’ll go along with what he has planned. Fuck it. This is Rhett. I square my shoulders. A dark smirk appears on Rhett’s face the minute I make my decision, like he can see in my body language that I accept his challenge. As Rihanna sings about sex slaves, I loosen the clip in my hair and throw it across the room.

Closing my eyes to let my body feel the music, I sway side to side, my hands running up the length of my body and into my hair. I open my eyes and lock gazes with Rhett. He pins me with his stare as I pull off the scarf at my neck. I let it fall softly to the floor before turning around. With my back to him, I reach around and slowly drag the zipper of my dress down. It opens around my back and begins to slide down my shoulders.

The top of the dress catches at my hips. I turn to look at Rhett over my shoulder. He’s staring precisely where my dress rests at the small of my back, mouth slightly open and breaths coming so rapidly I can see his chest moving.

I bend slowly to remove the offending piece of clothing. I know exactly what he’s seeing at this moment. My fire-engine-red thong attached to my black stockings with a black and red garter belt. I rise slowly and turn to face him as I reach around to unclasp my bra.

“Don’t,” he orders quickly. “Don’t fucking move.”

He rises from his seat and saunters toward me, his eyes roaming over my body hungrily. When he reaches me, he holds his hands centimeters from my body, like he’s afraid to touch me. He places his hands gently at my collarbone and runs them over me reverently.

“You—” His words are so hoarse he has to clear his throat and start again. “You are a fucking goddess, Emma Grace.”

He reaches and unclasps my bra, removing it from my body before sliding down onto his knees. His hands are resting on my hips when he looks back up at me. “You bring me to my knees.”

A shiver racks my body. I know he feels it with his hands still on me. I can feel his hot breath against my lower belly as he begins to peel away the layers of fabric still covering my skin, peppering my skin with kisses and bites as he moves along. Once I’m standing before him, completely naked, he kisses my right hipbone before giving the same treatment to the left. I close my eyes in ecstasy, and I’m left unprepared for the feel of his hot tongue between my legs—so unprepared that my knees buckle.

Rhett snakes his arm around my waist and stands so quickly I don’t register what’s happening. He backs me to the bed and reaches around me for something. He brings the blindfold between us and ties it on. I am immediately in the dark, my sense of touch and smell heightened. I can feel the heat radiating from his body. He lays me back on the bed and grabs my right hand. I can feel him tying the silk fabric snugly around my wrist before he pulls my arm up and secures it to something. He does the same thing to my left wrist and then he’s gone. I can hear him rustling with something, and then I hear the soft thud of his clothes hitting the floor. No sooner do I register the sound and he’s back, kissing his way up my body, spreading my legs wider to accommodate his large frame.

My body is shaking full out. I need him. I am aching for him. He has to know it, yet he completely bypasses where I need him the most. Continuing his sweet torment up my stomach to my breasts, he grabs my left nipple with his callused hand. The friction makes me gasp. My right nipple is instantly covered by his mouth, sucking and biting. I try to close my thighs, rub them together, something to ease the ache between my legs, but his knees are between my thighs, keeping me spread wide. My wrists are pulling against the ties, but I don’t feel anything except the growing need for release.

“Rhett, please!” I beg him.

He releases my nipple with a pop and slides down my body. Finally!

His mouth is hot and his tongue is wild as he licks me. I can feel myself reaching the top. It’s like my release is just out of reach. He groans, and I feel it all the way through my body. I am right…fucking…there…when he stops.

“NO!” I cry out. I don’t know what else to do. I can feel my cheeks wet with my tears. Rhett shifts and grabs my ankles. With quick work, he has me flipped onto my stomach. My arms are crossed and the strength of the silk ties is tested. His hands are on my hips in an instant and he pulls me to my knees.

Without warning, he slams into me.

“FUCK!” he growls. He wastes no time pulling back and slamming into my body again. His hands grip my hips so tightly I can feel the pulse in his fingers. His pace is fierce, almost punishing. His right hand releases my hip. My mind is in such a haze of lust that it doesn’t register until I feel the sting of his palm against my ass. Nothing could stop the moan that rips from my body.

He alternates between rubbing the sting from the right cheek and then the left. My body is completely lost to the pleasure that he’s bringing me. Every touch of his body against mine is amplified. I can hear the sounds of our flesh slapping together at a rapid pace and the grunts and growls that Rhett is making.

Rhett slides his hand up my back and leans over me. Grabbing a handful of my hair, he tugs and turns my face to the side. His mouth is on mine. I can taste myself on his tongue. His grip tightens in my hair. When he bites my lower lip, I come apart. Throwing my head back, a scream tears from my throat.

“Fuck yes,” Rhett growls before I feel him push into me again. He goes completely still, and I can feel his body tensing as he comes. My body is dead weight, and I drop my head onto the bed. Rhett slides out of me and shifts, grabbing my wrists to untie me. When my hands are free, he takes the blindfold off and throws it haphazardly.

Pushing my hair back from my face, he looks at me. “Jesus Christ, M.”

That’s all he says before he lies back, pulling me to him. My head rests on his chest and my legs tangle with his. He’s casually stroking my back as I lay across him, completely sated. My mind is mush. As much as I want to tell him how incredible that experience was, I can’t get the words to form on my tongue before I drift off to sleep. 

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rhett

“Ahhhhh!” I scream, waking out of a deep sleep, pain pulsating through my back. I must have overdone it last night with M, but when the doc put me on light duty, I had assumed that didn’t include sex. I assumed wrong.

“Fuuuuck me, Emma Grace, wake up,” I shout into the dark room, not able to turn my body to face her, all the while praying to God she hears me, because she sleeps like she’s in a damn coma. “Ahhhhhh,” I scream again as I feel another sharp pain in my back.

“Rhett, oh my God. What’s wrong? Are you okay?” M shouts as she frantically reaches over to turn on the bedside lamp. “Where does it hurt, Rhett? Can you move? Oh my God, are you paralyzed?”

“No, no, M. I’m not paralyzed, but I think last night was too much too soon for my damn back. I’m okay, just in a lot of pain,” I say, reaching up to rub her cheek.

“This is all my fault,” she cries. “I should’ve never let you get so worked up. I should have been on top or something. Rhett—shit, my vagina broke you.”

If I weren’t in so much pain, I would laugh. My poor girl is crying because she blames herself for my pain.

“Hey, none of that. No crying. This wasn’t your fault, but I would appreciate it if you would call Micah and see if he’ll come over and get me to the truck. I need to get to the hospital, and there’s no way you’re going to be able to hold my weight and help me.”

She nods her head and picks up her cell phone to call for help. After explaining everything to Micah and hanging up, she hops out of the bed and starts to get dressed. After a flash, she’s done. She’s never dressed that quickly. I know exactly how to get some pep in her step from now on, because Emma is not known for being on time…ever.

“Rhett, just stop moving around. You’re making the pain worse. Stop being so damn stubborn,” M huffs in frustration.

“I’m not trying to move, M. Shit. I can’t just lay here like a corpse. If you haven’t noticed, I’m very much alive.”

“I’ve noticed that you’re very much an asshole when you’re in pain. So stop being a jackass to me,” M snarls—yes, snarls—at me.

“You’re kind of cute when you’re pissed off at my stubborn ways.”

“I’m always cute, you big jerk.”

“That you are, M. That you are.”

Micah bursts through my door, bringing me out of my thoughts and making Emma yelp in surprise.

“Sorry, Emma. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just not used to knocking when I come in here. I’ll be more mindful next time.”

“S’okay,” she says, holding her chest, probably trying to calm herself down.

Micah nods his head and begins to survey the situation: clothes thrown everywhere and all the things we used laying in random places. Realization sets in behind his eyes as he registers what was going on earlier. Then his eyes settle on me.

“Rhett, please, for the love of God, tell me that you’ve got on boxers under that blanket.”

Then I remember that I don’t. This is about to get awkward. I shake my head and Micah closes his eyes and curses.

“The shit that I do in the name of friendship. If either of you tell a soul about me helping you dress him, then I will unleash hell like you’ve never seen before,” Micah says, looking back and forth between Emma and me. “And dude, if your dick touches me, then you’re gonna have worse problems than back pain. Keep that fucker in check. I’ve lived my entire life only touching my own dick, and I plan to keep it that way. Are we clear?”

“Ahhh,” I yell out again, and just like that, my best friend forgets all about my dick and focuses on helping me get to the hospital.