Monroe
“I thought you were working tonight,” Coop says as I blow through his front door.
“I am. Just dropped by to see Rhett before my shift and grab a quick shower. He in his room?”
“No, he’s in the shower.”
“Lucky me,” I tease.
“I better not hear any funny noises coming from the bathroom,” he hollers.
I wink and stride down the hall. The bathroom door is cracked, so I sneak in, strip out of my clothes, and step in behind Rhett.
He doesn’t even startle when I slide my hands around his soapy body and reach for his cock. It’s half-mast but grows quickly in the palm of my hand.
“Is this a common occurrence, women joining you in the shower? Should I be worried that you didn’t even flinch when I touched you?”
“You should be worried that your stealth skills are waning with age,” he says, wrapping his hand around mine, guiding it over his cock as he shows me the rhythm he likes. “You should also be worried that you won’t make it to work on time.”
“Oh no.” Releasing his cock, I steal the loofah from his hands. “I’m already running late.”
Rhett whips around. “You touched my cock, babe. Now it wants you.” We look down at his straining erection. It’s covered in suds and bobbing heavily between us.
Rhett grabs his cock, working it while I watch. “Why are you running late?”
Dammit. I squeeze my thighs together to suppress the growing ache, but it’s useless.
“Mo, I asked you a question.”
“Huh?” Peeling my eyes away, I blink up at his face. “I can’t concentrate when you touch yourself.”
He lets go of his cock, his soapy hand finding my hip. “I asked why you’re running late. Something happen at Animal Haven?”
“No. More like something happened at my house.”
He tilts his head, and I sigh, dropping my forehead to his chest.
“I walked in on my dad and Sharon kissing.” Several seconds pass, and I look up. “Say something.”
“That’ll kill the mood.”
Laughing, I reach for his cock and sure enough, it’s shrinking.
“If we’re going to talk about your dad kissing your best friend’s mom, I’m going to need you to let go of my dick, babe.”
“Sorry.” I let it go, but not without one final squeeze.
“Tell me what happened.”
“I don’t have time,” I say, soaping the top half of my body. “It’s going to have to wait until after my shift.”
Rhett takes the loofah back. “You talk; I’ll wash.”
Nothing in this world is better than a naked, wet Rhett kneeling between my legs. I’m tempted to latch onto his hair and shove his face between my thighs.
“Talk or I’ll stop.” He runs the loofah up the inside of one leg and then other.
“Right. Sorry.”
Rhett does as promised, washing my body first and then my hair as I replay everything that happened with my dad. I finish the story about the same time he finishes rinsing the conditioner from my hair. With his hands on my shoulders, he turns me to face him.
“It sounds like this could be a good thing.”
“I know. But my feelings are so jumbled, I don’t know how I feel about it. I want him to be happy, and it would be nice to be able to do a few things I want to do, but who will I come home to? Who will eat cinnamon rolls with me on Saturday mornings and listen to my sad animal stories?”
“Me.”
My knees go a little wobbly. Did he just say that? “But your job…you said you’re traveling all the time.”
He puts his face right in front of mine. “I do travel all the time, but I’m home a few days during the week, and we have summers off,” he says, kissing me.
“But you train in Houston.”
“Are you trying to find a reason to keep me away, Mo?” he whispers.
“No. That’s not it at all. I’m trying to figure out how we fit into each other’s lives.”
Taking my hand in his, Rhett brushes wet hair from my face. “I can train anywhere. My life isn’t in Houston.”
“But your home is.”
“Home is a figurative word. My home isn’t where I lay my head at night.”
Oh my. We’re doing this. We’re really doing this. “It’s not?”
“Relax, Mo. Take a deep breath,” he instructs, running his hands up my arms. I follow his command, allowing the oxygen to seep into my body and carry the doubt away. “Home is where I find peace when I’m stressed, happiness when I’m sad, balance when life gets crazy—and trust me, it gets a little crazy.”
“And where do you find peace and happiness and balance?”
Please say in Heaven. Please say in Heaven.
“It’s not where, Mo; it’s who.”
My heart fills with warmth as his words soak in. We’re in our own little world, the hot water beating against our bodies as his eyes hold mine. I wait for the words, wait for him to tell me I’m his home, but I can see the hesitation in his eyes.
He still doesn’t trust me with his heart. He wants to trust me, but I have to show him. He has to see that I’m here to stay and I’ll never hurt him the way I did before.
“You’re my who, Rhett Allen.” Cupping his jaw in my hands, I kiss him gently. “I’ve got to get ready for work, but this conversation isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”
I yank open the curtain and have one foot out of the shower when I’m hauled back against a large, warm, wet chest. His lips mold to mine in a bone-melting kiss. I allow myself a moment to drown in his arms.
“I’m getting there,” he whispers.
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
It takes all of my self-control to step out of the shower and leave him behind, but I have a job to get to and bills to pay. I’m pulling up my pants when Rhett’s phone rings from a pile of clothes on the bathroom floor.
“Can you grab that, babe?”
I shuffle through his clothes, but by the time I pull his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans, the call has ended.
Missed Call: Nikki Cell appears on the screen.
I glance at the shower and back at the phone. Why is she calling? I thought he fired her. A second later his phone beeps with an incoming text from Nikki.
I know we left things on shaky ground, but I’m glad we got to talk the other night, and I can’t wait to see you. Next Wednesday is perfect. I miss you.
Stuffing his phone back in his pocket, I sink onto the toilet seat, feeling like someone reached into my body and pulled my guts out. I swear I don’t breathe for an entire minute as I run through all the things that text could mean.
Is he talking to her again?
Is he planning on seeing her next Wednesday?
Why would he see her next Wednesday?
Was he going to tell me about it?
Does he miss her too?
Adrenaline pumps through my veins, along with a rush of anger and confusion.
Sometime between finding out the truth of what Nikki did to us and having our lovely shower talk about home, he talked to Nikki and made plans to meet up.
I stand on wobbly legs, tug my shirt over my head, and brush through my tangles. Twisting my hair into a pile on my head, I secure it with a ponytail holder and wait for the water to shut off.
“Who called?” Rhett asks, yanking the shower curtain open. He reaches for a towel, runs it over his head and looks at me expectantly. “Mo?”
“Yeah?”
“Who called?”
“Nikki.”
His gaze jumps from the phone to me. “Mo.”
“I have to go.”
I walk out of the bathroom as he stumbles from the shower, reaching for his boxers. “Mo, wait. It’s not what you think.”
Flinging my purse over my shoulder, I pull open the front door, slamming it shut as I walk out. I’m halfway to my car when it flies open again.
“Mo, wait.”
“We’ll talk about this later. I’m going to be late for work.”
I slam the truck door shut and stick the key in the ignition, but I don’t have the strength to crank it over. Dropping my head to the steering wheel, I blow out a long breath. Today has been a crazy day. My emotions are running high, and I’m afraid if I go back into the house, I’ll say things I’ll regret. But worse yet, I’m afraid if I leave without working things out, I’ll ruin the delicate foundation we’ve begun to build.
I trust Rhett, which is why I reach for the handle at the same time a soft knock taps the window. I kick the door open and get out of the truck.
Rhett has one hand propped against the door, the other against the body, caging me in.
“I was just getting out to come talk to you.”
“Good. I was hoping you weren’t going to leave without letting me explain what her text was about. We don’t walk away mad, okay?”
I nod, but it isn’t good enough.
“We talk through our shit, no matter what it is.”
“I know,” I stress. “Why do you think I was opening the door?”
A smile threatens his scowl. “Nikki called the other day and left me a voicemail.”
“You didn’t answer?”
“Hell no. I have no place for her in my life. She wanted to tell me that Jessica, the woman from Rugged, is planning on coming to the ranch next Wednesday for the shoot. I texted her back and said thank you, that Wednesday would work, and that’s it.”
“Then why did she say she can’t wait to see you?”
“Not a clue. I saw that message right after you walked out. I’ll text her back and make sure she knows she isn’t invited to the shoot.”
Well, don’t I feel like an ass. “I’m sorry.” I sigh. “She just brings up terrible feelings for me. We can’t trust her, Rhett. She’s going to be a hard limit for me.”
“Babe. At least let me get you naked if we’re going to talk about hard limits.”
I roll my eyes, unable to suppress a smile. “You know what I mean.”
“I do.” He curls his hand around my neck, presses his lips to my forehead, and lingers there a few seconds. “And you’re my who, Mo. Always have been.”
“You can’t say that to me right before I leave.”
“I can’t let you leave without saying it.” He presses a kiss to my lips.