Chapter Ten
Rachel
The early rays of the morning sun shined brightly through the wall of windows. It was the reason she picked this room. She could imagine it filled with art supplies; the natural lighting was amazing. Looking around the room, she mentally pictured where she would put everything. Easels lining the wall, shelving filled with paints and brushes. The image was so clear in her head.
“Stop daydreaming. It’ll never happen,” Rachel said out loud to herself.
A sense of disappointment filled her. It’s not like she would live here forever. She would be here long enough to allow the trail to go cold, and then she would leave. Move on to a different place. Maybe this time, she could fake her death and Viper could help her with a new identity.
Rachel was so tired of running. Why couldn’t she have been born to boring parents? Like a banker. Or a store clerk. Anyone other than military government spies!
Deciding it was time to start the day, Rachel climbed out of the bed and made her way to the bathroom. A quick shower and then she would head downstairs. Coffee was a must.
Freshly showered, Rachel made her way down the stairs and was greeted with the smell of bacon. She could hear Diesel humming from the kitchen. A smile stretched across her face.
Walking through the doorway, Rachel came to a halt. The scene before her completely stealing her breath. Diesel was standing at the stove, frying eggs. His jet black hair was hanging loosely down his back. A pair of black sweatpants hung from his narrow hips. But what truly had Rachel’s brain cells misfiring was the fact that he was shirtless. Totally bare from the waist up. Every colorful tattoo on display.
Oh my word, she thought.
How could any man look that sexy? And at nine o’clock in the morning? Did he just wake up looking this good, she wondered?
“You’re staring again.” Diesel’s voice pulled her from her frazzled head.
“Well, you’re standing there half naked,” Rachel responded.
“Like what you see?” He asked, a sexy grin on his face.
“I need coffee,” Rachel blurted.
There was no way she could tell him that she definitely liked what she saw. Diesel was way out of her league. He was sex on a stick. She was... She was plain. Five foot seven inches of plumpness. Rachel knew she had more curves to her than the majority of men liked. She wasn’t delusional, but no matter what she did - eating healthy, yoga, cross-fit - nothing would take away the extra pounds she carried.
“Here,” Diesel said, pouring her a cup of the steaming black, life-saving concoction.
Rachel reached out to take the mug from him. their fingers rubbing against each other’s. It wasn’t like it was the first time they had touched. Hell, Diesel practically led her around yesterday, holding her hand. But there was something different about it this morning. Standing in the kitchen with the morning sun shining, Diesel almost naked - it all felt more intimate.
“Are you going to take the cup or just keep holding my hand?” That dang grin spread wider across Diesel’s face.
Snapping out of the trance he put her under, Rachel grabbed the mug from Diesel and took a seat at the bar. She knew her face was screaming red. Something about the man caused all of her common sense to disappear.
“Are you always like this or is it just with me?” Rachel asked.
“Like what?”
“A jerk,” Rachel deadpanned.
“What did I do that would make you call me a jerk?” Diesel responded, that stupid, sexy smirk still present. If Rachel was the violent type, she’d have smacked it off his face.
“Seriously? You have to ask that?” Why couldn’t they have a normal conversation? Why did he always have to turn into a... a butthole!
Slowly, Diesel made his way over to her, invading her space. Rachel felt her heart beat faster with every step. What was he doing?
The tender caress of Diesel’s hand against her cheek made her eyes close involuntarily. It had been a long time since Rachel allowed a man to touch her. In so many ways, she was the definition of innocence. That one touch made Rachel wish she had more confidence, more experience.
“So beautiful.” Diesel softly spoken words caught Rachel off-guard. The lust that was starting to invade her was replaced with a white hot anger.
“Whatever,” she said, pushing his hand away. Getting up from the barstool, Rachel started for the stove.
“Hey,” Diesel said, grabbing her hand and turning her around to face him.
“Let me go.” Rachel forced the words past her constricted throat.
“What is wrong?” Diesel looked extremely confused.
“Really?” Rachel couldn’t believe he even had to ask. Ugh, Men!
“Yes really. All I said was you’re beautiful. And the next thing I know, you’re shoving away from me. What did I say wrong?”
“Diesel, we both know that you and I are on different levels,” Rachel sighed.
“Different levels? How do you figure that?” Diesel asked, irritation lacing each word.
“Look at you! Look at me! Not only are we on different levels, we are on different planets,” Rachel’s voice raised an octave.
“Fuck that! No we aren’t,” Diesel protested.
“Yes, we are!” Rachel countered. “You’re sexy, gorgeous, hot, and hard. I’m unsexy, not gorgeous, cold... okay maybe not cold, but definitely not hot or hard! I’m a human fluff ball. I’m...”
“Beautiful!” Diesel shouted back. “You are fucking beautiful. Hot. So incredibly sexy. You walk into a room and my dick salutes you. And you drive me completely fucking insane!”
Before Rachel had a chance to counter his claim, Diesel yanked her against his hard, muscular body and planted a kiss on her lips that caused the ground to disappear from beneath her feet.
Shocked, it took a few seconds for Rachel to relax against him. Once her mind caught up to what was happening, her lips parted allowing Diesel to slip his tongue inside. Rachel had been kissed before, but this was different. Diesel was marking her. Marking her lips, her heart, and her soul. In one kiss, Rachel felt like she was being consumed.
If a kiss had this effect on her, what would sex be like? Just the thought made Rachel whimper.
Slowly, Diesel pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. Together, they stood in the kitchen breathing heavily. For the rest of her life, Rachel would always remember this moment.
“If there is one thing you should know about me, it’s to never second guess what I say. You are so incredibly beautiful, Rachel,” Diesel said, placing a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. “Now, sit that fine ass of yours down and let me feed you.”
Rachel retook her place at the kitchen island and watched in stunned silence as Diesel made her plate. Eggs, hash browns, bacon, and toast, all served with a tall glass of orange juice.
“All your favorites. If I’m not mistaken,” Diesel smiled.
“You noticed?” Rachel stared at her plate in shock. Diesel actually knew what she ate for breakfast every single morning.
“I noticed everything about you,” Diesel shrugged, turning to fix his own plate.
For the remainder of breakfast, they both sat quietly. Neither saying a word. Each lost in their own thoughts.
Rachel’s body was still humming when she finished her meal. Walking her dishes to the sink, she began to wash them. Since Diesel had cooked, she could at least clean.
“You don’t have to do that,” Diesel said placing his own dishes on top of hers.
It was just a simple gesture, normal actually, but it still caused a million thoughts to fly through her head. None of them remotely had anything to do with washing dishes.
What in the world is wrong with me? Sexual thoughts just because he set his dishes on top of mine? Rachel knew she was a special kind of messed up. Who in the heck had sexual thoughts because of dishes? Who? Nobody. That’s who. Only weirdos. And apparently, Rachel had now entered the land of weirdom!
“You cooked, I’ll clean,” Rachel choked out.
“Okay. I’ll be outside on the back deck, if you need me,” Diesel replied, placing another kiss on the top of her head.
Waiting until he was out of the room, Rachel collapsed against the counter, legs shaking. This is not what she expected when she walked into the kitchen. She never thought Diesel would kiss her. She never thought that one kiss would cause so many emotions inside of her.
She had no idea what she was going to do. This was all new to her. Yeah, she’d had boyfriends in the past, but Rachel was still innocent in all the ways that counted. Diesel was making her swim in waters that she wasn’t equipped to navigate. Could she withstand the tidal wave or would Diesel cause her to sink in the storm? Honestly, Rachel didn’t know. And she wasn’t sure if she could trust him enough to save her if it all became too difficult.
With a sigh, Rachel busied herself cleaning up the morning mess. She would just take it one day at a time. What else could she do?