HE’S DONE IT.
Completely.
Wholeheartedly.
Absolutely, positively, one hundred percent.
I’m all in, can never let go, will always need him, want him, love him.
A matter of weeks, barely two months, and I’m irrevocably in love with Rhett Shaw.
The kind that moves mountains. Shakes the ground you walk on. Changes your world.
The kind of love that invades your soul, strips you bare, and burrows down into your bones.
A love so deep and true and real that I know I’ll never fall out of it.
And I’m terrified, but feel more alive than I ever have before.
Rhett makes all the feelings I thought I had with every other guy in my life before him seem so insignificant and small and meaningless. Because they were. Nothing compares to him, to this love.
To us.
The wide smile I’m sporting thinking of Rhett and the love I never thought I’d find slowly slides off my face as I walk through the door of Inked Souls.
There he is, leaning against the front desk. And leaning up against him is some blonde I’ve never seen before. She’s covered in tattoos, her arms and legs left bare because of the navy-blue romper she’s wearing affording me the view of them.
She looks like she’d be exactly his type. Slender, yet curvy. Stunning with a dark edge. Tattoos I’m sure he did covering her skin.
She makes me feel inadequate, like I’m not important. Not enough.
Like every other man has ever made me feel. Except Rhett.
Until now.
My stomach swirls with nausea and jealousy and a whole bunch of unease.
Especially when I notice he isn’t pushing her away. Or talking her off. Or moving at all.
It feels like a lifetime until he notices me standing there, staring, and when he does he startles and finally pushes her away.
“Angel,” he greets me with his usual bright, lopsided smile. Stepping up to me and placing a kiss to my lips that I barely return. “This is Brooklyn. She interviewed for the receptionist position we have open.”
He mentioned he and Nash were looking to add another position, someone to help with the books and keep the day-to-day stuff going so they could focus more on tattooing and designing. But I had no idea that position would be filled by a blonde bombshell who can’t keep her eyes or herself off of my man.
When I don’t immediately reply, his smile drops, and concern etches across his features.
“You okay, baby?” His hand lifts to cup my cheek. His thumb running along my skin as his fingers slide into my hair.
I watch her eye our interaction as she stands to the side behind Rhett, her eyes lingering on him longer than necessary. A smug smirk lifting her mouth.
Coming out of my daze, I find my manners even though I want to rip her eyes out of her skull. “Yeah, sure. Hi…” I back away from Rhett to step around him. Not extending my hand for a shake, but instead opting for a barely there wave. “Kennedy.”
“Pleasure,” she replies mockingly. Looking me up and down next to Rhett. Making me feel even worse.
I’m distant, he can tell, because when he goes to wrap an arm around my waist, I take a small step away. Indicating I’d rather not have him touch me right now. I can’t help how childish I’m being because I can’t get what I saw when I walked in out of my head.
Clearing his throat, Rhett shoves his hands into his black shorts before addressing the blonde. I can’t even think her name right now.
“Thanks for coming by, Brooklyn. We’ll be in touch to let you know our decision.”
“Look forward to that call.” Her voice sultry and sugary sweet.
“What’s wrong?” he asks when Brooklyn finally leaves.
“Do you know her?” I hate the way I sound—wounded and jealous—but I can’t help it.
“What?” he asks, confused.
“That girl, do you know her? Have you done any of her tattoos?”
His face pinches into further confusion. “Never met her before. She’s new in town and saw the ad Nash ran in the paper.”
“So you have a thing for new girls in town then?” I’m being ridiculous. I know I am, but my heart hurts so badly right now that I can’t stop.
“I’m not sure what you’re getting at here, angel. But if you have something you want to say, or ask, then do it. Because with these questions, it sounds a whole helluva lot like you’re accusing me of somethin’.”
“She was touching you,” I blurt out.
“What? No, she wasn’t.”
“Rhett, I’m not blind. When I walked in that door, you were leaning against the front desk and she was practically leaning on you. Her hip next to yours as she faced you, leaning into your shoulder. A hand to your forearm.”
“Christ, angel.” He goes to step toward me, but I hold up a hand. He freezes. “I didn’t even notice. I had no idea. We were ending the interview, talking about our ink, talking about—”
“That makes it even worse!” I raise my voice for the first time, cutting him off. “It makes it even worse because you had no idea she was so close, that she was touching you. It hurts so much more because you didn’t even think of me.”
Shock covers his face. “Not think of you? That’s bullshit, and you know it. You’re all I think about. Every damn second of every damn day.”
“Well apparently not today!”
“Can’t you see that I’m standing right fucking here, Kennedy? Right here. There’s nobody else. There hasn’t been anybody else since I first laid eyes on you and knew you were fucking meant for me. I don’t know what I have to do to make you see that. To make you see that I’m not stepping out on you. I’ve never done this before, angel,” he stresses. Pleading. “You have to help me out here. Cut me some slack and not think the worst every time you see a woman around me.”
Exasperated, I lift my arms out before dropping them to my thighs. The slap echoing through the otherwise quiet shop. “How can I, Rhett, when they’re everywhere? Your clients. Swarming you at In Ruins. Eyeing you every time we go out. Interviewing for a damn job. I don’t even want to think what it’s like when I’m not around. And don’t even get me started on what it was like watching them want you when we weren’t together.”
His face is hard and determined. But so am I.
“And I’m not blaming you for then. We weren’t together, and I had no right to feel the way I did. But I couldn’t help it just like I can’t help it now. But now it’s worse. Like a knife to the heart every dang time I have to witness it. And walking in and seeing her leaning into you like that…”
I shake my head, unable to continue. My heart pounding and cracking. Tears welling in my eyes.
“Fucking hell,” he growls. Running his hands through his hair before clasping them behind his neck. Squeezing. “I may have never done this before, but you’ve got to fucking know it’s you, angel. You’re all I think about. All I care about. You’re all I fucking want. You were made for me. I love you.”
The space between us becomes nonexistent when he steps toward me. He pulls me close. This time, I let him. “Together. Remember? You and me. Us.”
I don’t know why I thought I’d be able to outrun my past completely. Leave it behind me in my no-good small town. But my foolish mind and heart believed I could. Just as long as I put miles and distance between us.
But no matter what, it will always be there haunting me. Especially if I can never learn to move on from it completely, to let it go and leave it in the past where it belongs.
Those men not only used my body, but they damaged my heart and mind. Making me believe I’m not enough, that I’m no good, that I’ll always be cast aside. Their carelessness left me questioning and insecure and unable to trust. Clark being the final straw.
But Rhett…he’s proven his worth and want of me over and over again. He’s never given me any reason to doubt him or his intentions. He’s always been upfront, honest, and all-in with me.
And I need to remember that.
“Together,” I finally repeat. Because he’s right.
I need to keep it in the forefront of my heart and in my mind that just because these women can’t keep their hands or eyes off of him, he’s steering clear of them.
Because he’s always been choosing me.
And I love him. Without a shadow of a doubt. I’m madly in love with him. And I know he’s fallen just as far as me.
He sighs, relieved. “Thank fuck, baby. I swear to you, she wasn’t even on my radar. Not even fucking close. Got lost in talking tats and ink and then you walked in. The interview hadn’t been over more than a couple minutes.”
His hands run my back in a soothing gesture as they pull me in closer. I soak up all the warmth and comfort he has to give. Letting it ease my worried, hurting, and troubled heart with each caress.
“You have to trust me, Kennedy. I’m not them; I’m never going to be them. I’m always going to be here, putting you first, loving you with every ounce of everything I’ve got. No one, not a single soul on earth is going to change that. I swear to you.”
I sniffle and nod. Tears welling and rolling down my cheeks as I lay my forehead to Rhett’s chest. His hands move from my back to the back of my neck, holding me in place. His lips kissing the crown of my head as his fingers work to massage my neck.
Shame and embarrassment start to mix with my earlier worry and jealousy, taking over. Because I can’t believe I reacted the way I did, let my past dictate my emotions and actions. Not when the man I was accusing and worrying over is Rhett.
“Give me a truth.” His deep voice suddenly rumbles, penetrating my thoughts. Making my heart ache even more.
Pulling my forehead from his chest, I lift my tear-stained face to look into his eyes. “I love you, to—“
Full, warm lips slam down on mine before I’m even able to finish.
Hurried. Frantic. Needy. His lips consuming mine.
“God, angel. I fucking love you. Seeing your face earlier—distraught and hurt—goddamn it destroyed me.”
“I love—you, too—I’m so—I’m sorry.” I manage to get out between kisses before I’m unable to talk at all. His lips completely owning me.
His kisses devouring and mind-numbing.
Giving me a second to catch my breath after he finally pulls away, he locks the door to the shop. The open sign already off because they had the interview before the shop opened.
His hand grabs mine and leads me out back. “What about Nash?” He didn’t even cross my mind earlier; now worried he may have heard everything.
“Ain’t here. Out picking up a last-minute order of business cards from the custom screen-printing place outside of town.” He doesn’t slow his determined steps as he answers. His tone deeper than usual.
“Oh,” I reply right as he pulls me through the back room, slams the door behind us, then slams me against it. Mouth crashing back down to mine. Lips bruising. Tongue devouring.
Proving his point.
That he loves me, that I’m all his, and that I never have to doubt him.
It’s us. Together.