Chapter 5

 

 

Freddie unlocked the front door. “Here’s home,” she told Rhett as he stepped inside behind her. “It’s not much, but I’m alone here so it works.”

“It’s quaint,” he said, his eyes lighting up as he admired the cozy living room with its overstuffed couch and chair with ottoman, all of it mismatched and having nothing to do with the crazy blue and white rug beneath it. “You certainly have your own unique style.”

She dropped her purse on the small entry table. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should,” he agreed, that cocky grin spreading across his face.

Her heart fluttered and her cheeks warmed. Kicking her heels off, she noticed his eyes dart to her bare feet. “Drinks, right. We need drinks.”

She untucked her blouse too, slipping into her usual routine when she came home from work. The tiny kitchen wasn’t big enough for a table, so she had a small bench beneath the windows and a short table in front to suffice. Since her mom died and Clarice wasn’t home, she was alone most of the time. Rosie joined her sometimes for dinner, but those were rare occasions when she was in a mood to deal with her old neighbor’s stories of her multiple past husbands.

“Are you a beer man, wine man, or scotch?” she asked as Rhett observed her kitchen as he had her living room. “Don’t mind the cabinets falling off the hinges. I haven’t had a chance to make repairs.”

“Got a screwdriver?” he asked, shrugged out of his jacket, and laid it on the kitchen table.

“Seriously? No way, you sufficiently beat up my ex—which is something I wanted to do—and you have a split lip because of it. You are not fixing my cabinetry.”

He moved closer and her hand slipped off the fridge handle. “Screwdriver, Freddie.”

“Top drawer,” she said roughly. “Over there.”

He found the tool and set to work fixing the three cabinets hanging by loose hinges. “And I’m a beer man.”

Freddie stood by the fridge door as he rolled up his sleeves, revealing well-defined forearms. The fabric bulged over his biceps as he lifted his arms and readjusted the door, murmuring under his breath as he fixed one door and the next. She patted her chest and ducked into the fridge when he paused to glance her way.

Cocky man, she thought as that smile graced her again. Not that she was upset about it. It suited him, that grin, and the way he carried himself. In all the time Mack spent in her kitchen, he either didn’t notice her home was in need of help or simply didn’t care. Two beers in hand, she closed the fridge and popped the caps with the bottle opener on the fridge.

“There,” Rhett said happily. “I think they’ll hold for a while.”

“Thanks.”

She handed him a beer and they clanked the necks of their bottles. She fiddled with her mom’s ring on her finger, spinning it around and around as she stood with her boss in her kitchen. No, not her boss. Not tonight, at least. Standing in her kitchen was a man who had offered to face down her ex with her and took a hit, who fixed her damn cabinets, and stood up for her against his own people at the office.

“So, that ring,” Rhett said, nodding to her hand, “you said it was your mom’s?”

Freddie held up her hand so the light reflected off the solitary sapphire. “Yes, her promise ring from my dad. They were never married, but I liked to think he loved her.”

“What happened to him?”

“He…uh, he left us,” she said, unsure why she was so willing to confide in him. “He walked out on us when I was seven.” She stopped herself before she said anything about her sister. Clarice was a touchy subject. He could ask about her life, but not about her baby sister.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said softly, squeezing her hand as he had right before they’d faced Mack.

“It’s all right. Mom did her best, but she was gone too soon.”

“And your dad? You never saw him again?”

She sipped at her beer, remembering that day in the rain, standing over her mom’s coffin as they lowered it into the ground. “No, he didn’t even come to her funeral.” She gulped more of her beer, wiping her mouth on her arm. “What about mister CEO? How’s your family life? Parents?”

His smile was bitter. “That’s a very complicated and long answer.”

Freddie pulled two more beers from the fridge and motioned for him to follow her into the living room. She tucked her feet under her as she sat on the couch and patted the cushion beside her. Since meeting him, this was the first time she’d sensed doubt about himself.

“My parents are retired and travel constantly,” he explained. “The family business fell to me and my four older brothers.”

“Well, it doesn’t sound like you had a boring childhood.”

“No, I definitely did not have that,” he agreed thoughtfully. “By the time I was born, my dad had my brothers’ lives mapped out for them. But me? Let’s just say son number five wasn’t exactly part of the plan, so I did what I wanted. Went where I wanted. I was the carefree baby brother.”

“And from that mischievous glint in your eyes, I’d say you found yourself in a fair amount of trouble,” she guessed, and he laughed with her.

“You could say that. Me and the guys, we were always out late, finding parties.”

Freddie envied him. When she went to college, her only thoughts were of graduating so she could find a job, make some money, and support her family. She found Mack at college and was swept away by his charm, falling for the first guy who was nice to her. She regretted the last few years of her life. She’d stuck with a man who would rather cheat on her and lie than tell her the truth when he was unhappy or when he couldn’t respect what she wanted.

“I’m sure you’ve had plenty of girlfriends to go along with those days, too,” she added.

He smiled widely as if remembering them all, and a strange pang of jealousy shot right through her. “Flings, mostly, but no real girlfriends. None that lasted long, anyway.”

“Why did you give up the life of a bachelor?” she asked. “It sounds like you had it pretty good.”

“Honestly? As much fun as I have with my friends—those fancy suited men I brought with me—that kind of life gets old. That, and my brothers expect more from me because of who I am.” He sulked as he finished his first beer and started on the second. “They want me to be like them, to live up to the great Macon name and make something of myself. That’s what this takeover is really about. The plan was to incorporate the company and place me in charge. If I do well, I earn my brothers’ good graces.”

“And if not?”

He crossed his feet at the ankles, not meeting her gaze. “I don’t know. I lose my chance at being a young, hotshot CEO, and LM Solutions will be absorbed into my family’s company, I guess.”

Freddie set her bottle down hard. “Will I have a job if this happens?”

His head shot up and his eyes widened as if he hadn’t thought what could happen to all the people working at the company if he failed to do what his brothers wanted. She waited for him to assure her that his older brothers promised jobs for everyone at their mother company, but no sound came out of his mouth.

“You have to prove to them that you can do this,” she ordered. “You can’t think only of yourself.”

“I’m going to try—”

“You have to do more than try,” she insisted with a stern look. “You have to succeed. If you don’t, I won’t have a job, and I can’t… I can’t afford to be out on my ass for very long. A lot of your other employees can’t be either. We need you to step up, Rhett. Do you understand me?”

He held her hand securely in his and stared her in the eye. “I will do everything I can for you and the other employees. Honest.”

“I hope so. You took over a tight-knit company and none of us want to go anywhere yet. We have faith in you, Rhett.”

“Don’t say that,” he mumbled. “I’m not used to people relying on me like this.”

“Well, you’d better get used to it.” She squeezed his hand. “We’ll do whatever you need us to do, but you and your buddies have to step it up. Our old boss was a nice man, but he didn’t want to modernize the company to lead us forward. You can do that. You can be the man who changes things and makes something great for everyone, including yourself.”

His thumb smoothed over her knuckles as he said, “You’re really great at motivational speeches, you know that?”

“I’ve had to make quite a few of them over the years.”

“Your mom?”

No, not so much, but my sister. My poor, sick sister, she thought and fought the wave of emotions threatening to break through. Worry at what he would think if he knew the truth about her family and their history made her almost forget to breathe. She’d thought she liked Mack all those years, had almost loved the man, but sitting here with Rhett, she knew she’d felt nothing real for that bastard. Rhett instilled a warmth inside her she couldn’t describe, but she wanted it to stay. The few friends she had from college and the days before had slipped away from her. She’d been too busy dealing with her mom and Clarice to maintain friendships. She was alone, and that loneliness hung over her like a dark shroud.

Rhett was the first person she was able to have a casual conversation with about her life—the parts of it she was comfortable talking about so far. Opening up to Clarice had its ups and downs. She wasn’t supposed to stress her sister, and Rosie… well, Rosie found it more entertaining if she lectured Freddie on how to live her life and shared past stories of her success instead of actually listening. The old woman was a Godsend, but Freddie missed having someone she could sit with on her couch, drink some beers, and simply talk.

“Freddie?”

“Sorry,” she said, wiping at her eyes before she made a fool of herself by blubbering all over him.

“For what? You said she only passed a few years ago. If you want to cry over her, don’t stop on my account. I can’t imagine losing one of my parents,” he murmured.

Their clasped hands rested between them on the couch. She wanted to let it all out. The loss of her mom and Clarice having to live in that home for an indefinite amount of time. For Mack cheating on her and insulting her to her face because she was never comfortable enough around him to take that next step. But Freddie didn’t want to cry, not with him sitting on her couch. She simply wanted to enjoy his company and remember what it felt like to have a friend.

A very hot, sexy friend who stared at her like she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.

Her cheeks burned hot and she ducked her head. “I think we need more beers.”

“Too many more and you won’t get rid of me,” he said jokingly.

“That wouldn’t be such a bad thing,” she added, and the sudden zing of want inside her exploded outward.

She tried to deny her strangely curious feelings, but why shouldn’t she take a risk? From the first time she spoke with Rhett, she could be herself, and he accepted it without even blinking an eye. He was even willing to open up to her about a life that some would see as easy and fun. But when he spoke about his past, there was an emptiness. She grew up without her dad, and though his parents were still alive, she recognized the tone of longing in his words. He wanted parents who were there for him, not as another legacy to their family name, but as a son. Freddie’s body shifted closer to his on the couch, her gaze slipping to his lips. She shouldn’t do it, but every instinct said this was right. Her eyes closed and the next thing she knew, her lips were pressed against his. The kiss was soft and gentle.

Panic set in a second later and she nearly fell off the couch. “Oh, God, I’m sorry,” she whispered, trying to pull her hand free of his. “I wasn’t thinking. That was too much. Can we act like I didn’t just do that?”

“Only if you’re willing to forget this.”

His hand held the nape of her neck as he kissed her. She gasped in surprise but relaxed into his touch as his lips moved with a fiery passion across hers. In all her times kissing Mack, he never made her toes curl or goose bumps break out on her arms. Rhett’s lips were soft, and when he guided her towards his lap, she was too caught up in the moment to worry about what would happen once they came up for air.

Freddie wanted more, so much more. She deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as his hands ran down her back. He traced each vertebra through her blouse, and she trembled, imagining what his hands would feel like on bare skin. Her legs were trapped by her tight skirt, but that didn’t stop her. Giggling with excitement at this new-found desire bubbling to life, she tugged up her skirt so she could sit on his lap properly, straddling his thighs.

His eyes narrowed, and when he captured her mouth with his again, his kiss was hungry. Ever so lightly, his tongue ran along her bottom lip, and Freddie’s mouth opened on a sigh. They explored each other’s mouths, and his arousal swelled between her legs. Her hips moved on their own, and his hands tightened on her hips, pressing her against the bulge in his pants.

Fearful of everything Mack had called her back at the apartment, she pressed her hands against Rhett’s chest, interrupting the moment. “Wait… I want you to know something.”

“What?” he asked, not annoyed at all, only out of breath.

“I…uh, I don’t want you to think…what he called me…” Words failed and she sagged on his lap.

“You’re worrying again.” He rubbed at the place above her nose. “And I don’t give a damn what that man said about you. You weren’t ready to have sex with him. So what? I’m sure you had a good reason.”

“But this, what we’re doing right now, I don’t want you to think I’m a tease.”

He tilted her head up and placed a kiss on her lips. “I’ve been with plenty of those women, Freddie, and trust me, you are nothing like them.” He sighed and leaned back against the couch, studying her face. “Can I ask you something, though?”

“We’re friends, right? Of course you can,” she said, trying to keep her tone light.

“Why didn’t you have sex with Mack? I mean, how far did you two even get?” His lips thinned and he shook his head. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be asking that. It’s way too personal.”

“No, it’s fine, actually.” She cupped his face in her hands. “For some strange reason, I’m extremely comfortable around you, something I never was with Mack. He never… I mean we never… he never kissed me like you just did, and he, uh… he never did anything with me that made me want to go that far.”

Rhett sat up and the bulge in his pants rubbed against her, arousing her instantly. She gripped his shoulders, and his cocky grin spread across his face. “Wait, you’re telling me he never made you squirm in pleasure? Not at all?”

Freddie chewed her bottom lip and shook her head. “Not even close.”

“And you’re comfortable with me?” he asked mischievously.

“I am,” she replied slowly.

“I’m about to show you what that asshole never could,” he whispered, and the promise in those words sent chills of delight down her spine. “I’m going to make you squirm.”

***

Since they’d reached Freddie’s quaint house in the suburbs, all he wanted to do was draw her close and kiss her. He maintained control, not wanting to push her after dealing with Mack, but they started talking and it was as if he’d found an old friend. She cared about what he told her and was curious to learn more. He was eager to share more of his life with her, too, but she’d kissed him and everything changed.

She straddled his lap, and his hands squeezed her hips, pressing himself against her body. Her lips parted and she wiggled in his arms. Her nails dug into his shoulders at his words about making her squirm. To think this woman had never experienced pleasure from a man was insane. It awoke some carnal need deep inside him to be the first man to hear her scream in ecstasy, to feel her body tremble at his touch and come alive beneath him. Sex with Freddie would be incredible, of that he had no doubt, but he wasn’t in this for a quick fling. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he wanted more from a woman he liked and who obviously liked him. He wanted a relationship, something real and tangible.

A relationship that made him feel like he mattered in someone else’s life for who he was.

He craved to feel her bare skin and slipped his hands slowly under her blouse at her lower back. Goose bumps broke out beneath his fingers as he moved his hands higher, gliding them along soft skin that made him eager to touch more. The couch, thankfully, was wide enough, so he gripped her around her waist and turned, laying her on the cushions. He settled between her legs, her skirt hiked up around her thighs, and stared in awe at her radiant beauty. Her black and blue hair spread out around her face like a dark halo. When his fingers moved to the buttons on her blouse, her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath.

The buttons came free one at a time, parting the fabric and giving him a glimpse of the lacy bra she wore underneath. The black fabric cupped two mounds of creamy flesh, and he licked his lips in anticipation of tasting those breasts, seeking out her pert, pink nipples, and hearing her moan. He opened her blouse, then laid his hands on her stomach before moving to her ribs, tracing his fingers along the bones. A quiet laugh escaped her lips at his feather-light touch teasing her skin and the rest of her body. His mouth fell to her collarbone and kissed lower, inching his way to her breasts.

When his tongue flicked out, her body lifted, begging him silently for more. His hunger outweighing his desire to go slow, he tugged the fabric down, exposing her full breasts to his gaze. Her nipple, already a hardened point, greeted him. Her eyes on him, he closed his lips around that pink nub and she gasped. He sucked and nibbled, licking every inch of her chest he could reach with his mouth. The salty taste of the tender skin swelled his cock, but tonight was not for him. Oh no, tonight was all about his Freddie. Before he left, he would hear her scream.

She buried her hands in his hair and pressed him against her body as she moaned. Her nipple came free of his mouth with a pop, and he shifted to the other, tugging the fabric aside with a growl of annoyance. If it wouldn’t take her away from his hungry mouth, he would sit her up and tear the clothes from her body.

With his mouth busy at her nipple, his right hand landed on her thigh, massaging as it moved up. He moved his body to the side of hers, pressing his back to the couch, and turned her so she was on her side, too. Planting kisses along her neck, his hand found that enticing warmth between her legs. He moved her thighs enough so he could palm her sex, pressing the heel of his hand into her nub. She sucked in a harsh breath as he nibbled her earlobe, letting her feel his cock against her ass while his hand moved against her body. He felt her juices wetting her panties, and he groaned in her ear. Her thighs parted more for him, as much as they could, and he moved his hand to the hem of her panties. They felt like lace and he wondered if they matched her bra. His fingertips pushed through her tangle of curls, and with a single finger, he circled her bundle of nerves. She was soaking wet. He employed all the control he had not to rip her panties from her body and plunge within her folds.

She pressed her ass into the cradle of his hips as he licked the shell of her ear. His fingers slid along her wet cleft, and with a tender touch, he parted those folds, spreading her for him. As his thumb rubbed her clit, he penetrated her with one finger, twisting it inside her tight sheath. She was tight, but the moan that escaped her lips caused his hand to move faster. He pumped that finger inside her body, rubbing her clit with a fury as she grabbed the couch cushions hard enough to turn her knuckles white. He slipped another finger in to join the first, twisting and stretching as he sought that one special spot.

“Rhett,” she whispered with a moan of passion. “I can’t… it’s too much.”

“No, not yet,” he grunted in her ear. “I want to hear you scream.”

She bit her lip, and he pressed his swollen shaft harder against her ass. She ground herself against him while she moved her hips, riding his hand. Suddenly, he no longer wanted his hand to have all the fun. In a few quick moves, his hand slipped free, and she whimpered at the loss. He was between her legs, dragged her panties off her body, and tossed them aside. With a wicked wink, he went down on her. A cry tore from her mouth as his tongue laved her slick folds and his fingers twisted and rolled her bundle of nerves. He thrust his tongue in that tight sheath, holding her hips fast.

She screamed as her body convulsed in his arms. The throbbing of her sex against his tongue nearly made him spend himself in his pants as she rode his mouth hard and the orgasm rippled across her body. He licked his lips when she gasped for air, smiling down at her glowing cheeks and satisfied gaze staring back at him.

“What…was that?” she managed to ask.

“Perfection,” he answered, setting her legs back on the couch and laying down beside her. They snuggled on the couch for a few moments while she caught her breath, every now and then shuddering when she shifted her legs. “How do you feel?”

“Amazing,” she whispered. “But what about you? I can tell you’re in need of release yourself,” she murmured. Her hand reached back and rubbed him through his trousers.

Rhett removed her hand gently, kissing her fingers. “We can worry about me another time—if you want to, I mean. I didn’t do this to get you to feel guilty or anything,” he rambled. She rolled over and silenced his worries with a kiss.

“I know, and I loved every second of it.”

He hugged her, resting with her on the couch as easily as if they’d been doing it for years. “Good, because that is only the start.”

He smoothed the back of his fingers down her cheek, her messy hair and her eyes hazy with the look of a great orgasm almost making him regret his words of not going further tonight. But he could manage himself at home if need be. Thoughts of this moment would stay with him for a very long while.

“I should probably head out,” he finally announced sadly. “I have a few calls to make to my brothers to update them.”

“You should be able to give them a great report. Everyone’s happy—me especially,” she added.

“I’m very glad to hear it.” Reluctantly, he removed himself from her arms and stood. The taste of her lingered on his lips and he licked them, considering showing her other ways he could pleasure her, but the throbbing shaft in his pants said he wouldn’t last much longer. “I’ll pick you up in the morning?”

“Crap, I forgot about my car,” she said as she sat up. “How far away do you live from here?”

He rolled his eyes and grinned widely. “Barely ten minutes. I quite like that, being so close to you.” Her answering grin was all he needed to know she liked that fact too. “Until tomorrow.”

She walked him to the door, caught his hand at the last second, and kissed him hotly. He backed her against the wall, their mouths moving in a perfect, frantic rhythm all their own. As they stopped to catch their breath, he rested his forehead against hers.

“Where have you been hiding over the last few years?” he mused.

“I’ve been right here, waiting for you.”

He grunted and kissed her one final time before hastening out the door. If he didn’t leave now, he never would. Once behind the wheel of his car, he gripped the wheel. His cheeks ached from smiling so much.

Yeah, she’s happy with you now. What happens when she finds out about the bet?

“Shit.” He rubbed his hands down his face. The bet with Zach… he had to tell his friend the bet was off. There was no point. Freddie wouldn’t go for what Zach had to offer, and she was already leaning towards him. If she did sleep with him, he didn’t want any bet attached to it. He simply wanted Freddie.

Tomorrow, he’d tell his friends the bet was off and pray they left it alone.