Chapter Twenty-Three
Marissa
It takes him a little longer than anticipated to return with a fresh shirt for me to wear. While I’m waiting, I go ahead and slip his over my head, instantly wrapped in a Rhenn-scented hug. The shirt is big and soft, and I can’t help bringing the material to my face for a quick sniff.
When I finally hear the rustle of his steps on the path, I glance his way, immediately knowing something is wrong. “What?”
Rhenn rubs the back of his neck and then his chest, which only draws my eyes to the magnificent view. “My eyes are up here,” he teases.
“I know, but this is quite impressive,” I state, stepping forward and running my hands up his bare chest. “If only we had more time…”
“Yeah, about that,” he says, handing me the shirt.
“What?” I ask, pulling his over my head and tossing it his way.
“Your mom was there.” He slips his shirt over his head, little pieces of bark stuck to the chest.
“Where?” I ask, stalling my motions, my shirt half on. “At my place?”
“Yeah,” he says, diverting his eyes. “But she wasn’t alone.”
Dread fills my stomach. “Who else was there?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
Please don’t say Samuel, please don’t say Samuel…
“Jensen was there with Max,” he says, and I instantly relax. Jensen knows there’s something going on, but isn’t going to give me too much grief over it. At least, he hasn’t thus far. “And Samuel.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, he wasn’t too happy to see me show up without my shirt,” Rhenn says, shrugging.
“So, what did you tell them?” I ask when he steps forward and helps me pull my shirt into place.
“That we were relaxing on the beach and you got something on your shirt. You didn’t want to walk around without one so I volunteered to run up and grab a clean one.”
I snort a laugh. “Something got on my shirt.”
“Your mom just started laughing and smiled. I’m pretty sure she wasn’t buying it. Anyway, they were going to head up to the house and start in the living room.”
“Great,” I mumble, making sure my clothes are straight. “How do I look?”
“Freshly fucked.” My eyes widen as I look his way. Rhenn starts laughing and pulls me into his arms. “Personally, I love this look on you. Especially when I put it there.” Then he places his lips on mine and kisses me soundly. “Let’s head up there and get this place ready for occupancy.”
He reaches for my hand and pulls me to the path. We make our way there, side by side, and I prepare to face the onslaught of questions and knowing looks.
* * *
Come Thursday, I take off to town to catch lunch with my sister. We try to meet up whenever we can, but with my schedule at the bed and breakfast, it doesn’t happen nearly as often as we would like.
Today, I’ve grabbed sandwiches from the deli and am meeting her at her shop. Kiss Me Goodnight is located in the heart of Rockland Falls, right in the middle of the town square. There’s a bank on one side, and a small empty building on the other that the owner refuses to sell. It’s been vacant for more than a decade, yet the lady who owns the building holds on to it for some reason. On the other side of the empty storefront is a family owned hardware store that has been in the same location for two generations.
The bell sounds, notifying Harper and Free of my arrival. My sister runs her store, working the floor full time, and spending her evenings with the office side of the business. Her best friend Freedom (or Free as we tend to call her) helps a couple of days a week as her schedule allows. The business is booming, despite a little hesitancy in the beginning of a sexy lingerie store moving into our family-friendly town square.
“Lunch is served,” I holler as I approach the counter where my sister and her friend are working.
“I’m starving,” Free sighs dramatically, pushing aside whatever new product she was pricing.
“What’s that?” I ask, setting the sandwiches on the counter and nodding toward the small bottles of what appears to be lotion.
“Coochie Cream!” Harper boasts proudly.
I can already feel the blush. “Coochie what?”
“Cream. It’s a thick, specially formulated shaving gel that doesn’t leave razor burn on your muff,” Free adds, unwrapping her sandwich and attacking it with her mouth.
“Muff?” I gasp, trying not to laugh at her terminology.
“Makes the muff diving smoother,” Free says with a mouth full of food.
“I found a company here in North Carolina that specializes in body products like lotions, shower gels, oils, and shampoos. I purchased my first order of Coochie Cream to see how it sells. I’d love to buy stock of most of their other products, but frankly, I’m just out of room,” Harper says, looking around at the full shelves.
“Have you thought about expanding? I know we’ve talked about it before. Maybe it’s time to look into another location. One that has more floor space for you,” I offer, taking a small bite of my own sandwich. I know how much Harper loves this cozy space, but honestly, she’s just outgrowing it. Between the intimate apparel and small amount of body products she has, there’s just no more room to add new merchandise.
“Actually,” Harper says, her voice a little hopeful, as she turns and glances at Free. “I heard that old Mrs. Morton is putting the building on the market. A bug was put in my ear about the possibility of a quiet, quick sale. I also heard Mrs. Morton was going to ask top dollar for the space, but I’m thinking it might be a solid investment for me.”
“Oh my gosh, that’s awesome! Then you can expand!” I’m so excited for my sister and what this could mean for her business.
“I’m trying not to get my hopes up, because I’m not sure what top dollar means yet. Business is going well now, but I still have my original loan that I’m paying on. I’m not sure if I can afford a second building loan.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” I say, reaching over and touching her hand. “Maybe ask Samuel what he thinks,” I offer. Samuel may be the driest human being on the planet, but he’s great with numbers. Plus, Harper has the added bonus of getting him all worked up and uncomfortable when she starts talking about the lingerie.
“I was planning to this weekend.”
“Oh, please let me be there when you do! I love how red Sammy’s ears turn when I talk about the crotchless panties,” Free boasts. She does everything she can to get under Samuel’s collar, including calling him Sammy as often as possible.
“Oh my God, do you remember when you gave him the leather studded collar for Christmas last year? I thought he was going to stroke out right there next to the Christmas tree,” Harper recalls, laughing at our oldest brother’s expense.
“Hell yeah, I do, but my favorite was the boxer briefs I got him for his birthday that said ‘Caution, Choking Hazard.’ The look on his face when he tried to shove them back in the box before anyone could see them was priceless.” Free doubles over laughing, as she recalls embarrassing him at his thirtieth birthday party a few years back. She made sure to loudly encourage him to show everyone his new skivvies.
“He hates you,” I tease, joining in their laughter.
“I don’t think he does. I think he secretly loves me and the way I torture him,” Free proclaims proudly, going back to eating her sandwich.
“I’m not sure love is the word I’d use,” Harper says as she polishes off her own lunch. “By the way, before you leave, I want to show you the new line I got in yesterday. They’re practical with a touch of elegance and sexiness. I instantly thought of you.”
I love how she says practical. I’ve never been a fan of barely-there underwear, and have always gravitated to the pieces that cover all my girly bits. Yes, I’m the completely opposite of my sister, who prefers the more risqué options with very little material. She can pull it off, though. Not only does she have a body for it, but the attitude too.
As soon as we’re done eating, she leads me over to one of the small tables in the center of the store. There, we find simple, yet sexy satin panties with matching bras. A few small gems between the bra cups in a midnight blue color instantly draw my attention. The line has very neutral, subtle colors including nude, white, ivory, and a light pink. But they all have the same dark blue gemstones in the shape of a heart between the cups, as well as a small heart in the front left side of the panties.
“These are gorgeous,” I state quietly, picking up a bra and touching the delicate stones.
“They are. The lace overlay adds a beautiful touch, don’t you think?” she asks, running her finger over the bra in my hand.
I instantly think of Rhenn and what his reaction would be if he were to find this beneath my clothes later tonight. We’re down to our last three nights, and the thought just makes me want to either vomit or cry. Or both. Like many things that are blue, the stones remind me of his eyes. Even though this isn’t the sex kitten outfit I’m sure he’s used to seeing, I still think I’d get quite the rise out of him if he were to find me wearing it.
Rise. I snicker aloud.
“I’ll take it,” I say before I can give it a second thought.
Harper digs through the small stack and finds my size in both bra and panties and heads up to the counter. She rings me up, a total that is much less than the sum of two price tags, and places my new purchases in one of her signature turquoise and lavender bags with her store logo.
“I could pay full price, you know,” I remind her, as she hands me back my credit card.
“I know you can, but I don’t mind giving my favorite sister a discount if her purchase is going to help her get laid,” Harper states boldly just as the bell jingles over the door. We all turn to the entry and find Mr. Douglas, the owner of the hardware shop down the street.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Douglas,” Harper hollers, handing me the bag containing my newest pretties.
“Afternoon, sweet Harper. How is business today?” he asks, eyeing a black leather corset that adorns the midsection of a mannequin with a look that’s a mixture of shock and interest.
“Very well, thank you. How’s the hardware store?” Harper replies politely, coming around the counter to speak with the older man. Bud Douglas is the second generation of Douglas men to run town’s only hardware store. His father, Ernest, opened the business in the fifties and it has been a staple in town from the beginning.
I wave at my sister and her friend, who are both now in deep conversation with their neighbor, and head out to my car. Needing to get back to the bed and breakfast, I opt to send Mom a quick message, letting her know I’m going to be just a little bit longer. Then, I head to my favorite nail salon and have a pedicure. Nothing makes you feel seductive like new panties and a bra, as well as pretty pink toes.
Three nights left with Rhenn.
I might as well make the most of it.
* * *
The rest of the days fly by.
Nights too.
For the last week, every morning, I’ve woken beside Rhenn, and go to sleep knowing that in the morning, we’re one day closer to saying goodbye. It has become difficult to fall asleep, and by the time Friday night comes, I have to pretend to be asleep so that Rhenn will doze. I’ve found out over the last two weeks that he never falls asleep first, always waiting until I’m out.
Saturday morning, I feel him slip from my bed. He’s an early riser, even when he keeps me up half the night with sex. A creature of habit, Rhenn slips on his shorts and running shoes to pound the sand on the beach. Since I don’t have guests to feed, I’ve been able to sleep in a bit or, as I have more often than not, taken my cup of coffee to the beach and watched for his return.
Rhenn running up the beach, covered in sweat, is truly something to behold.
This morning, I don’t find myself anxious to get up and meet him. After I hear the soft click of the door closing, I give in to the sadness and despair that’s been threatening to overcome me since our dinner last night.
One more night.
That’s all we have.
The tears start to fall, and I don’t even try to stop them. I cry for the cruel hand fate has dealt me, and the fact that I’m not strong enough to follow the number one no-strings rule that I, myself, put in place.
Don’t fall in love.
Well, jokes on me, isn’t it, because not only did I go ahead and fall in love with him, but I fell hard. Harder than I’ve ever loved before. My heart soars and yet weeps at the exact same time. This time tomorrow, we’ll be saying goodbye, and I’m not sure how I’m going to do it. But I will. I will because that’s what the arrangement was. Sex. Two weeks. Nothing more.
And the tears fall harder.
* * *
By the time Rhenn returns from his run, I’m up and showered, opting to wash my face and scrub away any remnants of tears, and in the kitchen, cooking.
“Something smells good,” he says, his wet T-shirt thrown over his shoulder as he approaches me and places a kiss on my cheek. “Good morning.” His voice. Even though he’s been up for more than thirty minutes, it’s still deep and husky from sleep. I know I’ll never forget the way he sounds first thing in the morning.
“Morning,” I reply, clearing my throat and pushing down the emotion that seems lodged there.
Rhenn places his hands on the counter and rests his chest against my back. “Is that what I think it is?”
I smile through the pain, loving that this last breakfast makes him so happy. “It is.”
He nuzzles my neck, inhaling my freshly showered skin and says, “I’m going to miss these pancakes.”
And my heart cracks. It becomes hard to breathe. My knees threaten to buckle. I have to set down the knife I’m using so I don’t chop off a finger.
“You okay?” he asks, placing his lips on my collarbone and sliding them along the sensitive flesh.
I nod, not trusting my voice, even though I’m slowly dying inside.
I’m not sure if he believes me or not, but I don’t complain when he holds me against the counter for a few minutes longer. Breakfast doesn’t matter at this point. Nothing really matters.
“I’m going to run through the shower and then I’ll help you finish these,” he adds, placing another kiss on my neck and turning away. I miss his presence immediately.
The door to the bathroom shuts and the sound of the water running fills the small house, yet it feels emptier than ever before. How am I going to get through this weekend? Pasting on a smile (albeit fake) and showing him how much I’ve enjoyed our time together, because this time tomorrow, I’ll be alone.
He’ll be gone.