Chapter Twenty-Seven
Elizabeth had been home for over a month and Rhys was still no closer to getting Sadie to hear him out about the two of them getting back together. Rhys was at his wit's end. He could barely focus while he was at work to the point where the head of his department had to check on him to see if everything was all right.
His mother, who decided to lengthen her stay in the states to help Sadie out with the baby didn’t help matters. She kept asking him when he and Sadie would stop being stubborn and get back together. It wasn’t as if he didn’t try.
Sadie’s surprise baby shower was the last time he had got her alone to talk. What should have been a happy day of homecoming and celebration had been a day of torture for him. Seeing Sadie laugh and smile with friends and family as she showed off their baby while she basically ignored him hurt. That should have been their day but instead, she’d shut him out. What he found the most frustrating about the situation was the fact that Sadie and Carys were actually getting along. In fact, Carys visited Sadie quite often and had even watched Elizabeth while Sadie napped. Carys was at Sadie’s this very moment.
“Rhys? Earth to Rhys!” Colin waved his hand in his brother’s face bringing Rhys out of his silent musings.
Rhys shook his head and focused on his brother. “I’m sorry, what?”
“The steak is already dead, mate. No need to keep stabbing it like that.” Colin motioned to the fork in his brother’s hand.
Rhys didn’t realize he was poking his food because he’d been so deep in thought. “Sorry.”
“No need to apologize to me but clearly coming out for dinner wasn’t a good idea. According to Mom, you’ve been moping around the house and she thought if I took you out, it would help you get out of your funk. If I would have known you’d just sit across from me while desecrating that fine cut of meat I would have taken out that cute blonde I met the other week.”
“Cute blonde? And here I thought you had a thing for Lily.”
Colin’s usual easygoing countenance grew stormy as he furrowed his brow. “Don’t mention that name.”
Rhys raised a brow. It was no secret that Colin had a thing for Sadie’s sister, but apparently, something had happened between the two of them that his brother obviously didn’t want to talk about. Rhys thought he’d sensed some tension between the two of them at the shower, but Rhys had been too focused on his own drama to give them his full attention. Deciding not to pursue the topic, Rhys tried to keep the conversation neutral. “So tell me about this hot blonde.”
Colin shook his head. “Uh-uh. You’re not going to change the subject this easily. What’s going on with you, mate? Mom says you’ve been irritable and snapping at everyone. She and Carys have been tiptoeing around the house to avoid you. What’s going on, Rhys? Is it Sadie?”
“Just like you didn’t want to talk about her sister, I don’t want to talk about her.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. What’s going on between me and Lily is just a little tiff. You, on the other hand, share a child with Sadie and it’s clear that you still have feelings for each other. I just don’t understand why the two of you aren’t back together yet.”
“So this is why you decided to bring me out to dinner? To interrogate me?”
“Like I said, Mom thought it would be a good idea to get you out of the house and this is after all your favorite steakhouse. I thought it would lift your spirits.”
Rhys snorted. “Since when did you start listening to Mom? You were the rebellious one.”
“You can keep changing the subject if you want but it won’t make what’s bothering you go away. Come on, you can talk to me about it.”
Rhys pushed his plate away, his appetite long gone. “You’re not going to let this shit go until I spill my guts are you?”
Colin took a sip from his beer glass before giving him a smug grin. “Nope.”
“You’re such a dick, did you know that?”
Colin chuckled. “I’ve heard that before. Now seriously. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to carry on and pretend that everything is okay when I’m still in love with Sadie. We have a child together and that should have brought us closer but it feels like she’s using Ellie as a shield to keep me at arm’s length. I guess maybe I could learn to deal with this if I knew she didn’t have feelings for me as well but I know she does.”
“How does she use the baby as a shield?”
“It’s kind of hard to explain really but an example is the fact that whenever I try to have a serious conversation with her, she claims she has to check on something for the baby or that she’s too exhausted. She always has an excuse. I know those may not seem like a big deal but when it keeps happening over and over again, you start to see the pattern. Right before she gave birth, I apologized to her and told her that I loved her and wanted us to get back together. She told me that she couldn’t be with me because she couldn’t trust Carys around the baby. At the time, it was sort of understandable given the circumstances, but now she actually lets Carys watch the baby unattended, so that excuse no longer flies. If she loves me and her and Carys have become close, I don’t understand what her excuse is.”
Colin leaned back in his chair and didn’t speak at first but finally, he said, “Well, I supposed when you put it like that, it doesn’t sound rational but have you ever thought that she might be scared? Fear makes people do irrational things.”
“Scared of what?” Rhys pointed to his chest. “Of me? She has to know I’d never hurt her.”
“But didn’t you do it already? Hurt her, I mean? Look, you know I love my niece. But Carys was in a pretty messed up place thanks to that bitch of an ex of yours. Carys did some bad things to Sadie according to you and I can’t fault you for wanting to stand by your child. That’s what any good parent would do. But you were willfully ignorant where Carys was concerned. Even I had suggested that maybe you should get some counseling for her, but you bit my head off.”
Rhys sighed hanging his head. “You’re right. I saw the signs that she was troubled but instead of getting her the help she obviously needed I just bought her things to make it better. Her mother did such a number on her that I wanted to make sure she knew that she was loved and that I’d never abandon her. I guess in the back of my mind, I knew she was running those other women off but I told myself if they couldn’t handle a teenager then maybe they weren’t the right one for me. But looking back, none of those women meant anywhere near as much to me as Sadie does. She’s the one woman who I can truly say I love with everything in my being. And I hate myself for the part I played in pushing her away. I should have listened instead of stubbornly trying to ignore Carys’ problems. I wanted to have my cake and eat it too.”
“Have you told Sadie all of this?”
“Pretty much, but no matter what I say it doesn’t seem like she wants to listen. I’m persona non grata as far as she’s concerned.”
“Like I said, fear makes people act out. They shut down because they’re afraid of getting hurt. Has she been hurt before?”
Rhys nodded. “Yes. Actually, she has. She told me about her past experiences. Her last ex apparently had a daughter as well. She said that they’d been close, but then out of the blue, her ex married the child’s mother. Sadie didn’t find out until his actual wedding day. And apparently before him, she dated a momma’s boy who always chose his mother over her.”
“Yikes. With a history like that, wouldn’t you be a little scared to try again?”
Rhys racked his fingers through his hair. “I suppose so. So are you suggesting that I just give up? I guess it’s what I deserve but—”
“I didn’t say that. But if you’re willing to give up so easily, maybe you don’t deserve her. If she’s not worth fighting for then what’s the point.”
“And what do you suggest I do since she won’t listen to me?”
“Make her.”
“How?”
“Mum and Carys are at Sadie’s right now aren’t they?”
“Yes, they usually go over on Friday night. Sometimes they stay over. You know how much Mum loves babies and Carys is crazy about her little sister.”
“Sounds like Ellie will be in good hands if her mother goes missing for a few hours,” Colin smirked.
“What are you….oh. And how do you suggest that I pull this off.”
“I must like you a lot little brother because I’m going to enlist the help of the she-devil herself. Don’t worry. I have a plan.”
* * *
“Okay. What’s your emergency? When you called, you sounded frantic.” Sadie said as soon as she entered Lily’s house. Her usually calm sister who wasn’t known for panicking had really frightened her when she’d called, asking her to come over because she needed help with something. She sounded frantic.
Lily didn’t seem like anything was the matter. In fact, she was wearing a black, body-hugging catsuit with six-inch heels. Her makeup was expertly done and she looked as if she was going to have a night out on the town. “Wow, you look great. Why did you call me over? It looks like you’re heading out.”
“I am.” Lily picked up her clutch. “I’m going to have drinks with a few of my co-workers.”
Sadie glared at her sister. “Really? I rushed over here because I thought you were having some kind of crisis. I left my baby at home.
Lily waved her hand dismissively. “And I’m sure Ellie is in good hands or you wouldn’t have gotten over here so quickly. Moira and Carys are with her right?”
“Yes, but that’s beside the point. You called me over here on false pretenses.”
“No, I didn’t. I needed you to talk to someone for me.”
Sadie looked around Lily’s pristine condo. “Who?”
Just then, the doorbell rang. “Ah, there he is. Just in time.” Lily went to answer the door and in walked Rhys. His hair looked disheveled as if he’d run his fingers through it several times. The top two buttons on his shirt were undone and she had to admit that he looked tasty, but she wouldn’t allow him to get under her skin again.
“Oh hell, no. What is this?” She shook her head. “What is he doing here?”
“Don’t blame her,” Rhys began.
“I don’t. I blame you. Why are you harassing my sister?”
“He didn’t. Relax, Sadie. You two need to talk and I need to go. I told the girls I’d meet them in a half hour.”
“No. You don’t get to set me up and then just walk away. Sadie marched over to her sister and took her by the elbow and led her to the kitchen, all while ignoring Rhys.
“Sadie you’re really being dramatic.”
“How could you do this to me? What do you think you’ll accomplish by setting this thing up?”
“I think that you’ll finally be able to get whatever it is off your chest so you can stop being so miserable. You know you’re still in love with that man and he loves you. Look, I understand that you’ve been through a lot but Rhys isn’t Terrell or Jordan. Yes, Rhys made some mistakes, and I was mad at him on your behalf as well, but anyone with eyes can see that you two belong together. Love isn’t always perfect and it won’t always go the way you plan it to but when it’s the real thing, you have to fight for it. He loves you and he’s a good father. When I see him hold Ellie, there’s so much love and adoration in his eyes. But when I saw him look at you, it was tenfold. I know you don’t want to be hurt again but I think if you don’t at least talk to the man, you’ll end up hurting yourself in the long run.”
“And what if it doesn’t work out? What if he decides somewhere down the line that he doesn’t want me anymore?”
Lily placed her hand on Sadie’s shoulder. “Is that it? Are you so afraid of giving Rhys another chance that you’re already thinking about losing him? You can’t live like that for the rest of your life. At the very least hear him out and maybe tell him how you feel. He might understand where you’re coming from.”
Sadie wanted to dispute what her sister had just said but she couldn’t come up with one good argument. “Fine. But don’t expect miracles.”
“All I’m asking is that you two talk. And by the way, if it progresses to anything more, please use the guest bedroom. I don’t want any spooge stains on my sheets.”
Sadie grimaced. “Eww, do you have to be so graphic?”
“I’m just being practical. Okay, sis. I gotta go.” Lily leaned over and kissed Sadie on the cheek before heading out. “Be good, kiddo and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“So basically I can do anything I want?”
“I’ll pretend that you didn’t say that.” Lily chuckled as she walked away.
Sadie wanted to strangle her sister but she was sure Lily’s heart was in the right place. It took her serval moments to get her heart rate under control because she knew Rhys was waiting for her in the living room. After a few deep breaths and counting backward from twenty, she left the kitchen to see Rhys sitting on the sofa with his hands folding in his lap.
When he saw her, he stood up.
“Sadie. I’m sorry that I ambushed you like this but I didn’t see any other way. I was getting pretty desperate.”
“Obviously since you got my sister involved.”
“And my brother too. He’s the one who called her for me.”
“She hates your brother. Wow, if those two put aside their differences to get us together I guess I owe it to them to hear you out at least.” She took a seat, strategically choosing the armchair so that there was no room for him to sit next to her.
Rhys took the space at the end of the sofa that was closest to Sadie. “I’m not really sure where to begin.”
“How about from the beginning?
“Well, you pretty much know my story. I haven’t exactly been lucky in love and things didn’t really go well with Carys’ mother, in fact, it was a disaster. It frightened me to start over again, so I devoted all my love and attention into my daughter. At the time I thought I was just trying to be a good parent, but in reality, I was spoiling her rotten. But that aside, I think Carys grew up with rejection issues because of her mother. And knowing that I wasn’t her biological father didn’t help matters.”
“I’ve heard all this before Rhys.”
“You have, but not from this perspective. Because I had basically focused on my career and Carys, after a while, I realized I was lonely. I missed the companionship of a woman. Sure, I had the occasional lover, but I was wanted something deeper. I guess from there is when I started my balancing act of trying to please the women in my life and my daughter. Usually, Carys won out, but then again, you and I both know what a good actress my daughter is.”
“It seemed that none of them bonded with her and that made me even more protective of Carys. Maybe subconsciously I knew she was sabotaging the relationships but I turned a blind eye because ultimately, I didn’t love any of those women. So when you came along, something happened. It was like love at first sight. For the first time, I felt something other than just infatuation and lust. I fell in love with you and I didn’t want to lose you but I fell into that old pattern of wanting to keep Carys happy, especially when her mother started giving us trouble.”
“When she’d pretend to get along with you I wanted so desperately to believe it was the truth that I went along with it because if I acknowledged what she was doing then I’d be forced to make a choice between the two of you. And honestly, I didn’t want to lose you. But I lost you anyway because of my inaction. There were times when I felt like a shitty father because there were a few times when I considered sending Carys to my mother in Wales and that made me feel guilty and I forced some unrealistic expectations on you. You had every right to break up with me. But I was a selfish bastard and when it all came crashing down, I lashed out. I hurt you in a way that I vowed never to do. And as a result, I hurt myself even more. I’m a proud man, but not when it comes to you, Sadie. I love you, and I’ll get down on my knees and beg. I’ll do whatever you want to make things right. Please, give me another chance. Tell me that we can work things out.”
Sadie wasn’t sure if there were tears in his eyes because they certainly were in hers. “Rhys, I do love you. I’ve only given my heart to two men before and they crushed me, made me feel like I wasn’t worthy like I wasn’t worth fighting for. They stomped my heart into the ground without a backward look. But even before them, I faced a string of disappointments. And you hurt me too. I felt like I didn’t matter to you and I didn’t want to put myself through that again. But just now, I saw that look in your eyes. You really do love me. And I know you love our daughter. I also understand why you had to protect Carys. I’m sure if I was in your position, I might have done the same. I’m just going to put it out there that I don’t know what I’ll do if you break my heart again.”
In an instant, Rhys was on his knees in front of her. He cupped her face. “Sadie, does this mean you’re willing to give us another chance?”
“Yes, I think I am. I might be making the biggest mistake of my life but I realized something just now that the happiest I’ve ever been was when I was with you. That’s why I was so scared to let you back in. Even though my exes broke my heart, my feelings for them, can’t come close to how I feel about you. We’ll take it slow at first and then go from there. Okay?”
Rhys’ response was to cover her mouth with his. Sadie stiffened before melting into his kiss. He pushed his tongue past her lips and proceeded to devour her. Her body quickened and her nipples hardened. He tasted so good. It had been so long since they’d properly kissed. Sadie had forgotten how skilled Rhys was at it.
He pulled her t off the couch and on to the floor with him. “I know you said you wanted to take things slow but I need you. Let me have you. Please.”
“Yes,” she whispered as she frantically unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders to reveal a toned chest liberally sprinkled with hair. She’d forgotten how sexy he was without any clothes. Rhys wasted no time removing her top, pants and then her underwear. Once she was completely naked beneath his gaze Rhys pulled back and gazed at her body hungrily.
She giggled nervously. “You’re making me self-conscious just staring at me like that.
“I can’t help it. You’re beautiful.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.” She gave him a slow perusal. “Are you going to take off those pants?”
“Absolutely, but when I do, I’m going to make love you. And I want to take my time.”
Sadie licked her lips. “Then what are you waiting for?”
Rhys stood up and held his hand out to her. Once Sadie was on her feet, he scooped her into his arms. “Where’s the bedroom.”
“Third door down the hallway,” she panted as she peppered kisses on his neck.
“If you keep doing that, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
“Maybe I want you to lose control.” She pressed her lips against his jawline.
When they made it to the bedroom, he tossed her on the center of the bed and quickly stepped out of his pants and boxers. He was just as glorious as she remembered. His cock was hard and thick, with a slight curve that she knew would hit her spot just right.
Sadie crawled over to him and slid her finger down his length. Licking her lips, she looked at him briefly. “I want to taste it.”
“I’m not going to hold back if you—”
Sadie didn’t let him finish before taking him into her mouth.
He inhaled sharply. “God, Sadie, you have no idea how I’ve fantasized about this,” Rhys moaned placing his hand on the back of her head, gently guiding her back and forth on his shaft. She cradled his balls, fondling them as she worked her mouth on him. The taste of him was all male. She missed pleasuring Rhys and being intimate with him. She didn’t realize how much until now.
“Shit, I’m going to cum.” He pulled away from her.
Sadie pouted. “I could have finished you off.”
“Baby, when that happens, I want to be inside of you, but first I’m going to eat your pussy and get you nice and wet for me.”
She shivered at his words. “I already am.”
“Hmm, I think I need to check that. Lie back.”
Sadie did as he commanded, shivering in anticipation as he parted her thighs. Rhys pressed his nose against her mound. “You smell heavenly, but think I need to give this pussy a more thorough exam.” And with that, he slid his finger along her slit making her shiver in ecstasy. “Mmm, you’re very wet. This bears further examination.” He placed the slick digits in his mouth. “Mmm, delicious.” Rhys then parted her thick pussy lips and stared at it with a clear look of lust. “Oh yeah, you’re definitely wet. But I bet I can get it even wetter.”
Pushing her legs further apart, he settled himself between her thighs and dove in face first. He attacked her pussy with no mercy. Sadie writhed and squirmed beneath the expertise of his mouth. She didn’t think she could hold out. He was doing the most amazing things with his tongue. She gripped him by the hair on either side of his head and rode his face.
He fucked her with his tongue, driving her to the height of passion. When Rhys bit her clit with enough pressure that hurt so good, Sadie lost control. She screamed her release. “Rhys! Oh, my God!”
“That’s right baby, cum on my tongue. I missed this so much. Missed you.” He proceeded to lick her clean as she floated on a cloud of orgasmic bliss.
“Not finished with you yet,” he growled sliding his body along hers. Giving her no time to catch her breath, Rhys thrust into her, driving his cock to the hilt
“Oh,” Sadie cried out. Her pussy was already sensitive from what he’d done with his mouth and since she hadn’t made love in months, she could feel every inch of him inside of her, stretching her walls to their limits.
“Feels so good,” she moaned as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
He placed his arms on the sides of her body, bracing himself as he began to move slowly. Their eyes locked and Sadie’s heart contracted with love for this man. She didn’t know how she survived without him all these months. He was her other half, her soulmate, and her fear had gotten in the way of them being together.
She pulled him against her, working her hips in time with his thrusts. He moved at a steady rhythm at first but soon he picked up the pace, going harder, faster and deeper. “Love you so much, Sadie.”
“I love you too, Rhys.”
“Never leave me again. I don’t think my heart can take it.”
“I won’t,” she panted.
“Promise me!” he demanded, compounding his words with his dick.
“I promise!” She was so close to reaching her peak again.
Rhys gritted his teeth. “I don’t think I can hold out much longer.”
“Then let go!”
He painted her walls with his seed but he kept pumping until Sadie shouted her own climax. Afterward, Rhys slumped on top of her and she held him tightly against her body.
“That was...” she broke off at a loss for words.
“Incredible?”
She grinned. “I think that’s the word I’m looking for.” This was the most content she’d felt in a long time. They held each other, neither breaking the comfortable silence that fell between them until Sadie felt something wet on her chest. “Oh no.”
Rhys raised his head with a frown. “What is it?”
“I’m leaking.”
“What?”
“I’m leaking. My breasts. This would be around the time where I’d be feeding Ellie or at the very least pumping.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“There’s really nothing you can do. I didn’t bring my pump. I didn’t expect this to happen.”
“Does Ellie have enough milk at home?”
“Yes, she’ll be fine. I have enough extra milk to last her weeks, I just prefer to give her the breast for the bonding.”
She kneaded her breasts which was already getting hard. They’re a little sore, and I hate wasting milk.”
“I think I know a way to help.”
“How? Oh no, you don’t have to—”
“I want to help you, besides this is natural. It nourishes our daughter so it can’t harm me, right?” Without waiting for her response, he cupped her breasts in his palms and gently sucked. Sadie tingled all over. This was nothing like when she fed her daughter. This was more sensual and turned her on more than she dared to admit. She held his head against her breasts as he sucked and massaged her breasts. He took his time, licking and running his tongue along the swollen globes, catch every drop of moisture that sprang from her nipples.
Finally, he lifted his head and grinned. “I could easily get addicted to that.”
“This can’t happen all the time. Besides, Ellie will fight you for her food. But good news for you, when I start giving her cereal I won’t have to nurse as much and you can have these babies more often.”
“I like the sound of that. Do you think we should call mom to check in on our little angel?”
“Yes, when I’m able to move again,” Sadie chuckled.
“So where do we go from here?” Rhys broached the question that Sadie had been thinking. “I mean eventually I want you and Ellie to move into my house since I have the most space or if you’d prefer we can start from scratch with a brand new home.”
She placed her hand on his face and looked into his eyes. “I like the sound of that, but let’s take things one step at a time. I don’t plan on going anywhere, as long as you love me.”
“As long as my heart is still beating, I will love you, Sadie Flowers.”
She searched his handsome face and all she saw was sincerity and…love. “Good, because I’m not accepting anything less than forever.” Sadie leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, sealing her destiny.