Chapter Five
Lily
I woke up with Rhys the next morning. Every time I tried to send him back to his room, he’d roll over and pulled me back into him. I was pretty sure his kind of stamina wasn’t normal, but I wasn’t going to question it. I was enjoying things too much.
When the sun started to get strong, I finally looked over and checked the time. Shit! It was after ten. I scrambled to get up and started throwing on my clothes.
Rhys rolled over, his luscious naked body covered only halfway by a sheet. He rubbed his face and grinned at me. “Fuck and run, Hayes? Tsk, tsk. That’s poor manners.”
“It’s after ten,” I hissed. “What if my mom comes up looking for me?”
He shrugged. “So, what? It’s not like we’re related. Besides, I think your mom would approve. I caught her checking me out the other day.”
I stopped mid-button. “Oh my God, please take that back.”
He sat up and shrugged. “Hey, it’s cool. It’s a compliment.”
I held my hands up over my ears. “Oh my God, I cannot believe I slept with you.”
He got up and came over to me, wrapped one hand around my hips, and trailed one back around my ass. “Relax. Your mom may be a MILF, but only because she reminds me of you.”
I frowned at him. “Sweet, Rhys. Real sweet.”
He looked down at me. “You sore, baby girl?”
I pressed my lips together. “Only a little,” I lied. Truth? Hell, yeah, I was. Rhys and I had gone at it for hours last night. I felt like I’d done a marathon yoga class inside and outside my vagina. He didn’t just take my v-card; he’d torn it to shreds.
“I we have to go downstairs,” I managed to say as he squeezed my ass. I could already feel him hard against me.
“They can wait. I want you again.”
“Rhys,” I said, completely awash in sensation. I was floating on a cloud of arousal, drunk and lost in pleasure. He controlled me completely.
“I’ll be gentle, I promise. Just say yes.”
I swallowed. “Okay.”
After Rhys and I finished, we went downstairs ten minutes apart to avoid arousing suspicion.
Mom and Lance were in the kitchen, cooking up a storm.
“Hey,” I said, trying to seem nonchalant as I entered the kitchen and bee-lined for the coffee.
“Oh, there you are, honey. I wasn’t sure if maybe you’d gone out.”
I faked a yawn. “Oh, no. Just, you know, slept in.”
My mom looked at me. “You sure you’re feeling all right? Your cheeks are still rosy like yesterday.”
I almost choked on my coffee. “Yeah, Mom, I’m fine. I just couldn’t sleep last night, so I overslept is all.”
“Oh, okay. If you say so. But let me know if you start to feel nauseous. The flu is going around this time of year.”
“Are you guys making what I think you’re making?” I asked, changing the subject. Lance was mincing carrots and onions while my mom was browning some ground meat in a large pan.
My mom grinned. “I promised Lance I’d teach him how to make Bolognese sauce.”
“Your mother’s Bolognese is the evidence that there is a God,” Lance added. “I knew as soon as I tasted it, she was the woman for me.”
My mom gave Lance a little bump with her hip. “Hmm... So then, maybe I shouldn’t teach you the recipe?”
“Don’t you even say that,” he teased back. Before I knew it, they were going in for a kiss.
I groaned and shielded my eyes. “All right, you two, that’s enough. Is there any breakfast?”
“Leftover pancakes are on the table,” my mom said, only half paying attention.
I settled in and had just drowned them with syrup and butter when Rhys sauntered down the stairs.
“Smells good,” he said. “What’s that, Gail?”
“Ground pork and onions for Bolognese. My grandmother’s recipe,” my mom replied.
Rhys nodded and went for coffee. “I didn’t realize you guys were Italian.” He pulled up a chair at the opposite end of the kitchen table.
“One hundred percent,” my mom boasted proudly. “My grandparents moved here when they were in their twenties. Liliana’s only half, though. Her father was a mutt from northern Europe.”
Rhys turned to me. “Is that right?”
I felt my face burn with the attention.
“You are half Irish and half Portuguese, right, Rhys?”
He swallowed a sip of coffee. “Yes, ma’am. My mother’s family was Portuguese.”
“I’ve seen photos of her. Beautiful woman.”
“Thank you.”
“So, what are you both doing today? Lance and I were thinking about heading to town for lunch and a little window shopping. Would you two want to come?”
“Oh, that sounds”
I felt a kick under the table.
“Actually, Lily and I were thinking about going for a hike. Take advantage of the nice weather.”
I shot him a look, worried this would seem too out-of-the-ordinary.
“That is, if you guys don’t mind,” he continued, unfazed. “It’s just so beautiful up here.”
“Of course, of course. You two do what you want. I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Usually it’s snowed in this time of year, and I was actually feeling a little bad it’s been so nice. Don’t you worry about us. Lance and I will just have a couples’ lunch, won’t we, honey?” She kissed him on the cheek.
I nodded. “Sounds good. All right, I should go upstairs and take a shower.”
I headed upstairs and sat on my bed, waiting, hoping that Rhys would figure out a way to follow.
Sure enough, two minutes later, he let himself in.
“What was that?” I hissed, getting up and putting my hands on my hips.
Rhys stalked toward me, his eyes dark and hooded. “What was what?”
I groaned. “You totally just said we were going to hang out.”
His lips spread into a calm and deliberate smile. “We are, Hayes. How many days until Christmas again?”
I swallowed, my heart beating out of its chest. He was only inches away but hadn’t put so much as a hand on me. And I wanted that hand. I wanted both of them to touch me, feel me, take me. I wanted it so badly that my core throbbed.
“Four,” I whispered.
“That’s right. That means we have four more days to fuck each other’s lights out, and I intend to take full advantage of every opportunity we have. Are you with me, Hayes?”
My brain felt fuzzy, like I was drunk, but I knew there was only one answer.
“Yes,” I whispered.
The corners of his mouth ticked up, showing his dimples. “Fuck, yeah. Grab your hiking shoes, sweetheart.” He turned to leave. “I’ll meet you downstairs in ten.”
Wait. What?
“Wait. You really want to go hiking? I thought...” I trailed off.
He turned back. “You trust me?”
My mouth hung open in confusion. “Well, yeah, but”
“Then put on your fucking shoes and meet me downstairs.”
He slipped out without another word.
I changed into a green plaid flannel and my puffer jacket, and threw on my hiking shoes.
Downstairs, Mom and Lance were still in the kitchen, so I said goodbye and joined Rhys on the front porch.
“So we’re seriously going for a hike?” I eyed his backpack. “Like, for real?”
He didn’t say anything and instead just nodded ahead, indicating I should follow him.
We walked down the street in silence and then headed up another street, toward the mountains. The homes were thinning out even more by now. Before long, we were at the end of a cul-de-sac.
“Okay, now what?” I asked as we approached the end of the street.
“This way.” He indicated a gravel road that went uphill. Cold winter sunlight filtered through the pines, illuminating the narrow gray trail as we twisted through the woods.
“You know, I understand it’s winter, but it’s still bear country up here,” I cautioned after we’d been walking for close to half an hour. We had to be a couple of miles from the cabin by now.
Rhys just looked back at me and smiled. “We’re almost there.”
A few minutes later, we rounded another bend in the road. In front of us was a small clapboard cabin not much bigger than a trailer.
“What?” I turned to Rhys. “What is this?”
“Relax,” he said, striding up to the front door.
“Rhys, wait. What if someone’s in there?”
He ignored me and untwisted a piece of thick wire that was serving as a makeshift lock.
“Rhys, this is breaking and entering,” I hissed, my eyes darting everywhere all at once.
“No one’s been here for a long time, Hayes. Chill.”
A second later, Rhys swung the door open for me. “Check it out.”
I glared at him for a moment and then entered gingerly.
“Whatwhat is this place?” I looked around. It was small, probably less than ten feet by ten feet, with a cast-iron stove and small sink on one side, and a tiny wooden table with two chairs in one corner. Along the far wall was a small bed, if you could call it that. More like a wooden platform with a thin mattress.
“I think it’s a hunting cabin,” he said, unpacking his bag. “Coffee?”
Coffee? I couldn’t think about coffee right now. We were in someone else’s property. “Hunting cabin?” I repeated.
He went over to the cupboard above the sink and located a kettle, afterward filling it with some bottled water from his bag. “Yeah, you know, it’s like an outpost that people keep while they’re hunting.”
I suddenly noticed a set of antlers above the table. “Oh.” But certainly, this place wasn’t abandoned. It was small, sure, but it was kept up. “What if the owners show up?”
Rhys shrugged. “It’s not hunting season. Besides, it’s the holidays. Trust me, Hayes. We’re safe.” He took some wood from next to the cast-iron stove, shoved it inside, and lit some of the smaller pieces with his lighter.
“How did you ever find it? I’ve never been up here.”
“Yesterday. After going to the lake, I went exploring.” He got up and walked over to me. “It’s peaceful, isn’t it?”
I nodded, looking around at the small space. Upon a second look, I decided he was right; it seemed like no one had been there in a while. There was a very thin layer of dust coating the small table.
He continued. “You are incredibly hard to read, Liliana. Anyone ever tell you that?”
I turned back to him and tilted my head. “What?”
He reached up and cupped my jaw with his hand. “I should take you to Vegas. You’d be great at poker.”
I felt all fluttery and warm inside. I’d spent years wondering what Rhys was thinking, wondering if he’d ever even considered me anything at all, so to hear he was just as perplexed by me was definitely a surprise.
And of course, I blushed.
He ran his thumb over my lips. “God, you are so fucking innocent. I’ve always liked that about you.”
There he went again. Just lobbing big old statements out there. What did he mean, always liked that about me? What the heck was that about?
Rhys walked over to the bed and slowly removed his jacket and shirt. I got a glimpse of the scars on his back again. In the daylight from the window, they were more obvious than when we’d been rolling around in the dim light of the cabin.
“Rhys.”
He glanced back at me, his eyes soft, but when he caught me slack-jawed, he turned so his back was hidden.
“Rhys, what happened?” I asked quietly.
He came over and tilted my chin up so our lips could connect, silencing me.
“Hey, wait,” I said pushing back against him. “Rhys, please. Your back… I just need to know.”
Rhys looked out the window, his jaw tightening. “Lily, do you really want to do this now?”
I nodded. I’d known him for so long, yet so much of him was cut off, guarded.
“It was a long time ago.”
“Rhys,” I said carefully. “It was Lance, wasn’t it?”
He deliberated for a moment before responding with a sigh. “I told you he’s an asshole. Do you really want to waste our time talking about him?”
“Rhys, I care about you. Plus, he’s probably gonna marry my mom. Why didn’t you tell me?”
He frowned. “It’s not my place.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“What was I supposed to say? ‘Hey, Ms. Hayes, nice to meet you. Oh, and just so you know, this guy likes to take a belt to kids’?”
“Yes!”
“Bullshit.”
We both went silent for a moment. “I can see why you really hate him.”
He sighed. “Hate doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
I reached my hand up to his face, and he flinched as if I’d shocked him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the moment.”
He recovered, taking my hand off his face and kissing it. “It’s not your fault. But can we please not talk about that asshole anymore, okay? I don’t like to waste time thinking about him. Plus, it’s been almost eight hours since I’ve had you, and that’s way too fucking long.”
I glanced at the small bed. It was barely two feet wide. “Rhys, you don’t seriously think”
Rhys smirked. “Watch me.”
As he undid his belt buckle, I could already see the hard outline of him against his jeans and any soreness I had evaporated, replaced with a need to show this man tenderness and love.
As he removed his pants, I watched the hard planes of his chest rising and falling, his eyes fixed with desire. I’m sure the cabin was freezing, but my skin was hot.
After trailing his hands to my waist, he made quick work of removing my shoes and jeans until I was standing in front of him in nothing but my green-and-red plaid underwear. I watched with rapt attention as he examined me, my eyes glued to the hard, broad lines of his body and the smooth, tan skin which was wrapped in dark tattoos.
In an offering, I pressed myself against him. He caressed my breasts and fondled the flimsy bra that held them in place until they grew swollen and heavy, and my nipples were hard against the fabric. He was so sexy, so masculine, yet so vulnerable. I couldn’t wait any longer. I dipped my hand between my legs and rubbed, searching out that heady high I knew was near. He’d barely even touched me, and I was desperate to come.
He took a hand and wrapped it around his length. “Goddamn, Liliana, you are so fucking sexy. I feel like I’m gonna fucking come just from watching you finger yourself.”
I simply whimpered, bending forward from the pressure building between my legs.
He stepped into me, pulling my hand away from me and placing it on his cock. “I want to come with you,” he grunted, whispering into my ear as he kissed and started to bite my neck.
I murmured an affirmative.
“You sure you aren’t too sore?”
“I’m sure,” I panted, desperate for that feeling of fullness.
He reached down past my ass and pulled me up, my legs wrapping around him as he walked me to the table.
Setting me down, he spread my legs wide and pulled me to the edge. The height was perfect for him to enter me, so I knew at once he was going to fuck me on the table.
He produced a condom—from where, I don’t know—and as he put it on, he gave his cock a few extra pumps while looking at my pussy.
“You wet for me, baby girl?” he rasped, his voice rough with lust.
“Uh-huh,” I confirmed, intoxicated with need. I scooted to the edge of the table and spread my legs a little wider. “Please.”
He gave me a wicked grin, holding me with one hand and guiding himself into me with the other.
I felt him at my entrance and then a second later as he pushed in.
“So...fucking...tight,” he groaned as he paused and let me adjust to him.
I didn’t know what to say, so I just wrapped my arms around his back and held on as he started rolling against my clit in a way that I was pretty sure was going to make my head explode.
He held off coming until I’d come multiple times and was barely holding on anymore, my head swimming, carried away with too many orgasms to count. When he finally came, his chest vibrated with a groan so deep I was sure all the nearby animals scattered.
“So...fucking...good,” he whispered, pulling off me, his eyes looking drugged. “Goddamn, baby girl, I fucking love your pussy.”
We stayed up at the hunting cabin for the rest of the day, alternating between fucking and napping and drinking coffee. It was so awesome knowing there was no one out there for miles and that we could just be us. Whatever that was.
Rhys turned over and brushed a stray lock of hair off my face. “How much do you think this cabin costs?”
I made a face at him. “What do you mean? Like the real estate?”
“Yeah. You come up here a lot. How much do cabins cost?”
“Well, Lake Tahoe is pretty expensive, but most of those cabins are real cabins, not shacks.” I smirked at him. “But the land is probably a pretty penny.”
Rhys nodded.
“Why, this your dream house or something?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I’ve always wanted a place that’s all mine.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, a place where you can feel, I dunno, like you can be yourself. Like you don’t have to walk on eggshells and shit.”
I stilled. “Is that how you feel at home?”
“All I’ve ever wanted was my own place. I thought college would be like that, but my dad is still footing the bill, so it’s like he’s omnipresent.”
“Nice vocab word, college boy. Okay, say you lived here. Wouldn’t you get bored? What would you do all day?”
He glanced up and caught my eye. “You.”
I shook my head at him. “Be serious.”
“I’d do whatever I want. Smoke. Read. Draw.”
I smiled.
“What’s that look, Hayes?”
I paused. “Nothing, I just I’m glad you still want to draw, Rhys.”
He scoffed and got up to put the kettle on top of the stove.
“No, seriously. You were always so good.”
His eyes met mine and then darted away. “Yeah, well, like my dad says...we all have to grow up sometime, right?”
Rhys and I spent the next few days at the hunting cabin. We’d always leave our place separately, to avoid arousing suspicion. Rhys would say he was going for a hike, and then I’d leave a few minutes later, saying I was going to take a walk down to the lake. Then, we’d meet up at the cabin.
Everything was easy up there. College and families and all that pressure and drama ceased to exist. In our little shack, it was just me and Rhys and the silence of the mountains. All the insecurities I’d felt sort of fell away, and we were left with just…each other.
“Did you know you have a mole on your back?” Rhys asked languidly as we waited for a pot of coffee to brew on the woodstove. “Right here,” he said, lightly touching just under my shoulder blade.
I glanced behind me at him. “It’s not a mole, it’s a birthmark,” I clarified. “My mom used to joke that she was worried it meant I’d become a racecar driver.”
“Wait. What?”
“The birthmark. Look at it upside down.”
I felt his body shift against mine. “Holy shit. It’s a fucking racecar.”
I smiled and let my head lie back down. I was enjoying this. Things with Rhys were so easy, so natural.
I think, in the back of our minds, we both knew the arrangement was only temporary. But that didn’t stop us from enjoying ourselves. We made the bed up with a few extra quilts we smuggled in, and we’d spend the better part of the day fucking each other until our limbs turned to jelly and we fell asleep together.
Normally, I think it’d be obvious to most people that something was up, but Mom was so enamored with Lance that I think I could have said I was off to join a travelling circus, and she barely would have said anything.
The days silently counted down, and as they passed, I tried to ignore the growing pit in my stomach. The truth was, this was the first time in my life I didn’t want Christmas to come. Because Christmas marked the last day of our holiday and, more significantly, the end of my time with Rhys.
It made me nervous, knowing the end was near. I felt desperate to cling to my independence, certain we weren’t ever going to be anything beyond the walls of the hunting cabin. I had to save myself from disappointment.
But truth?
I was falling for him.
It didn’t make any sense. Rhys and I were opposites in every way. I was a rule-follower, he was a rule-breaker. I cared about family and tradition, and he spurned them both. I was careful, and he was reckless.
I was wood, and he was fire, and my lust for him threatened to consume me at every turn.
“What are you thinking about?” Rhys whispered in my ear as we lay together naked in the hunting cabin. It was two days until Christmas, which meant our hours were dwindling. I’d put up a pine branch in the shack yesterday and decorated it with a few stolen ornaments from the house. That, combined with the quilts and the cozy woodstove and Rhys’ warm skin, made the thought of leaving almost unbearable. Yet, another day was winding down. The light outside the window was starting to wane, and I knew we’d need to head back soon.
I swallowed. “I’m going to miss this.”
He looked down and grinned at me. I loved his smile. He didn’t smile a lot, so every time he did it, I felt like I was seeing a shooting star.
“You know, this doesn’t have to be the end.”
I grew nervous. “Rhys.”
“Lily.”
I didn’t respond. What he was suggesting… It felt reckless.
“Lily,” he said again. “Why are you doing this?”
I shifted my body so my back was against him. “Doing what?”
“You’re literally turning away from me.”
“Rhys,” I sighed, able to talk now that I wasn’t facing him. “I…I think I need some time to think.”
My words hung in silence for a while. When he didn’t respond, I finally spoke up. “We should head back. It’s getting dark.”
“Lily.”
I sat up and looked over at him expectantly, and he slowly sat up.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
We dressed without saying anything, twisted the wire to lock the cabin door, and headed back to the house in silence. As we walked, I stared up at the sky. The winter sky was so clear, and as the sun set, stars started to appear.
“Pomanders,” Rhys said, breaking the silence.
I looked up at him, my head tilted.
He left out a deep breath. “You asked what Christmas traditions I had growing up. My mom used to buy cloves, and we’d decorate oranges with them. Even now, the scent totally reminds me of sitting at the kitchen table with her.”
I met his eyes. “I love that.”
“It was harder than it looks, you know,” he said. “You have to use a lot of cloves. It takes a while.”
I just grinned up at him, incredibly pleased he was sharing something so personal. “I didn’t say anything.”
He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in. “All right, Hayes, that’s enough. Pomanders are totally a respectable craft. You can stop looking at me like that.”