Chapter Thirteen
Rhetta helped Rory into the door. With ragged breaths, he leaned heavily on her shoulder and rested his face atop her head. His forearm tucked under her breasts. His arm moved up and down, and Rhetta noticed her nipples stiffening at the movement of the soft fabric of the dress and the pressure of his arms.
She’d gone braless since the dress had a built-in underwire. The underwire was failing her now. Her breasts felt full as they sat atop Rory’s clinging arm. She chastised herself for getting aroused as the man limped heavily into the apartment.
The door slammed behind them causing her to jump and miss a beat. Rory’s other hand dug into her hip. She turned her body to him to offer more support. Now her chest was pressed up against his.
Her head was just below his chin, and she was able to lean back and look up into his eyes. Though it was dark in the apartment, she saw his face contorted in pain. His eyes were shut, the corners crinkling in a wince. She heard his hiss as he took another step into the apartment.
Guilt wracked her. She hadn’t meant to hurt him. She hadn’t wanted him chasing her around. Hadn’t she?
She had agreed to go on this date. She had gone out and bought a new dress, though not from Moriah. There was no way in hell she was going to give that woman a commission. Rhetta had also gone and gotten her hair done and put on these infernal heels.
Was Rhetta stringing Rory along in the same way that Moriah had strung Charles along? Rhetta had no intention of saying yes to Rory. She was marrying Jordan. Because that would make her happy.
Well, content.
Well, it was the safe choice.
Jordan would be the safe choice, and she would find contentment in that.
For now, she slid her arm up Rory’s broad shoulders to lend him some more support. Holding him in this way reminded her of being beneath him. She’d held onto him for dear life last night as he’d thrust into her. Nothing had ever felt that good.
Well, what they’d done in the barn yesterday had been a close second. He’d stolen into her so quickly, the two couplings blended together as though they’d happened within moments of each other. But that too had come at a price.
Rory, crazy beast that he was, was wreaking havoc on her life and her plans of a quiet life with Jordan. He’d gotten her family involved, and, now, they’d be mad at her and sulking when she rejected him. Then there was the town that was now watching him chase after her with interest. Not to mention Jordan.
Oh, Goddess.
How was she going to face Jordan after laying with his brother? Not once. But twice.
Rory groaned, distracting her from her thoughts.
“Oh, Goddess,” she held him tighter. “You’re really hurting, aren’t you?”
Rory opened his eyes. There was such intensity in his gaze as his eyes landed on her. “I’m aching,” he said.
She guided him over to the chair in the center of the room, but he shook his head.
“No,” he growled. “Best to take me to the bedroom so that I can lay down.”
They limped their way down the hall until they were in his bedroom. This was all her fault. She’d run away yesterday morning after their night together. When she’d left her house yesterday and ran into the barn, hadn’t she known he would follow? Going into the city to a shop that was within walking distance from the butchery, hadn’t she known he’d come in after her?
Even wearing this dress, hadn’t she known that it would rile him up? She’d done this on purpose and, as her luck would have it, it had backfired on her. But this time, she would fix it.
She could make Rory’s hurt better. She could take care of his ailment. He needed her help, and she would be there for him.
Rory needed her right now. And she wouldn’t think about the little thrill that gave her. She wouldn’t let thoughts of him needing her beyond this night to creep into her mind. She wouldn’t think about nursing his wounds until she was indispensable in his life, and he wanted her around for all time.
He sat down on the bed with a heavy thud, nearly pulling her onto his lap. But she caught her footing and looked down at him. Rory continued down until he was on his back, sprawled across the bed.
Rhetta went for his booted foot. She pulled the shoe gingerly. When she got his injured foot free, she saw that it looked a little red. “Tell me what you need? Ice? Heat?”
“Take the other shoe off.”
She did as he instructed. While she tugged at his second boot, Rory tugged his shirt over his head. Rhetta was momentarily distracted by the unveiling of the expanse of muscle.
Rory was a specimen. Nothing compared to Jordan’s build. Well, she couldn’t be entirely sure. She’d never seen Jordan shirtless.
Jordan had given her a few hugs. They’d been nice; nice and soft. She suspected that it was mostly flab under Jordan's shirt. But that didn’t matter to her. Jordan was …
Rory sprawled back on the bed looking less like an injured puppy and more like a cunning wolf. He reached for his belt buckle, never taking his eyes off her. He undid the buckle, then unzipped his pants.
Rhetta’s eyes were so enthralled with the bulge she spied beneath the fabric that she almost lost herself. Almost. Her gaze narrowed. “What are you doing?”
“The fabric is irritating my skin.” He shimmied out of the pants to reveal the rest of his naked body, fully erect and throbbing and aimed at her.
Rhetta swallowed, remembering the feel of that throbbing member inside her. Rory pulled his feet up onto the bed. He put his legs under him and rose to his knees.
Rhetta looked behind her and noticed that somehow the door to the bedroom was closed. She remembered that not only had he shut the front door, but she distinctly remembered hearing the click of the lock. She realized too late that she’d fallen for the trap.
“You asshole. I thought you were wounded.”
“I am wounded. Let me show you where it hurts.” Rory reached for her, but she slapped his hand away.
“I thought I hurt you.” She heard her own voice and was upset to hear it sounded like a whine. Rhetta never whined.
“It only hurts when you’re out of my reach, pet. So, get in the bed.”
“I thought you needed me.” She choked on the words as she tried to stop them from escaping her.
Rory’s hands came on either side of her face. “I do need you.” He tilted her face up until she stared directly into his eyes. His deep voice was gentle, gentler than she’d ever heard it. “I need you.”
Rhetta tried to turn away from him, but she couldn’t. It was too late.
“I need you,” he repeated.
He had her and he knew it. She’d fallen hard in this trap. She was caught and there was no escape.
“I need you,” he said again, making the words a mantra. “So, get in my bed, Rhetta.”
She closed her eyes. She knew that if she took a step toward him, it would be into another impossible situation.
“Get. In. The. Bed. Rhetta.” He punctuated each word as a separate command.
Rhetta lifted her foot and climbed on board. She tripped up on the bed, but before she lost her balance Rory caught her. He fell back onto the bed with her in his arms.
He laid her down gently and then stripped her bare quickly. He unwrapped her from the dress like he was unwrapping a present. His eyes lit up like a child’s in a candy store with each reveal of skin.
“No more running,” he said.
Rhetta closed her eyes and sighed in answer.
Rory gathered her hands in one of his own and pulled them over her head, stretching her body long. Rhetta opened her eyes in surprise.
“Promise me,” he demanded.
“Promise you what?”
In response, he used his knees to knock her thighs open. “Promise me, you won’t ever run from me again.”
Rhetta swallowed. She’d come to his bed of her own free will. She was giving him her body. Wasn’t that enough?
“No,” he said as though reading her mind. “I want all of you, pet.”
She felt him line himself up with her entrance. That thick head of his cock kissed the petals of her lips like a tongue moving round and round. It hypnotized her. Her body arched toward his, trying to get more of a taste of him.
Rory gave her what she wanted. What they both wanted. The tip of his cock breached her entrance with a slow, steady invasion.
“No more running from me …” His knees spread her wider so that she couldn’t move her hips to push him inside or back away. “No more hiding.”
The slow advance was killing her. She needed to be taken. She needed him to give her no choice, no leeway.
He had complete control of her entire body. Her hands were trapped above her head, and her legs were caught around his. But it wasn’t enough for him.
“You’re mine, pet.”
Rhetta squirmed and whimpered beneath him. An outsider would think he was hurting her. It did hurt. It was the most exquisite torture she’d ever felt in her life. Worse, she knew that when it was over, she would be devastated.
“Say it,” Rory demanded.
But she couldn’t. She couldn’t, even though it was true. It was her only defense against him. All she had left were her words. She kept her lips shut and stared defiantly at him.
Rory shook his head, as though he knew exactly what she was about. He held her gaze, just as he held her hands tight and her thighs open. There was no escaping him.
He was deep inside her, deeper than anyone had ever been, deeper than she knew was possible. And that’s when he pulled the trigger. Rory slowed his pace even more and that nearly killed her.
“Faster, please,” she begged.
“Give me what I want.”
He was relentless. He let go of her hands and took both of her knees. Gripping her thighs, he pushed her knees into her chest and thrust impossibly deeper, but even slower.
“Say it,” he demanded. “Tell me you’re mine.”
The only sounds that came out of her were whimpers and gasps, low moans and high-pitched purrs that would’ve embarrassed her if she could find the strength to care.
“I can play with you like this all night.”
He was lying. She knew what he was doing to her was affecting him too. The sweat collected at his brow. His movements became less and less rhythmic and more frantic.
Rhetta pressed against his grip, but he was too strong. She tried to arch her hips, but he held her still. And finally, a guttural yell tore from her as her climax ripped her in two.
Her body shook and shuddered as the room swayed. Above her, Rory slammed into her. His body jerked once, twice, and on the third time, he howled to the moon as he released his seed into her.
“You’re mine,” he whispered when he came down. “And I’m yours.”
He fell away from her. He lay on his back, breathing deeply as they both returned from bliss. His breathing evened, and his body stilled.
Rhetta turned onto her side to gaze at him. She suspected he would look harmless, like an overgrown cub in his sleep. He did not. He looked every bit as dangerous in his sleep as he did when he was awake and looming over her.
She wrapped her arms around his back and her legs around his hips. She held on tightly as she whispered into the night, “I’m yours.”
In return, she only heard the soft sigh of Rory’s breath against her breast. He was sound asleep. He hadn’t heard her surrender, thank the Goddess. But somehow, she suspected he already knew.