Chapter 14
RHETT
I put on the first movie I saw.
I realize it’s not my brightest move when IT pulls Georgie into the drain, and Evie’s arms flail out to the sides as she jumps with fright. She accidentally slaps me across the chest before she scrambles over the couch and falls behind it with a thud.
I start to chuckle as I pause the movie. When Evie peeks over the back of the couch, I burst out into full-blown laughter. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
“Turn it off,” she whispers as if IT is nearby and he’ll hear her if she speaks any louder.
“It’s just a movie,” I tease, not able to resist taking advantage of the situation.
Her eyes dart to the TV screen and widen with fear when she sees that it’s frozen on IT’s face. All you can see are teeth.
She ducks back behind the couch, and when I look behind it, it’s only to see her crawling towards the stairs.
“What are you doing?” I laugh because this shit is funny as fuck.
“I’m getting away from that thing!” she snaps angrily.
I’m about to tease her some more when the baggy shirt she’s wearing drags along the floor, giving me a full view of her swaying tits.
Fuuuck!
I hear the back door slamming shut as one of the guys must’ve just gotten home, and I shoot up from the couch to get to Evie. I don’t want any of the guys getting an eye full of Evie’s tits.
I grab her around the waist and pull her up. She screams bloody murder which makes Carter come running into the living room, just as I manage to pull the shirt over her stomach with my free hand.
“What the fuck are you doing to her?” Carter roars as his eyes dart between Evie and me.
“Nothing,” I say innocently. “We were watching IT, and Evie got scared.”
Evie wiggles in my arms, trying to get free, but I turn around and head towards the stairs. Her back is still firmly pressed against my chest, and my arm that’s wrapped around her waist is caught beneath the shirt, which means I’m skin on skin with her.
Soft skin.
Not thinking, I brush my thumb over her, exploring just how soft she is.
Her hand comes over mine, stopping me from moving.
“Put me down,” she whispers as I reach the stairs.
I let go of her reluctantly. As she turns around, I’m fascinated by the blush coloring her cheeks.
“I’m sure the clothes are dry,” she mumbles under her breath, but as she tries to dart around me, I take a step to the right, blocking her way.
I should let her go, but I can’t. Usually, I have self-control made of steel, but when it comes to Evie, it turns to Jell-O.
“It’s already past nine, you might as well stay.”
What the fuck did I just say?
Why would I say that?
Oh right, because I’m a sucker for punishment, is why.
“I can’t stay.” She breathes the words incredulously as if it’s the most absurd thing she’s ever heard.
Maybe she’s right, but it seems I’m all for being absurd and not caring a single fuck about how much torture it would be if she stayed over.
Just to prove that I love being in a state of constant arousal, to the point where it’s actually painful, I say, “Yes, you can, and you’re going to. It’s still storming outside. You’ve already showered.”
“I can’t,” she says again, which only makes me more determined to win this argument.
“Give me one good reason why you can’t stay,” I challenge her.
She peeks to where Carter is sitting in the living room, already watching the business news.
When her eyes come back to me, the blush deepens on her cheeks, and it does something funny in the region of my heart.
“Because, Rhett,” she whispers so Carter won’t hear. “We don’t even know each other that well.”
“Woman, I’m asking you to stay over, not to fuck.”
Yeah, I could’ve been more discreet. The problem is that I want to fuck her, and that’s making me act a little crazier than usual.
“You don’t have to be so crude!” she snaps. “Why would I want to stay over when it’s clear we can’t be in each other’s company for ten minutes without arguing?”
She has a valid point, but there’s no way in hell I’m admitting that to her.
I let out a frustrated sigh. “Look, it’s about time we get to know each other a little better, don’t you think?”
Her eyebrows are drawn together as she stubbornly stares at me.
Then her shoulders slump, and she huffs, “You’re not going to give up, are you?”
“Nope.” I pop the P and grin cockily. “I always get my way.” I wag my eyebrows just to taunt her.
She scrunches her nose and rolls her eyes at me. “You don’t have to be so cocky about it,” she says as she crosses her arms over her chest.
The word cocky from her lips has a direct link to a particular hardening part of my body.
“Say that again,” I whisper, smirking as I step closer to her.
A frazzled look crosses her features, and her eyes dart over me as she tries to figure out what I’m up to.
“Say what again?”
“Cocky,” I grin.
“Cocky? Why?” She genuinely looks baffled now.
“You never curse,” I say. It’s something I noticed when we first met. “The dirtiest word you’ve ever said is cocky.”
She lets out a heavy sigh. “Small things amuse small minds,” she grumbles.
I take another step closer until we’re standing chest to chest. I’m surprised that Evie hasn’t moved away from me yet.
“Babe, there’s nothing small about me,” I growl.
Her eyes widen, and for a moment they drop to my mouth. I see the spark of heat before she lowers her lashes to hide from me.
Deciding to have some mercy on her, I take hold of her arm just above the elbow.
“Come on, we’re just going to talk and sleep. Scouts honor.” I pull her lightly, and she gives in, climbing up the stairs with me.
“I doubt you were in the scouts,” she says.