Chapter 14
Dustin realized two Saturdays later during his morning run that he hadn’t had sex since Paula, which had been the longest he’d gone without in years. Most of his sex partners knew his stance on relationships and didn’t mind, so the number of partners he’d had wasn’t as extensive as most people suspected. But it was strange that he hadn’t even thought about it.
Correction, he’d thought about it, non-stop. Just not with some faceless girl.
With Rylie.
He pumped his arms as the house came into sight and he picked up his pace. Working with Rylie lately had been good. No awkwardness or snark. He’d even managed to behave and keep most of his sexual innuendos to a minimum. Tonya had taken their suggestions to heart and called Kelly to thank her for assigning them to her wedding. Rylie had been so excited she’d thrown herself into Dustin’s arms and hugged him tight.
Of course, she’d pulled away as soon as she realized what she’d done, but he’d played it off as no big deal. Only he could still feel the squish of her breasts against his chest, her hot breath on the side of his neck…
Get a grip, Dustin. That is a dead-end road.
He had to admit that they made a pretty good team. They’d gotten every major detail for Tonya Rolland’s wedding hashed out, including the band. It was the fastest a wedding had ever come together, and Kelly had given them each a bonus for their hard work.
Still, despite how well they were getting along, Rylie avoided him at home. He’d invited her to join him for meals, but she would tell him she was fine. He didn’t know if she was afraid to be alone with him in a place that wasn’t work, or if she had just been faking it, pretending to enjoy his company, but he was getting a little tired of her rejecting his edible overtures.
He came through the door, sweat pouring down his face and back. He had almost made it to the front step, but Victoria caught him.
“Oh, Mr. Kent! Can you please do something for me?”
Dustin walked into the kitchen, where Victoria was busy in front of the stove.
“What’s up, Victoria?”
“Will you mind walking that package down for Rylie? It came yesterday, and I forgot to give it to her. I think it’s her date outfit.”
Dustin picked up the brown box, scowling down at the label. “Date outfit?”
Victoria covered her mouth with one hand, looking horrified. “Whoops! She asked me not to say anything. And I swore I’d take it to my grave, but it slipped my mind. You just forget what I said, Mr. Kent. You know how much I hate to gossip. Pretend you never heard that.”
Like hell I will.
“Who’s the guy?” he asked, trying for casual even as his fingers dug into the sides of the box.
“Now, what did I just say? I am not about to gossip about Rylie’s date.” Victoria shot him a sly glance. “But I think he’s from Pleasant Valley.”
Dustin snorted. So, she treated him like a leper, but said yes to some rando from PV? Who was the guy?
It’s none of my business.
“If she wants the box, she can come up here and get it. I’m not FedEx.”
He started to put the package down, but Victoria thrust her spatula so hard in his direction that eggs flew off the end and smacked him in the cheek.
“Where are your manners? She is your guest and she is going through a rough time. This date is the first thing she has been excited about since she got here, and I am glad for it. So, hop to it or you can cook your own meals.”
“Actually, she pays rent, so technically, she’s a tenant.” Dustin quirked his eyebrow at her. “And you do realize you work for me, right?”
“Yes.”
“And that I can fire you?”
She snorted as she turned back to his breakfast. “Ha, but then you would have to train someone else to your likes and dislikes and that annoys you.”
She had him there.
“Also, you love me,” she said.
Dustin didn’t say those words to anyone, but of the handful of people he was fond of, Victoria was one of them.
“Fine, I’ll take it to her.”
“That’s a good boy.”
He shut the door on her praise and jogged down the steps to the pool house. He had to knock on the door several times before Rylie finally came stumbling into view and he grinned. He probably shouldn’t tell her that she moved like a zombie off The Walking Dead before she had her caffeine fix. She tended to be a bit cranky in the mornings.
It took two tries for her to get the door open, but when she did, she looked at him with one squinted eye.
“You know it’s my day off.”
His gaze passed over the messy hair, threadbare T-shirt with a kitty on it, and her little plaid pajama shorts. “I do.”
“Then, for the love of frosting, why are you knocking on the door at seven forty in the morning?”
He held up the box and shook it at her. “Victoria said you might want this.”
Suddenly, she was awake and reaching for it. “Give me.”
He held it out of reach. “What’s in it?”
She hesitated half a second before her chin jutted up. “A dress and shoes.”
“I helped you pack and move. You have plenty of dresses and shoes.”
“A woman can never have enough dresses or shoes.” Apparently, she got tired of jumping for it and just groaned with her arms out. “Will you please just give them to me?”
“Depends. Are you going to model for me?”
“No.”
“You’re no fun.” He passed her the box, watching her hold it to her chest like a precious treasure. “What’s the occasion?”
Her expression turned wary, and he thought she was going to lie to him.
“I… I have a date tonight.”
“You do? Who is the lucky guy?”
“Just a guy. You don’t know him.”
“Oh, you never know. I know a lot of people.”
“Not this one.”
Hmmm, he was curious why she was so convinced. “How’d you meet him?”
“Oh, God, you aren’t going away, are you?”
“Nope.” He stepped into the pool house before she could stop him. “Want me to put on some coffee so you’re at least awake for my interrogation?”
“There isn’t going to be an interrogation and why are you shirtless? And all wet and drippy?”
“I went for a run.”
Rylie gripped her nose, her eyes twinkling. “Did you put on deodorant first?”
“Are you saying I stink?”
“Um, yeah.”
He lifted his arm and sniffed. “I do not.” When she broke into giggles, his face split into a wicked grin. “So, you got jokes, huh?”
He grabbed her before she could escape and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing his sweaty body and hair all over her, wherever he could reach. She screamed, squealed, and laughed, sometimes all at once, until he was so weak with mirth that he let her escape. She wiped at her face with her hand, and then grabbed a towel from the counter before rubbing it everywhere.
“You’re such a jerk.”
“Oh come on, admit it. You like my sweat.”
“No, I don’t.”
He caged her in against the kitchen counter, his voice lowering. “Actually, I don’t just think you like it. I think that you love it.”
“You’re insane. If I had a weird fetish, it would not be having your sweat rubbed all over me.”
He knew what he was doing was dangerous, but he couldn’t resist leaning closer. Her brown hair was loose down her back and a little wild. He reached up to tuck the strands behind her right ear, and whispered against the shell.
“Are you sure? Not even if I was naked? And under the right circumstances?”
Her breath caught and his heart sped up at the sweet sound. He pressed closer and felt the hard buds of her nipples through her shirt against his chest. His cock hardened against the basketball shorts he wore over his boxer briefs, something that was going to be all too obvious if he backed away from her.
“What kind of circumstances?” she asked, softly.
There was no way she hadn’t caught his meaning. Either she was curious about what he would say or she was baiting him. What she didn’t seem to realize was that he was more than ready for the challenge.
He lifted his left hand off the counter, trailing it across the velvety skin of her arm, from her wrist to her bicep. “The kind that have me stripping off this adorable shirt, and finding you braless and beautiful underneath. Then I’d put my thumbs into the side of your shorts and push them all the way down to your ankles. Your panties—”
“What if I wasn’t wearing any?”
He might have thrust against her; he couldn’t be sure. “Even better.”
Dustin’s mouth touched the side of her neck, just under her ear, and she let out a soft moan.
“Then what?”
He stilled, his mouth hovering over her skin. She was encouraging him. She’d been keeping him at arm’s length for months, but here they were in his pool house kitchen, and she wanted him to talk dirty to her.
His hands settled on the curve of her hips. He brought her lower body tighter against his so she could feel what her teasing was doing to him. When she didn’t jerk away, he growled, and nipped lower, just above her T-shirt collar. She pushed her own hips forward, pressing closer, and he pulled the shirt down, kissing the newly exposed flesh even as he kept talking.
“After that, I’d drop my shorts, and lift you up onto this counter. And as soon as my cock was free of my briefs, I’d put it inside you. In and out. Slowly, swirling my hips until you came.”
Rylie’s breathing was coming in short, tight pants, and he was so turned on he wanted to follow through. Hell, he wanted to carry her all the way back to the bed and make the walls shake.
The faint sound of music drifted down the hallway, and she stilled. “That’s Marley. She’s coming over with breakfast and we’re having a girls’ day.”
God, he didn’t want to stop. Didn’t want her to come to her senses and for this, whatever it was, to end.
“What time is she coming?”
“She was going to call when she was on her way,” Rylie said, breathlessly.
Feeling bold, his hands slid up under her shirt, running his thumbs across the skin of her waist. “I should probably get out of here then, before she shows up.”
“Probably.”
He pulled away, staring down at her. “I really want to kiss you right now.”
Rylie’s brown eyes doubled in size. “I haven’t brushed my teeth.”
“I don’t care. I smell like BO.”
She shook her head. “No you don’t. I was only kidding. You actually smell really good.”
The way she said it, husky, almost guttural, was the hottest sound he’d ever heard.
“Rylie—”
Her phone started ringing again. Her face was so full of regret it made him feel slightly better when she pulled away.
“If I don’t answer, she’s going to freak.”
With great effort, he stepped back. “Then you better get it.”
She went down the hallway. Before she could come back, he walked out the door. Not because he didn’t want to pick up where they’d left off, but because he knew they shouldn’t. Rylie was dating someone. She’d been with the same guy for three years. She wanted monogamy and marriage and the whole shebang.
And he wasn’t the guy to give her it.
* * * *
Rylie sat in the massage chair as the girl at her feet finished up her pedicure. When she’d told Marley how nervous she was about the first date she’d had in three years, Marley had planned this girls’ day complete with getting their hair, nails and toes done. After this, they were getting their eyebrows waxed and heading back to the pool house.
When she’d had to admit to Marley where she’d been staying, her friend hadn’t been happy at first. But she’d explained everything Dustin had done for her, and Marley had grudgingly admitted that maybe he wasn’t all bad.
It was a step in the right direction, and Rylie was going to take it. She wanted her friends to know Dustin the way she did.
Why? Why do I care what Marley thinks of Dustin?
Because Dustin was her friend? He’d gotten a bum rap that wasn’t all deserved?
“I can’t wait to see your new dress,” Marley said, drawing her from her thoughts.
Right, her dress. The one for the date she no longer wanted to go on.
Okay, that wasn’t totally true. She had been excited about it. Will Younger owned a mechanic shop in Pleasant Valley and had been changing her oil for years. When he’d asked her about Asher, and she’d told him they’d broken up, she’d been surprised when he’d asked her if she was dating yet. She hadn’t considered how long before she started trying again, just kept saying she was swearing off men. Surprisingly, when Will had asked, his green eyes alight with interest, the yes had just tumbled out.
Of course, that was before Dustin had pinned her to the side of the kitchen counter and talked dirty to her. She hadn’t even known she liked dirty.
Until now.
“Rylie? You okay? You’ve seemed out of it all day,” Marley asked.
“Oh, I’m fine. Just thinking.”
The woman doing her toes put the clear coat on and took her hands to help her up.
“What are you thinking about?” Marley asked.
“Nothing, just my date.”
Marley gave her a look that clearly said she could smell the bullshit Rylie was slinging. “Is Asher still bothering you?”
Rylie didn’t want to talk about Asher. She’d had to block his number after he’d sent her twenty-eight text messages, one after another, all about whether or not she was living with Dustin. It had been her fault for trying to explain that she was just renting from him; that had only seemed to make things worse.
“No, not for a couple days now.”
“I wish you would just file a restraining order on his ass.”
Rylie sat down in the chair the woman indicated and slipped her feet into the dryer. “I think if I just avoid him, he’ll get tired of trying. Asher never liked to put in much effort when we were dating.”
The other woman finished with Marley’s toes and when she helped her into the chair next to Rylie’s, Marley gave her a hug. “I am so sorry you are going through all this.”
“It’s okay. Dustin has been really great about it.” At Marley’s disgusted face, Rylie protested, “I’m serious. He’s not a bad guy. He’s actually pretty great, he just likes to hide it.”
“Yeah, beneath a layer of slime and sleaze.”
Rylie didn’t respond, and Marley shot her a sharp look. “Do you like Dustin?”
“I just said he was a good guy—”
“No, I mean, do you like him?”
“Of course not,” she said. Was it a lie if she wasn’t sure? She was attracted to him, and obviously wanted him, if this morning’s antics were any clue. Was it anything more than lust, though?
“Why don’t I believe you?” Marley asked.
“Because you are a distrustful person?”
Marley tapped her newly painted red nails against her lips. “Hmmm, no, that’s not it.”
Rylie did not want to analyze her feelings for Dustin today. “So, after this, it’s eyebrow waxing and then we’re done?”
Marley took the change in subject easily. “We’re not just getting our eyebrows done.”
“We’re not?”
“Nope. You’re getting back into the dating game. You need to be prepared.”
“I shaved my legs this morning…” Rylie’s voice trailed off as she realized what Marley had planned. “Uh uh, hell to the no!”
Marley cackled gleefully, like she was a supervillain revealing her evil plan. “Yes, yes! This is happening.”
“If I get waxed down there I won’t be able to walk for a week!”
“You’ll be fine, seriously… And your date will appreciate it.”
Rylie glared at her. “He won’t be seeing it. At least, not tonight.”
An image of Dustin lifting the skirt of her dress and finding her groomed flashed unbidden through her mind. What did it say that she couldn’t imagine hooking up with Will on the first date, but she had no trouble fantasizing about Dustin getting all up in her business?
Marley seemed to think her silence meant she was mad at her. “Okay, well, it was just a thought. I know that getting my hair and nails done makes me feel pretty and getting a special wax gives me this weird confidence—”
“Fine, I will do it. Just stop talking.”
Marley grinned and whispered, “Slut.”
“Shut up.”