Chapter Nineteen
Marissa
I’m rushing up the path toward my cottage, my hair still wet from the shower we took together, and my bag in my hand. I should have been up here an hour ago, and maybe I would have been if not for the morning blowjob, followed by the most amazing oral by his magical tongue in the shower. Have I mentioned before just how wonderful his tongue is?
I have. I know.
I can’t help it.
It’s worth mentioning again.
Rhenn is currently running up the beach. He decided to get in a short run (and by short, I mean a quick three mile, eighteen minute run) before taking another shower (this one solo) and working on the house. He’s going to use my shower though, so he doesn’t have to go back out to his sailboat. It’s a huge timesaver to just come up to my place and jump in the shower, you know? I’m all about helping out and saving a little time.
Plus, I really hope to catch another peek at him naked.
I step inside my cottage, drop the bag on the floor, and smell it.
Coffee.
Mom is sitting at the table, a knowing smirk on her face as she sips from her cup. “Have a good weekend?”
My face flushes red as I make my way to the coffee pot, doing everything humanly possible to avoid eye contact. “Sure.”
She doesn’t say anything while I fix up my own cup. It isn’t lost on me that she made a full pot either. It’s like she knew there would be a third person drinking it. “Rhenn well?”
How to answer that loaded question? Do I confirm he’s fine (three orgasms in about eight hours will do that to a man) or do I go the opposite way and risk it looking like our night wasn’t any big deal. Because it most certainly was a big deal – and I’m not just talking about what the man is packing in his pants. Plus, there’s the fact that I’m the worst liar ever and Mom will see straight through me and any lie I try to pedal.
“He’s…good.”
Oh my God, did she turn on the heat? It’s stifling in here.
Mom actually laughs at me. She looks me straight in the eye and laughs. “Good? Are we talking about how he is or how he…was?” she asks as she wiggles her eyebrows.
“Mom!” I gasp, almost dropping my coffee mug.
“What? You think I don’t know the look of a woman who enjoyed her night with a handsome man? I mean if the walk of shame home at seven in the morning wasn’t going to tip me off, that blush you’ve had since the moment I mentioned his name sure did it.” And then, she shrugs and takes another sip of coffee as if she didn’t just call me out.
I take a seat across from her and eye her over the rim of my cup. “Technically, it wasn’t a walk of shame. I’m in fresh clothes.”
That makes her laugh, which in turn, makes me grin. “It’s good to see you smile. It’s been a while.”
“I’m enjoying spending time with him,” I add with a shrug.
“I’m glad, sweetheart.”
“How was it this weekend, spending time with your brother?” I ask her, diving into our comfortable morning chitchat.
“I wish we hadn’t been so stubborn all those years ago. It’s hard to believe we let so many years pass without contact, but I was young, as was he, and our lives just took us in opposite directions.”
I reach across the small table and grab her hand. “Well, now you can make up for all those lost years. They all seem great. I had a wonderful time on the boat with Meghan.”
“She and Nick seem great, as do AJ and Sawyer. To think, we have a former professional ballplayer in the family.”
Taking one last drink of my coffee, I reply, “I think Jensen and Max were in heaven this weekend.”
“Oh, definitely. Sawyer signed a baseball for Max before he left yesterday. Jensen called first thing this morning to say he slept with that ball tucked under his pillow,” Mom says with a warm smile.
“I can’t wait to meet the rest of them,” I add, referring to the rest of Aunt Emma and Uncle Orval’s granddaughters.
“We were talking about making a trip there for the Fourth of July. I know we should be open in a few weeks, but maybe we can hire a few helpers to oversee this place for a few days.”
We’ve done that before, the weekend Jensen got married about six years ago. Even though both of the ladies had worked in a bed and breakfast in town in the past, they sure did make a mess of things in a short amount of time. They managed to ruin my oven and overflow the washing machine. Even at the ripe ol’ age of twenty-two, I had learned a valuable lesson about hard work and respect.
“I can see your wheels turning. It won’t be like the last time. Free said she’d be happy to help,” Mom chimes in. “Mrs. Gillenwater said she was always available to assist too.” Mrs. Gillenwater owned a B&B in town for more years than I’ve been on this earth, retiring and selling her place a few years back. Mrs. G was the woman who helped Mom turn this house into what it is today, providing countless hours of support and advice to a young mother of four with a dream to own a bed and breakfast.
“I’m not sure taking time away so close to reopening is smart, Mom,” I answer honestly. Not to mention that if I went back to Jupiter Bay to meet the family, I’d probably run into Rhenn. How is that going to work after our fling expires? Will he have someone else there with him? Or worse, what if he acts indifferent, as if I was just someone to help pass a little bit of free time?
Sadly, I know that’s exactly what I am.
What I offered to be.
Because nothing more can become of us.
There is no us.
“Just promise me you’ll think about it, okay? I’d love to have my entire family there to meet everyone, but I don’t want to create more stress for you after we reopen.”
I nod without verbalizing an answer. My heart starts to pound in my chest, a loud rhythm I’m certain Mom can hear across the table. The thought of going and meeting the rest of my cousins is an attractive offer, but I’m just not sure I’ll be ready to run into the friend that’s likely to be invited and show up.
We sit in silence for a few minutes before I get up to clean the coffee cups. I’m rinsing the mugs and placing them in the drainer when she speaks again. “I ran into your father last night.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting that.
Grabbing a fresh cup from the cabinet, I set it in front of the pot and turn to give her my full attention. “Where?”
“The grocery store.”
“Was he alone?” I hate to ask, but I know if Mom would have run into Dad with his new wife, it would have upset her.
“He was. He was buying a frozen pizza and that broccoli salad.” Mom makes a face because we all know that while the deli in the grocery store has delicious broccoli salad, it’s nothing compared to Mom’s famous salad. She glances at me. “Have you seen him?”
I come over and sit across the table once more. “It’s been a while. He called right after the fire,” I confirm.
“He asked me about the remodel, wanted to know how it was going.”
“And?”
“And I filled him in.” That’s all she says, though, and it’s the way she says it: so casually. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asks.
“I don’t know, I guess I just expected a bit more animosity.” And that’s the truth. When my mom found out about my dad’s affair, she wore her anger like a coat. It went everywhere with her, especially when both of our parents were required at the same place at the same time, like our high school and college graduations.
Mom blows a big puff of air from her lungs. “I’m too old to hold grudges anymore, Marissa. If anything, I kind of pity him. I mean, he’s aging horribly, he’s lost the rest of his hair, and apparently touring the English countryside didn’t help his knees any. He was walking with a limp.”
I can’t help but smile at her reply. Even though he devastated and embarrassed her in town with his affair, she seems to be in a much better place than before.
“Besides, Everett Johnson invited me for coffee, and I think I’m going to take him up on it.”
I blink repeatedly, trying to process her words. “Really?” A smile spreads across my face and I find myself leaning forward to hear more.
“Well, he has always been such a handsome man, you know. Plus, he has a nice ass.”
And that’s when I almost fall off my chair. I start snickering, which triggers her giggles. “Mom!” I chastise through my fits of laugher.
“What? It’s true! Don’t act like that, Riss. You know what I’m talking about. Your own young man has a mighty fine ass too. Don’t deny it. I can see the truth beneath that blush.”
Before I can say a word, my front door opens and the man with the fine ass walks into my tiny living room, a knowing smile on his face and his shirt slung over his shoulder. I’m pretty sure he overheard our conversation, and if the way he’s grinning is any indication, I’d say he’s pretty proud of himself right now. “Good morning, Mary Ann. Marissa.”
“Good morning, Rhenn. I made coffee,” Mom says with a big smile, nodding toward the coffee pot.
“Thank you,” he says, grabbing the mug I placed on the counter and filling it to the top.
“How was your run?” Mom asks, drawing my eyes to his sweaty, yet still incredibly sexy body. His hair is standing up and his chest is wet. My tongue practically dangles from my mouth as I watch droplets of moisture slowly slide down the eight distinct grooves of his abs.
He places the pot back in the machine and gives Mom one of his full-watt smiles, a trail of wetness disappearing into the waist of his shorts. “It was refreshing to say the least,” he replies as he brings the cup to his mouth. His totally kissable, sexy mouth.
“Well, I may not agree with the refreshing part, but I can respect someone’s commitment to it. I was never a runner, but Colin, my ex-husband, used to run 5K’s back when the kids were born.”
“I’ve run many 5K’s. There’s nothing like the rush of running distance,” Rhenn says, leaning back against my counter as if he owns it. Damn, he looks good there.
“Rhenn thinks running is fun,” I gasp to Mom, making a disgusted face to prove my point.
“And Marissa obviously doesn’t agree,” Rhenn laughs, throwing me a wink.
Mom stands up and takes a few steps to the front door. “I’ll let you kids get to your day. Rhenn, it was good to see you.” Turning to me she adds, “Thank you for the coffee. I’m going to head into the office and grab a few things. I’m going to work from Harper’s shop today and start confirming reservations.”
“Do you have a date?” Rhenn asks, referring to the date where the inspector says we can occupy the house again.
“We have a timeline of three weeks to final inspection. As long as everything passes inspection, we’ll reopen in four.”
“I’m happy to hear it,” he says, and I can tell by his smile that it’s genuine.
“Call me if you need me,” Mom hollers over her shoulder as she heads out the door, leaving Rhenn and me alone in my kitchen. He’s staring at me, a wicked gleam sparkling in those blue eyes as he smirks over the rim of his cup.
“What?”
He sets his cup down on the counter and takes a predatory step my way. “I was just wondering how you got so dirty,” he states, never taking those eyes off mine.
I glance down, looking for the source of his comment. “I’m not dirty,” I say, checking over my arms. It’s not uncommon for me to find flour or food remnants on my arms from preparing meals or desserts, but I haven’t done anything but drink a cup of coffee.
When I glance back up, confused as to what he’s talking about, I know I’ve been played. Warmth pools between my legs and my nipples pebble against my shirt as my confused eyes meet his hungry ones.
“You’re not yet, but you’re about to be,” he says just before he crouches down, puts his shoulder into my stomach, and tosses me over his shoulder. I squeal as he stands and walks toward the bathroom. In reality, it only takes him about three steps to reach the room, but I enjoy the hell out of the view, and even say as much with a friendly slap to his hard rear.
Mom’s right: he has a fine ass!
* * *
“You gonna take a break soon?” Rhenn says as he enters the guest bedroom I’m working on. I’m hot, with sweat running down the back of my shirt, but I’m determined to finish this room today. I fell behind schedule now that I spent the holiday weekend with Rhenn, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. We only have two weeks together, and three to four before we reopen.
I need to focus.
But my focus is shot to hell when he comes strolling in wearing jeans that mold perfectly to his legs and a tight T-shirt that, while showing very little signs of sweat, looks good enough to peel off his body…with my tongue. Can a tongue peel off a shirt? I’m willing to prove that it can.
“What?” I ask. He’s smirking at me and waiting, clearly already knowing that my mind was in the gutter.
“You tell me. I want to know what you were thinking about. All of a sudden, your eyes dropped to my chest and your breathing hitched,” he says as he slowly approaches. Even his walk is sexy.
“Did not,” I mumble. It did.
“Oh, it most certainly did, Angel. Your eyes kinda widened just a little and then turned a few shades darker. They’re like cut grass after a rain shower. Have I ever told you green was my favorite color?” he asks as he approaches. The scrub brush falls from my hand as he wraps one hand around my lower back and pulls me against his chest.
“You have all the lines,” I reply, blowing a strand of hair off my forehead.
Rhenn grabs that piece of hair and pushes it behind my ear. “It’s not a line. It’s the truth.”
“Well, then, by all means, tell me again,” I say, offering just the faintest smile as I gaze up at him.
“Tell you how sexy I think your eyes are? And these tiny little freckles on the end of your nose,” he adds, slowly running a finger down the bridge of my nose, “are my fucking undoing.” Then his finger reaches my lips. “And these lips? I dream about these pink, plump lips.”
I’m panting, my lips falling open just a hair. “What do you dream about?” I ask, letting my tongue slip out and touch the tip of his finger, basically just throwing the match in the bucket of gasoline.
His eyes flare hot with desire and he pulls me tighter against him. “I think about how amazing they look wrapped around my cock and how they fall open when you’re coming on my dick.”
I gasp, so not used to a man as brazen as this one. But do you know what? I like it. A lot.
Just as his lips descend closer to mine, my name is called from the stairwell. “Marissa? You up here?”
“Crap,” I mumble, jumping back like a teenager about to be busted by her parents. Rhenn lifts his eyebrows and gives me a smirk, which I ignore, but doesn’t take a step back. I’m unable to move back anymore, since the bed is there, which only makes Rhenn smile further. He has me caged in. “Stop it,” I grumble, trying to move him out of my way so I am not standing in what could be construed as a compromising position when my brother walks in.
“In here,” Rhenn hollers over his shoulder, earning a slap to his shoulder. That only makes him laugh further.
Jensen walks into the bedroom and stops just inside the doorway. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You’re not,” I assure at the exact same time Rhenn says, “You did.”
Again, I slap him on the shoulder and give him a good solid push. He moves, but only because he wants to, not because I was strong enough to move him. Taking a step away from Rhenn, I give my attention to my brother. “What can I do for you?”
He glances between Rhenn and me, probably trying to figure out exactly what he walked in on. Rubbing the back of his head, he says, “I’m going to work in the yard for a bit, and then I thought I’d come help clean for a bit. Ashley got Max from school, so I have some free time.”
“Oh, that would be great. I’m almost done with this room and was planning to start across the hall next,” I answer, trying to ignore the way Jensen continues to glance back and forth between Rhenn and myself.
“I can help too. I’m almost finished with my stuff for today. Why don’t I grab some beers and food and we can all knock out that room together,” Rhenn offers, making me look down at my watch. Now I know why he asked if I was going to take a break anytime soon. It’s almost four.
“I could definitely go for a beer,” Jensen says, throwing Rhenn an appreciative grin. “Long day.”
“Then it’s a plan. I’ll finish the wiring in the bathroom in room three, and then run out and grab some food and drinks. We can have a cleaning party when I return,” he says, taking a step toward the door, which just so happens to be toward me as well.
“See you soon,” he says, kissing my forehead before he steps away and exits the room, nodding to Jensen as he goes.
“What was that?” my brother asks, his tone a little annoyed.
“What?” I ask innocently, knowing exactly what he’s referring to. I just don’t know that I want to talk about it with my brother. Harper, sure. She’s a girl. Hell, she’s the one that told me I could handle this no-strings sex thing, but Jensen? I really don’t want to have this conversation with him.
“You. Him. That,” he says, motioning his hands between me and the empty doorway.
“It’s nothing,” I mumble, grabbing my discarded sponge and heading back to the wall.
“A kiss on the forehead is not nothing. Plus, it felt like I was interrupting something when I walked in.”
“You weren’t,” I assure him, lying out my butt, of course, and scrubbing hard on the light green wall.
“Marissa.”
“Jensen,” I mock, dropping my sponge and turning his way. I cross my arms, mirroring his stance. “We’re friends, okay? We’ve been hanging out.”
“Friends? He kissed you.”
“On the forehead.”
“And that’s all that’s happened?” he asks in total big-brother mode. When I stumble for words, he adds, “That’s what I thought.”
“Don’t patronize me. I’m a big girl. I know what I’m doing,” I say, turning back to the wall and scrubbing.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re having sex, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?” I practically holler, knowing he can probably hear me in the room he’s working in.
“Eww,” Jensen grumbles, looking down.
“You’re the one who has been pushing it, so now you know. That’s all it is, that’s all it can be. I’m tired of defending myself and my choices to you people,” I mutter.
He approaches slowly and takes the sponge from my hand. “You people are your family, and we care about you. We just don’t want to see you hurt.”
“Well, you won’t. I knew what this was when I entered into the agreement. He’s here for a short period of time and then will move on. I know that.”
He reaches over and sets his hand on my shoulder. “Okay, I’m not trying to upset you. I just wanted to make sure you were both on the same page, Riss. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
I want to reply that I won’t be, but I’m pretty sure that’ll be a lie. Watching Rhenn walk away is going to hurt, no matter how much I plan and prepare for it, because at the end of the day, I care about him. I’ve come to appreciate the friendship he offers. I enjoy talking with him, and he makes me laugh. A lot. Not to mention the things he makes my body feel. “I appreciate it,” I end up saying instead.
Jensen pulls me into a quick hug. “Give me an hour to mow and trim the back, and then I can help you clean.”
“Thank you.”
He nods as he walks out the door. I can hear him talking in the hallway, and when Rhenn’s voice speaks up, my ears strain to overhear their conversation. With the construction commotion downstairs, it’s too hard to hear their words, but just as the saw stops running, I catch a statement. My heart hammers in my chest as I think about what Rhenn said to my brother.
I don’t want to hurt her. I’ve come to care for Marissa.
And that’s when I feel myself start to fall.
Only I know that when I reach the bottom, it’s going to hurt like a bitch.