Touch Me (Bonus)

The Billionaire’s Secrets Book 1

Kayla C. Oliver

 

Chapter One

Heidi

 

 

These ten-minute breaks were the only times in the day when I could breathe a little. Not that I didn’t constantly feel blessed that I could run my own café in the heart of the tourist district. I was indeed lucky and every day I counted my blessings. My parents couldn’t afford cooking school and for the four years that I apprenticed with Chef Dunphy in Los Angeles, I could only dream of one day running my own place.

But I got lucky. I’d never heard of Brunswick before, and even if I had, Georgia was never a state I had visited in my life. In fact, I wouldn’t ever have thought of visiting this town hadn’t it been for my ex-boyfriend, Jake. His grandmother used to live here, and he brought me one summer to introduce us. Now Jake was gone, getting married, last I heard and I was left behind, madly in love with this town and the proud owner of my very own café.

At twenty-eight and the proprietor of a café, I managed to turn over a profit within the first year of opening shop. I was proud of myself, but none of this would have been possible without hard work or all the years I had put into working as a baker’s apprentice. All the money, the very little that I had saved, I put into this business but I didn’t regret a second of it. Brunswick was my home now, and this was where I was going to make my life.

It wasn’t exactly a sleepy town, especially not during the summer months when its unique location for being a busy harbor town as well as its beautiful surroundings attracted a lot of tourists. This was prime time for my business to bloom. So, the ten hours a day when I wasn’t slogging away at the café, I was at home trying out new recipes or working on marketing campaigns.

Other than myself, I was able to afford two other staff, one of whom waited on the tables and the other helped me with the baking. So these ten minute breaks when I stood at the back of the café, gulping down a shot of espresso and munching on a mini muffin were extremely precious to me. I savored these moments, staring at the gently swaying boats and yachts anchored in the harbor in the distance, breathing in the fresh summer scent in the air, just thankful for life and the world’s bounty. Only when my mind wandered on occasion, did I allow myself to think about Jake and what he was doing. How could he have moved on so quickly from our relationship? He was engaged to be married within four months of our breakup. I still couldn’t wrap my brain around it.

This move to Brunswick had been good for me. I couldn’t continue to live in LA after we broke up. We were in a relationship for two years; I thought we were going to settle down. He had brought me here to meet his grandmother! But things spiraled out of control when we went back. This was when Chef Dunphy promoted me to assistant baker, over Jake who had his fancy baking school degree while I had risen from nothing.

When we broke up, I knew I couldn’t go back home to Wisconsin. I couldn’t return to my hometown feeling defeated and worn out. What would my family think of me? And neither could I remain in LA. That was weak of me. I was letting Jake win, but I couldn’t find the courage to stay there and cross paths with him on a daily basis.

I kept an eye out on Brunswick properties. The town had left its mark on me. It was peaceful, slow paced and didn’t have many cafés, even though it had quite the influx of tourists. When this commercial site came up, I looked through my accounts and discovered that I could actually afford it. I took the plunge, made my own business plan, procured the required licenses and equipment and within three months “Bread & Beans” was a fully functional café in the heart of Brunswick’s town center.

A smile flickered on my face now. I couldn’t stop replaying the past year over and over in my head. I was a successful businesswoman, and all thanks to my own hard work.

A crash of plates from inside the café snapped me out of my thoughts. With my brows crossed I whipped around to look in. I could see Lucia, standing with her mouth covered with both hands. She looked upset and wasn’t making a move to clear up the broken plates on the floor in front of her.

I gulped down the rest of the espresso and carrying the cup in my hand, I rushed back into the café.

“Lucia? What’s going on?” I said as I pushed open the door.

Our café was small, with only four tables lined up along the bay windows. But each of those tables was occupied and our patrons were all staring at the scene in the center of the café.

Two men were at each other’s throats. An older and a younger man, both glaring at each other. The older one’s face had reddened, but he was somehow managing to hold the younger one apart.

There was complete silence in the café. Everyone was staring.

“Stop that, now!” I screeched and both men turned to look at me.

I was startled, just for a moment when they turned, but I registered that sensation. The younger man’s icy blue eyes pierced right through my soul. He had spiky, dark hair and a few locks fell lazily over his bloodshot eyes. He was a tall man, towering over the older, portly one. His shoulders were wide and strained now, from the strength with which he was gripping the other guy. He had turned to look at me, and when our eyes met, he relaxed his grip.

The older man slipped away, coughing and cursing under his breath. I was snapped out of that slow-motion, hypnotizing moment and I stepped forward.

“What is going on? I will have to call the cops,” I said, planting my hands firmly on my hips.

The two men exchanged looks, and the younger one looked at me again.

“That won’t be necessary miss. We will sort this out ourselves,” he said and I noticed the way he clenched his jaw. I jutted my chin out towards him, and despite the dangerous blueness of his eyes, I met his gaze confidently.

“I don’t care about your argument. You can’t do this in a public place. You’re distressing my guests,” I hissed at him, glancing angrily at the older man who was still standing by, rubbing the back of his reddened neck.

“I said I’ll sort it out,” the younger one said and stepped towards me. With my brows crossed and my nostrils flaring, I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Please get off my property,” I said, not willing to step away from him. There was still silence in the café. Not one other person had moved. The man was glaring at me now, his blue eyes were focused on my face. I noticed the way his gaze fell briefly to my breasts, my hips, and the shape of my legs. I could feel him sizing me up. I kept my chin up because I didn’t want to show any signs of weakness.

“I will, if you let me pay for the damage,” the man said abruptly and looked down at the broken plates on the floor. Now I could see that it was more than just a broken plate. A brand new vase was lying shattered on the floor as well, as were two glasses and there was water spilt everywhere.

“Please just leave,” I snapped at him and looked up to meet his eyes again.

The man’s eyes had softened. I couldn’t help but notice how perfect his jawline was; how broad that chest was. He was in dark jeans, a white shirt and a black leather jacket. This man deserved a spot on the cover of a glossy magazine. How much would women pay to see a photograph of him with his clothes off…even just his shirt?

I shook my head to drive thoughts of this guy, naked, out of my head. I was supposed to be mad at him. I was trying very hard to appear to be so.

“How much do I owe you?” he said and I saw his hand slip into the pocket of his jeans. I didn’t want his money. I wanted him gone. Those things he had broken were all replaceable, my customers were not.

“Just go, before I have to call the cops,” I said firmly and this time, I stretched my arm out, pointing to the door. The man remained standing where he was, his eyes still inspecting every curve of my body. I thought I saw a grin forming on his face. How could he possibly want to smile in a situation like this? When he had just caused a scene in my place of business! What an obnoxious, arrogant Greek god! I could feel rage spurting out of my ears.

“C’mon, let’s go,” the older man interrupted us. I was surprised to find that he was being civil with this guy. They were at each others throats only minutes ago. I didn’t understand it. I was just glad that they were finally leaving.

The older man left quickly, setting off the bell at the top of the door as he stepped out. The younger one, on the other hand, was walking backwards, his blue eyes still on me, watching my every movement.

I could feel my cheeks burning up; the back of my neck hot under his steady gaze. My lips felt dry; there were goosebumps on my arms. The longer he looked at me, with his perfect bone structure and totally kissable lips, the more agitated I got. The mixed emotions of being annoyed with his attitude and at the same time being filled with desire for a man with the most delicious body had overwhelmed my mind.

“Rhett Larkin, nice to make your acquaintance,” he said, just as he was about to step out. I straightened my back and breathed harshly out of my nose.

“I’m glad I know your name now. You’re not welcome here again,” I said, loud enough for everyone else to hear. Especially my employees, Lucia and Sophie, who were standing huddled together in one of the corners. Judging by everyone’s behavior, scenes like these didn’t often take place in a small place like Brunswick.

The man named Rhett finally left, and even after he had shut the door behind him, I followed him with my eyes. An unexpected sense of disappointment settled in the pit of my stomach when he didn’t turn to look at me. Chatter suddenly erupted in the café. People were talking in hushed voices, still looking out to see if they could see the two men.

“They were just sitting there having coffee and then suddenly got up and Mr. Larkin grabbed the other man by his collar,” Lucia had come up to me and was talking really quickly now. Her cheeks were flushed, and when Sophie joined us, I could see her eyes looked bedazzled as well.

“Mr. Larkin? You make it sound like you know him,” I said to Lucia, as I grabbed the uniform apron from the counter and started tying it around my waist. It was time to get back to work. Lucia and Sophie exchanged looks, and I caught that. They were both blushing now, biting their lower lips, on the verge of breaking into giggles.

“Everyone knows Mr. Larkin. I’m sure he had good reason for his behavior,” Sophie said and I looked at them, confusion marring my face. Other than the fact that Rhett Larkin was extremely good looking, why were these girls on his side? When earlier, I could clearly see that he had scared them silly.

“Who is this guy?” I asked, trying to sound uninterested.

“Rhett Larkin. He’s one of the three partners of C Scape, the shipping company. They are the youngest billionaires in Georgia,” Lucia said, giggling openly now, because she couldn’t believe I had no idea who he was.

Chapter Two

Rhett

 

 

I couldn’t get that woman out of my head. I didn’t even know her name, but she had left a stirring impression on me. She had fiery, strawberry blond hair that fell in tight curls around her face. Her eyes were large and green and she had a look on her face that told me she wouldn’t shy away from kicking me out physically from her café if she had to.

I was thinking of her as I walked back to my office when instead of that woman, I should have been thinking about Massimo and what I was going to do about him. I knew he was going to be trouble the moment he sat down at the table, and I had never intended to make a scene in such a public place. I had a reputation, a carefully crafted reputation; one that I had to uphold. I didn’t even think that he would just suddenly turn up in Brunswick although I should have expected it all along. Now that C Scape was in the limelight and I had recently been interviewed by Fortune Magazine, it was no surprise that Massimo would find his way here.

It was just that I thought I’d left Brooklyn behind.

“Mr. Larkin, you’ve had three phone calls…” Maria jumped off her chair at the reception desk when I entered the lobby of my office building.

“Not now Maria.” I waved a hand at her and rushed towards the elevators. I needed to clear my head, and find a way to stop thinking about that woman from the café, so I could concentrate my energy on how I was going to handle Massimo.

“But Mr. Larkin…” Maria stopped in her tracks in front of the elevator doors when I stepped in. She was clutching sheets of paper from her notepad with caller-information written on them.

“Thank you Maria,” I said, as the doors closed and separated us. I was in no state to deal with clients or business calls at the moment.

I ran a hand through my hair and shook my head as the elevator took me up to the top floor. I shared the floor with my two other business partners, who were also my best friends.

When the elevator doors pinged open and I stepped out, I saw Hunter walking towards me, followed by his Personal Assistant at his heels.

“Rhett! Just the man I was looking for. We need to sit down and discuss the Wilson account today,” Hunter said, in his usual booming, charismatic voice.

“Not today, man. Can we talk tomorrow?” I asked him, passing by him quickly. I saw the look of surprise on Hunter’s face because he would have detected that I was troubled.

“Rhett? Do you need something?” he asked but I had already reached the door of my office.

“Tomorrow, Hunter. Let’s talk tomorrow,” I said and pushed open my office door and locked myself in. I didn’t want Hunter or Owen to know about what was going on. Not that I didn’t trust them. We were best friends, brothers almost…I knew they would help. I didn’t want them to find out because I didn’t want them worrying about how Massimo could affect our business.

This was my problem and I was going to deal with it myself. I had managed for all these years and I would just have to find a way to do it again.

For now, I needed to clear my mind by thinking about the woman from the café less and focusing on the problem at hand. But I couldn’t. It was like she had taken complete control over me. I felt an instant sexual spark the moment I turned to look at her. It was more than just that she was beautiful, her personality shone through her eyes. And neither did she seem like an easy catch. She was going to be difficult to pin down and just the thought of winning her over made my muscles stiffen. I was turned on.

This was no time to be fantasizing about a woman I didn’t know, who would probably see right through me if I tried to even talk to her. I walked over to my oak desk and gripped the edges with both hands. What was Massimo going to do? I should have just beaten him to a pulp at the café when I had the chance.

But I couldn’t, not when I saw her. Not when I saw the look in her eyes. I had to stop.

What was happening to me? Since when did I care what a woman thought of me? I always knew what women thought of me. They saw a successful businessman, a self-made man in his late twenties. I was charming and exactly what any woman would want and I knew it. I made no show of hiding it either. Then why was I so concerned about this particular woman? As in, what was it about her, other than being a pretty face that had suddenly affected me like this?

I gritted my teeth and growled a low, guttural growl. Massimo could completely ruin everything I had in my life, what I had built here and here I was, obsessing over a woman who probably despised me.

I’d just have to do something about it. Because if there was something I knew I was good at, besides charming my way into wet panties, it was being able to fix my own problems. Once I’d dealt with her, I would be free to deal with Massimo.

Chapter Three

Heidi

 

 

“See you tomorrow, Heidi,” Lucia waved to me as she left the café. I smiled and waved back. I then followed her to the door and locked it after she had stepped out.

I usually stayed back in the café, for at least half an hour or longer just to tidy up after everyone had left. Sometimes I used the equipment to practice new recipes for the next day’s specials and sometimes I just made myself dinner and ate it in the kitchen. I didn’t mind any of that. I’d gotten used to the little routines in my life now.

I grabbed a cloth from behind the counter and started dusting and wiping down the furniture. Sophie, who would be opening the café the next morning, would have to do it again but I liked to make sure that the place was always spotless and sparkling.

I sighed when I thought about the broken glasses and vase from that morning. I needed to be careful about my inventory as much as possible. Even though I was turning over a profit, my resources were still limited. I had to run a tight ship here daily, otherwise the money would soon turn into losses if I wasn’t careful. I was always watching what I was spending and operated on a strict budget. Besides all that, I was also hoping that I hadn’t lost any of my precious customers as a result of the scene that Rhett Larkin had caused.

Rhett Larkin…just the thought of him made my cheeks flush to a deep red. I was embarrassed just thinking about him, even in the safety of my own company, because I knew what the truth was. That I was attracted to him, even though I pretended to be mad at him and which I should have been. I was also secretly fantasizing about him and I had spent the whole day doing that, which was wrong and completely against my own personality. I was usually reserved and aloof. I had slept with a sum total of two people in my life even though I was nearly pushing thirty now. Both of those guys had been serious boyfriends. I never made a decision that was not calculated or well thought out.

One night stands with random, gorgeous strangers were completely out of the question. I was happy to be alone, happy to work towards professional success. A guy like Rhett Larkin therefore, never caught my attention because I was aware that men like him were aware of their good looks and used it to their advantage with women. I didn’t have time for that.

I realized that I had been wiping the same table repeatedly in concentric circles for several minutes now. I’d been deeply engrossed in my confusion about Rhett Larkin and why I was still thinking about him. I was about to look up when I was startled by a loud knock on the glass door of the café.

My hand flew to my heart and I nearly gasped as I looked up. I could see the shadow of someone standing at the door, probably peering in. The light outside was dim, and the café was dark because I liked to keep the lights switched off while I did my cleaning of the place.

Leaving the cloth on the table I was wiping, I walked towards the door. As I got closer, with my heart thumping, I realized it was Rhett Larkin on the other side. He was standing with his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his dark jeans. He wasn’t peering in at all, but even in the dim light, through the glass walls of the café, he was following my every movement with his eyes.

Just the sight of him sent chills down my spine and goosebumps prickled my skin. I stood on the other side of the door with my brows crossed and glaring at him.

“Do you want to open up? Ms. McNeil,” I heard him say in a muffled voice. How did he know my name? I don’t remember giving it to him. I licked my lips and taking in a deep breath, I turned the key in the lock and swung the door open.

“What are you doing here? I said you are not welcome back here again,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. This guy’s blue eyes were icy cold and dark, boring a hole into my forehead as he studied me. Just like before, he didn’t shy from gazing down at my breasts. I should have been offended, but there was something appreciative about his shameless staring. My cheeks flushed.

“I wanted to come back here and apologize to you again,” he said, snapping me out of my thoughts of him.

“You’ve apologized already and I didn’t call the cops. Isn’t that good enough for you?” I snapped at him. It was none of my concern that he was a billionaire like Lucia and Sophie said. He had behaved rowdily in my café and I wasn’t going to be afraid of telling him off.

“You’re new around here, aren’t you, Ms. McNeil?” he asked and I narrowed my eyes at him.

“What has that got to do with anything? Are you trying to threaten me?” I said, trying hard not to display just how flustered I was feeling inside. I was confused by this mix of emotions running through my veins.

“Why would I want to threaten you? It was just a question, an innocent question,” he said and without invitation, stepped inside my café. Our bodies brushed gently together when he did that and I felt my skin sizzling. He was hot as Hell and I couldn’t seem to separate my feelings of being offended from how absolutely devastatingly handsome he was.

“This is harassment, Mr. Larkin. You have to leave now!” I called out to him, from my position at the open door. Rhett Larkin was looking about him at the dark interior of the café and then he turned around to fix his blue gaze on me again.

“I’m not harassing you, Heidi, I’m offering you money,” he said.

Chapter Four

Rhett

 

 

“Offering me money? What are you talking about?” Heidi looked completely confused and a little offended as she remained standing by the door. I smiled at her, and her green eyes grew wider. She was still in the same simple, floral dress from the morning, and she had an apron tied at her waist with the logo of the café - Bread & Beans - embroidered on it. Her shoulders were slender and I noticed that she had voluptuous breasts under that dress.

“For the damage from this morning,” I told her and I fished out my wallet from the pocket of my leather jacket.

“I thought I made it very clear to you Mr. Larkin, I can’t accept your money,” Heidi said and took a few steps closer to me. I fixed my eyes on her and she held my gaze confidently.

“That vase looked expensive,” I said and she crossed her arms over her breasts.

“It was,” she said flatly and I opened my wallet.

“So please, let me pay for that,” I said and took out the check I had already filled in earlier.

“Mr. Larkin, I would appreciate it if you stopped insisting. I don’t need you to pay for anything, I would just like it if you didn’t return to my café,” Heidi said and I clenched my jaw as I looked at her. I had a sudden desperate urge to grab a fistful of her hair and pull her to me. I wanted to feel her skin.

“And I would appreciate it if you stopped calling me Mr. Larkin,” I said and Heidi rolled her eyes.

“Fine. Rhett. I would like you to leave now,” she said and with my eyes still on her, I put down the check on the small table beside me. Heidi’s brows crossed and I could see her nostrils flaring.

“Don’t you know how to take no for an answer?” she asked, in a harsh voice and I grinned at her.

“Not when I’m guilty about damage done,” I said and she took in a deep breath.

“Fine. Will you leave me alone now?” she asked and I stepped towards her. Heidi wasn’t a short woman, but it was just that I was much taller than her. She had to crane her neck to look up at me, and her green eyes narrowed again. Her lips were plump and pale pink from a faded lip gloss. She was trying to put up a front of remaining strong, but I had noticed a shift in her eyes. She was feeling the same insane spark of attraction that I was feeling as well. There was no denying that.

“I will leave you alone, Heidi, of course I will. I have no intention of worrying you,” I said, stepping even closer to her. She remained standing where she was with her arms crossed and her eyes focused on me.

“I’m not worried,” she said and I noticed how her voice faltered, just a little bit. I was winning.

“You look worried,” I said and when I was close enough to her, I reached for her face and felt the texture of one of her curls between my forefinger and thumb. It was soft to the touch. Heidi hadn’t stepped away, and neither did she seem upset with what I was doing. She just remained standing very still, almost like she was holding her breath.

“I’m not worried,” she repeated herself, like she was in a daze.

“Are you sure?” I said, taking my hand away from her hair.

She was looking at my lips now, staring into my eyes the next moment and when she stuck out her small bubblegum tongue to lick her lips, I couldn’t control myself. I lunged at her, and I was surprised to find that she had thrown herself at me at the same moment.

Our bodies collided and our lips met in one hot sizzle. She gasped and the sound of her voice was drowned out by my mouth. Her arms flew up to my shoulders; she was gripping them tightly as I pushed myself into her. I could feel her hips against my thighs and my hands were on her waist, holding her close to me.

Heidi tasted of coffee and sugar and I could smell the faint vanilla scent of her shampoo. My body was pumped, my tongue was parting her lips so that I could explore the inside of her mouth. Her grip on my shoulders tightened and she moved her head so that I could kiss her better. My hands rose up from her waist, up the sides of her torso till I had encircled her neck with both my hands.

She had a tender, long neck and I stroked the soft skin on her throat with my thumbs as I continued to kiss her. Heidi groaned again and I thrust my tongue into her open mouth. Her hands travelled down from my shoulders to my back. I knew she was going to be able to feel the raging erection in my pants. I was pushing against her, feeling her body tremble.

I groaned as I ran my tongue along the soft flesh inside her mouth. I was already imagining how soft and juicy she would be between her legs. I wanted more. I wanted more now. Having Heidi naked in my arms was going to be the only way I could move on from her and on to my next problem.

Her fingers were in my hair now, weaving through the strands and she was pushing herself against me, making her mouth more easily available to my tongue. The only thing I could think about was where else I wanted my tongue to be.

Chapter Five

Heidi

 

 

This was insane. I had never done something like this before in my life. I was making out with a complete stranger, a man who I was trying to throw out of my premises not minutes ago. His tongue was inside my mouth, his hands had been all over my body and I wanted more.

Our lips were fused together while Rhett kissed me wildly and then, when I didn’t want him to stop, he pulled away from me gently.

“You are delicious,” he breathed the words gruffly, before gently tipping my head back so that he could lick the sensitive skin of my neck. I was holding him tightly by his biceps and I could feel the strength in his muscles.

Rhett’s body was ripped. He was strong and athletic and kissed me like I had never been kissed before. Never had I felt this turned on with just a kiss.

Rhett’s mouth moved down from my neck to the top of my breasts, the portion that was revealed by the neck of my dress.

My eyes flew open when I felt his hands on my breasts, searching out my stiffened nipples through the fabric of my dress. What was I doing?!

I wriggled in his arms, as painful as it was to draw away from him. Rhett released me and I stumbled back.

“You have to leave, now!” I said in a loud, shrill voice and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand as if that was going to fix anything.

Even in the dim light of the café, I could tell that Rhett’s eyes looked drowsy, almost drunk. His lips were glistening and his face was darkened with desire. He didn’t respond to me and I ran a hand through my messy curls. I couldn’t believe I had done what I had just done! This went against all my personal rules.

“Heidi,” he said and took a step towards me. I stepped away from him and nervously tucked in some stray curls behind my ears.

“Mr. Larkin, Rhett…this was a mistake. A big mistake,” I said and looked away from him. I couldn’t look at him anymore, without reliving those moments of absolute mind numbing pleasure.

“Alright,” he said flatly and I jerked my head to look at him.

“I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but you should know that I don’t do things like this usually,” I said, fumbling with my words a little as I spoke.

“You don’t kiss people?” he asked with a laugh in his voice. I turned my nose up at him. How could he laugh at a time like this when I was ready to shrivel up from embarrassment!

“Not people I don’t know!” I snapped and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“Right. I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said and turned to walk back towards the door again. My heart was racing. I didn’t want him to take it as a compliment. I didn’t want him to assume that I was floored by him. Even though I was, I didn’t want him to know that.

“It’s never going to happen again!” I called after him, just as he was about to turn the knob on the door. Rhett turned to look at me, with a wide smile on his face and his blue eyes sparkling. All my strength and bravery was disappearing quickly again. I was melting.

“We’ll see about that, Heidi. Have a good evening,” he said, with complete calmness, then turned the doorknob and stepped back out in the darkness.

When the door swung shut again, I rushed to it to turn the key in the lock. I was breathing rapidly and I could feel beads of perspiration spring up on my forehead. I turned my back to the door and let out a huge sigh of relief now that he was gone. I was very well aware that the kiss could have very easily turned into more. I had completely forgotten myself and was ready to give myself completely to him.

What had gotten into me? Within a few minutes, Rhett Larkin had managed to completely turn me around.

That kiss was good…so good that my lips were still tingling from it. I shivered and rubbed my hands together and walked up to the table where his check was still lying.

I looked at it in silence, and my hands quivered when I reached for it. Rhett Larkin was bad news. He had played his charm on me and even though I thought I was immune to guys like him, I had completely and foolishly fallen for it.

I picked up the check and stared at it. It was made out to my company, in my name and for a sum of five hundred dollars! It fell from my hand and swooped to the floor while I stepped away from it like it had burnt my fingers. Five hundred dollars! The damage he had caused would probably cost me a hundred to two hundred at the most, including the vase. Five hundred was too much and surely he knew that as well.

What reason did he have to be this generous? Was he just grateful that I hadn’t called the cops on him? If what Sophie and Lucia said were true, a successful billionaire like Rhett Larkin wouldn’t want to have a black mark on his record, no matter how small the charge.

Or did he think that he could just throw money my way and I’d sleep with him? What kind of a woman did he think I was? Did he actually believe that I would fall for his money?

I clenched my jaw as I bent down to pick up the check and then stared at his signature at the bottom. His handwriting was clear and confident, just like he was in person and I took in a deep breath and pressed my eyes close. What had he done to me? I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Chapter Six

Rhett

 

 

I was sitting at the desk in my office and my mind had wandered. Massimo’s threats were still in my thoughts.

There was a time, which now seemed very long ago, when he was somewhat of a mentor to me. He was older, seemed to know what he was doing and had taken me under his wing. I was relying on him to teach me the tricks of the trade.

I was fourteen years old, and had no skills of thieving when I got involved in Massimo’s gang. My father had left us several years ago, and my mother was struggling to make ends meet. We were going to lose the apartment; my younger brother and I were going to be out on the streets or in foster care if I didn’t do something about it.

I had no other choice but to drop out of school and try and make money on the streets. Initially, it seemed like a fair prospect. Massimo had promised me that he would train me into becoming a master thief.

I started small, with convenience stores and local gas stations by stealing chewing gum and juice cartons. By the end of the year, I was skilled enough to steal cigarette packs and bottles of beer.

The whole operation was a much larger one that I wasn’t aware of. Massimo promised to get me involved in the bigger things when I was of age. For the time being, I was going to have to prove myself first as a small-time, petty thief. I could still remember how proud I felt when I stole my first bottle of Jack Daniels. Massimo was proud of me too. He gave me two dollars and promised me that he was going to take me with him on a bigger gig. I wanted to do the bigger heists. Rob banks, jewelry stores and the like. All I had to do was be patient and keep doing a good job, Massimo said. In time I was going to get there. I thought I was doing it for my family.

I ran a hand through my hair and tried to calm my nerves. I couldn’t even imagine what my life would look like if we were still in Brooklyn. The moment I had set up C Scape with Hunter and Owen, I arranged for my mother and brother to move here. As the business grew more successful, I had enough money to buy them a house. Brooklyn was left far behind.

If I was still there…if I had never met Hunter or Owen, I would have been in prison by now. Of that I was sure. Massimo had already served his time. Twice. Now he was coming after me to make sure that he got a steady flow of income in the form of forcing me to pay him for his silence. And I had been doing that exactly for the past five years because a clean slate was important to me and the business that we were trying to make successful.

A past like that, being revealed to the media would mean a huge setback for our business. Massimo had proof. He had photographs of the whole gang together. Me as a fourteen year old, fifteen year old, sixteen year old…he had phone call records and proof of money paid to me for my tasks.

The worst was that my big dream had come true. He had once taken me along when he and his pals went to rob a jewelry store. A revelation like that about my past could even mean a police charge. I was a minor at the time, but that would definitely lead to a drop in our share prices. Investors would lose faith in me as a partner in the business. Not to mention that the people of Brunswick would look at me in a very different light.

I had to avoid that at all costs.

Now that Massimo had found me in Brunswick, he wanted more money. He was threatening to reveal everything to the media if I didn’t pay more and more often. How long was I going to keep doing this? How much longer was I going to allow a man from my past rule my present?

I stood up with a jerk from my desk and paced the floor of my office. I had to find a way to stop him. Massimo wasn’t afraid of violence. He was used to it. What he wanted was more money, but he wasn’t going to stop just with a one-time pay-off. He was going to milk me of my success for as long as he could based on the fact that I was guilty about who I used to be and about the things I had done.

He detested the fact that I had broken away from the gang as well as that I had come to my senses and decided to make an honest living for myself. A chance encounter with Hunter and Owen had led to a partnership. They had been the biggest influences in my life and had shown me what an honest friendship can do. Massimo was going to do everything he could to make sure that I didn’t enjoy this new life that I had built for myself and I was going to do everything I could to safeguard it.

The question was where were we going to meet in the middle and what was going to be the consequence of that?

Nobody knew about my past. Not even my mother or brother. Massimo was the only one remaining from the gang, out of prison, a free man…to mess up my life the way he wanted to and he was going to take full advantage of that.

The more successful I was in my own business, the more greedy Massimo got and I would just have to find a way to put a stop to that.

Chapter Seven

Heidi

 

 

I shouldn’t have been there at all. I had no reason to be there. If I wanted, I would never have to see Rhett Larkin again, ever. Instead, I had turned up there in the lobby of his office building, with my hands clasped together and eyeing the receptionist.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked politely and I walked closer to her while clearing my throat. What was I even doing there?

“Hi, yes, I was wondering if I could meet with Mr. Larkin. Rhett Larkin,” I told the woman nervously.

“Do you have an appointment…Ms….?” she asked, smiling widely at me.

“Heidi McNeil. No, I don’t have an appointment. You know what, I’ll make an appointment and come back,” I said and started backing away. I had changed my mind. There was no good reason for me to meet him, without making a complete fool of myself.

“Hold on, Ms. McNeil, I’ll just check with Mr. Larkin. I know he has the next hour free, so he might be able to accommodate you,” she said, standing up and picking up the receiver beside her.

“There’s really no need, thanks, I’ll come back,” I pleaded with her while she dialed a number and continued smiling at me.

“There’s a Ms. Heidi McNeil here to see you, sir,” the woman said into the phone. She was too friendly and polite for me to just turn around and walk out of the building. I heard her ping the receiver down and she looked at me.

“You can take the elevator up to the top floor ma’am. Mr. Larkin is waiting for you. His office is the second door on the left,” she said and sat back down on her chair.

“Th…thank you,” I said to her and cursing myself under my breath, I walked towards the elevator. I was inspecting the premises to try and find a door that I might be able to escape out of. This was such a bad idea.

Inside the elevator, I gave myself the once over in the mirrored walls. I had consciously put an extra effort into my appearance. I’d picked out my prettiest yellow, summery dress, matching yellow sandals and had spent some time on my makeup. I tried to go for the effortlessly natural look, but that had taken me more time than expected. I’d left my hair hanging loose, but brushed it at least a hundred times before I left the house. Now I was due to be back at the café in a couple of hours for the afternoon shift.

When I stepped out of the elevator with my heart thudding against my chest, I found Rhett standing at the open door of his office. My cheeks flushed instantly, but I tried to hold his gaze confidently and to also hold my head up. Now that I was here, I had no other choice but to pretend like I knew exactly what I was doing.

He was standing with one hand in the pocket of his tailor made gray pants. He had an impeccably white cotton shirt tucked in, with no tie but smart metal cufflinks at his wrists. He looked different today, or at least he was in different clothes from the last time I saw him. Now he looked more like the billionaire he was famed to be, and I realized that I was slightly intimidated.

“Good morning, Heidi,” he said as I walked up to him.

“Hello Rhett,” I said and came to a stop right in front of him.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked and stepped aside to make way for me to enter his office.

I stepped in and was pleasantly taken aback by the decor. Rhett Larkin had old school tastes for a man of his age. His office was well designed, replete with ornate wooden furniture and thick Turkish rugs. His curtains were a luxurious red and there were gorgeous framed paintings on every wall. Oil paintings, of landscapes and portraits…that he no doubt had spent a considerable sum of money on. My first impression of Rhett Larkin had been of him being a frivolous, arrogant young man, who drove fast cars and did body shots off women in nightclubs. I had just never pictured him as a polished and sophisticated person who would choose an office like this.

I heard him clear his throat behind me and I whipped around, realizing that I had remained silent in his presence for far too long already.

“Oh, sorry, I was just admiring your office,” I said and Rhett grinned and nodded his head.

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Heidi?” he repeated himself and I gulped. Way to get straight to the point. Clearly, he wasn’t the kind of man who liked to make small talk.

“I just wanted to stop by and return the check to you. It is an unnecessarily large sum of money and I can’t accept this,” I said, hardening my voice. There was a change in our interaction, in that I wasn’t pretending to be as harsh to him as I had been before. But now that I had seen him in person again, I couldn’t get the thought of having his mouth on mine out of my head. The way he had made me feel the previous evening was explosive.

Rhett said nothing, but continued to stare at me. I felt nervous and bare under his gaze and I tucked in some curls behind my ears. I wanted to put my foot down.

“I’m going to have to give it back to you, because I have no idea what you think I’m going to use all of that money for. In fact, it’s quite rude!” I said and met his gaze.

Rhett let out a deep sigh and took a few steps towards me. It felt like my breathing had caught in my throat.

“Then you don’t need to cash it. You didn’t have to come all the way and personally return it to me. Now, tell me the real reason why you’re here, Heidi,” he said.

Chapter Eight

Rhett

 

 

She had absolutely no idea how badly I wanted her. Instead, Heidi McNeil just stood there in front of me, looking straight into my eyes with her eyebrows tangled and an embarrassed expression on her face. If I wanted her that day in the café, I wanted her even more now. Her dress was long, fell past her knees but the straps on her shoulders were spaghetti thin and revealed slender curved shoulders that I wanted to sink my teeth into.

“Yes, I suppose I should have just done that,” she said and pursed her lips together. She was being foolish by denying the attraction. We both knew exactly why she was here, it was the same reason I would have gone back to her café that evening if she hadn’t come to me now.

“So, tell me why you’re here, Heidi,” I repeated myself and took a few more steps towards her. I felt like a predator who had found its prey. I wanted to pounce on her and not leave an inch of her body untouched.

“I…I,” Heidi looked away from me and her eyes fell to the floor. I could see spots of bright red on the tops of her cheeks. She was too shy to meet my eyes again.

“I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be using that money,” she said, using all the courage she could find to meet my eyes. I cocked an eyebrow up and smiled at her. We were standing dangerously close to each other now. It would have been very easy for me to just reach out and touch her.

“Well, it’s yours if you need it,” I said and she crossed her eyebrows.

“What gave you the impression that I would want your money, Rhett?” she asked and her nostrils flared. She looked even more attractive when she was annoyed with me. It made me want to tame her. Heidi was absolutely irresistible to me and no woman before had this effect on my body.

“It’s not about my money. I was in your position not long ago. A young guy trying to make my business successful. Consider the five hundred dollars a small donation towards your business. I like to help out people in my community as much as I can,” I said and I watched her as Heidi’s expression changed. I knew I had stumped her. She had no comeback to that. She stood there and licked her lips while I breathed in her scent. I was dying to run my fingers through the tangle of her curls, to feel her breath on my skin.

“Well, alright then. I’ll cash the money if I need it some time. For now, I’m not going to touch it,” she said indignantly and I reached out and placed my hands on her shoulders. I couldn’t resist touching her.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” I said, in a low, gruff voice because I was trying to keep my desire for Heidi under control. She gulped as she looked up at me. Her green eyes were even wider now and her lips parted. We were both thinking about that kiss and how explosive it had been.

“I won’t,” she said, in a whisper that I nearly didn’t catch.

“Good,” I said, just stalling for time and I used my thumbs to rub the soft flesh of her arms. She had goosebumps and hadn’t looked away from me.

“Heidi, you should know that I want to throw you over my desk and push up your dress so that I can be inside you,” I said the words, because I knew she could see it in my eyes anyway. But unlike the fact that I had expected her to flinch, or yank herself away from me or hurl some choice words at me…Heidi just remained standing where she was, our bodies just an inch apart.

“So, why don’t you?” she said and I felt my heart thud to a sudden stop. I couldn’t believe what she had just said.

My mouth was on hers in a matter of seconds. She wouldn’t have to ask me twice. I pulled her to my chest and wrapped my arms tightly around her waist as I kissed her. My tongue forced itself into her mouth so that I could taste her again. My hands were on her body, feeling the bulge of her breasts, and the smallness of her waist. I was desperate for her, to feel the wetness between her legs and she pressed her hips towards me.

Heidi swayed a little in my arms as we kissed, and she was soft to the touch. Just like I remembered her, just how I dreamt about her the previous night when I helped myself to a release. I wanted to be inside her, but I wanted to kiss her more. We were both moaning and gasping as our mouths sizzled together. I nibbled on her bottom lip gently and I heard her giggle and then pull away from me. We were both panting as we stared at each other in awe. Neither of us could believe that this was actually happening.

“I need you to be bent over my desk,” I said, in a harsh commanding voice and Heidi did what she was told. She slipped away from me and walked over to my desk, right up to the edge and then she turned her head sideways, to indicate to me that she was ready.

I was ready too. I was ready from the moment I laid my eyes on her and now finally my fantasy was coming true.

Chapter Nine

Heidi

 

 

I waited with baited breath, with my heart thumping wildly. I was fully dressed still, but soon I heard the sound of Rhett’s belt buckle hit the floor. He was undressing himself. I pressed my eyes closed and bit down on my lip, because I couldn’t wait for a second longer. I wanted him right then. I was facing the wall behind his desk and I gulped.

I heard the crunch of a condom wrapper being opened, and I tried not to think about why he always carried condoms with him. This wasn’t about him, this was about me. For the first time in my life, I was doing something completely irrational. I was living on the edge. Living outside my comfort zone and I was suddenly filled with excitement and anticipation. It felt good to do something on the spur of the moment, especially when I’d already got a taster of what he could do to my body.

My muscles stiffened when I sensed Rhett walking up closer to me. He was taking slow but confident strides and eventually positioned himself behind me.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since yesterday morning,” I heard him say gruffly and the small hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I had been dreaming about this since then too, but I said nothing.

Instead I concentrated on his touch. Rhett had reached out for my waist and his warm large hand was resting there while his other one was slowly lifting the bottom hem of my dress. The smooth fabric glided up my legs, my thighs and then it remained bunched up at my hips. My lace panties were revealed to him and out of nowhere, Rhett smacked it. I winced and bit down on my lip harder. I was gripping the edge of the table with both hands, reveling in the pleasurable pain of being spanked.

His hands dropped down to the back of my knees now and gently he pushed my legs apart. The touch of his coarse fingers on my skin was weakening me. My knees were buckling and there were knots in my belly that had begun to tighten. I wasn’t going to be able to control it for very much longer.

“I want to make sure you’re ready for me,” I heard him say behind me and then his fingers were gliding up the inside of my thighs till he reached that wet throbbing core between them. I gasped when I felt him push aside the flimsy fabric of my panties. His fingers brushed against the wet flesh of my core and I felt my heart shuddering. He was torturing me with the wait. I was ready for him!

Rhett slowly stroked me, just with one finger first and my body quivered. I was growing desperate for him, but it seemed like he wanted me to wait some more. I heard him groan and then with care, he pushed his forefinger inside me. I gasped again as his finger slid in, parting the wet folds of my core. He stroked me deep inside and I cried out. I had no idea that it could feel so good. What was he doing to me?

Rhett’s stroking increased in speed and I was panting, gripping the edge of the table even harder. Soon after, he pushed in another finger while keeping his grip on my waist as tight as before.

“Please, Rhett…please,” I was begging him, hardly even recognizing my voice. It couldn’t be me! It couldn’t be my voice begging this man I didn’t know to make love to me.

“Tell me what you want,” I heard him growl. A dangerous growl, and I continued panting.

“I want you inside me,” I managed to squeak and Rhett slid out both his fingers. I was so close to the edge of orgasming that I was afraid I was going to come already.

He touched my butt, gently feeling my skin and then he grabbed the two cheeks tightly in his hands and pulled me closer to him. I couldn’t bring myself to turn around and look at him. I hadn’t even seen his cock or seen him naked. He was still a complete stranger to me.

But I gasped when I felt the tip of his cock graze my wet hot center. I moaned loudly, just as he slid himself inside me. He was enormous, bigger than anyone else I’d been with before and my body shuddered as it parted my juicy flesh and entered deep inside me. His grip on my waist tightened as he slid out and we both moaned together.

“You are so amazing,” I heard him say in a deep, low whisper and then he drove into me again. I shook and tried to steady myself against the desk, but we were both out of control now. Rhett was thrusting himself into me repeatedly. His motions were quick and deep and every inch of his cock seemed too big for me. It was the most explosive feeling I had ever experienced and I allowed myself to give up to that feeling completely.

With his thrusts I was being pushed closer and closer to my orgasm.

“I’m going to come!” I cried out and Rhett increased his pace. The knots in my belly came undone and my orgasm made my body shake, my toes curl…I felt him come too. Releasing himself like a bomb inside me, he growled and shook as he came and we orgasmed together. I felt like my soul was going to fly, soar above us…I never wanted this feeling to end because I had never felt anything like this before. Was it even supposed to feel like this? Was there going to be a price I had to pay for experiencing this?

None of that mattered in the moment, because all I could do was live that orgasm to its full potential, with Rhett Larkin still pumping inside me.

Chapter Ten

Rhett

 

 

I felt her body grow tender and I began pulling out of her. The force of my orgasm had jolted me and I felt disoriented for a few moments. When was the last time that sex had felt this good? This new?

I turned away from her to put my pants back on, and I could sense that Heidi was looking at me now. I disposed of the used condom in the bin next to my desk and tightened the belt at my waist.

“So, you’re just going to leave it there?” I heard her ask and I turned to her while fixing the cufflinks at my wrists.

“I’ll empty it myself in a few minutes,” I told her and watched as she ran a hand through her curls. Her cheeks were flushed and she had smoothened her dress. Other than the fact that there was a wild sort of blaze in her eyes, nobody would have been able to tell that I’d just fucked her.

Heidi grinned and I forced a smile on my face. I was feeling strange. A quickie wasn’t something I was new to although I’d never done it in my office before. But there was something about this experience with Heidi that was different somehow. I found myself wanting to talk to her, wanting her around and it was making me nervous.

“That was…” she said and looked away from me, like she was trying to find the right words to say. “That was…I’ve never done something like that before,” she added, leaning back on my desk with her hands behind her.

I pursed my lips and nodded.

“You’ve said that before and I believe you,” I told her and walked around the desk to my chair.

“It’s not like I’m trying to convince you of something, I’m just trying to make conversation,” she told me and her brows crossed. I didn’t mean to upset her, in fact I wanted the exact opposite of that. However, these feelings were strange and new to me and I didn’t know how to handle them.

“I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, I’m sorry to say,” I said and pulled out the chair. Heidi had turned to stare at me, and now her eyes were narrowed and penetrating my face. I could see that I had offended her.

“You’re not sorry to say that at all,” she said, bitingly as I sat down.

“Why would you think that?” I asked and pulled an open file close to myself. I was trying to avoid her eyes, because every time I looked at Heidi, I felt this inexplicable pull towards her.

“Because you are so typical. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am!” she said in a hissing voice and I jerked my head up to look at her. A smile was tugging the corners of my lips.

“What?” I asked, but Heidi wasn’t smiling. She was completely serious and had crossed her arms over her breasts.

“The expression. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am. That’s the philosophy you live by,” she said and scrunched up her face into a sour expression.

“I have no idea where you’re getting that from,” I said and Heidi rolled her eyes. She probably thought she looked fierce when she did that, but to me she just looked adorable.

“From your attitude and from what our relationship has been so far,” she enlightened me and I sat back in my chair and looked her straight in her eye.

“Our relationship?” I asked and cocked an eyebrow at her.

“I don’t mean it like that. I mean our interaction…our behavior towards each other.” Heidi looked frustrated; her face was turning red and she was breathing in and out harshly.

“What about our interactions?” I asked and narrowed my eyes at her. She looked away, rolling her eyes at me again and let out a huge sigh.

“This is ridiculous. There’s no point having this conversation with you. I shouldn’t have ever shown up here,” she said and angrily tucked in some curls behind her ears.

“But you did and what happened was good. I enjoyed myself,” I said with a smile and Heidi clenched her jaw.

“Yeah, it was very enjoyable. Have a good day,” she said, in a low mumbling voice and then whipped around from me and walked to the door and left.

I remained sitting at my desk long after she was gone. Now that she had left, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering what I could have done to make her stay. I despised myself for thinking that way, because I knew exactly what Heidi was talking about. I knew she meant it when she said that she hadn’t ever done something like this before. I didn’t want to think about what seeing her again could lead to.

I was in no position to even think about something serious. I had a business to run, an ex-con to worry about and a solution to come up with. I had no space or energy to dedicate to a woman, and especially not someone like Heidi who I knew would be hard work.

Quickies and one night stands were what suited my lifestyle and I never usually had problems with that. I always made it very clear to every woman I slept with, that there were going to be no strings attached and I wasn’t looking for anything more.

With Heidi, I hadn’t had the chance to give her that speech. Did I even want to give her that speech? What was I thinking? Why did I want to see her again?

My mind was whirling with conflicting thoughts and emotions and there were so many other things to worry about. Going back to Heidi’s café that evening was a bad idea. Sleeping with her now was a bad idea, but I couldn’t help any of those things because she was irresistible.

Chapter Eleven

Heidi

 

 

I banged the door of the café shut loudly behind me, and I walked in still fuming.

“Everything okay?” Lucia asked me as I walked past her and picked up the apron from the counter. The feelings of regret and sadness were yet to set it. For now, I was just feeling angry.

“Yes, everything is just peachy,” I mumbled and picked up the menu for the day and glared at it unnecessarily.

All the tables were occupied as usual, the cakes displayed looked good, and the smell of freshly baked bread wafted through from the kitchen. All in all, business was going well and I couldn’t complain.

“Did something happen?” Lucia urged me on and I looked up at her with my nostrils flared. I couldn’t get that image of Rhett’s smug expression out of my head. What an absolute cocky smartass! I couldn’t believe I had been so foolish as to sleep with him. Out of the blue. Like a complete fool. I knew nothing about him other than that he was an arrogant billionaire who clearly had a short temper.

“Yes, in fact something did happen,” I told Lucia and she raised her eyebrows inquisitively.

“Rhett Larkin. Remember Rhett Larkin? He sent me a check for five hundred dollars for the damages he caused,” I said snappily, but Lucia looked amused.

“Five hundred dollars? That’s way more than what it actually cost you. That’s very generous of him,” she said and I rolled my eyes.

“He’s just trying to buy me off,” I said, my voice dropping to a whisper now.

“Buy you off? Buy what?” Lucia drew closer to me and we were both whispering conspiratorially now.

“Buy my silence. So that I don’t go to the cops about the brawl he had here,” I told her and crossed my arms over my chest. Lucia twisted her face in a half smile and then shook her head.

“No way! Rhett Larkin is known to do things like that all the time,” she said and I stared at her.

“Things like what?” I asked.

“Donate money to charity, to small businesses, to local schools and things like that. All the partners from C Scape do it. It’s like they have some kind of unspoken code. They never make a big show about it, just give people the money they need,” Lucia told me and I licked my lips.

“Why would I need the money? He should have given it to someone else,” I said and Lucia was shrugging her shoulders.

“Maybe he wanted to help you out. And of course he probably felt bad about what happened too,” she said and turned when the bell above the door tinkled. Some new customers had walked in and she was going to walk over to them with the menu.

I watched her as she seated the new guests, greeted them cheerily and handed them menus. I went into the kitchen to get away from everything, just to get a few minutes of peace so that I could wrap my head around what was happening.

I should have never kissed him, never slept with him because now I was going to be thinking about him all the time. I knew why I had done it, there was no denying it…he was the hottest guy I had ever encountered and it seemed like he was interested in me too. I had grabbed an opportunity, seized a moment but now I regretted it.

This was the very reason why I calculated everything. I weighed out the pros and cons of every decision I made which included who to date and who to sleep with. Not that the plan had worked with Jake. I had completely misjudged him to be a kind and supportive boyfriend…instead, he had turned out to be a jealous and competitive man who was less a partner and more an opposition.

I sighed as I made myself an espresso. I definitely needed the caffeine kick.

I didn’t know what I was supposed to do after this. How did these things work? Was I supposed to just forget about it and move on? Pretend like it never happened every time I bumped into Rhett?

I was new to this game and now the anger was slowly vanishing and replaced by regret, embarrassment and guilt. I wouldn’t have been feeling this way if I had just been able to control my attraction for him and kept my hands to myself. But Rhett Larkin had been irresistible. There was something strangely magnetic about him apart from his devastating good looks.

What was going to happen the next time I saw him? Would we keep doing this till I was driven to leave this town? Or would he just grow tired of me and stop initiating this at all? Had he already grown tired of me?

There was a good chance that I would never see him again, except maybe from across the street. There was no way that I would ever seek him out myself. I had enough of adventure and it was time to get back to the real world now.

I drank the espresso quickly and a buzz rang out in my ears. My nerves were jolted and rejuvenated again, giving me the energy I needed to get through this day. I shook my head, flexed my shoulders and tried to breathe in and out deeply. This was nothing but a two-day slip up. It was over now, out of my system and nothing to worry about anymore.

Fixing a wide smile on my face, I walked out of the kitchen and into the café.

“You look like yourself again,” Lucia said from behind the cash register and I smiled my widest smile at her.

“Temporary madness. It’s passed now,” I told her and walked over to one of the tables where some of my regulars were sitting.

“David! Meryl! It’s such a lovely day out isn’t it? You must try the lemon and poppyseed loaf I’ve baked fresh this morning. It’s gluten free too,” I was chattering away as normal, as though nothing had happened, as though Rhett Larkin had done nothing to change my life.

Chapter Twelve

Rhett

 

 

There was one table outside “Bread & Beans” as al-fresco seating and it had an umbrella for shade as well. It was a sunny day outside and one of the staff members of the café, a cheerful girl called Lucia, had served me my cappuccino and a croissant. There was no sign of Heidi yet, so I assumed that she hadn’t come into work yet.

I sat on the chair, flicking through the emails on my phone. Ten minutes turned into twenty and soon I’d been sitting there for close to forty-five minutes when I finally saw her approaching. My heart skipped a beat, in the usual way it did every time I laid eyes on Heidi. She was in a denim skirt and a summery floral blouse. Her hair was tied up in a loose, messy ponytail and most of her strawberry blond curls had escaped and were flying behind her as she walked towards me.

“Oh no you don’t! You’re not allowed here,” were her first words when she came to a stop in front of the table. I slipped my sunglasses off and smiled up at her.

“Good morning to you too, Heidi,” I told her and she placed her hands on her waist.

“Seriously, Rhett, what are you doing here?” she asked, rage splurging out from her eyes. I stood up from my chair and maintained the smile on my face.

“I wanted a coffee. Is that a crime?” I asked her and she rolled her eyes.

“You’re on some kind of name and shame mission,” she said and I took a step towards her. Heidi stepped away and looked up with a wounded expression on her face.

“It isn’t going to happen again, Rhett. It’s better if you just quit while you’re ahead,” she said and I gave out a small laugh.

“I’m not a quitter, unfortunately for you,” I told her and Heidi licked her lips and looked away.

“What do you want from me Rhett?” she asked while I studied her face. I would have given anything to kiss her again.

“First of all, I wanted to apologize to you for my behavior in my office. I know I was being cold and distant,” I told her while I watched her expression change.

“Are you in the habit of personally apologizing to all your conquests?” she asked me, with her hands still on her hips. She was ready for a fight.

“I don’t look at you that way…you’re not a conquest,” I told her and Heidi arched her eyebrows at me.

“Then what am I to you, Rhett? Do help me understand. We had sex. You asked me to leave and now you’ve come to apologize,” she said, narrowing her eyes at me. Every time she spoke, I couldn’t help but watch her mouth move. I’d kissed those lips. I knew what she tasted like.

“All of those things are true, but that doesn’t make you my conquest,” I said and she drew in a deep breath.

“A quickie then. A passing face? Well, either way, I’m not willing to turn into your fuck buddy,” she snapped and I flinched when I heard those words. Did she really think that was all I wanted?

“You’re not one for mincing words are you?” I said, forcing myself to also laugh.

“There’s no point when I know exactly where I stand. But you should know Rhett, that I’m not interested in that. It was a moment of weakness for me but now it’s passed,” she said, sticking her chin up at me and I smiled.

“So, you’re saying that you’d be able to resist me from now on?” I asked and Heidi’s nostrils flared.

“There will be no from-now-on. I plan on keeping my distance from you and I would appreciate it if you went for your coffee somewhere else,” she snapped.

“But I really like your baked treats,” I told her in a mock-pleading voice.

“I reserve the rights to refuse service,” she said, in a harsh voice and I fell silent and drew in a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Heidi, if I led you to do something that you’re feeling guilty about,” I said, changing the tone of my voice. She detected the firmness in my tone and clenched her jaw.

“You have no idea how I’m feeling right now,” she said and I continued staring at her, imagining myself inside her again. In fact, I could stare at her all day.

“You’re guilty for sleeping with a stranger. You’re bruised because I also gave you a check. You wish that you’d thought about it harder before you came to my office. You are aware of my reputation of sleeping around and you wish you never got involved with someone who strictly does one night stands only,” I said it all in one breath and I watched as Heidi’s eyes grew larger with every word. She looked surprised that I was hitting the nail on the head on all accounts. When I was done, she whipped her face away from me and pursed her lips.

“If you have it all figured out so well already, then what are you doing here, Rhett?” she asked in a quieter voice.

“I wanted to reassure you that you have no reason to feel guilty about what happened between us,” I said and stepped closer to her. This time Heidi didn’t move away, but she wasn’t looking at me either.

“Is this a speech you give to all the girls you sleep with?” she asked, turning her large, green eyes on me again. I felt like I could drown in them. They were mesmerizing and had a dizzying effect on me.

“I avoid ever bumping into them again if I can,” I told her.

Chapter Thirteen

Heidi

 

 

“Then why are you here?” I asked him and Rhett ran a hand through his dark, spiky hair. I could see that he hadn’t shaved that morning, and a dull, green shadow covered his jaws and chin. He was in jeans again today, no meetings I figured, and a white t-shirt that showed off his bulging biceps. The thin material of his shirt stretched over the vast expanse of his chest and I remembered how strong his grip on me was. How small I had felt in his hands. How much control he had over my body. Just the thought sent a shiver down my spine.

“I don’t exactly know, Heidi,” he said and fixed his blue eyes on me again. They were icy cold, eyes that I knew I couldn’t trust, a gaze that would only lead to my heartbreak because guys like him never fell for girls like me. I was just a new plaything in his hands, nothing more.

I took in a deep breath and nodded my head.

“I have no idea what game you’re playing, Rhett, but I’m not biting. Just like you strictly do one night stands, I strictly don’t do them,” I said and he nodded his head.

“Yeah, I figured,” he replied in a low, somber voice.

“Then you shouldn’t have come here,” I told him and he looked away from me again. He was squinting against the sun; his hands were thrust into the pockets of his jeans and he was leaning slightly towards me.

“I know I shouldn’t have. I know I have no reason to,” he said and I felt my heart thud against my chest. He was only torturing me by seeing me again. Did he enjoy torturing me? Was this fun for him?

“Can we just part amicably and call it a day?” I ventured to ask and our eyes met again. Rhett had his jaws clenched. Our gazes were locked and then abruptly he nodded his head. I felt my soul sink when I saw him agreeing. It just felt like something inside me was beginning to break, and I didn’t even know this guy!

“That would be best for you,” he said and I flinched. Best for me? How dangerous did he think he was?

“Heidi?” I heard a male voice behind me, a tone of surprise and I whipped around to find Jake standing behind us with bags of shopping in his hands.

“Jake!” I said his name like I had never expected to say his name out loud again.

“What are you doing here?” Jake asked, walking closer to me, his gaze swinging from me to Rhett standing behind me and back to me again.

It felt like I was completely frozen at that moment. The earth was standing still and my worst nightmare had come true.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him with a quivering voice.

He looked well, surprisingly, because the only way I pictured Jake those days, he was miserable, scrawny and depressed. Or that was how I hoped he was. Instead, he looked happily tanned in a bright Hawaiian shirt and shorts that revealed his muscular calves. Holiday clothes.

“Visiting granny. Seriously, Heidi, what are you doing here?” he asked again and I licked my lips nervously. I had been living a sheltered existence in the knowledge that I would never have to see him again. In my excitement about starting the business, keeping busy with the café…I had completely forgotten that there was always a chance that Jake would visit his grandma in Brunswick again and that we might bump into each other.

“I live here now,” I said flatly and watched Jake’s brows cross with confusion.

“I thought you left for Wisconsin when you left LA,” he said and I shook my head and tried to smile.

“No, I came here,” I told him, but Jake looked confused still.

“You left LA and moved to my granny’s town?” he asked, in a thin voice of disbelief. I was suddenly gripped with fear. What did he think I was up to? Did he think I moved here because I wanted to be close to him? To his family?

“It isn’t like that. I found property here and I opened my own café. This has nothing to do with your grandma or you,” I tried to reason with him, but I could see that Jake had already formed his own opinions.

“This is really creepy, Heidi. Why would you do something like this?” Jake asked again, ignoring the part about my café.

“I wanted to open up a business. I liked Brunswick when I visited here with you,” I was pleading with him to understand…and having a déjà vu moment because this was exactly what my relationship with Jake had always been. Me pleading with him to understand me, to not be angry with me…

“How many times have you visited granny already?” he asked, annoyance seeping into his voice now. He looked angry.

“None. I’ve never visited her, Jake. This isn’t about her,” I said, with my voice tearing up.

“Yeah right. I knew you would end up doing something like this,” he said and turned behind him to a woman who was standing there, a woman I hadn’t noticed before. His new fiancé, no doubt.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but Heidi moved here for me,” I heard Rhett’s voice behind me and then his hand found my waist and he pulled me close to him. I’d forgotten he was even there.

Jake’s expression changed and his brows narrowed in confusion as he drank in Rhett. He was having the same natural reaction that everyone had when they saw Rhett for the first time. I was no exception. Surprise that such perfect bone structure actually existed in human beings.

“And who the Hell are you?” Jake asked, and I watched as Rhett stretched his hand out to the guy I used to date.

“Rhett Larkin, Heidi’s boyfriend,” he said.

Chapter Fourteen

Rhett

 

 

“You’re dating this guy?” the guy called Jake said. I could only presume that he was Heidi’s ex-boyfriend and I could see the disbelief in his eyes. This only made me more angry, and also because I couldn’t stand the way he was talking to her.

Heidi said nothing, but I had sensed the stiffening of her muscles when I placed my hand on her.

“Is there a problem?” I asked and Jake swung his head to look at me again. His eyes narrowed and I thought I saw an angry vein appear in the middle of his forehead.

“You moved here because of him?” Jake asked Heidi again, in disbelief.

“Yeah, she did,” I cut in, because I had a feeling that Heidi wouldn’t be able to respond. Jake looked at me again, and then turned to look at the skinny, blond woman who was standing behind him. His new girlfriend, I presumed.

“You’re from Brunswick?” Jake asked, his voice relaxing a little.

“Brooklyn originally, but Heidi and I moved here together. She has her café and I run a small shipping company,” I told him and Jake turned his pursed lips to Heidi again.

“I had no idea you were dating someone else,” he told her and finally, Heidi found the will to face him.

“Updating you on my relationship status wasn’t exactly my priority,” she said and Jake puckered his mouth.

“No need to get catty about it, Heidi,” he said and I stepped in again.

“You started it, man,” I said coolly and I felt Heidi reach for my hand and squeeze it. She was trying to communicate to me that she didn’t want me to get violent with him. And I had no intention to.

“Sure, whatever, anyway, this is Carol,” Jake said and reached for the blond behind him. She stepped forward and smiled at me and then at Heidi. I could sense that Carol liked what she saw, because she kept gazing at me.

“Hi, Carol,” Heidi said and extended a hand to her, which she shook. Jake just stood by, watching the two women curiously.

“So you live in Brunswick now?” he asked again and Heidi turned to him.

“Yes, with Rhett. Not with your grandma,” she said sarcastically, and I encouraged her with a friendly laugh. Carol laughed too, but Jake didn’t. He wasn’t finding any of this remotely funny.

“I’m sorry Heidi…it’s just that when I saw you here, I expected the worse. You’d taken the breakup pretty badly,” he said, and I detected a sense of pride in his voice. Heidi’s muscles stiffened again and I tightened my grip on her waist.

“Hey man, you did us a favor. You drove her straight into my arms and we’ve been happy since,” I said and looked down at Heidi lovingly, who looked up at me with helplessness in her eyes. I wanted to tell her that I’d do anything to see her smile again. My veins were coursing with a need to punch this guy in the face because he’d hurt her. Heidi didn’t have to say anything for me to know that she was in pain.

Jake gave a small laugh and drew Carol into his arms, where she looked quite uncomfortable while still checking me out.

“Well, I’m glad that we’re both happy,” he said and Heidi nodded her head.

“Yes, and congratulations on your engagement. I hope you both have a wonderful, happy marriage,” she said and I smiled at the couple as well.

“Thank you, Heidi,” Jake said and he gently pushed Carol’s back to direct her to leave. I kept my hand on Heidi’s waist and we watched as the two of them shuffled off in the other direction.

I was just about to release her when Jake stopped in his tracks, turned and walked back hurriedly towards us.

“And is this your café?” he asked and I could sense the color in Heidi’s cheeks rising. I didn’t have to look at her to know that.

“Yes,” she replied timidly. Jake looked up at the sign and peered inside and then looked back at her again.

“It looks lovely. You’ve done a good job. I wish you tremendous success. I’m slogging away at Chef Dunphy’s kitchen and with no courage to quit my job. You’ve done something of your own, you’re your own boss.” Jake sounded genuinely happy for Heidi and I kept my hand on her waist, tightly there for support.

“Thanks, Jake. I hope you can do something about it soon,” she said to him and he turned again and walked off.

I didn’t let go of Heidi’s waist till Jake and Carol were safely out of view. When I did, she hurriedly stepped away from me and fixed an apologetic gaze on my face.

“Thank you, for that…Rhett,” she said and I shrugged my shoulders.

“Quick thinking,” I said with a laugh and tapped the side of my forehead. I could see that she was shaken up. She was trying to act as though none of that had affected her, but I could see it had.

We were staring at each other in silence for several moments, and then I remembered the conversation we had just before Jake interrupted us. We were talking about parting ways. I’d told her that the best thing for her sake would be for us to part amicably, and avoid bumping into each other again. I was suddenly very sad. It was a weird sensation in my soul that I had never experienced before. It was usually very easy for me to say goodbye.

Heidi licked her lips before speaking, and I was panicking about what she was going to say.

“I feel like an ice cream. Do you want to get some ice cream?” she asked.

Chapter Fifteen

Heidi

 

 

Mint and chocolate chip. That was Rhett’s flavor. He got two scoops in a chocolate cone and was now staring at his ice cream as he childishly licked the top. I’d picked Butterscotch with a caramel drizzle in a regular cone and we were walking side by side along the picturesque Brunswick harbor.

The day was still sunny, and the air was salty as a cool breeze wafted through my hair and ruffled Rhett’s too. I wasn’t even an ice cream person. I didn’t know what had gotten into me to invite him for one. I suppose I just wanted to extend our time together just a little longer.

“I hope you don’t believe what Jake claimed…that I moved to Brunswick to be closer to his grandma,” I said, keeping my eyes on the ice cream because I was too afraid of looking into his eyes. I was grateful to Rhett for having saved my face in front of Jake and his new fiancé.

“It’s not my place to judge or form opinions on your personal choices,” he said in a serious voice. When I turned to look at him, I saw that there was some ice cream on the sides of his mouth.

“But if I had to…I’d not think that. I’d think that you moved to Brunswick because you connected with the city and a prime property presented itself for your café,” he said and I looked away from him abruptly. What was with this knack he had of figuring me out? I felt like I was completely naked, an open book walking around in front of him to just read whenever he wanted to. Either that or Rhett was an extremely skilled judge of character.

“Why did you move to Brunswick? You said earlier that you’re from Brooklyn,” I asked, trying to keep some distance in my voice because I didn’t want to admit that we were actually connecting.

I heard him sigh, just as another gust of breeze slapped across our faces and ruffled his hair sideways.

“Because of my business partners…who are also my best friends. Hunter is from Brunswick and he invited Owen and me to partner with him in his shipping company. It was too good an offer to pass up,” he said and looked out at the calm harbor waters, where the cute little yachts were anchored. In the distance, there were larger ships moored in the waters on which the logo of C Scape was painted. I had never noticed them before, but now that I knew they belonged to Rhett…or at least partly. I couldn’t help but wonder how proud he must be of his achievements.

“Do you visit Brooklyn often?” I asked and Rhett looked at me. I had to crane my neck to look up at him and I squinted my eyes against the harsh sun.

“No. My family’s moved here. I have nothing to go back to in Brooklyn,” he said, in a flat dead-pan voice that surprised me. It almost sounded like he hated Brooklyn, like he hated the memory of it. But I didn’t want to pry. After all, we weren’t even friends.

“Listen, Rhett…I’m grateful for what you did back there,” I said, avoiding his eyes again and tucking stray curls behind my ears. I could sense that his eyes were on me again.

“…but you want to remind me of the conversation we had before Jake interrupted us,” he said and I stopped in my tracks. Rhett stopped too and stood himself in front of me so that I had no choice but to look up at him.

“I don’t want us to be mean to each other anymore. I know I have been…but if I’m being completely honest with you, I’m not willing to get into a casual, sexual relationship with you or anybody,” I told him, trying to keep my chin up. Rhett nodded his head, and then took one big lick of his melting ice cream. His blue eyes had turned into an icy cold stare again and those feelings of intimidation were creeping back into me although I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt this safe around anyone before.

“I understand…and I’m sorry about that because I don’t do relationships. My last girlfriend was when I was fifteen years old or something,” he said and I had no choice but to force a laugh.

“I wouldn’t even know where to begin and I don’t want to put you through something I’m not capable of doing,” he said and I gulped, then nodded my head. I was trying to put up a brave face but I could feel myself breaking down. I’d concentrated so long on trying to hate Rhett that I hadn’t acknowledged the fact that I had felt an actual connection with him. One I hadn’t felt with anyone in a long time. But he was the wrong guy for me, and he was admitting it himself.

“No harm done,” I said and shrugged my shoulders.

“It was fun,” he added and I nodded my head. We stared at each other for a few moments longer, and before I could stop myself, I lifted myself up on my toes, leaned in towards him and pressed my lips to his.

The kiss was tender, long and made my heart break. We weren’t touching each other because we both had ice cream cones in our hands. It was only our lips that touched and sizzled and I pulled myself away from him.

Without a word, I turned from him and walked hurriedly down the wooden planks of the jetty which we had walked over to. I wanted so desperately to turn around and look at him, but I held my guns and made sure that I didn’t. I knew that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to leave like that, not before one last time of being with him. Rhett was too amazing to have just once.

Chapter Sixteen

Rhett

 

 

“So, let me get this straight…you’re saying that you’ve met somebody…like a girl who you want to keep seeing?” Hunter was sprawled on my couch, in his usual spot, cradling a bottle of beer in his hand. I was standing at the bar, pouring myself and Owen some whiskey in two crystal glasses. Owen was sitting on one of the chairs in front of Hunter.

This was our usual Friday evening.

“I didn’t say that. I said that I met someone who has piqued my curiosity,” I said, walking back towards the two of them. A big box of pizza was lying open between us, and half of it had disappeared already. Owen was the culprit.

“What does that mean?” Owen asked, licking his fingers as I handed the glass of whiskey to him.

“It means that she isn’t like the other girls I usually sleep with,” I said and settled myself down on the other end of the couch. Friday nights were reserved for catching up on each other’s lives…strictly no-business.

“Is this why you’ve been so preoccupied lately? At work you barely even speak to us anymore,” Hunter said and reached for a slice of the pizza. I shook my head, because I was being honest. Even though Heidi had been a distraction and I was thinking about her constantly, she wasn’t the reason I was preoccupied at work. It was Massimo and his threat to completely ruin my life and what I had built here that was keeping me up at night. And I still didn’t want Hunter or Owen to find out about it.

“Then what is it? What’s been going on with you?” Hunter asked and when I looked up, I found that my two friends were glaring at me. Looking for some real answers. I was beginning to toy with the idea of spilling the beans on Massimo. They would only want to support me. I trusted them with my life…but I was still ashamed of my past. I was yet to come to terms with it.

“Nothing. Nothing’s been going on. I’ve just been busy trying to broker the deal with Wilentz,” I said and took a large sip of my whiskey. I caught Owen and Hunter exchanging looks and then Owen leaned forward towards me, his elbows clamped down on his knees.

“Look man, it happens to the best of us,” he said and I knotted my brows at him.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, and Owen threw Hunter a nervous look again.

“Falling in love…or whatever you want to call that,” he said and broke eye contact with me to drink from his glass. This was not exactly the kind of conversation we usually had. It was making us all very uncomfortable.

“Love? Have you two lost your mind?” I said with a forced laugh and Hunter interrupted me this time.

“We’ve both noticed that you’re acting different lately, and now you’re telling us that you’ve met someone…don’t you even want to entertain the possibility that this relationship could be something more than just sex?” Hunter said and I was shaking my head, still laughing.

“What relationship? I’ve met her like three times. Slept with her once. There is no relationship and this love thing that you’re talking about is complete bullshit,” I said irritably and stood up from the couch and walked back to the bar.

Owen and Hunter were both quiet behind me, but I could hear their brains rolling. They thought they were holding some kind of intervention for me! I clenched my jaw as I poured myself some more whiskey and walked back to them. Now I was even more tempted to just tell them about Massimo, just to get them off my back about Heidi.

“Hey Rhett, all we’re saying is that maybe you should slow down a little, think about this girl. You’ve never spoken about a girl with us before. There has to be something special about this one if you’re telling us about her,” Owen said, with his face expressing concern.

I sat back down on the couch with a thump and clutched the glass in my hand tightly.

“Sure, I’ll think about it, but really, I was just telling you guys because I thought we could laugh about it,” I said and let out another nervous laugh.

“What is there to laugh about?” Hunter asked and I glared at him.

“Jesus! When did you guys get so corny?” I said and took a relatively large sip of my whiskey.

“We’re getting older man, we’re pushing thirty. And if you meet someone you really like, you shouldn’t take it lightly,” Owen said and I shook my head. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. They didn’t even know the half of it yet.

“This has nothing to do with age, Owen. And we can stop talking about it now, she doesn’t want to see me ever again,” I said to them and slammed down the glass on the coffee table in front of me. I realized that I had my jaw clenched, my mind was swimming with images of Heidi. That kiss we shared by the harbor. How much I wished I had her in my arms just then. How sad she looked when she saw Jake. Heidi, Heidi, Heidi. She was all I could think about, and she had forbidden me from ever seeing her again. And if I wanted what was best for her, I should be keeping my distance from her anyway.

She had no idea what kind of man I was. The kind of crimes I was capable of.

“Alright. Let’s talk about something else then,” Hunter snapped me out of my thoughts and I reached for a slice of pizza. I was suddenly very hungry. I hadn’t eaten anything all day, other than a croissant and an ice cream.

Chapter Seventeen

Heidi

 

 

“You slept with someone?!” Lucia nearly shrieked it out, and some of the white wine from her glass spilled onto my new, leather couch.

She was practically the only friend I had in Brunswick, and sometimes I invited her over to my place for some wine and leftover cake from the café. I wouldn’t have considered her to be a close friend, but she was the only person in town who I could freely talk to.

“Keep your voice down!” I hissed and Lucia gave out a laugh.

“Who’s going to hear us? Is he in your apartment now?” she cocked an eyebrow and took a deep sip of her wine. I tucked my legs in under myself as I settled back on the couch. It was good to relieve some of the weight off my shoulders. I was hoping that maybe telling Lucia would help me feel a little better.

“No he isn’t, obviously…and why are you so surprised?” I asked, knotting my brows together.

She shrugged her shoulders and looked at me.

“I don’t know…you just didn’t give me the vibes of being someone who’d sleep around,” she said.

“I haven’t been sleeping around!” I hissed at her again. “It was just the one guy in my whole year of being here in Brunswick!” I added and Lucia laughed.

“I wasn’t judging you, don’t worry. So, who is he anyway?” she asked and I dropped my gaze to the glass of wine in my hand.

“I can’t tell you that. This is a small town,” I said and Lucia peered at me from her end of the couch.

“And are you implying that I’ll gossip about you?” she asked and I threw my head back and pressed my eyes close.

“I just don’t want to talk about it anymore,” I said, letting out a sigh.

“But you brought it up so clearly you do,” she suggested and I lowered my face back to look at her.

“I just wanted to get it off my chest,” I said and she smiled.

“Heidi…it really isn’t a big deal you know. Sleeping with a stranger doesn’t turn you into a criminal or…” she let the words fade because we both knew what she was talking about.

“I know that! Of course it doesn’t and I have no judgements regarding people who do sleep around. It’s just that I don’t do it,” I said and I caught her looking at me with narrowed eyes.

“You sound like my mom,” she said and blurted out laughing again.

My cheeks were flushing to a deep red because I knew she was right. This no one-night-stand rule of mine was very old fashioned. But the fact that I had broken the rule for Rhett meant a great deal to me and I didn’t expect anyone else to understand.

“So, that’s all there is to it?” Lucia asked as I reached for the bottle of wine and poured some more into my glass.

“All there is to what?” I asked and she tipped her head to the side.

“That’s all you have for me? That you’ve slept with someone?” she said and I let out a huge sigh.

“Kind of…and also, I think I like him,” I said and buried my mouth in the wine glass. I didn’t want to look up at her. When I did, I could see the look of excitement in her eyes.

“You like him like you like him like him?” she asked, a big smile forming on her face.

“There are too many likes in that sentence for me to follow,” I told her and Lucia shook her head and ignored my joke.

“You like him…as in this could turn into something else?” she asked and I shook my head and looked away from her.

“No, because he doesn’t do relationships,” I said to her and Lucia sank back on the couch, looking defeated.

“Men can be such bastards sometimes,” she said bitterly and drank from her glass.

“To be fair, he never led me on. It was a spur of the moment thing. It wasn’t like he charmed me into bed with promises and then left me standing at the altar,” I said. Now it was me who was forcing the smiles and laughs. Lucia looked offended, for me.

“Yeah but they are so quick to dismiss anything else. Like they don’t even want to give us a chance,” she said and I realized that this conversation was more than just about me. I had hit a nerve. Lucia was the one looking away now, keeping her eyes on her lap.

“There were no promises made. It was foolish of me to think that there was even a possibility of something else. I don’t hold anything against him,” I said in a soft voice, and when Lucia looked up at me, I saw that her eyes were watery now.

“You’re lucky. I wish I could forgive as easily too,” she said.

I bent down and placed my glass of wine on the floor and then shifted so that I was sitting right beside her on the couch.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked her and she looked up at me and sniffled loudly.

“It’s the same old story. We met at a club, had a great time and then kept meeting up for quickies all over town. I thought that eventually he was going to fall for me the way I was falling for him, but I was only dreaming,” she said and I reached for her hands. She let me hold her hands and I looked at her encouragingly.

“How long has it been?” I asked her and a fat tear rolled down Lucia’s cheek, which she ignored.

“A couple of months…a year maybe, I don’t know. I’ve stopped counting. But I go meet him every time he calls. It’s like I’m addicted to him or something,” Lucia said and I felt my heart stop for a moment. That was the last thing I wanted, to be addicted to Rhett.

Chapter Eighteen

Rhett

 

 

I was working on the accounts for the company when the phone in my pocket rang. I answered without looking.

“Yeah,” I said, distractedly.

“Rhett, I’m still waiting,” I recognized Massimo’s voice instantly.

“Fuck off Massimo. You can’t sponge off me forever!” I stood up from my chair with a jerk, and I heard him laughing.

“I can if you value your reputation in this town, in fact, all over the country” I heard him say and I gritted my teeth.

“You’re going to regret threatening me,” I barked into the phone, but Massimo was still laughing.

“What will you do to me, Rhett? Make me disappear, add murder to your list of crimes?” he said and I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my rage under control. This was my place of work!

“I refuse to be threatened by you all my life,” I said and hung up. The phone in my hand went flying and it hit the wall and crashed to the floor. I gritted my teeth and covered my face with my hands and muffled a stiff groan. This Massimo problem wasn’t just going to disappear, but I definitely didn’t want to give him more money. By the looks of it, he wasn’t going to stop threatening me…not for all his life. And I didn’t want this to hang over my head for all of mine.

In my rage, I swung my hands across my desk and all the files and papers fell on the floor, along with pen stands and my laptop and it made a loud crashing sound. I was standing with my head in my hands, my face red with anger, cursing Massimo under my breath when there was a soft knock on my door.

Hunter entered without waiting for me to respond. He stopped when he saw the pile of mess on the floor, and looked up at me.

“Just give me a few minutes alone, Hunter,” I said to him, but he walked up closer to me.

“You have to tell me what’s going on with you, Rhett!” Hunter’s voice was firm and he placed his hands on my shoulders and gave me a quick shake.

“Nothing. I was just having a few frustrating moments with the accounts, that’s all,” I said, avoiding his eyes but Hunter was peering into my face.

“Call her, man. Just call her,” he said in a quieter voice and I knotted my brows at him. I knew he was talking about Heidi, but I was confused because he had read my mind. That was exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to speak to Heidi. For some reason, it felt like she would be able to make it all okay.

“Just leave me alone,” I said and jerked myself away from him and went back to my desk. The last thing I wanted to do was admit to my friends that a woman was messing with my mind. I was supposed to be in control, to always be rational…this kind of behavior didn’t become me.

I heard Hunter let out a deep sigh. He was studying me and then his eyes fell on my broken cellphone by the wall.

“You need to do something about her before she takes over your life,” Hunter said and I shook my head at him.

“What are you even talking about? What do you know about a woman taking over your life?” I asked him and Hunter shrugged and pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants. I had a feeling that Hunter too might have been going through the same thing with someone else. I wanted to ask him because I wanted to be a good friend to him. But at the moment, my mind was too wrecked for me to be there for him, which was another thing to feel guilty about.

“Just sayin’,” Hunter said and then turned and walked out of my office. I stared after him and then at the shut door after which my face was in my hands again.

It wasn’t Heidi, it was Massimo who was taking over my life. Threatening everything I had built here, the secure lifestyle that I had managed to provide for my mother, the education and career that I made possible for my brother. Everything could be ruined if the truth about my past came out in the open. Even if I wasn’t charged with an actual crime, I wouldn’t be able to live in Brunswick any longer and my interview with Fortune Magazine would be considered a fraud. Nothing would be the same anymore. And most of all, I would never stand a chance with Heidi.

Just the thought of her made me weak in my knees and I had to grit my teeth to stop myself from screaming. It had been two days since I last saw her, and if it wasn’t Massimo I was worrying about, it was Heidi who I was thinking about.

I wanted to get to know her, talk to her…make love to her. No other woman had ever even come close to making me feel the way I was feeling about Heidi. It was insanity. I didn’t know what it was. All I knew was that Hunter was right, I needed to do something about it. Give myself another chance because I sure as Hell wouldn’t be able to keep my distance from her for too long.

If something was bothering me, I always turned to sex with beautiful women to clear my mind. That was exactly what Heidi was, in the beginning…but now I knew that I wanted nobody else but her. It was only with Heidi that I felt at peace and able to forget everything else.

Chapter Nineteen

Heidi

 

 

The café had been closed for about forty-five minutes, and I had just finished making the new, white chocolate, cheesecake recipe I was trying out. I’d put the cake tin in the oven for baking, and I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. The kitchen looked a complete mess, so it would mean that I’d be spending at least another half an hour clearing and cleaning before actually leaving for home.

There was a loud knock on the glass door outside, just when I was washing my hands. My heart leapt immediately because I couldn’t think of anybody else except Rhett who might turn up here at this hour.

Wiping my hands on my apron, I walked out of the kitchen, aware of how messy I looked. I was wearing flour and sugar covered clothes, with a bandana tied to my head to keep the curls back.

He was standing on the other side in his usual black leather jacket, but he was wearing it over dark pants and a blue shirt. He had come over directly from work.

I unlocked the door and swung it open to stand there and stare at him with my eyes widened and feeling a little afraid. I was hoping that I wouldn’t see him again, not until I was safely over him at least.

“Hi,” I said in a quiet voice and I noticed how Rhett’s blue eyes sparkled wildly in the dim light of the falling evening.

“Hi yourself,” he said and I watched him studying me covered with cake ingredients.

“I smell baking,” he said and stepped into the dark café and I closed the door behind him, my heart still racing at a mile per minute.

“Rhett…you weren’t supposed to come here. We weren’t supposed to see each other,” I said to him and folded my arms over my breasts. He turned to look at me, keeping a distance of a few feet between our bodies.

“I’m sorry about that. I was passing by and saw the lights on in your kitchen and got curious about what you were making,” he said and I saw him force a smile on his face.

I stared at him, because I could tell that he was lying.

“Alright. I came here on purpose. How are you?” he said in a milder voice and I bit down on my lip.

“I’m good…but you don’t need to know that,” I said, aware of the effect that he was having on my body already.

Rhett hung his head down for a moment, and then looked back up at me. There was a new expression on his face that I hadn’t seen before. He almost looked shy.

“Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?” he asked and my mouth fell open. I was unable to hide my surprise.

“This wasn’t what we discussed,” I said, trying to sound firm.

“I know, but I thought that maybe we should give it a shot. This dating thing,” he said, and let out a nervous, loud laugh. My cheeks were burning up and I was feeling giddy…this was the last thing I’d expected him to say, but he would never know exactly how happy he made me at that moment.

“We don’t have to do anything else…it’s just dinner,” he said quickly and our gazes met. Another thing I didn’t expect him to say, not after how authoritative he had been when we did have sex. He had come across as a man who knew what he wanted and always got it. Now he seemed to be a shy teenager trying to ask a girl out for prom.

“Where?” I said and a new excitement entered Rhett’s eyes.

“My place. I’ll send you a car,” he said and I blushed again and tucked in a curl behind my ear.

“That won’t be necessary. If you give me your address, I’ll drive myself there,” I said, my breath catching a little in my throat. Had Rhett Larkin just invited me to dinner? Just for a meal? Did he actually say that he wanted to date me?

I watched him as he fished out a business card from his wallet, and then a pen and wrote down his home address on the back of it. When he stretched it out to me, I had to take a few steps towards him to grab it from him.

“Thank you for agreeing to this Heidi. I know I haven’t been behaving like the ideal man for you,” he said and I gulped. Our eyes were still locked together and it was becoming very difficult for me to breathe or say anything.

“I’ll see you tomorrow…at eight?” I said and he nodded his head.

“That cake smells delicious. Let me know when you add it to your menu, I’ll definitely be stopping by,” he said and brushed past me to walk back to the door. When he did, I got a whiff of his masculine cologne and just a graze of his warmth against my bare arms…it was all enough to make me reel and I had to actually reach out for the back of a chair for support.

Rhett stepped outside. The bell on top of the door tinkled and I watched him walking away, crossing the road…he turned back and even in the distance I could tell that he was smiling at me.

Still breathless and heavy headed, I walked up to the door and turned the lock. These past two days since I last saw him had been torture. I hadn’t been able to think about anything else but him and how he made me feel when he was around me.

And now he had invited me to dinner! What was I going to wear? What was I going to do? It was my turn to feel like a giddy teenager getting ready for prom. First things first, I’d need to go shopping.

***

My hands were still shaking a little as I climbed up the stone steps towards the enormous, red, front door of Rhett’s mansion. He lived in a mansion! There was just no other way to describe it. A beautiful, marble fountain had greeted me at the end of the pebbled driveway and I had parked my car next to it.

His house appeared to be two-storied with large arches and painted in whitewash-white with a brick-red roof on top. There were palm trees flanking the entrance and a manicured lawn at the front next to the driveway. I still had no idea how huge the grounds at the back were, but judging by the size of his mansion…it had to be big.

Rhett opened the door, just as I was about to knock and he stood before me, in a sharp black suit, a white shirt and a rich silk, red tie. His hair was its usual dark, spiky self, his blue eyes were sparkling and his jaws and chin were perfectly chiseled. I was floored all over again.

“Greetings!” he said cheerily and held the door open for me.

I had put in a lot of effort for the night. I’d picked out an inky blue silk, cocktail dress that clung to my curves, and high black heels. A white buttery soft shawl lay entwined around my arms, and for my makeup I had gone for the dark, smoky look. My curls were held up in as neat a bun as I could manage.

“Hello, Rhett,” I said to him and he gently swung his arm to my back to lead me into his house. We entered a room first that looked like a foyer, where a uniformed man who must have been Rhett’s housekeeper offered me a glass of cucumber water on a silver tray.

The decor of Rhett’s house was the same old fashioned, opulent style as his office. I looked about me in awe as he led me through the hallways towards the living room and I marveled at the paintings, the luscious thick carpets, the crystal chandeliers…

“You have such a beautiful home,” I said to him when we finally entered his living room.

It was an effective mix of all the modern technology he might need with a touch of old-school charm. Exactly to my liking. Rhett and I had more things in common than I had suspected.

“Thank you. Growing up I didn’t have much, and now that I have the means, I don’t plan on holding back,” he said and I followed him with my eyes as he walked over to the corner bar.

“What would you like to drink?” he asked, and stationed himself behind the bar like a bartender. I smiled and walked towards him.

“Are cocktails on the menu?” I asked him and Rhett returned my smile.

“I worked as a bartender in New York for two years. That’s where I met my friends Hunter and Owen in fact,” he said and reached for a steel shaker. I arched my brows and bit down on my lip.

“Would you like to be surprised?” he asked and I smiled, watching him curiously as he went about making me a cocktail that I couldn’t guess.

“So you were a bartender before starting this company with your friends?” I asked him, while he finally poured my drink into a glass.

“Yeah,” he said and garnished the glass with a peel of lime.

“And before that?” I asked him and he pushed the glass towards me.

“Try it,” he said, ignoring my question and I grinned at the rich, red colored cocktail in front of me. I picked it up and took a sip.

“This is delicious! What is it?” I asked him, tasting hints of lime and grenadine.

“If I tell you the recipe, then you wouldn’t be coming back to me for more,” he said and poured himself some whiskey in a glass.

“So are you going to tell me more about yourself or keep avoiding my questions tonight?” I asked him when our eyes met. Rhett smiled, that devastatingly handsome smile of his, and walked around the bar to come closer to me. I felt goosebumps prickle my skin as I saw him reaching for the small of my back. Gently, he started leading me towards the center of the living room where the couches and chairs were.

“I don’t intend on avoiding any of your questions, Heidi. But before I tell you about me, you have to tell me about you,” he said and he indicated for me to sit down on the couch.

I did and crossed my legs while he took a chair in front of me. We were gazing longingly into each other’s eyes. This was all a necessary formality because I wanted this man with a delicious fire in my belly. I didn’t even know that I could be filled with this kind of desire.

“What do you want to know?” I asked him and took another sip of my unnamed red drink. Rhett sat back in his chair, his gaze not for a moment drifting from my face or my body.

“How did you end up here in Brunswick? What happened with Jake?” he asked and I took in a deep breath. I hadn’t spoken about Jake with anybody before, but neither had anybody pretended to be my boyfriend to save me from a sticky situation before.

Rhett was staring into my eyes, and I was confidently holding his gaze because I had decided to tell him everything.

“He broke up with me because he was jealous of my promotion,” I said and took a large gulp of my cocktail. It was nearly finished now and Rhett was watching me with an amused expression on his face.

“Wow. He’s an even bigger jerk than I thought he was,” he said and knocked back the whiskey in his glass. We both broke into laughter.

Chapter Twenty

Rhett

 

 

I’d arranged for dinner to be served on the balcony, overlooking the infinity pool at the back of the house and with a view of the harbor in the distance. The night was warm enough for us to sit outside, and Heidi was sitting across from me now, her face a warm orange color from the glow of the candle between us.

“And you won’t believe this but this one time, chef got me to make something simple…like hollandaise sauce or something for eggs Benedict and Jake lost it. Just because chef had spoken to me directly,” she said, laughing at the same time. I shook my head and laughed too. I was enjoying watching her speak, watching her laugh and lose herself for the night. On all other occasions that I had met her, Heidi had been somber and rigid, now she was truly herself and nothing before had seemed more beautiful.

“And what did he do to punish you this time? Withhold sex?” I said and Heidi burst out laughing again, so hard that she snorted. Then she looked embarrassed and covered her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed some more.

“As if I’d be able to tell the difference if he did,” she said and I arched my eyebrows.

“That sounds boring,” I commented and sat back in my chair. We’d finished eating our dinner at least an hour ago, but we had remained sitting at the table, drinking some more and talking.

In my books, this had been the perfect evening. I had managed to distract her from asking me questions about my life but continuously asking her questions about hers. And now after a couple of cocktails in her system, Heidi seemed to have forgotten about the stuff she was meaning to ask me.

Not that I had a problem telling her about my life, but the period of those three years while I worked for Massimo was something that I wanted to avoid. The last thing I wanted to do was make things up and lie to her. I wanted to do this right. I wanted to treat Heidi right.

When her laughter subsided, she took a large sip of her drink and placed her glass back on the table. A soft breeze had been blowing and it had made her hair come slightly undone. Strings of strawberry blond curls had fallen over her shoulders and they were the same color as her cheeks. She still had a smile dancing on her lips, and I couldn’t help but smile at her.

“I’m having a good time, Rhett,” she said and I nodded my head.

“Me too,” I told her and we looked at each other, trying to communicate with our eyes. I had told her that nothing else had to happen, that this night would be all about getting to know each other and sharing a meal together. But we both knew what was on each other’s minds. The chemistry and the spark was undeniable. This whole night had been about more than just two people eating dinner and having a few drinks…it was about our bodies, how we made each other feel.

It was still confusing for me. I wasn’t accustomed to feeling this way about someone, and a part of me was a little terrified of what it could lead to. I had always seen myself as a happy single bachelor. I didn’t want a family, the burden of responsibilities and I didn’t think I deserved them. I was living a luxurious, successful life and had a notorious past behind me. I didn’t want someone else, a girlfriend, a wife or my future children to ever have to find out the things I had done as a teenager. I was ashamed of myself, and that shame led to pushing away the possibility of ever settling down.

Now that I had met Heidi, all those thoughts were completely messed up and warped in my head. What could this dinner lead to? A few more dinners? Holidays? Her moving in with me? Talking about getting married? I was falling for her, that much was evident…but did I actually want all those things too? Couldn’t I just admire her from a distance?

“You look like you’re far away,” I heard her say and her sweet melodic voice interrupted my thoughts. Heidi’s green eyes were twinkling and large, her smoky eyelids, the pale orange lips, the smoothness of her skin, the slenderness of her neck…every inch of her was beautiful and I wanted it all.

“I was just thinking about work, stupid of me,” I said and she pursed her lips at me.

“Well, it’s getting late anyway,” she said and stood up abruptly from her chair. I stood up too, my heart stopping at the prospect of her leaving. I wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.

“You’re leaving?” I said and she must have heard the pleading tone in my voice because she smiled and stepped towards me.

“I will if you want me to,” she said, and her heavy eyelids fell down, her cheeks had turned red…she was shy of what she had said.

“Stay,” I breathed the word out hoarsely and placed a hand on her hip. Heidi looked up at me and wrapped her arms around my neck and drew herself closer.

“Just the thing I wanted to hear you say,” she whispered, lifting herself up just a little to speak into my ear.

“I didn’t invite you to dinner for this, Heidi, you should know that,” I blurted out, even though my cock was already responding to her nearness…to her scent.

“I know that, but I want it now,” she said and I yanked her to me and our bodies collided. Our breath was falling on each other’s faces, her eyelashes fluttered, my breathing grew harsh…our lips were drawing closer together, till I couldn’t resist any longer and I kissed her.

Chapter Twenty-one

Heidi

 

 

Rhett’s hands found my breasts, and he squeezed them roughly while our lips were fused. I gasped and pulled away from him gently, and he leaned forward to kiss my neck.

It felt strange being touched like this by him outdoors, with the breeze in our hair…but it was exciting at the same time.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about your body,” I heard him growl, as his lips left a wet trail down my neck, my cleavage and then he looked up at me. His blue eyes were bloodshot and looked dangerous. I had weaved my fingers through his hair, holding him tightly to myself.

“I’m going to take your dress off now,” he said and with his eyes holding my gaze, he slowly pulled down the zip on the side of my dress. I was holding my breath, as my dress slowly and gently fell apart and then slid down my body to the wooden floor of the balcony.

Rhett stepped away from me, to admire my body, and I felt shy under his gaze. But there was nothing but admiration in his eyes, which encouraged me to step towards him.

“Your turn,” I said hoarsely, and with a devilish grin forming on his face, he started unbuttoning his shirt. His jacket came off, then his shirt and I saw the rippling chiseled muscles carved on his torso. His skin was a light bronze and a faint tuft of dark hair peppered his chest that I wanted to run my fingers through. His waist was rigid and narrow and I watched him with heaving breasts as he started undoing his pants.

I was standing in front of him in nothing but my black lace lingerie and he was looking at me like he had never seen a naked woman before.

Rhett’s pants slid down and now he was naked too, in only his gray boxers and then he stepped towards me.

“You’re beautiful,” he groaned and grabbing the back of my head, he pulled me to himself again and started kissing me. My hands flew to his chest and I could feel his rough skin under my fingertips. I found his washboard abs, his flat stomach and then I found the courage to reach for the bulge in his boxers.

I felt Rhett’s muscles stiffen when I held him. He was throbbing and enlarged, aroused enough for me and my body shuddered at the thought of having him inside me again. While kissing me still, Rhett found the hooks of my bra and he undid them. My breasts were exposed now and his thumb found the stiffened sensitive peaks, which he began slowly massaging and playing with. With his other hand he started pulling down my panty, eventually flinging it behind him.

It was too much for my body to take. I was reeling from all the sensations. The insides of my thighs were dripping wet with my juices by now and I thrust my hip towards him. Trying to indicate through my body that I just wanted him to take me.

Rhett broke away from me and lowered his face to my breasts. He took my right nipple in his mouth and sucked. I gasped again, my skin tingling with goosebumps, my thighs quivering. I stroked his cock through his boxers harder. I could feel it growing in my hand and coming alive to my touch. Rhett’s mouth on my nipple was too erotic…I cried out and he pulled himself away from me.

With his brows kitted together, he looked up at me quizzically.

“I want you, Rhett,” I explained to him and in the next moment, I was squealing because he had grabbed me by the waist and thrown me over his shoulder. In a few large strides, he had reached the railings of the balcony where he plonked me down. I was facing him with the wrought-iron railing digging into my flesh while Rhett towered over me.

“What Heidi wants, Heidi gets,” he said and with our eyes locked together, I felt Rhett reach for my left knee. Gently he pulled it up so that my leg was now stretched upwards, supported by his hand. My wet hot core was in full view of him now and he looked down to better admire it.

“You’re going to be all mine,” Rhett said in a low guttural voice, while with his free hand he pulled down his boxers. His cock sprang into view, engorged and throbbing.

“I don’t have protection on me,” he said, staring at me wildly and I parted my lips.

“I’m on the pill,” I told him and I didn’t have to say another word to him as he had thrust himself into me.

I screamed, from the shock of having his cock inside me and from the sensation of the folds of my wetness being smoothly stretched with his size. He groaned when he had pushed himself deep inside and I closed my eyes. Having Rhett inside me was the most beautiful sensation I had experienced.

“Look at me, Heidi. I want to see your eyes,” I heard him say and with one hand he kept my leg folded up in position, and with the other he was holding my hair lightly as he began to pump into me.

I felt Rhett deep inside me. I could feel every move, every inch of the friction that his cock was causing. He had found the spot he needed to find, the one that I knew would make me come almost instantly. He stroked me; slid in and out with force and in quick, rhythmic motions. I gripped his muscular arms, digging my nails into his flesh as I tried to hold back, just a few moments longer. I didn’t want this to end.

“Don’t hold back, Heidi. Let yourself go my darling,” I heard him say and those words were all I needed to hear. I felt myself explode with force, and a cry escaped my lips. I was calling out his name, begging him to not stop and Rhett didn’t. He pumped into me, our bodies colliding and separating, my back digging into the railing, my hair open and flying around my face now…I was crying and laughing at the same time. My toes had curled, and I was gripping him even tighter. This was an orgasm like no other and my body soared for longer than ever before.

Rhett came just seconds after me, thrusting into me with an increased force and his face hardened. I kept my eyes open just as he asked and I saw the darkening of his pupils…how his face turned a deep red and how he groaned repeatedly as he emptied himself into me.

It felt like more than just sex. It was more than just him inside me…

Chapter Twenty-two

Rhett

 

 

We had both sunk to the floor and were breathing heavily. With our backs to the railings, we were sitting cross legged, looking at each other. Heidi’s face was flushed; her hair was tousled and everywhere. Naked still, she looked beautiful in nothing but the moonlight and I felt lucky that she had chosen to spend the night with me.

She bit down on her lip and had a mischievous glint in her eye like she was trying to suppress a giggle. I reached for her face and tucked in a stray curl behind her ear and she smiled. We were both happy and satisfied, and I couldn’t wait to get back my energy to ravish her body again.

“I wish we didn’t have to stop,” she said and I laughed.

“We don’t have to. We’re just taking a break now,” I said and I reached for her hands and pulled her towards me. She fell on me, resting her cheek on my chest and I gathered her into my arms, onto my lap, and we sat like that for a few minutes longer, in silence.

“It’s going to get very late,” I heard her say and then she looked up at me. Her green eyes were large and trained on my face. I could tell that she was trying to see how I might react to that statement. It didn’t bother me one bit, because I knew exactly how I was going to react to it. I was going to ask her to stay, spend the night with me…be the first woman I sleep in a bed with.

My new cellphone was on the table we were eating at and it rang, startling us both. I knew it was close to midnight by now, and I wasn’t expecting any calls. Massimo.

“I have to get this, sorry,” I said to Heidi and stood up and went to my phone hurriedly.

It was my mother calling, which was even more astonishing.

“Mom?” I said into the phone.

“Rhett. You have to come quick, son!” mom sounded agitated.

“What’s going on? Did something happen? Are you okay?” I could feel my heart quickening again.

“I’m fine…but I was out for dinner and came back to see that the house has been broken into,” she said and I could tell she was on the verge of crying.

“Have you called the cops?” I asked her, running over to where my clothes were lying discarded on the floor.

“I can’t…not yet. You should come here, son,” mom said.

“Give me ten minutes,” I told her and hung up.

I was already buckling my belt, when I looked up to find Heidi sitting where I had left her. Her back was straight and she was staring at me with a serious expression on her face.

“Another meeting huh?” she said and I stopped halfway while buttoning up my shirt.

“No, it’s my mom…I have to go see her,” I said.

“Of course. Although you didn’t need to go to all that trouble. You could have just politely asked me to leave,” she said, standing up.

“Heidi, this isn’t an excuse. I really do have to go see my mom,” I said while I watched her turning her back on me. She was getting dressed herself and I felt like a jerk. This was not how the rest of the night was supposed to go. How was I supposed to explain to her that I had other plans for us for the night? That I wanted her to stay with me.

“Heidi…” I said her name as she zipped up her dress and turned to face me again.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it, Rhett. I’ll see you around,” she said and walked over to pick up her purse from the chair she was sitting on earlier.

“I know how this looks, but someone…someone broke into my mother’s house and I need to go be there for her,” I said, and put on my suit jacket.

“You don’t need to explain it to me. Thank you for the lovely dinner, Rhett. It was a pleasure as always,” she said cuttingly and turned from me to walk back to the French windows that led back into the house.

“Wait, Heidi!” I called out to her and thankfully she stopped in her tracks.

“Will you come with me? I’m sure my mom could do with the extra support,” I said to her, pushing my hands deep into the pockets of my pants. What was I doing? This was a big mistake. Taking Heidi to meet my mom? My mother hadn’t met a single girl I was sleeping with, ever in my life.

Heidi was eyeing me curiously, like she still expected a surprise to be sprung on her.

“Are you serious?” she asked, turning to look at me more clearly. I shrugged my shoulders and checked if I had my car keys and wallet in my pocket.

“Let’s go,” I said and walked towards her, the whole time aware of the little voice in my head that told me I was going to regret this very soon.

Chapter Twenty-three

Heidi

 

 

We were silent in the car on the way to Rhett’s mother’s house. He hadn’t said a word and was driving with full concentration, with his jaws clenched and his eyes on the road. Either he was seriously worried for his mother’s wellbeing, or he already regretted inviting me to go along with him.

I stared out of the window, catching a faint reflection of myself. When I saw how messy my hair looked I ran a hand through the curls, trying to settle them back down. My lipstick had all but faded and my silk dress looked slightly crumpled. Not exactly the first impression I wanted to leave on Rhett’s mother.

He stopped outside a medium sized, quaint looking house where a woman was standing at the gate, clutching a scarf around her shoulders. Rhett had barely parked before he jumped out of the car and rushed towards his mother. Gingerly, I got out of the car and followed him. They were hugging and I kept my distance.

When Rhett pulled away, his mother looked past him and to me and I caught the look of surprise in her eyes. She was much shorter than her son, older and stockier with her white hair tied in a small ponytail, but she had the same strikingly blue eyes.

“And who is this lovely, young lady?” she said and stepped towards me. I gulped and exchanged looks with Rhett.

“This is Heidi, mom,” Rhett told her, and she came even closer and then to my surprise, gave me a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry to hear about the break-in Mrs. Larkin,” I said to her when she pulled away from me. Even though she had been worried about her house only seconds ago, now that she had seen me, her demeanor had changed. She was smiling and friendly…and no doubt curious. Something told me that Rhett didn’t bring many girls to introduce to his mom.

“Call me Martha, please honey,” she said and clutching my hands she led me towards the entrance of her adorable house.

Rhett was leading the way, anxious to see the damage done.

“You know, I was just about to make myself some hot chocolate. Would you like some too?” Martha asked, turning to look at me again.

“Hot chocolate would be nice,” I said politely, just to indulge her, because I was definitely too full to eat or drink anything else.

We entered her house together, and found Rhett standing in the middle of the hallway, peering into the different rooms.

“Everything looks in place, mom. What made you think that the house had been broken into?” Rhett asked, and I noticed the worry on his face.

“The door was open, son,” Martha said, finally letting go of my hand to walk into the adjoining kitchen. I followed her in and so did Rhett.

“Marshmallows in your hot chocolate?” she asked me, as she poured milk into a saucepan to boil.

“Yes, please,” I said and stood by her, watching her and then looking at Rhett again. He was running his hand through his hair. His eyes looked wild and he was looking around the kitchen as though still looking for clues of a break-in.

“Mom, this isn’t time for hot chocolate. You need to tell me exactly what you found when you came back to the house,” Rhett said in a firm voice, but Martha didn’t bother to look at her son.

“More chocolate or more milk?” she asked me instead, and smiling at her, I replied.

“More chocolate,” which made her only smile wider.

“That’s what I wanted to hear,” she said and stirred in drinking cocoa into the warming milk.

“Mom!” Rhett scolded her, and finally Martha turned her head, only sideways a little, without looking at her son directly.

“This is the first time you’ve brought a young lady over to meet me, son. Will you just give us a few minutes to introduce ourselves?” she said, in as firm a voice as Rhett had used on her. I nearly smiled when I saw how quickly Rhett fell into silence. I had never thought that someone could put him in his place or silence him.

“Now, tell me about yourself, Heidi dear,” Martha said to me, and poured the steaming hot chocolate into three separate big mugs.

“I run a café in the town center,” I told her timidly and accepted a mug from her.

“Mom, will you please tell me what happened? It doesn’t look like the house has been broken into at all!” Rhett was trying to keep his temper in check, I could see that.

“The front door was unlocked,” Martha said and finally turned to her son.

“Couldn’t you have forgotten to lock it when you went out for dinner?” Rhett asked. He hadn’t touched his drink yet while I was gulping mine down.

“No, because I also found a letter waiting for me on my dresser when I went into the bedroom to change. Someone had been in my bedroom,” Martha said, as calmly as before. I stopped drinking when I heard that and I saw Rhett’s face change. He looked furious, furious enough to break something.

“A letter?” he asked, through gritted teeth.

“Yes, son, addressed to you. I haven’t opened it yet,” Martha added and fixed an icy cold stare on her son.

“Where is it?” Rhett asked.

“Where I found it,” Martha said and pulled out a chair for herself at the kitchen table before sitting down. Then she patted the chair next to her and looked at me.

“Come sit down with me, dear,” she said and I did as she asked me while Rhett bolted out of the room.

“Do you know what’s going on?” I asked Martha and she took in a deep breath, allowing her shoulders to relax slowly.

“I’m hoping it’s some kind of silly prank on my son. You know how boys are,” she said and patted my knee kindly. But I had recognized the look on Rhett’s face. It was the same look he had on his face that day at the café when he was about to beat up the older man. This was not a prank, whatever it was.

Chapter Twenty-four

Rhett

 

 

In my mother’s bedroom, I stared at the letter in my hand.

 

This is my last warning. I know where your mother lives. I know where that new hottie of yours lives too. Unless you want me to leave a note like this in her apartment, you will give me the money. And keep it coming.

 

He had to have seen Heidi and me together. At the café? At the harbor? I should have been paying attention. I should have had an eye out for Massimo. I was seething with rage. He had broken into my mother’s house, entered her bedroom! I was ready to explode.

My stupidity might put Heidi in danger, I thought. I knew the things Massimo was capable of. Now I had given him a reason to harm Heidi. Just to get at me.

The sound of mom’s laughter from the kitchen snapped me out of my thoughts and I rushed out to them. When I entered the room, I found mom and Heidi sitting beside each other, mom was holding her hand.

Heidi turned to look at me, and the smile dropped from her face. She could sense that something was gravely wrong.

“Who is it, son? One of your prankster friends?” mom asked and I crunched up the letter in my hand.

“We have to leave, now,” I said, looking at Heidi and she stood up from the chair with a jerk.

“I just need to use the toilet,” Heidi said and looked at mom inquiringly.

“Sure, dear. Just go down the hall and it’s the second door on the right,” mom told her, and passing me a nervous look, Heidi left the room.

I was alone with mom, trying to control my rage.

“It’s not a prank, is it, son?” mom asked me and I snapped my head over to look at her. The well-meaning, friendly look had disappeared from mom’s face and was replaced with a look of worry. I didn’t reply, because I didn’t want to lie to her.

“She is lovely,” she added and I looked away from her.

“I know she is,” I told her in a quiet voice. Mom had her eyes fixed on me. If there was anyone in the world who knew me inside out, it was her.

“Is that why you’re trying to push her away?” mom asked and I clenched my jaw.

“I can’t discuss this with you now, mom,” I told her and she stood up from her chair and walked towards me.

“I’m not going to ask you what that note says. I don’t even want to know, but now that you have a sweet darling girl like her in your life, there should be no more notes being delivered to our houses like this,” she said in a low voice that was loud enough for my ears alone.

“Heidi is just a friend, mom,” I said, trying to ignore the fact that she had caught on, or at least had some idea what that note could be about. She was just not going to state it openly. Just like she always had an idea what I was up to with Massimo’s gang. She never believed in telling me how to live my life, other than reminding me that I had to stay out of danger at all times.

“Whatever way you want to look at it, Rhett. I’m just telling you that your past and your present actions are not worth breaking that poor girl’s heart over,” she said and I looked at her. She seemed more concerned about Heidi than me.

“I’m not going to do that,” I told her and she nodded her head just as Heidi came back into the kitchen.

“Thank you for the hot chocolate, Martha, and it was lovely meeting you,” Heidi said, walking over to mom. They exchanged hugs before she came back to my side.

“Did you say you wanted to leave?” she asked me and without a word, I turned around and left the room. She and mom were both following me outside.

Mom called out to us to drive safe, and it was only when she had shut and locked the door behind us, did I stop in my tracks. Heidi stopped behind me and I whipped around to face her.

“Do you want me to drop you at your apartment, or will you drive back home with your car?” I asked her sternly. Heidi’s brows knotted, and her expression looked confused. She had every right to be.

“Do you want me to go back home?” she asked in a soft voice.

“Yes,” I said sternly and turning from her, I walked back to the car.

Once inside, I said nothing to her. I started the car in silence, she still hadn’t given me her response. Heidi was sitting quietly by my side.

“What was in that note, Rhett? What changed?” she asked, and I kept my eyes on the road.

“It was a stupid prank,” I said to her, through clenched jaws.

We both knew I was lying.

“I’ll pick up the car from your house,” she said, in a voice that she had purposely hardened. I could sense the catch at the back of her throat. She was trying to suppress a cry. I wanted to reach out to her and drag her into my arms. I wanted to tell her the truth. I wanted to beg for an apology and explain to her why I was pushing her away. This was all for her sake, and for mine of course, because I never wanted Heidi to find out about the things I had done.

But it was all lost now. Heidi would never trust me again.

Chapter Twenty-five

Heidi

 

 

I was awake but I hadn’t gotten out of bed yet because I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not only had the previous night been a long one, but I felt miserable. I lay tucked in under the covers, having pulled them up to my ears, and was blinking at the sun pouring in through the curtains in my room. I had no interest in the day.

At nine, I reached for my cellphone and called Lucia.

“Hey, I’m not feeling well. Do you think you and Sophia can cover for me today? I’ll pay for the extra hours of course,” I told her when she answered the phone. I couldn’t think about the café. Sophia would just have to make do with a small batch of bakes for the day. It would just take a bit longer with the lack of my help, but it was much better for me to stay at home rather than turn up at the café feeling like this.

I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t believe that I had allowed myself to be manipulated by Rhett. By another man. This is exactly what he wanted, to sleep with me again with no strings attached and he had managed to pull it off smoothly.

What could a note from someone say that would change his mood that drastically? If he really wanted to spend time with me, a mysterious note wouldn’t make that much of a difference, would it? What could have possibly changed so quickly?

I tossed around in the bed and tried to make myself fall asleep again, just so that I wouldn’t think of Rhett anymore. But that was far from possible. I could still feel his touch on my skin, the force of his kisses, and how amazing he had made me feel. When I was with him, when Rhett had his arms encircled around me, I felt safe and happy…like I belonged there. But every time we had sex, Rhett changed his mind about me immediately after.

Why did he even bother to take me to his mother’s house in the first place? I couldn’t understand it. Nothing that Rhett did made sense to me and it was all just messing with my head.

After Jake and I broke up, I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t allow another man to control my life. I would spend the rest of my life alone if I had to, but I wouldn’t allow someone to have control over my emotions or my happiness. And yet, I had fallen hard for Rhett. I should have followed my instincts to stay away from that man.

From the first moment we met, I knew that Rhett was dangerous. That he was going to be a threat to my sanity. Besides, my first impression of him was that of him being a guy who knew how women reacted to him. He believed that he could have anyone he wanted, and I had foolishly affirmed that belief. I had barely even put up a fight. I was like a puppet in his hands, and he was probably now sitting in his lavish home laughing at me.

Was it all made up? Was it all a plan from the beginning? Was he the kind of guy who got a thrill from the chase but after he got what he wanted, the other person’s feelings didn’t matter to him? The only thing that I couldn’t fit into all that was why he took me to his mother’s house. Why he introduced Martha to me. Was he throwing me a bone? Did he feel sorry for me?

I pressed my eyes close and tried not to think about him. I’d barely slept all night, and the hours were just passing by and I was going to end up wasting a day.

I was wasting a full day over one man! I was beginning to despise myself now. Where had all my courage and strength gone? Had I learnt nothing after Jake and how he had treated me? How could I have been that foolish?!

As I gritted my teeth, I felt the trickle of tears rolling down my cheeks. I wasn’t supposed to be crying over a guy. That was completely against my rules. I hadn’t even cried when Jake and I broke up! Why was I crying over Rhett? A guy I barely even knew…someone who clearly didn’t care about me enough to even offer me an explanation. What was I doing to myself?

I was tempted to call him, in one moment of desperation. I didn’t have his personal phone number, but I thought of calling his office. His receptionist seemed friendly enough, maybe she would connect me. I had to do something! If nothing else, at least I could give him a piece of my mind! Scream at him. Tell him that I hated him. Something!

I was able to stop myself from dialing the number just in time. I had to remind myself to breathe. To think calmly. To watch my every step. Even though these feelings of desperation for a stranger were unbearable, I knew that in time they would fade away. I would forget about him. I had managed to get over Rhett once already, or at least come close to getting over him. So, I could do it again.

I should never have fallen for his lies. For his excuses. Why did he want to trick me anyway? Didn’t he already have a whole queue of women waiting for him? I wouldn’t have been surprised if he already had plans of sleeping with someone else tonight.

I sat up in bed and threw the covers off me. The tears were still streaming down my cheeks. They were not about to dry any time soon, but the least I could do was pretend I was fine. I was going to go to the café and carry on as usual.

Chapter Twenty-six

Rhett

 

 

“I have something to tell you both,” I said.

I had invited Hunter and Owen to my office, and was now pacing around the room with my hands behind my back. After what had happened the previous night, I knew I needed to tell them the truth because chances were that the truth was going to come out eventually. It could be the next day or it could be the next year or even fifteen years later. At some point, I wasn’t going to be able to keep my end of the bargain and Massimo was going to find a way to hurt me, by telling my friends or my family. The least I could do was allow Hunter and Owen to hear it from me first.

They were staring at me wide-eyed, with serious expressions on their faces…unsure of what to expect. I trusted these two men with my life.

“I have a past that neither of you know about, and which I’m ashamed of,” I said, without meeting their eyes. I could sense them exchanging looks.

“What are you talking about Rhett? What could possibly be so bad?” Hunter was the one to speak up, in his deep, raspy voice. I met his eye briefly and then looked away.

“I’ve told you guys about how mom was struggling to make ends meet. We were going to lose the house and we were going to be taken away by social services,” I said and Owen stood up from his chair and walked towards me.

“You know you can tell us anything, Rhett. We know what you’ve gone through and we know you,” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I raised my face to look at him and then clenched my jaw.

“I joined a gang when I was a teenager,” I said it bluntly.

“What kind of gang?” Hunter asked. He had stood up too.

“The kind that every kid should stay away from,” I said in a dejected voice.

“What were they involved in?” Owen asked and I stepped away from them to walk over to the window in my office. I couldn’t continue looking at them.

“Drugs, extortion, robbery…” I said and allowed my voice to drift. The shame that was running through my veins was painful. I had kept this hidden from my friends for so many years. Would they regret getting in business with a guy like me?

“What were you involved in?” Hunter asked and I recognized the worry in his voice.

“Pickpocketing, stealing stuff from grocery stores…” I replied.

“How old were you, Rhett?” Owen asked and I shook my head.

“Old enough to know that I shouldn’t have dropped out of school,” I replied and hung my head in shame.

It was Hunter who had walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“We’re glad you told us, Rhett…but we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” he said. I whipped around to face him. I was panicking again.

“I robbed a bank. My first heist with the gang. I stole diamonds and jewelry,” I said and felt my heart racing.

“Did anyone get hurt?” Owen asked and I shook my head.

“You were a juvenile,” Hunter added but I was still shaking my head.

“It’s come back to haunt me. My past,” I said in a hoarse voice.

“What do you mean, Rhett? Tell us everything,” Hunter said.

“The guy who was training me…one of the leaders of the gang. He’s out of prison and traced me here. He wants money to keep his mouth shut,” I said and stepped away from them again. I felt dirty and disgusted with myself. I wanted to keep my distance from my friends.

“He’s threatening you?” Owen asked in an enraged voice and I nodded my head.

“He’s in town, and he’s trying to get me to pay up. Now that I’m successful and he knows I have the money and a lot to lose…he’s not going anywhere,” I said and I saw that Hunter had already started rolling up his sleeves.

“Where is the fucker? Do you know where he is?” he growled and I took in a deep breath.

“I’ve done that already. Massimo is a hardened ex-con. A few violent threats isn’t going to stop him from getting what he wants,” I said and clenched my fists beside me. Even saying his name was enough to get me mad. I wanted to smash something. Break something.

“We could give him more money than he’s asking for and make sure he never comes back to Brunswick?” Owen suggested and I grinned nastily at him, even though I knew that he was only trying to help.

“He’s not just going to go away. He expects continuous payment…till the day he dies. That’s his plan. And he can hurt me even if never steps into Brunswick again. All he has to do is pick up the phone and call a newspaper or a magazine somewhere,” I explained and started pacing the floor again.

“Before we do anything, I say we beat the shit out of him first,” Hunter was still seething with temper, and I could understand because that had been my first reaction as well. I hadn’t even told them about how Massimo had broken into mom’s house or threatened Heidi.

“There’s no point, Hunter. He’s not going to care,” I mumbled.

“So what are you going to do?” Owen asked and I shook my head.

“I don’t know. I just wanted to let you guys know what was going on. I owed you the truth,” I said and Hunter came over and patted me on my back.

“I’m glad you told us man. We can put our heads together and come up with a plan,” Hunter said and I nodded my head. But I knew that the truth was that I was going to have to deal with it alone. I wanted nobody else involved.

***

 

“So I’m not good enough for your fancy office?” those were Massimo’s first words when he took a seat beside me at the bar. I’d sent him a text to meet me there after I spoke to Hunter and Owen.

With one gulp I emptied the whisky in the glass and indicated to the bartender to pour me some more.

“I take it you got my note,” Massimo said and when I turned to him, I saw that he was smiling widely with a toothy grin. His greying hair was oily and slicked back and there were folds in his neck which settled over his chest. Some faint tattoos were visible over the neck of his shirt.

“You shouldn’t have gone to my mother’s house,” I said in a deep and low voice, holding Massimo’s eyes. But he just continued to smile at me.

“I didn’t think you were taking me seriously. I had to do something to make you see that I’m willing to take extreme measures to get what I want,” he said, just as the bartender placed a bottle of beer in front of him.

“My mother is out of reach. If you ever go near her or my brother again, I will rip your face off,” I threatened through gritted teeth, and Massimo turned away from me. His smile had dropped and changed into a sour look.

“And what about the girl? Isn’t she the one from the café? You were quick. I’ve taught you well,” he said and added a laugh and I jumped off my stool, close to grabbing him by his collar again.

“Don’t even think about talking about her!” I growled, in a voice louder than I intended and some people had turned to look at us. Massimo was grinning again. He was enjoying agitating me.

“What is it Rhett? Are you in love with her or something?” he asked and I clenched my jaw, and narrowed my eyes on him, trying to control my rage. The purpose of this meeting was not to punch him.

“You have nothing on me,” I said in a lower voice, trying to change the subject.

“You mean the photographs of the gang together? Even if I don’t have actual evidence that you were involved in the robberies, the media and your little community here are going to love it when they find out what kind of friends you had as a little boy in Brooklyn,” Massimo said and drank some of his beer.

I sat back down on the stool beside him and took a few gulps of my whisky.

“I was a teenager. You brainwashed me,” I said gratingly and Massimo laughed again.

“Brainwashed you? You practically begged me to teach you how to steal cigarettes,” he said and I noticed how his belly jiggled when he laughed. I was even more disgusted. I couldn’t believe that at one point I had actually looked up to this man.

“I’m not going to be blackmailed by a man like you,” I said through clenched jaws and Massimo shrugged his shoulders.

“It doesn’t matter to me what you think of me, boy,” he said and plonked his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. I flinched and as much as I wanted to yank myself away from him, I stayed put. I had to convince him that he was breaking me. That he’d got me. “You have to do as I say, or this cute little life that you’ve built for yourself here is going to come crashing down. I’ve seen your house. It’s huge!” Massimo said and went back to drinking his beer again.

I sucked in my gut and breathed deeply.

“I’ll give you the money,” I said and Massimo whipped his head around to me. He wasn’t expecting me to give in easily, but now he was beginning to believe that his plan was working.

“And keep it coming,” he added and I turned to look at him, squinting my eyes at him.

“Whatever you say, Massimo. Just stay away from my family, and from Heidi. If you ever even go close to any of them again, I’ll turn myself in to the cops if I have to. After I kill you first,” I said and I held his gaze. Massimo glared back at me for a few moments and then held up his hands.

“Whatever you say, Rhett,” he said, grinning again.

“Give me a few days to arrange the money. I’ll contact you again about where to collect it,” I said and Massimo was fully smiling now.

“We need to set up a system, and remember, boy, that missing payments is not an option here. Releasing your story is one phone call away,” he said and I nodded my head.

“I won’t miss a payment,” I said and then stood up from my stool. It was done. I had no intention of sticking around and chatting with him. The more distance I could put between Massimo and myself, the better it would be for me.

As I buttoned up the jacket of my suit, Massimo stuck his hand out to me. He wanted to shake on it. My face twisted in a half smile as I looked down at his hand and then back up at his face.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Asshole,” I said and turned from him and walked towards the swinging doors of the bar. He could think he was going to get his way, but that didn’t mean I was going to shake his hand.

And he should have known better. He should have figured out that I didn’t make deals with criminals anymore. Not now when I had everything to lose, especially Heidi.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Heidi

 

 

One week later

 

I tucked some loose curls back behind my ears as I carefully placed a slice of toffee cake on a bone china plate.

“This is for table three,” I told Lucia when I handed it to her. She nodded and took the plate away and I sighed. I was keeping up appearances well. The past seven days had been a miserable experience for me. My mood swung constantly, from blaming myself for how I was feeling to wondering what Rhett was doing, to being angry with him for treating me the way he had. My emotions were jumbled up and I was beginning to feel like I would never be able to get over him.

I felt like I had lost a little something of me by being with Rhett. That he would always be in the back of my mind and I would remember him with fondness and sadness. I couldn’t deny it, that whenever I was with him, I had felt nothing other than excitement and joy. He was able to make me forget about everything else. That dinner on his balcony had been magical. I had opened myself up to him and despite what had happened after that, I didn’t regret it. Even if I had been made a fool of, I couldn’t stop myself from believing that the connection had been real. That for a few hours, we had truly felt a spark. I had just misjudged him by thinking that he was a different kind of guy when the truth was that he was like everyone else. Like every other guy I had trained myself to not trust.

“You’ve been complimented on your baking,” Lucia came back over to tell me, and I looked past her at the tourist couple sitting at table three and I smiled at them.

“How are you holding up?” I asked her, because I was aware that she had been feeling low over that guy she had told me about.

“Nothing’s changed. Everything’s the same. I’m still an idiot,” she said with a loud sigh and I pursed my lips together sympathetically. I knew exactly how she must have been feeling. I had practically gone through the same thing. Although, I hadn’t told her about that night in Rhett’s house. I didn’t feel the need to burden her with my own problems.

The phone at the cash register rang, interrupting us, and I picked it up and greeted the caller cheerily.

“Is this Heidi McNeil? Owner of Bread & Beans café?” the man at the other end of the line asked.

“Speaking,” I said, still cheerful.

“Hi! I’m Cormac, one of the organizers of the Brunswick Charity Ball, I was wondering if we could speak for a moment,” the man said in a pleasant voice. I hadn’t heard of this Charity Ball before and I was interested.

“Sure,” I said and placed a hand on my hip.

“As you might know already, Ms. McNeil, the BCB is an annual charity event which takes place on the eighth of May where we raise funds for a featured local charity,” he continued and I hummed a response of interest.

“We usually hire local caterers to take care of the food for the event, and based on the recommendations of all your happy customers, we are happy to tell you that we want your café to create a cake for the event,” he explained and I was already beaming from ear to ear.

“Are you serious?” I asked, smiling wide when I caught Lucia’s eye.

“Yes ma’am! Would you be able to do it? I know this is short notice and the event is only three days away,” he added but I was shaking my head.

“I’d be honored to do it, that’s enough time,” I said excitedly.

“That’s great Ms. McNeil. I’ll make note of it and email you the contract,” he said.

“A contract will not be required. I would like to donate the cake, no charge,” I said but the man was protesting.

“We always pay our caterers ma’am. We have generous funds from our patrons,” he said.

“Please accept it, Cormac. I cannot contribute with money at the moment, and I’d much rather donate the cake,” I protested back and finally, he relented.

“That is very generous of you Ms. McNeil., I will let the others know. Will you require help transporting the cake to the venue?” he asked.

“No need. I’ll figure something out. Thanks Cormac, you’ve made my day!” I said and he laughed in response.

After we talked for a few more moments and eventually he’d hung up the phone, I clapped my hands together and rushed to tell Lucia and Sophie. They were both excited to hear it as well.

“BCB! That is amazing, Heidi! Everyone who is anyone in Brunswick and from all over Georgia attend the event. You should see the beautiful dresses the women come in,” Sophie was gushing and giggling.

“I told him that I’d be bringing you two along,” I informed them and they were even more excited.

“We have to go shopping. Oh my God!” Sophie was saying, while Lucia and I hugged. It was an honor and a testament to how much the people in this town supported my business. I was in seventh heaven and had never felt more proud of myself.

“We also have a lot of work ahead of us. The event is in three days, and I’m thinking a four tiered Butterscotch cake with buttercream frosting,” I said and picked up a notepad from the counter beside me. I was already thinking of ideas, and writing down notes about the decoration.

“This is so exciting Heidi! We get to go to the ball!” Lucia and Sophie were still giggling over it and I smiled at them. My first few minutes of excitement and thrill had passed, and I was already wondering if Rhett Larkin was going to be at this event.

 

 

 

***

 

I steeped myself in the lavender scented bathwater and sipped cautiously from the glass of white wine in my hand. I needed a drink before I went to the event, because by now I was absolutely certain that Rhett was going to be there.

It was the last two hour countdown to the Ball and I had everything prepared. The final cake was a four tiered one, like I had initially planned, but every layer was a different flavor with a buttercream frosting over it. I had used a watercoloring technique with food colors to give the cake the look of a floral painting and had carefully handcrafted every purple and pink flower that went over it as decoration.

The end result looked stunning as I acknowledged it myself. After spending the past seventy-two hours working tirelessly on it, this had to be my best creation and I was proud of the achievement. Sophie’s brother who drove a van had generously offered to transport the cake to the venue and it had probably already arrived at its destination, and being carefully used as the centerpiece of the event. Just the thought of it put a smile on my face, but it didn’t take long for my mind to wander to Rhett again.

At an event like this, where all the wealthiest people of Georgia were going to gather, it was highly unlikely that Rhett wouldn’t be invited. Twice I nearly asked Lucia to do some snooping around and find out if my suspicions were correct, but I stopped myself in time. There would have to be a lot of explaining to do if I asked her about Rhett Larkin. She still had no idea that he was the guy I had told her about, and I wanted to keep it that way.

The wine I was drinking now was a form of strength-giver and a relaxation technique, as was the bath. I hadn’t seen or heard from Rhett in over a week, nearly ten days, and even though we had spent so much time apart by now, I was still thinking about him. The distance hadn’t made any difference. He was still the guy I had fallen so madly in love with…over a span of just a few days. The trouble was that he lived in my town. I was always wondering if he was just around the corner, if he was going to pass by the café today, or if he had seen me from across the street and avoided me. I couldn’t stop thinking about him, and it had been driving me nuts.

And now being sure of the fact that he was going to be there at the Ball was even more nerve wracking. I didn’t want him to see it on my face…how much I missed him; how badly I had fallen for his lies and his games.

After I had soaked myself in the bath for close to an hour, I pulled myself out of the water and slowly dried myself off. Back in the bedroom, I stared at the shopping I had done at the last minute. I had gone out of my way to buy things that I wouldn’t normally ever wear. That I would never have a reason to. But both Lucia and Sophie had insisted when we went shopping together that morning that I get them. And besides, they seemed to know what they were talking about.

The dress was a long chiffon black gown with trimmings of sheer lace. The cleavage on that dress was going to be very deep, my arms were going to be bare and all my curves were going to be heavily accentuated. Sophie seemed to think that I looked beautiful and Lucia agreed. The shoes were satin black stilettos, as was the matching clutch that had been bought as well. For my makeup, Sophie had suggested that I go with a bold lip, to contrast with the otherwise black outfit.

I’d bought a firetruck red lipstick for this occasion, which I knew I’d never wear again. I had planned on styling my hair into a near bun, with just a few strands of loose soft curls framing my face.

I stared at the clothes on the bed for a long time, biting down on my lip hard, still debating whether all of this was going to be worth it. Even though I had convinced myself that I was going through all this effort because this was a big event, I knew that I was also doing this because Rhett was going to be there. Not that I ever wanted to put myself through that again. I was never going to speak to him, but deep down inside, I wanted him to look at me with the hopes that he would maybe look at me the way I always looked at him.

I shook my head to drive those thoughts of Rhett out of my head. I was being foolish again. I was allowing myself to go tender. The plan was to stand up to him, stand up to my attraction to him and never fall for his games again. I knew now exactly what Rhett was about. He was about getting what he wanted. I wasn’t going to let him win again.

I stripped myself of the towel around my torso, stepped into the beautiful and dainty gown and walked over to look at myself in the mirror. I could now see what Lucia and Sophie had seen earlier that day, a strong confident young woman. That was the self I had to channel through the night. Keep reminding myself that I was there because of my success as a baker and a businesswoman, not to grieve over the loss of a man!

I brushed my curls and continued looking at myself in the mirror. The longer I looked, the more headstrong I got. The more I believed in myself and my purpose. I would rather remain single all my life, than ever speak to that man again.

Chapter Twenty-eight

Rhett

 

 

I was in the middle of shaking someone’s hand when I first saw Heidi walk into the museum lobby that I had hired for the Brunswick Charity Ball. She hadn’t noticed me yet, but I had kept my eye out for her.

My heart stopped beating for a moment and my neck under the collar of my perfectly starched, white, cotton shirt grew hot. Heidi looked resplendent, and I hadn’t even noticed her dress yet. It could have been because I hadn’t seen her in several days, ten to be precise, but she looked even more beautiful. Her dress, when I looked more closely, was gorgeous, her hair was shining, her lips were a bright red and her green eyes travelled around the lobby.

Two girls, who I recognized to be employees at her café, caught her eye and she walked hurriedly towards them. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off her, even though the man who I had shaken hands with was saying something to me now.

Heidi was in the midst of talking animatedly with the girls. She smiled from time to time, which felt like tiny heartbreaks for me. I couldn’t just go up and speak with her. I feared that she might slap me, or just push me away. More than that, I was afraid of hurting her. It was essential now that I kept my distance. Especially since she had no idea that I was the one organizing the event, that it was my brother who had called her about the cake and that I had tricked her into coming here.

I watched her from the corner of the lobby, surrounded by business associates as she accepted a glass of champagne from a server. I squinted to see more clearly the way she puckered her lips as she held the glass to her mouth. The mouth I had tasted, the lips I had kissed, the neck I had licked. Her breasts were voluptuous in that dress. Her cleavage looked tight and scrambling to peep out of the confines of her tight bodice. Heidi was the sexiest thing in that room and I had noticed the number of heads that had already turned to look at her.

I knew it from the first moment I’d met her. There was something special about that woman. Without having any knowledge of it, Heidi had a way of making a man’s blood glow red hot. She did something to my body just from watching her from this distance. She was absolutely stunning, and I had an advantage over the other men in that room. I had made love to her already. I had heard the sound of her genuine laugh. I had heard all her secrets and hugged her tightly in my arms.

What I would have given to speak to her at that moment! Just have her eyes on me. See her smile, at me. But Heidi hadn’t seen me yet.

Her eyes were still roaming around the place. Was she looking for me? She couldn’t have been. I knew she despised me. After the tumultuous relationship she had with Jake, and her insistence that she never did one night stands, it was obvious that she hated me now. She would never speak to me again. So, who was she looking for then?

I tried to keep myself hidden in the group I was standing with just so that I could have a few more minutes of watching her without detection. But as I stared at her, she turned her head slightly and our eyes met from across the room.

It felt like the world was standing still. Nobody else in the room existed other than the two of us. Her eyes grew larger, but she held my gaze. Her lips were firmly pressed together; she looked worried. I was aware of the grim, dark expression on my face. But I couldn’t change it. I couldn’t help but allow her to see just how much I wanted her and the effect she had on my body.

Then she rolled her eyes and looked away, smiling at one of the girls in the next instance. It was a clear message that she wanted to have nothing to do with me. My suspicions were correct. I was going to have to keep my distance from her. The last thing I wanted was for Heidi to storm out of the event without seeing the end.

At the other side of the room, I saw Cormac leave my mother’s side and weave through the crowds towards Heidi. What was he doing? Having him talk to Heidi was not a part of the plan.

He had come back to Brunswick just four days ago from his holiday in Spain and I told him everything. Even though Cormac was four years younger than me, only twenty-five, I felt that he had the right to know what was going on. I needed him to live with mom till Massimo left town. And while I came clean to him about everything else, I told him about Heidi as well. Now that I had admitted to myself what I really felt for her, I found that I couldn’t stop talking about her. I wanted to tell the whole world how I felt.

I watched as Cormac approached her. I wanted to yell out to him to stop what he was doing, that he would ruin everything, but I couldn’t.

From the corner of my eye, I watched someone else enter the room. Massimo, in a formal shirt and mismatched pants with his hair greasy and slicked back as always. He looked confused and tried to find me in the crowd, but he was the other person I was going to have to avoid for the night. Both Heidi and Massimo had been invited here for a reason and nothing was going to come in my way now.

Chapter Twenty-nine

Heidi

 

 

For a second, I thought it was Rhett walking towards me. The man had the same icy blue eyes, and similar dark, spiky hair. This guy was more muscular though, probably the same height as Rhett and I could see he was grinning at me. Deep dimples indented both his cheeks as he weaved through the crowds towards me. He was dressed in a smart tuxedo, and I was feeling very confused because I didn’t think there could be someone else who was as good looking as Rhett!

“Heidi McNeil?” he said, when he approached me. Lucia and Sophie turned to look at him too, and I saw the effect he had on the two girls.

“Yes?” I said, still feeling confused.

“Hi, I’m Cormac. We spoke on the phone,” he said and extended his hand to me.

“Oh, yes, of course. We’ve never met before,” I replied, blushing, and I shook his hand. Gently, he tugged at my hand till we were standing to the side, and Lucia and Sophie turned away to talk amongst themselves.

“That is a gorgeous cake. You’ve gone above and beyond,” he said and looked at the cake in the center of the room, which as we spoke, was being admired by a group of people. I blushed again, caught off guard by this guy’s good looks and his compliments. And I also couldn’t help but have that nagging feeling that he was somehow related to Rhett.

“Thank you very much. It was my pleasure,” I said and I sensed that he was searching my eyes.

“Ms. McNeil…Heidi, can I call you Heidi?” he asked and I nodded. “I believe you know my brother,” he said and immediately I knew what he was talking about. He didn’t have to hint at it again, for me to know he was Rhett’s brother. I felt my muscles stiffen, my shoulders quiver…I’d seen Rhett already from across the room, and I had resolved to keep my distance.

“You said that you were one of the organizers of the event,” I said to him gruffly and Cormac smiled. His dimples grew deeper on his cheeks and I noticed how sharp his brows were, just as sharp as his jaw. The brothers were too good looking to be true.

“I am both,” he replied, and I felt my nostrils flare.

“So, Rhett and you are the organizers of this Ball?” I asked and whipped my head around from him. My eyes automatically searched the crowds for Rhett, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Well, technically, my brother is the organizer. He paid for the venue and the food and the decorations. I’ve been helping him,” Cormac said, and when I turned back to him, I saw that he was smiling at me.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” I said and clasped my hands together. I was beginning to feel helpless now. It felt like Rhett was doing everything in his power to make me miserable. Wasn’t it enough that he had just disappeared from my life? Pushed me away.

“Rhett wanted you to attend the Ball,” Cormac said, in a kind voice and I rolled my eyes.

“Why? As some kind of compensation prize?” I said, and I could hear the venom in my own voice. I was embarrassed for being fooled by him again.

“No, because there are things he would have liked to say to you himself, but he couldn’t,” Cormac continued and I rolled my eyes.

“So, he sent his younger brother to do it for him? What did he have to say? He’s so very sorry for using me? He wishes me well and hopes I have a good rest of my life?” I was hissing now, leaning closer to Cormac as I spoke.

Cormac took in a deep breath and looked away from me. It seemed like he was searching for Rhett in the crowd as well.

“I can see why Rhett has been obsessing over you, but you have to give him a chance,” he said, turning back to me again. Obsessing over me? The word rang in my ear like a drum, and I almost buckled at my knees. But I managed to hold myself steady and stuck my chin up in the air. I had my armor on against the charm of the Larkin brothers and I wasn’t going to fall for their tricks again.

“I don’t have to do anything. Not after the way he behaved with me. You’re only wasting your time, trying to clean up your brother’s mess,” I said and the lights in the lobby of the museum dimmed. Cormac had drawn closer to me and there was a bright, overhead light now being directed on the small, makeshift stage at the end of the lobby. My brows crossed and I was confused again. What was going on?

“You’re mistaken about my brother, Heidi. You’ve got it all wrong,” I heard Cormac say in my ear and then when I turned, he was already gone. I saw his back, weaving through the crowds again. I couldn’t see Lucia or Sophie either, and I was now standing by myself with a glass of champagne in my hand, surrounded by people I didn’t know.

A loud applause rang out around me, and I tried to look over the heads of the people in front of me. Something was going on up front. My heels were of no help, and I tried to politely squeeze myself into a clearing so that I could see.

Then I saw him. Rhett, in his designer navy suit, his hair styled and smart and his blue eyes complemented by the color of his clothes. Everyone’s eyes were on Rhett Larkin, the best looking man in the room. They were cheering and clapping for him as he shook some hands, waved and with a charming smile on his face, got up on stage.

Chapter Thirty

Rhett

 

 

I was glad I couldn’t see Heidi in the crowd in front of me. I was usually very good on stage. Speaking to large crowds had never been a problem for me as it came naturally to me and in fact I enjoyed it. But this evening when I knew what was coming, I wasn’t so sure of my confidence any longer.

Cormac, Hunter and Owen all knew what my plan was and I could see them standing at the bottom of the stage as close as they could to me. It was their show of support and when our eyes met, I saw that they were smiling and clapping their hands. I was grateful for having them there, but this was still going to be a big leap of confidence.

I cleared my throat and adjusted the microphone that had been set up for me. All I could see in front of me was a sea of faces, all staring up at this man in front of them, a man who was a symbol of success and prosperity in Georgia. The image of a self-made young man, who moved from a big city like New York to Brunswick to build his company with his best friends. I knew what they thought of me in Georgia, the reputation I had had gathered - our company created jobs, it contributed to the community, we made a lot of money but it was all hard earned and through honest work. Children wanted to be like us and parents used us as an example to teach their kids about success.

I could potentially be shattering all of that in a matter of minutes. The curtain would finally drop and all these people who respected me might lose all of it. Cameras flashed as I smiled at the crowd as confidently as I could.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’m so very glad that you could all join us here this year,” I said and slowly the hum in the room started to diminish. People were falling silent, paying attention, and I was afraid that they might be able to hear my heart beating.

“This year, the charity of my choice as the main event organizer for the Ball is RCCG, which as you all know is the Rehabilitation Center for Children in Georgia,” I said and the crowd broke out in a big applause. I smiled and nodded my head and brought my lips close to the mic again.

“They do amazing work to keep children off the streets, away from crime, and provide them and in special cases, their families, with a safe haven,” I continued and the crowd clapped again.

“Giving them an education, teaching children the importance of good, honest work, letting them see that there are opportunities out there that they have never even heard of…that is what makes the difference. That is what teaches them that they do not have to resort to a life of crime,” I said, in a voice that was loud and heard over the sound of the applause. I was passionate in my speech; I could feel the tear in my own voice and I knew that everyone who was watching me…would sense that this organization was close to my heart in some way. Even if they didn’t know exactly why.

“We have raised three million dollars and counting, tonight!” I said in a loud booming voice and the clapping grew even louder. Somebody hooted, my friends and Cormac in the front were clapping each other’s shoulders and smiling up at me.

“We are hoping that with the money raised, not only will we be able to help in the rehabilitation of kids who come from difficult backgrounds and unfortunate circumstances, but that we will also be able to raise awareness surrounding the issue of juvenile crime,” I continued and several people were nodding their heads and exchanging considerate looks with each other. How long was their consideration going to last? Would it last when they heard the truth? Why exactly this organization was dear to me?

I cleared my throat again and I was nearing the big moment. I saw Massimo in the crowd. He had squeezed his way right up front, pushing people aside so that he could stand right in front of the stage and glare up at me. He had figured it out. He knew exactly what I was about to do and he was panicking.

The only control he had over me was the fact that nobody knew the truth. If I admitted it myself, there would be nothing he could threaten me with. I could file a complaint against him for harassment, get a court order for him to keep his distance…the options were endless. My secrets were his only means of livelihood at the moment, and he could see it slowly slipping through his fingers right in front of his eyes.

I glared down at him, and then I smiled. Massimo’s face was twisted in rage, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had his hands bunched together at his side. He had assumed that I had called him over for a private meeting and to hand over the money he wanted. This was the last thing he was expecting and as difficult as it was going to be for me - I would have done anything to keep Massimo out of my life, and out of Heidi’s. Even if she never forgave me, even if I never saw her again…I wouldn’t want to put her in harm’s way.

I looked away from Massimo, still smiling, and scanned the crowd. I wanted to see Heidi to make sure she was in the crowd. I caught her standing in the middle and she seemed to be on tip-toes, trying to look at the stage over the people in front of her. Our eyes met, and this time I smiled at her before grabbing the mic with both my hands.

“There is something else I want to tell you all in this room, and the good people of Brunswick,” I said.

Chapter Thirty-one

Heidi

 

 

He had something to tell us? My heart was racing. What was going on? The mood in the room had shifted suddenly, not that people weren’t already paying attention to Rhett. But now that he had declared this, everyone was staring up at him, waiting with baited breath for this big revelation that Rhett was about to make. As was I.

Rhett’s eyes looked distant, and he looked over the heads of everyone else as he took in a deep breath before he started speaking again. Anyone in the room could tell that what he was about to say was difficult for him.

“The reason why I chose RCCG as the charity of my choice for tonight’s event is because I was one of those kids. And I wish that someone had given me the right guidance when I needed it,” Rhett said and an immediate buzz erupted in the room. My heart stopped for a few seconds as well, and I stared at him, waiting for him to say something else. To explain further. Rhett was a juvenile criminal? What was he talking about?

“You see, our father had left us when we were babies. Mom worked three jobs for several years to keep paying the bills and the mortgage and then she fell ill,” he continued and my hand automatically rose to my heart. Martha? I could hardly believe what he was saying and I was dreading to hear the rest of the story too.

“My brother, Cormac, who you all know, was small and unless some money came in, I knew we were going to be taken away to foster care. We had nobody else, no family, no money coming in from our father…we had nothing,” Rhett continued and his voice cracked. There was still a buzz in the room, but everyone was paying attention to what Rhett was saying.

“I’m not proud of what I did…but at the time, without the right guidance or the help, I thought I had no other choice,” he said and I could feel a cry erupting in my throat.

“I dropped out of school and joined a local Brooklyn gang,” he admitted and a louder buzz broke out. Clearly, nobody in this town, or even Georgia…had expected to hear this from Rhett Larkin. He was the model, upstanding, successful citizen of their dreams, immensely good looking, intelligent and charming. I would never have guessed it either.

“Let me explain…it started off as petty thieving, you know, cigarettes from the grocery store, bottles of beer from a departmental store. I was in training,” he said and Rhett’s eyes dropped embarrassedly to the floor. I could see that this was difficult for him. My heart was breaking as I listened to him speak.

“But I thought this was going to be my life. I thought I was cool. I wanted to do bigger jobs with the rest of them, the people I looked up to. I was sixteen,” he said and some people around me gasped.

“I was involved in a bank robbery. Some cash and jewelry were stolen. I never carried a weapon or hurt anyone, but I wanted you all to know that I’m admitting publicly of being involved in a minor bank robbery nearly fifteen years ago,” Rhett said and I saw him gulp and then lick his dry lips. I wished I could just run up to him and throw my arms around him.

“The ring leaders were imprisoned, and after a short line of questioning by the cops, all charges against me were dropped. That having been said, I also didn’t want to continue to deceive you all. Everyone here who trusts me, deserves to know the truth about my past, so there it is,” he continued. There was honesty in his eyes and Rhett looked ashamed.

“I am willing to face any consequences that you all think I deserve, but I couldn’t lie to everyone anymore. Not my family, my friends, none of you,” he said and just when he was about to let the mic go, somebody at the front of crowd clapped.

It caught on quickly, and soon everyone around me was clapping. I was clapping too. At Rhett’s bravery, for his good work and his honesty. Three men joined him on stage, each as good looking as the other and besides Cormac, I assumed that the other two were probably Rhett’s business partners.

They exchanged hugs while the crowd continued to clap, and one of them took the microphone from Rhett and thanked everyone for coming and supporting Rhett. I wasn’t even sure how long I’d been clapping. I couldn’t stop.

No matter how angry I was at him for what he had done to me, I couldn’t help but commend him for his bravery. Getting up on stage and admitting that to everyone he knew couldn’t have been easy. He didn’t need to do that. He could have continued to live his life without ever admitting it and probably nobody would have ever found out. My respect for him grew because of the cause he was supporting and how he wasn’t afraid to admit the truth about himself. And I could see that other people around me were feeling the same way.

If Rhett Larkin had been a town favorite before, now he was potentially their real-life hero.

He had walked off stage, and was shaking hands with people who were enthusiastic to talk to him. People were thumping him on his back, congratulating him, trying to speak to him…and Rhett humbly walked down the clearing that had been made for him. And within moments, I realized that Rhett wasn’t just walking away from the stage, but he was walking away from the stage towards me.

Chapter Thirty-two

Rhett

 

 

I walked over to Heidi and while I did, I could see her green eyes growing wider and wider. I was on an adrenaline rush. I hadn’t expected the people in that room to react this positively to my story. I was pleasantly taken aback and feeling too joyful for words. There was still some hope for me. And this hope had given me the courage I needed to simply grab Heidi’s hand and pull her in the other direction, towards the back door of the lobby that I knew would lead us into the parking lot.

“Rhett!” I heard her call my name out, but I pretended that I couldn’t hear her. I smiled at whoever was smiling or clapping at me, but I continued on my path. Then I pushed the door open with one loud thump and finally when we were outside, I let go of Heidi’s wrist.

“What are you doing?” she screeched, and stepped away from me. I could see that her breasts were heaving and her cheeks were flushed. She looked excited and angry, all at the same time.

“I brought you outside so we can have a private conversation,” I said and Heidi took in a deep breath and looked behind her, like she was expecting somebody to suddenly interrupt us.

“Nobody’s going to come here. We can speak freely. Cormac will make sure of that,” I told her and Heidi shook her head.

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” she told me and I stepped towards her. Heidi stepped away from me and I stopped.

“What is it then?” I asked and she let out a sarcastic laugh.

“What is it? What is it not? Everything about us is messed up. From the first day I met you, Rhett…nothing has gone right. I don’t know what more we could have to talk about. There is no need for a private conversation,” she said and I could see the sadness in her eyes. Her mouth was being forced to speak something else by her logical thinking brain, but I could feel that wasn’t all she thought. Maybe all hope wasn’t lost with her either.

“Heidi…there were reasons why I behaved the way I did with you,” I said, in a soft and calm voice. Heidi crossed her arms over her breasts instead and looked away from me.

“Yeah, everyone knows those reasons now. Although, I have no idea what kind of person you think I am. Did you really think I wouldn’t want to be with you, just because you’ve had a troubled teenage?” she said and the tip of her nose turned red and she dropped her eyes to the ground. I could see that she was trying to suppress a cry rising up her throat.

“That was not the only reason, Heidi…and no, I knew you would understand,” I said and pushed my hands into the pockets of my pants. Heidi raised her head and our eyes met briefly and she looked away again.

“Well, clearly you had your reasons Rhett…and I don’t see why those reasons would ever change. So there is no way that I can forgive you or be with you,” she said and her lips were quivering. This was painful for her and I didn’t want her to go through this. She didn’t have to. How much more heartache was I going to cause her? I wished I could just take her into my arms and stroke her hair.

“Those reasons have changed because I’ve done something about it,” I said and she looked back at me sharply. Her dark eyeliner was beginning to smudge now because of the water that had collected at the corners of her eyes. Nobody had ever looked more beautiful.

“What did you do? What were the reasons?” she asked and I took in a deep breath. All I had been doing that night was explaining!

“The guy who had taken me under his wing, in the gang…he got out of prison and had tracked me to Brunswick,” I told her and even though Heidi didn’t gasp, I knew she had come very close to it.

“And he was blackmailing me for money. He was going to reveal everything to the press and to the people of this town,” I said and when our eyes met, I held her gaze confidently. I wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed any longer, not when I had proof that Heidi didn’t care about my past.

“Was he the guy who you were fighting with at the café? The one who broke into your mother’s house?” Heidi asked, and now she was the one who stepped towards me. I nodded my head.

“The note he had left for me, mentioned you in it and I wanted to keep my distance from you till I sorted everything out…I didn’t want to put you in danger,” I told her and Heidi’s eyes softened. She wasn’t even trying to control the tears any longer and a few fat ones rolled down her soft, luscious cheeks. I could nearly taste the delicious saltiness of them in my mouth. She was so close to me, I could smell her. I could have reached out and touched her. But I wouldn’t ever do anything she didn’t want me to, and I didn’t yet know for sure what she wanted.

“So, this event…this confession…this was all so that this guy will have no reason to keep blackmailing you anymore?” she asked and I nodded my head.

“Do you think he’ll stop being a danger to you?” she added and I sighed.

“If he poses any kind of threat now, I’ll go to the police. I have nothing to hide from anyone anymore,” I told her and Heidi licked her lips. She was still nervous; still in two minds. “Heidi…I wanted you to stay with me that night. But I didn’t want Massimo to see us together. I needed him to think that he couldn’t use you as leverage,” I said and Heidi gulped, her green eyes were focused on me. Then she silently nodded her head, but said nothing.

Chapter Thirty-three

Heidi

 

 

“Heidi…I need you to understand that I had no other choice but to keep my distance from you,” Rhett was saying. I stared at him, at how the color of his deep blue eyes had changed to a softer hue. How chiseled his face was and how absolutely handsome he looked. The tone of his voice was different too. That confident stubbornness that was his trademark had been replaced by something softer, more pleading. I had never thought I would hear him speak this way.

“Do you understand? Do you see what I’m saying?” he continued and I remained silent, just staring at him, admiring him. I couldn’t understand what I had done to deserve the attention of a guy like him. He had the pick of any woman he wanted, not only in Brunswick or Georgia…but now that he was famous nationally, anywhere in the country. What did he see in me that made him want to explain his situation to me?

“Heidi…” When he said my name again, I was snapped out of my confusion and I nodded.

“Yes, I understand,” I said nervously and our eyes met again. I looked away because I couldn’t hold his gaze.

“Do you forgive me?” he asked in a whisper, and when he stepped towards me, I looked up to follow his movement with my eyes. He was so tall, hovering over me, looking down at my face. I knew exactly how small and defenseless he was capable of making me feel. But I didn’t feel safe anywhere other than in his arms. I had been craving that feeling since the last time I saw him.

“What is there to forgive?” I spoke in a whisper as well, and Rhett reached out and gently touched my chin. With his thumb he stroked my skin and I felt goosebumps erupt on my arms, on the back of my neck. I didn’t think I would ever be this close to him again.

“Forgive me for my behavior. For not telling you the truth from the beginning. From leading you to believe that I didn’t want to have anything to do with you. When the truth is, Heidi, I want everything to do with you. You’re all I’ve thought about since we first met,” he said and that word from Cormac, obsession, rattled in my brain again. Was it all true then? Did Rhett actually have those feelings for me?

“You’re all I’ve ever thought about as well,” I said and courageously I raised my hands and placed them on his rock-solid chest and breathed in his nutty, masculine scent.

“Will you give me another chance, Heidi? Will you allow me to prove to you that I will never let you down again?” he said and I looked up at him, right into his eyes. I had no other choice but to believe him, because I was falling in love with him and I had no control over my feelings anymore.

“I would like nothing more,” I said and before I knew what was happening, Rhett had lowered his face to me and our lips met in a sparkling sizzle. He groaned and I gasped as he pushed his tongue into my mouth. I bunched up the material of his jacket in my fists as I pulled him closer to me. Rhett’s hands travelled down from my waist to my butt and he held me like that, pulling me closer to him, kissing me like he had never kissed me before.

I was dizzy from the shock. Everything was happening so fast. I wanted him to rip my clothes off, to take me right there and then. I squeezed myself to him, allowing him to feel the bulge of my breasts. My nipples were stiff and sensitive, yearning to be licked and sucked. While Rhett’s tongue explored my mouth, I reached for his cock. He was hard and throbbing and I stroked him. He groaned in my mouth and his grasp on my butt grew stronger.

Then he pulled away.

“No, don’t, take me…do it right now,” I begged him, biting down on my red smudged lips. Rhett let me go and stepped away from me, running a hand through his ruffled, dark hair. His eyes looked dreamy and his lips were glistening and reddish.

“No, not like this. We are going to do it right this time around,” he said gruffly and fixed his cufflinks. I had gone wet between my legs, and an ache had developed at the bottom of my belly. I wanted more than just that kiss…but I also knew that Rhett was absolutely right. This time, now that we had the chance, we were going to get to know each other first. There was a real connection here between us, more than just about sex.

“Should we go back in? Mom has been waiting to talk to you,” he said and held out his hand to me. I stared at him, breathing hard, still trying to compose myself.

“Martha’s here too?” I asked him and Rhett smiled.

“She wasn’t going to miss this. And besides, she wanted to see you as well. She’s been asking after you since that night,” he said and I took his hand. We smiled at each other and he drew me closer to him. With the smile still on his face, Rhett planted a long wet kiss on my forehead that made my fingertips tingle.

“Ready?” he asked and I drew in a deep breath and nodded. With our arms entwined, Rhett led me back into the museum. I was conscious of the eyes on us and the number of people who were turning to watch us walk back in. But I figured that I would just have to get used to this now. I was dating a celebrity.

Chapter Thirty-four

Heidi

 

 

Eight months later

 

I stretched my legs out over the buttery smooth bed sheet and blinked my eyes open. The sun was streaming in through the windows and blinding me, and I wanted to get up and pull the curtains. When I moved, I felt Rhett’s strong tug as he was pulling me closer to him.

I turned to him with a sleepy smile, but Rhett’s eyes were still closed. He had pulled me close as an instinctive reaction. He wanted to keep me in bed.

“It’s nearly eight…we need to get out of bed,” I whispered softly and stroked his hair. Rhett forced his eyes open and we smiled at each other.

“We don’t need to do anything we don’t want to do,” he mumbled and before I could pull away, he had nuzzled his face into my shoulder and his hand was moving down from my waist over my bare legs.

“I have to go to the café!” I squealed and struggled against him. I knew exactly what was going to happen and I was late already.

“No you don’t. Sophie and Lucia can manage for a day without you,” I heard him say, and then I felt his hand search for the sweet, fleshy spot between my thighs.

“Rhett!” I squealed again and fell into a fit of giggles. He had encircled his arm around me to pin me down in position. I couldn’t move against his weight.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he said and now he was fully awake. We had fallen asleep the previous night after sex without our clothes on and now he slid down my side under the covers and I could feel his hard naked body against mine.

“I’m going to be late,” I pleaded with him when I felt his breath fall on my legs. But within seconds, I was completely powerless against him. He was hidden by the covers now and he had wedged himself between my thighs. I felt the soft wet lick of his tongue and it sent a tingle down my spine.

Rhett said nothing, but instead he gently stroked me with his thumb and my hips moved. I had no control over my desire anymore and I reached for him. My fingers weaved through his hair and I held him like that while his fingers continued to stroke me there. I was moaning, already giving up the fight against him. Didn’t he always get what he wanted?

Rhett’s tongue found me again and I moaned even louder. The light dusting of his morning beard bristled against my skin and aroused me even more. His tongue was pushing my wet, slippery folds apart, sliding into me. My hips were moving in a rotating motion, while Rhett’s mouth remained stuck on that sweet spot. He sucked and licked and stroked me with his tongue, his hands holding my thighs apart.

As I moaned more, the quicker his pace got…till I knew what was going to happen any moment. I was going to come. The deeper and quicker his tongue moved, the closer I got to the precipice. He knew exactly which spot to stroke, and he moved his hand up so that his finger could rub against my clit. The feeling was unbearable. That ache in my belly was going to be replenished. How did he still have this effect on my body? Why was I still powerless against him?

I came gloriously. My hands digging into his head as my legs shuddered and my body jerked. I moaned loudly and called out his name, begging him to not stop. Rhett didn’t. With his tongue, he continued to stroke me till he was satisfied that my orgasm had ended.

I was breathing hard and my mind was dizzy when he came up from under the covers. He kissed me between my breasts, and then peppered my neck with more kisses before finally sitting up in bed.

“That was unfair!” I scolded him, but there was a satisfied smile on my face. It was the perfect way to start the day, and lazily I moved up the bed and ruffled the pillows behind me.

“You’re never leaving the house without feeling like this,” Rhett said and I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me. I liked to keep my cheek pressed against the hardness of his chest and hear his heart beating in my ear. It calmed me down.

He had his arms around me too, and we sat like that for a few minutes, exchanging sweet nothings till I looked at the clock on the wall.

“I really have to go, Rhett!” I said and quickly I swung my legs over my side of the bed before he could stop me.

“You’re the boss. You don’t need to go this early. You should hire some more staff, Heidi,” I heard him say as I walked into the bathroom, grabbing a robe from the back of the door.

“I don’t need more staff. Not yet,” I called out to him as I splashed my face with water.

“You will if you open up your second branch,” he said and I stopped, turned and walked to the bathroom door.

“What? A second branch? What made you think that I want to do that?” I asked him. My heart was beating fast because I knew for sure that I hadn’t told Rhett about it. I’d been thinking about it for the past few months but I hadn’t discussed it with him yet. Not till I had a proper plan for it. How did he always know what I was thinking?

“It’s the logical next step, and you’ve turned over enough profit. It would be the right investment,” Rhett said. He was sitting up in bed with his legs crossed, completely naked in all his masculine glory. I couldn’t help but smile and shake my head. Even after all these months, I was amazed that I had found such an amazing man and the best partner I could have asked for in life.

 

***

I was arranging the fresh batch of cupcakes on the window display of the café when I saw Martha walking in.

“Hi, honey!” she said, greeting me with a wide smile and a hug before she sat down at one of the tables.

“You look well. Were you out shopping?” I asked her, following her to the table. In the past eight months we had made space for six more tables and a few others outside under the awning. Business was booming and the place was always busy. This meant that Sophie was always in the kitchen, baking my recipes and Lucia and I were the only ones manning the floor. Rhett was probably right, I thought, I would probably have to hire some more staff for this café too.

“No, I was craving a slice of your banana cake, so I thought I’d stop by,” Martha said and I laughed.

“I’ll get some for you right away. I think there’s just one slice left, so you’re in luck,” I told her. “Coffee?” I asked and she nodded. I went away, spoke to a few customers, arranged for Martha’s order and returned to her table with the food.

“Will you sit with me for a few minutes, honey?” she asked and I pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.

“I needed the break anyway,” I told her and positioned my chin on an upturned palm and watched her as she mixed the cream and sugar in her coffee.

“So, how are you?” she asked and I crinkled my brows at that question. Rhett and I had visited her place for dinner just four nights before.

“I’m fine, Martha, how are you?” I said and she smiled at me. Her usual friendly, motherly smile. I was so grateful that Rhett had her in his life. Without a strong, giving mother like her…I didn’t even want to imagine what other trouble he could have gotten himself into.

“I know you’re fine…but are you happy, dear? Is there anything that upsets you?” she pressed me and I looked at her inquisitively.

“Are you asking about Rhett, Martha?” I said and she drew in a deep sigh. Then she reached for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“He is a good boy. My Rhett. I know he can be difficult and stubborn, but he loves you a lot,” she said and I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“I know that, Martha. You don’t have to worry. He is a good man and I know how he feels about me. I feel the same way about him too,” I said and then I couldn’t stop the blushing of my cheeks because I had suddenly remembered the orgasm he had given me only a few hours before.

“I can’t help but worry about him, dear. He’s found a good girl. You’re good for him. You’re both good for each other. As a mother, the only thing I can hope for are for my sons’ happiness. Cormac doesn’t tell me anything, but I’m glad that at least Rhett has brought you into my life,” Martha said and this time I reached for her hands.

Ever since Rhett had told her everything about Massimo and the gang, I could see that she worried about him. She felt guilty too…probably blamed herself for being so blind to what was actually going on in her son’s life.

“Martha, I’m not going anywhere. Like I said, you don’t have to worry about it. Rhett and I are happy and this is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” I said and Martha licked her lips, then I saw that she was trying to suppress a smile.

“What is it?” I asked her and she shook her head and looked down at her coffee.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” I asked her and she shook her head again.

“No, nothing my dear. This is all I wanted to hear. I’m glad to know you’re happy,” she said and stirred her coffee before taking her first sip. I sat back in my chair and eyed her suspiciously. I had a feeling that there was something she wasn’t telling me.

“Okay, I should go check on Sophie’s baking. Do you think you’ll be okay here?” I asked as I started standing up.

“I’ll be fine, dear. Have a nice day and I’ll see you on Saturday,” she said and then giggled. I smiled but with crossed brows because I didn’t think I’d ever heard Martha giggle before.

“And don’t try to sneakily pay Lucia for all this like last time. This is on me,” I said firmly and Martha smiled. I went into the kitchen, and I couldn’t stop thinking about everything Martha had just said. What had caused this sudden spark in her? Had something happened? I made a mental note to speak to Rhett about it over dinner.

“How’s the meringue looking?” I asked Sophie. She was busy whipping egg whites into stiff peaks when I walked up behind her.

“I don’t know how you do it, Heidi. My meringues will never be as shiny or stiff as yours and I’ve been practicing so hard!” Sophie said and she sounded really exasperated.

“Here, let me show you again,” I said and took the electric mixer from her and the bowl of egg whites. Within minutes, I had gotten so involved in my work again that I had completely forgotten about Martha and the strange conversation we had.

In a couple of hours it would be time to close shop, and I already couldn’t wait to see Rhett again. It was as though whenever he wasn’t with me, I felt incomplete…like I was only half a human.

 

***

 

 

I looked at my wristwatch and saw that it was already past seven. The café was empty now and I was just done clearing up the kitchen and making it ready for the next day. I was slightly tired now, and longed for a cozy dinner at home. One of Charlie’s special comfort-food meals prepared and waiting for me when I got back. I couldn’t care less how much of a mess I looked.

I washed my hands, tidied my hair and I was excited to go home and see Rhett again.

When I stepped out of the kitchen, I screamed because in the café there were people. Rhett, Cormac, Hunter, Owen, Martha and Lucia. They were standing around in a circle and broke into laughter when they saw the frightened expression on my face.

“What is going on?” I asked, with a hand on my heart. Rhett stepped towards me and had a wide smile on his face.

“Sorry for scaring you, Heidi. I wanted to surprise you,” he said, coming up to me and I searched his eyes for an answer.

“Surprise me why? What is happening?” I asked, but instead of replying Rhett fell to the floor on one knee.

My hands rose up to cover my mouth. Everything came rushing into my head. I was aware of everyone else’s smiling happy faces turned to me. Now I knew why Martha had that strange conversation with me in the afternoon.

Rhett was on one knee, looking up at me and I saw his hand slide into the pocket of his jeans. I stared at him, wide-eyed while he extracted a small, blue velvet box and carefully sprung it open before me. He was holding up the most beautiful diamond ring I had ever personally laid eyes on. It sparkled bright and the platinum band was dotted with smaller diamonds.

“Heidi Mary McNeil,” Rhett said, after he had taken in a deep breath. He never used my middle name, and my heart raced even faster. I could barely remain standing on my two feet.

“I know this has been a rollercoaster ride for us, but I’m glad we found a way of being together. These past eight months have been the happiest of my life and it is all because of you. I want to spend the rest of my life waking up beside you. I want to live the rest of my days with the smell of freshly baked bread in my house. I want to go to sleep with the sound of your voice in my ears, Heidi. I want to grow old with you. I want you to be the mother of my children…I,” Rhett had more things in my mind that he wanted to say, but I interrupted him. I couldn’t contain it any longer.

“Yes! Rhett! I’ll marry you. Today, tonight. I’ll marry you!” I was squealing, and Rhett stood up, grabbing me swiftly by my waist and pulling me to himself.

The others were clapping behind him as he slipped the ring into my finger and we kissed. It was a deep, smooth kiss that told me that he had meant every word he had just said.

“Thank you for being there for me, Heidi,” he whispered in my ear when I drew away. We were hugging tightly, allowing our bodies to sink into each other. I felt tears collecting in the corners of my eyes. Happy tears. The kind that had rarely made an appearance in my life before I met Rhett. Nowadays I could cry every day from joy.

“And thank you for being the man you are,” I said to him softly and he kissed my cheek gently again.

“Congratulations!” Martha was the one who said it excitedly. She was clapping her hands and beaming at us. I broke away from Rhett and walked over to her and she embraced me in a tight hug.

“Were you worried that I’d say no?” I asked her and she blushed and bit down on her lip.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t. I wanted you to be my daughter-in-law so badly,” she said and I laughed.

“Congratulations, Heidi, or should I call you sis?” It was Cormac who had come over to us and now pulled me in for one of his bone-crushing, bear hugs.

“Heidi is fine and thank you,” I said, embracing him.

“Oh my God! Heidi!” Lucia screeched when I went over to her for a hug. “I’m so happy for you,” she said and I could see genuine tears in her eyes. I patted her back and smiled.

“Thank you Lucia. I’m so lucky to have you in my life as a colleague and friend,” I told her and then turned my attention to the two handsome men standing at the side, beaming at me.

“Heidi!” Hunter said and then pulled me in for a hug. Owen shook my hand and I laughed.

“Take care of him, will ya?” Hunter added and I found my way back into Rhett’s arms.

I didn’t ever want to let go. I didn’t ever want to spend a day away from him.

“We have to set the date! Find a venue. Do you want to do it here? Or we could think of a destination wedding,” Martha was saying.

“Mom, relax. Let it all sink in first,” Rhett scolded her and then looked down at me. We were smiling at each other. This was what happiness was supposed to feel like. I had tasted it now and I wasn’t ever going to let it get away. I was going to have Rhett for life now.

“Are you happy, Heidi?” he asked me, his voice falling low so that the others wouldn’t hear. They were all distracted already, discussing wedding plans without us. Rhett’s blue eyes were searching mine. It was a genuine question and I was about to give him the most honest answer I could think of.

“With all my heart, Rhett,” I said to him and we hugged again. This was only the beginning of our life together and I couldn’t wait for the rest of it to start.