Chapter 21
twenty-one
Diamond
That’s not how I planned to tell him I was madly in love with him, but I think it went okay. He hasn’t asked me to leave, so that’s something.
But he also hasn’t said anything, and if he doesn’t soon, I might throw up.
This close to him, I can see the pulse in his neck beating, and the urge to lean forward and kiss it is so strong I angle away from him slightly.
“Don’t…don’t leave,” he says quickly. “I’m just processing and need to think.”
“I’m not leaving unless you ask me to.”
“Okay,” he breathes and squeezes my hand tighter.
I only know some of the shit Rhett went through, just like he only knows some of mine.
If there’s anything I’ve learned in the last ten years, it’s that life’s too short.
I didn’t beat cancer just to live the rest of my life not knowing how it feels to have someone love you back fully and completely.
Pinterest gods of the universe or not, I can’t let Rhett walk away without letting him know how I feel.
Casual left the room a long time ago, and he deserves to know that.
Hell, if I want to be truthful to myself, it was never casual for me.
I only went along with it since he was just so damn skittish about it being anything more. He’s just too easy to fall for.
“I’ve been thinking of you a lot the past few weeks,” he begins, and I swivel back towards him. “You have this way of making me feel…worth it. Like being with me makes your life better, if that makes sense.”
“It does. Both parts. I understand, and you make things better in my life, too.”
“Good.” He releases a slow breath. “I’m not the best at describing things or saying things like this, but you seem to fit into my life in the most perfect way.
Horses, rodeo, Tater…she loves you.” He flashes a shy smile, and my heart turns into goo.
“Maybe I set the bar too low or something, but when you offered for me to stay with you when I hurt my hand, I spent the entire drive home thinking about it. Thinking about what it would be like to always have that. To see you every morning and just…I don’t know…
just to have a person who wants me the way I am. Someone who cares.”
“I don’t want to change a thing about you, Rhett.”
He puffs out a short laugh. “That. I’m not used to that, and it’s been a battle for me to accept that you’re genuine when you say it.
” He stands and pulls me up with him. Brown eyes scan my face, and my heart beats so fast it might need medical intervention.
“It’s my intention to love you back just as much as you love me. ”
He brings his lips to mine, and the tremble in his body brings me to my knees. This man is so outside his safe zone, and he trusts me with it. I feel like I could fly to the moon.
We kiss in the kitchen for what feels like forever until I’m backed against the wall with his thigh between my legs. “I want to devour you, Diamond. Every fucking inch of you, I want to taste. Not just tonight, but every time I’m with you.”
“You won’t hear me complain.”
The smile on his face is contagious, and we’re grinning like fools, tugging at clothes and stumbling down the hallway to his bedroom.
“When did you have time to put blinds up?”
Rhett pauses with his hands on my fly. “I’m about to eat you alive, and you want to talk about the blinds?”
“Well, no, but it’s… eye-catching.”
It’s deep purple with what looks like small birds on it. Yes, I want to look closer, but he’s right. It can wait.
Rhett wouldn’t let me inspect the blind anyway. I lost my shirt in the hallway, and my pants are already at my knees before he lifts me and tosses me on the bed.
“These look great on you, but goddammit, what a pain to take off.” He yanks the jeans the rest of the way off before draping himself over me with the most feral expression on his handsome face.
“You look rather wolfish right now. Eating me was just a figure of speech, right?”
“Maybe.” He winks—fucking winks!—before removing my final article of clothing and leaning down for a scorching kiss. “Just enjoy it, beautiful. I know I will.”
I have to say, I like… no, I love his side of Rhett. He’s been a very satisfying partner in the few times we’ve hooked up. But this is him holding nothing back, and when he bends me in half to tongue my ass, I nearly die.
“Fuuuckkkk…don’t stop, cowboy. Holy shit.”
And he doesn’t. Part of me feels like he’s been holding back until now. Maybe because this kind of intimacy means more than just a way to get off for him? Whatever it is, I’m just happy to be on the receiving end of it.
He eases me down and slides off the bed. How he still has his pants on, I don’t know, but I stroke myself while I watch him undress. Rhett pauses, gaze locked on my hand, and mutters a curse under his breath.
He quickly turns and grabs a condom from the top of his dresser. He holds it in his fingers with a raised eyebrow, and I shake my head. He doesn’t even put it back. Rhett drops the packet to the floor and crawls back over me. He kisses every exposed inch he can before settling next to me.
“Don’t judge me if I come too fast,” he breathes against my ear before taking it between his teeth. “Bare with you might be too amazing. Especially after hearing all your moans. Fuck, you drive me crazy, Dee.”
My brain is offline for words and I turn my head to catch his lips as his hand slides back between my legs.
Rhett is in this completely, and if I weren’t such a horny mess, I’d probably cry. I don’t know where he kept the lube, but he pauses to coat his fingers, and I gulp air into my lungs.
“Oh my god, Rhett.”
His lips smile against my throat as he fucks me with his fingers. “You like that?” His teeth tease my nipple as he presses his fingers into me, and I think I black out for a moment.
“Like is not a strong enough word.” Grabbing his head with my hands, I force him not to go back down my body and kiss him deeply. “Please. I want you.”
He shivers before kissing me once more and kneeling between my legs.
Sex has always been great for me. I enjoy every part of it, but right now, while this man fills me as he watches my every response to it…I’m fucking gone. He pulls me into his arms and traps my dick between us. It’s torture. It’s bliss and everything in between.
My fingers twist into his hair while I press my heels against his ass. Rhett moans and buries his face in my neck.
“I won’t last much longer,” he rasps against my skin. “Where do you want it?”
“Like this. Just keep…”
Rhett’s groan next to my ear is the sexiest thing ever, and it pushes me over the edge. My orgasm bursts between us, and Rhett’s movements lose their smoothness as he comes.
“Shit…Dee…holy fuck.” He chuckles into my neck before lifting himself to gaze down at me. “If this is love, I’ve been missing out.” He kisses my nose. “You okay?”
“Nope.” His face fills with worry, and I cup his cheek. “Better than okay. On top of the world. Thank you.”
Tater chooses that moment to barge in, stomping her feet and huffing so much that even I know what she wants.
“Go take her out. I’ll meet you in the shower?”
“Go to the giant one downstairs?” He waggles his eyebrows, and I burst out laughing. “I’ll see you there.”
I feel like I’m in a dream.
I’ve barely left Rhett’s place for the past few days. We’ve unpacked his house together and even made a shopping trip for things he needs. We’ve been attached at the hip, and I’ve only gone home to get more clothes.
He hasn’t asked me to move in or anything, and it’s all still new, but it’s definitely something I want if we ever talk about it. Which means I really need to catch up with Dad about things soon.
“Hey, boss. Sorry, I’m late.”
Morgan flies through the kitchen door, already taking their backpack off and heading to the staff room.
“I’ve got it under control. Everything okay?”
Morgan reappears and holds up a leg. Their leggings are ripped on one side, and visible scrapes on their skin show through the tear.
“Oh my god. What happened!?” Wiping my hands on a towel, I abandon the banana nut muffins and take Morgan by the arm to a chair. “Do you need the first-aid kit?”
“It’s my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going, and a car cut me off. I had to turn hard and fell off my bike.”
“Do you think you can work today? It’s okay if you can’t.
I can call someone else in.” Morgan never wants to let me down, and I know they need all the shifts they can get, but I don’t like them working hurt.
I’m making the decision for them. “Forget that. Take today off. With pay and no arguments, Morgan. Even if it’s just road rash, your mind must be a mess. ”
“I’ll make it up to you, Diamond. I swear.”
“There’s nothing to make up, sweetheart. I’ll ask Rhett to drive you home. He can put the bike in the back. Take a day, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you. I…” They hang their head. “I appreciate you, Diamond.”
“I know you do, and I feel the same, okay? Let me make some calls while you gather yourself.”
Morgan nods and slowly limps back to the staff room. I wish they had more people in their life to love them.
Pulling out my phone, I hit Rhett’s contact while I take out the staff schedule to see who can close up tonight.
“Hello, beautiful.”
Just hearing Rhett’s voice makes me smile like a dope. “Hello, cowboy. Do you have a minute?”
“For you, I have a lifetime.”
This man will be the death of me.
“It’s Morgan. They had a bike accident on the way to work and scraped up their leg pretty badly. Are you free to pick them up and drive them home?”
“Of course. Give me a half hour, if that’s okay?”
“Totally. I’ll make them sit and feed them until you get here. Thank you, cowboy.”
“See you soon.”
Morgan eats the bagel I make for them and accepts the carton of chocolate milk I give them to take home.
I know they live alone, and even though I pay them more than I have to, it’s hard when you’re trying to get by.
Rhett waltzes in like he owns the place, kisses me so sweetly it makes Morgan blush and then takes them home.
The morning crowd never seems to stop, and it’s not until after 1 P.M. that I realize I didn’t get to call in anyone to help this evening and close.
After cleaning a few tables, I pull out the staff list again, and after a few calls, I get one of the part timers who can only promise me until 6 P.M. and it’s better than nothing.
“I bet you didn’t get to eat yet, have you?”
I spin around to find Rhett again, leaning against the front counter.
“I’ll never lie to you. No, I haven’t. It’s been such a zoo today.”
He holds up a takeout bag with a smile. “Someone told me your guilty pleasure is a Philly cheesesteak sandwich from the diner.”
“Morgan.” I laugh as I take the bag from him.
“They’re full of information. I might need to be their chauffeur more often.”
Shaking my head, I motion to a nearby table, and he joins me while I devour the sandwich. And fries.
“Thank you for this.”
“You’re welcome.” He looks around The Thirsty Cow before facing me again. “You’re here alone?”
“I have someone coming in from 4 to 6 P.M. Then I’m on my own until closing.”
“That’s a long day for you.”
“It is, but I couldn’t reach anyone, and I didn’t want to make Morgan stay. I’ll get it done. The joys of owning a business.”
“I’ll stop by when the boys are done for the night to give you a hand.”
“You’d do that?”
Rhett shrugs a shoulder like it’s not a big deal to work his job, then come and work mine. “You need help. I’ll be here.”
The door opens, and a group of young people pile in with their loud chatter.
“Thank you.”
He stands, and I ball up the garbage as we walk over to the cash. He kisses my temple with a murmured goodbye and nods to the group that just entered.
“Is that Rhett Cuglietta? He’s so fucking dreamy.” The girls sigh, and one boy watches him walk through the parking lot with poorly concealed longing.
“Yes, it is, and yes, he is.” I laugh before washing my hands and taking their orders.
The afternoon is steady, but I’m able to keep up.
My part-time student arrives and tackles all the dishes from the day, and I make myself a latte while I restock the front.
I’m running on autopilot at this point, and it’s not until my student announces they’re leaving that I even know what time it is.
I’ve never wished for a slow day at my café in my life, but right now I sort of wish nobody wants a coffee and dessert for the rest of the night because I’m so run down that I can barely stand up.
When the door chimes, I almost groan out loud. But it’s not a customer.
“You’re back.”
Rhett smiles in that way that’s both sexy and a bit shy, but a whole lot of something I like.
“Did you doubt I would be?”
“No.” I walk over and wrap my arms around his hips. “Just happy to see you.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Well…how are your baking skills? I need to get something ready for tomorrow.”
“I can do a few things. Should I surprise you?”
Taking a step back, I take in this man before me. I still can’t believe he is on board with all this. “You always surprise me. Every day.”
“Okay, then. Let me wow you instead.”
I tilt my head towards the kitchen. “Do you need me to show you where everything is?”
“Nope. You forget I practically grew up in a commercial kitchen, Dee.” He kisses my cheek and heads towards the kitchen. “Do what you need to do out here, and I’ll make something.”
I watch him disappear into the kitchen. “How is this man mine?” I mutter as I begin the evening cleanup.
It’ll be hard not to peek in the kitchen, but I can’t wait to see what he makes.