Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
NATALIE
“Thank you.” I smiled at the doorman and breezed through the double doors to Rhett’s high-rise. He had a key card dropped off with a code that would give me access to the elevators. I didn’t know why I was so nervous; we were only going to talk.
The second I stepped inside the elevator, I re-read our text exchange from earlier.
Rhett
Have dinner with me tonight.
Me
No. I asked for a divorce, not dinner.
Rhett
I have an update from my lawyer.
Me
Why haven’t you called me?
Rhett
I want to talk in person.
Me
Is there a problem?
Rhett
I’ll fill you in when you get here. I’ll text you my address. What time are you off from work?
Me
Six. I’ll be there to talk, but I won’t eat.
Rhett
I ordered Italian.
Me
I’m coming to talk about the divorce, not load up on carbs.
Rhett
Do you really want to talk on an empty stomach?
Me
I’ll make sure to eat a big lunch.
Rhett
I’ll save you a plate.
Me
I AM NOT EATING!
Rhett
I’ll take my chances. See you at six.
I shook my head at his silly nonsense and walked down the hall, almost bumping into a guy who was yelling at someone on his phone. When I reached the door, my palms were sweating, and my heart was racing.
I knocked and glanced down at my black flats. They were a welcome relief from wearing heels all day. Now that I was here, I was second-guessing wearing just a simple sweater and a pair of black leggings.
When the door swung open, my breath caught in my lungs.
“You’re early.” My shirtless husband smirked like he could read my mind. The man was barefoot in dark jeans and nothing else. His hair was damp from the shower, and he smelled amazing.
I thought I was prepared to face him, but oh, how wrong I was. My gaze lingered and wandered, feeling thrown off. It took every ounce of strength I had to drag my eyes upward.
Everywhere, from head to toe, was cut and carved. How did I miss all this last weekend in Vegas? What the hell kind of exercises did the coaches make these guys do in the weight room?
Rhett lifted an eyebrow, prompting me to string some words together. “Can I come in?”
He opened the door slightly, but I still had to twist my body to the side because he wasn’t moving an inch. I could feel the warmth of his chest as I squeezed past him, and the asshole looked amused too.
“You could have given me more room.”
“And miss the feel of your breast against my chest, no thanks,” he teased. The man enjoyed toying with me, and I loved putting him through the paces. We were quite the match.
“You are impossible,” I said on a shaky inhale. “And for the love of God, please put a shirt on.”
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.” He closed the door and laughed.
Yes, but my brain was soaked with so much tequila that I felt like I missed it. I should have touched and memorized him more; maybe then I wouldn’t be so enticed to keep staring.
He shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. He was so close; all I could think about was how I wanted him closer.
“I had dinner delivered.”
“I told you no to dinner,” I said, walking further into the room.
Rhett’s apartment was modern and weirdly decorated. The living room had a brown sectional with two recliners. Along one wall sat a huge TV screen above the fireplace and video game consoles. The other end had built-in cabinets that were empty—not a picture, a trophy, or even a book on a shelf. It was small and modern and nothing like him at all.
“Sorry, I was hungry.” He rubbed his flat stomach, bypassing a formal-looking dining room without a single chair. “If you want, you can sit and watch me eat,” he said, sliding onto one of the barstools at the kitchen island.
My eyes narrowed. “Don’t you think that’s a little rude?”
“No more than refusing to have dinner with your husband.”
Heat crept up into my face. “Stop calling yourself that.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Why? It’s the truth, isn’t it?” he challenged.
He was correct, but that would be changing soon.
“Rhett.” I rubbed a hand over my forehead. “We need to establish some boundaries to prevent things from getting too complicated.”
A smile split his cheek. God, why did he have to be so cute? “Are we setting these boundaries to keep you from falling in love with me? ”
I shifted on my feet, not acknowledging that, yes, I was indeed worried about that. If I wanted to get out of this in one piece, I needed to draw a line in the sand and make sure neither of us crossed it.
“This marriage will end. There will be no touching, and no kissing, no more sex. Now, what is the update?”
“Sounds like a regular marriage to me.” He shrugged.
I pressed my thumbs to my temples. “Can you please be serious for a second.”
“You want to know what I think?”
“Probably not.”
“Your rules suck.”
“Well, too bad. They are in place for a reason. Now, tell me what your lawyer said.”
He walked over to the recliner and slipped on a thick, oversized hoodie in vibrant colors that looked softer than my bedsheets. “We have a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
A growing sense of unease churned in my gut. I did a little research online today. Getting married in Vegas under the influence was textbook grounds for annulment. This was supposed to be easy, so I wasn’t expecting any problems.
He ran a hand through his hair. “The judge who is overseeing the case has beef with my attorney.”
I tilted my head to the side, feeling confused. “How does a judge in Nevada know your attorney?”
He ran the pad of his thumb along his bottom lip. “I don’t know the specifics, only that they went to law school together, and he’s holding things up and playing hardball. The judge knows the circumstances and the people involved. He’s trying to show my attorney who holds all the power in this case. I guess shit like this happens all the time. ”
“You have money and influence. Don’t you have people that can help you?”
None of this made sense to me. How was I supposed to stay married to a man I barely knew? I looked down to the floor, feeling panic bubble up inside me. What an unexpected turn my life had taken. Never again was I drinking tequila.
“I’d rather let my lawyers do the job that I pay them a fortune to do.”
While I understood where he was coming from, I wasn’t thrilled with that plan.
“How long will this go on for?”
He shrugged and walked into the kitchen. “I’m not sure. I was told, maybe a few weeks, possibly months, but that’s the worst-case scenario.”
I slumped onto one of the stools at the counter. This was bad. Really bad. Rhett reached for a bottle of wine and poured the cabernet into a glass. He slid it my way and picked up a half-finished beer bottle.
“Thank you.” I lifted my wineglass. “Now what?”
He started moving around the kitchen and plated the pasta he had ordered. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“We need to come up with a plan until we can find a way out of this.” I sighed, staring at my phone, trying to think of someone I could call to help me. I just wanted to bury my head in a pillow and cry.
He placed a plate full of food before me and pulled on the back of his neck. “I’m assuming you still want to keep this under wraps.”
“Why? Do you have a better idea?” My head was scrambling, trying to figure out a way around this. Lying wasn’t something I was comfortable with. There had to be another angle we could consider .
“I do, but you’re probably not going to like it.” He swirled the angel hair around his fork. How could he be so casual about this? Why was he not freaking out like me?
“If you are going to suggest that we tell Beau the truth, I’m not sure if I’m ready for that. I mean, I know it’s the right thing to do, but I’m scared. He will never forgive me, and I’m afraid of what he will do to you.”
He held his hand up. “Relax. I’m not going to let you take the fall for this. Before we go any further, who knows about this?”
“Not a soul.”
He raised a brow. “Not even the two sisters?”
“All they know is that we spent the night together. I haven’t talked to them since we left Vegas.”
He popped a meatball in his mouth. “I thought you guys were close?”
My face grew tight. “We are.”
And yet, I haven’t said a word to them about this. We used to talk almost every day; however, since I broke up with Levi, we haven’t remained as close as we used to be. I assumed it was mostly because I moved to Atlanta, and Gina and Claudia were busy planning the wedding. Maybe it was more than that. Perhaps it was just my imagination. I wasn’t sure of anything at the moment.
“Here’s what we’re going to do.” He set his fork down. “We take this day by day and keep this under wraps.”
The knot in my chest eased slightly, making breathing a little easier. “Okay, and Beau will be out of the country for the next three weeks, at least. That should make it easier.”
“That’s right. He’s going on his annual hunting and fishing expedition in South Africa.”
“Yes, so that should buy us some time.”
“You’re still planning on bringing me as your plus one to the wedding? ”
“Do you think that’s smart?” I asked, leveling my gaze on his. “Wouldn’t people find out about us? Wouldn’t that defeat the whole purpose of us trying to keep this a secret?”
“I mean, yeah, Beau is our only concern. The fewer people that know, the better, but as long as you and I don’t post anything on social media, we are good.”
He was making it sound so simple, but I wasn’t convinced it would be a good idea.
“But what if people recognize you and take pictures?”
“You’re only bringing me as your plus one. No one needs to know anything more than that. You just need to flaunt me in front of your ex. He doesn’t need to know who I am to you.”
I bit my bottom lip. “You make it sound manageable, but It’s probably not the smartest move. Not to mention, it could potentially lead to more problems.”
“I disagree. How awesome would it be if you took me with you? It would be a good way to say fuck you to whatever his name is.”
“Levi.”
“His name is Levi?” he asked, sitting back and giving me his undivided attention.
I nodded, feeling nerves prickle my skin. Maybe if he knew who Levi was, he would change his mind. “Levi James.”
He pushed his sleeves up his forearms. “Why does that name sound familiar?”
“He plays in the NHL.”
He tilted his head. “Jammer James is your ex, huh? I don’t know him personally, but he doesn’t have the best reputation. He holds the league’s record for most slashing and penalties. I never would have pictured you with someone like him. ”
I sighed and leaned back. “He’s changed over the years.”
At the start of his career, Levi was driven and focused, but as time went on, he got caught up in the fame and struggled under pressure. He had been slipping away from me long before we ended. I thought moving in with him and finally being able to live in the same city would restore some balance in his life. But I realized quickly that the man I fell in love with was replaced by someone I barely recognized.
“I bet he has changed.” He shook his head and grinned. “Think of it like this. What better way to show him up than bringing an NFL all-star tight end who just won the Super Bowl as your date.”
“And yet, you’re so famous that I didn’t even recognize you.” I tried to keep a straight face, but my smile slipped out.
He laughed, not even taking offense to that. “Well, I do wear my helmet a lot, so that’s probably why.” He winked. “I’m not trying to brag, but my name is a lot more well-known. He will be jealous as fuck. I guarantee you, it will eat away at him.”
My eyes went to the ceiling. “You’re proposing all this just to get your mother off your back? Can’t you just find someone to date?”
“I don’t want to date.”
I grumbled under my breath and prayed for patience. “Then pay someone.”
He scoffed. “Please.”
“Fine,” I huffed. “But are you sure you still want to go with me?” I asked, giving him one last chance to back out. He was being so nice and accommodating, and I was worried that this would blow up in our faces.
“I told you I would. ”
“You don’t have to,” I said, letting him know that he didn’t have to stick with the original plan.
“It’s part of my husband duties.”
I rolled my eyes. “I have a feeling you’re going to play that card as often as you can.”
He leaned forward and squeezed my knee. “We probably shouldn’t tell my parents about this, especially if we are going to get divorced so quickly.”
“But that was the whole point of this.”
He shook his head with a sigh. “Trust me, I know, and I’m not even mad about it. We can’t help the situation. It is what it is. We’ll just have to make the best of what we have.”
I looked at my lap. This had disaster written all over it. I wanted to scream at the universe, but this was one of those situations where I wasn’t in control. The last thing I wanted to do was complicate his life more than it already was. He was going way too easy on me when he didn’t have to. I couldn’t even live up to my end of the bargain, and he was okay with that?
There was so much I still didn’t know about him, but from what little I did know, I liked a lot. More than I should. No doubt, I could do a hell of a lot worse.
As if he could read my mind, he reached for my hand. “I don’t know how to handle this either. I’m still trying to figure this all out myself. So, I’m going to be candid with you for a second. I like you, Natalie. You make me feel things that I’m not used to feeling. I know you’re looking for a way out, but in the meantime, maybe we could take advantage of the time we have. Let’s get to know each other and make the best of it.”
“What are you saying?”
I came here thinking we would be talking about signing divorce papers, not trying to see if there was something worth holding on to. If he was implying what I think he was, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say. There were so many ways this could go wrong. But as I looked at him and saw how excited he was about the possibility, I started wondering if maybe we should give it a try.
He squeezed my hand. “I’m saying I want to take advantage of the opportunity we’ve been given and explore whatever this is. When the time is up, if you still want to end it, we can at least say we tried.”
My brows pulled together. “Are you saying you like me and want to have a real relationship?”
Why did that thought make me smile? Why was he making it so hard to walk away? None of this made sense, and I couldn’t figure him out.
“This is a mess, so I’m not going to sugarcoat it.” He studied my face, searching for a reaction. “But yes, to both. Do you think you could at least give it some thought before shutting me down?”
“I don’t know what to say.” I was so confused, but something about the way he watched me had me holding my breath, making it hard to tell him no.
A slow smile passed over his face, and I really liked being the recipient of it. It was playful and warm and had me imagining things and wondering if we could really do this.
“Say yes to getting to know me. Let me take you on a few dates.”
We were already on slippery ground, so entertaining this idea would be pushing it. I knew in my head that this would only make things ten times harder, so why couldn’t I say no?
“I’ll give it some thought.” He caressed my thumb. Just a simple touch had me melting into a puddle. I wasn’t a big believer in fate, but I didn’t have any other explanation for how I was feeling. All I knew was that I wanted to learn more about him before I considered his offer. “Is that okay?”
He licked his lips deliberately as if he knew he had the upper hand and had won this round. I didn’t even need to say the words. The truth was written all over my face.
How was I supposed to keep my hands off my husband when he was making it clear he wanted to do the exact opposite?