Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
NATALIE
“Tell me again why we’re driving to Texas instead of flying?” I asked, looking away from the winding country road and toward Rhett.
“Because I’ve been running on a schedule for months. I want to take advantage of my freedom and not have to be held hostage to anyone’s timeline.”
I leaned back in my seat. “I still can’t believe Tracy asked me to accompany you to this ad shoot.”
He turned to me with a smile. “She was obviously impressed with the work you did for the charity last week.”
My cheeks flushed with pride at being recognized for my efforts. She said as much when she presented me with this opportunity. However, in the back of my mind, I wondered if putting us together so frequently was a recipe for disaster. Was it foolish to think we could keep our professional lives separate? I guess time will tell.
The drive was spent alternating between mindless conversations and listening to the radio. There were times when it was quiet, and other times, we laughed so hard our stomachs hurt .
As the day went on, the clouds became dark, and droplets of rain started hitting the windshield. A loud crack of thunder had me jumping in my seat.
Rhett swirled his head in my direction. “Not a fan of storms?”
“I don’t mind them as long as I’m indoors. I actually find the sound of rain to be relaxing. Lightning isn’t my favorite, especially when a tree can fall down on this truck at any second.”
“We’re running a little low on gas, and I need to stretch my back. My body was not made for these long car rides. Can you look up and see if there is anything nearby?”
“Sure.”
I pulled my phone out and searched for a rest stop. There were nothing but endless fields filled with farm animals and little roadside stands selling produce in the area. Trackers with barrels of hay routinely passed us by. I’d seen enough cows to last me a lifetime.
We pulled into a convenience store a few miles up the road. The lot looked shady, like something you would see on a Netflix documentary about a missing person.
Rhett pulled a baseball cap out of the glove box. “Why don’t you use the restroom first and grab a few snacks while I pump gas?”
“Do you want anything specific?” I opened the door and slowly climbed out of the car. My body was stiff from sitting for so long.
“Just a Gatorade and maybe some trail mix or chips, and don’t forget a bag of Skittles.”
“You got it.” I walked over to the bathrooms on the side of the building and they were as gross as I thought they would be. After washing my hands and trying not to touch anything, I walked to the front. Rhett was standing by his truck, taking pictures with two guys who were smiling and chatting with him. I stood and watched him for a moment. He was kind and gracious and even clapped them on their backs when they walked away.
The girl behind the counter was typing on her phone. She didn’t even look up when I set my things down in front of her. “Do you want a receipt?” she asked as I swiped my card.
“Just a bag, please.” I looked out the window. The sky was getting darker. The weather app called for light rain, not a downpour.
She handed me a bag, and I loaded it with our drinks and snacks. As I was making my way across the parking lot, the sky flashed with lightning, and almost immediately after, there was a clap of thunder.
When I slid inside the car, Rhett was staring at his phone. “I think we should find a place to sleep tonight. It looks like it’s only going to get worse.”
A warm bed and a pillow sounded good to me. “Why don’t you drive, and I’ll look online and try to find a place.”
I tapped away at my screen, searching for a place for us to seek shelter for the night. There weren’t many options, so I clicked on the first suggestion that popped up and entered the address into the GPS. The rain was coming down hard, and Rhett was inching his head as close to the windshield as his seat would allow. If I hadn’t been so focused on making it safely through the storm, I might have admired the little town we traveled through.
Pretty brick buildings lined the quiet, rain-soaked streets. An American flag flapped in the wind outside the post office. There was a general store that looked deserted and a cute bookstore with overturned flower baskets dangling from its wooden porch.
We turned down a side street, and the truck slowed as we approached a motel that looked like something out of an old movie. It was probably charming back in the day, but time had certainly taken a toll.
Thankfully, an awning at the front entrance shielded us from the downpour. Rhett parked the car and pressed the button to open the trunk. “Home sweet home.”
I followed him into the lobby and was surprised to find it so quaint and charming. It was nothing like what I pictured. We were greeted with antique lamps, vintage photos lining the walls, and plush armchairs arranged around a cozy fireplace.
An older woman with white hair sat behind the counter, sipping a cup of coffee and engrossed in a paperback.
Her head lifted, and she pushed her black glasses up to the bridge of her nose. “Well, hello there. Welcome to the Amber Inn. Are you checking in today?”
Rhett leaned his arm along the counter and flashed her a smile. “Good evening, ma’am. Unfortunately, we don’t have a reservation, but we were hoping you had a room available for tonight. The storm doesn’t appear to be letting up, so we are looking for a place to stay until it passes.”
She sighed happily. “Let’s see if I can find you something.” She tapped away on her computer. Unlike the young teenager at the convenience store, this woman looked excited to see us. “We’re under renovation, so rooms are limited. Plus, there is a car show this weekend, and we are booked at capacity. We have one queen room available.”
He turned to me, a smile playing on his lips that he had no intention of hiding. “Well, I’d prefer a king, but beggars can’t be choosers, can they?”
“Does the room at least have a pull-out couch?” I asked, wondering how the hell I was supposed to relax sleeping in the same bed as him.
She shook her head. “I’m afraid not. It’s a basic room with a queen bed and a chair. It does have a coffee maker and a mini fridge, though.”
“What about a rollaway bed?” I pressed while trying to think of alternative options.
“Sweetheart.” He sighed while running a hand through his hair. “I can’t sleep on those. My back will go out.”
I crossed my arms. “Well, then maybe we could order some extra blankets and pillows, and you can sleep on the floor.”
He looked amused at my discomfort. “Or maybe you could sleep on the floor.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “Giving me the bed would be the gentleman thing to do.”
The poor lady watched our exchange, looking unsure how to intervene.
“Listen, kids,” she sounded annoyed with our bickering, “I need to know if you would like the room or not?”
“We’ll take it.” Rhett pulled out his card and slid it across the counter.
We shared a glance, and I willed myself to calm down. This was not the ideal setup, but we would have to work with what we had.
After grabbing the room key and our bags, we walked up the stairs and down the hall, following the numbers to our room.
Once we stepped through the doorway, my brows furrowed. It was even smaller than I imagined, and sitting in the center was a single bed that looked more like a double than a queen. My heart sank because the room felt more cramped than I imagined. The realization that we would be sharing a bed created a level of anxiety that I wasn’t prepared for.
We still hadn’t talked about the past two times when we almost crossed a line. The avoidance has been eating me up inside. I’ve replayed those moments in my head, and all I seem to do is overanalyze his words and try to make sense of these feelings. It wasn’t healthy, and I was scared to bring it up, but I didn’t know how much longer I could keep pretending.
Tonight was going to be a test. Things were going to either be really awkward, or we would finally clear the air and come to some type of understanding.
“Hungry?” Rhett asked, dropping his duffel bag on the floor. He didn’t seem all that upset over our tight accommodations. In fact, he looked as happy as a dog with two tails.
“I could eat,” I lied. I was too nervous to think about food, but I knew he had to be starving.
He pulled out his phone. “Let’s see what our options are?” He bent his head and started tapping on the screen. “The Wi-Fi sucks.”
“Maybe they have snacks in the lobby,” I said, sticking my nose in the bathroom. It was basic but clean.
“I doubt it.” He yawned, sounding exhausted.
“You’ve been driving all day. Why don’t I go out and try to find us something?”
“Absolutely not.” He stood to stretch his arms over his head. The hem of his shirt slid up his stomach. It was going to be a long damn night. “Stay here, relax, and pick out a movie. I’ll check and see if that diner we drove by when we were getting off the highway is open. Relax? Was he insane? I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to survive this—the two of us alone, with one bed. Lord, help me. Although a few minutes to myself sounded like a good idea, I needed to get myself together.
Once he left to search for food, I took a quick shower and changed into my pajamas. It felt good to wash my body after traveling all day. After brushing my hair and organizing my clothes for tomorrow, I plugged my phone into my charger and pulled up my social media. Out of curiosity, I clicked on Rhett’s public profile.
A majority of the images were taken from the social media team and included numerous pictures of him in his uniform. The ones that stood out to me the most were the photos of him on game day, arriving at the stadium dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. You could feel his confidence and excitement in every picture.
I took a calming breath, wishing I had a cup of herbal tea to help ease my nerves. Getting through these next few days without losing my mind and possibly my heart was almost impossible. It was hard to believe that I didn’t even know who he was a few weeks ago. Last month, I had a life in Boston, a long-term boyfriend, a townhouse, and friends nearby. Now? I had a new job and a husband I was planning on divorcing.
I leaned up against the headboard, allowing my mind to replay the events of the last few weeks. There was something calming and equally disturbing about how I felt.
Before I could dig deeper, the door swung open, and Rhett stepped into the room, drenched but smiling while holding two plastic bags. “I hope you like turkey sandwiches because that’s all I could find.”
I jumped off the bed to help him with the bags. “Sandwiches work for me,” I said, taking the food from his hands. The poor guy was soaked. “It’s still coming down hard, huh?”
He shrugged his jacket off and shook out his hair. “It’s a complete downpour. I’m going to shower and change real quick.”
I waved him off. “Go ahead, I’ll get everything ready.”
He walked into the bathroom, and I pulled out the food and brought everything over to the bed. I arranged everything in the middle, trying to make it as presentable as possible. Thankfully, he remembered paper plates and silverware.
Ten minutes later, Rhett stepped out of the bathroom. Droplets of water dripped down his stomach and disappeared into his cotton athletic shorts.
I shifted my eyes up to his face and swallowed. “Um, I unwrapped your sandwich.” I held up the plate. “I figured we could eat together.”
Jesus. I sounded like an idiot.
“You didn’t have to wait for me,” he said, running his fingers through his damp hair, which was sticking up in places that only made me want to ogle him more.
“I don’t mind,” I told him, moving to the side to make room.
Tension strained between us, or maybe I was the only one feeling it. Rhett stretched out on the bed and placed his dinner on his lap.
“What are we watching?” He pointed to the TV.
I cleared my throat and pressed play. Rhett howled in laughter when he saw the movie on the screen.
“ The Hangover , huh?”
It was a struggle to keep a straight face. “When it came up as a movie option, I couldn’t resist.”
He bumped my shoulder with a grin. “It’s one of my favorites.”
I feigned interest in the movie, and tried to ignore how quickly my willpower was slipping with each passing second .
It was going to be a long night.
“What are you doing?” I asked, watching him slide his gym shorts down his muscular thighs. They were toned and tan and way too sexy for a pair of legs. It was so unfair.
His smile was slow, trying to act innocent. “I’m getting ready for bed.”
“Do you have something against sleeping in shorts?”
“Yeah, actually, I do. I get hot at night.” He stretched his arms out over his head and flexed his muscles on purpose.
I looked around the room, searching for someplace else to sleep, but there were no other options.
“What’s the matter?” He smiled. “Are you afraid you won’t be able to keep your hands to yourself?”
I flashed him a smile back. “You snore, and you’re going to keep me up all night.”
He swaggered forward, knowing exactly what he was doing. He wasn’t going to make this easy on me. “Yeah, well, you talk in your sleep, so we’re even.”
My mouth popped open. “What? Please tell me you’re joking?”
He squinted his eyes. “Has no one told you that before?”
I rolled my lips together. “I haven’t had a roommate since college.”
The expression on his face was priceless. “What about Levi?”
“We didn’t sleep together.” I looked away and cleared my throat, trying to get rid of the awkwardness. “I mean, we had sex, but he didn’t like sharing a bed at night, so I would sleep in the other bedroom. ”
His eyes widened. “That’s fucked up.”
My fingers played with the ends of the white comforter. “It’s not as uncommon as you think. Our schedules didn’t always line up, and he needed sleep. Besides, a majority of our relationship was long-distance, so we were used to sleeping apart.”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe you wasted so much time with that douche. Just so we are clear, if you were really mine, there would be no way in hell you would sleep anywhere but in my bed, and that would be after I made you come at least twice.”
My cheeks heated. “Don’t say stuff like that.”
“It’s the truth.” He shrugged and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth.
I walked to the left side of the bed and repositioned the additional hotel pillows I had requested for the room in the middle. These pillows would be the only barrier between us tonight.
I pulled the comforter down and grabbed my travel pillow from my suitcase. I climbed in, pulled the sheet under my arms, and stared at the ceiling, willing my heart rate to slow down.
Rhett walked to his side of the bed, slid under the covers, and turned off the light. The mattress shifted from his weight, so I moved as far to the left as I could without falling off.
“You better stay on your side of the bed,” I warned, keeping my eyes trained on the window. I knew if I looked at him, I would cave.
He scooted closer, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “You don’t look like you have much room. Why don’t you come a little closer?” There was a hint of teasing in his tone.
“I’m fine,” I said, bringing the sheet up to my chin .
He slid his leg against mine. “I promise, I will only bite if you ask me to.”
“Why are you so close? Did you just say not too long ago that you were hot?”
“I was, but they must have fixed the thermostat, because now I’m freezing and need a little warmth.”
My body moved away from his, and like a practiced dance, he shifted toward me. His arm slipped underneath me, eliminating whatever space was left.
When I tried to pull away, he huffed out a laugh. “I didn’t realize I married a porcupine.”
“That’s what you get for marrying a complete stranger off the street… Wait, what did you just call me?” I scowled as his comment finally registered in my ears.
“A porcupine. It fits you perfectly. Maybe that’s what I’ll start calling you.”
“You better not, considering it resembles a mole with beady little eyes. I wouldn’t consider that very flattering.”
His gaze slid to mine. “Think about it. Porcupines can be cute from afar, but they get very protective when you get too close. They are pointy and sharp on the outside but soft and vulnerable on the inside.”
“Don’t forget they are painful to touch too.”
“Maybe they just need a little comfort.” He reached for me when I tried to pull away again. “Come here, my little porcupine.”
“Stop calling me a damn porcupine.” I giggled as his giant body trapped mine. God, why did he have to smell so good? I just wanted to breathe him in.
I stopped moving when he lifted me up so he could watch me. His gaze dropped to my lips.
I swallowed, daring him to kiss me. I was such a walking, talking contradiction .
“I want you so bad right now.” His voice was gruff, almost pained.
I pressed my hands to the scruff on his cheek. “I want you too, but this would change things.”
“Would that really be a bad thing?”
“It will be when this marriage ends.”
He slid his hands along my arms. “Who says it has to end?”