22
Rhett
Rhett had to laugh as soon as she woke. Heath’s large frame was half on the single mattress and half on the cold floor of the stables. On closer inspection, he had a piece of straw in his dark hair, giving him a sun-kissed look. Those gorgeous lips of his that had trailed her body all night were slightly parted and dry. She knew what she had to do.
Awkwardly climbing over him, she tried to reach his mouth with her own. Her elbow slipped, jabbed into his ribs, toppling her forward into a headbutt, causing him to wake with an ‘Oof!’
Dark brown eyes peered her way for a moment. Heath blinked a few times as a lazy smile crept over his face. ‘Morning.’
‘Sorry.’ She sat up, scrunching the pillow behind her back in an attempt to get comfortable on the world’s worst bed. It gave her wonderful memories but her spine wasn’t grateful.
Heath grabbed her, mid-stretch, and rolled her back down beneath him, making her chuckle. ‘We can stay here,’ he mumbled in between kissing her neck.
‘I’m not sure my back can take it.’
He rolled his shoulders over and sat up, taking her with him. ‘I know what you mean.’ His neck clicked, so she rubbed his shoulder. ‘Ooh, I can do with a massage.’
‘Me too. But how about a hot bath instead? After fitting on here all night, I’m certain we’d fit in the bath together.’
Heath’s lips were back on her neck. ‘Bath sounds good.’
Everything with you sounds good.
Rhett glanced at the radio. ‘I think the batteries must have died in the night.’ She yawned and stretched her arms high in the air, smiling as Heath’s hands followed. ‘What time do you think it is? I left my phone in the house.’
He glanced at his on the floor. ‘Just gone five.’
‘See if there’s an update about the wolves.’
He groaned as he leaned over to pick up his phone. ‘Message from Tessie. The wolves were caught about two hours ago. Oh, and so were the thugs. Seems they’ve been causing a lot of trouble. Smashed up a couple of the beach huts in Sandly last night as well, and the police saw them… Hang on, she says they’re the same lot that wrecked our plants. One of them confessed to Brian. Well, at least they’ve been caught now before they destroyed the whole island. Mum will be pleased. Four teenage lads. Not sure why they thought it was fun to cause so much carnage. I’m just glad our kid didn’t grow up to be like that.’
The good news failed to spark joy, as Rhett knew she had no excuse to stay in the stables now the wolves weren’t roaming free. Heath was showing her he had no regrets, well, his lips certainly were, but there was still the slightest niggle telling her something would go wrong. Not that she knew how to handle their relationship from now on.
‘Heath?’
‘No.’
She laughed as his hands wrapped around her back, pulling her closer. ‘You don’t know what I’m going to say?’
‘You’re going to say we should get up.’
‘Actually, I wanted to talk about us.’
He groaned as he faced her. ‘Now?’
‘It was the plan yesterday.’
‘But I don’t want to talk. I just want you wrapped around me.’
She instantly granted him his wish, shuffling onto his lap and kissing him hard. ‘I was saving this for our bath.’
‘Oh, was you now. Well, we can still do it there too. In fact, I want to make love to you everywhere.’
Rhett gulped down a wedge that suddenly appeared. ‘You were making love to me?’
His eyebrows shot up. ‘Yes, Rhett. It wasn’t just sex.’
Warmth swirled in her heart.
‘Wait. Was it just sex for you?’ he added.
‘Oh, no. It was…’
Perfect. I love you.
‘Was what?’ he asked.
‘I just wasn’t sure which angle you were coming from.’
‘The one connected to my heart. Last night was…’
A thud on the door made them both jump.
Florence called out from the other side. ‘You up, Rhett? Good news, the wolves have been caught. And the hooligans. All safe now. I’ll put the kettle on. Today is a good day.’
They listened to her footsteps fade away, then turned back to face each other.
‘Do you want to stay for breakfast?’ she asked.
Heath’s eyes no longer looked sparkly and full of the summer sunshine. ‘I was looking forward to our bath.’
Rhett felt it best to be honest. There was no need for him to be deflated. That wasn’t her intention. She wanted him back. ‘I was looking forward to right here, then the bath, then…’ She trailed off, peppering kisses across his cheek.
Heath pulled back. ‘I’m confused.’
‘I guess it’s strange. Us. This.’
His head lowered to rest on hers. ‘I want us back together, Rhett.’
‘Do you think it’s possible?’
‘Life’s what you make it.’
‘We made a mess of ours.’
He kissed the tip of her nose and cupped her face, and every part of her melted into his hold. ‘We can start over.’
The cold hard truth slapped her in the face. ‘We’ve been apart longer than we were together.’
Heath shook his head in disagreement. ‘Have we really though?’
Rhett had to laugh. ‘Well, we certainly haven’t done anything like this in a long while.’
‘Let’s not waste any more time.’
‘But what if we’ve outgrown each other?’
‘We can take things slowly if you want.’ The corners of his eyes crinkled. ‘Once we’ve finished here, then in the bath, and I’m thinking all over my workshop because I definitely want that memory.’
They shared a laugh, and he kissed her shoulder before running his nose along the length of her neck.
‘I want to try, Heath.’
‘Good.’
‘It’s just complicated, isn’t it?’
‘It doesn’t have to be.’
She pushed his wandering hands to the mattress. ‘Come on. Be serious. We have Willow to think about, plus this place. We’re going into business together. What if we don’t work as a couple anymore? What happens then? Would you walk away from this place? Would we break Willow’s heart?’
‘Hey, hey. First of all, I don’t plan on going anywhere. I never have been further than one field away from you all these years. Secondly, all I can think about is how much time has been wasted. All I want is to make love to you right now, tomorrow, forever. Doesn’t that speak volumes?’
‘I’m just scared, Heath.’
The light touch of his hand stroking her hair away from her cheek was soothing and welcome. ‘I know,’ he whispered.
‘Aren’t you?’
‘Yes, but I believe in us. We’ve got a shot here. Our second chance. I’ve lived with a broken heart for twenty-one years. The risk here is small. If it doesn’t work between us, then I’m no worse off. But if it does work, how’s that for a dream come true.’
‘You really mean that?’
He nodded and kissed her cheek. ‘Work with me here, Rhett.’
She lowered her hands and joined their bodies, kissing him hard for good measure.
Heath laughed on her lips. ‘That’s not what I meant.’
‘I know, but—’
‘No buts. I’m with you all the way.’ He gently lowered her back to the pillow whilst snuggling his face into her neck.
‘I’ll give us a try, Heath, but can we just keep this between us for now? I don’t want to hide or anything, I just think it’s for the best if we figure us out first.’
‘Sounds like a plan, but it might be hard for me to keep my hands off you.’
‘I’m not complaining.’
I just hope this works, because I can’t take any more pain.
Heath’s hot body pressing down on hers bought her out of her thoughts and into the moment. She prayed they would have so many moments together, because they deserved happiness. They deserved to be together. But what if they were too different now? What if they were just reaching for dreams way too high?
Rhett closed her eyes, absorbing the connection whilst it was there. Right now, everything was perfect, except for the uncomfortable mattress, the lack of sleep, the big secret she now had, and the tiny niggle that wouldn’t go away, telling her something would go wrong.