Chapter 24
Rhodes
“There are plenty of ways I can think of to relax.” The words rumbled out, low and gravelly, as the truck ate up the miles toward home.
Her hand had just grazed me, light as a butterfly's wing, and it stirred something way down deep—a pull I couldn't shake. It took every ounce of willpower not to slam on the brakes right there and lose myself completely in her. But this thing between us? It wasn’t just lust.
“I can think of some, too.” A soft pink bloomed across her cheeks, and she lifted her chin, meeting my gaze with that quiet fire. “Maybe I need some relaxation.”
Sage was a rare, beautiful blend of innocence and wit.
She was funny. Her sass drew me in, but this attempt at …
I didn’t even know if I could call it seduction.
Well, it undid me. The first time I’d seen and heard her with her siblings, I’d been completely drawn in.
She was a light in the world, and I’d wanted her in mine.
I’d paid my dues for years, and it was time to move past that shit. Was it wrong to want to do it with her?
“Is that a fact?” I slanted a look at her and went a little faster.
Pulling up to the gate, frustration gnawed at me—the security perimeter still wasn't operational. I needed to fix that immediately. This place moved at a slower pace, and even though East had full crews out here, they weren’t exactly hurrying.
It hadn’t really bugged me before, but now?
Well, things were urgent, and it made me realize that it wasn’t just a matter of a yard …
I needed to know people couldn’t get in.
Having the fence unsecured was unacceptable.
My team would rip into me if they knew it was like this, and they’d be justified.
At least the house system was active, providing a small barrier between us and any lingering threats.
She was still flushed when I helped her from the truck, my hand lingering on hers as I unlocked the door and punched in the code. School wouldn't let out for another hour, but Wade and the crew could descend any minute, like a storm I wasn't ready for.
I took her hand, leading her upstairs. “I’ve always wanted to see inside,” she murmured, her voice just a soft echo in the quiet house. I heard her, but my focus was on the warmth of her palm in mine, the way she didn’t say anything when I kept her moving instead of stopping for a tour.
We had security footage to review, and I needed to phone the team, but there was no stopping me until I drew her into my office and onto my lap. She straddled me naturally, as if we'd done this a thousand times.
“You’re going to help me relax, right?” she asked when she caught my hesitation.
“That’s right. I’m selfless like that.” It felt natural to capture her mouth in a kiss. Was I being a maniac? Sure, but that rage I’d felt earlier wouldn’t be satisfied until she was mine.
She tasted like strawberries and the kind of dreams I'd stopped believing in. My fingers wove into her braid, gentling the kiss even as her body pushed even tighter against mine, pressing the juncture of her thighs against my dick.
“These overalls... they drive me crazy. All these little buckles you have,” I whispered against her lips, sliding one free with careful fingers, letting the strap fall from her shoulder.
Her eyes darkened with a mix of interest and desire as I eased the other loose and lifted her shirt off.
My breath caught at the sight of her. She was a vision.
She offered a small, secret smile, her voice teasing. “A girl likes to feel pretty, Mr. Collins. Were you thinking I was a white-cotton-bra kind of girl? Sorry to disappoint.”
As if anything about her would be in that classification.
Beneath the practical layers, she wore a sheer green lace bra, embroidered with delicate lilies—like a hidden garden blooming just for me.
I'd imagined Sage naked plenty of times, what her tits might be like, or if her nipples would be pale like shells or dark like the inside of a rose. But I’d never thought she’d have something like this hiding under her work clothes.
This wasn’t cheap lingerie or even the kind you got at the mall.
This was La Perla or some boutique shit.
“Now you know my guilty pleasure,” she teased, her fingers trailing along the back of my neck.
Her nipples peeked through the lace, dusky and inviting, and I hesitated, torn between teasing her slowly or baring her completely.
“Oh? I’ll show you a whole different kind of guilty,” I whispered. It was mostly to myself, but I loved seeing another side to her. This one was all softness and femininity. I couldn’t wait to explore every aspect of her.
Gently, I grazed her breasts through the fabric and around the embroidery, my hands gliding up her torso, tracing her skin.
My thumbs brushed the peaks lightly, drawing a soft groan from her as she shifted her hot little pussy against me.
The friction was enough to have me nearly coming in my pants, but it was her whimpers that undid me—the way she leaned into my touch, like I was her safe place.
“Rhodes,” she breathed, her hands pressing to my chest, eyes wide with need. “I...”
“I promised you relaxation, didn't I?” My voice was husky, laced with both desperation and an emotion I couldn't hide. She was stunning—curves that begged to be held, full and soft, a perfect fit for my large hands.
I kissed her through the lace, my mouth closing over one nipple, sucking gently, my tongue teasing in circles. She arched into me, a soft moan escaping, her body swaying closer, and my chest tightened with the intimacy of it.
“Oh my God, I’m so close already,” she whispered, fingers threading into my hair, pulling me closer—not in demand, but in quiet plea. Her hips pumped lazily against me, seeking friction against her clit.
She was so beautiful. I smiled against her, shifting to the other side, easing the lace away with my teeth to expose her.
My lips enveloped her bare skin, sucking with reverence, my hand cupping the other, rolling it gently.
She gasped as each taste brought me to a new place.
My goal here was her pleasure. With careful hands, I helped her shed the rest of the overalls, her boots following, leaving her in that green lace. She was magnificent.
Comparing her to anyone in this moment was a crime, but it was a gift that she was wet and ready. It meant that she wanted me. The thought made my cock throb. My fingers traced over the dampness through her panties.
“You’re wet,” I murmured, my voice thick with awe as my fingers traced over the dampness there.
She nodded, eyes locked on mine, full of that innocent fire that had captured me from the start. Sliding the fabric aside, I slipped a finger inside her slick warmth, then another, moving with deliberate slowness, my thumb circling that little button that made her eyes roll.
“There,” she panted, her head tilting back, braid swaying like a lifeline. Her hands worked the buttons of my jeans free and released my cock, wrapping around me. She stroked me as she moved with my rhythm, our breaths mingling, hearts syncing.
I was going to come if she kept that up, and the only way I wanted to do that was inside of her.
Rolling on the condom desperately, I lifted her slightly, positioning us.
“Tell me you want this,” I said, my voice raw, just needing to be sure as the tip bumped against her.
She was already sliding against me, her eyes hooded, but I held her still.
There was that part of me that had been poisoned by my marriage, by a woman who had told me over and over again that she hadn’t wanted me.
“I want it. All of you,” she whispered, her gaze holding mine, completely sure.
I entered her slowly, groaning at the perfect way she sank down on me, like we'd been made for this.
She sighed, adjusting to my size, then began to move with me.
The gentle rises and falls, our bodies finding a shared rhythm.
The world faded. It was just my cock tunneling into her tight little heat until my balls were going to blow. Sage arched against my palms.
“Holy shit.” Circling her clit in a steady rhythm, I breathed against her mouth, “Let go with me, Sage.”
She came undone with a soft cry, her body trembling around me, pulling me into the wave. Holding her tight, the pleasure crashed through me. We lingered there, our foreheads touching, our breaths shared as I wondered if my world had just been rocked in more ways than one.
“That... was …,” she said softly, a breathless laugh escaping, her cheeks still warm. “Awesome.” She pressed a kiss to my shoulder. Her eyes found mine. “Relaxing.”
I was reluctant to let go. “Yeah, it was.” I gave her shoulder blade a lick, scowling at the marks on her arms. Stroking a hand along her spine, I wanted to keep her curved against me.
My cock stirred again, but it was hours I wanted.
To explore, to watch her come alive under my touch.
Lick her. Fuck her into the mattress over and over again. Too bad we didn’t have time for that.
I scowled. “Let's clean up before the crew arrives. I don't want to rush this... us.”
She smiled, leaning down for another quick kiss. “Bathroom up here?” She eased off me, and the loss hit like a pang, but she moved with that whirlwind grace that she always had, not seeming to mind the awkwardness of the moment.
Frowning, I disposed of the condom and dressed, watching her in the mirror as she bounced back from the bathroom, then rebraided her hair with a sigh, taming the wildness we’d unleashed. She only shot me one shy glance, but there were no coy glances to see if I was looking.
It stung a little how quickly she composed herself so quickly, even though I felt like something monumental had happened.
My jeans felt too tight, my body protesting the distance, but she was an angel, fussing with her hair as if it grounded her.
Grumbling inwardly, I grabbed water and protein bars from the mini-fridge and set them on the desk instead of doing what I wanted.
If we’d had more time, I would have tended to her properly.
Drawn her a bath and gotten in the tub with her.
Then I’d take her all over again. I didn’t want some quick office fuck, but somehow I’d dragged her up here like a prick after she’d been assaulted in the parking lot.
Jesus.
I dialed Redhawk. Parrish answered, sounding bored. It grated, amplifying my edge.
“Boss.”
“Sit rep. Take notes,” I ground out. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sage pause in the doorway cocking her head while she listened to me bark at one of my most trusted employees.
“Go.” Parrish knew the drill and wasn’t going to waste my time. It was one of the reasons I liked him.
I laid everything out, sparing nothing, my voice steady but infused with the protectiveness she stirred in me. She stepped closer, sipping water, her presence a quiet comfort. “Full crew here tomorrow. Gear to camp. Install at my place for the perimeter. I’ll send you details.”
“You got it. We'll handle it, boss. I’ll mobilize everyone. Expect us by … 22:00.”
“Copy.”