Chapter 31
Rhodes
When the door closed on the trio from Redhawk, I knew I’d have to face consequences for my bossy behavior.
Deciding to put a system in her shop and then bringing Ellis in as close protection detail probably pissed her off, but Sage was still silent, watching me with those eyes of hers that killed me.
The day's shadows clung to her, and I could see the faint lines of exhaustion around her eyes. No way in hell was I letting her out of my sight. Not with that threat lurking, not when every instinct screamed to keep her close. Right now, I had no idea who the fucker was that tried to nab her, and no idea what they had wanted with her. We didn’t even know if the person at the gas station was the same person who had been yanking her chain with the flowers.
Just the thought of anything happening to her sent a shiver of fear down my spine, followed by a murderous rage.
“You’ll stay here tonight, right? Where it’s safe,” I asked, my voice low and rough as I caught her wrist gently, pulling her up from the couch.
A spark of defiance mixed with something softer. "Rhodes, I'm fine. Besides, what if …”
"No." The word came out sharper than intended, pure instinct kicking in.
I stepped closer, crowding her, my hands framing her hips.
"You're not handling this alone. Not anymore.
You're mine to protect." The thought of her vulnerability, that creep's hands on her earlier.
.. it ignited a possessive fire I couldn't douse.
I softened it with a brush of my thumb along her cheek. "Please. For me. Stay."
She searched my face, then nodded, the tension easing into a small smile. "Okay. But only because your guest room beats my empty house.”
“You’re cute. Guest room,” I scoffed. The idea of her anywhere but my bed was laughable. “That’s not happening.”
I led her upstairs, trying not to hurry her, but I didn’t need to worry. Her grin had kicked up by the time we got there.
"Let me take care of you," I murmured, the words heavy with need. My hands slid up her calves.
It started gently, her fingers threading through my hair until her nails scraped against my scalp in a way that drove me wild.
I eased her back onto the bed, my hands roaming with singular purpose.
I wanted to see her. All of her. Stripping away her clothes until she was bare beneath me, her skin flushed and inviting.
There was that lingerie she was wearing, and I couldn’t wait to see what other treasures she had tucked away in her drawers.
Just the thought of unwrapping her every day to see what she was hiding under her crazy overalls made me harder.
"God, Sage," I growled, my voice thick with awe, tracing the full curves of her breasts with my lips. Her nipples stiffened under my tongue as I sucked gently at first, then nibbled, drawing a moan from her that shot straight to my cock.
She arched into me, her hands fumbling with the buttons of my jeans, freeing me with eager strokes that had me groaning. "Rhodes... I need you inside me,” she whispered, her eyes dark with desire, vulnerability lacing her plea.
Fumbling around the nightstand for a condom, I threw one on the bed. This wasn’t going at all as I had planned. I thought I’d have a chance to shower her with kisses and licks, lie between her thighs for hours; instead, I was a randy fucking teenager. Desperate.
“That’s fine, but afterward I’m going to lick you all over, and you’re going to lie there and let me.”
“As long as you get in me right now,” she laughed, stretching her arms over her head while she watched me.
I loved that she was confident in this way. It made her sexy as fuck. Giving a dark chuckle, I shucked out of my clothes and opened the crinkly packaging, spreading her thighs wide as I gripped the base of my dick.
“Nobody is going to touch you again. You're mine,” I rasped, positioning myself between her thighs, pushing against her entrance. She was wet and ready as I pushed in slowly, savoring the way she enveloped me—tight, hot, perfect. "I’ll fucking kill them if they do.”
She gave that little gasp I liked as I thrust forward, her breasts jiggling with the movements and her lashes fluttering against her cheeks.
Each glide was pure torture in the best way as she met each forward press.
Gripping her hips, I angled to hit that spot that made her moan, my mouth claiming hers in a messy, heated kiss.
"Yes... harder," she panted, her body trembling, walls pulsing around me.
That request was a request I could honor. If I could pound into her like this forever, I would. Being buried in her tight heat was exactly where I wanted to be.
"Come for me, sweetness,” I ordered, my thumb stroking her clit relentlessly. I knew she was close. She shattered with a sharp cry, gushing around me as her orgasm pulled me under, waves of release crashing as I thrust deep one last time, spilling inside the condom with a guttural moan.
We collapsed together, breaths ragged, my head on her chest as she trailed her hands over my back. "You're safe with me," I whispered, kissing her forehead. "Always."
We lay there for a few moments before I got up to dispose of the condom and bring her a warm washcloth, wiping away the mess at the apex of her thighs before holding her against my chest. Our breaths had just begun to sync, her eyelids closing when the doorbell shattered the tiny peace.
Tensing, I glanced at the clock. It was past eleven, and the guys wouldn’t be ringing the bell. If they were, they were dead. Actually, I was going to kill one of them anyway for allowing someone to ring the bell.
"Stay here," I ordered, pulling on jeans and grabbing my sidearm from the nightstand.
Downstairs, I checked the security feed: Catherine. I could guess what she wanted.
She looked disheveled and desperate under the porch light. She was going to wake up Opal, and that was the last thing I wanted. I yanked the door open, blocking her path. "What are you doing here?"
Parrish hovered nearby, nervously looking from me to her. “I wasn’t sure what to do.” He shrugged helplessly. “She got to Oakes. I already fired him.”
My lawyer had suggested that since I had full custody, Catherine didn’t need to know my exact address.
He was well aware of the machinations she had gone through over the time she’d been in my life.
If she wanted to see Opal, she was supposed to make arrangements through our attorneys, not just show up on my doorstep.
I wasn’t super surprised that she’d finagled a location out of someone. Catherine was a mind-fuck, and Oakes was young. We’d vetted him, and it was a disappointment, but probably not as much as it would be to Oakes when he figured out she played him.
“Stay here.” I pointed at Parrish. Catherine would be escorted off the property immediately, and Parrish would be doing it. He gave me a nod.
"Rhodes, baby! It’s so good to see you.” Her face took on that absolute fake mask that she was so good at. All simpering bullshit. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you. This has all been a mistake.” Her voice was all saccharine whining. “Can I come in?” She took a step forward.
“No. You’re going to be leaving.” There was no mistake in anything she’d done, and nothing she could do would convince me of it. "We had a deal.” I crossed my arms. “A legal one. I’m not sure how you found me, but this isn’t the place for you.”
Her lip wobbled a little, and her eyes welled with tears. This was typical of her. If it were any other woman, this tactic might have worked on me, but she and I were well past that. “But … Rhodes? I’m the mother of your child. Surely that means something. I want to see my baby.”
“No. It really doesn’t mean anything. You don’t need to see her. All you need to do is get the fuck off my property. You can contact my attorney if you want to adjust our agreement or have a visit.” It was hard to keep the sneer out of my voice, but I managed.
I learned my lesson with her. I had years to do it, and there was nothing Opal or I owed her.
Not our time or our compassion. She wanted more money.
Dollars to doughnuts, that was why she was here now.
It was hard to fathom that she was blowing through the alimony she received.
If Parrish got anything from watching the spectacle, he wisely kept his mouth shut.
Catherine’s face flickered for a moment before she adopted a new expression as she looked over my shoulder. Her entire posture shifted. I knew her chameleon-like abilities well, so I wasn’t impressed.
“Who’s this, husband?” she asked.
Sage had come down the stairs, and her pale face was stricken as she looked at my ex-wife.
The whole thing with her had been fast, and while my head was clear on where I wanted things to go with us, I wasn’t sure she was.
Hell, we hadn’t even gotten to the part where we talked about my past with Catherine.
She didn’t have all the facts about my manipulative bitch of an ex-wife, and right now that was a bad thing.
Sage shifted from foot to foot, looking between the two of us, looking more uncertain than I’d ever seen her.
Catherine smirked, sensing the wedge. "He always comes back to me, sweetie. Don’t think that he won’t. You might be a good fuck, but it won’t last.”
My gut twisted. "It's not what you think. She's leaving." But it was clear that the damage was done by the look on her face. Sage spun on her heel, her feet already pounding up the hardwood stairs as Parrish winced, shaking his head.
Catherine laughed softly, her lips curling into a victorious smirk. “Trouble in paradise? Isn’t this quite a turn? Sure you can’t spare an extra 10k this month? I’ll leave you and your little whore alone.”
“Parrish, get her off my property. Get her an Uber or whatever.” I snarled, slamming the door in her face even as she argued. My team was going to hear about this for fuck’s sake.