Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
RHETT
I checked the time on my phone and cursed under my breath. Navigating the streets of Buckhead could sometimes be as challenging as downtown Atlanta. I was twenty minutes late by the time I reached the Capital Grille. My mom wasn’t going to be happy, but there wasn’t much I could do about the traffic.
When I walked into the dark restaurant, I spotted my mom sitting near the window, and she wasn’t alone. Claire Settler smiled at me from her seat at the table. I let out a long groan as I entered the dining room. If there was the slightest chance I could sneak away and avoid this little setup, I would. But there she was, waving her arm, motioning for me to join them.
Fuck my life.
“Hey, Mom, sorry I’m late,” I offered her a sheepish apology as I leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“No worries, darling. Claire and I were just catching up. I forgot to mention that I invited her to join us.”
I should have known that it was a setup.
“Claire.” I waved. “It’s good to see you. ”
“Hi, Rhett. I hope you don’t mind that I’m crashing your lunch,” she said over the rim of her wineglass. “I thought it would be fun to surprise you.”
I hated surprises. “Of course.”
I went to take the seat next to my mother, but she quickly placed her purse and sweater on the seat, leaving the one next to Claire open. Claire scooted her chair closer to mine as soon as I sat down.
“So, I have some news,” my mother began. “I’m organizing a charity event for our veterans. Our local VA hospital is seeking funding to upgrade its mental health clinic. Claire has been appointed chair of the fundraising committee, and I offered your help.”
“I would be more than happy to make a few calls,” I replied, looking down at my watch. I was already counting the minutes until I could peel out of there. “I can send you an email once I receive the confirmation of who is donating what.”
She waved her hand. “That would be great, but seeing that this is the offseason, I was hoping you would be more directly involved.”
Claire rested her hand on my leg. “And I will be there every step of the way for whatever you need.” Her hand slid lower, but I shot my arm downward and seized her wrist before she made it any further. The thing with Claire was that you needed to be direct, or she would get the wrong idea. I learned that lesson the hard way.
I made the mistake of hooking up with her a few years back. I thought it would be harmless fun until she got the wrong idea and convinced my parents we were together when I made it crystal fucking clear we weren’t. She went crying to my mom over a broken heart, and it didn’t matter what I said. Claire had the perfect pedigree and connections. She came from a respected family, and my parents thought she would be the ideal person to settle down with once I was done playing the field.
Well, they would be waiting forever.
“Mom. I’ll have to look at my calendar and get back to you. You can count on me to make some calls, but I can’t commit to anything today until I talk to my assistant.”
“Rhett, I worry about you. You never take a break.”
My parents never understood that my commitment to football lasted well beyond the six months we played. We had sponsorship obligations, fundraising dinners, and celebrity tournaments, and I had my own charity to run.
“You know I hate sitting around doing nothing. I need to keep busy.” I pushed my silverware to the side. “If anyone should understand that it’s you.”
Both of my parents were workaholics. So, it was ironic that she was preaching to me about working too much when she rarely took a break herself.
She leveled her gaze on mine. “Even I take vacations from time to time. You need to find balance in your life. Please promise to take better care of yourself.”
“I promise, Mom, you have nothing to worry about.” I winked, hoping to put her mind at ease a bit.
The waitress came over and took our order. Claire slung her arm along the back of my chair and ordered another chardonnay. “Did I tell you that I am going to be on the June cover of Southern Bells ?”
I took a sip of my water. “You mentioned it.”
She’s told me no less than fifty times. She seemed to be under the impression that I gave a shit. I couldn’t care less.
“Oh, yes. I’m sure I have. I’m just so excited. There is going to be a launch party, and I was hoping you could go with me.”
She was getting more forward with her advances. I’ve been doing my best to drop subtle hints and ignore all her calls and texts, but the woman was like a bulldozer who didn’t know when to stop digging. “Unfortunately, my schedule is booked solid. Sorry.”
My mom folded her hands on the table. “Rhett, surely you can find time in your busy schedule.”
If I was interested in her, I probably could. But I wasn’t.
“I don’t want to add anything more to my plate,” I said, picking up my menu and studying it. Then, I remembered I had already ordered, so I set it back down. “If something changes, I’ll let you know.”
Claire smiled, and I immediately regretted it because I didn’t want to give her any false hope. As the conversation progressed, Claire went on about a fashion show she was invited to next month in Milan. She gushed about the lavish resort she and her friends were jet-setting off to this summer. She lost me somewhere between chartered yachts and VIP access to nightclubs.
“Oh, no. I just got a message. I’m sorry.” My mom stood with a speed that was impressive for her age. “But I have to go. Rhett, would you mind bringing Claire home? She drove with me.”
My mom needed a hobby because this was getting ridiculous. I knew she meant well—she always did—but she needed to understand that the idea of me settling down with Claire was never going to happen.
“I’m sorry, but I have a meeting across town. She should have no trouble finding an Uber.” I stood and pulled her chair out.
“You will do no such thing,” she openly scolded me. “Be the gentleman that I raised you to be, and make sure she gets home safely.”
I sighed, resigning myself to driving Claire home and mentally preparing for an awkward car ride .
I sat back down and gave Claire a strained smile. “I hope you don’t mind, but we’re going to have to leave as soon as you’re finished eating. I’m short on time today.”
She tilted her head to the side. I was expecting her to look disappointed, but instead, she seemed unfazed. “Okay, but I’m free later if you want some company.”
Been there, done that. No thanks.
I leaned back, and my eyes wandered through the restaurant, looking for an escape route. Everything slowed to a stop when I spotted honey-blond hair, pretty blue eyes, and perfect pink lips.
I blinked, making sure my eyes weren’t playing a trick on me. My wife had just walked in. This had to be a joke, right? What were the chances? As if she could feel the weight of my stare, she turned, and her mouth fell open.
Her eyes bounced back and forth between my lunch companion and me. Her lip curled into a frown. I didn’t need to guess what was happening in her head. I could feel her jealousy across the room.
She’d been avoiding me since I asked her to move in. During that time, I’d been going back and forth on reaching out or allowing the silence to continue.
I wasn’t the type of guy who sat by the phone, waiting for it to ring or got this worked up over a woman. Yet here I was, holding my breath, waiting for her to acknowledge me.
Her hands tightened around her purse strap, and I almost smiled but thought better of it. Instead, I sipped my drink, wondering how this would play out. Would she come over and say hello or ignore me and pretend I didn’t exist?
When she slid her small frame into the booth, effectively giving me her back, I knew I had my answer.
I slipped my phone out and shot her a text.
Me
Meet me by the bathrooms.
I watched and waited for her to read the message on her phone. Claire was prattling on about what I couldn’t tell you. I nodded and looked up every few seconds, pretending to be listening.
Natalie picked up her phone, glanced at it quickly, and flipped it face down on the table. I gave her a minute to respond, but after two passed, it became clear she was ignoring me, so I sent another one.
Me
Now, or I will walk up to your table and cause a scene.
I was full of shit, and she most likely knew that, but chances were, she wouldn’t risk it.
When Natalie got up to go to the bathroom, she had to walk right by my table. I hastily excused myself, barely acknowledging Claire’s confused stare. My heart raced as I rounded the corner and made my way toward the hallway where the restrooms were located.
My foot rested against the wall as I waited impatiently for her to finish up. I pulled my phone out, trying to distract myself, when the door finally swung open.
Instead of her usual skirt or dress, she was wearing black leather pants with a matching blazer. I cracked a smile when, in reality, I wanted to rip the leather material from her body and show her what she’d been missing out on.
“Hey.” I moved away from the wall. “Fancy meeting you here, huh?”
She stepped toward me, keeping those baby-blue eyes locked on mine. “I’m surprised you even noticed me. ”
I raised my eyebrow, playing it cool. “Of course, I noticed you.”
“Funny, it didn’t look like it to me,” she replied, crossing her arms defensively across her stomach.
I hesitated, unsure how to ease the tension between us. “Did I do something wrong?” I glanced over my shoulder to make sure we were alone. “You seem upset with me?”
She scoffed. “I’m not upset with you. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She tried to sidestep me, but I gripped her by the elbow.
“I don’t think so, sweetheart.”
“What do you want?”
Her! I wanted her and to stop playing these damn games.
I arched my neck and stared up at the ceiling. “I wanted to talk to you.”
Her attention flickered toward the dining room. “Is your date not able to carry on a conversation?”
“She’s not my date,” I explained. “I came here to meet my mother and realized it was a setup.”
She tilted her head to the side. “That’s the woman your mom has picked out for you?”
I nodded. “That’s the one.”
“She’s really pretty. You could do a lot worse.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” I said, keeping my eyes steady on hers.
“You’re really not interested in her?”
“I wouldn’t be here with you right now if I were.”
My gaze dropped to her mouth, and it took every bit of strength I had not to close the distance between us.
I wanted to taste those lips more than I wanted my next breath.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer .
It was probably foolish and reckless, but I closed the gap, towering over her. I dragged my nose to the side of her neck and brought my mouth to the shell of her ear. “I’m tempted to kiss the jealousy right out of you and put whatever doubts you have about me to rest.”
“I’m not jealous.” She said on a shaky breath that wasn’t very convincing.
“Then prove it.” I leaned in closer. “Kiss me, right here and right now.”
She frowned. “How does that prove I’m not jealous?”
I kept my tone light but my eyes serious. “If it doesn’t bother you then you’ll walk away without thinking twice.”
Her brows bent together. “That’s ridiculous. Your logic makes no sense.”
“Maybe not.” I smiled at her stubbornness. “So prove me wrong. Because if you’re not jealous than you won’t care if I take Claire home with me and fuck her, right?”
She hesitated for a second. Her eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and hurt, but she quickly composed herself. I thought maybe I had pushed her too far. So, I sighed, taking a step back, ready to apologize.
“Fine.” She yanked on my hand and led me out the back door. She looked to the left and to the right like there was a wrong way and she wanted to make sure she was headed in the right direction. She finally turned to the left, away from the pedestrians and parked cars, and continued down the pavement, never once stopping or telling me where we were going. If I had to guess, wherever it was, she didn’t want to be around people. We navigated our way through the parking lot and cut through a path where the only things surrounding us were trees and bushes.
She stopped abruptly when we were out of view, and just as I was about to ask what she had in store for me, she reached up on her tiptoes and shoved me against the tree trunk.
“Just so we are clear,” she brought her lips to my ear. “I’m not jealous. I’m just here to prove a point.”
I chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Yeah, right. You’re not jealous at all.” I pulled her closer. “Your words may say one thing, but your eyes tell a different story.”
There was a flicker of vulnerability in her expression. She cared more than she let on.
“You’re technically my husband, so your mother needs to stop trying to set you up with other women.”
“Are you ready to claim me as yours?” I asked, daring her to admit to something we both wanted. “So my mom and the entire world will know that I’m taken?”
“I’m just setting some boundaries and making sure when you walk back through that door that you won’t forget who I am to you.”
“What exactly are you to me?” I asked, resting my forehead against hers.
“I’m your wife, and as long as we are married, there will be no one else for either of us.”
She reached up and dipped her face forward, and in the next second, her lips were on mine, taking me by surprise. My palms cupped her cheeks as her tongue urgently sought access to my mouth. There was no hesitation on my end.
Her body moved closer, like she couldn’t help herself, so I allowed her to take the lead. There wasn’t a sliver of space between us. It felt like we were the only two people who existed, lost in a world of our own making.
She was on her tiptoes, so I angled my head to deepen the kiss. Her hands fisted in my hair. The grip she had on me was so tight I could barely breathe. She could have asked me for anything, and I would find a way to make it happen. I would give her anything she wanted.
I poured every ounce of emotion into the kiss. It was so consuming that I felt my entire world tilt on its axis. Her arm tightened around me, making it impossible to think straight. If I didn’t unleash some of this pent-up frustration soon, I was going to lose my mind.
Someone could walk by and hear us, but I didn’t care as long she kept doing what she was doing.
Her hand palmed my erection, and the rubber band holding me together snapped. Her lips moved down my neck, and she sucked hard, taunting and teasing me when I was already craving her next touch. She was pushing me to my limit when her hand moved down to my belt. Overwhelming desire was all I could feel.
I clenched my teeth together when she slid my zipper down and pulled my dick out. “Natalie,” I gritted out when she started stroking me. There wasn’t time to think or look to see if anyone was within hearing distance. All I could think about was how good it felt to have her hand wrapped around me. I swelled and thickened in her hand as she continued to stroke harder, like this was a game of foreplay that she was intent on winning.
There wasn’t much restraint left in me when she slid her finger over my balls. How could I be this turned on by just watching her try to get me off?
“To be clear, this isn’t what I had in mind when I pulled you out here,” she said, squeezing my arousal so tight that it sent chills shooting up my spine. If she was trying to inflict pain on me, I’d let her try all night long.
“You won’t hear any complaints from me.”
A moan flew from my mouth when she started pumping with a possessiveness that added to the already overwhelming sensations. She stretched and pulled, and it was the best type of torture I’d ever felt in my life.
My cock jerked in her hand. “I’m going to come if you keep that up.”
“You better be quiet then because I’m not stopping,” she said without an ounce of shame.
Her fingers were wound so tight as she pulled and squeezed my pulsing cock. My hips flexed forward. I could barely contain myself. It was growing thick and heavy, so I clenched my hand around her hair to keep myself upright. With each tug, I had to suck in a breath. With each squeeze, I hissed through gritted teeth.
My fingers dug into her scalp as she picked up the pace. Our eyes met and held. My breathing was erratic as a bead of pre-cum glistened at the tip.
It had never been like this with anyone before, and I didn’t think it ever would be.
Her movements became harder and faster, and I was done. The sensation was too much. Her touch was too intense. “You asked for it.” I shot my hips forward with her name on my tongue. I was lost. I had no sense of my surroundings. The woman was consuming me in the best possible way. My legs shook, my eyes closed, and I finally let go.
I should have been embarrassed at how quickly I came. She made me feel things, things I couldn’t explain. Something stirred inside me, and I tried to figure out what it meant.
When I finally opened my heavy lids, my gaze landed on her hand, which was coated with my arousal. I wasn’t sure where the insatiable need came from, but my dick felt like it was coming back to life.
She shook her head and looked away as if she were ashamed of herself. “I can’t believe I got carried away like that. This isn’t me. Why do you make me crazy like this?”
My breath stopped, and I stared into her blue eyes, which were swimming with emotion. She liked me, maybe more than liked me. If she didn’t care, it wouldn’t have bothered her to see me with someone else.
“Probably the same reason why you make me feel so damn weak?” I was panting hard and feeling off-balance. “What if I told you that I have real feelings for you? That I haven’t been able to think about anyone else since Vegas? That you are all I want.”
“But there is still so much that we don’t know about each other.”
“Then let’s take advantage of the time we have and learn. Move in with me. Get to know me. The real me. Give me one month.”
“One month?” Her resolve was weakening, as if she was finally opening herself up to the idea.
“That’s all I need.” My eyes held her captive. If this was my one chance, I wasn’t going to waste it.
She looked down at the ground and back to me. “What if this doesn’t work out?”
“Then at least we tried.” I replied. “We can’t live our life in fear of what might go wrong. We need to take chances on things that could go right.”
She bit her lip. I could see the internal battle she was fighting. “Fine. I’ll stay with you, but I’m still going to look for my own place.”
I pulled in a quick breath. “You can take all the time you need.”
She arched an eyebrow. “No promises and no expectations.”
I grinned. “Whatever you say, boss.”
She took a step back. “I’m sorry if I’ve been sending you mixed signals. I’m just trying to keep a level head about this. I feel something for you too, that’s what makes this so scary.”
I reached out, lifting her chin and forcing her to look at me. “I’m scared too, but I’m more scared of missing out on something amazing because I was too afraid to try.”
“One step at a time, right?”
I smiled. “Right.”
Her expression softened. “Thanks for being so understanding.”
“I’ll never push you beyond anything you’re not comfortable with.”
She looked down at her hands. “I need to get cleaned up and get back to my table. I’m meeting with one of the interns.”
I looked down at my dick. I had a mess on my hands. “I gotta do the same, but you go back in before me.” I reached out and pulled her in for one last kiss. “And for the record, you can claim me whenever you want. I’m all yours.”
Her mouth opened like she wanted say something, but instead, she turned and headed back to the restaurant. I watched through the bushes as the door closed behind her and sank against the tree. I glanced up at the sky with a grin.
Maybe jealousy wasn’t such a bad thing after all.