Chapter 16
Just when I think I’ve grown a backbone, life says fuck no.
“Fuck me.” I let out a self-deprecating laugh, hollow and barely masking the anxiety twisting my stomach into knots.
“I plan to.”
Rhodes’s warm breath tickled my ear, his voice low and teasing, grounding me before my spiraling thoughts could fully consume me. As we all exited the war room, his hand found its place on my lower back, firm and steady, guiding me through the Hollow.
I was numb.
And I wanted to melt into nothingness.
My breaths came shallow as my vision tunneled, but I forced myself to focus, blinking rapidly.
The world snapped back into clarity as we reached a familiar hut—his, not mine.
I glanced over my shoulder, locking eyes with Rhodes.
His teasing smirk told me his provocative comment was meant to snap me out of my downward spiral.
I didn’t smother the tiny spark of happiness. Instead, I let my grin cover my face naturally as heat rushed to my cheeks. Even when everything was unraveling, he found a way to tether me back to something real.
“And why, may I ask, have you led me to your hut instead of my own, Wylder?” I teased, arching a brow.
Rhodes shut and locked the door behind him, leaning back against it with a casual ease. Arms crossed, ankles locked, his chin dipped slightly, and the blue in his right eye shone bright, even in the dim light of the room.
“Because we’re about to be on the road with a squad and no privacy. So selfishly, I’m keeping you to myself.”
Heat flushed my cheeks, and I turned away, hoping he wouldn’t catch it. “What about my belongings?”
“You have no past belongings here. I’ve already packed your drawer with new belongings. Courtesy of Fallon’s wardrobe.”
I whipped back around, meeting his gaze. “You packed me a drawer in your hut? And what if I didn’t want to stay with you?”
“I would’ve changed your mind.”
Stunned, I blinked up at him. This newfound confidence—this unwavering certainty in the tether between us—was new. Rhodes had never been this forward before.
He closed the distance between us, his touch featherlight as he tilted my chin up with a single finger. “I’m not pressuring you,” he murmured. “If you want to leave, you can. I just wanted to have a drawer ready for you if you decide to stay. For you to know that you have a place, if you want one.”
His gray-blue eyes searched mine, earnest and unguarded. My throat tightened.
“Take a hot bath, get some rest,” he continued. “I can sleep on the floor.”
He better not.
But I didn’t protest out loud. Instead, I swallowed the lump in my throat that had formed with his confession. Without another word, Rhodes turned and disappeared into the bathing chamber—the sound of rushing water filling the space.
All my life, I’d lived with caution. I’d taken the easy way out, followed the rules, stayed in the shadows where it was safe. But life had never cared about my safety. Time and time again, it shoved me over the line, breaking me down piece by piece. And I let it.
I was tired of fighting who I wanted to be.
My fingers found the zipper of my leather jacket, pulling it down in one fluid motion.
The worn fabric slid from my shoulders, pooling at my feet.
My hands moved with purpose, unfastening the buttons of my pants, peeling them away, followed by my boots.
My fingers worked through my braid, loosening the strands until my waves tumbled over my shoulders, cascading down to shield my breasts.
The sound of rushing water ceased.
Rhodes turned, and the moment his eyes met my body, he froze. His gaze swept down, lingering, drinking me in before locking back onto mine. Heat simmered in the space between us, thick and unrelenting.
“Thorn in my side...” His voice was velvet, rich with something dark and wanting.
My pulse pounded in my ears as I stepped closer, throwing up my mental gates to keep Lakota out.
Keeping my crimson gaze locked on his, I reached for his jacket, unzipping it with slow precision.
The leather slid over his broad shoulders, falling in a quiet heap on the floor.
His muscles tensed beneath my touch, but he didn’t stop me.
Rhodes moved in sync with me, his fingers working at the fastenings of his leather pants.
He pushed them down, stepping out of them until we were both bare—exposed in the flickering candlelight.
A slow, knowing smirk tugged at his lips as his eyes roamed my body, setting every nerve ending ablaze.
Then his lips were on mine. The kiss wasn’t gentle—it was raw, filled with every ounce of tension that had been simmering between us since the day we met. His grip was firm and possessive as he pulled me flush against him, his rough hands searing my skin.
Our tongues clashed, the heat between us sparking into something uncontrollable.
A deep groan rumbled in his chest as he lifted me effortlessly into his arms. My legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, and I tilted my head to suck at the pulse point on his neck, leaving my mark on him as he carried me.
Thick steam filled the bathing chamber, curling around us like tendrils of warmth. Rhodes lowered me into the hot water with care, his hands lingering for a second longer than necessary before he climbed in on the opposite side.
Rhodes reached for the bathing oils, his gaze never once straying from mine. There was something reverent in the way he looked at me—like I was a secret he had waited a lifetime to uncover.
Without a word, he pulled me onto his lap.
His strong hands were steady and sure as he poured warm water over my hair, his fingers working gently through the strands.
I exhaled, melting beneath his touch, but mischief flickered in my veins.
I reached between us, wrapping my fingers around his length.
His breath hitched. His hips stuttered beneath the water, but his hands never faltered.
He carried on, lathering my hair, letting the moment build like a storm on the horizon.
The scent of cashmere sandalwood and vanilla filled the steam-thickened air as he trailed the washcloth down my spine, his movements slow and deliberate, like we had all the time in the world.
Lifting me with effortless grace, he traced the cloth over my skin, cleansing me inch by inch, his lips finding the sensitive peaks of my breasts. He took one into his mouth, his tongue tracing delicate circles, and I gasped, my fingers digging into his shoulders.
I returned the gesture, lifting the bathing carafe and filling it with hot water.
His storm-bearing eyes fluttered closed as he tilted his head back for me, offering himself to my touch.
Rising onto my knees, I poured the water over his dark hair, watching as the rivulets cascaded down his sharp features.
His hands never ceased their slow exploration of my skin, tracing the curves of my body with a reverence that sent warmth pooling in my core.
Rhodes—this fierce, enigmatic man, always guarded, always in control—sat utterly at ease beneath my touch. He had allowed no one to see him so unguarded, not even Noemi, his dragon. But here he was, surrendering to my touch while I cleansed his hair.
The intimacy of the moment spoke louder than any words ever could.
We quickly toweled each other off before Rhodes picked me up once again, effortlessly lifting me into his arms. He turned and sat on the bed’s edge, pulling me onto his lap as I straddled him, my body settling into the firm warmth of his.
I cradled his face in my hands, feeling the roughness of his stubble under my fingertips as I looked down at him. My heart fluttered in my chest at the sight of this beautiful man.
But then it shattered.
“I thought I lost you before I truly ever had you,” he said.
My chest swelled with something I’d never felt before. “I’m here now.”
Unexplainable fear washed over his features as his jaw tensed under my touch. I kissed him softly, trying to ease whatever storm was brewing within him. His fingers trailed up and down my spine, stirring butterflies in my chest with his gentle caress.
“I’m sorry I tried to push you away,” I whispered against his lips.
Rhodes slowly shook his head, his thumb brushing against my cheek. “You could never push me away. I am yours, Scarlet Thorne. Nothing will ever change that. You can bend me, you can break me, but you’ll never be rid of me. Even if you change your mind, I’ll change it right back.”
A grin tugged at my lips as I kissed him again, soft and teasing. “That sounds like a challenge.”
He chuckled low, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “I’d expect nothing less from the thorn in my side.”
Rhodes lifted his hips, causing delicious friction across my core. I smirked to hide my whimper and repeated the words he said to me on the rooftop, “You’re a shameless tease, Wylder. I’ll take all you’ve got.”
As if my words unlocked something inside him, his hands moved to my hips, lifting me and lining our bodies up. In one slow thrust, Rhodes drove into me. We both gasped at the feeling from this angle, deeper than our first time. Rhodes paused, letting me adjust and waiting for my cue to continue.
I took the initiative, rising and falling on his length. The deep, guttural moans from Rhodes were enough to make me quicken my pace. I rode him until my legs burned, and he took over without complaint.
“You fit perfectly around me, Scarlet,” Rhodes moaned. “You sure you’ll take all I’ve got?”
I nodded eagerly, smiling between our kisses. In an instant, he shifted our positions, placing me on all fours on the bed with him kneeling behind me.
“Hold on tight.”