Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Rhett
I t was the early hours of the morning when Rhett woke, Charlie’s warm curves curled into his side. He was lying on his back, with Charlie using his shoulder as a pillow, her hand resting on his chest. Her breath was slow and soft, relaxed in sleep.
He couldn’t resist rubbing his cheek against her soft hair. The scent of her enveloped him and a deep sense of contentment had him smiling.
Surely last night was just the beginning. Even if she was only in Cape Wilde for a few days, who knew where this could lead? He may as well make the most of whatever time they had. He smiled as he took his time watching her sleep. Her eyelashes were long, swooping over cheeks dotted with fine freckles.
The sunlight broke through the trees. It was past time to get up, and he slipped out from under Charlie’s arm and padded into the kitchen, a towel wrapped around his waist. While he waited for the coffee to brew, he pulled on his boots and went out to his truck, feeling more than a little silly in boots and a towel.
The cause of the noise the night before became clear. Rhett paused with a hand resting on the side of the truck. A tree had fallen across the track, completely blocking the way back to Cape Wilde. Had it fallen in a different direction, it could have hit the cabin. He shook his head. They’d been lucky. He’d have to move it before they could leave, and he didn’t like the idea of Charlie out here alone without him checking to see if there were any other trees likely to come down.
All that could wait until after he’d had at least one cup of coffee.
Rhett grabbed the duffel he kept on the backseat and headed back to the cabin. Toeing off his boots, he reached inside the bag and pulled out the old pair of jeans and a tee shirt he kept in the truck. He dressed quickly and soon had coffee in hand. It wasn’t anything like Joe and Pierre made at Wilde Buns, but it was passable.
His morning lifeblood restored, he was leaning with one hip propped on the cabin door, staring into the early light when Charlie approached. She was wearing a pair of pink flannel pajama pants with cartoon cats of all different colors, and the cardigan from last night wrapped tightly around her against the chill morning air.
“Good morning,” she said.
Rhett grunted. Great, just the impression he wanted to make. Sophisticated man here, grunting at the polished city slicker.
“So, um. Can we talk?” she asked, her hands twisting the hem of her shirt nervously. “I have an idea.”
“Sure,” he said, turning to lean into the jam. He sipped his coffee as he waited for her to start.
“What if you didn’t have to sell the land?”
He laughed. “I don’t have to sell it.”
She huffed and bit her bottom lip, staring out the door. “I know that. But it’s obvious you need money.”
He shifted, shoulders stiffening.
“Look,” she said, her voice soft, “there’s a lot of opportunity here. The land is great, the views are amazing?—”
“I’m not building some resort?—”
She held up a hand. “Just listen. Please.”
He had a bad feeling about this, so he drained his cup and returned it to the kitchen. “Can it wait? I have to get rid of a tree blocking the trail or we’ll never get out of here.”
He knew he was being an asshole, but he didn’t want to stand here and have her pick apart his business. He did the best he could with the resources he had. He hadn’t gone to college, had barely finished high school, but he wasn’t blind. He knew what she saw.
Wilde Outdoor Adventures was barely operating in this century, let alone this decade. He didn’t want to spoil what he’d felt last night by having her look down on him.
He rinsed his cup out, heading towards the door to pull his boots on.
“There’s a tree?”
Rhett gestured past the truck, glad that she appeared to have lost interest in talking about the land again.
“Oh, wow. That’s certainly a problem.” She grimaced. “Can I help?”
Rhett bent to pull his boots on and tie the laces. “No, I’ve done plenty of these before. It shouldn’t take too long to clear enough to get past in the truck.” He straightened. “I’m not sure about your rental, though.”
Charlie bit her lip. “I’m stuck here?”
“No, beautiful.” He dropped a kiss to her nose, smirking as she scrunched her face up. “But you can’t stay here.” He explained about the other trees and the risk of limbs coming down after a storm and she paled.
“I’ll pack my things,” she said.
He nodded, striding towards his truck to grab an axe from the trunk on the back. He paused, one hand on the latch and his breath caught at the sight of her standing in the doorway to the cabin. Her hair was messed from sleep, and she was still in pajamas, but it didn’t matter to him.
She was still the most stunningly beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Charlie lifted her hand, and he smiled, lifting his in return.
Be cool, man. Be cool.
He yanked the trunk open and grabbed the axe, turning to walk to where the tree fell across the track. He started by trimming the smaller branches, and it didn’t take him long to work up a sweat. He pulled his shirt off, draping it over a branch and kept going, falling into the familiar rhythm of chopping wood.
It was half an hour later and the sun had risen properly when he heard Charlie calling his name. He finished dragging the limb to the side of the track and turned to see her standing a dozen or so feet away. She was holding a flask in one hand, and a plate in the other, frozen in place. Her mouth dropped open as she stared at Rhett.
He looked down at himself and then back at her. “What?”
She snapped her mouth shut and then dragged her eyes to his, her cheeks flaming red. She took a step towards him and held her hands out.
“I thought you might be hungry.”
Rhett’s stomach growled. “Sounds like you’re right.”
He was famished. He hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before and swinging an axe had worked up an appetite.
He grabbed his shirt from the branch where he’d hung it and mopped the sweat from his neck and chest with it. “Thanks.”
She went to speak but squeaked and then cleared her throat. “You’re welcome.”
“Charlie?”
She closed her eyes, still holding the plate and flask out. “Yes, Rhett?”
“Open your eyes.”
Her eyes snapped open, and her brown eyes met his. Her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip, and she chewed on it as she looked down, her eyes trailing over his still bare chest before snapping back up to his face. Her cheeks were bright red and Rhett smiled, enjoying the effect he had on her.
“Surely you’ve seen a man without a shirt before?”
“Of course,” she scoffed. She extended her arms towards him. “Here.”
Rhett ignored the food and hooked a thumb through his belt loop. “Beautiful, you have not turned beet red just from seeing me without a shirt?” Rhett chuckled as he tossed the item of clothing in question over one shoulder and moved to stand directly in front of her.
Charlie was forced to tilt her head back to meet his eyes or stare at his chest, so she just closed her eyes. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with her breathing. The breeze whipped strands of chestnut brown hair around her face and Rhett couldn’t help but reach out to finger one soft lock.
“Beautiful,” he said with a groan, and bent to drop a light kiss on her lips.
She moaned, kissing him back, before pulling away with a gasp. “Do you have any idea how you look right now?” She panted.
“Uh, no?” He took the flask and the plate from her, freeing her hands.
She shook her head at him. “You are all muscles and sweaty bronzed skin,” she reached out with a finger and trailed it down the middle of his chest, following a drop of sweat that was trickling slowly south. “These jeans,” she tugged on the waistband, “are far too large and you have no idea what these make me think of.” She traced her fingers over the vee of his obliques.
Rhett’s skin flamed under her touch and the jeans that she called far too large suddenly felt far too small.
She lifted an eyebrow and grinned. “Now do you understand why I’m a bit flustered?” She walked around him in a slow circle, trailing her finger over his skin as she did. “I want to climb you like a tree.” She finished her circle and stood in front of him again. “But I have turned that cabin inside out and there isn’t a single condom in there, so no tree climbing for me.” She turned as she sang the last word, smirking at him over her shoulder as she walked away.
Rhett watched her hips sway as she left, unable to help but laugh. She was sassy, and he loved every second.
Once she was back in the cabin, he ate the food and got back to work. It didn’t take him long to finish with the tree, moving enough branches to drive the truck out. He’d have to come back with his cousin Logan and a chainsaw to make the track serviceable, but for now, this would do.
Donning his shirt, he headed back to the cabin to find Charlie had cleaned up. It didn’t feel right to not see any evidence of her stay here. Like last night had never happened.
Like she was never in his life.
He rubbed at the center of his chest, frowning.
Charlie emerged from the bedroom, a tote bag in hand, and placed it on a small suitcase near the door.
“Good to go?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
He went to grab her suitcase, but she batted his hand away. “I’ve got it.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I know, but would it hurt to let me help?”
She gave him a strange look that he couldn’t decipher and pulled her hand away. “Alright.”
Rhett picked up her bag and carried it to the truck. He helped Charlie inside, thankful that he’d cleaned it out only the week prior.
They had almost made it back to Cape Wilde when Charlie turned to him. “Um, where am I going to stay? It was hard enough getting the booking for your cabin at this time of year.”
He shot her a look. “I assumed you’d be staying with me.”
She smirked, an eyebrow raised. “That’s a bit of an assumption there, big guy.”
He laughed. “I’m not that big.”
“Compared to me you are. I’d rather not stay with you.”
He scowled. “Why not?”
“I don’t want you getting any more ideas about my motivations.”
Oh. That made sense, even if he would prefer it if she were with him. In his bed. In his life.
He shoved the thought deep inside and locked it down tight. She was only here for a few more days.
“So, where are you going to stay? You’re right, there are no vacancies this time of year.”
She grinned at him. “I’m going to stay with you.”
Rhett groaned and shook his head. “I thought you just said?—”
“As long as you promise not to go down that whole weird thing where you think my father sent me to prostitute myself in order to get you to sell that land.”
“I never said?—”
“Uh, huh.”
Rhett shot her a glance and the tilt of her head, raised eyebrows and crossed arms told him everything he needed to know. “Yeah, ok. I won’t.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
She giggled. “And you’d better make sure you have some condoms, because there’s no way I’m staying under the same roof as you again without riding that gorgeous cock of yours.”
Rhett choked, coughing and laughing at the same time.
“Yes, ma’am.”