Page 37

He smirked and opened his mouth to answer.

“Okay, I don’t want to know,” I said quickly.

The timer on the oven went off, and he turned, getting a worn blue oven mitt out of a drawer. He used it to pull out the pan, the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies intoxicating.

He set the pan on the stove and said, “Go sit down. I’ll bring you some.”

I went to his table with the cups of milk and sat at one of the wooden chairs while he plated us a few cookies each. He brought them over, and I picked up a piece, bringing the warm and gooey bite to my mouth. The sweet flavor flooded my taste buds, and it took all I had not to moan. “Okay, don’t tell your mom, but I think I agree with you.”

He laughed, dunking his cookie in milk and then eating it. “I won’t say ‘I told you so.’” He glanced over at me. “You have a little... on your cheek.”

I reached to wipe it, but he shook his head. “A little to the right. Other right.”

I moved my hand again.

“You made it worse,” he said, chuckling.

“Help me,” I cried, laughing too.

He reached out, and I could feel the warmth of his hand before he cupped my cheek. His callouses were rough on my skin as the pad of his thumb swept over my bottom lip.

I suppressed a shudder as he drew his thumb back and brought it to his lips. I looked from his mouth to his captivating hazel eyes. We were only inches apart. If I leaned in closer, tilted my head...

The doorbell rang, startling me back from Rhett. My heart raced as he rose from his chair. “Sorry, one second.”

He wiped his hands on his jeans as he walked to the door, and I tried to compose myself. I couldn’t believe I’d been about to kiss Rhett Griffen.

And I wondered if the opportunity would still be there when whoever was here went on their way. If I wanted a chance to taste his lips after all these years.

That was until I heard Rhett stumbling over his words, footsteps into his living room.

I turned to see a woman a few years younger than us dressed in short denim shorts and a pink crop top. She had a toned body, perky breasts, tanned skin, perfectly smooth blond hair pulled into a ponytail.

“I’ve been wanting to see you so bad,” she said in a cutesy, whiney voice.

Everything I’d eaten that night threatened to come up.

She saw me and stopped on her path to what I assumed was his bedroom. “Oh. I’m totally down for a threesome.”

Feeling sicker than before, I got up and said, “Excuse me. I was just leaving.”

I walked past them, going out the door as Rhett said, “Mags, wait.”

Tears were already building along my bottom lash, and I fought to keep them at bay. I didn’t want him to see how much he still affected me. How shitty it felt to know women were still showing up at his door, even while I was there.

I was so stupid, letting my heart get carried away, letting him drive me out to the country, where I didn’t have my own car to get away. I pushed out his front door, walking down the sidewalk to the dirt road.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, fumbled with it to call Camryn for a ride.

“Mags, wait!” He jogged after me and put his hand on my arm to stop me.

I turned, facing him, and snapped, “Don’t touch me!”

He immediately raised his hands in surrender. “Magnolia, I promise you, I did not invite her over. I didn’t know she was coming, and I’m sending her home right now. Please, just come inside. We were having a good time before she showed up.”

I stared at him incredulously. “You want me to come back into your house, knowing that women feel comfortable showing up any hour of the day, walking back to your bedroom right in front of me?”

“That was my life before you came home,” he said.