Page 17

Chapter seventeen

Rhett

That was perfect. So goddamn perfect. We should be getting up; it’s almost noon. But even two orgasms — three for Evie — later, I don’t feel anywhere near done with her.

If we could, I’d stay here all goddamn day, fucking Evie, cuddling Evie, laughing with Evie.

We’re both on our sides, our legs tangled together. My hand is lightly running up and down the slope of her hip. She’s got her hands tucked under the pillow, her lips look well-kissed, and her eyes are soft and sleepy.

She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.

But we can’t stay here forever. Hell, we probably shouldn’t be here at all. I’ve committed the cardinal sin by sleeping with my best friend’s little sister.

Except right now, I can’t bring myself to give two shits about that.

“Rhett.” Evie’s tongue darts out and runs along her lips. “What are we going to do now?” It’s an echo of her earlier question. But I can’t avoid it by plying her with more sex any longer, no matter how enjoyable that would be for both of us.

“Well, first, I was thinkin’ we’d take a shower,” I start, but my smile doesn’t become full-blown. I know that’s not what she’s asking, and it’s not fair for me to deflect. “Then I suppose we need to decide what happens next between us.”

I see her throat bob as she swallows. “Any thoughts on that?”

I reach out and run my fingers along a piece of midnight black hair. “Plenty. Not sure any of them make sense yet. You?”

“Same.”

A beat of silence passes. And in that beat, a thousand thoughts fly through my head. Confusing, unfamiliar thoughts of a future with Evie.

A future I know I won’t have.

This can’t be more than just some casual fun.

She trails a finger over my chest. “I do know that I don’t want this to be the only time I get to be with you.”

“Me neither.”

Relief flashes across her face, and her lips turn up in a quick smile. Then she’s tugging her lip between her teeth, as if she’s worried about what this all means.

She’s not the only one. Because continuing to fool around with Evie is risky as all hell. For both of us. She’s the kind of woman whose heart is so big, I know it’ll be hard for her to avoid feelings becoming involved if we keep doing this. More than that, she’s the kind of woman it would be easy for any man to develop feelings for.

Including me.

But that puts my friendship with her brother, hell, maybe even the dynamic on the team, in danger of falling apart when those feelings don’t lead to anything more.

Yami is my best friend, my teammate, the closest thing to a brother I have. We love each other like family. He trusted me with his baby sister when he didn’t trust anyone else. And I worry he’ll see this as the biggest betrayal of that trust.

As much as I don’t want to, I ready myself to tell her that maybe we actually shouldn’t do this again.

And then she says, “It won’t ever be more than just sex, though. It can’t be.”

Just sex. With her.

I shouldn’t agree. But I’ll be fucked if I can say no.

“Yeah. Just sex.”

I feel like the biggest piece of horse shit for more than one reason, even though I know it’s the way it has to be unless I’m prepared to give her up. And after what just happened, I honestly don’t know if I can do that.

She nods slowly, her face showing nothing about what she’s feeling. “And it has to be secret. No one can know.”

I take a full breath in and out before answering, part of me relieved at the thought I’ll get to have her again, the other part spiraling over the shitstorm we’re potentially opening ourselves up to. “I agree. Your brother…”

Evie rolls her eyes. “Kai should mind his own business. But he won’t. I know that. And I don’t want to get between the two of you or make things difficult for the team.”

My chest feels tight. She’s saying all the right things. Yet how can something feel so good but be so wrong all at the same time?

“You’re a good man, Rhett.”

I blink at Evie’s words. I’m not sure what prompted her to say that, whether she could read my mind, or just sense the guilt I’m trying to ignore. But I lean in and kiss her .

“I try to be. You make me want to be bad, though, honey.” Maybe it’s not fair to turn her sweet comment into a joke, but I have to. I don’t know how else to process everything I’m feeling.

“Rhett.” She stops me with a hand on my chest just as I was about to roll her onto her back and go for round three. “I’m serious. You’re a good guy. You’re smart, and kind, and talented, and funny, and handsome. You’re worth more than just some fun for a while.” She looks down for a second as something crosses her face. “Even if that’s all this is. I’m just saying, you deserve more. And someday I hope you let yourself have it with someone.”

I want what she’s describing. I really do. And as she’s talking, my mind starts to picture a future with someone in it. Someone who looks a hell of a lot like Evie.

Which is stupid, and crazy, and not something I should be thinking about. We’re just two adults attracted to each other who gave in to the inevitable and ended up in bed together.

That doesn’t mean it’s going to ever develop into something more.

That it could develop into something more.

I push those thoughts away and turn my focus back on the woman in my arms. The woman who just agreed to no-strings-attached sex with me.

My smile comes easily as I push my fingers through her hair. “Well, now, fun is what we’re gonna have. So how about we —”

A small bark interrupts me, and Evie’s eyes widen as she pushes at my chest, panic covering her face. “Oh my God, Ruthie!” she cries, throwing back the covers and jumping out of bed .

Shit. The dog.

She flings open the door, still completely naked, and I’m right behind her as we rush out into the living room to see what destruction might await us, having forgotten about the rambunctious pup living with us.

“I can’t believe I forgot about her,” Evie says, but then she comes up short in the living room. “Oh no.”

The smell is unmistakable.

“Ah, shit.”

Evie snorts, and after a second, I realize what I said and I start to laugh as well. Pretty soon we’re just two naked fools laughing as we take in a sleeping puppy and a pile of dog shit on the floor.

“I’m sorry about this,” Evie says when we finally calm down. She’s already moving into the kitchen to get the cleaning supplies. “I’ll take care of the mess if you want to shower.” When she bends over, that beautiful ass is on display, and like a moth to a flame, I move over behind her and wrap my arm around her waist.

“I’d rather we clean up the mess together, then clean each other up together.” I press a kiss to her spine as she straightens. The minx wiggles her ass back into my crotch, and my semi starts to stiffen even further.

“Seriously?” she says over her shoulder with a saucy grin. “Again?”

“Any time, honey.” I wink, then move away, grabbing the paper towels and following her to the mess. We clean it up quickly, Ruthie still passed out on the couch, blissfully unaware of the fully nude humans cleaning up her shit.

When we’re done, and the windows are open to air out the foul stench, I take Evie’s hand and lead her back down the hallway. If she finds it weird that we just did all of that with no clothes on, she doesn’t say so, and I find it incredibly sexy that she’s so comfortable in her own skin around me.

She tries to pull me to a stop outside the spare bathroom, but I keep going. “We’re usin’ my shower.” Inside my room, I spin her into my arms and continue walking, guiding her since she’s going backward into my bathroom. She’s smiling, her arms around my neck as we go.

“And why’s that?”

“First of all, it’s bigger. And in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not a small guy.”

She giggles, and I continue. “And second of all, I want you smelling like me when we’re done. To remind you of what I can make you do.”

Her breath catches on a moan as I bend down and cover her nipple with my mouth, tugging on it gently.

“As if I could forget,” she manages to say, threading her fingers in my hair, and pulling my head back up so she can kiss me.

Never forget .

I don’t know where that thought comes from, or the one that follows. I never want her to forget how I make her feel. Hell, I never want her to have an opportunity to forget. I want her in my bed, night after night, moaning my name. I want to be the only man to ever make her come.

I push those impossible ideas away, into a back corner of my mind.

The day will come when our fun ends and Evie will go off and find some lucky bastard who will get to be the one to give her a happy ending. In the bedroom and in life.

Right now, however, that bastard is me. And as we step under the warm spray of the shower, I vow to myself to bring her as much pleasure as I possibly can for as long as I have her.