Page 21

Chapter twenty-one

Evie

I didn’t know what to expect when Rhett came home this time. Would we immediately jump back into bed? Or would we dance around each other like we had before everything changed?

I didn’t have long to wonder, seeing as the day he came home, he burst through the door, scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder, and carried me into his bedroom where he kept me hostage for over two hours.

I was a very willing hostage, but still.

That was four days ago, and things are subtly shifting between us.

I’ve spent every night in his bed, after the first night when he moved my toothbrush into his en suite and told me his mattress was more comfortable than the one in the spare room.

If by mattress he means his chest, he’s right.

But I can’t shake the disappointment from knowing that this will never be more than just sex. Because my heart is most definitely getting involved, no matter how much I try to deny it.

“Hand me the coconut milk, will you?” Rhett asks, holding his hand out over his shoulder. We’re in the kitchen cooking dinner, Rhett having played an afternoon game earlier today.

And by we, I mean Rhett is cooking and directing me on tasks that I can do to help him. I hand him the open can of coconut milk and he dumps it into whatever he’s stirring on the stove. It smells absolutely delicious. I lean back against the counter, watching him and fighting back a yawn. Exhaustion is riding me hard today, and it’s not only from all the great sex I’m having.

My period is due any day now, and for me, that means wicked cramps will kick in soon. If I’m really lucky, I’ll be fighting a migraine on the first day as well.

I can only hope my body cooperates and goes easy on me this month. I’m not sure how much experience Rhett has with being around a woman during her period, but it’s not a fun time for anyone. And it’s certainly not something I want my new sex buddy witnessing.

Too bad I won’t have any control over it.

I push away the impending doom of my monthly cycle and hop up to sit on the counter. “Where did you learn to cook? I thought southern food was all deep-fried this and okra that.”

Rhett chuckles as he turns to me, pretending to look insulted.

“Woman, I’m gonna assume you’ve just never had proper southern food if that’s really what you think.” He turns back to the stove. “I learned to cook from my mom and my nana when we lived on the ranch after my daddy died. Nana cooks southern comfort food better than anybody I know. Her mac and cheese comes straight from heaven, I swear. But Mama loves to try new things and was always finding recipes from all over the world for us to try. This curry, for example,” — he nods to the pot on the stove — “is one of her favorites. She always said her dream was to visit Thailand and eat Massaman curry from a street vendor.”

“Has she traveled there?” I ask. “I’d love to visit Thailand, heck, I’d love to go anywhere in Asia.”

Rhett looks at me curiously as he replies, “She hasn’t made it yet, but someday. Have you ever been back to Japan?”

I nod. “Once, when I was much younger, before my grandfather died and my grandmother moved in with us, Mom and Dad took us all over. But it was so expensive. Six plane tickets is a lot.”

“You know, sometimes I forget there’s four of you,” Rhett says. “Yami mostly only talks about you, not your older sisters.”

I sip my water before I answer. “Josephine and Vivienne are a few years older than Kai, and a lot of years older than me, so we were never that close. With them being twins, they always kept to themselves, so it was the two of them against the two of us. I guess maybe that’s why Kai and I are so close.”

“You mean the world to him,” Rhett says softly. “You know that, right? He’d do anything for you.”

“I know I’m lucky to have a brother like him.”

We both fall silent after that, and I wonder if Rhett is thinking about how Kai would feel if he found out about us. I know I don’t ever want my brother to come between me and whoever I end up with, but with Rhett, it’s kind of unavoidable.

“Alright, dinner is served.”

He turns around with two bowls of steaming food that smells absolutely phenomenal. My mouth starts to salivate as I take one and we go over to the couch. Rhett picks up the remote control and hands it to me.

“Your turn to pick the movie tonight.”

I just shrug, blowing on a spoonful of curry. “I don’t care, whatever you want is fine.”

Rhett turns on some action movie and picks up his own dinner. The truth is, I don’t pay attention to the movies we watch together. I’m too busy trying not to be distracted by him. He sits so close beside me, I can feel the heat coming off his body. I’m forever trying to hold back from climbing into his lap and kissing him.

My bowl is half empty and there’s some sort of car chase happening on the screen when we hear a key turn in Rhett’s front door. “Goddamn it, I really need to take that key back from your brother,” he grumbles under his breath as he shifts away from me on the couch. Sure enough, Kai strides in as if he owns the place, stooping down to pet Ruthie, who’s run over to greet him.

“What’s up, my brother from another mother and my sister from a… Wait. Same mister.”

I roll my eyes, grateful Kai can’t see my face.

“Dude, dinner smells amazing, you didn’t tell me you were making Massaman curry tonight. I would have been over earlier.”

“Help yourself,” Rhett says casually, and I wonder how he feels right now. Is it awkward for him, too? The three of us together with no one else around to act as a buffer? If it is, he’s not letting it show.

Kai walks over with his food, but instead of going to the empty chair, he steps over my legs and forces his way in between the two of us. “Jesus, give a guy some room,” he complains and I blink slowly.

“You’re the one squishing us,” I shoot back. “What’s wrong with the chair?”

Rhett coughs, and I realize I shouldn’t be making a fuss about sitting next to Rhett.

Thank God my brother is oblivious. “The couch is more comfortable. And I’m the best friend, I was here first. You go to the chair.”

The little sister in me wants to fight back, but the rational adult in me realizes it’s probably better to just move off the damn couch. After all, the last thing I need is my brother getting suspicious about why I want to be on the couch with Rhett. I move to the chair and sit back down.

“So what are we watching?” Kai asks, slurping down a spoonful of his food.

He and Rhett fall into an easy conversation about the movie, which both of them have already seen. I sit there quietly eating my dinner, trying not to resent the fact that my brother has taken over my evening with Rhett.

I finish eating first and seeing as I’ve got zero interest in watching a movie with the two of them commentating through the entire thing, I stand up.

“I’m going to take Ruthie for a walk.”

“’Kay” is all I get from my brother, and nothing from Rhett.

Until I go to move between the couch and the chair, and a hand brushes against mine. I pause. His eyes are still trained forward on the movie as Kai rambles on about something, but Rhett’s finger twists around mine in the smallest of caresses. He drops my hand, and I carry on into the kitchen.

But my annoyance at my brother is somehow lifted just from the touch of Rhett’s hand.

By the time I get back from walking Ruthie, the movie is over and the guys are watching a baseball game.

Seeing me come in, Kai stretches and stands up. “Hey, baby sis. Was waiting for you to get back.”

I unclip Ruthie, who goes straight to her water bowl and starts drinking noisily.

“What’s up?” I ask, hanging up the leash. Rhett’s now stood up as well but is moving toward the hallway, I guess to give Kai and me some privacy.

“Just wanted to see if you’ve talked to Mom lately. After you nagged me, I called her, and she said Oba-chan wasn’t feeling so great. Have you heard anything?”

I try not to get too worried as I realize, no, I haven’t. “We talked a while ago when I first moved in here, but nothing since. Shoot, I really should call her.”

Kai swipes a hand through his black hair. “Damn, and you said I was the bad kid for not calling more often. What’s up with that? You normally talk to Mom all the time.”

“I’ve been busy,” I reply, somewhat defensively. It’s a lie. The truth is, I haven’t wanted to take the risk that Mom would once again figure out I’m not at Kai’s. Which, come to think of it, he should consider that, too. “By the way, I didn’t tell her I was staying here and not at your place.”

Kai just looks at me, confused. “Why not?”

“Because —” I start, not exactly sure how to explain it in a way he won’t dismiss me as being silly .

“She loves Rhett. He’s like another son. She’d be totally cool knowing he’s looking out for you.”

Great. Another reminder of how everyone in my family views Rhett. Everyone except me, I suppose.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I say lamely. “I’ll tell her next time we talk.”

“And let me know if she says anything about Oba-chan?” he asks hopefully, moving to the door to get his shoes.

“Or you could call her yourself.” I fold my arms across my chest.

“Eh, she likes you better.”

“You headin’ out?” Rhett says, coming to join us. He stands apart from me, leaning against the counter.

“Yeah, man. See you tomorrow? Want to squeeze in some extra BP before warm-up?”

“You betcha.”

They bump fists, Kai gives me a hug, and then he leaves.

I turn and slump against the closed door. “Well, that was fun.”

Rhett moves and leans against the door next to me. “Wasn’t so bad.”

“I guess.”

He leans over and kisses the side of my head. “C’mon, honey. Let’s go to bed. I’m in the mood for some dessert.”

“Dessert in bed? Won’t that be messy?” I ask, completely clueless, until I see the wolfish grin on his face. “Oh. Oh!”

Rhett pulls me away from the door and straight into his arms. “Never change, Evangeline Yamaki. The absolute delight I get in watching your pretty, good girl face realize how much fun it can be to behave badly is like nothing else.”

He starts to walk me backward toward his bedroom. Thank God he knows where he’s going since he certainly isn’t looking as he peppers kisses all over my skin.

When we reach his room, I’m airborne, tossed onto the bed as if I weigh nothing.

“Now, I need to eat quick and get some sleep. Long day tomorrow.” Rhett flops onto his back and gestures to me. “So get up here and gimme that sweetness.”

All thoughts of my brother disappear when he grabs my hips and lifts me on top of him.

Rhett stays true to what he says and gets me off quickly. And after we’ve cleaned up and get ready for bed, I don’t think twice before climbing back under his covers and snuggling up against him, already feeling drowsy and relaxed from my orgasm.

Unfortunately, sometime in the early hours of the morning, my uterus decides to put a temporary pause on our sleepovers.