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Chapter forty-two

Evie

Jolene tells me to say goodbye to Rhett for her and that she’ll be over for brunch tomorrow before giving me a hug and heading back to her hotel.

I make my way down to the hall outside the locker room to wait for Rhett, nervously bouncing on my feet as I reread the email from the superintendent.

Evie, I’m pleased to extend a formal offer of employment to you for the position of Special Education Teacher at the Dogwood Cove schools. You impressed everyone at your interview, and we feel confident you’ll be a perfect fit for our team and the kids of Dogwood Cove. Please be in touch at your earliest convenience to go over particulars, including a small stipend available to offset the cost of moving to town. If you’d like to be connected with someone to assist with finding housing, just ask. We’re all looking forward to working with you. Best, Ranjit Singh

“What’s got you so excited?”

I glance up from my phone to see three women approaching. Willow, a redhead I’m pretty sure is dating another player, and Lark, with one hand on her very pregnant belly.

“The boys won, isn’t that reason enough?” the redhead says, smiling in my direction. “Hi, I’m Sadie, not sure we’ve officially met. You’re Kai’s sister, right?”

I nod, but before I can explain my other connection to the team, Willow beats me to it.

“And she’s dating Rhett,” she says, raising her eyebrows.

“Oooh, dating the brother’s best friend! I love it,” Lark says, clapping her hands.

“Lark’s a new convert to reading romance,” Sadie comments.

“Blame Willow’s best friend. Have you read her latest?” Lark turns to me excitedly. “Her bestie is Starla Barrows. Her books are so freaking hot.” She fans herself.

My mouth falls open at the casual drop of a very popular author’s name. Turning to Willow, I stumble over my words. “Really? Starla Barrows is your friend?”

Willow shrugs. “I mean, I call her Tori, but yeah. She lives in Dogwood Cove over on the island with her son and boyfriend.”

Wait. That means, if I take the job, I’ll be living in the same town as one of my favourite authors. As if that offer could get any better.

The door to the locker room opens then, and the guys start spilling out. The volume and energy are high as they’re all celebrating their win. I smile at a few of them before Kai reaches my side.

“Hey Gigi, did you see that fourth inning? Damn, my arm was on fire.” He actually lifts his bicep up to kiss it before hugging me, and I roll my eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, you were great.” I hug him back, only for him to push me away, an insulted look on his face.

“Evangeline. What are you wearing?” He spins me around forcibly and gasps. “How dare you!”

“Settle your ass down, Yami.” Rhett’s slow drawl reaches me at the same time his arm snakes around my waist, pulling me from Kai’s grasp. “She looks better wearin’ my number anyway.” With his free hand, he tips my chin up to kiss me softly.

“She’s a Yamaki, she should be wearing my name,” Kai protests, but his eyes betray him, showing he’s not that upset.

“I’ll wear whichever dang jersey I want to, thank you very much,” I reply, shoving my brother’s shoulder. “But good game, Kai.”

I let him pull me in for another quick hug. “Thanks, sis. See you kids later, be good!” With a wave and a bro hug for Rhett, he jogs down the hall after a couple of the other guys, no doubt heading out for some fun since they have the day off tomorrow.

“You ready to go?” Rhett asks, his voice low. “Do some celebrating of our own?”

I look up at him. “Yes.” I take a deep breath and continue. “Because we can also celebrate me getting the official job offer.”

Rhett lets out a whoop before sweeping me off my feet and spinning me around. Laughing, I swat at him. “Put me down. ”

He does, only to lean in and kiss me deeply. And without a hint of hesitation or anything other than pure joy, he says, “I’m so damn happy for you, honey.”

We move to the exit, Rhett’s arm draped over my shoulders. He says goodbye to everyone we pass, players, staff, even janitorial staff. Rhett’s got an easy smile for everyone.

Once we’re in his truck and headed home, he turns to me at a red light, squeezing my thigh. “So when do you start?”

“I haven’t said yes yet. But if I do, they’ll want me there before the beginning of the school year.” To my shock, Rhett doesn’t reply, but he does immediately put on his turn signal and pull his truck over to the side of the road before putting it in park and turning in his seat to face me.

“What the hell do you mean, you haven’t said yes?”

He actually sounds shocked, which has me leaning back in surprise. “I only got the offer earlier, during the game, and I need to think about it. We need to talk about it.”

“Evie, there’s nothing to talk about. That job is exactly what you want and I told you we’d figure it out. Didn’t you believe me? Because I sure as shit meant it. Take the job. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

I unbuckle my seat belt and climb over the middle console to squish myself onto his lap, kissing every inch of skin I can find. “I love you,” I mumble in between kisses.

He kisses me back just as frantically for several seconds before holding my face and leaning back slightly. “And I love you. So damn much. Trust that, and trust in us. Okay? We’ll be fine, even if you’re not in my bed every night.”

Tears well up in my eyes, and he kisses each one as they spill down my cheeks. What did I do to deserve all of this? To deserve him?

“I might not be there every night, but tonight I will be. Take me home.”

When we get back to the apartment, anticipation crackles between us. But instead of ripping at my clothes or tossing me over his shoulder like I kind of want him to, Rhett gives me a gentle smile and a kiss on my forehead.

“I’ll take Ruthie out.”

All I can do is blink at him as he clips on her leash and disappears out the door. It only takes me a minute to realize I’ve got an opportunity to surprise him.

Rushing down the hall, I head straight to the bathroom for a quick clean up and to brush my teeth. I stare in the mirror, fluffing my hair. “Why bother?” I laugh to myself, knowing that not only will the straight black strands never fluff, but also, they’ll just get messed up when Rhett’s back.

At least, I hope they will.

Oh, who am I kidding. They totally will.

In the spare bedroom, I dig through one of the boxes I haven’t unpacked since moving in here and unearth a couple of candles. I set them out in Rhett’s room and light them. The flames flicker across the walls as I start to feel even more excited.

We’ve had sex many times. But tonight, we’ll make love.

He won’t be gone long, so I quickly strip off all my clothes — except for his jersey and climb onto the bed. My timing couldn’t be any more perfect, as I’ve no sooner settled back against the headboard when I hear the front door open and close. I can make out the sound of Rhett getting Ruthie settled back in her crate, and while I can’t make out what he says, his warm, low murmurs of affection toward her just make me love him even more.

Then he’s here, one hand on the upper frame of the doorway, leaning against it and looking far too sexy as his hooded eyes take me in.

“Damn, honey.” His voice is like caramel running over gravel, a perfect combination of sweet, sexy, rough, and ready. I’m speechless, and a little bit breathless, as he prowls over to the bed, slowly peeling off his own clothes until he’s down to just his tight black boxer briefs. Then he climbs onto the end of the bed, lowers his head, and begins to kiss me, starting with my feet, then moving up my legs, alternating from side to side.

It’s slow, sensuous torture, trying to stay still and not pull him up to where I want him. When he finally reaches my upper thighs, I can’t hold back anymore. My hands go from clutching the duvet beside me to his muscular shoulders.

“Rhett.”

He lifts his head at my whine and gives me a devilish smirk. “I’m takin’ my time and you can’t rush me.”

His southern drawl is somehow even more pronounced, and I swallow back a whimper as his big hands slowly push his jersey up, baring me to him.

“You’re a fucking goddess, Evie. And I plan on worshipping you all night.”

He kisses my belly button, and I suck in a breath as I feel his tongue drag up my stomach. Then suddenly, he’s looming over me, those brown eyes burning into me, lit up from the flames of the candles. “I love you.”

I reach up for him and pull him down to my lips, kissing him. “I love you .”

His body settles over me, not in a crushing way, but more like a comforting weighted blanket. A very heavy weighted blanket, with a rigid part pushing into me, the annoying fabric of his underwear not doing anything to hide the heat pulsing from him.

“I want to take my time, but —” His voice is ragged, and my lips turn up in a smile.

“We’ve got forever for that. I need you now.”

Silently thanking the grappling techniques learned from years of practicing Aikido, I manage to get my feet up around his waist and hook my toes into the waistband of his underwear. He lets out a startled laugh when I push them down, freeing his cock at last.

“Now that’s a party trick.”

With a smug smile, I decide to show him another one. It’s easy enough to hook my legs around him and push on his chest. Of course, this isn’t strictly from Aikido, and if Rhett wanted to, he could prevent me from flipping him. But this benefits us both, and he goes easily enough until I’m straddling his hips, the jersey settling back down.

“As much as I love seeing my name on you, this has to go.” Rhett lifts the offending garment up and over my head before chucking it to the floor and bringing his hands to my hips. “That’s better. Now get on up here and gimme a taste. ”

“What?” I sputter in confusion as he pushes on my ass.

His hand lands on my ass in a swift slap. “I need to feast on that sweet pussy of yours. So. Get. Up. Here.”

Oh. Well, then.

I must take too long to respond, because suddenly Rhett’s strong arms are lifting me and forcibly moving me up his body. I grab the headboard to stabilize myself, but then he’s tugging me down, and his tongue is on my pussy, and every other thought in my head disappears.

He dips in and out of me, teasing along my slit. My hips rock back and forth across the rough stubble of his face. I become aware of a keening sound and it takes a second to realize it’s me. I’m making that sound, lost to the pleasure Rhett is wringing from my body.

“Fuck, Evie. You’re drowning me in your sweetness.” His words are a rumble that I feel more than hear against my sensitive skin, and it’s almost — almost — too much to handle. But just as I’m about to push his mouth away, Rhett lets his teeth graze across my clit before he sucks it between his lips and hums, and I explode.

I hope to God I never meet his neighbours because I can’t hold back. I’m desperately clutching at his head, my legs are shaking, and I’m shouting his name as wave after wave crashes through me. And Rhett’s strong hands are there the entire time, holding me, easing me through the most intense orgasm of my life.

When I start to crumple down on him, he tugs my body down, so that instead of collapsing on his head, I do so on his strong, hot chest.

“My God, I think I just died,” I mumble into his pec.

His laughter vibrates underneath me. “Hope not, because I’m nowhere near done with you.”