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seventeen

ERIN

The yacht rocked far more than I was comfortable with as we boarded. The storm around us was getting worse, not better, which I didn’t think bode well for our reward.

Sure enough, those working on the boat looked nervous as they ushered us toward a table that was set up in a small room connected to the kitchen.

“I hope they’re driving this thing toward land,” I muttered to Rhett, as I sat down in the chair he pulled out for me.

He pulled our server to the side. “Is there an alternate plan if the storm doesn’t blow over quickly?”

It wasn’t going to blow over.

We’d been living on an island, through terrible storms, long enough that I was sure of that.

The man nodded. “We’re headed toward a dock now. There’s a hotel near it that you’ll be moved to.”

Rhett nodded and took the seat across from mine.

I grabbed the table to stay in my seat when there was a particularly rough wave.

Rhett’s eyes flashed, and he was on his feet again in a heartbeat. He lifted me off the chair, then set me on his lap when he sat back down.

“I’m fine,” I protested.

“I’m not.” His nose brushed my neck.

I leaned back against him, and his grip tightened as another massive wave rocked us.

“That was too close,” he said quietly.

“At least it’s over.” I closed my eyes.

He kissed my throat lightly.

It occurred to me that he hadn’t been looking at his competition at all, and I bit my lip. I didn’t want to hurt him with the truth, but he deserved to know just in case it came up again.

Even if it didn’t, our season would be on TV eventually. It wasn’t going to be a secret.

“You know Chris let you win, right?” I asked.

Rhett didn’t reply immediately.

I’d take that as a no.

“He was down to the last piece. Travis was cheering. He acted like he’d placed them wrong, and pulled a few out to give you time to win.”

“Damn.” Rhett’s voice was low, but I couldn’t label whatever emotion was in it. We hadn’t spent enough time together for that. “I owe him.”

“ We owe him.”

His grip on my waist tightened. “Are we a team now, Chaos?”

“I think so.”

The server brought out two massive plates of food just as the boat rocked hard.

I reached toward the man, but it was no use.

He lost his footing, and went down hard.

The plates shattered and the food went everywhere, but I was more worried about the guy, who didn’t get up right away.

Two other workers hurried to help him before I could stand up, so we stayed in our seat. All three of them apologized to us as they hurried out, and Rhett called behind them,

“We’ll eat at the hotel. Everyone needs to sit down and stay safe.”

His lips brushed my throat again as the boat rocked fiercely.

For once, I was glad my stomach was empty. If there’d been any food in me, I would’ve been fighting serious nausea.

As it was, my body wasn’t thrilled with the boat’s intense motion.

“I hope it’s not a long way to the dock,” I said, turning my head so I could tuck my face against Rhett’s neck. He adjusted my position on his lap, giving me better access.

I wrapped my arms around him as I pressed my forehead to his skin, closing my eyes.

Something in my chest settled.

Rhett was the right choice. There was a lot we didn’t know about each other and hadn’t been able to discuss, but I was sure of that. And that was what mattered.

It felt like hours had passed by the time the boat was finally docked. The storm was still raging, so Rhett flew me off the boat before he and Jordan carried a bunch of others to solid land too.

When the boat was empty of everyone who didn’t want to stay on, Rhett tucked me against his side as we followed Jordan to the hotel. Luckily, they were expecting us, and had a private table ready for us at the back of the restaurant.

Both of us ignored the stares and whispers that echoed as we walked through the restaurant.

Rhett’s arm remained steady around my waist.

When we sat down, we slipped into one side of the booth together so we could remain out of sight. Our waitress didn’t bat an eye at our state of dress or the fact that we were soaked, and took our orders.

When she walked away, I leaned my head against Rhett’s shoulder. “I wish we could fast-forward through the next few days,” I admitted. “Especially if it’s just going to keep raining. I don’t know if I’ll survive.”

“We’ll make it.” Rhett’s voice left no room for question.

The restaurant was so noisy that neither of us said much while we ate. We worked through the food quickly, heading to our room as soon as we were done.

Rhett closed the door behind us, leaving Jordan on the other side.

My gaze moved over the room. It was small but nice, with pretty wood paneling on one of the walls while the others were a comfortable shade of cream. There was a fae-sized bed, a human-sized bathroom, and not much else.

“Too bad we didn’t bring our robes,” I remarked, slipping my raincoat off my shoulders. My clothes had never truly dried since I got it, so they were drenched beneath it.

I still loved it, though.

Rhett took the coat from me and hung it in the small closet.

I murmured a thank you , and he pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

My eyes closed with the soft touch, and he stepped up behind me, wrapping his arms around me.

I didn’t have words for the soft intensity of feeling him against me that way.

Bliss?

Peace?

Joy?

Whatever it was, it made my throat swell and my eyes sting a little.

Maybe I just felt safe.

Or loved.

He didn’t love me, of course. We hadn’t known each other for long enough.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t feel loved, did it?

It was a foreign feeling for me, so I wasn’t really sure. I’d never had anyone care about me like that. My mom had loved me in her own way, but she’d cared more about her boyfriend. I’d never been a priority for her, or anyone else.

So what would it feel like to be Rhett’s?

“Will you shower with me?” he murmured, his voice low and soft.

There was vulnerability in it.

My throat swelled more.

What if I hurt him?

I didn’t know how to love any more than I knew how to be loved. What if I ended up just as bad as his ex?

Despite my fear, I nodded.

He walked us into the bathroom, his arms still around my body as we moved. There was a large shower/tub combo to my left, with one of those fabric shower curtains I’d always hated, but I didn’t give a damn.

I’d never showered with anyone. Not even for sex.

Granted, my sex life had been short-lived. I’d barely been nineteen when my blood was tested, and the world-nearly-ending thing put a damper on sex for pretty much everyone my age.

Rhett turned the shower on, and I looked up as water started flowing from the ceiling.

Our time in the spa had proven that I loved a good, fancy showerhead.

Rhett’s fingers skimmed my bare ribcage lightly before hooking in the bottom hem of my sports bra. He was giving me time to turn him down, or back out.

Time I didn’t need.

I lifted my arms, and he peeled the fabric over my skin. His chest rumbled when my breasts fell free, and he dropped my bra so he could take them in his hands.

Closing my eyes, I leaned back against his chest while he played with my nipples. My body warmed, wetness gathering between my thighs as he teased the sensitive buds.

“You’re beautiful.” His words were rough in my ear, and goosebumps broke out on my arms.

There was no one to interrupt us this time.

No one to stop us.

No one else I might be forced to mate with.

Just me, and Rhett.

He released my breasts, sliding his hands down the curve of my waist until he found the top of my shorts.

My entire body clenched as he slid them down my thighs.

The fabric made an obnoxious sound as it hit the floor, but neither of us commented on it. Neither of us cared .

I eased away from him, turning so we faced each other. The top of my head didn’t even hit the bottom of his chin, but he tilted his head, and I leaned mine too. Our eyes were locked as I pushed his shorts down. His cock sprang free, and I finally looked away just so I could stare at him.

Damn, he was huge.

My body flushed hotter.

I wrapped my fingers around his erection and dragged them over the length lightly, earning a low rumble.

“Have you ever showered with anyone before?” he asked.

Something in his voice told me he was going to think violent thoughts if I said yes.

And that made me think violent thoughts about the woman he’d probably showered with.

“No,” I admitted, stroking him again just so I could hear his chest rumble more. “Have you?”

“Only once.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“And how did it go?” My possessiveness was showing. I knew that. I just couldn’t help it.

I wanted to have our firsts together. I didn’t want to know he’d enjoyed himself with another woman before—or consider that she might be better than me.

I’d just have to upstage her.

Considering she’d never touched his wings, I could do that. And knowing I could made me feel slightly better.

“She let me get her off but didn’t touch me,” Rhett admitted.

“Bitch.”

He chuckled. “I don’t expect any more from you than I did from her, Chaos. I don’t touch you because I want?—”

I cut him off. “ Start expecting more from me than you did from her. I’m not her. Accept it.”

I stroked him again, a little rougher, and earned a growl for it.

He grabbed me by the waist, lifting me into the shower as he stepped beneath the water. It was blazing hot as it fell over us, and he swore again as he stepped closer, reaching behind me to turn the temperature down as he blocked me from the burn of it.

I stroked him again, and he growled into my hair, gripping my hand over his erection. “Slow down, Chaos.”

I’d never seen him lose control, but I wanted to.

Badly.

“Why should I slow down?”

“You don’t have to touch me like this just because Kellie didn’t,” he gritted out. “That’s not?—”

“That’s not why I’m touching you.”

His gaze was hot, but I could see in his eyes that he didn’t believe me.

With my free hand, I took one of his wrists and slipped it between my thighs. His fingers brushed my wetness, and my body clenched again.

“I’m touching you because it turns me on,” I said. “Yeah, my possessive side is glad she didn’t touch you, and I’d kind of like to mark you as mine by doing it. But I want to , Rhett. I want to watch you come undone. I want to see your release on my skin, I want to make you wild with need, I want to—” The breath rushed out of me as my back met the shower’s wall.

Rhett’s chest rose and fell quickly, his cock throbbing hard in my hand as our gazes remained locked.

Thrill raced up my spine.

In the spa, I’d been set on getting that out of him. The dominance. The determination. The certainty.

He’d been holding himself back, resisting the urges I desperately wanted him to give in to.

If we were going to be together, I wanted us to be together freely. Passionately. Without holding back.

“Tell me how you want me to touch you,” I said, without looking away.

He let out an unsteady breath, and finally released his grip on my hand. I didn’t stroke him again, though. I waited.

One of his hands was still between my thighs, but it wasn’t moving.

He planted the other on the wall of the shower, just to the side of my head.

“Put a hand on my wing,” he finally gritted out, his shoulders rolling as his wings unfurled. The water fell against them, and his cock jerked slightly.

My thighs clenched, and his fingers lifted closer to my core.

I pressed my free hand to his wing, the other on his cock, and waited.

He throbbed again.

His eyes closed, his jaw clenching. “Slowly. Touch me slowly.”

“I’m going to need more instructions than that, Rhetti.” My voice was soft.

Hot.

A little playful, too. The nickname emphasized that.

His cock jerked in my grasp. “Drag your fingers lightly over my wing, close to where it meets my back. It’s not as sensitive there. Work my cock slowly.”

I followed his orders.

One hand stroked his cock lightly. The other teased his wing.

My hand grew slick with the start of his pleasure.

“Fuck me,” he swore, his whole body tight as he fought off his release.

“Is that a command?”

I jerked him a little harder, and he grabbed my hand again.

His eyes flew open, hot and intense. “ Soft , Chaos.”

My lips curved wickedly. “Is that a threat?”

There was a shift in his eyes that told me he was about to shut himself down.

I repeated the motion with his hand over mine, and he swore loudly, gripping me tighter.

“I want it to be a threat, Rhetti. Stop holding yourself back. We both know you would never hurt me.”

His chest rose and fell rapidly.

Our gazes remained locked.

And slowly, I tried to repeat the motion.

His grip tightened on my hand, holding me in place. We were squeezing the hell out of his cock, but he throbbed so hard, it clearly didn’t hurt.

“I said soft, Chaos. Touch me like that again and I’ll have to pin your hand above your head. I’m not ready to come yet.”

That was a start.

He swore, his fingers curling between my thighs. “That turns you on?”

“I like you dominant.”

He released my hand over his cock and placed it back on the wall beside my head. The shower’s water was still falling behind Rhett, but we were both too used to rain to notice.

“But I also like to push you,” I said, flashing him a grin and working his cock hard and fast.

He snarled another curse, his hips jerking as he thrusted into my fist, losing control entirely. His release coated my hand and abdomen, his fingers pressing against my clit lightly enough to make me crazy but too light to get me off.

The moment wasn’t about me, so I didn’t care.

I was too busy watching the intensity of the gorgeous man’s pleasure.

His chest heaved, his eyes burning as his cock jerked with the last of his release. “Chaos,” He rumbled, the word low and hot and angry.

“You knew who I was before you ever propositioned me, Rhetti.” I squeezed him lightly. “When you’ve recovered, we’ll?—”

He grabbed one of my thighs, opening me up as he stepped closer.

The motion forced me to release his cock.

When I looked down, I found him just as hard as he’d been a moment later.

Did he not need to recover?

I’d never seen him get off, so?—

He shifted, losing the wings and horns.

At the same time, he lined the tip of his cock up with my entrance, and thrust.

My breathing stopped as he filled me.

And filled me.

And filled me.

“Shit,” I choked out.

“You want me dominant?” His growl vibrated my chest. “You’ll get me dominant.”

His hand caught my hips, and he dragged a thumb over my clit, making me gasp.

As I did, his mouth crashed into mine.

He didn’t kiss me softly.

He didn’t taste me, or tease me.

He devoured me, taking what he wanted exactly the way I’d told him to. His tongue was hot and demanding, and his free hand grabbed my ass, lifting me higher.

The change in angle had me gasping again.

He kissed me through it, using the new height difference to his advantage as he pulled me down over him, then lifted me again.

The motion was rough.

Hard.

Perfect .

I unraveled with a cry into his mouth, but he didn’t stop fucking me. He worked my clit with his thumb until I came again, my body tightening around him.

He roared with me, filling me with his release until it was dripping down my thighs.

He was everything.