Pieces of Rhys Read online

  "God, you're slow," Kit said after I had joined them.

  Katherine "Kit" Pete and I have been besties since third grade, when we beat up the class bully together. Unfortunately she was living out of state and unaware of my personal bully problems, or I'm sure she would have tried to take Gary single handedly.

  Kit was outrageously pretty, with red hair, creamy skin and sharp green eyes and she was curvy without an inch of fat. I hated her sometimes.

  "No one told you to wait for me," I said, feeling a little cranky.

  "Wake up on the bitchy side of the bed?" She asked as we started our walk to the building.

  "A little bit. Didn't sleep well. I couldn't shut my brain off."

  "That's funny, because I always thought you had trouble turning it on."

  I ignored her little joke about my lack of smarts. Rhys wasn't talking, he looked deep in thought. The other co-worker had moved on before I got out of the car.

  "You didn't return any of my calls this weekend," Kit said. "What the fuck."

  "I was busy."

  "Doing what? What's more important than your best friend?"

  I sighed in response. I really didn't know what to say, if I were allowed to say anything at all about Rhys. Not that Rhys was Mr. Secretive, but I didn't want to just put his business out there like that.

  "Look, I didn't want to be the third wheel again, okay?" I snapped at her.

  "Then you should let me set you up with Jack's brother. Dylan is a nice guy."

  "I'll think about it."

  "You'll think about it. Think about it for the next two weeks, because I'm bringing him to your party next Saturday."

  "You're having a party next Saturday?" Rhys asked, opening the door for us. I had almost forgotten he was there.

  "I thought I told you," I said.

  "Nope."

  "Starts at five, as long as the good weather holds up."

  "Should I bring anything?"

  "Yourself."

  He smiled at me, sending my heart into convulsions. When he walked away, Kit jumped on the opportunity to grill me.

  "What was that at your car?"

  "What at my car?" I played dumb.

  "Rhys smiled at you."

  "So?"

  "So, it wasn't like a normal smile. It was a secret smile."

  "How is it a secret if he did it right in front of you?"

  "You're being evasive."

  "There's nothing to tell you," I lied before we parted ways.

  I trusted Kit one hundred percent, but I wasn't ready to tell her about Rhys when I was still trying to figure it out myself.

  I got settled in my small office, trying to mentally ready myself for the new work week. Rhys and I were low end managers in the marketing firm we worked for. It wasn't the job I thought I'd have when I left high school, but it was a job nonetheless.

  One perk I had at work was my own office. It was small, and offered very little privacy with it's glass walls that faced a room full of occupied desks and office equipment, but it was my little space anyway.

  As I was getting started, I happened to look up when Rhys walked into the outer room. He smiled at me through the glass as he crossed the room. He looked sexy as usual. I couldn't help but to see the moment in slow motion, with sexy music running in my brain, as he walked toward me. I looked at his eyes, which lightly veiled amusement, lust, and something else I couldn't identify. His lips reminded me of kissing him. His manner of walking was confident and everything about him in general was making my toes curl.

  Funny how quickly one's toes can uncurl.

  With my mind still in slow-mo mode, FFF bounded into the office behind Rhys, out of his view. Weird. Freddy, aka Muriel, was rarely in our department, but whatever. My eyes started to slide back to Rhys, but curiously Freddy turned around and waved someone else into the room, dividing my attention between that scene and Rhys's sexy saunter. When I saw the blonde hair and the heart shaped face, my face changed. The sexy music that was playing in a loop in my head turned into the Imperial March.

  Nicole's super model walk seemed to coincide with Rhys's super model walk, as if they were on stage in the same show together, as if the whole scene was choreographed just for them. My face must have looked crazy, because Rhys's walk faltered and he turned to see what I was looking at. I couldn't see his face, but from the way he wrapped his arms around Nicole and lifted her off of the floor in an embrace, I took a wild guess that he was delighted to see the bitch.

  Chapter Seven

  "Fuck!"

  Okay, so there was no way that no one heard that. My office door was wide open and it wasn't like the room was sound proof. Rhys, ‘Freduriel’, and Nicole turned their eyes on me, along with everyone else within a five-block radius.

  "Spilled my coffee," I announced, and pretended to mop up a mess with tissues.

  I didn't even have coffee!

  "Nice to see you again, Lindsey," Nicole called to me.

  I got up and leaned in my doorway so I wouldn't have to yell, even though I did want to scream.

  "Yeah," I said as kindly as I could. "I'm...extremely surprised to see you, Nicole."

  She looked at me curiously, but turned her attention back to Rhys. Muriel the Finger texted her way out of the office, and the two super models walked off into the sunset. Well, really, they walked off under harsh fluorescent lighting.

  See, Lin, that's what you get for snogging the boy who makes you all gooey and melty.

  It took me a very long time to get my shit together. I found out through the course of the morning that Nicole was moving back. What I didn't find was my enthusiasm for the occasion. I also didn't find Rhys at my desk again that day, though he sat down beside me at lunch. I thought that was cool, but then Nicole joined us, and like a squirrel trying to cross a busy street, I looked back and forth for a place to run and eventually scurried out of the lunch room.

  I dragged myself to my car that day, feeling like I had lost the lottery. You know, like I had a winning ticket, but then my dog ate it.

  Even though Rhys was standing at his car talking, minus Nicole, I didn't even feel like stalking him. He grinned in my direction, inviting me with his eyes, but I waved feebly and got into my car and drove away.

  When I got home, I found a note nailed to my front door. Like someone took a nail and a hammer and nailed the freakin' note to my door.

  "Gary," I grumbled, snatching down the note. I tried unsuccessfully to pull the nail out. "Asshole."

  Inside, I skimmed over the list, mentally checking off what he could and could not have. I was in a foul mood, but I wanted his shit out of my house. It took me over an hour, but I gathered most of the things he asked for, threw them in a large box and carried it to my car.

  Gary lived the next town over a few houses away from his evil mother. His car was in the driveway when I got there, a brand new blue Dodge Charger. I am not a vengeful person, but sometimes I wanted to repay him for the things he had done to me. Sometimes I wanted to trash his car, but that would be as good as signing my own death warrant.

  I didn't want to deal with Gary. I dropped the box at his doorstep and took off before he realized I was there.

  I half hoped Rhys would show up during the course of the evening, but the best I got was a few irrelevant text messages. My feelings were hurt, but I was pretty angry with myself for allowing myself to get all caught up in the moment. I had daydreamed about Rhys for so long, and I was naïve to believe that the story would unfold the way it always did in my imagination.

  I wanted to stop thinking about it, but my brain would not cooperate, and my chest had a dull ache. So, I did the proper thing and took a sleeping pill and put myself out of my misery for seven hours.

  Chapter Eight

  I woke up feeling like someone stole my puppy. The thief in question was Nicole, the puppy was Rhys. Bad metaphor, but that's how I felt.

  To make myself feel better, I took extra care with my makeup, trying a different color
pallet. I styled my hair differently, letting it frame my face instead of pulling it back in a clip or ponytail. I dug into the back of my closet and found my Jimmy Choos that I used to only wear for special occasions. I put on a skirt instead of pants, and dabbed a little bit of Channel on my wrists. I checked myself out in the mirror and almost fell over.

  Before I married Gary, I was always well dressed. My clothes weren't always designer clothes, but I always looked well put together. I could make a potato sack look good with the right shoes. My hair always looked good and my makeup looked professional. When stress and fear begin to rule my life, I stopped caring so much. I didn't let myself go completely, but I went from Fashionista to Semi-Plane Jane. Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt like my old self again. I even managed a smile.

  "Booyah!" I pointed at myself in the mirror.

  I'm so corny.

  Because I took so long getting my shiz together, I was late for work. I had to park in Oz, but even that long walk didn't kill my spirits. I bounced into the office, apologizing to my coworkers and employees for my lateness. They were too busy trying to figure out why I looked so different to care.

  "Hey," Rhys said, after following me to my desk. His eyes slowly traveled from my head to my Choos.

  "Hello," I offered a smile. "How are you?"

  "Better now."

  My heart fluttered and I looked away.

  "New shoes?" He asked looking extra-long at my bare legs.

  "No. They've been in the back of my closet."

  "They look good on you."

  "Thanks."

  "You look extra sexy today," he said a little lower so only I could hear him and then he walked out.

  I checked under my chair, to make sure I hadn't leaked all over the floor.

  Later in the afternoon after lunch, I was climbing the stairs from the second floor to our office on the fifth floor. I almost screamed when I rounded a corner and found Rhys standing there, leaning against the wall.

  "What are you doing? You scared the balls out of me!"

  He grinned and said "I was waiting for you."

  Rhys pressed me up against the wall and instantly slipped his tongue into my mouth. I moaned lightly, totally useless against this wonderful attack. His hands were under my skirt, traveling slowly up my thighs. I was wondering if I would really be bold enough to let him take me right there when a door closed above us and light footsteps were heard descending the stairs. Rhys stepped away from me and I had just enough time to fix my skirt before Nicole appeared.

  I slipped away under her questioning eyes, but Rhys remained there with her.

  What the hell was that about? Was he waiting there for me or was he waiting for Nicole and I just happened to come along? I wasn't sure that I even wanted an answer.

  That kiss should have left me smiling, but I found myself feeling annoyed and turned on at the same time. After work I bi-passed my usual exit off of the highway and headed to the mall instead. I needed retail therapy.

  I bought more titillating shoes, clothes for work that were stylish and even sexy, and I shopped around Bath and Body Works until I found something that mixed well with my body chemistry and didn't make me smell like toe jam.

  My lingerie and provocative undergarments were limited to Wal-Mart over the years. Not that they didn't have nice things, but I wanted more than nice. Maybe wearing something flirty and fun under my clothes would make me feel good, if not better than I had felt this morning.

  So, I hit up Victoria's Secret, after convincing myself that I wasn't too fat to walk into the store. I half suspected that they had a Fat-O-Meter, and that it would go nuts when I walked in, but while I was standing outside looking in, a very large and hideous woman left the store. With a bag. If the Fat-O-Meter and Ugly-O-Meter didn't go off for her, I was good.

  I bought several pairs of sexy underwear with matching bras, a couple of bustiers, and a few other random items. I was downright giddy as I left the mall.

  When I got home, I threw all of my bags onto the couch, pulled my shoes off, and went into the kitchen in search of food and drink. I realized, as I stood with the fridge and freezer doors wide open that I should have also gone food shopping.

  I ordered a pizza and went upstairs to change my clothes. I was only upstairs for about five minutes, but by the time I returned to the living room I had a visitor. And he was holding up a pair of red, nearly transparent panties.

  Chapter Nine

  I nearly peed myself when I found Rhys standing in my living room. In fact, I think I may have peed a tiny bit.

  "You have to stop sneaking in here like this!"

  "I didn't sneak. You just happened to be absent from the room."

  "That's the second time you've had your hand on my underwear." And both times I wasn't in them. Sucks.

  "I like these much better than the ones from Wal-Mart," he grinned at me and then fished into the Victoria's Secret bag and produced the matching bra.

  I was melting on the spot watching him handle my unmentionables.

  "The red is my favorite. I like the black, too. I suppose I would have to see how it looks on you to make my final decision on a favorite."

  I felt a rush of heat on my face and in my vagina.

  "So, I ordered pizza," I said and walked into the kitchen. "You want some?"

  "Yes," he answered right behind me.

  I grabbed two beers from the fridge and handed Rhys one. I was still on the fence about his intentions earlier in the day, or his intentions in general. I didn't want to get hurt any more than I was, but at the same time I didn't want to miss the opportunity to kiss him again, or do other things with him.

  We went back into the living room. Rhys sat down on the couch and I sat at the far side.

  "What are you doing all the way over there?" He asked. "Get your ass over here, Lindsey." He said it in a tone that let me know he was the boss, but not the kind of boss that was going to whoop my ass, and his voice was still so...Rhys, manly, but soft and sensual.

  I moved over some, but not enough, because he put his beer down and moved me over so that I was practically in his lap. In the process, I had spilled some beer on the part of my chest that was exposed. I could feel it trickling down between my boobs. I started to wipe it away, but Rhys held my hand and to my utter surprise, leaned over and licked and gently sucked the beer off of my chest.

  "Woooooooooow...."I whispered and closed my eyes.

  He pulled my shirt down as far as it would go, revealing my cleavage and the top of my bra, and continued to clean away the beer with his lips and tongue. After a few minutes, he kissed his way up to a very sensitive area just under my ear. I squirmed under him, gripped his shirt, and started some pretty heavy breathing. He had one arm around me and with his free hand he slowly massaged my thigh, getting closer and closer to a very hot part of my body.

  And then he stopped. He stopped kissing my neck and slowly pulled his hands away. He carefully moved me off of his lap and clasped his hands together.

  "You drive me crazy," he said, exhaling loudly.

  "I drive you crazy? I didn't just suck beer off of your chest."

  "I couldn't help myself. I like beer, and I like you. The two seemed a perfect fit."

  The doorbell rang, and Rhys jumped up to answer it. He paid for the food out of his own pocket again.

  "Hey, when do I get to pay for something?" I asked when he rejoined me on the couch.

  "As long as you're with me, never."

  "How honorable."

  "Don't go telling people that," he grinned."You'll ruin my reputation."

  We ate while watching Law and Order, but my eyes kept falling back on Rhys. While I enjoyed every second with him, I didn't know why this was happening all of a sudden. He never seemed the least bit interested in me before, and now he's sucking beer off of me and telling me I drive him crazy. And now that Whatsherface was back, what did that mean?

  "What's on your mind?" Rhys asked when the show was over. He
shut off the television and looked at me.

  "Nothing."

  "Liar. Tell me."

  I bit my lip. I didn't want to make the situation any more serious than it really was. He may run, but on the other hand, it was going to bother me forever. I sighed and told him my thoughts. He listened intently, watching me with his gorgeous eyes, making me stumble over my words several times.

  "I don't know what changed," he said softly when I was done. "All I know is I came here to help you change some locks that night, and I didn't want to leave."

  He didn't say a lot, but there was a lot implied in his words. I sat there, staring at him with my mouth slightly ajar.

  "You know what kind of a guy I am," he said without shame. "But I don't want to be that guy to you. You're a good person who has already been through a lot. I don't want to hurt you, so as much as I would like to take you to bed, I don't want to give you the wrong impression. I'm not ready to settle down."

  "Oh," was all I could say. I didn't know how to respond. I didn't know what to think. My brain was muddled and confused.

  "I'm sorry," he started to apologize, but I cut him off.

  "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm glad you were honest, but I think you have underestimated how strong I am. Yeah, I've been through a lot, but I'm not some weak, innocent little girl."

  "I know you're not," he smiled and then kissed a corner of my mouth.

  He left soon after that, and I went to bed alone. Again.

  Chapter Ten

  Kit was at my door bright and early the Saturday morning of my party, holding two cups of Dunkin Donuts coffee. We needed to go shopping for the party. I had already ordered a ton of food from a caterer and Rhys offered to buy enough pizza to feed a small army, but that still left beverages, snacks, decorations and other odds and ends.

  Kit was fresh faced and perky, wearing a pink sun dress. Whoever said that red heads shouldn't wear pink was wrong. My friend pulled it off without even trying.