Pieces of Rhys Read online

  "Where was your brain?" Rhys asked me as we took the steps to our floor.

  "Like you weren't bored to the point of brain death," I said.

  "Yeah, I was bored, but I was still paying some attention. You were squirming in your seat and smirking."

  "Was not."

  "Yes, you were."

  "You were so bored you started imagining things," I said pointedly.

  We stopped on the next landing. I recognized that it was the same place Rhys had ambushed me.

  "I'm not imagining anything," he said and stepped in close to me. His fingers grazed my arm.

  "Okay, so I may have had something on my mind," I admitted, feeling fiery under his touch.

  "What are you doing after work?"

  I swallowed hard. "I have a date."

  "A date? With who? That Adrian guy?"

  "Yes, with that Adrian guy," I said stepping away from him. "I'm single, right? I need to get my life moving."

  "True," he said with a small smile.

  I smiled back and then continued down the stairs. The truth is, I really wanted him to kiss me, and I really wanted to see him after work, but these were his rules, right? I was just following the rules, even if I didn't like them. I refused to be like the other girls, still pining after someone who really didn't want them.

  After the pizza and wings, the rest of the day flew by. Before I knew it, it was five o'clock and it was time to go. My date with Adrian was at seven-thirty, and I wanted to look extra cute, so I practically flew out of the building.

  Outside, I nearly ran into Rhys, surrounded by mostly women, including Nicole.

  "Hey, enjoy your date," he said to me with his fabulous smile.

  "Thanks," I said and scrambled into my car.

  When I got home and checked my cell, I had a message from Rhys.

  Don't enjoy it too much. I may get jealous.

  What?

  I shook my head, trying to shake the dumb smile from my face.

  Adrian looked even tastier than he did at my party, wearing a white, cotton button down shirt, hanging loosely over a pair of dark jeans. He wore an undershirt, but nothing could hide the rippling muscles.

  He pulled me into a strong hug and kissed my cheek in front of the restaurant we were meeting at.

  "You look great," he said, holding me at arm's length.

  "Yeah, I know," I joked. "You look really good yourself. Wow," I sighed, staring at his chest, feeling a little damp.

  I had high expectations for our date, but half way through dinner, I found myself disappointed and wanting to be somewhere else. Adrian was polite, too polite, and liked to talk. The problem is that he liked to talk about work, and as a scientist, much of it went over my head.

  Looks are deceiving. I expected this big, brawny, sexy man to turn me on, mentally and physically, but instead my brain was traumatized by his big words and theories and hypothesises. Who woulda thunk it? I wasn't smart enough to even consider dating this guy. I think I would have appreciated him more if he were dumb.

  Well, at least Rhys had no reason to be jealous.

  Chapter Thirteen

  After my failed date with Adrian, I allowed Kit to set me up on a few more dates, most just unsuccessful as the first.

  I tried Dylan first, the brother of her boyfriend Kit was going to set me up with at my party. He was a nice guy, but he secretly liked Kit. Great.

  Justin was still in love with his ex-girlfriend. He still carried her picture in his wallet and almost cried when he saw a woman who vaguely resembled her across the bar.

  Kevin was a meathead. Seriously. He reminded me so much of Gary that I left after twenty minutes. What the hell was Kit thinking setting me up with this guy? I like a slightly dominant man, but not one who is demeaning. He told me he didn't like my hair pinned up and insisted that I let it down and asked me not to make eye contact with any other guy while I was with him. What the fuck!

  Harold - okay, problem number one is that his mama named him Harold. This guy talked a lot about bondage, as in he wanted me to tie him up and do naughty things to him. At least we got to date number two before he asked me if he could wear my panties.

  Despondent over another failed date, I drove home with high hopes of some cold beer, barbecue potato chips, and maybe a cigarette. I wasn't really a smoker, but during my crazy years with Gary, it was something I'd occasionally pick up to soothe my nerves, even if just a little bit.

  I wished that I could hang out with Kit, but she had taken a job in Maryland and moved away from me once again.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. At the next red light, I quickly dug it out and checked my messages.

  Just passed you at Smith St. Date over already?

  I smirked, practically hearing Rhys's sarcasm. My dating other people didn't stop him from popping over from time to time, making my knees turn to mush with his kisses and touch.

  How'd you guess? I'm going home to some beer and junk food.

  I sent the message and put my phone in my lap when the light changed. The next message came quickly. I stole a few glances at my phone until I got the entire message.

  Do you ever eat real food?? Leave the chips alone. I'm going to come cook you dinner. Give me about an hour. No chips!

  Cook me dinner? I smiled broadly. No guy has ever cooked me dinner, unless you counted the steaks Rhys and I grilled together. Maybe I could skip the cigarette, too.

  As I neared my house, my heart fell into my stomach. Gary's car was parked out front. Fuck.

  I could have just rolled on by, and wait for him to give up and leave, but this was my house. I put the down payment on it when I was only twenty-one years old, and I paid the mortgage and decorated it and made it my own. My house.

  As I coasted past his car, I noted that it was empty. The windows were tinted, but the driver's side was down a few inches. Where the hell was he? He couldn't be in the house, thanks to Rhys and his lock changing skills. Was he going to jump out from behind a tree? Did he go for a walk?

  As I climbed the steps and put my key in the door, I glanced around nervously. I was worried that I couldn't see him anywhere. I pushed open the door and realized with horror that he was in the house. I could hear his heavy footsteps in the kitchen, and as I stood paralyzed in the little foyer, he appeared in the kitchen entranceway.

  "How did you get in here?" I whispered. I wasn't sure if he heard me. His face changed from just mean to demonic as his eyes traveled down my body.

  "You didn't lock a kitchen window," he said, his voice dark.

  "You're insane! You can't just go into someone else's home through an unlocked window. It's illegal!"

  "Where were you?"

  "Out, like it's any of your business. What are you doing here?"

  "To get more of my stuff. You look like a slut."

  "Thanks, Gar. I was going for the whole slut look," I snorted and boldly marched into the living room to kick off my heels.

  I didn't think I looked slutty. My jeans were skin tight, but my shirt didn't show any cleavage and my makeup was light. I turned around and Gary was towering over me, looking mad as hell. The look was too familiar. I took a few steps back.

  Rhys arrived a little more than an hour later, even after I texted him to cancel. I heard the front door open and I rolled my eyes. Doesn't anyone listen to me?

  I sat at the kitchen table with a bag of frozen broccoli on my cheek, and a cigarette in my other hand. I heard his steps falter in the living room, probably assessing the curious mess, before stepping into the kitchen, into my view. He was carrying a couple of grocery bags, but when he saw me, he immediately dropped them on the floor.

  "I hope there weren't eggs in there," I said as he took the frozen vegetables from me.

  "Lindsey," he sighed and touched the newly formed bruise on my left cheek.

  "I had a fight with Gary and the coffee table. I lost in the match with the coffee table, but I think I taught Gary and his balls a lesson."

  "W
hat happened?" Rhys demanded, as he took ice out of the freezer.

  "Long story short, Gary came in through an open window while I was gone, accused me of being a slut and started a fight."

  "You should have called the police," he said, handing me a proper icepack.

  "Been there done that. He'd be out by morning and restraining orders may as well be marshmallows. I told you not to come."

  "I knew something was wrong."

  "Spidey senses?"

  "Something like that," he couldn't find a smile.

  "Look, I know I don't know how to install a door knob or change a light bulb, but I'm not a damsel in distress."

  "I know you're not," he said quietly.

  "I don't like people thinking I'm weak and need rescuing."

  He opened a beer and put it before me. "I don't think that you're weak."

  I looked up at him. "But you think I need rescuing."

  "Not in the way that you think."

  I inhaled the last bit of my cigarette and snubbed it out while Rhys started unpacking the grocery bags.

  "In what way then?" I couldn't hide my curiosity.

  He didn't answer right away, but threw me thoughtful looks as he moved through my kitchen, prepping for the dinner he was about to make me.

  "Rhys!" I whined after a few minutes.

  He managed a small smile before speaking softly. "I think you need to be loved unconditionally, and to be treated with respect, dignity, and...awe."

  Awe? What?

  I stared at him for a moment, a little in shock, before finding my will to move. I stood up and went to the kitchen sink. My cigs were hidden in a vase on the windowsill. I put the icepack down and fished out another cigarette.

  "Well, after the past few dates I had, that's looking bleak," I said, lighting up. "Unless I want to share my panties with Harold or carry a science book around to keep up with Adrian."

  Rhys moved in close to me, plucked the cigarette from my fingers and tossed it in the sink. He looked at me sternly before putting the icepack into my hand.

  "Keep the ice on for a little while longer," he said, his breath on my face. Minty.

  I wordlessly put the icepack back on my face. He just made me all weak-kneed and didn't even really do anything. I sat back down before I could fall.

  "Why are you letting Kit set you up with these guys?"

  "Well, that one guy Luke wasn't so bad," I argued.

  "Oh no? Where is he?"

  My face contorted at his sarcasm.

  "Well, the plenty of fish in the sea thing is bullshit," I said. "The other fish are weird, smell funny, or hooked on someone else's fishing line."

  "Maybe you need to narrow down your fishing waters," Rhys said from the stove.

  "To what? A pond? That's equal to me sleeping with my brother. Lots of inbreeding in ponds."

  "How about a lake?"

  "Like a great lake? Or like a swimming hole kind of lake."

  "Maybe a little smaller than a great lake. You deserve to be picky about what you want. Don't settle for someone just because they're marginally better than your ex. Know what you want and go find it."

  "What I want is moot if he doesn't want me back," I murmured.

  Silence fell upon us. He knew I was referring to him. Since the night of my party, over two months ago, my feelings grew exponentially. What was lust and infatuation blossomed into something deeper as our "friendship" also grew. I hid it well, though, and never asked for more than I got, and I also made sure not to sleep with him again. I wasn't exactly sure how I would feel afterward, but I was leaning toward pain.

  Sometimes I thought he felt something for me, too. Sometimes after kissing me, he'd look at me with such a powerful expression, it made me want to cry. But then his face would cloud over and he would stop touching me for the rest of the day.

  "Do you think Gary will come back?" He asked, shattering the silence several minutes later.

  "Oh. I don't know. Probably not."

  "He's probably pretty mad about his balls."

  "Yeah," I frowned. "I'll just make sure the windows are locked."

  "I'll stay tonight. I'll feel better knowing you're not at his mercy."

  "That's very valiant of you, kind sir. Hey, my face is numb."

  "You can take the ice off," he chuckled.

  I threw the icepack in the sink with my wasted cigarette and joined Rhys at the stove. He was making some kind of sauce with white wine, and on the back burner, boneless chicken breast cooked in a big pan.

  "What are you making me?"

  "Chicken in a white wine sauce, and fresh asparagus."

  "Yum."

  "No more smoking, okay?" He looked at me seriously.

  I nodded, mesmerized. It was that look in his eyes again. What the hell.

  The moment passed and the conversation changed, but my heart never left my throat.

  Chapter Fourteen

  "It doesn't make sense," Rhys was saying early the next morning.

  "It makes perfect sense."

  "You have had my dick in your mouth, but you don't want to share your toothbrush?"

  "Yeah, and you using my toothbrush would be equivalent to you putting your own dick in your mouth," I said pointedly.

  "If that's the case then I often have my own dick in my mouth, because I often have my tongue in your mouth."

  "Oh," I said, realizing his words rang true. Silently, reluctantly, I handed over my personal toothbrush.

  He took it with a triumphant grin. I raised an eyebrow and openly stared at his bare chest and the line of hair that led down to glory. He looked back at me, checking out my bare legs, as I was only wearing a t-shirt.

  We slept in my bed after a night of kissing and sensual touching, but no sex. He must have understood my thoughts and feelings on it even though I never verbalized it, because when things started to get hot and heavy, he was the one that pulled away first.

  "What's your obsession with using my toothbrush anyway?" I asked.

  "It's in your mouth at least twice a day, every day," he said around my brush. "I really like your mouth."

  I felt my face redden and my vagina twitch. I turned away and left him in the bathroom. A couple of minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, looking sexy as hell in his lounge pants and no shirt. I couldn't peel my eyes away.

  "See something you like?" He asked.

  "I may have to take a cold shower," I said huskily.

  "That won't help you, baby," he said, closing the space between us. Maybe it was a bad idea to sit on my bed.

  "Why is that?" I squeaked out.

  "You'll just be cold and turned on."

  "Nuh uh."

  He sat down beside me and kissed my neck.

  "Yeah, you will. And your nipples will get harder." His hand brushed lightly against my breasts and I almost fell off of the bed.

  I jumped up, out of his clutches.

  "No sex!" I reminded him in a shrill voice.

  "Using your toothbrush was a major turn on," he said and walked towards me.

  "Seriously, Rhys," I said, backing away from him.

  "You wanted me the night of your party, and I gave you what you wanted. How about returning the favor?" He said with a teasing smile.

  I ran out of the room, but Rhys caught me around the waist at the end of the hallway. I squealed in horrifying delight as he lifted me and carried me back to my room and tossed me onto the bed. He climbed on me, straddling me and brought his lips to mine. The kiss was deep and passionate and desperate.

  Afterward, he looked at me with that expression again.

  "So serious," I giggled. "Whaddya love me or something?" I whispered and frowned. It had just hit me and I couldn't stop the words from falling across my now swollen lips.

  Rhys's forehead creased, and he frowned, too. Not cool.

  "Yeah," he said.

  "You're going to break my heart."

  He shook his head. "I don't want to hurt you. Ever."

 
"Then you should probably go."

  "I don't want to."

  My fingers moved slowly through his hair. "I don't want you to either," I sighed.

  His lips were on mine again, and a minute later we were both undressed. This time I didn't insist on a quick start. I relished the kisses down my chin, over my neck, and between my breasts. I savored his mouth and fingers working on my nipples. I was always a little self-conscious about the layer of fat on my belly, but he didn't seem to mind as he kissed across it and then down, down, down, to...Oh yeah.

  I squirmed under the force of his tongue and when I felt two fingers slide inside of me, I had an instant orgasm. After another mind blowing orgasm, he inched his way via kisses back to my lips and kissed me deeply, making me taste myself. Ironic, considering our conversation about the toothbrush.

  "Condoms?" He asked.

  "In the drawer, but...I'm on the pill, too."

  "Trust me?"

  "Completely," I whispered.

  As he poised over me, ready to drive himself into me, I tried to mentally and emotionally prepare myself. Physically, this was going to be splendorific. But my poor heart begged me to stop. This was going to hurt.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I had never been in love before, not even with Gary. I thought I had loved Gary at one time, but thinking back on it now, whatever I felt at that time wasn't strong enough to be love. I didn't feel small shocks of pleasure when he touched my skin. Butterflies didn't beat their delicate wings in my belly when he smiled at me. His kisses didn't take me to another galaxy entirely, and I never felt like nothing else mattered after he said he loved me.

  I had fallen asleep after our early morning love making, but Rhys woke me a couple of hours later with kisses up my bare back and to my neck. I squirmed under his lips, relishing this way of waking up. I could feel his erection pressing against me and I pushed back.

  "You're so soft," he murmured, kissing my shoulder.

  I smiled, but gasped when I felt his teeth gently tug on my ear. As he nibbled and kissed my neck, his right hand stroked me from under my arm, over the curve of my breast, my waist and then my ass. He made a quick adjustment and suddenly he was entering me from behind.