“Perfect.” She gives me a warm smile. “I’ll be right out.”
“I’ll wait.”
Laurel
My hand lifts to the ponytail in my hair and I ease the rubber band out. Slide it over my red locks, dragging it until it’s all the way out. Give my head a shake, letting the whole mess cascade around my face.
Fluff it.
Run a hand down the front of my shirt, smoothing the hem over the top of my black cotton leggings. Turn this way and that to check out my profile in the mirror.
Stomach is flat. No underwear lines.
Boobs look great.
Bending, I untie both my shoes, kicking them off. Pull off my socks, ball them up, shove them inside my Chucks. Grab a washcloth, dampen it under the faucet, and wipe my stinky sneaker feet with a little soap and water.
Blow out a breath before pulling the door to the bedroom open.
Rhett is seated at the foot of the big bed, legs spread, arms braced on the mattress behind him, backward baseball cap making him look young and carefree with his ears sticking out under the edge.
His crooked smile gives me pause, and before he can rise, I step into his open legs. Lean in, hands sliding to his shoulders, lips pressing against his.
If he’s surprised by my physical attention, he recovers quickly, mouth widening, meeting my kiss with a solid peck of his own. Arms go around me, hands firmly cupping my ass cheeks and squeezing, tongue exploring my mouth.
“Mmm.” I press in closer, bending to press a kiss to his temple. “We can’t get carried away or they’re going to think we’re fooling around in here.”
“Trust me, they don’t have that much faith in me.”
“Then they’re idiots,” I whisper. Rhett’s giant hands span my waist, fingers fanned out, thumbs nearly touching. “Because I…because…”
I like you.
Think you’re wonderful.
Want to be more than friends.
Only I can’t get the words out; they’re lodged in my throat.
“You can’t stay.” His head hits my belly and I take the opportunity to run my fingers along the column of his strong neck.
“I know.” But I’m here now.
He lifts his head. Tips his chin so he can look me in the eye. “During dinner we’ll figure out how to get you home. Maybe Gunderson will let you take his car, and he can ride home with someone else—it’s his fault he put you in this position.”
Us, I silently correct him. Gunderson put us in this position.
“That works.”
“All right. Let’s go find something to eat.”
Rhett stands before I can back away, our bodies smashed together, the rigid length of him distinctly noticeable against my thigh. He lifts an arm, hand sliding to the back of my neck. I rise to my tiptoes, meeting his lips for another kiss.
Sigh.
The house is eerily quiet when we finally crack the bedroom door, emerging into the lofted overlook above the cavernous living room.
The empty living room.
The empty living room with the perfect view of an empty deck and an empty beach.
“Where the hell is everyone?”
“Maybe they went out on the boat?”
I lag behind him, peer over the guardrail of the loft. Stare down into the empty, silent kitchen. No way are twelve wrestlers this quiet.
“Do you suppose…” I can’t even finish the sentence, certain I know the answer. “They left us here?”
“Let’s check their rooms for luggage.”
We find nothing as we hit room after room, not a trace of anyone except us.
“I should have fucking known they were going to pull something like this.” He gets out his phone. Pounds out a message.
His cell dings within seconds and he proceeds to go angrily back and forth several times before I can’t stand it any longer and ask, “What did he say?”
Rhett slaps his phone in my open palm and my eyes scan the messages in the group chat.
Rhett: Where the hell are you assholes? Did you run to town or something?
Gunderson: Gone like a freight train, gone like yesterday.
Rhett: What the hell are you on about? Are you here or not?
Gunderson: No dipshit.
Rhett: So y’all didn’t run out to pick up dinner or what?
Johnson: No dumbass. Like, gone. For the night.
Gunderson: We went home.
Rhett: ALL of you?
Johnson: Yeah. All of us.
Rhett: You fucking left us here? Stranded?
Johnson: Yah, calm down—it’s only an hour away. Thought you’d want to be alone with Fire Crotch.
Gunderson: We like to think we’re doing you a favor.
Rhett: HOW is stranding us an hour from home doing us a favor?
Gunderson: Tonight when you’re banging the ginger, you’re going to be THANKING us. I accept cash and gift cards in any denomination.
Ryker: Don’t worry your pretty little heads—we’ll be back in the morning to fetch you.
Gunderson: And dude, lighten up. Have fun before she wises up and figures out how boring you are.
“They left us here?”
Not going to lie, I’m not broken up about it—not even a little. In fact, quite the opposite.
Instead of anger, a bubble of excitement wells up inside me and I tamp down the happy dance my feet want to do across the hardwood floors.
“So we’re here…alone?”
“Looks like it.”
“For the entire night?”
“Yeah. Jesus Laurel, I am so sorry.” Rhett blows out a puff of frustrated air, hand gripping the back of his neck. “It’s one thing for them to fuck with me, but another for them to involve you.”
I can’t very well say, I’m glad the idiots are gone, let’s cuddle, can I? Not when he feels so guilty that I’m stuck here.
So I go with, “Let’s make the best of the situation. What do we have for food? I really am starving.”
Together we head to the large kitchen, noting a heavily stocked fridge with relief. Water bottles, juice boxes, chocolate milk. Eggs. Vegetables and fruit. Hot dogs and chicken breasts. It looks like someone went to a deli and bought pasta salads.
In the freezer, several frozen pizzas. Popsicles. A container of vanilla bean ice cream. Frozen broccoli and scallops.
“It’s not the burgers I thought we were going to have, but want to toss in a pizza?”
“Or two?”
“Or two.” Rhett smiles, grabbing the pies. “Supreme and a cheese?”
“Works for me. I’ll preheat the oven.”
We set to work in the kitchen together, doing a little dance at the stove, skirting around each other—the one couples do, accidentally-on-purpose brushing against each other when reaching for something, when opening a drawer or cabinet. When we brush hips as I stand lining a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, my whole body heats from the contact.
Outside, the sun is setting against the horizon, the silhouette of several boats on the water lending a picturesque backdrop to the already scenic view. An orange, lavender, and blue horizon touches the tree line above. It’s beautiful.
Tranquil. Peaceful.
Just the thing Rhett needed.
I pluck two cups from the cupboard. “So when the guys come back tomorrow, do you think you’ll actually get any team bonding in?”
He opens a few drawers before locating a pizza cutter. Shrugs. “I don’t know. I thought we already had.”
I lean my hip against the cabinet behind me, hands braced on the granite countertop. “Are you really that bent out of shape at the thought of shacking up with me for the next sixteen hours? Or are you just mad they won’t grow up and act like adults?”
“I’m pissed that they’re morons.”
My brow goes up. I want him to admit he wants to be stuck here with me. “So you’re not mad you’re here with me?”
“No, I’m not mad about that.”
“Good. Because I’m not exactly hating it.”
Rhett looks down at the floor, a crimson blush creeping above the collar of his plaid button-down, coloring his cheeks. His shaggy hair is wavy today, and I catch whiffs of fresh air when he moves past me to grab a hot pad.
Lays everything by the stove so it’s ready when we need it.
We load the pizzas into the oven one at a time, closing the door. Set a timer for twenty minutes.
“So what should we do while they’re cooking?” He can’t meet my eye.
What should we do? Boy do I have a few ideas…
“I’ll fill these glasses with water, then you wanna sit on the deck while we wait?”
“Sounds good.”
Outside, I shift a few chairs around, dragging two so they’re side by side, facing the water. Facing the sunset. The glowing horizon, sun fading into night, a few stars peeking through the dusk.
The sliding door opens and closes. “I’ll keep the lights off so we don’t attract the bugs.”
He joins me in the green Adirondack chairs, hands me my glass, spreads his legs, and stares into the distance. We’re quiet a few blissful moments. “This is nice.”
My head falls back against the wooden chair. “I could definitely get used to this.” The lake water hitting the break wall along the shore. The fresh, pine-filled air. The rustling of the trees. The crackling remains from embers of the abandoned stone fire pit.
Sitting out here, next to Rhett.
A deep sigh escapes my lungs. Eyes close, lashes rest on my cheekbones.
“Do you suppose they’re jealous of you?” The question—which hadn’t occurred to me until this second—leaves my lips before I can give it a second thought.