Page 37 of When You're Home
“How long until the food’s ready?” he asked, lowering his head to hover just a few inches from her face.
“Ten-ish minutes?” Tori replied, reaching up to kiss him. She was acting like it was the most natural thing in the world for her to be in the kitchen making brunch, like they had an easy kind of love.
“I’m going to take a super quick shower then,” he said, returning her kiss with another one, this one deeper, before gently swatting her on the ass and turning to head to the bathroom.
“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that, Wheeler!” she called after him.
Rhett entered the master bathroom, adjusted the dual rain showerheads, and found a towel and washcloth under the sink.
He showered quickly, anxious to get back out to the kitchen. He really was hungry, his body craving sustenance almost as much as he was craving her. Running had cleared his mind enough to know that he didn’t want to waste one more minute of the weekend worrying about where things stood between them.
Tori was just setting their plates on the table when he walked back into the kitchen. He quickly ran a hand through his still wet hair to work out the tangles as he walked past the kitchen island.
“Perfect timing.” She flashed him a beaming smile as he approached the table. Rhett couldn’t resist wrapping her into a hug and kissing her again. She let herself go soft in his arms. He could barely contain the grin that spread across his face as she returned his affection. This was all he ever wanted.
“Mmmmm,” he hummed into her mouth. “This smells amazing.”
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, glancing up at each other every now and then and smiling.
He broke the silence first. “So, what are we doing today?”
Tori was quiet for a minute as she chewed. She gave him a sheepish smile before responding.
“I’m dreaming of taking a hot bath in the big tub,” she confessed, “and I definitely want to go down to the lake at some point. Other than that, I just want to be with you.”
Rhett stilled at the simplicity of her words. There were no teasing undertones, no sexual innuendos to distract him.
“That sounds perfect to me, V. I’ll clean up so you can go take your bath.” Rhett couldn’t help but notice the slight tightness in his chest. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around why she was acting so agreeable and docile. Why was this so easy? Why did they feel more like a real couple than they had felt in years?
He couldn’t dwell on it. He wouldn’t allow himself to forebode the joy of what could be, if only she’d let it be. They were here together now, and he was going to do everything in his power to make the most of it.
Chapter 23
Tori
“Hey,beautiful,”Rhettgreetedherasshesteppedintothebedroomafterherbath.Hesmiledashetuckedinthelastcorneroftheduvetonthebed.
“Hi,” she responded, pulling the oversized towel tighter around her body. For some reason, she felt more tense now than she had before the bath. She lingered near the bathroom door, scanning the room for her bag. She wished she would have taken her clothes into the bathroom with her. Now she had to strip down in front of him when she was already feeling unexpectedly vulnerable.
The trepidation in his voice interrupted her train of thought. “Everything okay, V?”
Tori nodded, then made the mistake of looking him in the eyes.Damnit, she scolded herself as she felt tears well up and spill over.
“Hey, don’t cry. What’s wrong?” he implored as he made his way over to meet her and folded her into a hug. She let him engulf her body in his arms, leaning into him with all her weight and forcing him to hold her up. A sob ripped through her, surprising them both.
“Tori,” Rhett cautioned, genuine concern radiating off his body. “You’re scaring me. Tell me what’s wrong.”
She sniffled and inhaled deeply, testing her lungs to make sure there weren’t any more surprise sobs lingering below the surface.
“I don’t even know. I was just thinking about… things… in the tub. About your graduation. About Virginia. About us.”
She was telling him the truth. Why was she telling him the truth? She honestly had no idea where her candor was coming from today. She knew Rhett would leave her alone if she told him to. But that was the problem: she didn’t want him to leave her alone. Not now, and not ever if she was honest with herself.
“It’s almost over,” she sobbed into his chest. She couldn’t control the tears that just kept coming.
Rhett stilled. She felt his body go rigid as his arms squeezed tighter around her. The energy shifted between them, and he sucked in a sharp inhale. She knew him well enough to know that a decision had just been made.He was bracing himself for something.
“It doesn’t have to be almost over,” he whispered. It was an offer and a suggestion and a hopeful prayer wrapped up in seven simple words.
