Page 7 of When You're Home
She inhaled, taking in the earthy scent of the various plants Anne was storing in the sunroom for winter. She glanced past a particularly tall fiddle leaf tree toward the built-in bar in the corner. The Jameson was pulled out and left askew against the regiment of bottles lined up against the wall. That confirmed her suspicions about why it took him so long to finally text her last night.
Tori made her way into the main house. Everything had been left neat and tidy; Anne obviously did a once-over before they left for their cabin in Michigan. Maddie’s backpack was the only element out of place. It was thrown over a kitchen chair and left open like she had to grab something quickly before running out the door.
She kept walking, her wool socks catching against the hardwood floor every few steps as she made her way to the staircase. She took the stairs two at a time, making a sharp left at the top. To this day, she wondered what the Wheelers were thinking when they gave Rhett the bedroom closest to the stairs. It was ridiculously easy to get in and out of without disturbing anyone else in the house.
She didn’t bother knocking, instead pushing the heavy oak door with enough force to make it clunk into the doorstop. Her eyes raked over Rhett’s room. The dark navy walls and mahogany bedroom furniture scratched all the happy places in her brain as she took in the familiar scene. Rhett wasn’t in his bed, but the sheets were askew. She inhaled, letting the notes of sea salt and sandalwood linger before she started to feel heady.
“Hey, V.” A deep voice knocked the breath out of her as she spun around to see him standing at the entrance of the attached bathroom, one arm thrown up as he leaned into the door jamb. Damn. He looked so good. She had missed him so much.
“How long were you standing there watching me?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing. She could barely contain the smile that threatened to take over her entire face.
He threw up both hands in mock defense. “I was in the bathroom when you came in!”
She took the opportunity to let her eyes roam his body. He was naked, save for the charcoal boxer briefs that hugged his thighs and sat low on his hips. He had the broadest shoulders, and she loved the little dips of his collarbone, the hollow at the base of his neck. His chest was well defined with lean muscle, and the definition in his stomach tapered in, creating deep, delicious grooves just above his hips.
“Are you going to come over here and greet me properly?” Rhett smirked, breaking her trance. She had no idea how much time had just passed as she made her sultry assessment of his body.
“You look like a cat about to pounce,” he taunted her. His voice had dropped a full octave. She knew what he was doing. Teasing her, testing her. Willing her to go to him and close the circuit of the electric connection that ran between them now.
“Shhh!” she insisted, slowly shaking her head. She wasn't done. Her eyes made their way back to the taut inlines of his hips. The sharpness of his muscle definition combined with the dark happy trail that led from his navel to below the band of his underwear was like her own personal siren song…
“Victoria.”
It wasn’t a suggestion this time or even a plea. Her head snapped up at his command. His eyes locked on her, holding her in place as he willed her to finally look at him. His irises had gone dark, and his head bobbed slightly as he took in ragged, uneven breaths.
“Tori, please.” Softer this time, his words came out barely above a whisper. She was across the room before she even realized her feet were moving. She immediately laid both hands on his midsection.
“Whoa there!” he yelped. “You’re frozen!” He pulled away from her the moment her hands brushed against his chest.
“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t even realize I was cold.” She started to rub her hands back and forth before Rhett encased them in his own, raised their joined hands to his mouth, and exhaled. Warmth spread from her fingertips to her core, sending a full-body shiver down her spine.
“Yeah, I didn’t realize that would be possible either after the way you just eye-fucked me.” He pulled her into his body and gave her a playful swat on the ass.
He must have just gotten out of the shower,Tori thought to herself as she felt heat radiate off his skin. They both leaned into each other for a few more beats.
“Hi,” he whispered, pulling back slightly and looking down at her. It was a sincere apology and a hopeful prayer wrapped up in one word.
“Hi,” she replied, nuzzling her face into his chest in an attempt to reassure him that she wasn’t upset about this unexpected weekend visit. This was their thing. They could say so much—share so much between them—with just a few words or a single glance. Ten years in and out a relationship together would do that.
“Missed you,” he muttered into her hair, tightening his grip around her body. Tori breathed him in, savoring the warmth of his bare chest underneath her cheek. She didn’t need to look up to know the sharp lines of his jaw were set in a hard line.
Just because she wasn’t mad at him didn’t mean she wasn’t curious. What the hell was he doing here? What was he so tense about? It felt too early in the morning and too early in the weekend to get into anything just yet. She pulled back in time to see him wipe the sullen expression from his face.
“Is that what I owe the pleasure of this visit? You missed me so much you just couldn’t stay away?” Rhett said nothing, instead squeezing her tighter. She rested her cheek back against his chest, allowing him to hold her for just a little longer than normal. He obviously needed the comfort, and she had missed him so damn much.
Something shifted as they continued to embrace. Tori felt herself respond to him. It wasn’t a choice; it was an unstoppable reaction. Her body softened. Her resolve dissipated. The teasing and playfulness she had felt earlier evaporated to make room for something more, something deeper. She inhaled, breathing in his scent, letting the proximity intoxicate her.
She finally lifted her head, knowing what would happen when she glanced up. Permission granted, Rhett’s mouth was on hers. He was hungry, almost frantic, as he gripped the base of her neck and pressed his lips into hers. His other hand moved down her back, settling right at the base of her spine. He used that hand to pull her against him even tighter. He was the anchor, but they both knew she wasn’t going anywhere. Tori rolled her hips forward, connecting the lower halves of their bodies as he groaned. His tongue teased her, seeking entrance. She willingly let him in.
No one kissed like Rhett. He used his mouth to worship her, oscillating between sweet, tender promises and urgent, heated demands. Every kiss was a confession, every touch an invitation home.
She recognized the familiar-but-still-sultry passion in the way he kissed her, but there was something else there today, too. Something unidentifiable. Something that almost felt dangerous. He was home unexpectedly, and the desperation behind his kiss confirmed her suspicions: something wasn’t right.
“Hey.” She reluctantly broke the kiss and pulled away from him. He didn’t stop kissing her, instead moving down to work over the pulse point on the side of her neck.
“Ev.” She tensed, dropping her hands to her sides. Disengaging would get his attention.
“Hmmm?” he asked, his forehead coming to rest on hers. He released her body slowly, untangling their limbs and shifting his weight back a few inches.
