Page 70 of Forty and Fighting Dirty
“I’m not—put me down!”
Rhett’s low chuckle rumbled through his chest, and instead of doing as I so vehemently requested, he opened the back of his vehicle and unceremoniously tossed me inside. Before he closed the door, he shot me a wide, wicked grin.
I buried my head in the seat and burst out laughing just as Rhett got behind the wheel. He drove off while I pressed a hand to my chest, taking a few quick turns before pulling over. “Get up here,” he said, leaning over to open the passenger door.
I scrambled from my seat and got in the passenger seat, and I barely had time to close my door before Rhett’s hand was tugging my jaw around so he could crush his lips to mine. I kissed him until I was breathless, clinging to the collar of his jacket, feeling giddier than I had in decades.
“I have a surprise for you,” he mumbled against my lips. “But I want to do this first.” His fingers popped the button of my jeans, and I gasped as his big, hot hand slid under my panties tocover my throbbing, slick core. He groaned at the feel of me, his lips moving to kiss my jaw before brushing his teeth along my neck. All the while, his hand stroked and circled and teased.
I writhed in the seat, eyes falling closed, lips kissing whatever bit of Rhett they came into contact with. His earlobe. The corner of his jaw. His temple. His hair.
A long finger slid inside me, the heel of his palm pressing where I was most needy, and I lost all control of my senses. An orgasm splintered through me, and I muffled my scream in his muscular shoulder. My legs clamped around his hand, and my fingers circled his wrist to still his movements.
When my vision returned, I looked up at the small side street where we’d parked, grateful that no one was in sight. “I can’t believe we just did that,” I whispered.
Rhett’s smile was a slash of white in the darkness. He pulled his hand from my pants and brought his fingers to his mouth. I watched him taste me, his eyes falling closed, a groan slipping through his lips.
I was so far gone for this man. I would never recover.
When he met my gaze, his eyes were dark. “You ready?” he murmured.
I blinked. “For what?”
“Your surprise.”
“I thought that was the surprise.”
His smile turned tender. “No.” He kissed me, slow and soft, then pulled away. “Buckle up, Darling. We’re going to Lovers Lane.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
PIPER
The smellof fresh paint filled my nose, and I looked around the foyer of the house we co-owned in wonder. When I flicked the light switch, the large chandelier I’d chosen for the entryway began to glow. I gasped.
“It’s done?” I stared at the walls, the trim, the door to the downstairs powder room. All of it was freshly painted and looking immaculate. “How?—”
“I had a few guys come help us out.”
“But—”
“I’m covering it. It’s not going into our project budget.”
“That’s cheating!”
Rhett threw his head back and laughed, then wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in for a kiss. Then he leaned his forehead against mine and smiled. “Do you think you can set your principles aside and let me take care of this? They did a way better job than we could have, anyway.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “It doesn’t seem fair.”
“To who?”
“To you!” I exclaimed. “What if…” I trailed off, a lump forming in my throat.
Rhett pulled away, his hands coasting down my sides in a gentle caress. “What if what, Piper?”
I didn’t want to say it, but Rhett watched me under the glow of the chandelier, and the words bubbled up before I could stop them. It was the magic of the Christmas lights, and the laughter of all of Georgia’s friends, and the fun I’d had at Thanksgiving the day before. It was Rhett’s touch, and the fun he teased out of me at every turn. My defenses were shattered. I blinked up at him and blurted out, “What if you hold it over my head later?”
He blinked, frowned, and pulled his head back slightly. I’d offended him. Then he blew out a breath and lifted a hand to my face, sweeping his thumb over my skin to trace the arch of my cheekbone. “Let me show you something,” he said, voice a low rumble.
