“Does he know that, ma’am?” the officer says low.
I glance up at Rhett, who’s holding an umbrella over my head as I talk to the policeman. “He knows that. She’s told him multiple times.”
“Is that right?” The officer deepens his tone as he shifts toward Rhett and says, “He also told me you stole the engagement ring. You got anything to say about that?”
“No, but I’m on it.”
The officer glances between Rhett and I, his gaze firm and steady as though he’s trying to unravel exactly what’s going on here. Finally, he speaks, his stare settling on Rhett. “Look, I’ve known you since high school, and I know this is out of character for you, so I’m going to buy you some time by saying we need to tow his car in to confirm what I already know… that those are bullet holes in his tires. You need to get on finding that ring before this escalates further. If you show up in front of a judge with shot-out tires, it’s one thing. Show up without a ring that’s worth more than most people’s salary, you can expect hell from even the most sympathetic judge.”
“If we find it, I’ll return it,” Rhett groans.
Officer Brooks rolls his eyes. “You better.”
We nod in unison as he walks away, though I’m not sure any of us are in agreement about anything. If I can’t find the ring, my life is screwed. If I can’t come up with half the money for this wedding, my life is screwed. If Rhett turns out to be a slimeball, my life is screwed.
He stares down at me. “Go get in the shower and run the water hot. I’ll be right in.”
“What? No. You don’t get to boss—”
“Daddy asked you to go warm up, baby girl. I’m going to make a call and then I’ll be right in.”
I don’t know why I want to listen to him, but I do. Maybe it’s the stress of the last couple of days, or the stress of the last couple of years, but I want to let everything go. I want to let my mind rest. I want to listen to this man and do exactly as I’m told. I want to be free of every decision. I want to surrender the stress.
So, I do. Like a little girl, I obey my daddy.
God, I should’ve left before I got sucked in. Now, I’m addicted. Addicted to whatever this is.
“Good girl,” he says, tapping my bottom lightly as I turn away. “Daddy’ll be right in.”
A shot of something warm fills me as he calls me a good girl. I shouldn’t feel this relaxed. I shouldn’t be this blasé. I’m in the biggest mess I’ve ever been in, and though Rhett has the recording with Nathan’s admission to stealing his client list, I know Nathan’ll worm his way out of any wrongdoing. He does every time.
I swallow hard as a pit grows in my stomach, pull open the front door to the lake house, and step into the air-conditioned space. The cool felt refreshing last night, but coming in from the rain, it’s freezing cold. Curling my arms around my chest, I shuffle down the hallway quickly toward the bathroom, strip off my clothes, and run the hot water. It’s taking far too long for the water to heat. I run my hand under the stream a few times until it begins to steam and fog the room.
Heat rushes over my cold muscles, unclenching them almost immediately as my skin turns to pins and needles, then finally eases. I exhale heavily, my shoulders relaxing, comfort flooding in as water pools around my feet in the freshly tiled shower.
There are a million things I should be thinking about. Lord knows this morning has been a doozy, but the only thing that’sresonating is how good I feel with Rhett. I shouldn’t, given the fact that I don’t entirely know what happened to the ring, but part of me believes him. That, or I’m the most gullible human on the planet, which, given my track record lately, might be the case. Either way, I’m enjoying myself far too much.
I mean, last night for instance, the man held me all night long, we cooked together, we shared life stories, and I slept better than I’ve slept in ages. This is more than a kidnapping, more than a ring heist.
This is real,right?
Hot water pounds against my chest as I stare up into the stream, my eyes closed, the sound of droplets against the glass relaxing away the stress from the morning. I don’t know how long I’m in the shower for when I hear the door crack open.
“Damn,” he draws his gaze down over me slowly, as though he’s taking me in, “this is a sight.”
I shake my head and stare toward the giant who’s helped himself inside and closed the door behind him. “You get ahold of whoever you were calling?”
“No. Hopefully he calls back soon. You warming up?”
I want to follow up, ask more questions about who he’s calling, but instead, I swallow hard and stare toward his giant frame as he watches me, his gaze heavy and hooded, like he’s hungry. “It’s heavenly. You should get in. You’re soaking wet.”
He strips off his shirt and unbuckles his jeans, his hard cock standing to attention as he steps into the shower. A minute ago, the space felt big enough for ten people. Now, I’m wondering how we’re going to maneuver with just the two of us.
It’s just hitting me now that we’re both nude, naked, completely void of all clothing as the water pours down around us. His bare chest brushes against my face, my tits rubbing against his hard stomach, the water a backdrop to the tensionbetween my legs that’s growing stronger and stronger by the minute.
He pours shampoo into his hand and massages it into my hair, lathering with a groan in his throat as though he’s trying to control himself with this act of kindness. “You wash your body yet, princess?”
I shake my head, probably too eagerly, as my clit twitches.
