Make You Mine, page 5
part #1 of Fireweed Harbor Series Series
All of these thoughts tumbled through my head as I stared back at Rhys. I finally snapped myself into motion, walking past him and calling over my shoulder, “Do you want anything to drink?”
“Sure,” he said in that rumbly voice of his that danced along my nerve endings, setting them alight.
I walked from the living room area to the kitchen at the back, feeling Rhys’s presence as he turned to follow me.
“I have water and some honey blackberry mead from the winery. I think I have some porter from there too.”
If you lived in Fireweed Harbor, you likely had wine, beer, or mead from Fireweed Winery. They had special prices for the locals. They were highly successful in the wine and beer-making business because their product was high quality and delicious.
“I’ll take a beer,” he said.
I fetched a beer for him, twisting the cap off before I handed it over, then got a bottle of mead for myself. I rounded the island that served as a divider between the kitchen and living room and walked back toward the couch.
Rhys followed me. I regretted the fact that all I had was a loveseat. Either I made him stand or we sat together.
Gesturing to the loveseat, I said, “Have a seat.”
I sat in the opposite corner from him, shimmying my hips back as far as I could. That only created maybe a foot or so between us. My belly spun from the butterflies.
He took a swallow of his beer and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he dangled the beer bottle between his hands. He angled to face me slightly, catching my eyes.
“Like I told you today, he’s not my son. His name is Matthew.”
I nodded slowly. “He’s Jake’s?”
“We think so. My attorney had the sense to request more than a basic paternity test, one that identifies more markers. According to the lab, he’s related to our family and likely the child of one of my siblings.” He paused, glancing down and back up. “I understand why you got upset.”
I shifted my shoulders, trying to relieve the tension building inside me. “Maybe I overreacted,” I finally said.
He shrugged. “A woman filed for child support from me. Surprisingly, there is a connection.”
“Are you sure Jake is the father?”
“Based on what the lab explained, if we rule out my other brothers, then the only option would be Jake.”
“How are you?” The question slipped out. Realizing Jake might be the father reminded me of how painful his death was for Rhys and the rest of his family.
Rhys took a long swallow of his beer before leaning back and setting the beer bottle on the table beside the couch. “I’m okay. I’m worried about my mom. She wants to get to know Matthew if he’s her grandson. I’m not sure how Cathy feels about that.”
“I’m sure this is difficult for her and definitely unexpected.”
He looked over at me, his gaze intent. “We could talk about all kinds of things, but I’m hoping you believe me now. I wasn’t hiding anything. I knew Cathy in college, and we saw each other a few times. Apparently, she was also involved with Jake right around the same time. We only found that out because our attorney did some searching before he even agreed to let me do the paternity test.” His lips twisted to the side as he shook his head. “I wish I could talk to Jake about it now.”
“Did she really think you were the father? Surely, she knew what the DNA testing would show?”
Rhys shrugged. “According to my attorney, it depends on how many markers the test looks for. He recommended the more expensive test specifically because of that. According to her attorney, she thought we were twins.” Rhys rolled his eyes. “You know how we used to joke about that.”
“I knew you guys growing up, so I knew you weren’t twins, but I could see how someone who didn’t know you well might think that. You sure looked a lot alike. Maybe not identical, but really close.”
He let out a breath, shaking his head in disbelief. “Haven, can we try again?”
Chapter Twelve
Haven
I lifted my bottle of mead and swallowed too much, sputtering a little. I reached for a napkin on the coffee table, dabbing at my mouth. “Maybe,” I finally said. “It’s not just this. You never noticed me in high school for a reason, and I think this whole thing just reminded me of all the reasons maybe it was stupid to think we could work out.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Haven, you were a freshman when I was a senior. That’s kind of forever in high school. Not to mention you were and still are my best friend’s little sister. Those were the reasons I didn’t pay attention in high school. Four years is not a thing now, and Deacon knows how I feel about you.”
I opened my mouth to argue the point. Rhys shifted closer on the couch, reaching for one of my hands. I didn’t realize I was cold until his hand closed around mine. “You’re freezing,” he murmured. He stood and walked over to the woodstove, asking, “Can I add some more wood to this?”
“Sure.”
He quickly added a few more logs, poking at the fire to get the flames leaping high. After he closed the door, he walked across the room, peering at the thermostat mounted on the wall. “Do you have the heat off? It’s still below freezing some nights.”
I felt foolish because I’d honestly forgotten to check the thermostat when I got home. “Go ahead and turn it up.”
After Rhys adjusted the heat, he returned to the couch, sitting closer to me. My pulse thrummed along. Thoughts bounced around my brain. I tried to stay sensible, to tell myself that perhaps I had reacted too swiftly. But still, seeing Cathy and knowing Rhys had once been involved with her, regardless of the casual level of the involvement, had simply illuminated what I knew already. Rhys was out of my league.
He lifted his beer bottle, taking a long pull. My eyes lingered on the motion of his throat, trailing down to where the vee of his shirt revealed a glimpse of his bronzed skin. It wasn’t even fair. Somehow, Rhys’s skin stayed burnished, as if by the sun, even at the end of winter when spring was beginning to break through.
I tore my eyes away, my gaze landing on my forearms, which were pale and dusted with freckles like most of my body. I was fair-skinned, no matter the time of year. During the summers, I had to be religious about using sunscreen, or I turned pink.
The sound of a beer bottle being set on the table by the loveseat snapped my attention back to Rhys. He looked over at me, reaching for my hand again. Even though I told myself I should swat him away, I couldn’t. I wanted to be angry with him. Instead, I was annoyed with myself for getting upset and tumbling back into my need for him so easily. That was all it took for me to start feeling weak inside, vulnerable to his charm and the ease he carried.
Some men worked to create the aura Rhys wore like a favorite old jacket. He didn’t even have to try. I took a moment to study him. His hair was dark blond with glints of gold shimmering under the flames flickering from the woodstove as if the sun itself gilded him. His silvery-gray eyes were beautiful with thick lashes. His cheekbones were bold as if cut from granite. His jaw had sharp, clean lines set off with a generous mouth. He could look foreboding, except when he smiled. He had a dimple on one cheek that appeared with his smile, giving him an endearing, boyish look.
All of the Cannon siblings had good looks and easy charm. Yet I bet they’d all trade that. Jake’s death had hit the family hard. My heart softened just thinking about what it must mean to realize Jake might have a son.
Rhys’s thumb brushed across the back of my hand before feathering along the side of my wrist. His touch was subtle, but it felt like a lick of fire.
“Can we try again?” he repeated.
His low and gravelly voice danced along my frayed nerves. I lifted my chin, daring myself not to look away or back down like I wanted to.
Rhys was much easier to resist when he wasn’t right in front of me. I opened my mouth to say something, but I had to take a breath first. Collecting myself, I swallowed. I gave up on trying to calm the pace of my heartbeat. It was like a wild pony out of control, dashing through an open field.
“I feel like we stumbled into this too fast. Maybe I overreacted, but I saw Cathy…” I let out a little sigh, looking down at where his hand held mine. I wished I didn’t savor his touch so much. Lifting my eyes to his again, I added, “I’d guess she’s the kind of woman you usually date.”
“Haven, I don’t have a type.”
My brows hitched up as I gave him a dry look. “Seriously, Rhys? I’m sure I could do a quick online search and find plenty of photos of you with gorgeous women at social events. You didn’t get serious with anyone. And that’s okay. I’m not holding that against you. But—”
He cut in. “But what? Cathy and I had a few nights together over the course of a few weekends. I was in college. I didn’t know it then, but like I said, she was seeing Jake at the same time. We were young, and it was casual. There is absolutely no spark for me with her now if you’re worried about that. You are who I want.” He studied me, his gaze intent and earnest. “I get it,” he said after a long pause. “I don’t think you overreacted. Hell, if the situation had been reversed, I’d have been pretty freaked out. That would’ve been a big secret to keep if it had been a secret that I was keeping. Let’s try again.”
I wanted to resist, I really did, but the problem was I had already fallen for Rhys. That was a done deal as far as my heart was concerned. And no matter what my mind thought, our chemistry still burned hot and fast. When he shifted closer, lifting a hand to palm my cheek and turn my face toward his, anything my mind wanted to shout out was futile. All intellectual resistance went up in smoke, burned to ashes in the fiery flames of my own need.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his voice a gruff whisper.
Of course, he just had to go and ask, to push me to make a choice. My answer was a forgone conclusion.
“Yes,” I rasped.
His hand slid down from my cheek to cup the side of my neck. His thumb trailed along my jawline, his touch like a path of sparks along the surface of my skin. Heat and desire pooled in my belly. I took a quick breath before he leaned forward, pressing a kiss on the side of my neck just behind my ear. A little something between a sigh and a moan escaped. His touch felt like a drop of honey, sweet and hot.
Because Rhys knew me, he knew how to kindle the fire hotter and higher inside me. He took his sweet time—another kiss a little lower on my neck, his thumb brushing across the wild beat of my pulse, and a hot, open-mouthed kiss just under the edge of my jaw. He lifted his head, his gaze dark as he stared into my eyes.
I couldn’t have looked away if my life depended on it. It felt as if we were caught in a net of shimmering sparks. Desire curled around us like smoke, suffusing me and the air.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispered.
Emotion rose fiercely inside me, like a wave crashing through me. “I missed you too.”
It had been a mere month. Honestly, it was remarkable that I’d managed to avoid him so thoroughly for that month. But I had.
I had missed him so fiercely. I took a shallow breath just before he dipped his head and brought his mouth to mine, claiming me with a masterful, devouring kiss.
His tongue swept in the second my mouth opened. On a moan, his hand slid around my nape, gripping my hair just hard enough that I savored the subtle sting on my scalp as he angled my head to the side to deepen our kiss.
I couldn’t get enough, and I whimpered as I shimmied closer. We broke apart to gulp in air, staring at each other.
Chapter Thirteen
Rhys
“Kiss me again,” I murmured.
Haven closed the tiny distance between our mouths. Our kiss went from chaste to a fiery tangle of tongues. My tongue swept in to glide against hers, and I let out a little growl when she shifted closer. I could feel the soft give of her breasts against my chest just before we broke apart.
I released her hand, lifting mine to trail my knuckles across her nipples. They were tight little peaks under my touch through the fabric. I let my hand drop, sliding it down to cup between her thighs. She squeezed her legs together a little, letting out a whimper. “Rhys…”
She was wearing these stretchy fleece pants. I tugged the waistband down, sliding my hand into her panties to find her hot, slick, and wet.
Another whimper escaped when I slid one finger into her folds. With a little encouragement, she stood and shimmied out of her pants. “I need to see you,” I whispered huskily.
I took off my shirt, letting out a satisfied sigh when she tossed hers aside and let her bra fall behind her on the floor. Her breasts bounced free, and I shifted, pushing my jeans down until my cock sprang free. Pre-cum was already rolling out of the tip.
“Are you…?” She began.
“I need you.” My voice was guttural.
She straddled me, and I brought her down over me. I notched my crown at her entrance, and my head fell back as she slowly sheathed me in her slick, rippling core.
When she was fully seated, I lifted my head, looking into her eyes. “I missed you.”
She blinked, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I missed you too,” she whispered.
“We’re going to be okay.” My words were a promise.
I rocked into her, nudging deeper with each roll of her hips. It had been too long. My release was right there, a fiery sizzle waiting to strike.
I knew her well now and could feel her torch song in the tightening of her body, the way she started to tremble, the way she bit the corner of her lip, and the way her breath came in sharp little pants. I slid my thumb over her clit, watching as her release broke, and she let out a ragged cry. I finally let go, that sizzle cracking like lightning through my system. I came with deep shudders wracking my body.
Haven rested against me, soft and lush in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. I savored the feel of her breath gusting against the side of my neck and let my fingers slide through her hair. I had missed her and all of these small moments. I cataloged the feel of her skin against mine, the way I could feel her heartbeat slowing in tune with my own when she started thinking and tensed slightly before straightening.
Chapter Fourteen
Haven
I needed this. I needed Rhys.
When it was all over but for the pleasure ricocheting through my body, he held me close against him. I wanted to regret this, but I couldn’t even do that. I had simply missed him too much.
Oh, I could blame it on this man playing my body like an instrument solely tuned by him, but it wasn’t just that. It was the way I felt when I was with him and the depth of our intimacy. Those were the reasons I’d let myself fall for him. I had been so susceptible to falling for him.
His fingers sifted through my hair, and I savored the feel of his easy touch and the way he didn’t shy away from us.
“Haven.”
I lifted my head from where I had it tucked into the curve of his neck. When my eyes met his, my entire system felt the jolt of it, the power contained in his intent gaze.
“Well?” he prompted.
“Well, what?”
“Can we try again?”
Chapter Fifteen
Rhys
Haven stared at me, her lashes sweeping down before lifting again. I hated the indecision I saw in her eyes. If only she knew. This past month had been hell. Facing the uncertainty surrounding the paternity test while Haven ignored me had been rough.
Finally having Haven back in my arms where she belonged sent emotion rolling through me in waves. My heart kicked along my ribs, each beat an echo of my certainty for her, my love for her. The feelings I hadn’t put a voice to yet.
That was where I’d dropped the ball. Because I’d never been serious with anyone. All of Haven’s brother’s hesitations about me had turned out to be true. Deacon knew me well. He knew what I’d been like before I’d fallen for Haven.
“I thought that’s what we were doing,” Haven finally replied, lifting a hand and sifting it through her messy curls.
Her curls had fallen in a wild tangle around her shoulders. The flames from the fire and the woodstove danced along them, catching threads of gold in her strawberry-blond locks.
My lips curled into a smile. “Well, we started to try again, but I don’t just mean this.”
My hand had come to rest on her bare hip, and I caressed her silky skin, squeezing gently and savoring the soft give.
She took a shuddery breath. “I know. What do we do next?”
“I take you out on a date.”
I had actually thought this through. I was going to court her. We weren’t going to rush into this. We had rushed into it before, and maybe that was why it’d been so easy for that court paperwork to create doubt for her.
A while later, I lay in the darkness, wide awake. For the first time in a month, my thoughts weren’t chasing themselves like a dog chasing its tail, pointlessly going nowhere and catching nothing.
I wasn’t under any illusions that everything had been resolved. I still had a knotty mess to deal with regarding my nephew. I also knew Haven’s hesitation was grounded in a piece of reality. She was wrong about the type of woman I wanted. Maybe Cathy was classically beautiful, but long before I had fallen for Haven, I’d been more drawn to quirky, curvy women whose beauty stood out. Cathy would blend into any crowd while Haven stood out with the brightness of her strawberry-blond curls, the way her smile was a little crooked, and the sharp intelligence contained in her gaze.
I slid my hand down her back. She was curled against me with one knee draped over my legs. I slipped my palm down her silky-smooth skin into the dip of her waist and over the curve of her bottom. Even now—perhaps an hour or so past feeling utterly sated after we tumbled into bed together, and I teased her to another climax before finding my own again—my arousal stirred. That was the depth of power she held over me.
