Chapter Sixteen
Savannah
Despite my worryabout what was happening with Rhiannon, I still felt as though I were walking on air. It had been three days since Rhys told me that he was mine. Since that night, things between us had changed.
He spent even more time with me. He drove me to work and picked me up, then he spent the rest of the day and evening with me until it was time for bed. Only then would he leave and return to his house.
I knew it was his way of protecting me from the threat Rhiannon and Macgrath presented but I still liked it.
Other things changed as well. Each day, he grew a little more affectionate. He would touch my hair or my waist often, just a brush of his hand or a light caress. His kisses were no longer short or light. And he kissed me often.
Just the memory of his mouth on mine and his hands on my body made my knees weak. He was different now. He was no longer holding himself back with me, at least not completely.
As I showered and got ready for the day, I wondered how it would turn out. Ava closed the Bean on Sundays, saying that even she needed a day off every week. Rhys invited himself over last night, saying he would like to spend the day with me. When I told him I planned to spend the morning in the garden, he didn’t even blink. He offered to help me.
I wanted to see how he handled tending the plants and flowers that I loved so much. I also wondered if he would find it as relaxing as I did.
I dressed quickly in light cotton pants and a tank top and tied my damp hair up in a bun. When I entered the kitchen, the coffee pot was already full since I set the timer the night before. As soon as I poured a cup, the doorbell rang. Quickly, I made another mug of coffee and carried it with me when I went to answer the door.
“Good morning,” I greeted Rhys, noting the dark circles beneath his eyes. I hated that he wasn’t sleeping and wished there was something I could do about it. Well, I knew what we could do that would help us both sleep, but I couldn’t see myself issuing that invitation verbally. I felt heat creeping up my chest and neck at the direction my thoughts took. I held out the coffee mug. “I made coffee.”
He smiled warmly at me and took the cup. “Thank you.”
Though it was early morning, the day was already beginning to warm up. Austin in the summer could get hot during the day, so we needed to get moving if we wanted to be done in the garden before the temperatures reached sweltering levels.
“Do you want some toast or something?” I asked him, shutting the door after he walked inside.
He shook his head as he sipped the coffee. “No, thanks.”
“Then we should probably get started before it gets to hot.”
We each drank a cup of coffee and Rhys followed me outside. Throughout the morning, I asked him to help me weed beds and trim dead blooms from plants in the front. Then I led him into the backyard to do the same. By the time we were done, the sun was high in the sky and my stomach was growling.
I took a few moments to gather herbs from the kitchen garden I’d planted near the back door and carried them inside. My shirt and pants were dusty and my hands were grimy from hours spent working in the dirt. Rhys was in a similar state.
“Why don’t we clean up, then have lunch?” I asked.
Rhys looked down at himself. “I probably do need to clean up and change.”
After he left, I scrubbed my hands and arms in the kitchen sink. When I finished, I walked back into the bedroom and decided to jump in the shower and rinse off. Rhys implied he was going to do the same before he left, so I should have plenty of time.
Leaving my hair pinned up, I quickly washed my body and face in the shower, rinsing the remnants of sweat and dirt from my skin. I dried off and slipped into clean underwear. I was picking out a dress from my closet when I heard a sound behind me. Since the latch was old and rarely caught properly, I assumed it was Satchel shoving the door open, as was her habit. She hated being locked out of my bedroom.
“Just a minute, Satchel,” I said. “Mommy needs to get dressed before you go opening the door.”
I turned around and froze, clutching the garment to the front of my body. Rhys stood in the doorway, his eyes hot and a little wild. My mouth went dry at the expression on his face and I couldn’t speak.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, stepping back. “The door was open and…” he trailed off. “I’ll wait for you in the living room.”
He disappeared down the hallway as I stood unmoving in front of my closet. I carried the dress into my bathroom and shut myself in. My skin felt scorched where his eyes had traveled and I looked at myself in the mirror, wondering for just a moment if his gaze had left marks on my body with its heat.
My pale skin was flushed and the blush darkened when I realized I was wearing a white bra and pale pink lace panties that revealed nearly as much as they covered. I might as well have been naked. I pulled the dress over my head and took my hair down from its bun and brushed it. When it was smooth, I braided it so that the tail fell over my left shoulder.
I debated putting on make-up but realized that I was just trying to kill time before I faced Rhys. I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. I was being silly. Just a few days ago, I was thinking about how much I wanted Rhys to touch me and how eager I was to make love. I wouldn’t be able to share that with him if I freaked out about the idea of him seeing me naked.
Feeling calmer, I left my bedroom and found Rhys in the kitchen with his phone to his ear and his back to me.
“So there’s nothing you can tell me about her?” he asked. He paused, listening to the person on the other end. “I know Austin isn’t that close to Dallas, Kerry, but this witch is powerful. Someone, somewhere, would have known her or dealt with her.” His shoulders tensed as he let the other person respond. “No, I understand what you’re saying. I’m just frustrated because Rhiannon is here and it’s clear she has an agenda that involves at the very least me, and maybe the woman I care about. I need answers and no one can give them to me.” There was another pause. “Okay, thank you. I appreciate that. I’ll be waiting for your call.” Then he laughed. “I told you that you owed me nothing, Kerry, and I meant it, but if it makes you feel better I’ll say it. This makes us even.”
