The last person I want to talk to about my love life is my father. But if the whispers are already happening it’s just a matter of time.
When the door opens, I glance up and then do a fucking noticeable double take. Because none other than the man on my mind walks through the door.
Rhodes Wilder.
He’s here.
In the county clerk’s office. In my office.
Sure, there might only be four other people working today, but all of them are watching the happenings very closely. I can feel their scrutiny.
But I don’t see any of it.
Because I can’t look away from Rhodes and the smile on his face as he walks toward me. I’m up and heading toward him. When I get out from behind the employee area, he’s already there waiting for me with excitement written on his face.
Like he couldn’t wait to see me.
I fucking melt for him.
He quickly kisses my forehead, and I glance around to find everyone still watching us. I swear someone would pop some popcorn if they thought they wouldn’t miss anything.
“Is everything okay?” My eyes move over him like I’m expecting to find some sort of wounds, which is ridiculous, but I still do it. I whisper-yell, “Why are you here?”
“I needed to see you,” he matches my volume.
When he looks around for the first time, his eyes widen slightly. It’s like he didn’t realize we had an audience. I know why when he looks back at me; I was the only thing he saw.
Butterflies take flight at the realization. It feels good. But it shouldn’t, considering this is only going to make the rumors grow.
“I’m taking a break,” I loudly, and awkwardly, announce to the room before gripping Rhodes’s arm and tugging him out of the building.
The moment we’re outside I breathe a sigh of relief and Rhodes chuckles next to me. I scrunch up my face into something like a grimace as I look up at him.
“Sorry?”
“I do feel a little like your dirty little secret,” the teasing in his tone tells me he’s not offended.
Still, I feel bad and shift from one foot to the other. “I don’t ever want you to feel that way,” the words feel like a confession.
Before I even know what is happening, Rhodes arms are around me and he’s dipping me slightly. I grip his shoulders, my fingers digging into his muscular frame, as my eyes go wide and I let out a yelp of surprise.
I don’t even have time to process the new angle of my life before his mouth descends on mine. The kiss he gives me isn’t carnal, but it is fucking thorough. And right on the steps of where I work. Where my dad works.
When Rhodes pulls back slowly and I take in the way his grey eyes twinkle, I forget to be scandalized. The smile is slow to grow on my face, but once it does it’s so wide that it hurts my cheeks.
He rights me, I let out a squeak, and he chuckles. I lead him to the main square in town, and we find a bench not far from the playground. It’s peaceful today and I realize we’re alone pretty quickly.
It’s tempting to kiss him again, to take advantage of not having eyes on us, but I’m not naïve enough to believe no one is paying attention.
“You came all this way just to see me?” My question comes out tinged with awe, but it can’t be helped. Not when I’m amazed at the thought of it.
The reality of it? Dangerous as hell.
Rhodes looks at me for a moment which feels like it lasts a lifetime before he speaks. “Of course. I wanted to see you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. The pile of paperwork on my desk was somehow multiplying, but I couldn’t see any of it. Just you.”
His words feel like a balm. They soothe wounds I thought were healed a long time ago, but I’m starting to realize I was just fooling myself. Or maybe I healed just enough to keep it all together. To survive.
But that’s not really healing, is it? That’s just a scab. I’d rather have the scar than the wound.
