Page 46 of Deadly Secrets

“You’re crazy,” she says, looking at me like I just kicked a puppy. “You’ve gone and lost your fucking mind Rhett Miller.”

Not only has my girl become independent and self-sufficient but she’s gained a mouth on her. I remember her thinking that saying ‘hell’ or ‘pissed’ was a sin but to hear her cuss now only adds to the stack of attributes I’m loving more about her adult self.

The fitted sheet is next and when I reach up under the pillow to grab it, I’m smacked in the face with something soft. I’ve been hit with fists, guns, wooden boards, and tools from the auto garage so I’m used to takin’ a hit but this one feels more like a light tap compared to those. I turn my head and see Remi holding her pillow in both hands, a stern look on her face.

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” I say and with quick work I grab the closest pillow to me and return the favor. I tamp down my smack, so as to not hurt her as she tries to dodge the item but fails. She comes at me again and I let her think she’s got the upper hand. The pillow lands against my shoulder and with my opposite hand I reach out and grab at hers, yanking her forward. Her chest bounces off mine but I wrap my arm around her waist, holding her to me. She wiggles to get free but she’ll only break my hold if I deem it.

I look into her eyes and I see the girl who I fell in love with over a decade ago. We might’ve been separated by forces that were out of our control but we don’t have to live that way now.

Bending down, I capture her soft pink lips to mine and I feel her relax into my embrace immediately. She feels our pull to each other; she just needs to seize the second chance that we’ve been given. Her mouth opens and gives me the clearance I need to push my tongue in and caress hers. Remi bands her arms up around my neck and I can feel her tight, hard nipples rubbing up against my bare chest, only a thin scrap of material separating us. I use my free hand to tilt her head and deepen the kiss. She moans when I start to place kisses down her neck.

“This is a bad idea,” she pants as my cock throbs in my joggers, begging to be freed.

“Nothing involving us is a bad idea,” I say as I leave open wet kisses along her jaw towards her ear.

Her fingers are lightly scratching the nape of my neck and it’s driving me wild.

She pulls her hands off the back of my head and I miss the fire she was leaving with her touch. Remi cups my cheeks with both her hands and brings my face level with hers. “I don’t want Ryder to get hurt,” she says. Her face is masked in concern and worry. I have to remind myself that she’s had to be so strong for so long that everything she does is to make sure our son is top priority, even if that means she goes without. It’ll take time but I’ll show her that she can rely on me. That I’m here now to take that heavy load and burden off her shoulders.

“I’m not going anywhere, Remi. My life was an empty shell until you and our boy found me. Let me take the reins and prove to you that we are worth fighting for.”

Not waiting for her to respond, I lift her up from the bed and plant her down to stand on the floor. With one hand still around her I take the other and tug the fitted sheet off the mattress.

“You have got to be kidding me. Are you serious right now?” I hear her say but I ignore it. She grunts then pulls out of my grasp and walks over to the closet. Remi reaches up on a shelf then comes back with a stack of folded sheets. One thing she’ll learn really quickly is that I don’t play when it comes to her.

We both stand on our respective sides and remake the bed. I probably killed the mood for her but I’ve got some ideas to get back into her good graces. After we finish, I drop my sweats, leaving me in only my boxers and climb into bed, but Remi stands there on her side just staring down at me.

“Is this real?” she asks. “Are you really here after all these years?”

I sit up and reach over, tugging her to fall in the bed. She comes easily into my arms.

“Yeah, pretty girl, I’m here and don’t plan on going anywhere,” I promise.

I stare down at her, memorizing every feature, thrilled to fill in the details of her that had started to fade in my head as time went by.

“I’m not the same girl you once knew, Rhett.”

“I’m not the same either, Remi.”

She yawns and I can see the tiredness in her eyes.

“Let’s get you to bed,” I say and start to situate us.

“Wait, I have to go lock the house down,” she announces and tries to move out of my grip.

“Already did it,” I respond.

“The back door too?”

“And all the windows. Even checked in on Ryder,” I say.

Her eyebrow rises and it makes me chuckle.

“Don’t let him hear you say that. One thing you’ll learn soon is that teens hate being checked on or shown any sort of care. It’s like they go from a stage of adorable and cuddly bears to gremlins overnight,” she giggles.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say as a pang of guilt and sadness cloud my mind at not being here to experience all of my son’s milestones. Damn Beau Carter and his corrupt brother for doing this to us.

Remi settles under the covers then reaches over and turns off her lamp, casting the room in darkness as the smallest amount of light filters in from the street light outside. The loud hum of a fan, just like the one in Ryder’s room, turns on from her side.