Page 39 of Beneath The Truth
Either way, I was doing my part to hopefully make their liveseasier.
Once that was finished, I shot Heath a text to let him know it was done.He didn’treply.
As I looked up at the two windows I knew belonged to Ari’s childhood bedroom, I remembered seeing her face in them more than once over the years, watching me, even though she didn’t know Isawher.
She’d thought she was invisible to me, but she’d been dead wrong.It was always the opposite.I’d been as hyperaware of her as you tended to be of something youcouldn’thave.
Breakfast with Heath hadchangedthat.
Now, how am I going to makehermine?
More than ever before, I understood completely that life was short.You got one ride, and you didn’t know when your number was going tobeup.
If this was my only shot with Ari, I wasn’t going to screwitup.
I cursed when I realized it was already four o’clock by the time I pulled away from my parents’ street.I thought about calling her, but what I needed to tell her had to be said inperson.
Turning my Jeep in the direction of my hotel, I worked out agameplan.
All right, Red.I hope you’re ready for this, because I sure ashellam.
Fifty-five minutes later,wearing a white dress shirt I’d pressed with my crappy hotel-provided iron and black dress pants, I stood on the front steps of Ariel Sampson’s massive digs.It wasn’t like I needed a reminder about just how different our situations were in life right now, but I got itanyway.
Still, we had something that spanned the differences—history, and yearsofit.
I waited after I rang the bell, finally hearing footsteps padding toward the front door.I wasn’t sure what I expected to see when Ari opened it, but the smile that stretched across her face when she saw me told me everything I neededtoknow.
I’ll take her any way I cangether.
Her chin lifted as she took me in.“I was wondering if I’d ever hear from youagain.”
I stepped forward and pulled her against me, one hand wrapped around her hip and the other speared into her hair.I closed my lips over hers and kissed her the way I’d always wanted to—with nothing hanging over us.No guilt, no barriers, nohesitation.
Just meandAri.
Exactly the way Iwantedit.
20
Ariel
Ididn’t knowhow Rhett’s conversation with my brother went, but from the way he was kissing the hell out of me, it must havegonewell.
Good Lord, Rhett Hennessy could kiss.I wondered how long it would take me to stop thinking that every time his lips touched mine.I was willing to make an experiment outofit.
My fingers found their way into the long ends of his shaggy blond hair, my nails raking his neck as he groaned and pulled me tighter against him until I could feel his hard-on pressing into my belly.Bursts of heat shotthroughme.
I was about to climb him when Rhett jerked awayfromme.
“Wha—” The partial word, not even a fully formed question, fell from my lips before Rhettinterrupted.
“Go put on a dress, Red, because I’m taking you on a date.A real date.”He took another step back and tucked his hands in his pockets.“God knows I could turn this kiss into something that’ll last all night, but you deserve better than that and I’m going to give ittoyou.”
So this is what it feels like when your insides are melting into a giant puddle of oh-my-God-is-this-really-happeninggoo.
“Adate?”
He nodded.“Yeah, and I’d be honored if you’d put on a dress, unless you’d prefer I take you out like this.I don’t care either way, but I figured youmight...”
