Page 50 of Just What She Needed

Rhett opened her eyes and saw Rhys shedding his clothes. As he lowered his boxer briefs and his magnificent erection came into view, a hot, anticipatory smile curved her lips.

"Oh, yes, I do know what that does to you." A breathless groan was wrenched from her as the buzzing device between her legs sent another shock-wave rocketing through her. "I want you inside me, Rhys."

"Let me give you what you want, then, Beautiful." He knelt on the bed before her, and the purpose for the pillows became clear. Raised in the air like she was, it allowed Rhys to enter her while still using the vibrator to add to her pleasure. And damn, was there ever pleasure when he slid inside her.

Rhett closed her eyes and went completely still, save for the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Something was building inside her, something hot and heavy and thick and sweet. This was no orgasm she had coming, it was bigger than that, more intense, concentrated in every molecule of her body. It terrified her and, at the same time, she strove toward it, desperate for it to reach its axis and overtake her.

Even though her body remained still on the outside, whatever was building was having an effect elsewhere. Rhys was certainly aware of it and was apparently enjoying the hell out of it.

"Christ, baby, the way you feel inside right now." The words were pushed from between gritted teeth. "That feels so fucking good." He began a slow, almost imperceptible stroke, barely rocking her body with his movements. But it was enough.

Whatever had been building inside her erupted, and behind her closed eyes everything went the stark, screaming white of a nuclear explosion. It rushed through her like an atomic bomb and rendered her immobile as she was caught in its grip. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't think. All she could do was feel, and she never wanted it to stop.

Through the roaring in her ears, she heard Rhys's hoarse cry as he found his own release, and then the weight of his body dislodged the vibrator from between her legs. She released her grip on it as her muscles gave up the fight and went on strike, the aftermath leaving her unable to function.

Rhys's arms were behind her shoulders and under her back as he lifted her off the pillows and onto the mattress. She reveled in the warmth of his body as he pulled her close since she was chilled by the sheen of sweat that covered every square inch of her skin. Her nose pressed against his shoulder, and she breathed in the rich scent of dark chocolate. The impulse to touch her tongue to his skin was overwhelming, but she couldn't summon the strength to do even that.

"Rhys, I can't move."

"You're just bottoming out, baby. You'll be all right." His arms tightened around her. "Just let me hold you."

His arms gave her safety and protection, and she gave up trying to move. A twilight-blue lethargy stole through her, and she let it come.

"Don't let me go." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I won't."

The lethargy was fading to black, and Rhett knew she was on the verge of sleep, a sleep so deep she couldn't fight it. Just before she went completely under, the warmth of his lips touched her ear, and she heard his sweet, smoky whisper:

"Now that I've got you, I don't ever want to let you go."

19

Fuck that! I want to be a super-human.—David Bowie

Pizza restaurants always smelled like school lunchrooms to Rhett for some reason. Maybe it was because the Claiborne School District served something slathered in tomato sauce almost every day of the week. The smell nauseated her, but it didn't really have anything to do with tomatoes or pizza. What tied her stomach up in knots was the memory of her laughing classmates enjoying friendships and fun while she sat alone and ostracized at the end of a long table. It wasn't until she and Elaine became friends in eighth grade that Rhett had anyone to sit with at lunch. No wonder she tended to avoid going out for pizza.

Sitting across from Rhys in a booth at one of the busiest pizza joints in Dallas changed all that. For the first time since she was a little girl the aroma was tempting, seductive and mouth-watering. Okay, maybe that was just Rhys, but the pizza smelled good, too. It sat on a dented metal pan in the middle of the table, the half with bell peppers, Italian sausage and olives on his side, the pepperoni with extra cheese facing Rhett. There wasn't a lot left on Rhett's side, though. She awakened from her sex-induced coma ravenous and had all but inhaled her pizza while putting away two mugs of beer.

With her stomach full, she sat back with a satisfied sigh. "That was good."

"Mm-hm." Rhys wiped a corner of his mouth with a napkin. "Are you through? We both have a slice left."

"You have it. I can't eat another bite."

"You're sure?" Rhys pulled one of the last two slices onto his plate just as his cell phone chirped at him from the table where it rested. He picked it up, read the text that had just come in, and frowned. "Later, mate. I don't give a shit right now." He put the phone face down on the table and devoted himself to the pizza.

"Who's bothering you?"

"Drew. And David and Ross and Parker. Our manager, Flynn, too, I think." He chewed a minute in silence, then shook his head with an exasperated sigh as the phone chirped again. "There's going to be a car on our album cover, and he's going nuts suggesting what kind of car. And since it's a group text, I get everyone's opinion. They're worse than any teenager."

"You're pretty good with the texts yourself." Rhett arched an eyebrow. "I enjoy the ones you send me when you're not here, even if they are all mostly dirty in some way."

He held up one finger until he swallowed. "Yours aren't exactly squeaky clean, Beautiful. In fact, they're downright filthy."

Rhett shrugged, unperturbed. "I blame you for that. You've managed to bring out a side of me I never had before."

Rhys regarded her for moment over the rim of his mug. "I think it was always there. You just needed to let it go."