Pieces of Rhys (13 page)

I hung up the phone. When it rang again, I let it go to voicemail. I looked over at the meatballs in the front passenger seat. I had even strapped them in.

"You're going to love
my
kitchen," I said to the meatballs. They didn't answer.

I carried the meatballs inside and put them on my kitchen counter. Even though it was only mid morning, I really wanted some meatballs. The sauce made me salivate and I was a little sad that I left some of it on Rhys's shirt. I started searching for some pasta.

I found a box of fettucini and put it aside. I put a pot of water on the stove to boil and then ran upstairs to take a quick shower. The water was boiling by the time I returned in just a towel.

I was just about to put the pasta in the pot when my front door opened. I knew I had locked it behind me, so it could only be one person.

"Lindsey!" Rhys called my name in a way that made me both shudder and cream myself.

I turned around just as he entered the kitchen. He stood in the doorway staring at me, face stoic, laughing eyes. He had changed his shirt, into a long sleeved white one that hugged his body like a tight fitting glove. He looked so
hot
. I felt my head involuntarily tilt to the side as I took him in. Now I was drooling for more than just meatballs.

"Are you still shaking in your Nikes?" He asked, his voice low and husky.

I straightened up and tried to appear bored and not at all nervous.

"I'm not wearing shoes and you don't scare me."

"You're going to wish you were nicer to me today," he whispered.

I had not noticed that one of his hands was behind his back until he brought it into view. My eyes widened and my pulse quickened when I saw what he was holding.

"Wh-what's that for?" I pointed to the duct tape and the black handkerchief in his hand.

"For you, baby," he said and moved toward me.

There was a strong sense of danger as he crossed the room, and I did start shaking...in my bare feet. I didn't fear for my life or fear he would hurt me (much), but he was definitely going to punish me.

I was frozen in place, unable to make myself attempt an escape until he was almost upon me, but it was already too late. I practically climbed backward onto the counter trying to put some space between us. He reached over and turned the stove off.

"Give me your hands," he quietly demanded.

"Why?" I asked, my voice too high.

"Because I said so."

Reluctantly, I extended my hands. He pressed my hands together and before I could register what he was doing, he had beg
u
n to wrap my wrists in the duct tape. When I started to object, he tore off a piece and put it across my mouth.

My eyes were wide and I was breathing heavily.

"Are you scared?" He whispered.

I narrowed my eyes as a response, even though it was clear I was delightfully frightened.

He smiled, and then began to lead me out of the kitchen. I tripped over two steps going up the stairs, which was just stupid considering my feet weren't duct taped. He led me into the bedroom and pushed me onto the bed.

"Lay down," he said.

I did as he said, but my anxiety was palpable.

"Relax," he said, opening my towel. "I'm not going to hurt you. Much."

He smoothed his hands over my sides, over my hips, and down to my thighs. He eased his hands to my inner thighs and then forced my legs apart.

"Wow. You're really turned on," Rhys whispered as his thumb began to rub my clitoris.

I moaned into my duct tape when he slipped three fingers inside of me.

"This feels good, doesn't it?" He murmured.

I nodded and pushed my hips up to get his fingers deeper. His thumb pressed harder and with his other hand he reached up and pinched a nipple. I tried to yell, but it was suppressed by the tape. I felt myself climbing Mt. Orgasmo. With each finger thrust and squeeze of my nipple, I was a little closer to the top. I was almost there, almost ready to reach the peak.

And then Rhys stopped. Everything. He took his fingers out of me and stopped touching me all together.

I looked at him in shock. I tried to talk but remembered I couldn't.

Rhys smiled easily as he slipped his three fingers into his mouth.

Now I understood his game.

I narrowed my eyes at him once again, but he only chuckled.

"Are you sorry yet?"

I shook my head adamantly.

"Didn't think so," he said. "More fun for me."

He moved further up the bed and grinned at me before his tongue touched my breast. He licked slow circles around my nipple, but would not actually touch it. It just kept getting harder and longer until I was groaning and silently begging for him to touch it. With my taped hands, I tried to tug at his shirt to pull him where I wanted but he was like stone. His tongue got closer to my nipple, and just when I thought I'd get some satisfaction, he moved to the other breast and repeated his actions.

By the time he pulled away, I was
aching
to orgasm.

"Sorry yet?" He asked, rubbing me between my legs.

I shrugged, noncommital.

"Stubborn."

Rhys stood up and started to strip out of his clothes. I watched with some satisfaction. I loved his body.

"Hmm," he said, stopping the strip show. "I know..."

He pulled the hankerchief out of his back pocket and held it up for me to see. He climbed back onto the bed.

"You don't get to watch."

I made muffled objections to being blind folded, but it was in vain. Once I was in the dark, he repositioned my arms so that they were above my head.

"Keep them there," he warned and I felt him move off of the bed.

I listened intently for the sounds of his clothes being removed. I heard light rustling and then the brief sounds of his belt buckle and zipper, but that was it. I waited for what seemed like forever before I felt him climb back onto the bed.

His hands were on my inner thighs again, spreading my legs, and then suddenly I felt his erection on me. I shimmied to try to get it in, but he held me firmly in place.

"Like I told you from the first night we were together, I'm in charge," he said firmly.

Slowly, he slid into me, until he was filling me completely.

"Shit, Lindsey," he breathed. "You always feel so good, like you were made for me."

I moaned and started to move, but he held me firmly again.

"No, no," he whispered. "Be a good girl and keep still."

He slowly pulled almost all of the way out before creeping back in again. He held it there for a moment and then pulled out until just the tip was left inside of me, and then he slammed into me so hard, I thought he broke me. I cried out against the tape and opened my eyes wide against the darkness.

"You want me to fuck you until you're delirious, don't you baby?" He groaned as he held himself deep inside of me.

I nodded fervantly.

Then he was moving inside of me, hard and fast. I was climbing the mountain again, faster than before, and I thought for sure my lover would let me reach the peak. He reached up and squeezed a nipple. I screamed my muffled scream as I put one toe on the top of the mountain, and then he pulled out of me completely.

This time my scream was out of anger and frustration. No one should have to endure this over some damn meatballs.

I felt him nibble at my jaw.

"You drive me fucking crazy, Lindsey," he whispered.

I made a noise of indignation.

The tape was ripped off of my mouth, and before I could curse him out, his tongue was in my mouth and he entered me once again.

"Oh fuck," I groaned and moved my hips to meet his. This time he didn't stop me, but reached up and removed my blindfold.

I blinked up at his perfectly intense face. He reached up to my bound wrists and started to unwind the tape. It was slightly more complicated than it needed to be, but I was soon free. I couldn't wait to get my hands on his body.

"Please let me..." I panted.

He groaned and pounded into me harder than ever.

Back up the mountain I went, feeling everything inside of me building, shifting skyward, racing forth speedily, and just as I reached the top, Rhys wrapped his arms around me, making us as close as humanly possible...

"I fucking love you, Lindsey. I love you," he groaned loudly.

I reached the top and rocketed up into space, screaming, digging my nails into his flesh, shouting obsceneties and thrashing against my lover with such intensity, he could barely hold me.

Rhys looked at me with...what was that? Oh, yeah...love...and kissed me deeply as I tumbled down from the sky, over the mountain, onto a fluffy cloud of ecstacy.

When I stopped shaking uncontrollably, he slowly released me from the kiss. He smiled down at me and I grinned up at him.

"Say it again," I quietly commanded.

"I love you," he said easily.

I giggled and he grinned widely.

"I love you, Lindsey," he repeated and kissed my nose. "But don't ever steal my meatballs again."

Chapter Twenty-One

Every year on the morning after Thanksgiving, a whole bunch of guys from work get together and play football, whether it's raining, snowing, sleeting, hailing, earthquaking, apocolypsing or sunny and bright. Women showed up to watch the men's lack of athleticism, watch them get dirty, and get hurt.

This was my first year attending and it was unusually warm. Me and the other women and the men who didn't care to join watched from the sidelines, cheering, booing, and making funny comments. A lot of people brought their kids, and after the real game, the guys started playing football with the kids. I wasn't in much of a mood for any of it, though, as cute as it was. I only showed up because Rhys had asked me to.

I was beginning to feel like a yo-yo. He would let me get extremely close and then just as quickly let me fall away. It wasn't that Rhys necessarily wanted to date other women and be a free spirit, because I presented him with the opportunity a few times when I felt like he was drifting away. He didn't want to, but he couldn't give me a committment either.

Sometimes I felt like I was asking for too much from him, from someone I knew wasn't much of a relationship person from the beginning. But I've been playing by his rules for so long now, I was beginning to feel short changed, and I told him as much the night before.

We had dinner with Jake, Veronica, Muriel and Phil. The brothers had invited their mother, but Anne "wasn't feeling well" and couldn't make it. Their father was not invited.

The tension around the table after her last minute phone call could probably be seen from outer space. It probably looked like a giant, taut rubber band. The five of them gave each other knowing looks while I just sat there,
knowing
but unable to admit that I knew. I felt left out, and as they all began to thaw out with some wine and spirits, it became abundantly clear that Rhys and I were a fifth and sixth wheel.

Veronica and Jake were newly engaged. Phil and Freduriel's relationship was pretty serious. Then there was Rhys and Lindsey, the guy uncommitted and the girl overly committed.

I didn't say much during the night. Rhys asked me what was wrong on the way back to my place.

"I feel short changed," I said quietly, staring out of my window. "I feel like I'm giving you just as much as Muriel gives Phil and Veronica gives your brother, but I don't have what they have. Not even close. I only have pieces of you. Doesn't even make up a whole person."

He was silent for a few beats. I started to believe that was the end of the conversation.