He rolled his eyes when he sat down on the couch, bringing my legs over his so he could rub my feet
“50 First Dates? Haven’t we seen this a hundred times?”
With my glass of wine in hand, I nodded. “Yep, and it’s still my favorite.”
We both laughed at all of our favorite scenes in the movie. We’d watched this a hundred times as teenagers, usually at my demand, but after the first two times, Rhett found it just as funny as I did.
“I know it’s selfish of me, and I’m not trying to sway your decision… but you know you could work from home too, as much as you wanted, if you took the position at The Dock?” Rhett said after the movie ended.
I bit my lip and sat up, scooting into a seated position. “I know, Rhett, or rather I assumed. How come you never hired someone, though? I mean, it’s been almost three years.”
“I hoped you would change your mind someday. Hattie and I agreed we didn’t want to work closely with just anyone. We wanted it to be you.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.
I glanced away, wondering if I should bring up my ideas. “How come you’re not big on renting out The Dock for events and such? I asked your dad once if it was something he was against, and he said no but didn’t explain further.”
“I’m not against it. I just—” He grabbed the back of his neck, and his brows furrowed. “Truthfully?”
“Always.”
He chuckled. “I’m not good with people.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “I see you interact with people every day. And you’re great at it.”
“Sure, I apologize for bad service, talk about boat repairs, or shoot the shit with customers. But when dealing with a panicked bride or an uptight executive, I drop the ball every time. I tried it twice—” He held up two fingers for emphasis.
“Didn’t go well, I’m assuming?”
“It was a mess, and I swore I wouldn’t do it again. My dad just laughed and said ‘now you know why I never did either.’”
“But… I remember events being held there growing up. Your parents hosted a picnic each year for the employees and their families, and I remember other smaller things too.”
“My mom. She’s the reason. And in all fairness, she offered. I guess I was too proud to let her, though. And really, if my parents are both going to retire, I want them toactuallyretire. But I still do the yearly employees and their family thing. That’s been enough.” He shrugged.
“I’m not saying yes yet, but if I took the position, I would want free rein to market The Dock for events.” With the large dining room that opened to patios, the small inn attached, and the open plot of land between the buildings and the water, it was the perfect event location.
“Whatever you want.” With a smirk on his face, he scooted a little closer, eyes locked on my lips.
“Hmm, whatever I want, huh?” I bit back a moan when he brushed my hair out of the way and his lips found the sensitive spot right below my ear.
“Yeah,” he mumbled, his warm breath against my neck sending a shiver through me.
All the reasons I told him no the first time rushed back to me. I would be away from Brendan more. Even if I worked from home, I wouldn’t get to spend time with him. But honestly? I didn’t think I wanted to work from home. I liked having the option, in case Brendan was sick or something. But there was something about going to work and being around adults that spoke to me. Oh God, what if things didn’t work out with Rhett, and then I had to work with him every day? I didn’t want to jump into the decision hastily, but it was what I’d always wanted.
“Bella,” he growled in my ear before pulling back to look at me. “You’re thinking too much. We can figure all the details out when and if you’re ready to take the job. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“Now, I would like to get my mouth on you and make you come again. Can I do that?”
“Yes, please.” Smiling, I reached out and pulled him toward me, his lips crashing against mine as he laid me back on the couch.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Bella
Rhett and Ienjoyed spending time together with Brendan over the weekend. On Saturday, we stocked the boat, and the three of us spent hours on the lake together. Watching Brendan sitting in Rhett’s lap while they drove the boat together had me falling even more in love with that man.
And yes, we had a complicated history, and I had always loved him, but those feelings had grown and developed into something that felt so much more intense. Even more so than they did three years before. Maybe part of it was that I wasn’t holding myself back, and I was finally fully giving into it. Into him.