Page 75 of Beyond Expectations

I could hear the smile on his face through the phone.

I had to laugh.

“I’m sure that over time, things will be fine. Just remember the countless times we’ve had to deal with difficult customers at the shop. And I’ll tell you what my dad once told me. You can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it. And I know you, Serena, and you will be fine.”

I always loved speaking to my dad. He really was the kindest and wisest man I knew.

It was always with a tinge of sadness when I said goodbye to him. But as I looked at my watch, I knew I had to make my way to Queens now, or I’d be late.

***

Rhett and I sat in Mrs. Cole’s cafe, and I was filing away the last of the paperwork. I never realized how much I would appreciate being with someone who understood and respected how much I worked and just how nonstop it was. There was something weirdly comforting, having my files and paperwork around me and Rhett close by.

We’d signed off on another handful of contracts. And even though Raya herself still wasn’t willing to sell, she always welcomed us with open arms.

Once again, she brought a delicious medley of homemade cakes and cookies.

“Are you sure you’re going to have room for dinner?”

I couldn’t help but tease him as I watched him enjoy every morsel on his plate. I swore the man didn’t have an inch of fat on him. And given how much he ate that truly was remarkable.

I could tell he was growing very fond of Mrs Cole’s food.

“Surely you’ve worked out by now. I always have room for more. My appetite is never-ending.”

His eyes were full of lust and I knew we were no longer talking about food. I scooted over closer to him in the booth.

He was too sexy to resist. As I kissed him, I could taste apple and cinnamon, which only made me want him more. We have settled into a great new normal. Despite how busy our schedules were, we did our best to make time for each other. And despite everything that going on with Rhett’s father and him becoming CEO, it hadn’t made me feel second best. It feels like every day, I was shedding another layer of worry and doubt away and slowly healing those wounds from the past.

The sensual strokes of his hand along my knee brought me back to the present.

“So, where would you like to go and celebrate? Do you want to go out? Or we could always stay in, and one of us cook or order in? It’s your choice.”

He ran his fingers past my knee, slowly making his way up my thigh, causing my skirt to inch higher ever so slightly.

“Hmm, why don’t we go to your place, and we both cook? I might even get a chance at trying out that pool,” I purred.

His featherlike touches were so soft and sensual that I could feel my panties growing wetter by the second and I knew it was time to level the playing field. Now, it was my hands running up his thigh, making sure he understood my intentions for that evening. Rhett seemed to unleash something wanton within me, and my body was beginning to suffer withdrawal.

He answered with a slow and tender kiss.

Once again, it felt as if the world around us had disappeared before we both seemingly remembered where we were. I could feel his groan as I bit down on his lip, and the look of lust in his hooded eyes made me desperate to get out of there and devour him. It was as though he could read my thoughts when he bent down and whispered.

“Hold on to that thought,” Rhett teased.

We were about to pay the bill and leave when his phone rang.

“Hello?” He paused, listening. “What? When? Where?”

His voice was full of panic, sending a cold shiver down my spine. All traces of lust were gone and replaced with panic and fear. As he listened to the person on the line, he straightened his body, and I let him have his space. Instantly, a cold shiver ran down my spine.

“I’ll be right there.”

As he looked down at me, his face was pale. The usual brightness of his cerulean eyes was dulled.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go. That was my mother. My father has been rushed to hospital, and the doctors have recommended that she get all the family there as soon as possible.”

He didn’t have to say it. I knew what that meant. He knew what that meant. And instantly, my heart broke for him.

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