Page 14 of Burned

Chapter Six

Sadie ran her hands down the front of her outfit for the fourth time in the last ten seconds to smooth out any wrinkles. Was she wearing the right outfit? What did one wear when meeting their boyfriend’s fourteen-year-old daughter? Rhys had told Sadie, he and Carys kept things pretty casual but Sadie decided against jeans. Instead, she’d chosen a khaki colored skirt and black button up blouse and low heeled black sandals.

At three months of dating, Rhys had pushed the subject of her meeting Carys and Sadie had at first found excuses, saying it wasn’t enough time but after another month passed, she could no longer put him off. The truth was she was terrified of meeting his daughter. Rhys’sex-wife wasn’t in the picture and she had nothing to worry about on that front, but that didn’t mean other problems wouldn’t crop up. What if she ended up bonding with Carys as she had with Malia? Then if something were to happen between her and Rhys, Sadie would be doubly heartbroken again.

Finally, Rhys had put his foot down and insisted that she meet his daughter. Was it really four months? Where had the time gone? Rhys was a dream come true and she was falling more and more in love with him every day. As she walked up the pathway to his front door, she took a deep breath. This was only the second time she’d been to his house: the first was when Carys had been away for the night. Even though it wasn’t a mansion, it was just as impressive as it had been the first time she visited.

When Sadie had first seen it she’d jokingly asked if he sold drugs on the side to afford such an opulent home. Professors made good money depending on how long they worked for a reputable University such as the one he taught at but she didn’t think they made the kind of money to live in a place like this.

Rhys had given that charming smile of his. “I take it you like the place?”

“Who wouldn’t?” She noticed he hadn’t answered her question. “You’re not are you?”

“Not what?”

“A drug dealer.”

He laughed. “No. Why would you think that?”

“Knowing my luck with men, there has to be some catch.”

He’d caught her chin beneath his finger. “Let’s not get on that tangent again, before I carry you upstairs and paddle your luscious ass. And then I’ll make love to you until you’re breathless. And to answer your indirect question about how I could afford a house like this is because I happen to be fortunate in the sibling department. My older brother Colin has done quite well for himself and is head of his own conglomerate. He’s a financial whiz and has been in charge of my portfolio for years. Everything he touches turns to gold it seems. I may not be super mega rich like him, but I’ve been able to carve out a very comfortable life for myself and my daughter. And this house is nothing compared to his or at least what his will look like when it’s done being built.”

“Oh.” Sadie had felt foolish.

He kissed her on the tip of her nose. “You’re so cute.”

By the time he finished giving her the tour of his home that day dinner was somehow forgotten as they found themselves in his bedroom and didn’t come out until it was nearly time for Sadie to leave.

Now standing at his front door ready to meet Carys, Sadie was glad she’d been here before. At least it took away some element of surprise which probably would have made her even more nervous than she already was.

Just as she was about to ring the doorbell, Rhys yanked the door open. “What took you so long? I saw you had pulled up five minutes ago.” He stepped over the threshold to pull her into his arms and drop a deep hungry kiss on her lips. Whenever he kissed her it was like he wanted to devour her. Sadie couldn’t remember a time when she’d ever felt so desirable or wanted by a man. Terrell had never made her feel this way before and it scared the hell out of Sadie. In her mind, if Terrell could tear her world apart with what he’d done, there was no telling the kind of havoc Rhys would have on her heart.

She placed her hands on his chest with a laugh trying to catch her breath. “What would your daughter say if she saw us kissing like that?”

“It doesn’t matter because she’s going to have to get used to my kissing you seeing as how I intend on doing a lot of it.” He wiggled his eyebrows with a wolfish grin as he bent over for another kiss.

Sadie turned her head in time for his lips to graze her cheeks. “I’d rather Carys be comfortable around me before we get into any heavy PDA in her presence.”

“For your information, she’s upstairs in her room getting ready. So if you want to come inside, I’d better get a kiss.”

Sadie gasped in mock frustration. “That’s so unfair.”

“I never play by the rules.”

“Well, in that case, I’d better give you that kiss then.” She threw her arms around his neck and practically melted against the hard wall of his chest. As their lips met, she pushed her tongue forward to meet his, tasting all his glorious maleness. She doubted she’d ever get enough of this sexy man.”

Rhys finally pulled back with a groan. “I guess we should go in. I have some steaks on the grill I need to check on. It’s a pretty nice day so we’ll be eating out on the patio if you don’t mind.”

“That sounds like a great idea. I love eating alfresco.”

“Super. Carys should be down any minute. I can’t wait for my two favorite girls to meet. Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll fix you a glass of wine?” He placed a kiss on the side of her neck before heading to his kitchen. Rhys seemed so excited, some of his enthusiasm wore off on her. With a father like Rhys, Carys just had to be a sweetheart. What was she worried about anyway?

Sadie took a seat on the plush suede sofa. Her gaze fell on a picture of Rhys with his daughter in black and white. It looked like one of those professional pictures families took together on the beach. Rhys sat on a blanket in the middle of the sand and Carys’s head was on his shoulder. The way he looked at her told Sadie how much Rhys loved Carys. It gave her heart a little twinge. Her own father had passed away when she was five from a heart attack. She still missed him a lot. Sadie often wondered if her mother would have been a different person had Daddy lived.

She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn’t notice another presence in the living room.

“So you’re the new girlfriend.”

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