Page 32 of Burned

Chapter Twelve

“Are you sure you don’t mind me tagging along? I mean maybe you and Carys should be spending this time together,” Sadie suggested when Rhys called to ask if she wanted to join him and his daughter for a horseback riding excursion. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him; it was just that the last couple times they’d seen each other, things had been awkward. Their last outing together had ended in an argument which she was still smarting over.

They’d only been together a handful of times in the last month because of the accident that claimed Carys’ mother. The burial arrangements had fallen to Rhys because apparently his ex-wife had had a falling out with her parents who wanted nothing further to with it. Sadie had her own problems to deal with. Though her mother was gone, she called nearly every night to update Sadie on her health. To hear Jackie tell it, she was on her deathbed.She didn’t even get to see Rhys on campus because he’d taken a leave of absence to settle things. It was all taking its toll on Sadie.

It didn’t help that Carys was back to being her evil rotten self. The comments were getting more personal and nastier in nature. It was as if the girl really did hate her. Sadie tried to tell herself the girl was just hurting over the loss of her mother, but for every fat and ugly comment she heard, it was getting more difficult to be around the child without wanting to backhand her. Maybe if she would have told Rhys from the get-go about what his precious angel was up to, perhaps it would have been nipped in the bud and she wouldn’t be going through this, but now if she said something she’d probably end up looking like the asshole for not being able to handle a fourteen-year-old child.

Whenever she and Rhys would get together, he would include Carys because she “didn’t want to be alone”. And that last disastrous dinner played back scene for scene in her mind. They’d only gotten past appetizers when his cell phone rang. It was Carys, of course, asking him to come pick her up.

Sadie shuddered as she remembered that night almost a week ago to the day. Rhys gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry sweetheart, but we’re going to have to cut this date short. Carys needs me.”

Sadie frowned. “Isn’t she at a sleepover?”

“Yes, but she says she misses me. What am I supposed to say to that?”

“How convenient,” Sadie muttered allowing her bitterness to seep through.

Rhys narrowed his eyes slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Normally she would have kept her mouth shut, but she wasn’t in the mood to be accommodating tonight. “She misses you when we’re on a date, yet you guys see each other almost everyday. I barely see you anymore.”

“I’ve tried to make as much time for you as possible. For Christ sake, my daughter is going through a lot and I thought you understood.”

She stared back at him mutinously not saying a word. If he thought she’d cave he could forget about it. She was moody and hungry. That he couldn’t spare her a couple hours for a meal without having to run off the minute Carys called made her wonder why the heck she was fighting so hard to be with him. That she couldn’t feel compassion when she knew Carys and Rhys needed it made her even angrier. She hated herself for feeling this way but couldn’t help it. “I understand. And I think I’ve been more than patient, but I can’t help but wonder why it is that she needs you whenever we get together?”

His mouth fell open. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this. I find it hard to believe the generous woman I thought I knew is being so selfish.”

“Well, if I’m so selfish we might as well call this a night. You don’t want to keep your little angel waiting. As a matter of fact, I’ll save you the trouble of taking me home. I’ll call a cab.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sadie. Of course, I’ll take you home.”

She grabbed her purse and headed for the front to claim her coat. Sadie stood on the curb looking for numbers of taxi companies on her phone bythe time Rhys caught up with her. Grabbing her by the forearm, he turned her around to face him, his face beet red in his apparent anger. “What the hell has gotten into you? Are you kidding? Storming out of the restaurant like that?”

She shrugged, unmoved by his anger. “I thought I was giving you what you wanted—to get to Carys sooner. If I find my own way home that’s one less worry you’ll have.”

“Bullshit. You’re doing this because you’re being childish.”

Sadie cocked a brow. “So I’m being selfish and childish? Fine, then leave me alone.” She wrenched her arm out of his grip and stomped off.

This time when he caught up with her, he grabbed her by both arms and turned her around so quickly she didn’t see his head descend. He ground his lips against hers kissing her hard and deep, pressing his tongue past her slightly parted lips and stealing her breath away. As always when she was in his arms, Sadie melted unable to resist his brand of seduction. She found herself returning his kiss, pushing her tongue forward to meet his, her fingers tangling through his hair. Her body hummed with need and her pussy throbbed.

They held each other several moments before breaking away, gasping for air. Rhys pressed his forehead against hers. “I don’t want to fight with you Sadie. Don’t you think I’m just as disappointed as you are that our evening has been cut short?”

She could only nod, not trusting herself to speak; besides, she suddenly felt so bone-weary she couldn’t think straight. Rhys took her by the hand and led her to the car. Neither one of them spoke the entire car ride to her house. Sadie was okay with that. The steamy kiss they’d shared outside the restaurant changed nothing. He would drop her off and then run to Carys. Would this be the pattern for the rest of their relationship? After a chaste kiss on the cheek when he walked her to the door he left.

He called her a couple days later and they spoke as if everything was okay, but the tension was still there. Now he wanted her to go horseback riding with them? She could think of ten thousand things she’d rather do than spend time with Carys, like shaving her legs with broken glass. But if she told him that she’d really look like an even bigger bitch than she’d acted on their last date.

“Sadie are you still there?” Rhys asked on the other end of the line, snapping her out of her silent musings.

“I’m sorry. Uh, horseback riding? Today?”

“Yes. We’d love for you to join us.”

“Well…I uh, I’m sure you two would rather be alone without me tagging along.”

“Not this again.”

“No. It wasn’t meant like that. I’m just saying I don’t want to intrude.”

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