Page 94 of Holly versus Mr. Ivy
It went both ways.
Rhett’s thumbs kept rubbing along my stomach, right next to my hip bone. I shivered as goosebumps raced up my back.
His eyes burned into mine. I never wanted to look away. I drowned in that fiery gaze that said he wanted me—loved me—as much as I did him. My breath met his as our lips slowly drew together. When the flutters in my stomach and the warmth flooding my body demanded more, I whimpered, “Kiss me.”
Rhett’s lips immediately met mine. It was a kiss that said he was mine and I was his. It wasn’t demanding or full of lust. It spoke of shared love and a willingness to give and take. I got lost in the sweetness of it.
Rhett parted my lips with his, and a new wave of flutters took over my stomach. He intensified the kiss, and I nipped at his lips with my teeth. Sliding my fingers into his hair, I lightly scratched his scalp, and my kiss burned with all the passion within me.
Rhett reacted by wrapping his arms around my legs, swinging me around, and pulling me into his lap, all without breaking lip contact. Rhett’s mouth trailed down my jaw.
“Santa?”
“Hm?” he grunted.
“This is what I want for Christmas.”
He pulled back long enough to say, “Then Merry Christmas, Holly,” before his lips crashed against mine. My heart beat so wildly, it wouldn’t surprise me if it jumped right out of my chest.
The shrill sound of Rhett’s phone ringing registered in my mind, but I had no intentions of stopping. I moved my mouth to the spot behind Rhett’s ear that always elicited a groan. Rhett’s phone stopped, and mine started.
Rhett pushed my shoulders back, breaking contact. “We should see who that is.”
I growled, hating that he was right. Whipping my phone out of my back pocket, my stomach turned to knots. Anthony Ivy’s name flashed across the screen. I held my phone up to show Rhett.
“Answer it.”
With shaky fingers, I clicked the green button, putting Anthony on speakerphone. “Hello?”
“Chef Holly,” he seethed.
My heart stopped beating. “Yes?” I squeaked out.
“I need you to meet me at my office in twenty minutes. I’ll text you the address.”
What? Why? What had happened? The blood drained out of my face. Did he know about Rhett and me? “Okay. May I ask why?”
He snorted. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
The line went dead.
Chapter 32
Holly
IstaredatRhettwith wide eyes. “Do you think he knows?”
Rhett’s phone rang again. This time he answered, also putting it on speaker. “Hey, Uncle Anthony.” Rhett tried to sound normal, but an edge of fear laced his tone.
“Everett.”
Rhett hung his head, somehow knowing that tone of Anthony’s conveyed disappointment and regret.
“Yes?”
“I came to the restaurant, and to my surprise, you weren’t there.”
I was going to puke.
