Page 19 of Broken Promises
I turned the phone and showed the response to Samuel, who giggled and said, “I told you.”
While I waited for Rhys to arrive, we chatted about nothing as the loud music surrounded us. When I saw him approaching,butterflies erupted in my stomach as his hungry eyes ate me up. Rhys stepped between mine and Samuel’s stools before he placed his hand on my shoulder and gently squeezed.
“Did you have a good time?” Rhys asked.
Samuel interjected, “It was so much fun, but next time, you need to stay and have a drink.”
“I think we can arrange that,” Rhys replied before turning to me. “Are you ready?”
I nodded, and he held out his hand to help me from the stool. When I was standing in front of him, I saw the size difference between us and all kinds of naughty things filled my head. I blamed the alcohol, knowing nothing was going to happen tonight.
Rhys reached into his pocket and pulled out some money when Samuel stopped him. “Tonight’s on us.”
“Then I can leave a tip,” Rhys replied. He placed at least two hundred-dollar bills on the bar and pushed them toward the empty glasses. Then, he reached out and offered his hand to Samuel. They shook as Rhys said, “It was nice to meet you, Samuel. I look forward to the next time.”
“Thanks again for tonight,” I said to my friend, and he hopped down and hugged me around Rhys still holding my hand.
“I’ll see you Monday.”
I nodded and allowed Rhys to guide me away from the bar and out the front door. The sidewalks were filled with locals and tourists enjoying the various bars that were still lively at the late hour.
We were about a block away when the crowd thinned and Rhys pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “The lot is just up ahead.”
“Okay,” I answered and continued to be guided to the car.
Rhys walked us up to the SUV and opened the door before helping me inside. He reached in and hooked my seatbelt, and just as his face passed mine, he turned so we were staring at each other. His brown eyes glanced down, and on instinct, I locked my lips and waited for a kiss that didn’t come. He smiled before pulling away and shutting my door.
As he walked around, I started to worry he’d changed his mind and this was just a tactic to get me back to my house. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but I feared his need to protect me was overriding what he’d said earlier. I didn’t know if my heart could take another rejection from him.
He got behind the wheel, hooked his seatbelt, and cranked the engine before pulling out of the lot. Within a few minutes, we were on the interstate headed toward my exit. The traffic was light and all too soon he was getting off the highway and making the turns to my house. We still hadn’t spoken, and the longer the silence stretched on, the more I believed my fears were correct.
When we were on my street, the little voice in my head was screaming at me, so I looked at him and softly said, “You can stop at the end of the driveway, and I’ll just get out.”
He gave me a confused look before pulling into my driveway and turning off the car. I went to open the door, but he pushed the lock button, stopping my exit. I snapped my head at him, and found he was turned so he could fully look at me.
“Why are you trying to run from me?” he asked.
I looked away to stop him from seeing my eyes fill with tears as I answered, “I’m not running, but I understand and don’t hold you to anything.”
“Hannah, please look at me.” I shook my head, and he carefully reached over and placed his hand on my shoulder. I glanced at him and saw the hurt in his eyes. “Tell me what’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours.”
“I . . . I know why you came to find me tonight, and it’s okay. I really do understand.”
“Well, I don’t, so please help me out here. I thought we’d gotten on the right path, but I feel like something’s changed. Can you tell me what it is?”
“I know you only wanted to make sure I was safe, and that the kiss was for show.”
His hand moved from my shoulder and slid up to the back of my neck. My eyes went up to his as he pulled me closer and met me halfway with another kiss that caused my toes to curl. His tongue was battling mine as he kept his grip firm on my neck, restricting my movements. Sooner than I wanted, he slowed the kiss and pulled back before resting his forehead against mine.
“Does that feel like it was for show?’ he inquired, and I shook my head as much as his hold would allow. “I don’t do anything to appease someone else, and I certainly don’t use affection as a manipulation. So, tell that little voice in your head to pipe down, so I can make sure you get inside safely.”
My hand was covering my lips as he professed his sincerity to me. I’d completely misunderstood his actions and automatically looked for the worst-case scenario. Since my kidnapping, I’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop and figured this was it. But I’d never been so fucking happy to be wrong in my life.
Rhys got out and walked around to open my door before helping me from the seat. I was a little unsteady on my feet, and without warning, he hoisted me into his strong arms and marched to the back door. Shocked by his actions, I fumbled to get the key out of my small purse, but after a few tries, I managed to unlock the door.
I was expecting to find my half-packed house in the same shape as I’d left it, only to find all the boxes gone and pictures hanging on the walls. Looking around in confusion, I looked at Rhys, who seemed proud of himself. He still had me in his armsas he walked to the couch and carefully placed me down. After taking a seat next to me, he took my hand in his and explained.
“I hated seeing you so worried about the house, so I had my assistant come over and finish unpacking while we were out. If you don’t like where something is, let me know and he’ll come back and fix it.
