Shameless (An Enemies To Lovers Novel Book 5) Read online

  That’s until my eyes land on her tits and thanks to the rain we just walked through, her shirt is practically see-through.

  “Go shower,” I growl at her as I turn away so she won’t see my rapidly hardening cock.

  “Shower?” she gulps behind me.

  I drag on a pair of sweats and grab the first shirt I see. I throw it at Evie and needing some distance from her so I can get rid of the hard-on, I snap, “Go shower. The last thing I need right now is for you to get sick.”

  I immediately regret my harsh words when she looks at me as if I just drove over her puppy, then backed up to go over it again

  “Evie,” I whisper full of regret, but she shakes her head and rushes into the bathroom.

  When I hear her lock the door behind her, I close my eyes as remorse and anger pool in my chest until it feels like I might choke on it.

  I brought Evie here so we could spend some time together and get to know each other better. It wasn’t to insult her while drooling over her like a boy who just discovered that girls have the magical power to make his dick hard while turning his brain into nothing but a flaccid muscle that’s of no use.

  “Get your shit together!” I whisper angrily, annoyed with the unexplained strong physical reaction I have towards Evie.

  I grab one of Mia’s sweatpants that somehow ended up in my closet again and go knock on the bathroom door.

  “I have sweats you can wear.” When Evie doesn’t unlock the door and remains silent, I place it on the floor. “I’ll leave it at the door. I’m going to make some coffee. Take your time in there.”

  “Thank you.”

  The words are soft but I can still hear how dismayed she sounds and it guts me that I’m the reason.

  “Hey, look,” I say, feeling like an idiot for talking to a closed door, “I’m sorry for being an asshole. I tend to act first and think later.”

  “It’s okay.”

  This time her voice is a little louder, but it does nothing to make me feel better about being a world-class dick.

  Chapter 13

  EVIE

  I’m standing with my back resting against the door as Rhett apologizes.

  Only when the cold becomes unbearable, and I’m shivering uncontrollably, do I open the door slightly. I’m relieved to see that Rhett is not in the room as I pick up the sweats. I close and lock the door before I let the water run so it can warm up first.

  Stripping off my clothes isn’t easy as it sticks to my skin like glue. When I’ve finally undressed, steam fills the bathroom. I step into the shower and lean my forehead against the tiles as the warm water chases the chill from my body.

  My mind turns to everything that’s happened today. For five months Rhett has basically ignored me, and now this? I don’t understand any of it or his weird behavior.

  The man stripped down to his boxers in front of me!

  My face flushes as I remember every muscle and inch of golden skin that my eyes got to feast on.

  I’ve never had a crush on a guy before. Hell, I was too busy surviving to think about the opposite sex, or dating for that matter.

  But whenever I get to see Rhett, my hormones sit up and notice while my heart swoons.

  I know nothing can ever come of it, but it sure doesn't stop me from hoping.

  I should be angry with Rhett for tossing me over his shoulder like that, and for bringing me here instead of taking me home, but I can’t.

  A smile plays around my mouth because I liked it a little too much when he turned all caveman on me.

  And the two slaps to my butt.

  My stomach flutters and my skin tingles just from remembering what it felt like to have his hands on my body, even if it wasn’t meant to be sexual.

  Sigh, I reach for the soap and start to wash my body when I remember how harsh he spoke to me. All the good feelings evaporate into the steam, and my heart grows heavy.

  The only reason I didn’t argue with him about showering here is because he said the last thing he needs is me getting sick. He thinks it will cost him more money should I ever get ill, but he’s wrong. Now that I have a job of my own, I’m going to start taking care of myself. Soon I’ll be able to tell Rhett he doesn’t need to pay for anything else, and I’ll be in a position where I can begin to repay him everything I owe.

  When I’m done showering, and my body is warm, I quickly dry myself off before stepping into the sweats. They’re a bit too big, and I have to roll the waistband over a few times. When I pull on the shirt, it falls to my butt.

  I glance down at myself and pull a face at the unflattering sight. Picking up my wet clothes, I hope I can use Rhett’s dryer, that way I won’t have to stay in this oversized outfit for too long.

  ∞∞∞

  I feel out of place as I go in search of Rhett. I haven’t seen any of Rhett’s friends since he started helping me and I’m hoping that I don’t run into any of them.

  Walking through the living room, I hope I’m heading in the right direction.

  When I get to the kitchen, I’m relieved to see that none of the other guys are here. With a little luck, none of them are home.

  My eyes find Rhett where he’s drinking coffee while staring out the window. He’s still shirtless, and the view of his muscled back sends tingles racing through my body. Even though he was rude to me, I can’t be angry with him.

  My eyes drop to his butt, and I let out a breathy sigh. He’s got one hell of a sexy behind. I should know. I had a close-up view of it earlier.

  He turns around, and my eyes dart up to his face, hoping he didn’t catch me gawking at him.

  “Come get some coffee,” he says.

  I take a few steps forward before I remember the wet clothes in my hands.

  “Do you have a dryer I can use?”

  He sets down his cup, and the movement draws my gaze to his chest. I wish he would put on a shirt because it’s way too distracting to have him running around without one on.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I follow him into the laundry room that’s twice the size of my kitchen. I wonder if the guys even do their own laundry.

  I shove my clothes into the dryer and set the timer. When I’m done, I wipe my hands on the sides of my pants and turn to face Rhett. He’s standing much closer to me than I expected, and I take a step backward, only to bump into the dryer.

  Feeling out of sorts, I tuck some wet strands behind my ear before pointing to the kitchen.

  “Coffee… ahh… I’ll make some.” Ugh, I’m an idiot for getting all flustered just because there’s a half-naked man in front of me.

  I squeeze by him, and when my arm brushes against his, it sends electric jolts darting from my arm to between my legs. It’s nothing compared to what I felt when he placed his hand on my butt, but it’s enough to jumble my emotions.

  I’ve known Rhett for six months, and I still don’t have a clue how to act around him. Whenever he’s close by, it feels as if I’m standing on a piece of wood that’s being tossed around by waves. Everything becomes wobbly, especially my emotions.

  When I see that his cup is empty, I glance at him.

  “Can I pour you another cup?”

  He comes to stand right by me and leans against the counter with his hip. Crossing his arms over his chest, he says in a rough voice, “Yeah, thanks.”

  I devour his bulging biceps before I have to tear my eyes away. I’m grateful that I have something to keep my hands busy, even if it’s just for a few seconds.

  I slide his cup closer to him, then take a sip of my own. I keep my eyes glued to the counter in front of me.

  “How’s school?” he asks.

  This is good. It’s safe. I’m used to Rhett asking me questions about school.

  “It’s good.”

  I want to ask him how his classes are, but I’m scared he’ll think I’m referring to his blowjob session with Josie. Instead, I drink my coffee.

  “Tell me about yourself,” he says, which makes me swallow hard
on the mouthful of coffee.

  “Myself?” I say, my voice sounding croaky from the sip which almost ended up in the wrong hole.

  “Yeah,” he says, and hearing the smile in the one word, I glance at him.

  “But you know everything about me,” I say lamely, hoping we can move off this topic. I hate talking about myself.

  “No, I don’t,” he argues. “Have you always lived in North Carolina?”

  I nod and use the cup as a buffer to hide behind. Too quickly my coffee is finished. I rinse the cup before walking to the laundry room. I don’t care if the clothes are wet. I’ll only have to wear them until I get home.

  “It takes more than ten minutes for clothes to dry,” Rhett says.

  “I know,” I mutter, feeling a little irritated that he pointed it out. “I have to get home.”

  Before I can reach the dryer, an arm slips around my waist. Rhett’s chest presses against my back as he lifts me off my feet.

  Instinctively I grab hold of his forearms. “Put me down.”

  Rhett chuckles as he walks through the kitchen, never letting go. Only when we reach the living room, does he set me down in front of the couch.

  “Sit. We can watch a movie while your clothes dry.”

  I scowl at him as I plop down on the couch. “Yes, Sir,” I say wryly. He’s so damn controlling.

  When heat flares in his eyes, I regret being so snippy. I quickly look away as I scoot into the corner and bring my legs up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them.

  Rhett sits down next to me and teasingly says, “Only women tied to my bed call me sir.”

  My mouth drops open as my eyes dart to him. I can’t believe he just said that.

  Chapter 14

  RHETT

  I put on the first movie I saw.

  I realize it’s not my brightest move when IT pulls Georgie into the drain, and Evie’s arms flail out to the sides as she jumps with fright. She accidentally slaps me across the chest before she scrambles over the couch and falls behind it with a thud.

  I start to chuckle as I pause the movie. When Evie peeks over the back of the couch, I burst out into full-blown laughter. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

  “Turn it off,” she whispers as if IT is nearby and he’ll hear her if she speaks any louder.

  “It’s just a movie,” I tease, not able to resist taking advantage of the situation.

  Her eyes dart to the TV screen and widen with fear when she sees that it’s frozen on IT’s face. All you can see are teeth.

  She ducks back behind the couch, and when I look behind it, it’s only to see her crawling towards the stairs.

  “What are you doing?” I laugh because this shit is funny as fuck.

  “I’m getting away from that thing!” she snaps angrily.

  I’m about to tease her some more when the baggy shirt she’s wearing drags along the floor, giving me a full view of her swaying tits.

  Fuuuck!

  I hear the back door slamming shut as one of the guys must’ve just gotten home, and I shoot up from the couch to get to Evie. I don’t want any of the guys getting an eye full of Evie’s tits.

  I grab her around the waist and pull her up. She screams bloody murder which makes Carter come running into the living room, just as I manage to pull the shirt over her stomach with my free hand.

  “What the fuck are you doing to her?” Carter roars as his eyes dart between Evie and me.

  “Nothing,” I say innocently. “We were watching IT, and Evie got scared.”

  Evie wiggles in my arms, trying to get free, but I turn around and head towards the stairs. Her back is still firmly pressed against my chest, and my arm that’s wrapped around her waist is caught beneath the shirt, which means I’m skin on skin with her.

  Soft skin.

  Not thinking, I brush my thumb over her, exploring just how soft she is.

  Her hand comes over mine, stopping me from moving.

  “Put me down,” she whispers as I reach the stairs.

  I let go of her reluctantly. As she turns around, I’m fascinated by the blush coloring her cheeks.

  “I’m sure the clothes are dry,” she mumbles under her breath, but as she tries to dart around me, I take a step to the right, blocking her way.

  I should let her go, but I can’t. Usually, I have self-control made of steel, but when it comes to Evie, it turns to Jell-O.

  “It’s already past nine, you might as well stay.”

  What the fuck did I just say?

  Why would I say that?

  Oh right, because I’m a sucker for punishment, is why.

  “I can’t stay.” She breathes the words incredulously as if it’s the most absurd thing she’s ever heard.

  Maybe she’s right, but it seems I’m all for being absurd and not caring a single fuck about how much torture it would be if she stayed over.

  Just to prove that I love being in a state of constant arousal, to the point where it’s actually painful, I say, “Yes, you can, and you’re going to. It’s still storming outside. You’ve already showered.”

  “I can’t,” she says again, which only makes me more determined to win this argument.

  “Give me one good reason why you can’t stay,” I challenge her.

  She peeks to where Carter is sitting in the living room, already watching the business news.

  When her eyes come back to me, the blush deepens on her cheeks, and it does something funny in the region of my heart.

  “Because, Rhett,” she whispers so Carter won’t hear. “We don’t even know each other that well.”

  “Woman, I’m asking you to stay over, not to fuck.”

  Yeah, I could’ve been more discreet. The problem is that I want to fuck her, and that’s making me act a little crazier than usual.

  “You don’t have to be so crude!” she snaps. “Why would I want to stay over when it’s clear we can’t be in each other’s company for ten minutes without arguing?”

  She has a valid point, but there’s no way in hell I’m admitting that to her.

  I let out a frustrated sigh. “Look, it’s about time we get to know each other a little better, don’t you think?”

  Her eyebrows are drawn together as she stubbornly stares at me.

  Then her shoulders slump, and she huffs, “You’re not going to give up, are you?”

  “Nope.” I pop the P and grin cockily. “I always get my way.” I wag my eyebrows just to taunt her.

  She scrunches her nose and rolls her eyes at me. “You don’t have to be so cocky about it,” she says as she crosses her arms over her chest.

  The word cocky from her lips has a direct link to a particular hardening part of my body.

  “Say that again,” I whisper, smirking as I step closer to her.

  A frazzled look crosses her features, and her eyes dart over me as she tries to figure out what I’m up to.

  “Say what again?”

  “Cocky,” I grin.

  “Cocky? Why?” She genuinely looks baffled now.

  “You never curse,” I say. It’s something I noticed when we first met. “The dirtiest word you’ve ever said is cocky.”

  She lets out a heavy sigh. “Small things amuse small minds,” she grumbles.

  I take another step closer until we’re standing chest to chest. I’m surprised that Evie hasn’t moved away from me yet.

  “Babe, there’s nothing small about me,” I growl.

  Her eyes widen, and for a moment they drop to my mouth. I see the spark of heat before she lowers her lashes to hide from me.

  Deciding to have some mercy on her, I take hold of her arm just above the elbow.

  “Come on, we’re just going to talk and sleep. Scouts honor.” I pull her lightly, and she gives in, climbing up the stairs with me.

  “I doubt you were in the scouts,” she says.

  Chapter 15

  EVIE

  My mind is screaming for me to go home, but my stubborn heart doesn’t w
ant to hear about being sensible right now.

  Ugh, I’m going to regret this in the morning.

  With every step I take closer to his room, my mind yells, “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Just chill. We’re only going to talk,” my heart answers while doing silly somersaults and sprinkling glitter everywhere.

  “Yeah right, I’ve heard that one before,” my mind says dryly.

  Rhett stops at a room and pushes the door open.

  “I didn’t know you guys were home,” he says to someone, and as I peek inside the room, I see a pretty girl with long black hair sitting on a bed next to one of Rhett’s friends. They both seem to be typing away on their laptops.

  “Yeah, we got home about an hour ago,” the guy says as he looks up from his laptop.

  “Evie, this is Logan and the pretty one pretending to do homework is my sister, Mia,” Rhett introduces us.

  I can see the resemblance between Mia and Rhett, but where Rhett is tall, Mia looks much smaller.

  “Nice to meet you both,” I say, trying my best to look friendly.

  “You brought a girl home?” Mia says as she climbs off the bed. She stops in front of me, and I have to look up to meet her eyes. “I love your hair,” she compliments me with a genuine smile.

  Self-consciously my hand shoots to the mess on my head. I forgot about it, but it must look awful after I let it air dry.

  Mia reaches out and takes hold of my hand so she can pull it away. “I mean it. You have beautiful hair.”

  A warm smile spreads across my face. “Thank you.”

  I’m tempted to compliment her back, but I don’t want it to sound like it’s forced just because she praised me.

  Mia lets go of my hand and lifts an eyebrow as she looks at Rhett.

  “Don’t start with me, squirt,” Rhett growls, although his voice is warm with love for his sister.

  Mia wags her eyebrows, silently teasing her big brother. It’s nice seeing this side of Rhett.

  “Evie is just a friend. Get used to seeing her around.” Rhett leans closer to Mia and brushes his finger over the tip of her nose. “Now stop being nosy and finish your homework.”