Rhea forgot how to breathe.
Adrian looked up at her, water still sliding down his chest, and the sight hit her so hard her knees almost gave out. A single drop ran along the line of his stomach and disappeared into the towel resting on his hips. It was impossible not to stare.
This was her mother's fiancé.
Her mother's beautiful, much younger, barely dressed fiancé.
Her mind struggled to catch up.
Victor had broken up with her just an hour ago, leaving her shaken and raw. She had thought that would be the worst part of her night. She hadn't even had time to cry or scream into a pillow. And now here she was, standing in her own living room, trying not to look like she was staring at a stranger who looked like he had stepped out of a fantasy.
Adrian stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs, his hair dripping, his breathing slow. He seemed just as startled to see her as she was to see him. Their eyes held for a moment that stretched too long, too quietly, and her heart thudded so loudly she was sure someone could hear it.
Her mother was talking as she walked toward Adrian, but Rhea barely caught any of it. She couldn't pull her eyes away from him, not when he stood there half-naked and impossibly attractive, watching her with that same stunned look.
Nia suddenly stopped in her tracks when her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, muttered something under her breath and turned to Rhea.
"Take Adrian to my room, baby. I need to get this. It's urgent," she said quickly, already moving toward the hallway as she answered the call.
Rhea didn't move. She just kept staring, her mind shutting out everything except the man dripping water onto their floor.
Several seconds passed after Nia left them, but Rhea still didn't move or even try to. She looked as if she could stand there and stare at the man all day. She was completely spellbound.
It was then Adrian finally walked toward her, each step slow and calm, until he was close enough for her to see every sharp, handsome line of his face. His tall, straight nose, his sexy thin lips, and those deep, penetrating eyes that seemed to take her apart piece by piece.
At their proximity, she didn't remember to breathe at all. Her lungs simply forgot their purpose as the space between them tightened and a strange warmth curled low in her stomach, stealing the last bit of sense she had left.
"Uh… reckon we can do this later, but first, can you take me to the room your mama mentioned? I gotta grab my clothes," Adrian finally managed to say, his words carrying a soft, natural voice that hinted at where he came from.
And as he spoke, his dimples appeared, adding to his already unfairly handsome face.
Rhea had to drag herself back into the present before she melted right there. She inhaled sharply, straightened her spine and fixed a cool, composed look on her face as she tilted her head at him.
"Excuse me, what exactly are we doing later?" she asked, her tone flat and far from polite.
Adrian blinked, clearly surprised, his brows lifting. But then he smiled again, and it was so effortlessly beautiful that Rhea felt something flutter inside her chest. She swallowed discreetly, hoping he didn't notice.
He looked far too good to have grown up in the mountains of North Carolina.
"Well, you've been starin' at me long enough that I'm startin' to feel mighty uncomfortable. I need to put somethin' on," he said smoothly in his Appalachian accent, clearly aware of the effect he was having on her.
Rhea let out a short, disbelieving scoff and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Aren't you a little too proud for someone who grew up in the mountains?" she shot back without hesitation. "Don't flatter yourself too much, Mr. You're not even my type."
Then her eyes narrowed slightly. "And let's be honest here. You and I both know you're just after my mom's money, and I'm going to expose you soon. Trust me."
She lifted a finger right to his face, voice dropping to a cold warning.
"You might have fooled others before, but this is where it ends. I'll make sure you leave this house exactly the way you walked in. Someone like you could never be my father."
Her words were still hanging in the air when Nia walked back into the room.
"Oh my goodness, Rhea! I told you to take him to my room. Do you want him to catch a cold?" Nia exclaimed, rushing over to Adrian and gently guiding him toward the stairs.
Once they were gone, Rhea sank slowly onto the nearest couch, her knees threatening to give out. Even after speaking to him so coldly, it hadn't dimmed the fire simmering through her. She could feel how alive he made her, how much she ached for him, and the undeniable wetness between her thighs.
Her eyes widened in shock. Wait, what? Was she really…?
Before she could think twice, she shot to her feet and practically flew up the stairs to her bedroom. Once inside the bathroom, she undressed as fast as she could, her hands trembling. Then she touched herself and confirmed it—sticky, warm, very real.
A grin spread across her face, wild and triumphant. She grabbed her phone and dashed back to her bedroom to call Victor.
So there was nothing wrong with her after all. She could get wet. She could respond and she could feel desire… just like any other woman.
"Pick up, Victor. Please," she whispered, her voice low as she paced slowly across her room.
The door opened just then, and Nia stepped in, looking startled to see her daughter wrapped only in a towel.
"Why are you in a towel all of a sudden, baby? What's going on?" she asked, worry knitting her brow as she approached.
"I'm fine, Mom. I just wanted to call Victor before I take a bath," Rhea said, dropping her phone onto the bed. She turned fully to face her mother, who was holding a large, designer bag as if ready to leave.
"You're going out?" Rhea asked, suspicion mingling in her voice.
"Yes, honey. To Montreal. It's urgent. But I'll be back in two weeks—no, a week. I promise," Nia replied, trying to sound reassuring.
Nia hadn't even finished speaking before Rhea lifted her head, her eyes swimming with tears as she looked back at her mother.
"Why are you like this, Mom?" she demanded, her voice rising. "You've been gone for two months, and now you're going to Montreal again? Do you even care about me?" Her voice cracked, and a shiver of hurt ran through her words.
"Of course I care about you, sweetheart," Nia said softly, her eyes full of warmth. "And that's exactly why I'm doing this. I'm working hard because of you, the same way I got you a father."
"No, Mom. I'm twenty-five now. I can take care of myself and I don't need a father. You don't have to do everything for me anymore," Rhea let out, trying to steady her voice.
Nia smiled gently and nodded. "Take care of Adrian, baby. He's your father now. Don't be rude to him, and please make time to go shopping with him. Please"
Rhea opened her mouth to protest, but her mother leaned in, pressed a soft quick kiss to her cheek. "Take care of yourself, honey. See you soon."
And just like that, Nia turned and left the room, leaving Rhea staring after her, torn between frustration and longing.