Rekindling the Spark (2 page)

Immediately, she hated herself for allowing him to touch her. "
He broke your heart! Stay away!
" her thoughts raged, yet her body still reacted to the firm movement of his fingertips across her aching muscles.

"My sister said you still owned this place," he said softly, close enough for her to breathe in the masculine scent of his cologne.

"Yeah, well. What can I say? I've been working here as long as I can remember. When my father died, it was just sort of natural to take over." Her skin singed under the heat of his touch. She stepped forward, putting much-needed distance between them. "But, you already knew that. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here."

Rhett nodded his head. "Look, I know things didn't exactly go so well between us…"

An incredulous laugh escaped her throat and she turned around to face him. "You sure as hell got that right," she said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Listen, I—" he started, his brown eyes making it hard for her to concentrate. Shaking her head, she cut him off.

"Seriously, Rhett. Why are you here?" Maggie snapped. She knew her patience was thin. Having him around brought memories back that she worked hard to suppress and she was afraid of what ramifications she would endure if she let herself hope for a possible future with him. 

"It's been five years, Maggie. I just thought maybe—"

"No!" she interrupted. "I've worked hard to put the past behind me. I have my bar. I have my life. Get out of both."

Even though she was making demands, the truth was that Maggie wasn't exactly sure what she wanted Rhett to do. Thus, she was incredibly surprised when he walked up to her and angled his mouth over hers, close enough for their lips to touch.

"Fine. But before I do, I'm going to kiss the hell out of you." Rhett Lucas proved himself to be a man of his word, kissing Maggie with a force she never could have expected. Instead of pulling away, she let her body surrender to his touch, and kissed him back.

The spark between them reignited with undeniable passion. Maggie wrapped her arms around his neck as he greedily nibbled on her lower lip, causing her skin to tingle and her body to crave more.
Much more
.

When Rhett suddenly broke the connection between them, she felt dazed.

"I don't want either of us to hurt again. That's not why I'm here," he told her, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "If you change your mind, look me up. I'll be around town for a couple more days. Good-bye, Maggie." With that, Rhett turned and walked out of her bar and out of her life once again.

Stunned, Maggie didn't know whether she wanted to cry or pour a drink. So, she did both.

***

Falling asleep that night was tough, especially after kissing Rhett earlier in the bar. What little sleep she did get was filled with images of Rhett, playing out in her mind like an erotic movie of their past together. Maggie tossed and turned for what seemed like hours before finally getting up out of bed and making her way to the bathroom.

Flipping on the shower to the hottest water setting possible, she stripped down and watched as steam filled the small room. Stepping into the tiny enclosure, she let out a deep sigh as the heat of the liquid spilled down her shoulders and across her naked frame.

Rhett was in town.

Just the thought alone was enough to send shivers down her spine. It had been over a year since she even thought about having sex with a man. But, suddenly and without warning, having him so close and available made her horny as hell.

Reaching her right hand down to her pussy, Maggie started to stroke her clit with smooth circles. She used her free palm to knead the softness of her breasts, stimulating her nipples into hard peaks and enjoying the intense sensation of her own touch. Between the heat of the shower and the memory of Rhett's kiss, it didn't take but a mere moment before she came hard, letting an orgasmic wave wash over her like the jets from the shower. Panting, she braced herself against the cool tile wall as the shaking subsided.

After turning off the water, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body. As amazing as her orgasm had just been, Maggie needed more. Drying off, she pondered whether or not she should see him again.

Slipping on an old T-shirt and a pair of cotton panties, she sat down at the edge of her bed. "Why the hell is Rhett in town, anyway?" she wondered aloud. He had never been a rodeo fan, so coming to Broken Branch for finals didn't make sense.

But, his sister
did
live in town. Rebecca had moved to an old farmhouse just off Main Street right before they met. In fact, she was the one who introduced the two of them. Maggie occasionally saw her in town, but tried desperately to avoid running into her. It was just better that way. 

Grabbing her cell phone off the nightstand, she thought about calling the farmhouse. If he was still here, it was highly likely that's where he would stay. Looking at the clock, she realized that it was already after four a.m.

"Screw it," she rasped, dialing the number from memory. "I don't care who I wake up." It only rang twice before Rhett's familiar voice came over the line. 

"I didn't think you'd call," he said softly the moment the call connected. Maggie could tell he'd been asleep.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked. 

"Caller ID. Plus, you are pretty much the only one who would call my sister's house in the middle of the night looking for me," Rhett reasoned.

There was something comforting in hearing his voice, even if a part of her still hated him for what had happened. Knots of emotion stirred in her belly.

"Rhett, I really think we should talk." 

"I agree. Come over?" he asked, sounding groggy with sleep through the phone line.

"I'll be there in a few," she promised, wearily. Although Maggie wasn't sure whether they would actually end up talking or just spend the night making up for lost time with their bodies, she knew she had to see Rhett again. And it had to be tonight.

***

The old farmhouse sat on over a hundred acres of land. When Rhett's sister purchased it, she vowed to restore it back to its former glory. She'd hired dozens of contractors and renovation experts, turning what was once a broken and battered building into something grand.

As Maggie's beat-up pickup truck pulled into the brick-paved driveway, she couldn't help but smile. The place looked like a complete palace; much different than it had been years ago when she had first seen it. White rail fence stretched for as far as the eye could see, bordering the main house and separating it from the equine facilities that Rebecca added to the property. A couple of barns and a workshop sat off to one side, while the main house stood tall with gorgeous white columns emitting pure Southern charm.

Sighing, she decided she was happy that Rebecca's dream had come true. Now she just wondered what it would be like to see her own broken dream in the flesh—Rhett. 

By the time she had parked and walked up the rest of the driveway, he was already standing outside waiting for her, leaning up against one of the massive stark-white columns. "Hey," he said, watching her move closer to the house. 

Maggie took the opportunity to drink in the sight of him. He was wearing only a pair of gray pajama bottoms, leaving his muscular torso exposed. She thought her body temperature must have soared to a thousand degrees and felt her panties dampen at the mental image of Rhett's athletic frame pressed up against hers. Wetting her lips with her tongue, she stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. "Hey."

"Becca and the kids are in Texas for the week," he explained. "I've got this place to myself."

Hearing that they were alone was all she needed. Maggie wasn't in the mood for small talk. She had come to see Rhett to have one last wild night, not to rekindle what once was, so she didn't waste any time. She angled up and brushed her lips over his, igniting the passion and fire they had both felt earlier in the bar. 

"Wow. Okay." Rhett nuzzled into her neck, his hands freely roaming her body. "That's quite an attitude change from earlier, darlin'."

"Don't talk," she replied, placing two fingers over his mouth. Rhett said nothing, but flashed a confused smile that made her knees weak.

Practically steering him from the front porch and inside the house, she could feel the dampness in her panties and a pool of passionate lava burning between her thighs.

"Make love to me," she demanded in a soft whisper as soon as the front door had closed behind them.

"You're joking."

"I never joked about sex when we were married. And I'm not joking about it now. Fuck me, Rhett Lucas, or watch me walk back out that door."

Rhett didn't need any more encouragement, as her brazen demand was clear enough. He scooped Maggie up in his strong arms and carried her through the old farmhouse to the bedroom.

As he set her down gently on the antique four-poster bed, she couldn't help but notice the way he looked down at her. Maggie's soft green eyes locked with Rhett's deep brown ones, sending chills down her spine. Any old feelings for him she had saved tucked inside came flooding back, and she forced herself to keep from being wrought with pure emotion.

It didn't take but a mere moment for them both to be gloriously naked—after five years, the time and Maggie's impatience left no room for the slow, seductive removal of clothing that they had experienced in the past. Boots, jeans, socks, sweat-pants, boxer briefs, panties, and a bra all became discarded in haphazard fashion.

Rhett pressed her body against the mattress with his hard torso, leaving a trail of kisses from her shoulder down her chest, across her flat belly, and down to her pussy.

Maggie bit her lower lip as Rhett used his knee to spread apart her thighs. His touch was not overly gentle nor overpowering, only firm and purely masculine in a way that only further ignited a burning desire somewhere deep in her soul. 

Leaning down and nipping the softness just above her pubic bone, he glanced up with a seductive darkness in his eyes that shook her to the bone and melted some of the hardness around her heart.

Hard licks massaged her clit, making her writhe in pleasure beneath his greedy mouth. She cried out when he used his hands to lift her hips, stabbing her core with his tongue. As Rhett continued to drink up her pleasure juices, Maggie couldn't help but cry out his name in a sobbing breath as her body tingled with orgasmic anticipation.

After what seemed like a million hours and a few brief seconds all rolled into one, Rhett moved away to grab a condom. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she couldn't help but feel her heart race as the moment she had waited half a decade for was about to happen. 

She and Rhett were together and that's all she wanted. Everything else could be figured out later.

Maggie gasped as he entered between her thighs, feeling the familiarity of his erection as it passed through her swollen lips. It was comfortable and exciting and erotic—all at the same time.

As he reached his peak rhythm, pounding into her, both of them began to pant. They were both half-crazed with the fever that only toe-curling sex can bring. Maggie felt as though every single inch of her body were on fire—a slow, simmering pool of passion enveloping both her body and soul.

Finally, as they locked eyes, Maggie and Rhett tumbled over the edge of ecstasy together. 

With her body still humming from Rhett's lovemaking, nagging thoughts of his infidelities still plagued her. Pushing them aside, she focused on the delightful feeling of post-orgasmic endorphins coursing through her veins.

"Mmm… That was…" Maggie gasped, the weight of Rhett's spent body still pinning her down.

"Amazing? Fantastic?"

"Well worth the wait," she said with a slight laugh.

Rhett rolled onto his side. "Then perhaps we shouldn't wait five years to do it again."

An uncomfortable silence came over Maggie. While the sex had been mind numbing, they still had other factors standing between them. Namely, why he felt it was okay to screw another woman while they were married.

She got out of bed and found her way to the bathroom to clean up. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Maggie let out a deep breath. Why she had insisted Rhett have sex with her, she wasn't sure. The only thing she did know was that she was falling in love with him all over again—and the thought terrified her. 

"Fantastic sex aside, we said we were going to talk. We really should actually talk," Rhett's deep voice boomed from the bed as she walked back into the room, still naked.

"Yeah, you're probably right." She perched herself at the end of the bed, unsure of how to start the conversation. 

"I love you," he said in a serious tone. "I want you to come back to Nashville with me." 

Maggie bit her bottom lip. While he was only in Broken Branch for a few days, her whole life was there. Leaving was certainly not an option. "Rhett, I can't just pick up and go anywhere. I've got the bar and employees." She brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes with irritation. "Plus, things between us aren't the same as they once were."

Rhett clenched his jaw. "Bullshit. I've seen your employees. You run a tight ship. Your bar manager could have that place sailing smoothly for a week or two while you come with me." His eyes pleaded with her. "Can't we try to work things out, Maggie? I've missed you," he confessed softly. "And from the looks of what just happened between us, you missed me, too."

Sighing, she stood up and started to put her clothes back on, intent on saving herself from a second broken heart. From her perspective, there really wasn't much to say. "Rhett, what happened all those years ago is long over. We've both moved on. Why don't we just keep it that way."

Rhett scowled. "You are just as goddamned confusing now as you were five years ago. Glad to see some things never change."

"What do you mean?" she asked, slipping her panties on over her hips. 

"Well, first you call me up in the middle of the night wanting to come over and talk. Then you show up, practically jump my bones in the doorway, and now you're ready to just walk on out." He raked his fingers through his dark hair with impatience. "You're as indecisive now as you were back then."