Rhett in Love (Rhett #2)(2)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“You’re not a perfect southern gentleman.” She laughed. “I don’t know who’s been lying to you.”

“I’m trying to tell you something.” I said seriously and she frowned, her brown eyes looking at me curiously.

“What is it?” She studied my face for a second and I had to turn away to stop myself from laughing at her mud-caked face with all the lines.

“You drop your clothes all over the place.” I began and she wrinkled her nose creating another crack line in the middle of her nose-bridge.

“What?” She began confused.

“You drop your clothes all over the place.” I began again. “On the floor in the bathroom, the living room, the bedroom. I think I even found a bra in the kitchen the other day.”

“That’s because you undid it when I was making dinner.” She shook her head at me and laughed. “You’re the one that pulled my top off and then my bra.”

“Shh.” I laughed and she rolled her eyes as my hand dropped onto her shoulder.

“Oh no you don’t.” She took a step back as I pulled her towards me.

“Oh yes, I do.” I grinned as my lips fell to hers, this time I was able to ignore the muddy taste.

“Rhett.” She mumbled and pushed me away. “Let me wash this mask off first.”

“I won’t say no to that.” I grinned and watched as she jumped off of the bed and walked into the bathroom. “And if you want to pick some of the clothes up that you have on the floor as well, before you come back, that’d be great.”

“Asshole.” She said and I laughed.

“You weren’t saying that last night.”

“I’ll be saying that a lot tonight though.” She stood at the bathroom door, her face clean and dripping with water. “And tomorrow night.”

“Wow, my girlfriend is back.” I jumped up and walked over to the bathroom. “And she looks normal again.”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and gave me a small smile.

“Yup, she’s back to normal.” I kissed her lightly on the lips. “And she’s looking as beautiful as ever, now that she’s not dressed up like a monster.”

“Rhett.” She groaned. “I need to study.”

“Study for what? Finals aren’t for months yet.”

“Everyone at Harvard studies every day.”

“I’m sure glad I don’t go there then.” I made a face. “And I’m sure glad that I decided to just finish my classes online and graduate from SC instead of transferring to Boston College.” I wiped my forehead. “I’ll be done in December.”

“You know you could never be anything other than a Gamecock.” Clementine laughed. “I know you love me, but asking you to graduate as a Yankee would have been too much to ask.”

“You got that right.” I winked at her. “Ain’t no Madison ever traveled out of the South to go to college. No Ma’am. Not before. Not now. Not ever.”

“Not ever?” Clementine raised an eyebrow at me. “What about if we have kids and—”

“Clementine.” I shuddered and placed my finger on her lips. “You know I love you more than life itself and you know I love sex, but it is way too early to be bringing up kids.”

“Rhett Madison.” She brushed past me into the bedroom and shook her head. “You’re a dumbass.”

“Just don’t be trying to trap my dumbass self with a kid.”

“Excuse me?” Her voice rose and I realized that I’d crossed the line. Suddenly my little joke of humor was no longer funny. I didn’t even need to see her face to know I shouldn’t have mentioned her trying to trap me. I knew she would take it the wrong way. Just like all women. You made a silly little joke and they always get bent out of shape. Even Clementine and she’s about as perfect a woman as I know. However, even Clementine took things too seriously sometimes.

“I was joking Clemmie.” I gave her my award winning smile and batted my eyelashes at her. I knew Clementine loved my big blue eyes and I was hoping that they would distract her from being mad.

“You got a fly in your eye, boy?” She frowned at me.

“No.” I shook my head and smiled again.

“Good because I’d hate to kill a fly when I slap you.” She stood there with her hands on her hips and then pointed her finger at me. “How dare you accuse me of trying to trap you! If you think that I’m the sort of person that—”

“Watches trashy TV?” I interrupted her. “Yes I do think you’re that person.”

“What are you talking about?” She frowned in confusion at my change of subject.

“You watch those trashy shows and get ideas in your head.” I held back a grin. “How do I know you haven’t watched one of those Real Housewives shows and decided to trap me with a baby?”

“Rhett?” Her eyes narrowed and her voice grew lower, but I just couldn’t help myself.

“They should rename that show Devious Housewives.” I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. “Or Devious Girlfriends That Want to be Wives.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Wouldn’t you watch that show though?” I grabbed her hand and played with her fingers.

“No.” She replied huffily.

“You wouldn’t be calling me into the living room to see how someone on the show got pregnant to trap her man after she found out he was cheating on her with her maid or assistant or something?”

“Maybe.” She said finally and then started laughing. “Okay fine, it sounds like a show I’d enjoying watching, but I certainly don’t want to be compared to one of the women from the show. You’d be so lucky to have a baby with me.”

“I was just joking Clementine.” My stomach churned as I looked into her annoyed eyes. “You don’t really want a baby do you?” My life flashed before my eyes as I thought about us having a baby and all the extra mess we’d have to deal with. It was something I wasn’t ready for, plus I knew Nanna would be upset and Clementine’s parents would kill me. They hadn’t even been happy that we were going to be living together. It was only because Nanna had convinced them that it was better for the both of us. And we’d been friends for so many years and spent so many nights together anyway, that what difference did it make? She’d told them we’d end up spending most nights together in Boston so we might as well live together. It had been my idea of course, but Clementine had been equally as excited. In fact, the day we’d moved in had been the most exciting of my life. Surreal, but exciting. Much like every other day since then had been.