34. Fable

Chapter 34

Fable

I see Colt and Gunnar briefly at breakfast the next day, but all I get is a quick, "sorry, we're busy today," before they take off and leave me to my own devices. I don't even get a chance to ask Gunnar anything or talk to him. He just places a brief kiss on the top of my head and disappears, leaving me to stare after him in confusion.

Did we even go on a date? Am I expecting too much? I assume Trent will always disappear in the mornings, but Gunnar usually goes out of his way to make sure I'm okay before he has to go work on stuff. So it's pretty strange he just leaves me. Colt seems just as busy and barely spares me much more than a "good morning" before he's gone. Rhett never shows up for breakfast, so I'm just by myself.

Sighing, I end up walking around the yard with Jethro, lost in my head. For the first time since I've been at Circle Bee, I'm lost as to what I should do. Clearly, the guys don't want to be bothered today. My eyes flick over to the small four-by-four Gunnar told me I can drive at any time since it's a spare. I really enjoyed spending time with Rhett's bees. He said it doesn't hurt them for me to be out there, as long as I'm in my beekeeper suit and don't mess with the hives, especially now that they're preparing for winter. The image of Rhett singing to them, of him telling the bees his problems and accomplishments comes to mind. I'm a mixed bag of emotions today. There's so much. . .

Maybe I can go tell the bees. Just like Rhett said he does.

Five minutes later, I'm grabbing the beekeeper suit Rhett loaned me and climbing into the four-by-four. Jethro sits beside me, his tongue lolling out as I slowly drive us out to the bee hives. They're far enough away that I can't see the big house, so I know it's safe out here. When they come into sight, I sigh at the peace that washes over me.

"You stay here, Jethro," I tell him as I climb from the four-by-four. "I don't want you to get stung."

He whines and spreads out across the seats dutifully.

"I won't be long," I promise.

Telling the bees is a tradition with a lot of beekeepers. Rhett told me it's a tradition so old, it transcends cultures. The hives are a part of the family, and the beekeeper is their constant. Bees keep secrets better than any person, and so the beekeeper comes out and tells the bees everything. Celebrations, new family additions, bad news, good news, it doesn't matter. You can tell the bees everything. You can tell them every small detail. They'll never tell anyone.

I pull on the netted hat and slowly make my way over to the hives. The gentle buzzing of the bees fills the air and makes me feel warm as I step between them. I don't go up to any of the hives. I just sit in the middle of the dozens of beehives on the grass. I lean back on my elbows, my legs out in front of me, as I tip my head up to the sunshine. Above me, the air is filled with hundreds, maybe thousands, of bees flying to and from their destinations. Like little fuzzy shooting stars. I take a deep breath.

"I know you don't usually hear from me," I tell them softly. "But I needed someone to talk to, and Rhett said you can keep a secret better than any person." The bees don't answer. They don't even change their patterns. I smile and settle back, lying on the ground completely and looking up at them. "I like it here. Love it even," I begin. "This. . . being at Circle Bee, it's exactly what I needed. . . but I'm terrified to leave."

" You don't have to be scared ," Jinx whispers, appearing beside me lying in the grass like I am. " But if you are, that's okay. Even queens are afraid sometimes. They just act despite it ."

Those were words she'd used to tell me about any life-changing event I might have been nervous about. Alive, she was my hype person, my consciousness, the devil and angel on my shoulder. I was hers. We were a unit, and now I'm completely alone.

"The loneliness waiting for me back home is daunting," I whisper to her. "You should be there, but you aren't." To the bees, I say, "I lost my best friend on January eighth, and I've been hollow ever since. The doctors think it's my leg, that I'm having phantom pains, but it's not that at all. It's the hole left in my life when she died, and I don't think I'll ever recover."

Jinx turns her head to look at me. I can see her here, in the place, at home with the cowboys and the bees. She would have loved everything about Circle Bee. She would have had the time of her life. Fate is fucking cruel for her never getting to experience this.

I dash the tears from the corner of my eyes with the back of my hand angrily, a bit of a feat with the netted hat on, and focus back on the sky, on the bees flying above.

"On top of that, I think. . . I may be falling for the men of Circle Bee." I laugh at myself and shake my head. "Stupid, isn't it? Gunnar makes sense, but the other three? I've lost my mind, I know. Trent pretty much me warned me away from himself. Colt, well, Colt's red flags are alive and well. And Rhett? I'm pretty sure the longest commitment he's ever had is to y'all, to his bees. There's no place in his life for someone like me. There's no place for me here at all." I sigh. "I went on a date with Gunnar a few days ago and it feels like he doesn't even wanna look at me today. I don't know what happened, or if I'm reading too far into things. I just. . . I don't know anything."

The bees don't answer. I don't expect them to, but I do feel a little better when I finish. I lay there for a few minutes just listening to them, soaking in the warmth that they bring as they go about their bee business. They have bigger things to worry about than a silly, lonely woman spilling secrets.

"I see her," I admit softly. "Dr. Julia says it's PTSD, that it can cause hallucinations, and told me to take pills, but I stopped taking them so I can still see her. She talks to me, tells me when I'm wrong, and I can talk back to her." Jinx smiles at me as I say the words. "But I know she's not real. I know her ashes are in my cabin right now in an urn too simple for the bright spot of color she was. I know she's not here with me despite how badly I want her to be." My eyes water again as Jinx stares at me, as the phantom created from my own mind watches me carefully. "I know I'll have to let her go to heal, but I can't bear the thought of it." She fades away, leaving me with just the bees, and loneliness crashes into me so hard my chest hurts.

The memory of Rhett singing to his bees comes back to me and I close my eyes. Tears run down my face to drip on the grass through the netting, leaving my own mark for the bees. I start to sing, softly at first, uncertain. My voice is shaky and probably out of tune, but the bees don't seem to care as I sing to them. I sing one of the sea shanties Jinx and I used to love, one we sang at the last renaissance fair we'd ever been to together when the bard had called up some volunteers. The mead had hit just right and we'd both thought we could sing. It's a memory I'll always hold close to my heart. All of the memories I'll hold in my heart wrap around me like a blanket and I trail off, my voice overcome with my emotion.

"That was beautiful."

I jerk upright with a gasp and turn toward the voice, my eyes widening at the sight of Rhett standing nearly beside me. "How long have you been there?"

He tilts his head, a crooked grin flashing on his lips. "Just for the song. I didn't intrude on your telling of the bees."

Relief floods me. Oh, thank goodness. I don't have any desire to explain about Jinx or my PTSD to Rhett of all people.

His eyes trace my face and for the first time, I realize he's sporting a bruise under his right eye. When did that happen? "Have you been crying?"

"No. Of course not," I lie, reaching up to wipe at my face in case there are lingering wet spots. "Just my allergies." I glance around. "I'm sorry if I intruded on your work?—"

"Don't be silly," he says, cutting me off. "You're welcome to come out here anytime you'd like."

"I. . . thank you," I murmur awkwardly. "Should I. . . leave?"

He shakes his head. "Not unless you want to." He comes over and takes a seat next to me, folding his arms across his legs. Taking a deep breath, he pulls off his hat.

"What are you doing?" I gasp. "Won't you get stung?"

"They know me," he says with a smile. "Besides that, they only see humans as a threat if their hives are being messed with. We're at least ten feet from every hive. They won't think we're hurting them unless we're within four feet of them." He reaches over and pulls the hat from my head. The bees don't even take notice. "Just don't be afraid. There's no reason to be."

I nod, nervous as I push my hair back from my face. "I'm not interrupting your work, am I?"

He smiles. "A welcome distraction." He leans closer and bumps his shoulder against mine. "You run through my mind all day anyways, so it's not like you're doin' anything out of the ordinary."

I snort. "Alright, Casanova. You don't have to lie to me."

He shrugs. "That wasn't a lie. I may be many things, but a liar isn't one of them. I'd much rather work in half-truths, embellishments, and misdirects."

Staring at him, I digest the information he just gave me. The honesty in his words is apparent, so that means that he won't tell me a flat out lie, but he may change things slightly to make them sound better. I'll have to keep that in mind.

"What is it you think you want with me, Rhett?" I ask, watching him carefully. "Is it a game?"

"Life is a game. That's how we entertain ourselves," he answers.

"But is this, you and me, some sort of sick game? Do the four of you have a bet or something between you?" I push.

His brows shoot up. "A bet? Should we have one? I suppose it's not too late to make one if you like the idea."

"I don't," I grunt. "That's why I'm asking."

He frowns. "Are you asking if I'm genuinely interested in fucking you, Fable? Is that what this is?"

"Well. . . yeah," I answer. "I'm not exactly. . . I'm not. . ." I sigh and gesture to my leg. "I'm sure there are other more interesting girls you can seduce."

His face twists into a scowl. "There's nothing wrong with you."

"By definition, there is," I point out. "Look. I'm under no illusions. I'm a confident woman, but. . . I no longer come scot-free. I come with baggage."

"So? I'm strong. I can carry as many bags as you bring," he growls. "Besides, it's just sex. What does baggage have to do with anything? Can't a man just wanna rock your world without there being a pop quiz about it?"

I furrow my brows. "It doesn't make sense."

"Life don't make sense," he says. "Now, if you want to make sense of something, you can come straddle my lap and kiss me. I can promise you real quick that things will make sense then."

My breath rushes between my teeth. "You're incredibly frustrating, Rhett Thomas."

"I'm frustrated alright," he grumbles, reaching up to the zipper of his bee suit and pulling it down. He reveals his bare chest underneath and jeans around his hips as he pushes it down. "Wanting to fuck you has been a study in hiding erections."

As if he wills it, my eyes drop, and I see his hardness pressing against his jeans. "Oh," I say, my eyes popping wide.

"Oh," he mocks and stares at me. His eyes drop to my lips. We're sitting close enough right now that our shoulders are touching. When his gaze lingers on my lips, I shift, my chest growing tight.

"Rhett?" I whisper.

His eyes jerk up to mine, his face pinched with his frustration. His lip curls up. "Fuck it."

His hand is in my hair so fast, I let out a little squeak as he jerks me against him and slams his lips to mine. His kiss holds every ounce of frustration, every inch of desperation as he pushes past my lips and tastes me. His other hand grabs my hip hard and jerks me onto his lap until I straddle his waist. He growls against my lips as I grind down on his hardness. I gasp at the feeling of it.

"Why are you so addicting?" he snarls as he pulls back. His hand in my hair wrenches my head back, exposing my throat. He presses his lips there, dragging his teeth along my skin until I'm gasping in pleasure. "Why can I not stop thinking about you?"

I don't answer. Even if I could, I wouldn't have an answer for him.

"Tell me to stop," he snarls against my skin. "If you want me to stop, tell me right now, Fable."

"I. . ." I gasp when his teeth clamp down on my shoulder as he pushes at my bee suit. "No," I rasp.

He pauses and glances up. "No, you won't tell me to stop, or no, you want to stop?"

"I won't tell you to stop," I say, my body vibrating with arousal.

His eyes trace my face, studying my expression, before he bares his teeth at me in a smile that feels more predatory than anything else I've ever seen this man do. He reaches up between us and grabs the zipper.

"One fuck," he says. "I'll get you out of my system. You can go on with your life. Deal?"

I nod, because honestly, I was ready to agree to pretend this never happened. One fuck is exactly what this has to be because while I have my baggage, Rhett is carrying his own, and I'm not even sure if he knows how much he carries. It would be a very bad idea to fall for Rhett Thomas. I'd end up breaking my own heart. But one time sex? That I can do.

"Deal," I rasp, and he jerks the zipper down on my suit, revealing my t-shirt and yoga pants I'd been wearing underneath. He shoves it off my shoulders and immediately jerks up my shirt and bra, shoving them up to my neck to reveal my breasts.

"Fuck," he rasps, filling his hands with them. "I just knew you'd have perfect tits."

He leans down and pulls one of my nipples into his mouth and I arch my back, panting at the feeling of him spreading his rough hands along my hips as he grinds me harder against him. His hand pushes into my yoga pants and grabs a fistful of my ass to help me rock. I swear he gets harder against me.

"I need to feel this sweet pussy around my cock," he growls against my breast. "I bet you feel fucking phenomenal."

He leans me back until I'm lying on the grass before he goes to work removing my outfit. He slowly slides the beekeeper suit off before returning to my pants. Slowly, he eases them down over my prosthetic before stripping it much faster off my other leg. I jerk my shirt and bra off over my head as he tugs my boots off, leaving me completely naked beneath him.

His hands trace up my thighs, pressing against my scars there, unafraid of touching them. That alone is what eases me. The nervousness I'd felt disappears the moment he leans down to press a kiss against the knee of my left leg, letting me know he's not put off by it.

"Stay here," he growls and suddenly leaps to his feet. He jerks his white outfit off his body, kicking off his boots to make it easier. His socks go next, but he pauses at his jeans. He looks down at me with hooded eyes, desire making the color darker there. He studies me splayed out on the grass, naked, as his bees fly around us. They give us a wide berth, accepting us as part of their scenery, but not wanting to interact. Rhett nods before going over slowly to the nearest hive. A few of them have spouts on the bottom of them, and this one is one of those. He turns it, his other hand underneath the spout, and we both watch as honey drips out onto his hand.

My eyes widen when he turns back to me and kneels down. With his clean hand, he grabs the back of my neck and jerks me up. The hand with honey hovers over my breasts and I watch as it slowly drips. The first drop of honey on my nipple is like fire. The second is like an inferno as desire shoots through me so thoroughly, I'm probably leaking onto the grass.

"Fucking beautiful," he growls, before tracing his honey-covered fingers over my chest, circling my nipples, spreading the stickiness there before slowly tracing down my stomach. The honey leaves behind a trail, a reminder of where he's been. "A masterpiece of honey and desire," he purrs as he dips his fingers between my thighs and strokes there. When he finds my wetness, his breath stutters. "So full of desire for me, Wild West Barbie."

"You talk too much," I growl, lifting my hips to meet his fingers.

He chuckles and strokes his fingers inside me, spreading the honey there, using it to prepare me. He adds another finger, testing me even as he holds me upright by my neck. Slowly, he pulls his fingers out before lifting them up between us. I can see the evidence of both the honey and my arousal on his fingers.

"Maybe I do," he nods. A grin pulls at his lips. "But you deserve the words flickering through my mind." He pops his fingers in his mouth and licks them, making me tense as he hums. "Sweeter than my honey," he rasps. "Just as I expected."

He leans down and licks at my breasts again, cleaning the honey there, driving me insane as he winds my body tight without ever taking off his jeans. The moment I think that, though, he seems to realize it, too. The easy exploration suddenly turns into a desperate race to get inside of me.

He lays me back on the grass and reaches for his buckle, quickly freeing his cock. He doesn't bother pushing his jeans much further than necessary before he reaches down for my hips and jerks me up by them. I look down my body to his cock and blink at the flash of silver I get just before he's running it through my wetness. He groans at the feeling of it just like I do, and then he stops wasting time with teasing. He presses inside me, stretching me until I'm gasping for air, my fingers clawing at the grass as he bottoms out.

"Fuck," he groans, reaching up to cup my breast again. His hands are sticky with honey, just like my body, and it adds another sensation to everything as he drags his hand across my skin. His other hand grips my hip tightly, using it for leverage as he pulls out and slams back in again. "Do you like that?" he pants. "You like the way I'm stretching you?"

I nod, too breathless to use my words. I reach up and claw at his shoulder, jerking him down for a kiss that has him groaning against my lips before he starts to pick up his pace. He fucks me there, in the middle of his bees, putting on a show for them. Part of me wonders if he's ever told them this, if there are other women he's brought out here, but another part of me doesn't care. This isn't meant to be anything more than this. It doesn't matter if I'm one of many, even if my heart is already telling me this was a bad idea.

Oh, god. This was such a bad idea.

He slams inside me, and I gasp at the abruptness of it, crying out when he does it again. He leans back, his eyes on mine, and he slows for a second as we lock gazes. Something passes between us, something I have no name for. His lip curls up and he bares his teeth like a cornered animal as he digs his fingers into the grass beside my head.

"This is just sex," he growls, and I blink up at him in surprise.

"I know," I answer, my voice thick. "I understand."

"Just sex. Nothing more," he repeats.

"Okay," I answer, confused. "Okay."

But he doesn't seem satisfied with that answer. His expression grows angry as he jerks out of me, and for a second, I think we're done. I think he's putting a stop to it. Instead, he grabs me and picks me up, manhandling me until I'm turned around, until he can't see my face. He jerks me up to my knees with my hips and slams back inside of me so fast, I cry out. He clamps a hand over my mouth, the one covered in honey, before he thinks better of it and threads his middle and ring finger between my lips, forcing me to taste the honey and my own juices. He keeps his other fingers out, forcing my mouth closed around his lips. I breathe through my nose as he starts to pound inside me, as he spears me on his cock over and over again, fucking me until I'm screaming against his hand. He leans over my back and reaches around me to cup my breast, squeezing painfully as he growls in my ear.

"Come for me, Honeybee," he orders, punctuating his words with thrusts. "Now!"

I shatter, as if he flips a switch. My eyes roll back in my head as I cry against his fingers, as my body starts to convulse around him. He snarls and continues to fuck me even as my core squeezes him, even as I shake beneath him.

"Again," he breaths. "Make some more of that honey for me."

I'm panting, practically hyperventilating as he rocks my world just like he said he would, as he rides me until I'm a mess beneath him. His other hand trails along my body, squeezing, caressing, tweaking, until my body feels like a livewire. He reaches down and strokes my clit, spreading my wetness there, stealing some of it. He touches where he disappears inside me and groans at the feeling of it.

I come again, my body rolling from one into another, until I'm not sure if it's a few or one long orgasm.

"Fuck yeah," he grunts, his cock starting to jump inside me. "Oh, fuck!"

He jerks out of me as I convulse around him so suddenly, I nearly cry out at the loss as I shake and moan against his hand. I feel his warmth spurt across my ass, covering me, as I lose my shit in the grass.

I go to move, but his hand holds me fast as he slaps his cock against the base of my spine. When he's done, when his moaning slows, he reaches up and swipes his hand through his release before reaching around and presses them against my lips again.

"See what you do to me," he rasps. "Taste what you do to me."

I curl my tongue around his fingers, sucking them clean, making him moan again even as he uses his other hand to spread his release across my skin more thoroughly, until I'm covered in his release and the honey he'd drizzled across my skin. I vibrate with arousal even as he tugs me back and spins me around again. His eyes land on mine before he traces my face. I have no doubt my face is a mess, that my hair is probably just as wild around my shoulders. I glance down, realizing with a start that he never removed his jeans, that he'd only tugged them down.

The bees still buzz around us, ignoring our presence, as I sit here, naked and sticky. Slowly, I start to realize what I've just done. Guilt slams into me so hard, I have to suck in air to keep it inside.

I still haven't talked to Gunnar. Fuck. Fuck!

"Don't look so worried," Rhett laughs. "No one will care we fucked."

"But Gunnar?—"

"Knew I was chasing you," he answers with a shrug. "Besides, I knew I'd win."

I freeze. "Win? Win what?"

He grins. "I knew I was gonna be the first to fuck you. I'd have been fine if I wasn't, but knowing I'm the first one to taste the honey between your thighs makes it so much sweeter." As if to prove his point, he licks his fingers, humming at me.

I scowl. "So it was a game?"

"Life's a game, Honeybee. Don't let it bite you in the ass." He chucks me on the chin. "Now that we got that out of our system, we can go back to normal. You can go back to going on dates with Gunnar, and I'll go back to business."

I'd known. I'd known exactly what this was, and still, his words sting. Still, I'm hurt by it.

"You're an asshole," I rasp. "You know that?"

"I do," he nods, his eyes sparkling. "But you liked it. Clearly."

I grimace and get to my feet before searching for my clothes. Without saying a word, I start tugging them on. He just sits on the ground, lounging back on his hands, watching me with a smug grin.

I leave my beekeeper suit on the ground. I won't be needing it again, not it if means I'll run into Rhett out here. My chest tightens further with that thought, but I don't pick it up. Instead, I look down at him. I don't regret what I did, but. . . It was stupid. I should have known better.

"Tell Gunnar I said hi," he says flippantly, as if he already knows that's where I'm going to go. He's right, but it still irks me.

I don't tell him that. I don't give him that satisfaction. Instead, I turn and rush back to my four-by-four where Jethro waits. He seems to sense my mood, so he just moves over with a wag of his tail when I hop in. Rhett's truck is parked next to it. How had I been out there and not heard him even pull up? I must have been so lost in my grief.

I glance back once to see Rhett staring after me. He blows me a kiss.

Bastard.