"Whoa, girl," Jimmy said holding his arms out to catch me as I came barreling into the kitchen.

A hiccup escaped and I swallowed back the sob that followed it.

"That was brutal in there but it could have been worse. At least Rush came to the rescue." Jimmy patted my back and hugged me.

I didn't want Jimmy to know how incredibly cheap I was. I couldn't tell him these tears were because I'd become a rich guys dirty little secret. Not because some mean bitch had dumped food all over me in front of a room full of people.

"Get back out there Jim. We need more servers on the floor. I'll talk to Blaire," Woods said as he walked into the kitchen.

Jimmy hugged me hard one more time then frowned over at Woods before taking his tray and heading for the door. "You be nice to my girl," Jimmy said as he passed Woods.

Woods didn't reply. Instead he studied me. I figured this was it. The big "it's your fault so you can leave now" moment.

"I go to the trouble of warning you about Nan and it isn't even Rush's fault a jealous bitch attacked you," Woods growled and shook his head in disgust. "I'm sorry, Blaire. This one is all on me. I wasn't expecting that from her. She's the crazy exgirlfriend I can't seem to shake."

He wasn't firing me? I leaned back on the counter behind me to take a deep breath.

"Due to the drama, I don't want you back out there. You can stay in here and help prepare trays though. I'll make sure you make the same amount as you would have made out there."

"Thank you. But can I change?" I asked, needing to get the snail off of me.

Woods smiled, "Yeah. Go get one of the cart girl outfits from the office. We have all our extra server uniforms in use tonight."

I pushed off from the counter and headed for the door.

"Take your time. We are fine in here if you need a break," Woods called out as I exited the kitchen.

Rush and Nan stood in the hallway in what looked like a heated argument when I walked out. Nan shot her icy glare my way. I could see the frustration in Rush's expression. I was only causing him grief. I didn't care to see this. They could have their family quarrel and get over it. After tonight, I should have enough money to move out. Tomorrow I would find a place because sleeping under Rush's roof was going to be impossible. I turned and opened the door leading outside.

"Blaire, wait," Rush called out.

"Let her go, Rush," Nan demanded.

"I can't," he replied.

The door closed behind me and I tried to block out what I'd heard. I didn't need to think or even consider that Rush would fight for me.

The door swung open and Rush came running out of it. "Blaire, please wait. Talk to me," he begged.

I stopped and watched as he ran over to stand in front of me. I had nothing to say to him. I'd said it all.

"I'm sorry. But you're wrong; I didn't ignore you in there. Go ask anyone. My eyes never left you. If there was any question in anyone's mind how I felt about you, the fact I couldn't look away from you while you walked around that room should have answered it." He paused and ran his hand over his hair, and muttered a curse. "Then I saw the look on your face when you saw Bethy with Jace. Something inside me was ripped open. I didn't know what you were thinking but I knew you were realizing the wrongness of tonight. You should have never been there serving everyone. You should have been by my side. I wanted you beside me. I was strung so damn tight waiting on anyone to make a wrong move toward you that I forgot to breathe most of the time."

Rush reached out and ran a finger over my clenched fist. "If you can forgive me, I promise this will never happen again. I love Nan. But I'm done trying to please her. She's my sister and she has some issues she needs to work out. I've told her that I'm going to talk to you about everything. There are some things you need to know." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm dealing with the fact that you may walk away from me once you know them and never look back. It scares the hell out of me. I don't know what this is that is going on between us but from the moment I laid eyes on you I knew you were going to change my world. I was terrified. The more I watched you the more you drew me in. I couldn't get close enough."

He was ready to open up to me and let me in. He wasn't just using me. I wasn't just another girl he screwed and tossed aside. He was ready to let me into his world of secrets. He wanted to keep me. My heart gave up. I'd held back and I'd fought hard to keep him from taking it over. Still, he'd managed to own it. Seeing him vulnerable was the last straw. I couldn't hold back anymore.

I had fallen too far. I was in love with Rush Finlay.

"Okay," I said. There was nothing more to say. He had me.

Rush frowned. "Okay?"

I nodded. "Okay. If you actually want to keep me so badly that you're willing to open up to me, then okay." I would not tell him I loved him. It was too soon. He'd think it was because I was so young. That was something I'd hold close to my chest until I knew it was time. Maybe it was because I was so young. I felt it just the same.

A small grin tugged on his lips. "I just bared my soul to you and all I get is an 'okay'?" he asked.

I shrugged, "You said everything I needed to hear. I'm hooked now. You have me. What are you going to do with me?"

Rush let out a low sexy laugh and pulled me close to him. "I'm thinking sex on the sixteenth hole by the lake would be nice."

I tilted my head as if I were thinking about it. "Hmmm... problem is I'm supposed to change and go work in the kitchen the rest of the night."

Rush let out a heavy sigh. "Shit."

I pressed a kiss to his jawline. "You have a sister to escort," I reminded him.

Rush's arms tightened around me. "All I can think about is being inside you. Having you pressed close to me and hearing you make those sexy ass little moans."

Oh. My. My heart rate picked up at the thought.

"If I could walk away from you easily I'd take you into that office and press you up against the wall and burry myself deep inside. But I can't have a quickie with you. You're too damn addictive."

His description had me breathing hard and clinging to his shoulders. "Go change. I'll stand out here so I'm not tempted. Then I'll walk you back to the kitchen," Rush said as he slowly released me.

I needed a moment to get myself under control before I let go of his arms. Then I turned and hurried into the office.

I didn't see Rush again after he left me at the kitchen door with a quick kiss. The night had been endless and I was exhausted. Preparing food was harder than it looked. After the place had emptied and cleared out we had then been left with the task of cleaning up.

Three hours later it was almost four in the morning. I all but stumbled out into the early morning darkness and headed for my truck. Part of me expected Rush to be waiting on me but then he'd have had to sleep in his car so that would have been ridiculous.

I cranked up my truck and headed for his house. I didn't have to go into work today so I could sleep. I also wouldn't need to find that apartment any longer. As soon as I pulled into the driveway I looked up to see the lights were still on in Rush's room. The top of the house was all lit up compared to the darkness in the rest of it.

The front door was unlocked so I went inside and quietly closed the door behind me. I wondered if Rush was still awake waiting on me or if he'd just fallen asleep with the lights on? Did I go to my room or his?

I headed up the stairs and found Rush sitting on the floor leaning against his door looking directly at me. What was he doing?

When his eyes met mine he stood up and stalked toward me. I met him half way. He seemed desperate. I just couldn't figure out why. "I need you upstairs. Now," he said in a tight frantic voice.

My heart sped up. Was someone hurt? Was he okay?

I hurried behind him. He closed the door and locked it. He never locked it. Then his hands were on me before we'd even made it up the stairs.

It was as if some wild man had taken over. Rush ran his hands down my hips and over my behind then back up. He grabbed my shirt and ripped it off. I heard a button pop and winced. That was a uniform shirt. I started to ask him what was wrong but his mouth covered mine and his tongue was inside. His hands found the snap on my shorts and jerking them open he began to push them down. The hungry little growls he was making were causing my body to react. I felt the wetness between my legs and the anxious throb start up.

Rush pushed me back on the stairs and jerked off my shoes and pulled my shorts and panties off then grabbed both my knees and pushed them apart. I didn't have time to process before his mouth was on me licking the folds and slipping inside of me. My still tender flesh from the wild sex we'd had last night was extremely sensitive to each caress of his tongue. I began crying out his name. Falling back on my elbows I watched as he rained kisses along my thighs and then buried his face between my legs again to send me panting and begging for more.

"Mine. This is mine," he chanted like a man possessed as he pulled back to look down at me. He ran his fingers through the middle gently and then cut his eyes up at me, "Mine. This sweet pussy is mine, Blaire."

I was ready to agree to anything if he'd make me come. I wanted him inside me first though.

"Tell me it's mine," he demanded.

I nodded and he slipped a finger up inside causing another moan to escape me. "Tell me it is mine," he repeated.

"It's yours, now please Rush, fuck me."

His eyes went wide and he stood up and pushed down the pajama bottoms he was wearing. His erection stood out proudly.

"No condom tonight. I'll pull out. I just need to feel all of you," he said as he pushed my knees up and lowered himself down until he was at my entrance. He didn't slam into me like I expected. He eased in slow.

"Does it hurt?" he asked as he held himself over me.

It did a little but I wasn't going to admit to that. I wanted him without control. "It feels good," I assured him.

He bit his bottom lip and eased slowly back out. "These stairs are too hard for you. Come here." He bent down and scooped me up in his arms and started up the steps. I'd never been carried by a guy before and I have to say this was an excellent experience. Rush's naked chest holding me was incredible.

"Will you do something for me?" he asked bending his head down to press small kisses to my nose and eyelids.

"Yes," I replied.

He stopped by the bed and slowly put me down until my feet touched the floor. "Bend over and lay your chest flat on the bed. Put your hands over your head and leave your ass stuck up in the air."

Um... okay. I didn't ask why because I had figured that much out. Keeping my feet on the floor, I bent forward and laid on the bed like he asked.

His hand ran over my bottom and he made a pleased sound in his throat. "You have the most perfect ass I've ever seen," he said in a worshipful tone.

Both of his hands found my hips and slowly he entered me pulling me back onto him as he slid inside. He was deeper this way. "Rush!" I cried out as the slight pain hit from the depth he'd reached.

"Fuck, I'm deep," he groaned.

Then he pulled out slowly and his hips began that familiar rocking. I grabbed onto the sheets as my body began to climb toward its climax. It knew what was coming and my legs started to tremble from the pleasure starting to build inside me.

One of Rush's hands slipped down until it was touching my swollen clit and he began rubbing his thumb over it. "God, you're soaking wet," he panted.

My legs stiffened as the orgasm washed over me and then I began to buck unable to deal with the sensation of Rush still rubbing me. It was so much pleasure that it hurt. Before I could beg for mercy, his hands grabbed my waist and he pulled out of me quickly.

"GAAAAH!" he yelled as I collapsed onto the bed knowing without looking that he'd pulled out before he came.

"Damn baby, if you only knew how fucking incredible your ass looks right now," he said in a breathless voice.

I turned my head to the side unable to lift it and looked at him. "Why?"

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. "Let's just say I need to clean you up."

Realization dawned on me and the warmth on my bottom that I hadn't noticed before suddenly caught my attention. A giggle broke free and I buried my face in my hands.

I laid there listening as he ran the water and then walked back out to me. The warmth of the washcloth as he wiped me clean of his cum was nice and I slowly started to fall asleep. I was exhausted. I wondered if I'd ever wake up.