Chapter 8

Rene’s POV

The rain beat hard against my bedroom window. I looked over at my empty bed, rubbing the cool emptiness. If Nathan were there, he’d wrap his long legs around me, as he embraced her.

“Don’t worry, beautiful. We have to have a little rain if we want the flowers,” he’d always say.

I thought about calling Lisa, but changed my mind when I looked at the time on my phone. It was nearly 3 a.m.

I turned on the lamp on my nightstand and reached for the remote. After a few times scrolling through the channels, I couldn’t find anything to watch that interested me. I looked at my phone and, without thinking, decided to FaceTime the one person who i thought could be up.

“Rene?” Remy answered me on the first ring. I could see his face, glasses still perched on his nose. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Well, no. I couldn’t sleep. And then I remembered, you always worked late into the night. I took a chance to see if you were still up.”

I chuckled softly. “Yeah, you know how I do. Of course, I’m up. Hold on.” He repositioned the phone on his desk. I could see more of him. He was shirtless, his lean, muscular chest prominent on the screen. My eyes followed the trail of leading down his stomach. I wondered if he had on boxers or briefs, or if he was clothed at all. “I can see you a lot better this way. So, why can’t you sleep?”

I positioned my phone on the stand near my lamp, holding myself on my side. “I hate storms like this. Always have.” Just as I said that, a crack of lightning shot blue across my window, making me squeal. “Sorry. Storms make me jumpy. I’m not used to being alone like this during one.”

“I’m sure. You can talk to me for as long as you’d like. I’m just up preparing for a case.”

“Oh? Well, get some rest. I won’t disturb you.”

He raised a brow. “Did I say you were disturbing me? “

“Why no, but...”

“I said you can talk to me as long as you want. So, talk about whatever you want until you get sleepy. I’m all ears.”

I smiled. “I appreciate that.”

He leaned back in his chair. “How long have you been afraid of c thunderstorms?”

“Pretty much all my life. Hell, I don’t even like to drive in them. I’ll pull over on the side of the road and wait it out.”

There was a growing silence between them, but I looked into Remy’s eyes. They were sympathetic yet deep, soulful brown eyes that sparkled behind his glasses. I hadn’t noticed that before. A loud boom shook the windows, and I pulled the covers up to my neck.

“What would Nathan do when it stormed?”

I smiled. “He’d wrap his legs around me and hold me.” I giggled as I thought about Nathan’s dick usually poking me in the ass and one thing leading to another.

“What’s so funny?” Remy asked with a smile.

“Nothing. Just thinking about how... I guess thunderstorms make Nathan a little horny. Sorry. That’s TMI.”

He smirked, licking the corner of his lips. “I see. They do that for me sometimes too.”

That involuntary action of Remy’s tongue made my mind as electrically charged as an actual rain cloud.

“If I was there, I’d hold you,” he continued. “If I didn’t live across town, I’d be there. No question. I think I’m tall enough to wrap my legs around you.”

“No. I couldn’t have you drive in this rain.”

“I would, though.”

I repositioned myself onto my elbows, the strap of my nightgown lazily falling down my shoulder. “Just to hold me?

“Hold you. Touch you,” he pointed to the camera. “Kiss that bare shoulder right there...whatever.”

Even with just the bare shoulders, suddenly Tatum felt naked. “Oh.”

“What are you wearing under that duvet?” he pushed his glasses up, moving closer to the phone.

“Just a nightgown.”

“Can I see it?”

I bit my lip, unsure if I should do this. But it was late. And I was alone. Lonely. I slid the heavy down duvet toward my feet, exposing my plain, black silk nightgown. My breast spilled out of the top slightly, and I moved to cover myself.

“Don’t,” he said. “I want to see you. All of you.”

I moved my hands. I had never been this self-conscious of my body, but now, in this moment, Remy staring at me made me feel raw. Exposed.

“You’re beautiful, Remy. Your breasts, your skin. Everything.” he was staring at me as if he were seeing me with fresh eyes. Minus a swimsuit here or there when we used to vacation as a group, I was sure that he’d never seen me nearly naked. This entire experience was new.

“Even in a headscarf?” I tried to deflect his examination with laughter, but his eyes remained focused. I felt my breathing slow down and my skin, despite the coolness of my bedroom, on fire. “And... what are you wearing?”

He slowly stood up, revealing a visible erection in black boxer briefs. Jesus Christ! I swallowed because I did not know Remy was that hung. The print was thicker than I imagined.

“Just boxers. You like them?”

I nodded, unable to say anything else. He watched as my eyes lingered there. His hands followed, stroking his length outside of his boxers. I let out the smallest of gasps, feeling my pussy tense at the sight of him.

“When’s the last time you touched yourself, Rene?” Remy asked me, nearly word-for-word to Nathan’s inquiry weeks before.

“It’s been a while,” I confessed.

“I want you to do that. But first, sit up.”

I did as I was told, my legs hanging off the bed.

“Take those straps down, show me those beautiful tits, baby girl.” I closed my eyes and did that.