AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, you’re awake.”
“I am.” He couldn’t help lifting one side of his mouth as he looked down at her sleep mussed hair.
“I didn’t want to wake you, so I didn’t move.” A sleepy smile curved her lips. “Plus, I kind of enjoyed this. I missed this after you left.” Something sad glinted in her eyes.
“I missed it too.” He wanted to say more but for some reason, held back.
Celia moved until her hand lay flat against his bare chest, then rested her chin on the back of her hand.
“Why did you leave?”
“I had to. I needed to get out of Mobile. I never would have been anything but a boy from the wrong side of the tracks in Mobile. Once I was out, I could do anything. I could make anything of myself I wanted to.”
She scowled.
“Who told you that? That you’d never be anything but from the wrong side of the tracks? Whoever it was, was wrong.”
Bubba smiled but didn’t answer. He wasn’t going to tell her it had been her daddy. And Bubba wasn’t sure he’d been wrong. If he’d stayed in Mobile, Bubba didn’t know that he wouldn’t have been content to find a dead-end job and work hard to make ends meet.
At least by getting out, he’d been able to figure out what he’d wanted from life. His time with the military hadn’t been easy, but it had taught him some invaluable lessons. And through it he had found the Souls. While they weren’t a traditional family, the Demented Souls were his brothers. He had no doubt they would be there for him and his needs as he would be for them.
Celia moved her fingers against his skin, reminding him she was there.
“How long have you been awake?”
“Long enough to know you make this cute growling sound in your sleep.” She crinkled her nose and giggled when he growled for real. “And to wonder why we haven’t been doing this for the last ten years.”
Bubba opened his mouth to tell her it was better that they hadn’t, better for her, but she put a finger across his lips to stop him.
“Don’t tell me it was better that way. I know Daddy convinced you that you were no good for me. I didn’t know that for a long time. I was probably twenty-one or twenty- two when Aunt Jo let it slip.”
Bubba frowned. “I always liked your Aunt Jo, but I didn’t know she knew what your daddy said to me.”
“I don’t know that she did at the time and I don’t know how she found out, but when she told me Daddy had convinced you that you would do nothing but hold me back, she said, and I’m going to paraphrase here because I don’t remember her exact words, but the idea was that even though we thought we were grown, we both still had a lot of growing up to do. We had a lot of living and loving still ahead of us both and if what we felt for each other was as strong as we thought it was, then we’d find each other again and we’d have our time.” She fell silent for a moment, watching him.
Bubba didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. Jo had always been kind to him, and it had seemed that the more of an ass Dick had been toward him, the nicer Jo had been.
“At the time I thought she couldn’t have been more wrong. Now, looking back, I see she probably wasn’t nearly as far off as I thought then. Even then, years after you left, I still had a lot of growing up to do. I can only imagine you were similar, though you may have done it faster than I did.” She shifted, moving so she rose up on her hands and knees, and looked down at him. “I need to ask you something, though I think you probably would have told me already.”
“What?” Bubba found himself frowning up at her wondering what she thought he should have told her by now.
“Is there a woman in your life? Someone you’ve been seeing, even casually?”
“No. Why?” He didn’t know where she was going with this and why he should have told her already.
“Because if you’re not seeing anyone, I want to see if it’s as good between us as I remember.” She rose up on her knees, shoved the sweatpants off her hips, then down her legs and off, before swinging her leg over his and straddling his hips.
Fuck. Celia had always been hot and driven him nearly beyond his control, but he liked her aggressive and demanding even more. His brain said stop, this wasn’t the right time. His body screamed yes, give me!
He hoped since Krissi had taken over managing the clubhouse, they still kept condoms in the nightstands of all the vacant rooms.
Bubba groaned as he reached up and opened the drawer, feeling around until he found the familiar square foil packets and taking one out. He couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he wasn’t still dreaming.
ChapterTwelve
Sissy used the arm on the side without the sore ribs to tug off her shirt as she sat astride Cole. It had been a long time since she’d been with him, and there had been others since but no one else had ever made her feel as loved or cherished as Cole did, both then and now.
This morning when she’d woken curled against him, his arm holding her snug, she’d known that Jo had been right. If they were meant to be, then they would come together again, and here they were. And she wasn’t going to let him get away again, not without making sure there was no chance left that they could have what she’d always wanted. She’d had enough time while he slept to make a few plans, but they only went so far, and she could only hope he was going to cooperate.
