Wild Like the Wind (Chaos #5)(79)

I knew it’d be rough.

I still underestimated it.

“Jean didn’t get it,” he said in my neck.

“Sorry?”

He lifted his head. “Jean didn’t get it. She had another perspective. She lost her man before she could ever really have him, and then let her life slip away not letting herself have anything. She didn’t get why two living, breathing people who cared for each other would not grab hold.” He ran his hand to the side of my face and his thumb across my cheek. “I’m beginning to see her perspective.”

I understood a little something about allowing the extremes of grief to lead you to letting your life slip away.

I hated that for Jean.

But it made me feel wonderful I’d put a stop to it and went all out to find some happy.

I just wished we could tell Jean we were both going to go for some happy.

Sadly, we couldn’t.

I had a feeling she knew anyway.

I gave him a shaky smile. “Good.”

“The boys are really okay with it?”

I nodded, I should have done it emphatically since “okay” did not cover it. But I’d let Hound experience that for himself.

“The brothers won’t be.”

I pressed my lips together and nodded again.

“Keely?”

“Right here, baby,” I whispered.

“Let’s not fuck this up.”

The smile that earned was not shaky.

“Deal,” I agreed.

“And baby?” he called.

“I’m here, Shep,” I reminded him.

“No more cookie throwing. I’ve had your cookies and that one hittin’ the deck, even half of one …” he gave me a rakish grin that made even badass Hound look downright adorable—wicked, but adorable, “cryin’ shame.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t make me pissed when I’m post-orgasmic.”

“That was lame,” he decreed.

“You’d rather I came at you with my nails?” I asked.

“That would have meant I’d have to subdue you, which would no doubt turn into angry sex, which would turn into makeup sex and I woulda learned a lot quicker all you had on under that robe was panties.”

“Women don’t normally put bras on after they have a bubble bath.”

That surprised him. “You take bubble baths?”

“Is that shocking?”

“You’re a biker babe.”

“There’s one operative word to that, ‘babe,’ and many of us like bubble baths.”

“Just to say, it had not escaped me you’re a babe,” he remarked.

“Don’t try to sweet talk me after you’ve annoyed me.”

“How many cookies are left?” he asked.

“If you make the five second rule the fifteen minute rule, five and a half, but time is swiftly running out on that half.”

His body started shaking on mine.

It was glorious.

“Dutch and Jag cleaned you out,” he noted.

“They haven’t stopped producing chocolate chips, Shep.”

He grinned. “My babe’s got a smart ass.”

His babe.

Hound’s babe.

Was that finally me?

I wasn’t going to ask for confirmation.

If I did, this bubble might burst and I’d be back where I was and that didn’t stand contemplating.

Instead, I declared, “So we’ve come to the understanding that if I’m pissed, I should pounce so we can have angry sex and your woman has a smart ass. Now, are you going to keep me pinned to the kitchen table all night?”

“Maybe.”

“My bed is a lot more comfortable.”

Something drifted across his face.

“He’s never been there with me,” I told him quietly. “The bed isn’t the same. The room isn’t even the same. No one has been there with me.”

“We got shit we gotta get past,” he muttered.

Boy, did we.

I nodded but shared, “I’m not feeling taking this slow.”

He looked deep in my eyes and rumbled, “Agreed.”

“So I need to text Bev about Jag and then we need to break the seal on my bed, and tomorrow, if Jag shows for breakfast, we’ll make it official. At least with the boys.”

“He won’t. Boys got plans for him. He’ll also miss a day of school, Keekee.”

Shit.

Okay.

He was nineteen, almost twenty, and I’d cut the apron strings (kind of).

This was his choice.

He’d make it up.

“Right. So, family dinner as soon as we can plan. Make it official for both boys at the same time,” I said.

He considered this for about three seconds.

Then he nodded that he again agreed.

I scored my thumbnail lightly through the thick stubble on his cheek and reminded him, “I want this. You want this. We’ll make this happen. We just gotta be more out there and look after each other along the way.”

“Yeah,” he muttered.

“Let me up, baby. I need to text Bev.”

“She goin’ through with the wedding?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I answered.