Chapter 25 #2
“I don’t know what that means.”
The others chuckle, but they’re not being unkind. Before I can ask, Oakley takes a long drag, then floats up next to me. He takes my mouth in a kiss and slowly leaks the smoke into my mouth. I inhale, and it’s warm and humid. Nice.
“Hold it in your lungs for a few seconds,” he says, the command gentle but…distinctly there.
I do as he says and count to ten, then exhale. Hm. Not bad.
“Again.”
He grins and repeats the process.
I could get used to this.
Truett and Boone join us with trays of munchies.
Detective Boone is wearing shorts with five-inch inseams and nothing else, and he raises his brow at the joints being passed around. Maverick, meanwhile, is enjoying his man’s shorts. The good detective wades in and plucks the joint from Mav’s hand, taking a deep hit with a smile.
Truett, who is almost as tattooed as I am, is wearing loose trunks and a rash guard that highlights his ripped torso. He slips onto Rami’s float and lets Rami shotgun him. Or make out with him. I can’t quite tell the difference.
“So,” Maya says, floating up to us. “You two finally figured it out.”
Aside from her work in Wimberley, she’s been neck-deep in her surgical residency. This is as relaxed as I’ve ever seen her.
I touch my fingers to my chest but somehow miss and hit my chin. “I didn’t have to figure out anything.”
I’m not sure why this makes her laugh. I’ve wanted Oakley from the beginning.
I turn to Oakley. “You know how I always wanna murder at least a little bit, like always?”
He nods wisely.
“Shotgunning weed takes the edge off. Who knew?”
Holmes raises his hand. “I knew.”
“What’s your test score?”
Rami and Maverick exchange a confused look.
Silly.
“I’m at the threshold,” he says, sounding a little disappointed.
“Really?” I let my hands splash the water. “Do you know I’m not even close?”
Holmes lets his mouth drop open. “Really?”
He looks to Oakley, who throws out his hands in a too-broad gesture. “It’s true.”
“I am on the spectrum though,” I say, then blow raspberries at him.
No shade to autism, but a true-blue psychopathy diagnosis would have been way cooler.
Ah well.
Holmes nods. “Makes sense.”
“What are you talking about?” Maverick asks.
“Nothing,” Holmes says, handing his joint off to Honoré. “Wait, weren’t we talking about the fact that Oakley and Silas are clearly fucking? I mean…Oakley hasn’t been home in weeks.”
“I’m keeping him in my sex dungeon,” I say, then snort. Weed makes me funny.
“One sex swing does not a sex dungeon make,” Oakley says, letting smoke curl out from his lips.
“But it’s really dark in my place. And you’re very bossy.”
“True.”
Rami snort-laughs. “Called it.”
“Fine. I owe you five dollars,” Maya says.
“Five dollars for what?” I ask.
“I said that you and Oakley were probably pretty kinky, and Maya said she couldn’t picture it.”
“I don’t allow pictures. It’s one of my few boundaries.”
That cracks everybody up. I don’t know why. It’s just the truth.
Later, after we’ve eaten all the cookies and they’ve wheedled Rami and me into making our butterflied chicken on the grill, we lie out on the new outdoor couches, drinking Modelos and watching the sun set. They start talking, and I sit back and listen.
Things are changing for the Wildlings. Rami and Truett are moving into one of Tia Scout’s newer buildings that’s midway between the Cave and Truett’s shop.
Boone and Mav are also considering next steps.
Boone’s been getting closer to Hopper, Liam, and his little sister Bailey and is considering moving into their building so he doesn’t miss out on anything.
As much as we love this private rooftop access and the gorgeous penthouse, it may be time for all of us to move on.
Hm.
Oakley sits next to me, a new Modelo in hand. “Hedy says we can buy a parcel of the land around the Cave and build our own place if we want.”
I startle at his words. “You’d want to build something for us to live in?”
“Mm-hmm. She said we can position something over an auxiliary cave so you always have easy access to a dark space.”
“But…you would want to live with me?”
“I practically already do.”
I take a sip of beer and lie against him, thinking through what that would be like.
“I wonder if there are any auxiliary caves that connect to the dungeon.”
Oakley chuckles and pulls out his phone, bringing up a picture. Not a picture. A blueprint.
“As a matter of fact, there are,” he says, setting his phone on my belly.
I review the blueprint, noting where we’d have to put in a small passageway.
Oakley reaches over and swipes to the side, bringing up a photograph of the small cave that would be my dark space.
“We can put the bed and swing right here,” he says, pointing to a small alcove.
I’m so overwhelmed that I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or…
“Will you take me to bed?” I ask, then kiss his cheek.
“I will. Now, and, if I’m lucky, for the rest of my life.”
I swear, this man is going to make me murder someone tonight.
I can’t wait.