Chapter Eighteen
Bob
The water poured over us while I stood there, trying to remember how the fuck breathing worked.
Ramona’s legs were wrapped around my waist, her back pressed against the shower wall, and my hands were locked under her ass, holding her up while both of us came down from what we’d just done.
She dropped her forehead against my shoulder. “Holy shit.”
I laughed, but it came out rough. “Yeah.”
“Don’t laugh. I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Her body was still wrapped tight around mine. I hadn’t moved yet and didn’t really want to. Hot water ran down my back, and Ramona’s wet hair was plastered against my arm and shoulder.
Three days ago, Wade Mercer had driven off Skull Island.
Three days ago, Ramona had stopped looking over her shoulder.
And somewhere in those three days, my body had decided it was finally done being a useless asshole.
Ramona lifted her head.
Her cheeks were flushed. Her lips were swollen, and she had that slightly dazed look on her face that made me want to start all over again.
I smiled.
Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Smug.”
“I just fucked you against a shower wall.”
“Yes, Bob. I was here,” she giggled.
“And I’m still standing.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “I think your recovery might officially be over.”
I laughed again. “That’s what you’re going with?”
“You’re holding me against a wall after having sex standing up.”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re not turning pale.”
“No.”
“You’re not shaking.”
“No.”
“You’re not breathing like you just ran a marathon.”
“I am breathing a little hard.” That had been pretty fucking phenomenal. I shifted my grip under her ass.
Ramona’s eyebrows shot up. “Showing off now?”
“Maybe,” I confessed.
She laughed and leaned forward and pressed her mouth against mine.
I kissed her slowly. No rush. No worrying about whether I had enough strength to keep going. No wondering if my legs were going to start trembling before I was ready. No Ramona stopping every five fucking minutes to ask if I was okay.
Just her.
Me.
And the fact I could hold my woman against a shower wall without wondering if we were both about to end up on the floor.
That felt pretty fucking good.
Ramona pulled back. “Okay.”
“Okay what?”
“You can put me down now.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“I can keep holding you.”
“I know you can.”
“You don’t sound impressed.”
She stared at me. “Bob, you literally just had sex with me while holding me off the ground. I am very impressed.”
“Good.”
“But if you don’t put me down soon, we’re going to run out of hot water.”
I slowly lowered her until her feet hit the shower floor. “Thank you.” She looked me up and down and reached for the shampoo.
I leaned back against the wall and watched her.
She squirted some into her palm, then caught me staring. “You’re doing it again.”
“I like looking at you, doll. You can’t be mad about that.”
She splashed water at me.
I laughed and grabbed the soap.
This felt normal.
I liked waking up with her. I liked hearing her rave about Piney’s food. I liked finding her sitting at the bar talking to Pearl, Shay, or McKayla. I liked that she gave me shit. I liked that when I walked into a room, I looked for her.
And I really fucking liked having her naked in my shower.
She tilted her head back and rinsed her hair.
“What?” she asked without opening her eyes.
“How do you know I’m looking at you?”
“I can feel it.”
“That’s weird.”
“No. You’re just not subtle.”
“Never claimed to be.”
She wiped water from her face and opened her eyes. “You better get to washing yourself. We can’t be spending over an hour in the shower.”
“Okay, okay,” I laughed. “We can just continue this later.”
She rolled her eyes and reached for the conditioner. “You are insatiable.”
“Just for you, doll.”
By the time we finally got out, the water was starting to cool.
Ramona wrapped a towel around herself while I grabbed another and rubbed it over my head.
I caught her looking at me in the mirror. “Like what you see?” I asked.
“You really do look better.” There wasn’t a joke in her voice this time.
I dropped the towel around my neck. “Feel better.”
“I can tell.” Her eyes moved over me.
I’d put weight back on. Not all of it, but enough.
My arms looked like mine again instead of something attached to a body that had spent too many weeks lying in a hospital bed.
My legs didn’t burn after walking across the lot anymore.
I could make it through an entire day without needing to sit down every twenty minutes.
My throat still reminded me sometimes. The scar probably always would, but I wasn’t waiting for my body to quit on me anymore.
“I think I’m back,” I said.
Ramona looked up at me. “Yeah.” She reached up and ran one finger lightly over the scar on my neck.
I didn’t flinch. Didn’t tense.
Her finger followed the raised skin before her palm settled against the side of my neck. “You scared me,” she said.
My hand went to her waist. “You weren’t even here.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t find out until after.”
“I know that too.”
“Then how the fuck did I scare you?”
Her eyes met mine. “Because I got here and found out you almost weren’t.”
I didn’t have anything smart to say to that.
Ramona had driven onto Skull Island looking for me without knowing I’d nearly died. If she’d come a few weeks earlier, she would’ve found me in an ICU.
If Shay hadn’t found me when she did… I wasn’t going there. Not anymore.
I covered Ramona’s hand with mine. “I’m here and apparently capable of shower acrobatics.”
“Well, that is because my vagina has healing powers,” she deadpanned.
“Thank God for the healing vagina,” I agreed. I kissed her forehead and moved past her into the bedroom.
Ramona followed me, still wrapped in her towel. I pulled on a pair of boxers and sat on the edge of the bed while she started digging through the dresser for clothes.
“You got your clothes in my dresser. Does that make it your dresser now?” I asked.
She glanced at me over her shoulder. “What do they say? What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours?”
“They do say that, doll.” I leaned back on my hands. “Your RV runs now, too.”
Her eyes connected with mine. “Okay.”
“Wade’s gone.”
“Also true.”
“You can leave whenever you want.”
Ramona slowly turned around. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“Fuck no.”
“Then you’re doing a terrible job with whatever this is.”
I laughed and held out my hand. “Come here.”
She walked over and slipped her hand into mine. I pulled her between my legs and wrapped my arms around her waist. “I’ve been thinking.”
She smiled and rested her hands on my shoulders. “I’m listening.”
“I didn’t know I was missing anything before you showed up,” I admitted. “I had the club. Had my life. I was good.”
“Okay.”
“But I think that’s how it works sometimes. You don’t know you’re missing something until you find it.” I looked up at her. “Then you know you got it.”
Her face softened. “And you got me?”
“Yeah, doll. I got you.”
She slid her fingers into the hair at the back of my head. “Good, because I’m not going anywhere.”
“Your RV says otherwise.”
“My RV isn’t going anywhere either.”
“Then what the hell are you keeping it for?”
She smiled. “Because I like my RV.”
I tightened my arms around her. “You gonna take off in it?”
“Maybe.”
I frowned.
Ramona laughed. “Relax. If that RV leaves Skull Island, you’re going to be sitting in the passenger seat.”
“I’m driving.”
“Absolutely not,” she protested. “That is my baby, and I will be behind the wheel.”
“It’s your shitty driving that killed it in the first place.”
“My driving did not kill my RV.”
“Pretty sure it did.”
She shoved at my shoulder, but I pulled her closer until she was standing between my legs again. “Fine,” I said. “You drive.”
“Thank you.”
“But I’m coming with you.”
Her smile softened. “That’s the plan.”
That was all I needed.
Ramona had come to Skull Island because she was scared and needed my help. Now her RV ran, Wade was gone, and nothing was keeping her here.
Nothing except me.
I pulled her down onto my lap and kissed her.
She wasn’t staying because she had nowhere else to go. She was staying because this was where she wanted to be.
With me.
And if Ramona decided she needed to hit the road again someday, that was fine too. I’d just be riding shotgun.