Chapter 57 – Jude
Chapter Fifty-Seven
JUDE
“Imeant it, you know. I do love you.”
My heart stops, time stops, everything stops. I’d mentally prepared myself for those words to be an exaggeration, something muttered in the heat of the moment because she was feeling needy.
I could play in the fantasy of Mabel having real feelings for me, get the both of us off and run away with my tail tucked between my legs once she’d come down from her post orgasm high and realized her mistake.
I was resigned to the fact that I would only be living in this fantasy, but now, hearing it’s not just a slip, I don’t know what to do with myself.
My silence and frozen state must not be coming off as awe because Mabel’s beautiful face and expectant smile starts to drop.
She pushes away from my body and I can see her eyes starting to shine.
That just won’t do.
“Hey, hey. No, babe, you just shocked me.” I wrap my arm around her plush middle and readjust myself so her body is caged in by mine, Mabel’s sitting between my legs and my thighs holding her tight so she can’t wiggle away.
She doesn’t make keeping her still easy, squirming and doing her best to fight against my hold.
“Dammit, Mabel,” I grumble as I try to tighten my hold with one arm. I let her go with my other to give myself the opportunity to sweep her silky brown hair off her shoulder, exposing her neck to open-mouthed kisses until she is squirming for a completely different reason.
Mabel lets out small noises that could be interpreted as protest so I remove my lips from her skin but I don’t let her go, instead I tuck my head into the space I had just been kissing.
“I’d never thought I’d hear you say something like that to me.
I’m sorry I was momentarily stupified.” I grumble into her neck, rubbing my morning scruff against her bare skin.
This has the intended effect—making her laugh. “Stupified? Is that the first time you’ve used that word, Muscles?”
“A special occasion requires a special word, Trouble.”
“Oh yeah?”Mabel tips her head back so our mouths are hovering a breath apart.
“Indeed.” I close the distance between our mouths, the kiss is broken with our laughs.
“Can we go back to bed, please?” Mabel’s the first to pull away, I could kiss her forever so it’s a good thing.
“Anything for you, Trouble.” Rearranging our bodies is awkward as we were perched right on the edge but we make it work, our bodies never fully disconnecting. Once we’re settled, my arms encircling Mabel’s body.
Her back to my front.
“You didn’t give me the chance to say it, but I love you too, Mabel.”
Waking up the second time in Mabel’s bed is much more enjoyable. Mabel is still asleep, so I take a moment to soak in the calm look on her face. I’m half-convinced I dreamed of Mabel’s declaration.
I know those three words aren’t going to fix everything, there is still the giant elephant in the room named Paul. I’m not sure how to get over that, I can only hope that the promise of his sister’s happiness might melt his ice wall of negative feelings towards me.
At least an inch or two.
I don’t have any responsibilities I need to address until this afternoon, Lola gave everyone morning off to recover from last night.
Really, she gave everyone the day off but no rest for the wicked and all that.
Lola’s going to be working as soon as she wakes up and I’m not one to let her work on her own.
I’m half-tempted to take the whole day off and see if I can tempt Mabel to stay in bed with me all day.
My brain whirls with the possibilities of the different kinds of trouble we could get into but the guilt of leaving Lola to push herself with no one around sends all the blood in my body rushing back up north.
Lola works too hard, I need to be there to take some of that weight off her shoulders. It’s quite literally my job. Helping Lola isn’t something I need to worry about until after lunch time, though.
For now, this morning, I’m going to soak in every part Mabel is willing to give me.
I settle into the bed, pulling Mabel’s sleeping form a little closer into my body.
Her honey scent fills my nose as I snuggle my face into her hair, pressing a soft kiss on her temple.
I don’t want to wake her but I can’t help myself.
Having her in my arms and knowing she loves me, knowing I get to love her… It’s an overwhelming feeling.
I don’t know what I did to get this lucky but I’m going to do whatever I can every day to make sure I’m going to stay this type of lucky .
With that thought ringing in my head and Mabel’s warm, soft body pressed against mine it’s easy to relax into this sense of rightness and drift back to sleep.