Chapter 34
STEVIE
Iroll onto my back, staring up at the bedroom ceiling.
King loves me. Me! When he said it, especially in front of everyone, my body froze and my brain short-circuited.
The tears dried, thoughts of my mom faded, and King’s handsome face remained front and center.
These thoughts trigger the corners of my mouth to curl, and I release a contented sigh.
Once I’m downstairs, I scope out King from the kitchen entryway.
He’s staring out the window, lost in thought, so I take in the scene.
Shirtless. Tattooed. Muscles abound. His sculpted ass is a perfect round shape for his powerful thighs in his boxer briefs.
Damn, he’s breathtaking—a combination of strength, sin, and a tiny bit of grace.
King doesn’t often show his tame and sweet side, but I’ve seen it.
That on top of his powerful and raw personality will keep me on my toes and in a dreamlike state for a lifetime.
After I ask what he’s doing up, he heats the kettle, and lifts me onto the counter where I automatically spread my legs for him to step in between them.
Our recent admissions have made me giddy like a schoolgirl, biting down on my lip, and smiling at him.
He returns the smile before skirting his hand behind my neck followed by his lips on mine.
Our mouths wander over each other’s, tongues dampening lips, and slipping inside next to one another.
We’re slow to the sensations, all-consuming movements, powered on by lust.
I’m in a dreamy state, savoring his touches, mouth, whispers of how much he loves me. And I return as much as he gives.
His phone goes off along with mine, which has us breaking apart, resting our foreheads together. I reach for my phone, and he charges upstairs to get his.
As he comes down, we both say, “Lake party today.”
I tilt my head at him. “It’s 4:00 a.m. and Duchess is texting me about a party today. What’s this about?”
He embraces me and lifts me as I wrap my legs around his waist. The door to the deck opens and closes.
King lays down on the outdoor couch, snuggling me between his thighs with my back to his front.
It’s a clear early morning with the sky littered in stars.
He twists some strands of hair around his finger while we study the stars.
I point upwards. “The big dipper.”
King’s hand wraps around mine, shifting it to the left. “Cassiopeia.”
He can’t see how I’m beaming. “Do you know the constellations?”
“Not really. I learned a couple from tattooing. Women like those kinds of things.”
I twist onto my side, cuddle into his chest, resting my head on his shoulder to fixate on him. His eyes move to mine, and another ping goes off on his phone.
He quickly peeps at his phone and sighs.
“Tell me about the lake party.”
“Skull has a gigantic house on a lake. The guy is dripping in money. Servants. Catering.”
“Sounds fun.”
“It is.”
I kiss below his Adam’s apple. “You don’t sound too enthused.”
He scrubs his face with his hand. “No, I am…I just thought, we’d have time to ourselves today.”
My arms cuddle him close, and I hear his heartbeat. “I know. But maybe this will get some of the women and guys to warm up to me. Some of them hold grudges.”
King lets out a deep laugh. “You think?”
His hand draws imaginary circles over my back, and he presses his lips to the top of my head.
With everything going on, the Grave Disciples, his dad, my pregnancy, and all his emotions surfacing, King is drained.
A light breeze sends a chill through me, so he reaches for a blanket to cover us both.
His steady breathing has my eyes drooping, fading into a dream.
I’m in between sleeping and waking, so I crack my eye open and scream, waking King up, who shoots into a seated position, taking me with him.
Smokey’s standing, fists on hips, and he says, “Get up lovebirds. Skull and I’ve been calling you. It’s eleven and everyone is on their way to the lake.”
King gives him the finger, hugging me close to him. “Whose idea was this?”
Smokey flips him off as he’s leaving. “Who do you think? Get your asses up. See you there.”
I kiss King’s cheek, and shuffle into the house to prepare his coffee and my tea.
He heads upstairs for a shower, and when he’s done, we switch places, but not before I notice what he’s wearing.
Up until now, I’ve only seen King in jeans, a t-shirt, his cut and boots, and I’m loving the tan cargo shorts and tan weathered t-shirt.
King brings my tea upstairs as I’m wrapped in a towel, wondering what to wear.
He points to the dresser and closet. “Bikini and a sundress.”
I turn, cock my eyebrow up, and counter, “Sleeveless knit top and jean shorts.”
“You’re gonna fucking roast, so put the bikini on and a sundress over it.”
“Excuse me…”
King towers over me, bends, and gives me a passionate kiss that has my toes curling into the throw rug next to the bed. His tongue paints over my lips, tapping my nose before disappearing.
Just that kiss has left me breathless. I sip the tea he brought me, bite the inside of my cheek, and dress. When I step downstairs, King’s shit-eating grin proves I chose wisely. His hand slips underneath my sundress to find my slightly tight bikini bottoms.
He dips down, his breath warming my ear, and he whispers, “That’s my girl.” Then he kisses the soft spot behind my ear, adding, “Love you.”
I’d dress whatever way he wants just so I can hear those words from him.
Even though Frost says Skull caters enough food to feed the entire lake area, he pulls into a Quick Mart to pick up a few extras, telling me to stay in the car.
He’s a handsome devil, but a demanding one, which sometimes irks me.
While he breezes through the Quick Mart, my mind wanders to all the different times he’s bossed me around, and my thumb skirts over the tattoo.
I glance down, realizing we’ve forgotten about the GPS.
It seems something always pops up, and it hasn’t been dealt with.
I’m sure Frost likes that I have it. This ignites a bit of anger.
It’s another reminder of our destructive past. I’m tired of him demanding things.
Of things going his way. Like today and the clothes I’m wearing.
Well, that’s on you, Stevie. He didn’t force you to wear it.
By the time he gets in the car, I’m aggravated and upset by his and my behavior.
Frost digs inside the bag, handing me a box of Triscuits, then some Pepperidge Goldfish, string cheese, and Snickers.
Now, I’m tearing up.
“They didn’t have the Rosemary Triscuits you like, so I grabbed the plain.” He notices my tears, and places the items back in the bag. “You don’t have to eat them.”
I rush to grab his hand with the string cheese. “No. It’s not that. I was…” A big inhale, and I continue. “My thoughts wandered to you ordering me what to do and me doing it.”
He lets out a weak laugh. “If this is about what you’re wearing—”
“That and the GPS. It’s still in there.”
His back slams against the seat. “Jesus Christ, Rebel! Are you fucking kidding me? I didn’t force you to wear the outfit, and as for the GPS, if you haven’t noticed, I’ve been fucking busy.”
Holy shit, my ricocheting emotions have me in a tailspin. I cover my face, bend forward, and burst out crying.
Frost’s hand rubs my back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled. But Rebel—”
My head shakes as I lift it up. “No, I’m sorry.” I wipe the tears with the back of my hand, hiccupping. “Frost, you’ve been great. I’m a pile of emotional impulses. They come and go without warning.”
His hand coddles the side of my face. “It’s fine. Now that I know, I can work with it.”
Frost leans over, planting a kiss on my forehead, cheeks, and mouth. He starts the truck, but doesn’t drive until he hands me the string cheese. This has me gushing, clearing my face of sadness.
We arrive at a massive home. This is not even close to a lake house.
It’s a mansion set on at least an acre of land.
The door is open, so we walk in to a beautiful living area with a fireplace.
From here, I can see into a kitchen the size of my childhood apartment with a kidney-shaped island.
Large windows face the yard and lake. My mouth drops open.
Frost’s hand is on my lower back, carrying the bag of goodies in his other arm. He guides me toward the kitchen where there’s a full staff of servers and food.
Lynette comes in while texting on her phone, asking one of the waitstaff, “Could you bring more shrimp cocktails and ceviche? The crowd is—” She raises her head, noticing us and screams, “Oh my God, you made it! The way Smokey was talking about you lovebirds…” She hip checks me. “…I wasn’t sure we’d see you.”
“My God, Lynette, this house is gorgeous.”
“It is, isn’t it? Want a tour?”
“I’d love one.”
She gestures to Frost. “Dude, you know we have lots of food. What’s with the bag?”
“It’s for my girl.”
He winks at me, and heads outside to his brothers who have shed their pants for shorts, yet still with their cuts on, including Frost.
Duchess’s body swivels toward me. “Seriously? What have you done to Frost?” I cover my mouth and laugh. “We’re going to have to come up with another name for him, because you melted frost.”
This has me in hysterics. “Well, he’s tamed the rebel in me, so…” I hook my arm through hers and say, “Come on, show me the house.”
She does a quick glance over her shoulder, takes my hand, and we weave through the house as she points out particular items. They have several guest rooms with attached washrooms. The decorations are elegant, yet cozy.
We periodically stop and giggle about our pregnancies, and point out how the guest rooms will become children’s bedrooms over time.
During the tour, I imagine Skull and Duchess’s love story.