SWNOVELS Never His Girl: Chapter 31
WEST
I let her slip away to clean up and she keeps her word, making it back to me in just shy of ten minutes. I disappear in the bathroom to do the same, but take half the time she did.
We’re naked in this bed again and she leans into me, pressing her back flush against my chest. She breathes deep when I aimlessly push some of her hair behind her ear. There’s something about touching her like this that has me wanting to drift off, but I’m determined not to let the moment end so quickly. Not when I only just convinced her that we might be able to make this work.
“I’ve never wanted anything, or anyone, more than I want you,” I admit, finding it pretty damn hard to believe I just said that out loud, but… there it is.
She peers over her shoulder, killing me with the smile she flashes.
Instead of responding with words, she turns in my arms to face me. We kiss again and it’s sweeter than the lust-fueled ones that came before it. Then, she finally pulls away and I can’t take my eyes off her.
“Almost drove me fucking crazy watching you with those other guys tonight.”
Her brow quirks. “What guys?”
Of course, she didn’t notice them trying to push up on her while she danced. Sort of like how Dane accused me of only being able to see her.
“Doesn’t matter,” is all I say, knowing it truly does not matter. I am, however, thinking about my brother’s words now.
Well, that one word he used, in particular.
Relationship.
Those things that are supposed to be built on trust. Honesty.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
As soon as that statement leaves my mouth, Southside tenses against me.
“Okay.” She sounds skeptical, so I don’t prolong explaining.
“I met up with Ricky Monday,” I admit.
“How? Why?” she asks, only sounding curious. Not angry.
“Because I needed to make sure you’re safe,” I say gravely, not wanting her to worry, but shit… maybe we should all be a little worried. “I had questions I believed only he had the answers to.”
“And?” she asks. “Did he tell you anything?”
A frustrated sigh leaves me. “Not really. Only that his uncle and my dad have some kind of connection. And that, before your brother got locked up, he was in on a lot of their meetings.”
I wait after telling her that part, knowing that family is a major soft spot of hers.
“I… didn’t know that.” Her voice is quiet, and it isn’t lost on me that—whether I like his ass or not—she has Ricky on some sort of damn pedestal. At least where honesty is concerned.
Despite myself, I decide to clear his name, but only because she needs that. In no way do I do it for him.
“He only left you out of things because he didn’t want you to worry,” I clarify, hating myself a little.
“I suppose I can understand that,” is her thoughtful reply.
“Talking to him confirmed that my dad’s at least as dirty as we thought he was.”
What I don’t say is that I’ve been envisioning what that means. Especially for my family. If he’s as deep in this shady shit as it’s starting to seem, where does it end? It has me questioning the legitimacy of his business, how it’ll all effect my mom. Hell, for all I know, she’s already up to speed on all this, in on it even.
I don’t know what to think.
Don’t know who to trust.
A soft hand lands gently on my cheek just as I’m starting to silently spiral. My gaze rises, meeting hers in the dim light that filters in from outside.
“We’re in this together now,” she reminds me. “As long as we don’t forget that, and do what we can to protect each other, we’re okay.”
That shouldn’t be enough to calm me, but it is. I pull her hand away from my face and kiss it before placing it over my heart.
Relationship.
There goes that damn word again. Ever since Dane said it, it’s haunted me, making me imagine things with her it might be too soon to imagine. I’m even wondering if I should at least see where her head is.
Fuck it.
“Dane said something interesting tonight. He brought up you and me, asking if we’re just casual or… if we’re claiming titles and shit.”
As far as smooth segues go, that one was rough and bumpy as hell.
“As in boyfriend/girlfriend titles?” Southside asks, making me cringe hearing it said that way.
“Well, yeah, but maybe a little less kindergarten than that.”
“You know what I mean,” she shoots back, playfully slapping my arm.
I slap her back, but on the ass, which has her laughing again.
“So, he wants to know if we’re… together? A title kind of like that?” she asks.
Breathing deep, I nod. “Yeah. Together.”
She goes quiet on me again and I’m not sure how to read the silence. After a few seconds, she lets out a nervous laugh.
“Wow,” she says. “They really are Dr. Phil-ing the shit out of this, aren’t they?”
“Told you.”
She’s thoughtful another moment and I’m wondering if I should’ve said less? Or… said more?
I’m suddenly positive I just violated the ‘take things slow’ rule my brothers and Joss put into place.
What the hell were you thinking?
You only just earned her forgiveness. Now you want her to fucking commit? Dude… hard fail.
I open my mouth to say that I only meant to feel her out, not back her into a corner, but I never get the words out. Because her lips are on mine, moving slowly against them. Both my hands find her body beneath the covers and she inches closer, as close as she can get before ending the kiss.
“I don’t have much faith in relationships. Blame that on my parents’ shit example,” she explains. “But… I do have faith in you.”
That was unexpected. And new.
Not sure anyone’s ever really had faith in me before. Not off the football field. Not in my ability not to fuck something up.
But she does.
“If you’re asking me to be with you, the answer is yes,” she finally says. “Besides, I think we both know I was yours long before tonight.”
Smiling, I kiss her again. “Fucking right you were,” I growl against her mouth, drawing a laugh out of her.
It took a whole hell of a lot of convincing, a lot of truth being revealed, and a whole lot of me pulling my head out of my ass, but it was worth it. Because I fucking did it.
I finally got the girl.