“Like you’re happier than a dead pig in the sunshine,” Evie returned.
“What?”
Both women looked like they were fighting back a laugh when Evie dropped her voice and unleashed the full drawl of her Southern twang. “Girl, you look as happy as a tick on a hound dog.”
“I think you’ve gone crazy,” I noted.
“That’s right,” Bobby started. “Fat and sassy, makin’ plans to eat that boy up.”
“Yeah, both of you have lost your minds.”
Evie got close and hip-checked me, making me stumble to the side before I regained my balance. “We’re joking with you. What we’re tryin’ to say is, you look happy.”
“Maybe that’s what you’re sayin’, but I’m sayin’ she looks like she wants to get that man into the nearest bed and give him a go. Not that any of us would blame you for dragging him off. That man is fine. Please tell me he’s as good as he looks.”
My mouth dropped open at Bobby’s forwardness and Evie busted out laughing. The sound rang out in the room and my cheeks heated.
“You don’t have to answer that,” Kennedy said as she entered the conversation. “Bobby has no concept of basic decency.”
“I take offense to that. I’m decent.”
“You’re nosy.”
“There’s a difference between nosy and indecent.” Bobby pointed out.
“What are we talking about?” McKenna asked.
“About Bobby being nosy,” Evie supplied.
“Ah. Has she asked how big Holden’s—”
“No.” Evie laughed. “She hasn’t gotten that far. She just wanted to know if he was good in bed.”
McKenna nodded as if that was a normal question then confirmed my thoughts when she added, “I can see why she’d ask.”
“Thank. You,” Bobby snapped and put a hand on her hip. “It’s only fair, y’all are getting some, I’m the one on the longest dry spell in the history of dry spells.”
“Think I got you beat by about eight years. I haven’t had any since the night my daughter was conceived.”
Four women sucked in lungfuls of air and I wished I could pull the words back in. Why had I shared? Damn. Damn. Damn.
“You’re born-again. The first time Holden gets in there, it will be like poppin’—”
“Bobby,” Evie chastised.
“What? Why is everyone so sensitive? I’m right. A woman goes that long and things close up.”
“Close up? Oh my god.” Kennedy laughed. “See? No decency.”
“Holden will be careful,” McKenna proclaimed and my face burned.
It burned so hot, I wanted to run away and never face these women again.
“Why does Charleigh look like she’s overheating?” Macy asked.
Goddamn. Could it get any worse?
“Because Bobby told her that after like eight years of no sex, her vagina is closed.” Kennedy’s matter-of-fact tone only made me more embarrassed.
“Like, closed for business?” Macy inquired. “Because from what Alec told me, Holden’s in it to win it. So the “Closed for Business” sign might have to come down. I’d start dustin’ it off now.”
Macy said that. Sweet, mother-of-three, unassuming Macy just said I needed to dust my vagina off. The nervous laugh bubbled up so fast I couldn’t stop it from bursting out of me in a rush of high-pitched hilarity that rocked me so hard, I had to bend forward and hold my stomach.
This went on for so long I couldn’t breathe and my stomach muscles started to ache. Sweet Jesus, these women were insane.
“Oh my god,” I wheezed.
“Does that mean you’re ready to answer my question?” Bobby pressed.
“What question?” Macy, late to the game, asked.
“If Holden’s good in bed,” Kennedy repeated. “He looks like he’d be.”
“Oh, shit.” Nixon’s voice boomed and I snapped straight.
“Hey, honey.” McKenna smiled at her husband innocently.
“What’s wrong?” Holden joined our huddle.
And there it was, it could absolutely be worse.
“Nothing,” I squeaked, and Bobby snickered.
“Leigh-Leigh—”
“Did you get the box open?” I rushed to change the subject.
“Yeah. What’s wrong?”
“I told you, nothing’s wrong.”
“Baby, your face is on fire and you look like someone’s been force-feeding you lemons.”
“Oh, for God’s sake. She’s fine, macho man. We’re not torturing her,” Bobby sighed.
Nixon chuckled and Holden’s gaze went to his friend. “They’re totally torturing her. They’re on step one of the initiation process.”
Oh, Lord, there was more?
If step one had me ready to bolt, I wasn’t sure if I’d survive step two.
“What’s that mean?” Holden asked and moved closer to me.
A wide smile formed on Nixon’s face. He hadn’t missed Holden positioning himself—and neither had I. That was a typical Holden maneuver—if he’d even caught a hint someone wasn’t being nice to me, he moved in for the kill.
“Brother, you’re moving in the wrong direction. If I were you, I’d get my ass out of here. When I walked in, Kennedy was asking if you were good in bed. That’s step one.”
“I was not,” Kennedy objected. “I was repeating Bobby’s question. I told her she didn’t have to answer.”
“Nice, throw me under the bus for asking the question everyone wants to know.”
“I don’t want to know,” Micky lied sweetly.
She so wanted to know, too.
“You asked how big his—”
The growl that came from Nix had Bobby snapping her mouth closed, and once again I couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter.
McKenna narrowed her eyes on Bobby. The death stare did nothing to stop the smirk on the other woman’s face.
“I think I should leave,” Holden croaked, and I glanced up at him.
Holy sweet mercy, Holden was blushing.
“Are you…are you…” I couldn’t get the sputtered words out of my mouth to form a complete sentence because I was bent over in laughter.
“Charleigh,” he grunted.
“I can’t…believe…you…are,” I said through my amusement.
“Like I said, we need to beat feet before the scorecards come out. I know one of them has a size chart hidden somewhere.”
Holden’s groan only fueled my mirth but I was sober enough to tell him. “Don’t worry, honey, I have your back.”
“Thanks,” he grumbled.
“Great. Now Holden’s slot will go unfilled,” Bobby groused.
And I was left wondering if there really was a scorecard, and if there was, did I want to see it?
“That might work in Holden’s favor depending on the order of names,” Nixon teased.
“We sort by size,” Bobby deadpanned.
“Well, then there’s no need to shuffle—you can scratch Holden in on the bottom.”
My eyes widened at Nixon’s comment. Was he being factitious or serious?
Holden shook his head and the pink in his cheeks deepened.
“Have they seen you?”
“Baby.” Holden chuckled.
Now I had to know. Holden was unusually large; if his name would be on the bottom of the list, I feared for the safety and well-being of the women around me.
“Seriously?”
“Charleigh, he’s joking.”
“Thank God. I was getting ready to ask how any of them walked if you were—”
I didn’t get the rest of what I was saying out because Holden tugged me so hard I face-planted into his chest. One of his hands rested on the back of my head and he held me in place.
“Fucking hell.” His voice rumbled against my cheek and his body shook with silent laughter.
“Now I have to know. I heard the evidence of what Chasin’s packin’ when I lived with him and Evie. I didn’t need verbal conf
irmation in inches,” Bobby continued her tirade. “But now I’m worried about our girl here. If it’s been eight years for her, I’m not worried about her walking—”
“Roberta,” Genevieve muttered. “Quiet.”
Holden went still, then he started vibrating, not with laughter but with something else entirely. The pressure on the back of my head increased, his other hand on my hip squeezed painfully, and for my part—I’d stopped breathing.
“Shit. I’m sorry. I was just joking around. I didn’t mean…shit.”
I didn’t know what to say, not that I could’ve spoken when my face was smooshed against Holden’s chest, but I felt like I needed to let Bobby off the hook. She hadn’t done anything wrong. I knew she hadn’t spilled my secret on purpose, she was trying to be funny.
I felt Holden press a kiss on top of my head before he released me and kissed my forehead.
“Gonna check on the girls,” he muttered.
Shit.
“Holden.”
“Later,” he whispered. “Love you, Leigh-Leigh.”
Then he was gone. Nixon followed, and once again, I was in the middle of the girl huddle.
“God, Charleigh, I’m so sorry,” Bobby reiterated.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I do. I don’t know when to quit. I was just joking around, trying to push Nixon’s buttons.”
“He’s so used to it, it doesn’t faze him.” McKenna snorted. “Besides, the guys give him so much shit about being a house kitten, your jabs are like mini-pokes.”
House kitten, Nixon Swagger? Yeah, right. I didn’t believe that for a second. Nixon was a man’s man, meaning he was all-man, not a soft little pussy cat. More like a roaring lion.
“Charleigh?” Evie’s soft tone brought my gaze to her. “I really am sorry for being such a bitch. Thank you for forgiving me.”
“There was nothing to forgive,” I told her. “Holden told me, he asked you to keep me out of his hospital room. He also explained how close you are; the bond the two of you share is one born out of something horrific, but it’s beautiful nonetheless. I understand you wanted to protect him from me. And I think now you understand I would never hurt him.”
Genevieve nodded and smiled.
“I’m really happy you’re here, Charleigh. You and Faith.”
“Thanks.”
“Okay, not to change the subject but I have to ask, where did your parents go?” Kennedy asked.
Oh, god. I hadn’t thought about them since I’d kicked them out of my room.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I guess home.”
“They’re…”
“Assholes.” I finished for Kennedy.
“Yeah.” She scrunched her face.
“My parents are totally stuck-up. It’s always been about keeping up appearances. When I was younger, I let them boss me around. I didn’t like confrontation so I avoided it by doing what they told me.”
“Is that why you married Paul? Did they tell you to?” McKenna inquired.
“Yeah. They didn’t want a fatherless child in the family.”
“Did they say that?” Bobby’s expression was set to appalled.
“They did. And I was too scared and too weak to do what was right for me and my child. I never should’ve married him. We weren’t in love. Hell, we were barely friends. I knew next to nothing about him.”
There it was—my shame.
Yet, as I looked around the group of women, none of them was looking at me in disgust. There were varying degrees of understanding and deep loathing coming from Bobby. But I figured that emotion wasn’t directed at me but my parents. She seemed to take exception to what they’d called Faith.
Kennedy flashed me a smile and added a wink of approval.
Warmth washed over me. Step one into the bonds of sisterhood complete.
Maybe step two wouldn’t be so bad.
24
It’s been eight years for her.
Holden couldn’t get Bobby’s declaration out of his mind. It was as if she’d tattooed it on his brain.
Those words had replayed the rest of the night to the point he didn’t remember his friends leaving, only the house was now empty. Faith’s goodnight had barely registered, but luckily he’d had the good sense to snap back to reality long enough to give her a hug before Charleigh had taken her upstairs to bed.
Eight years.
What the fuck? How was that possible?
Bobby must have been joking around, yet the way Charleigh had stopped breathing told him it was the God’s honest truth.
Eight goddamned years. That meant Paul was the last man to have her.
Bile churned in his gut. Christ, he didn’t want that to be true. There’d been so many times Holden had wished he’d gotten out of his truck and stopped them. He would’ve taken pleasure in beating the fuck out of Paul for touching his Leigh-Leigh. But like a butt-hurt coward with his ego bruised, he remained in his truck and watched the couple make their way inside.
Why didn’t I stop them?
Fuck.
“Holden?”
The uncertainty in Charleigh’s voice spurred Holden into action, and before he knew it, he stood in front of a wide-eyed beauty.
“Is it true?”
“Huh?”
“Has it really been eight years?”
A pretty pink tinted her cheeks and he knew the truth.
Jesus. How was that possible?
“How?” he blurted out.
“How?”
“How is it possible you haven’t had a man in eight fucking years?”
“Are you mad?”
Am I mad? It sure felt like he was.
“Hell, yeah.”
“Why?”
“Baby, we’re gonna start with the obvious—you are outrageously sexy. That alone is enough to make a man approach. Once you open your mouth and all that wit and attitude comes out, you go from outrageously sexy, to a woman a man would betray his own brother to have.”
“That’s not true.”
“I don’t know how you can deny that, considering it happened.”
If Holden could pull the words back, he would. He had to stop thinking about Paul and the past. He needed to move them into the future.
“I was pregnant,” she spat. “Then I was busy with a newborn. After that, I was working hard to put food on the table and a roof over our heads. I hardly had time for men.”
He hated she’d been all alone. Another regret. He should’ve manned up and taken care of her. Even if it was from afar. Even after she denied the financial contribution he and the others tried to make. Actually, Charleigh hadn’t denied it—she’d flat-out refused it and told Nixon never to send money again. Still, Holden should’ve pushed the issue. Instead, his feelings had been hurt like a baby’s and he’d slithered off to lick his wounds.
God, he’d been a pussy.
Holden crowded her, one hand going to her hip, the other around the nape of her neck, and he tugged Charleigh forward, eliminating the space between them. “I never should’ve—”
“No more talking about the past. It’s done and over.”
Charleigh was right, but he was certain the nagging guilt would never go away.
“No more talking,” he agreed.
The two of them stood silent. Charleigh’s familiar scent surrounded him, a smell he’d always associated with home. With peace and calm and love. Desire sizzled and sparked to life. A live wire of craving that had always arced between them.
Then Charleigh attacked.
Her hands dove into his hair, fisting two large handfuls. Pain radiated over his scalp as she yanked his head down and slammed her lips onto his.
Christ. He had to be dreaming.
Charleigh’s head slanted and she took what she wanted. Holden gave her a moment to control their kiss, enjoying the way her body leaned into his as she dipped her tongue into his mouth and plundered. The kiss was sloppy, it was fierce, it was full of year
s’ worth of pent-up aggression and longing.
In other words, it was the best damn kiss of his life, but it was about to get better.
Holden’s hand slid down her back, his other moved from her hip to her ass, then he hefted her up and Charleigh’s legs wrapped around his waist. He didn’t hesitate, he moved with the singular thought of getting the woman in his arms to a bed. To take. To please. To own. His ascent up the stairs was clumsy, the walk down the hall to his room uncoordinated. Charleigh hadn’t stopped her carnal assault, and the onslaught of emotions spurred him on, need thrumming through his body. Every inch of him alive.
Finally.
He had his Leigh-Leigh back.
He kicked the door closed, locked it, and now that he had them in his room, he wanted everything at once. But first, her clothes needed to come off. He set her on her feet with absolutely no finesse—he was far beyond delicacy.
“Off,” he managed to grunt as he tugged at her shirt.
Once she took over, Holden went for his own tee and yanked it over his head, tossing it aside.
Years. So many goddamned years he’d waited to have her again. Wanting and needing but never thinking he’d have her. Never believing he would have her back.
Holden had been caught up in the frenzy of ridding himself of his clothes he’d missed Charleigh doing the same, so when his gaze finally lifted and he caught sight of her, he froze and his breath left his lungs in a whoosh.
Leigh-Leigh.
No words were spoken, yet a wealth of communication whispered between them. The sight of her in front of him unbearable—so beautiful, so perfect, it burned his soul. He’d needed her for so long he couldn’t wait another second.
This time, it was Holden who moved first. His advance was swift, single-minded, and when he had her on the bed, he didn’t give her time to settle before he spread her legs. But at the last second, he changed direction and his lips landed on the inside of her thigh.
Sweet Jesus.
His—all for him.
When his tongue made its way to her pussy, he gave her a long swipe from ass to clit and paused to suck the nub into his mouth, resulting in a long, low moan from Charleigh.
Oh, yeah, he was going to eat her until she screamed. His woman wasn’t shy about what she wanted, never had been. Sex with Charleigh was an epic battle. It was on that thought, he swung her leg over his shoulder, giving him more room. Holden’s tongue speared in, her excitement coated his tongue, and his cock painfully throbbed at the taste.
Holden's Resurrection (Gemini Group Book 6) Page 18