“I want one like my mom’s, one I never have to take off.”
Celia melts, “Oh my God, who are you guys?” at the romance of it all. They’d talked for over an hour on the phone when Ceels came back from the job the three of them went on. And she called almost every day since, or she would have been the one running to us and not just Sage.
Can’t help but wonder at her attitude though—cool and controlled. Maybe even aloof, but it’s on purpose. What Soph confessed to me, I can see it now. She’s hoping my brother is watching her. But it’s Sean’s eyes that keep landing on her, and sticking.
Tonk Jr. gives me my last hug. “I never said thank you for fixing my Harley, Luke.”
“You never had to.”
“Still…thanks.”
“You ride it?”
“Uh, not yet.” Quickly he adds, “But I will.”
Carmen starts to say something but stops herself.
Soph changes the subject by laughing, “Now can I show Luke the surprise?”
Uproar of cheering and yeses and we file in with Soph taking my hand and pulling me upstairs. “This way!”
“Is it…”
“Shhh, just wait!”
The Ciphers stop on the stairs to watch us, jam-packed, as she paces me in front of all the doors, twice, just to mess with my head. “Alright, enough!” I laugh.
She bites her lip with this mischievous smile, lets go of my hand and runs to the small parlor where she told me about kicking that dickhead Thatcher’s ass when she was fourteen.
Grabbing the antique doorknob she whisper-yells, “Come on! I want us to see it together.”
Under my breath, surprised, I ask, “In here? No way, really?”
She nods, swings the door open to a complete rearrangement of the parlor. And a brand new, walnut canopy bed is pushed against one wall, with white drapes tied at the corners.
Soph stares at it, as stunned as I am. There’s been no new furniture in this house for three decades at least. Her hands float to her mouth and she freezes like that, eyes darting around to the old dresser that used to be in her parents’ room, the table and chairs that were here before, gathered in a circle by the window, the antique art as it’s always been. The closet door open, hangers full with our clothing, mine on the left and her stuff on the right.
Behind us, we’ve got an audience who pours into the room as we walk to the closet, and then to the dresser, opening it to find everything here of ours, too.
Soph is trying not to choke up—nobody ever sees her like that. I have, but I’m different. Turning away, she wipes her eyes before she faces the group, juts her chin up, telling the moms, “Thank you.”
I throw my arm around her and say, “You guys just made us very happy.”
Luna sniffs and clears her throat, hiding her emotions just like Soph is. Jett is another thing altogether. He struts to the center of the room, crosses his arms and says, “It will take me some time to get used to this bullshit.”
Sofia Sol covers a laugh, walking to him and throwing her arms around his neck. “Thank you.”
He hugs her and closes his eyes, rocking her from side to side. “I love you, daughter. Love you to the sun and back. That’s why I named you after it. Always here for you, baby.” He kisses her hair before he releases her, heading out, turning his head to repeat, “Always.”
CHAPTER 36
L UKE
A fter dinner Atlas asks, “Can I talk to you, Luke?”
“Sure,” I toss my napkin on my plate as Soph and I exchange a look. She picks up my plate and brings it to the sink, and I can’t help but watch her go.
Resigned, I follow my brother onto the back porch. We’re aware of the curiosity pointed at us by the group as they stay put. But I bet they wish they were flies on the busted mesh walls.
“What’s up?” I ask, hooking my thumbs in my pockets.
He snorts, “What’s up? You know!”
“Nope, I don’t know you as well as I thought I did.”
Darting a quick look to the house he motions for us to walk further out. The grass is shorter than when I was here last, and I take note because it’s never mowed. “You do this?”
“Nah, it was Soph before Ty took her to you.”
“Did you know that’s what he was doing?”
“Nope. Had no clue until Mom told us you were engaged.” We stop and he pulls a weed from the ground, twisting it as he locks eyes with me. “You gonna forgive me for what I did?”
“You gonna apologize?”
His eyes flicker and he tosses the weed, same motion as when he skips rocks on the marsh. “I’m sorry I—”
“Betrayed me?”
Chewing on his cheek he nods. “Yeah. Haven’t been able to live with myself. Got an ulcer, you know that?”
“Nope.”
“Mom didn’t tell you?”
“Guess she didn’t think I’d want to hear about it.” After a beat I say, “I don’t know where we go from here, Atlas, but it all worked out better than I could have hoped for, so…let’s just live with it. Let time take its course.”
Taking a deep breath, he crosses his arms. “Sage won’t let it go.”
“Trust is earned. Give her time. Give me time.”
“Takes one second to lose trust, but years to earn it, that’s what I’m learning and it’s a fucked-up lesson.”
“It was a fucked-up lie.”
“Turned out it was true.”
Getting in his face I snarl, “I told Soph I hate that it was you first, so if you ever say that shit to me again, when we both know the real truth, you will lose a brother forever, apology or no. You threw me out of my home to save your ass!”
“I didn’t throw you!”
“One word from you, one true fuckin’ word, and they would have taken it back, sent you instead!”
The screen door clatters and we glance back, see Celia looking at us. I don’t know if he’s aware of her feelings for him, but I’m not going to confess what Soph told me in confidence.
“You guys want some pie?” she calls out, anxiety barely masked.
“We’re not gonna fight, Ceels,” Atlas tells her.
She relaxes and lies, “I didn’t think you were. Just checking how many we need to cut.”
Silhouetted in the doorframe comes Sean. He walks out like he’s making sure she’s okay. Atlas heads to the house, throwing one last look to me, eyes saying it all. He knows we’re far from over this.
“I’ll have some pie, Ceels,” he mutters and opens the door for her.
I call over, “Sean, come out here. I want to hear how things are going.”
His long legs amble down the steps onto the grass, “Didn’t know she wasn’t already your girlfriend when you came to my house.”
“Yeah,” I smile, “We didn’t tell you otherwise. Also didn’t tell you about how pretty her best friend is.”
Blue eyes light up at being called out. “That obvious, huh?”
“If you want to get the vote, might want to taper that down.”
He nods, “Thanks for the tip.”
“How do you like it here?”
“Truth?”
“Only the truth.”
Inhaling he stares off. “Never felt at home anywhere but here.”
Inside the kitchen, Soph walks past the window, laughing at something someone has said. Distracted by her I clap a hand on Sean’s shoulder and walk with him back to the house. “I know the feeling.”
CHAPTER 37
SOFIA SOL
L uke locks our new bedroom’s door, shaking his head as he pulls the antique key out and presents it to me. “Can you believe this room?”
I’m staring at his lips, tipping my head back. “Mom and Dad got a new dresser, that’s how we got theirs.”
He gives me the long kiss I silently asked for, then smirks, “Payback for our new bed when they didn’t get one?”
“Yep, that’s exactly what it was,” I murmur, as he nibbles on my
neck, backing me toward the old table and chairs. Reaching over, he whips the curtains shut. Total privacy. Our mouths collide, tongues dancing and bodies warming up as our hands explore. The way he kneads my breasts always gets me worked up.
He flips me around, bends me over the table. “Remember when we played monopoly in here?” he rasps as he yanks my jeans and g-string halfway down my thighs.
“Which time?” I ask, heat pooling out. I gaze over my shoulder at him while he admires my ass, gives it a solid slap and presses his bulged jeans zipper into my crack.
“Any of ‘em,” he absently mumbles. “Any of the times you bent over to place your little dog in jail. Or when you bent over to put hotels on your properties. Basically, any time you bent over, I was thinking of doing this.” He unzips his pants and wastes no time in entering me from behind, his bulbous tip stretching me, making me moan and arch up to receive him. “So wet, Soph, fuck baby, you wanted this, huh?”
“All night long I was thinking we’d fuck for the first time in this house.”
“I was thinkin’ it, too,” he groans as he pushes in deeper and rests against my cervix, circling his hips and reaching around to flick my clit with the lightness it takes to tease me. “So wet, oh man, you feel so good.”
We start to move with me watching him over my shoulder, my eyes dropping to enjoy the motion of his hips, how sexy they are with all that carved muscle, the roundness of my ass bouncing into them. I love how he winces with pleasure, how he bites his lower lip as his eyes drink me in. How he’s always so hard for me.
When my pussy is this wet it’s crazy slippery and sensitive down there, that every stroke feels like heaven. Drawing it out, he plays me, keeps it steady sometimes, then harder, then teases me with slowness as we lock eyes. I’m biting back moans so I don’t wake the house, or upset my dad, as Luke’s strong hands manipulate my body, fingers digging into my skin, roughly running up my sides, massaging my breasts with talent.
He bites back loud groans, too, grunting instead, and shaking his head because he can’t believe this has really happened to us. His cock fills me so perfectly, and I stretch my whole body into this, enjoying the tingles, the goosebumps, the slow burn that builds inside.
“My clit’s tender, Luke.”
“I’ll be softer. How’s that?”
“I love your callouses. But they’re getting softer, too.”
He leans over and nibbles on my shoulder blades. “Have to work on that. No more vacations.” He bites a groan down, grimacing as he rubs my ass and watches his cock disappearing again. “Dripping, you’re fuckin’ dripping down me. So hot. I feel you’re tightening up. You close?”
“I am!” Gritting my teeth I glance around the room, then lock eyes with Luke, see the boy who was my friend transform into the man who will be my husband. Hot currents flash through my core from my heart, and I start to buck, ramming us together harder. Throbbing, his cock explodes white heat into my body and I whimper and frown as I try to stay quiet. Luke hisses and leans forward to kiss me, our mouths locking and holding as the orgasm runs its delicious course.
I’m wishing I could be as loud as I want to be, but secretly loving that we’re home now.
Being quiet…just means we’re home.
CHAPTER 38
SOFIA SOL
“O h no!” Celia murmurs as she wrangles my cherry red garter. “You can see this through the white.”
Surveying it through my floor-length, silk, off-white gown in the mirror, I cock my head and smirk, “Even if you couldn’t see the color, the texture would show through.”
My cousin Hannah smiles from behind her champagne flute, “Skin tight wedding gown, leave it to you.”
“At least I didn’t wear my Thai pads, or boxing mitts.”
Ceels jokes, “Or your gun.”
“Oh, I’m wearing the gun!”
Sage laughs, knowing I’m full of shit. But Celia is too focused on my curls now to care. She’s folding one wide ringlet—really loose and wide so that it barely qualifies—over the others with the precision of a surgeon.
Through the mirror I lift my eyebrow to Hannah and she stifles a laugh. But Ceels heard it and glances over. Straightening up she plants her hands on the hips of her Maid of Honor, taupe-colored, silk gown. “Am I being anal?”
“Extremely,” I smile, lifting the hem of my dress, the short train following me, walking barefoot to the booze without tripping myself. “I need a stiff drink. Thank God Melodi thought ahead.”
A light knock on the door sounds and my cousin Emma pokes her head in, chestnut waves framing her cupid face in a new bob she got, and hates. “You guys, we’ve got about fifteen minutes.”
I wave her in and she quickly shuts the door so that the throng of Cockers exploring the plantation for the first time, doesn’t get an accidental sneak peek of the main show. “Well, then hurry up, Emm. I’m toasting with something stronger than that crud Hannah’s downing like water.”
Hann laughs, rising up and setting her half-full glass down. “This is my first one. You make it sound like I’m a lush.”
“You are a lush. I saw you in Florida!” I razz her before glancing to Emma. “Oh shit, you’re going to start gushing, aren’t you. I can see it in your face! Don’t gush.”
Secretly I want her to.
With chestnut eyes as big as she can get them, Emma circles me. “Sofia Sol! You are so sexy in this I am going to have to cover my husband’s eyes…and my dad’s!”
Laughing I push her shoulder, “Gross, don’t make me think about Uncle Jake like that.”
Hannah mutters, “Seriously,” taking her freshly filled shot glass from me and sniffing the golden contents. “Tequila? Are you trying to kill us? And Tanner only has eyes for you, Emma. Soph could walk around naked and he’d still be watching you.”
Sage and Celia cock their heads as they hold up their shot glasses. I voice what they’re thinking, “Bullshit. But you don’t have to worry, I might be rocking this thing but I’ll keep it on.”
Emma sticks her tongue out at Hannah, and gets a longer one in return. The three of us are close as hell, the oldest Cocker cousins, with Ben a month behind me. We’re three of the seventeen descendants of six notorious brothers in Atlanta. And Hannah and Emma used to be roommates until I whisked Hannah off to Florida. Then everything changed, as meeting the love of your life will do.
I should know.
“What’ll we toast to?” Sage asks, red hair warmed by the taupe bridesmaid dress she’s wearing. I chose this color because all four of them look great in it, no matter their skin color.
“To my sisters,” I smile, meeting each of their eyes. “I don’t have any siblings by blood but…with you girls I have everything I need.”
After a collective bunch of “Awwww!” we clink our glasses and bring them to our lips, eyeing each other to see if we’re really sucking these bad boys down or sipping. I mutter, “And to hot sex and true love.”
They laugh and we throw ‘em back, wincing as the hot sting courses down our throats in one nasty gulp.
Sage coughs, the youngest of us and not much of a drinker. Ceels hits her back to help her, but Sage waves her away and croaks, “I’m fine. Totally got this!”
The door opens and all heads turn to see my mother sneaking in, shutting the door quickly and cocking an eyebrow at the empty shot glasses in our five hands. “My timing is off. Give me one.”
I pour it, grin, and hand it over. Mom sips and touches Emma’s arm, while looking between her and Hannah, “Three beautiful bridesmaids, one gorgeous Maid of Honor, and…” she turns me, “And the stunning spawn of Satan.”
“Mom!” I laugh with her.
She reaches for the skirt of my gown and lifts it, giving me a dreamy-eyed expression. I’ve never seen her moon over anything but that’s what she’s doing to me, and it feels pretty damn great. “Sofia Sol,” she whispers, “You’re breathtaking.”
“Thank you,” I smile, stepping in for a hug. She
kisses my hair. “You look beautiful, too, Mom. But I always think that about you.”
She pulls away to scan my face, wondering if I’m joking. “Do you?”
“Every time I look at you I think, my mom is a queen.”
Emotion twists her forehead and she blinks a few times, “Can we go back to yelling at each other?”
“Yes, please!”
“Oh good!” she laughs, tipping her glass back and dropping it with an empty thump on the table by my window. Wiping her eyes she announces, “To change the subject, Nancy and Melodi are fighting over the food. Mel put out her jambalaya in front of your grandmother’s chili and just as quickly, it was moved, chili up front.”
To Celia and Sage, who don’t know the Cocker family at all, never having been to one of our famous family BBQs in Atlanta, I explain, “Grandma Nance makes the best chili in Georgia if not the whole South.”
My cousin Emma says, “And while she acts humble and always says something like, it’s probably burned this time, it’s always perfect.”
Hannah rolls her pale green eyes, “You are going to die when you taste it.”
Sage puffs up a little, “Wait until you’ve tried Mel’s jambalaya! There’s never any left.”
“Never any chili left over, either,” Hannah says, “Uncle Jason, or our cousin Gabriel, one or both of them always run off with it and leave the party with their stomachs distended.”
“Tonk, Fuse, and Honey Badger once got in an actual fight over the last spoonful!”
Mom throws up her hands. “Alright, they’re both delicious. God, you’re as bad as they are downstairs.”
Sage and Hannah quickly apologize to each other, and I just shake my head, “Ciphers and Cockers, let the egos begin!”
CHAPTER 39
L UKE
Dad walks into his bedroom where I’m getting ready with Atlas, Tyler, Tonk Jr., and Sean. He stops like he’s been punched. “Holy fuck, look at how good you guys clean up in those penguin suits!”
“I can’t figure what to do with this bow tie,” I mutter, wrestling with it, since none of us knows how.
Sofia Sol Cocker (Cocker Brothers Book 13) Page 18
