Page 49 of Exile & Lula
“It couldn’t have been easy hating a part of yourself,” Lula said tenderly. “But I get it. I had a chip on my shoulder for a long time. I pushed myself hard in school. Nothing was ever good enough. I thought I wanted to please my parents, but they aren’t the kind of people who expect someone to be an honor student or win a championship. Pax and Bebe didn’t do well in school. They were proud of me even when I barely did anything.”
“So, the only one pushing you was you.”
“Exactly. Everyone has baggage. You and I have more damage than most people, for sure. Our fathers were bad men. I can’t imagine how confusing it must have been to reconcile the man you knew with what he was like in the shadows. But he loved you, and you loved him. You have nothing to be ashamed of, and I’m glad you wear that hat.”
Grinning at her praise, I replied, “Well, I’m glad you pushed yourself. If you hadn’t been the Crimson Guard’s badass lawyer, we might have never met.”
“Or we might have met even earlier. After all, you met my siblings months ago.”
“True.”
“Did they make an impression?”
“Sabrina, sure, since she acted ready to brawl. Rowdy has a reputation, so I kept an eye on him. Vanessa didn’t make much of an impression.”
“She’s a sneaky girl,” Lula insisted, snickering at some secret knowledge.
“If you had been there for the meeting between our two clubs months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to take my eyes off you.”
“And I would have been slobbering all over myself at the sight of you. I can’t imagine how much Sabrina and Elle would have mocked me.”
Chuckling, I said, “Zodiac has the hots for your cousin.”
“Yes, and she’s considering using her undeniable feminine talents to trick him into confessing his club info,” Lula said and laughed. “But she texted me earlier to say she wouldn’t soil herself with Louisiana jizz since I’d gone ahead and taken one for the team.”
Maybe the booze had hit me just right, or I was feeling like a new man, but I laughed harder than I had in years. Lula followed suit, giggling over her cousin’s words.
Yet, I suspected her laughter and mine came from this perfect moment between two people witnessing their future coming together.
LULA
Exile and I stepped inside the quiet house. While I checked the security system and made certain everything was locked up tight, Xena cuddled up in her bed.
I peeked in on Dillon and found her snuggled with her TeeTurtle dolls. Her butterfly nightlight created soft colors against the pale pink walls. My baby had been very particular about the style of her room. She went with a completely different style for her room at Jarred’s house. I couldn’t help wondering what design she might choose in the Baton Rouge house I’d buy soon.
A long-distance relationship would only work if I had a place to call my home in Louisiana. Shacking up at Exile’s house was bound to cause issues for his sister. What if my family wanted to visit? Or I planned to stay awhile in the summer? What about the holidays?
Everything would be easier if I had a place there. In a few days, after Dillon got to know Exile, she and I could start searching online for places in Baton Rouge.
After I left Dillon to sleep, Exile followed me to my bedroom. I reached up and removed his hat, resting it on a small table near the window. Taking his hand, I guided him into the bathroom.
Exhausted tonight and feeling blitzed from the late beer, I headed toward the oversized shower with the wavy door design. I switched on the water and turned to Exile.
“I haven’t shared a bed with a man in years. Do you hog the blankets?” I asked while sliding off my shirt and tossed it in the hamper. “Should I get extra blankets out?”
“Are you cold at night?”
“Always,” I said and tugged his shirt over his head. Taking a moment to admire his powerful, tatted chest, I sighed and smiled.
Exile’s fingers skimmed my cheeks in a loving caress before cradling my jaw and closing his lips over mine. I met his passion with my own. My heart already beat at his rhythm.
As our lips remained locked, we somehow managed to remove our clothes. Gripping his waist, I backed into the shower.
The hot water poured in waves from several showerheads. Steam swirled around our aroused bodies. Our hands explored. I stroked his hard chest. He cupped my ass, tugging me closer, wanting more.
My fingers found his erection, caressing his thick cock and winning a moan of approval.
I had planned to play in the shower and take our fun to the bed. Yet, the heat between my legs demanded relief.
