Leigh
It was after dinner, and contrary to what I may have thought in the hospital, I found myself driving over to Sonny’s house.
For all the thoughts in my head about how this was stupid, it felt like that had already been a line crossed. There wasn’t any putting that genie back in the bottle. So why not enjoy the genie and have some fun?
That, and I would be lying if I said seeing him text me—being the first one to ask for something more serious than just “Got it”—was kind of exciting. It was surreal to be in the hospital, helping Hailey dealing with his father’s coma, and then getting that text and having the slow-burn arousal start to kick in.
So much for adhering to my rules.
But for him, it’s different.
I hope. I mean, it’s great sex. That alone is enough.
Right?
When I parked my car at his house, I was able to easily pull into the driveway with his motorcycle inside his garage. I got out of the car, dusted off my clothes, flattened out the wrinkles, and rang the doorbell. I heard those loud clomps of boots approaching the doorway, the sound making my stomach even warmer.
It had literally barely been twelve hours since I’d seen him, but it felt like a lifetime of events had passed in between then and now. In that regard, it felt like a long time had gone by. And so, as I heard the door unlock and swing open, I felt that culminating fire in my stomach reach its crescendo.
No one could change that much in twelve hours, but Sonny somehow looked so much older and worn out than he did before. It occurred to me only then that he probably hadn’t even seen his father—what did it say for his duties and job that he couldn’t even pull himself away for that?
Or did he even want to see his father? Was there some sort of tension and fighting I didn’t know about that caused him to stay away? Would the sight be too much?
But the questions vanished as I stepped inside and he pulled me in for a kiss.
It started out aggressively enough. He placed his hands on my hips, pulled me in, and passionately kissed me. But something strange happened.
He slowed down. It was almost like something flipped in him that said to take his time and enjoy the moment. This wasn’t to be rushed.
But I couldn’t know. So when the kiss ended and I looked up into his eyes, I asked him a question I suspected that no one else had asked him all day.
“Are you OK?”
“I’m fine.”
He said it too fast. Even a six-year-old could have called bullshit on that.
“OK, that’s not true. Come on; I’ll make us some drinks.”
Well, at least he caught himself. And drinks? It sounded like he needed therapy more than he needed sex. Or maybe both.
Either way, I was surprised at how much I wanted to hear him tell me more. I wanted to see him vulnerable, to open up about what was going on.
I followed him to the kitchen, where he made himself a gin and club soda and me a white Russian. It was a period of anxious silence, but the anxiety stemmed more from me wanting to know more.This was just supposed to be sex.And yet, I was much happier and grateful that it was so much more than just sex so far.
“Club’s in a really fucking rough spot,” Sonny said as he took a seat across from me. “Dad got put in a coma. I’m in charge now.”
“Hailey told me.”
“So you do know,” Sonny said quietly. “I guess King didn’t keep the news to just us.”
I hadn’t even thought to ask Hailey that, but it was a good point. It left me fearful of what, exactly, King had told Hailey.
“This shit,” he grumbled, but his voice was rising. “This shit, Leigh, we are not fucking ready for this shit. We are not. Just, plain and simple.”
He shook his head and wrapped his hand very deliberately around his glass as if knowing putting his hand around the cocktail glass would prevent him from doing something dumber with it.
“I’m trying to do what’s best for this club, but I cannot fuck it up,” he said, this time even louder. “Fuck! I can’t fail my father!”
