“Yeah, well, despite what Ithink of that club, Iknow it’sbetter than this supposed family of mine.”
“Blood is thicker than water, Jolie. Don’tyou forget that.”
She shook her head. “Yeah, well blood leaves astain that can’tbe washed out. Don’tyou forget that.”
Iunderstood what she was saying, but she didn’tknow how lucky she was. For aman like me, Ionly had the club. And true enough that our bond was as strong as it could be, but other than Laney, Ihad no blood in the world. It was just me, and sometimes, despite having aclub full of brothers, Istill got lonely for more.
Iturned fully to face the bed, and without thinking Igrabbed one of her feet. Her skin was warm and soft and her feet were dwarfed by the size of my hands. She flinched and tried to jerk her foot away as Istarted rubbing my thumb in acircular motion across the bottom of her foot.
“What the fuck are you doing?” she asked, but she’dstopped pulling away from me and was instead staring incredulously.
“Lalangue!” Ireplied sharply, and amoment later aburst of laughter escaped her mouth.
“You speak French?” she asked, asmall breathy quaver to her voice as Iapplied more pressure. Her pupils dilated and Iswallowed as alook of bliss covered her features.
“Fuck no.”
She laughed again and Ilooked up the full length of her body until my gaze found her face. My fingers continued to apply pressure, my hands kneading the muscles and bones in her feet as she watched me with uncertainty. Can’texplain what made me do it, what made me want to touch her like that so that she’drelax, but it felt good to see some of the tension leave her face. She always seemed so tense. So fucking uptight. Not that Iwas one to talk; Iwas usually the one that got called tense. But seeing the tension on her face, in her eyes…it did things to me that Icouldn’texplain.
Jolie finally let her head drop back to her pillow as Icontinued massaging her foot, asmall groan leaving her loud enough that we both chuckled.
“Ibet you do this to all the women you meet,” she muttered, her arm thrown back over her eyes.
Idropped her foot and picked up the other. “They wish.”
She looked down at me with afrown, and Ishrugged.
“What? You think Imake apoint of grabbing women’sfeet and rubbing them? I’mnot some kind of foot freak, babe.”
“Could have fooled me.” She smirked. “Those are expert hands.”
“Damn straight.” Ismirked too and she snorted out another laugh. “I’maman of many talents.” Icouldn’thelp the inflection in my voice or the underlying innuendo. It was automatic, the way Ispoke to women, and Ifought to tone it down. Jolie was not the woman to be doing that shit with.
My hands moved over the top of her foot and around her ankle before moving up her calf. Goosebumps prickled along her smooth skin, despite the room being warm, and Ifound my hands eager to go higher. My fingers wanted to stretch up her thighs, to climb the ivy that stretched along her leg and find the warmth that Iknew would be nestled at the apex of them.
Jesus fucking hell…
Ilet go of her foot suddenly and turned back around. “You should get some sleep.”
“So should you,” she replied, her voice sounding sleepy.
“I’ll keep watch.”
“Creepy, but whatever,” she said, and then Iheard her turn over.
Isat there listening to Jolie’sbreathing evening out as she slipped into sleep, and Iwondered briefly what it would be like to lie down behind her and go to sleep with her in my arms. To wake up to abeautiful woman holding me and ahot dinner cooking in the oven. Iwondered how easy it would be to be the man that my brother had always wanted me to be. To live the life he had hoped for me.
Family. That’swhat the club life was all about. But was afamily ever complete without awoman in your life? Without awoman to do more than scratch the itch and warm your bed. I’dalways thought that shit didn’tmatter, and despite knowing Jolie wasn'tthe sort of woman to cook for me and clean my house or any of that typical bullshit women were expected to do, there was still something about Jolie that was making me think that maybe having awoman of my own was worthwhile.
