Cocky Secrets (Cocker Brothers #29)

153. Sean

ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE

Sean

C elia almost runs into me just outside her brother’s room. “Oh, hey,” she smiles, but there’s distance in her eyes.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just had a talk with Junior and I…guess I’m processing it.” Running a hand through her hair she glances around the empty hallway and asks, “How’re you?”

“Good. Just killed the shit out of some tin cans.”

“They had it coming.”

Smiling, I try to keep my mind off the warmth that just spread in her eyes. “Well, good almost bashing heads with you.”

“As if I could reach that high.”

“You could if you jumped a foot.”

“I’m not a whole foot shorter!”

“You’re my Latin leprechaun.”

Laughing, she rolls her eyes. “Fine, you’re tall.”

Sofia Sol walks up from the back of the house, glances between us, sees the chemistry flying. I’ve been careful to keep this current under wraps but right now that effort is a failure. My eyes drop and I start to head away. “See you at dinner.”

Soph says, “No, you two are heading into town.”

I frown as Celia asks, “What for? The refrigerator’s stocked.”

“Dad said he can’t stand looking at those anymore.” She points at my sneakers. “I mean, seriously, didn’t I tell you to get some boots?”

I run a hand through my hair, dying inside because there is no way I can be alone with Celia and keep my hands to myself. It’s been fucking torture keeping distance between us every single fucking day. It’s like there are two of me—one man who wants to join this family, and another who wants to run away with only one member of it, and tell the rest of them to fuck off if they have a problem with how I feel about her.

I clear my throat. “Yeah, but…”

“No buts.”

“You and Luke coming?”

“Do I look like I love shopping?” She cocks her eyebrow.

Celia blinks from her to me. “I don’t mind it.”

“Maybe Sage wants to take a trip, too,” I offer, knowing Atlas would never join in on this. “Or Tonk Jr.”

His door starts to open like he was listening and is willing to come along. Soph grabs the handle and shuts it again. “Dad said just the two of you.” Through the chipped paint she says, “Sorry, Tonk!”

“That’s cool,” comes his muffled response.

I get a lopsided smile from Celia, “God, Sean, it’s like you don’t want to hang out with me or something. Do I smell?”

Yes, like possibilities…

And expulsion.

“Nah, it’s nothing like that. You smell great. Cool, okay, if Jett wants you to help me get boots then let’s go.” I head off but don’t hear footsteps joining me, so a quick glance over my shoulder is necessary. She and Sofia Sol part like they were in a discussion I couldn’t hear. “I miss something?”

“Nope,” Celia smiles, taking her sweet time to catch up.

My gaze drops to her hips and I grit my teeth at the extra sway there seems to be in her walk. It’s probably just my cock’s imagination.

On the porch I start chewing the inside of my cheek at our bad luck. Of all the people to find enjoying the fall weather with two cups of hot chocolate and blanket shared, Celia’s parents would be my last choice. They’re snuggled up and cute as hell—never saw a couple so in love. But when they spot us alone, Carmen’s soft brown eyes sharpen instantly.

“Where are you two going? Not for a walk.”

Celia usually shows impatience with her mother when she reacts to me like this, which is every time she knows I’m around. But today Ceels casually announces, “Jett is sending me to help Sean get boots. His sneakers are falling apart now.” She takes my arm and hurries me down the stairs even though her face is passive and her tone final, “Be back before dinner.”

Near the garage, out of audible range, I tell her, “Nicely played.”

“She’s got some issues that have nothing to do with you, I promise.”

“What is it?”

“Fuck if I know.”

I’m the one who pulls up the garage door. In this house they’ve taught me by example that the women—even the most badass among them—let the men do the heavy lifting. I secretly love it, makes me feel appreciated. In a house with this many egos the balance between men and women is interesting to me. It’s like the motorcycle club figured out long ago how to keep everyone happy—let men be men, and always respect the women. Easy enough once you commit yourself to it.

Celia and I mount the Harleys, reach to unhook our helmets and strap them on, not talking to each other. Is she as aware of my body as I am of hers? When Celia’s boots find better footing on the steel I hear it like it’s right in my ear, the subtle scraping. As she rises up and sits again to adjust her balance, the swoosh of jeans against leather makes my cock curse.

Glancing toward the plantation, I silently will someone to come join us. This trip is going to be torture.

“Ready?” she asks, revving the engine.

“As I’ll ever be,” I mutter, and lead the way, taking Luke or Atlas’s place. If some truck comes around a corner, or a car doesn’t stop at a red, I’ll take the hit. If we’re chasing a car and they’re shooting at us, the women file into a straight line behind us and we take the hit in that scenario too. That’s Cipher protocol.

It’s one of those chilly days where the sky is cotton balls wrapped in blue silk. And I gotta admit, it feels so fucking good to have Celia following me this time. I sit back a little more relaxed and confident on Scratch’s hog.

“Beautiful day!” she calls over the cool wind. “I like it when it’s not hot and muggy, when we’re not melting out here!”

“It’s incredible!” I grin back to her.

No place better than right here, right now. Hands gripping this powerful machine as the woman I can’t stop thinking about heads to the center of our sleepy town with just me.

Ours.

My smile fades as I put a shorter leash on my dogs.

Don’t set them free, Sean.

Still haven’t had that damn vote. Not sure what’s holding that up. Jett treats me like I’m one of them. I’ve played pool with Fuse, Scythe, and Honey Badger a bunch of times. Tonk Sr. gave me that heart-to-heart in the hallway but hasn’t come too close since then, because of Carmen. I know the younger crew is all for me joining. It’s the elders I’m not sure about.

I lean slightly and guide the Harley to take a sharp right, the final turn into town. Glancing back I see Celia matching my angle like our motorcycles are one. Shaking my head at how good this feels, we glide into a parking lot, park and lower our kick stands. Celia gives her long, sweet smelling hair a shake as she removes her helmet. The scent slams right into my cock. She’s so sexy that I close my eyes and mutter a cuss word under my breath.

“What was that for?”

Dismounting I ask, “Huh?”

“You just said motherfucker.”

On a dismissive shrug I throw and catch the keys. “Gonna miss these sneakers.”

Celia takes this as truth, since I’m usually honest, and as we head to the shoe store she smirks, “Well, I’m not going to miss them.”

The bells jingle as I open the door for her and she pauses in the frame and gazes up at me.

“What are you doing?” I grumble, needing to escape.

“You’ve got a little something here.” Her fingers glide down my cheek, the calluses making the caress hotter. I stare at her lips and her gaze flickers to mine, too. Swooping her finger and thumb back, she shows me a tiny yellow leaf. “Must have gotten stuck in your helmet.”

Distracted by the desire to kiss her I murmur, “Guess so.”

She frowns, gaze slipping to my mouth again.

“Can you please close the door! We’re trying to keep the heat in!”

Ceels walks inside looking beautifully awkward. I’m suddenly awake, muscles humming with ideas I want to act on. Grinding my teeth I follow her up a few aisles until she finally turns to me. “What size are you?”

A grin spreads on both our faces as we realize neither of us knew where we were going, what we were looking for, or even cared. Before I know what I’m doing I take her hand. “Celia, you drive me crazy, you know that?”

Her warm brown eyes widen, “You always act so detached!”

“And why do you think that is?” Her fingers loosen around mine and I think she’s going to let go. But she slides them over my calluses, sensually exploring them. My eyelashes get so heavy I can’t help but watch her mouth again. When she licks her lips I mutter, “Fuck this,” and collide a kiss into her that I have no business giving.

My brain is spinning with the justification that sure, I could get kicked out, but that might happen anyway. She might stop me and then I’d just back off and drop this for good, but she doesn’t do that. Instead she responds with as much passion as I’m giving to her. We’re pressed close. Her fingers feel like heaven gripping my biceps as I slide my hands around her back while electric waves shoot through my body.

Pulling back just a little I search her beautiful face and rasp, “It was just a kiss. We haven’t used our tongues yet. We could stop and act like this never happened.” But she frowns again and extends her tongue, licking my bottom lip and entering my mouth in a way that makes my cock strain to get at her. “Oh my fuck, yes,” I rasp in between the most sensual kisses I’ve ever had in my life.

Celia moans at my erection, thickly whispers, “Let’s get out of here, Sean.”

“We’ve gotta get the boots.”

“Fuck the boots.”

I dip to whisper in her ear, licking it first, “I’m going to fuck you. But I need those boots if we’re gonna be able to hide it.” Her fingers dive into my hair as she shivers. I give her one last lingering kiss, sucking on her tongue before I break, take her hand and say, “I’m a size fourteen. Let’s get this done.”

Scanning the sizes we find mine, and there’s nobody in the aisle but us. It’s the middle of a work or school day for most people. Celia digs through the selection like someone just yelled Fire! , and holds up the perfect options, giving me the choice of black or brown. Following my gut I grab the brown, kick out of my sneakers, sit down and shove my huge feet in these bad boys right here. Launching myself to test them out I adjust my hard-on, nod that these boots feel damn good. “What do you think? You like ‘em?”

Celia’s mouth is slackened, her eyes on them before the hottest I-can’t-wait-to-fuck-you look travels up my body.

My eyes roll back and I groan, “You’re killing me. Let’s go.” She grabs the box, throws my sneakers in it, and offers her hand. Our fingers lace as we walk the narrow path, avoiding forgotten boxes and short benches with stupid mirrors on their sides. I pull out my wallet with my free hand, not wanting to let go of her as Celia sets my old shoes down. “Can you toss these for me?”

The guy moves slower than a drugged snail.

I’m standing here with my eyes on her, calm with my decision. Celia feels me looking, and from profile gives me a small smile. I bend down and kiss her cheek, say against the softness of her golden skin, “You’re amazing.”

Her head turns, brown eyes flickering with disbelief. “You think I don’t know that?” She’s covering, because that surprise wasn’t at being told the obvious. Humor is way easier than showing insecurity since I’ve been so cold with her.

I had to be.

I’ll explain it to her later.

But right now, in front of the lethargic clerk I kiss her. “You didn’t think I knew. I’m telling you, I’ve known all along.”