Chapter 65 Desire And Fear
Cole’s POV
I froze the moment Celene's lips brushed mine. Not from shock or from even desire... But from the quiet weight of what it meant... What she was telling me without using her words...
Her actions spoke volumes and I heard every single word they said...Her hand gripped mine like she was anchoring herself to me.
I stayed where I was, letting her. Letting her choice sink in without words, without movement.
But for the first time in a very long time, I doubted myself... I doubted the real meaning of what she had said with her actions.
What if she dud not mean it that way...
What if I was just reading meaning into her quiet kiss of gratitude...
What if she was just disoriented...
Also, a small part of me just wanted to be reassured, to have her reach for me even once, even though in the past few days, she's been doing that a lot.
I did not want to make a mistake with her and push her ten times backwards in her relationship with me and her recovery because of my actions...
But when my resolve broke, and I grabbed her and kissed her like a hungry, starved man... It all felt right.
It felt perfect...
Not long after we kissed, she curled up on the bed and laid on my chest, effectively sealing my fate and reason for living.
In all my years, all I've ever wanted was someone to know me, truly know me and yet choose to do life with me. And here I was, straddled by a fierce and strong kitten with a penchant for attracting danger and everything in life felt perfect.
Her scent, warm and intimate, lingered against me as she mumbled in her sleep, unconsciously holding onto me even tighter, my pulse picked up to a dangerous rhythm I didn’t try to control.
She shifted even closer to me in her sleep, nuzzling against my chest. One small hand pressed against me again like a silent claim, and something inside me eased and the anxiety I didn’t know I carried softened.
I brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, letting my fingers linger just a heartbeat longer as I admired her... She was mine... She was fully mine.
She stirred, hummed softly in her sleep, but didn’t pull away from me.
I rested my forehead lightly against hers, inhaling, letting the quiet of her breathing fill the space between us. No words, no demands, no pretenses... It was just her and me.
Her lips had said something, even when her eyes were closed and I chuckled as I watched her... She really always spoke in her sleep. It was such a cute side of her that I was beginning to get addicted to.
This fierce woman... This woman who attracted beasts and darkness even when she did not know or think it possible, She’d chosen me. And I felt it in every inch of my skin, in every beat of my chest, in the subtle curl of her fingers around mine.
In the darkness, in the quiet, I let myself feel her trust, her surrender, her desire and it made something in me unclench, it made me feel lighter, even if just for a moment.
Then she shifted, tangled her fingers in mine again, and I held her closer, letting the moment linger like the world outside our bedroom did not matter. I closed my eyes and let myself drift into the most comfortable sleep I'd ever had.
I woke to the warmth of Celene pressed against me, her soft, steady breathing filling the quiet.
At first, I thought she was asleep. But then I noticed the subtle twitch of a smile on her lips. I kept staring at her blushing face as I watched her squirm.
She knew I was staring at her, I saw the slight curl of her fingers as if she was holding back a giggle. She was awake. Pretending. And it was utterly, mischievously adorable.
I leaned closer, letting my lips brush against her ear. My voice was low, teasing, and deliberately intimate as I whispered in her ears.
“I want to kiss you again,” I whispered. “But if you’re still asleep, I’ll have to wait… and not kiss you. Are you asleep, Kitten?”
She let out a small, barely audible giggle. And fucking hell, blood flowed all the way to my cock... She was fucking perfect.
Slowly, and teasingly, her eyes fluttered open and she had a shy smile on her lips.
“Yes…” she whispered, her voice absolutely heavenly “…I’m sleeping.”
I couldn’t hold back a laugh as it burst right out of my chest. Her eyes widened, and a faint flush crept up her cheeks.
"Celene Luther, you just made me the happiest man on earth, do you know that?"
She opened her mouth to respond but I didn't let her...
I didn’t hesitate. I pressed my lips to hers, silencing her and letting the laughter and playfulness melt into something urgent, something raw and fucking unrestrained.
She melted into me instantly, moaning lightly while her body folding against mine as if we were two halves finally made whole. Every brush of her lips, every sigh against mine, every breath she let escape made my chest tighten with a happiness I didn’t often let myself feel.
Time fucking disappeared when I was with her. There was only her warmth, her scent, the gentle rise and fall of her chest under mine as her arms wrapped tighter to my chest, anchoring herself to me, and I let myself lose control.
I kissed her like she was oxygen and I was dying... Like she was cocaine and I was a fucking addict... Because, Fuck it, I was fucking addicted to her, for her, with her.
And then, just as my lips traced the curve of her neck leading down to her cleavage, my phone on the nightstand rang sharply, breaking the intense spell.
I pulled back slightly, reaching for the phone, picking up the call while my head stayed buried in her neck.
Jeffery’s voice was crisp and urgent as he spoke.
“Boss, your mother has arrived.”
Cold, efficient, commanding. The moment the words hit, I felt the old mask of the mafia lord slip back into place. My body stiffened, my tone clipped and authoritative.
“Understood. I’ll be there shortly,” I said, then ended the call.
I raised my head to look back at Celene. The softness of the moment lingered only for a heartbeat before my gaze found hers. Her eyes met mine, with her dark skin blushing deeply.
I brushed a stray strand of her afro hair from her face. “Kitten… get ready. You’re about to meet my mother.”
Her brow furrowed.
"She's here?" Her voice sounded small, but I knew if anyone could handle my mother, it would be Celene.
"Yes, Kitten. You'll be meeting The mafia Godmother,” I added quietly, letting the weight of that title hang between us, my hand lingering on hers for a brief moment. “And I’ll be right there beside you, always"