Chasing Serenity (River Rain 1)

“I get that too,” he said, and he did.

Not his business either, but that was uncool.

“And while Mom’s in LA working, since most of the filming will happen in Phoenix, meaning she might not have to be in California very often, she and Bowie haven’t decided yet about where she’ll-slash-they’ll stay the time she has to be there. Buy some condo or loft or small property and have it for all of us to use if we’re there. Or stay in hotels. She can’t really know until she understands how much time she’ll be there. So, for now, Hale’s letting her stay in Uncle Corey’s house. That being the house where he killed himself.”

“Holy fuck,” Judge interjected.

She nodded, sharply, and kept speaking.

“And Mom’s determined to face that and memories of Corey, taking Duncan with her. But I’m not ready for the one, two, three punch of Mom diving into plans of getting remarried, having to spend time with Sasha and facing Uncle Corey’s death house, because I’ll be staying there too.”

She stopped talking, but before Judge could say anything, she added one more.

“Oh, and I don’t want to be away from you. Wednesday through Sunday is exactly our time together. And it’s a few weeks down the line, but losing that time with you doesn’t thrill me.”

Since she seemed done, he opened a drawer to grab his bottle opener, saw to that, and sucked back a sip of beer as he moved to her.

Then he set it aside and pinned her to the counter, leaning into her, hands on the edge of the worktop.

She didn’t move or make a peep, and this was no surprise. Judge had noticed she liked being pinned, and not just sexually (though she liked that most of all).

She liked it when they were watching TV.

When they were sleeping.

And times like now.

He didn’t know if it was a safety thing. Her world was chaotic right now, and if he narrowed it down to just them, it soothed her. Or if it was something else.

He just liked doing it, so he was grateful she liked it too.

“It’s a little weird she’s staying where your uncle…did what he did.”

“You’re being very sweet,” she whispered. “But he committed suicide. Judge. It isn’t a dirty secret, and not only because he was who he was, so it literally is not secret but worldwide news. And as much as I miss him, it was also his life, so it was his decision. He had demons. He could no longer battle them. So he took his own life.” She cupped his jaw then dropped her hand before she finished, “What I mean to say is, it’s okay to say the words, honey.”

He nodded. “So then, it’s a little weird she’s staying where your uncle killed himself.”

“Yes, it is,” she agreed. “Hale wants to sell, but Mom is pushing against it. It’s bizarre. Both Mom and Dad are more parent to Hale than Uncle Corey or Sam ever were, but it seems really strange to me she’s butting her nose into that. I don’t understand why.”

“You might find out.”

Her gaze went skyward, and her lips murmured, “Merveilleux.”

His poor baby.

“Is this what you had to talk to me about?” he asked.

Her gaze came back to him. “Yes.”

He didn’t get it.

“Why did you need to talk to me about all that before you finalize plans with your mom?”

“Because I need to know if you’re all right for me to go.”

Judge stood perfectly still.

“Are we here…already?” he asked cautiously.

That was when she jolted, looked down and to the side, and tucked her hair behind her ear.

She also was about to push through the pen he’d caged her in, but he caught her by saying, “Hey.”

She stopped moving and slowly, her gaze came to him.

“I assumed. It was wrong. I’m thinking ahead. Going too fast,” she rattled this off quickly.

“Chlo—”

“And I probably should have, you know, not expected you wanted me up at your house two nights a week. You seemed pleased. And now I feel that maybe—”

“Baby, chill a second, yeah?”

She clapped her mouth shut.

“Just to confirm, I’m there. I guess with all this, you’re there too. I just think we need to take a second and be in that.”

“You’re there?” she asked softly.

“Fuck yeah,” he answered, not softly.

Her eyes lit.

Christ, she was gorgeous.

But since they were doing this…

“That means exclusive, Coco. We’re there, but we’re still new. Even so, I’m not down to share.”

“Me…” She cleared her throat. “Me either.”

“Good,” he murmured.

“Good,” she whispered.

They didn’t take their eyes off one another, and hers were so bright, it felt like they warmed him.

Right to the bone.

She then brought it up.

“We should get tested. And I can look into something for birth control. I haven’t been…active so I’m not on anything right now.”

“We’ll do that.”

“Soon.”

He felt one side of his mouth go up at how quickly she said that.