Page 181 of Rags's Awakening
The dry pine needles crackled beneath their heavy boots. Shadows stretched out behind them, long and dark, as they walked toward the row of Harleys gleaming in the dying light.
The scent of garlic and roasted tomatoes hit Rags the moment he stepped into the kitchen. He leaned against the doorframe, watching Casey at the counter. Her back was to him as she chopped a carrot, swaying her hips and belting out the chorus of Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.”
A small quirk tugged at the corner of his mouth when she hit a high note, totally lost in the music.Fuck, she’s beautiful.
He closed the distance between them without a sound, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest.
Casey let out a soft laugh and leaned back into him. “Hey,” she breathed, resting her hands over his. “You better be careful. I have a knife.”
“I’m terrified,” he whispered, burying his face in the crook of her neck to breathe in the familiar scent of her shampoo. “But I’m willing to risk it.”
“Are you?”
“Oh, yeah.” He peppered the warm side of her neck with small, deliberate kisses, tracking a slow path from her shoulder to just beneath her ear. “Didn’t know I hooked up with a rock star.”
“I only sing like that when I’m happy,” she murmured, tilting her head to give him better access. “Take it as a compliment.”
Casey twisted around within the circle of his arms. She looked up at him, her eyes bright and soft. Rags stared down at her face, knowing they had gone through a mountain of baggage and betrayal just to get to this moment, this exact peace. When she reached up to cup his jaw, he leaned into her touch, meeting her halfway as she pulled him down into a deep, slow kiss.
“Fuck, woman,” he rasped against her lips, scooping her up into his arms.
“The lasagna,” she gasped, automatically twining her arms around his neck. “It’ll be ready in twenty minutes.”
He flashed a wicked smile, looking down into her eyes. “That’ll give us just enough time for a fast, dirty quickie.”
Her throaty laugh bounced off the kitchen tiles, a sound he knew he’d never get tired of hearing. She rested her head against his shoulder as he pivoted and carried her out of the room.
Rags touched start on the dishwasher and looked over when he heard the clink of glass. Casey was at the counter refilling her wineglass, then poured a generous amount of whiskey into a tumbler for him. They moved to the living room, settling onto the couch together. Casey curled her legs up under her, resting against his side as Rags took a slow sip of Jack. The house was quiet, filled only with the faint, comforting hum of the kitchen appliances.
He cleared his throat, running a hand through her hair. “My mom usually has Sunday suppers each month. Clara and my older sister and her family usually go.”
“Do you?”
“Not so much.”
“Why?”
Rags shrugged. “Busy, I guess.”
“More likely hung over from the weekend club parties,” she said.
He laughed. “That too.” He pressed his mouth to her head and kissed her. “Since you’ve come into my life, club parties aren’t as regular.”
“They better not be,” she said, poking a finger into his side.
He chuckled. “Anyway, there’s another one of these suppers coming up in a couple of weeks. I want you to go with me.”
Casey went still against his chest, her glass pausing halfway to her lips.
“Clara will be there, obviously,” he said. “And my older sister Megan is coming with her husband and their three kids, so it’ll be loud.” He laughed, shaking his head. “Those little hooligans are cool as fuck. My brother Jeremy and his woman are coming, too. Mom will be bursting at the damn seams.”
Casey lowered her glass, her gaze dropping to her lap. “Would your mom mind if I came?”
“Mind? Hell, babe, she’s been chomping at the bit to meet you. She told me, more like demanded that I bring you. She wants to meet you along with the rest of the family.”
She looked back up at him, and a sudden squeeze hit Rags’s chest. Her eyes glistened, and before she could blink, a tear slipped down her cheek.
He set his tumbler on the coffee table and shifted, cupping her face with his hand to brush the tear away with his thumb. “What’s going on, Case? Look, if you don’t feel comfortablegoing, we don’t have to. I can tell my mom we got plans. No pressure, okay?”
