Draw (Gentry Boys #1)(27)

Really, I might have meant little to him. He’d made a comment once about redeeming himself and he’d given hints that he’d suffered a few moments of guilt over what happened between us years ago. Of course I also saw the way he looked at me, as if he could stand to have me in his bed. But such was the nature of the beast in most men.

Just the same, if Cord had put his arms around me and his hands on my body last night, I would have gone with him anywhere. Instead he had just stared at me, mutely unreadable, until there was nothing else to do but walk away and leave him to his night.

Brayden was up early, as usual. He usually spent a few hours in the library before his classes began. Millie was always a late sleeper. She was spending the summer interning at a shelter in Phoenix and didn’t have to be in until ten.

My cousin wordlessly passed over a cup of coffee and I wasted no time becoming acquainted with it.

“It’s hot,” I winced.

“It’s coffee, Say. It’s supposed to be hot.” Brayden ran his fingers along the rim of his mug and looked worried. I put my hand on his arm.

“I’ll be fine today.”

There was a lot of doubt in his face. “Maybe I should go with you.”

“You think you’re going to scare Devin more than Cord Gentry will?”

Bray gave me a vague smile. “No, I don’t think anyone would scare him more than Cord.”

“Look, I’m just going to get my stuff and get the hell out of there. Devin said he probably won’t be there anyway. I don’t think he’s eager to see me either.”

“Well,” he sighed. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Why? You never answer your phone.”

With a flourish he withdrew it from his pocket. “I keep it on me all the time now.”

“That’s a good idea. You never know when desperate relatives will need you.”

Brayden sighed. “Be careful today, Saylor.”

“I will. Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson. Seriously, I’ve got to go hose myself off before Cord shows up.”

Since I was short on time I couldn’t luxuriate in my usual marathon shower. As it was, I heard Cord’s voice chatting with Brayden as I dressed. I pulled on a comfortable maxi dress I’d picked out at Kohl’s a few days earlier and applied my makeup with care, telling myself it wasn’t for Cord.

“Liar,” I scolded my reflection and rolled on some lip gloss.

My anxiety wasn’t all due to Devin. The lurching bubbles in my gut were conceived by the notion of spending so many hours close to Cord. I recalled the brief feel of his lips and shuddered at the bolt of desire which shot through me.

“There she is,” Brayden said, quite unnecessarily, as I entered the kitchen.

Cord looked me over coolly. I had to fight the urge to squirm. His blue eyes seemed capable of a mental strip search. After a moment he smiled. “Ready, Say?”

I grabbed a few bottles of water from the fridge. “I’m ready.”

Brayden leaned in close to Cord and nudged him softly. “Take care of her, man.”

Cord kept his gaze trained on me. “Damn right I will,” he said.

Bray raised his eyebrows a little at that but he seemed a tad bemused as he looked from one of us to the other. “I’ll see you tonight,” he told me and waved as I closed the door.

Cord drove a Chevy extended cab truck which looked as if it had seen better days. He explained that he shared it with his brothers and held the door open for me as I climbed into the passenger seat. The interior smelled heavily of aftershave and smoke, a heady combination which advertised the fact that this vehicle belonged to men alone.

As Cord started the engine I felt suddenly very shy and the truck seemed very small. I found myself staring at his hands, marveling at the obvious strength of him. It wasn’t just passion which coursed through me, it was a defining feeling of safety, of security.

Then my eyes traveled up to his face as he squinted into the rising sun which cast a sharp glare on the road. I’d nursed a secret crush on Cord Gentry, on all three Gentry brothers really, long before they made a pact to deflower me. It was almost a rite of passage among the teenage girls of Emblem, to fall crazily for the volatile Gentry boys. But I was always determined to be a step ahead of the crowd. I pretended I didn’t even see them.

“What?” Cord asked with a touch of irritation.

“Huh?”

“You’re staring at me like I’ve got snakes crawling out of my mouth.”

“Oh,” I flushed. “You don’t.”

He swiveled slightly and appraised me. “You look pretty.”

I didn’t flinch. “So do you.”

He glanced down at himself and grinned. “Cool. That’s just the look I was going for.”

I shoved him lightly. “Shut up. You know you’re hot as shit.”

Cord looked pleased. “You think so?”

I crossed my arms. “Is there a reputable female who doesn’t?”

“What about the disreputable ones?”

“They’re not real choosy to begin with.”

Cord laughed. “You’ve got an answer for everything, don’t you, Saylor?”

“No,” I mumbled uneasily, smoothing my hands on my dress and trying to quiet the conflicting emotions at war in my head. “not everything.”