Draw (Gentry Boys #1)(83)

“Told you I’d be back today.”

Chase grabbed me around the neck and gave me an affectionate squeeze. “I’m supposed to get out of here tomorrow.”

“Yeah? That’s good news.”

Creed stood and gave me a short nod by way of greeting. Cord had crossed his arms and was looking me over with a glint in his eye.

“So,” I said brightly, “I had a shitty day. How about you guys?”

I didn’t miss the way Creed and Cord glanced at one another. It was Chase who spoke though.

“Shitty day all around, Miss McCann. Looking up now, though. What happened to your arm?”

“Oh, right.” I glanced down at the clean bandage Declan had covered my tattoo with. I pulled it off to expose the permanent script on the inside of my wrist. The skin surrounding it was still raw and red.

Chase grabbed my arm, examining the tattoo, and then grinned. “’Amor vincit omnia’?”

I nodded. “I think it does. No, that’s not right. I know so.”

Creed peered at my arm, frowning. “Conquer love?” he guessed.

“’Love conquers all’,” Cord corrected.

Creed let out a low whistle and snatched up his guitar. “Well, I’m gonna leave this little party and head out.” He leaned briefly on the edge of the bed and his voice was unusually gentle. “Good night, little brother.”

Chase yawned. “Good night, King Kong.”

Creed started to walk out and then he turned around suddenly. He withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket and pushed it into my hand. I looked up at him and he smiled faintly.

Cord stood stock still on the other side of the bed. He watched as I unfolded the paper and saw my face staring back at me from the picture inside.

“Damn,” I breathed. “Thank you.”

Chase rolled over to his side and shut his eyes, waving us away. “Good night, everyone. Leave the premises. Go off to f*ck or fight or whatever people are doing out there. Just remember that pretty soon Chase Gentry is rejoining the game.”

He opened one blue eye and winked at me as Cord came to my side. Creed had already gone on ahead so we left quietly together. It was a long walk back to my car but we didn’t speak the entire time. I handed my keys over to him. He took them without a word and opened the door for me.

When Cord started driving I figured he would just head back to the apartment. He seemed to have something else in mind though and when he parked on campus I realized what it was. It was easier to climb up the steep stairs of the art building barefoot so I slipped my sandals off and hiked up my dress for the trip up. Cord followed right behind. When we reached the top I couldn’t wait anymore. I went to him and brushed my fingers across his cheek.

“Hey,” I whispered.

“Hi,” he answered, his arms already wrapping around my waist and drawing me close. His face was happy and relaxed. Whatever the plan had originally been tonight, the worst hadn’t occurred.

“So how was Emblem?”

“The same.”

“Is that where you got the ink?”

“Yeah,” I smiled, thinking of Declan. I told Cord about it all and he laughed. There was something I hadn’t mentioned yet though.

“I saw your folks,” I said hesitantly and watched his smile disappear. “Do you want to hear about it?”

He shook his head and sighed. “No.”

I hugged him fiercely. “I adore you, Cordero Gentry.”

“You’d better. Because I plan on keeping you.”

My heart jumped. “I think I like the idea of idea of being kept by you.”

Cord pulled back a little and ran his fingers through my hair. “Then kiss me, baby. And once you start, don’t ever f*cking stop.”

There was nothing else to talk about tonight. It was all I wanted too.





EPILOGUE


CORD



“Damn, honey. Say that filthy shit again.”

“You f*cking own me, Cordero. I’m ruled by your huge cock and nothing else.”

“And you like it that way.”

“I love it that way. Oh god, I’m almost there. Can you keep going hard just a little longer?”

“I can keep going hard as long as it takes, baby.”

It was the middle of the afternoon and we were screwing our brains out in our bedroom. Saylor shuddered and got even wetter as she tightened around me and yelled. She came longer and with more noise than any freaking female in history. It was hotter than the dirtiest porn flick. With a supreme effort I managed to hold back my release until she was all done.

“Shit,” she whispered, melting into my arms as we rolled back into the bed together. I pulled her on top of me, loving the feel of her sweaty skin.

Chase banged on the living room wall with his fist to let us know he didn’t appreciate the noisy afternoon theater. He’d been home from the hospital for two weeks but we were still forcing him to take it easy. It was making him increasingly irritable, especially when he was inadvertently forced to listen to neighboring bedroom acrobatics.

“Sorry,” I yelled as Saylor giggled into my neck. I let my hand rest on her hip. “You got to head to work now?”

“Yeah,” she sighed with regret. “Can’t leave Truly alone with the famished masses. And you?”