Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
RORY
Ilay partially on top of Cord, tucked between him and the back of the sofa as he lounged on his back, one arm cocked behind his head while his other held me tight against him.
My fingers were tracing across his chest, sliding through the small smattering of hair. I never thought I’d be a fan of chest hair on a man, but Cord’s was perfect, thin and short, just enough to scrape across my nipples as he rode me.
But it wasn’t his chest hair that held my attention as we lay there in complete silence.
I drew an invisible line with my index finger from the scar on the right side of his chest to the one just above and to the left of his belly button, then from that one to the scar in the dead center of his torso, and ended at the one that puckered over his cut abs closer to his right side.
The memories of that horrifying day flooded my mind as I played a morbid game of connect the dots.
“I thought I lost you that day,” I said so quietly I wasn’t sure he’d heard me.
His arm squeezed as his head came down and he pressed his lips against the top of my head. “You didn’t lose me, sweetheart.”
“But I thought I did,” I continued to whisper, staring at those scars. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
“Rory.”
Pushing up to sitting, I swung my leg over his thighs to straddle him as I looked down at his handsome face.
“I’ve never felt a pain like that in all my life.
I don’t—” My voice cracked and I had to swallow down the rush of emotion that thickened in my throat.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t made it. ”
“Baby,” he said gently as his hands came up to span my waist. He dragged them up, higher and higher, over my ribs and shoulders until they came to rest on the sides of my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair. “I’m right here. I made it, and I’m right here, Rory. I’m okay.”
Even now, all these months later, I struggled with the reality of that.
“I have nightmares that you didn’t pull through,” I admitted, my voice weighed down by sadness.
“I never stopped caring about you, Cord. Not for a single day. Not even when I was so mad at you I could almost convince myself I hated you.” His eyes closed and the torment on his face was so stark I could feel it in my chest. But after what we’d just shared, I had to get this out.
“I think I started falling for you the very first time you walked into the bar, and those feelings never went away. They were just covered up by hurt.”
“Sweetheart, stop,” he pleaded, those words coming out harsh and agonized.
But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. “I just wanted you to know that.”
Cord’s fingers pressed deeper into my skin, and he used his hold to pull me down so we were almost nose to nose. “I do know that, Rory. And that’s what kills so fuckin’ much. I wish I could go back and do it all over again. Do it right this time.”
“Cord—”
“It was always you. From the very first moment I laid eyes on you. For more than four years, it’s been you, and I’m so goddamn sorry I messed everything up.”
“It’s okay,” I breathed.
“It’s not,” he gritted out. “But it will be. I’ll make it that way.”
I believed that. I truly did. But there was still one huge cloud looming over us. “And Laurie?” I asked, even though I didn’t want to.
“That’s done,” he stated firmly. “For good. I have exactly what I want in my arms right now.” My heart swelled so large it pressed against my breast, and my body slowly melted into his. “You’re mine, Rory. I finally have you, and I’ll be damned if I’m ever letting go.”
I felt my lips form a smile as I leaned closer and pressed them against his. “Okay, honey.”
“We still have a lot to work through,” he declared. “And as much as I want to stay right here and feel of you against me, we probably need to move.”
My face pulled into a pout even though I knew he was right. Fact of the matter was, we were in the office in the back of my bar, and we couldn’t stay here, even if I really wanted to.
“Yeah, I guess we do,” I grumbled, sitting up once again. But before I could climb off him and start getting dressed, his hands came to my hips and clenched, holding me in place.
“We’ll finish this conversation at dinner tonight,” he stated, his tone unflinching. “I think it’s safe to say, you sitting naked on top of me right now, that this is the start of somethin’ big. So that date at the Groves you tried to bail on is happening.”
A giggle worked its way past my lips. “All right, Cord. Dinner’s still happening.”
He returned my grin and gave my hips a squeeze. “Good, sweetheart. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Okay.”
“Now kiss me and climb off. I’ve got some shit at the office I gotta handle before I see you later.”
I did as he ordered, choosing to ignore his alpha-caveman bossiness because I really did want to kiss him. Then I climbed off and the two of us went about getting dressed.
“Oh, and baby,” he started as I slid my last boot on. “You feel you need to brace Zach in advance, that’s fine with me, but after dinner, I’ll be stayin’ the night.”
Again, he was being bossy. And again, I didn’t give a single fuck because I really wanted him to stay the night.
Cord
I could still smell Rory on my skin and taste her sweetness on my tongue. I could still feel her heat clenching around me as she came. She was, hands down, the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. But when she came… Christ, that was the kind of beauty men fought and died to have.
And it was all mine.
Fucking finally.
All of that was running through my head as I headed into the offices of Alpha Omega Investigations, so as I walked through the door, I did it with a smile on my face.
“Welcome back, handsome,” Roxanne greeted as I stepped into the lobby. “You’re in a surprisingly good mood.”
“That I am, Rox,” I replied, rounding the reception desk and placing a loud, smacking kiss against her cheek.
“Hey!” She batted at me playfully. “Hands off the merchandise, bud. May be hard for you to believe, and it’ll probably bruise that delicate ego of yours, but I’m just not that into you.”
I moved back to the front of the desk and rested my elbows against the ledge. “As wounded as I am by that, I’ll figure out a way to move on.”
She shot me a wink and slapped a stack of small square papers on the ledge.
“Messages that came in for you while you were gone. Now, I hesitate to tell you this, seein’ as you’re currently walkin’ on cloud nine, but…
” Her smile fell and a look of pure unhappiness took its place.
“Majority of those are from Laurie Dutton. Damn fool woman called ten times. Seems she didn’t get the message when you laid it out for her clear as day, honey. ”
“That’s not my problem.” I thumbed through the messages, separating the ones from her and the ones from clients into two piles.
I took the ones from clients and left her messages sitting on the ledge as I started to back away.
“Do me a favor and toss those out. Got nothin’ else to say to that woman, and I’m not givin’ her another goddamn second of my time. ”
Roxanne gave me a huge Cheshire cat grin as she took the stack and quickly started tearing them in two, then into quarters. “Sir, yes, sir.”
As I headed down the hallway, flipping through the messages to see which ones I needed to answer first, my cell chimed from my pocket.
I pulled it out and smiled at the same time my dick began to stir to life as I read the text that just came through.
Rory: Talked to Zach. He’s cool with it. See you tonight, stud.
Damn, that felt good. I got stud back. I got Rory back.
Yeah. Hell yeah, I was in a great fucking mood. And there wasn’t a damn thing that could bring me down.
The lights were shining bright from inside Rory’s house, making it stand out like a beacon in the waning sunlight as I parked right in front of the porch.
I turned off the truck and climbed out, taking the steps up the porch two at a time, and knocked on the storm door.
Zach appeared on the other side and waved me in. “Hey, Cord.”
“Hey, bud,” I greeted, ruffling his hair as I stepped into the house, letting the stormer whisper closed behind me.
“Rory said she’ll be right out. She’s just finishin’ up.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice, a smirk playing on his lips as he shared, “But she’s been runnin’ around like a crazy person since I got home from school. Don’t tell her I told you, but she’s totally nervous.”
I lowered my voice as well, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning back. “I won’t say a word.”
We moved into the living room, and Zach flopped down onto the wide, fluffy-looking couch, his eyes pointed to the TV as I sat in one of the matching chairs.
“So how you been?” I asked, watching as just his eyes moved off the TV and came my way.
“Fine, I guess,” he said with a shrug. “Be better if you’d convince Rory I don’t need a babysitter.” He curled his lip on that last word and continued to grumble, “I’m twelve years old, for cryin’ out loud. I can take care of myself, you know.”
Oh, we knew. All too well. “Hate to break it to you, kid, but twelve is too young to be taking care of yourself. And even though we know you’re more than capable of doing it, those times are done. At least until you get older.”
He rolled his eyes, ever the sullen, moody preteen, but didn’t bother arguing further. Instead, he turned back to the TV to resume watching his show. I let his lack of attention slide and used the quiet to really take him in.