Chapter 14
Cobra would have to admit that his brother looked happy, and he knew it was all because of the woman by his side. The woman he had married a few months ago. “If Colton ever gives you trouble, Kelly, just know you can ditch him and that I’m available.”
Kelly threw her head back and laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You better not,” Colton said, pulling his wife closer to his side. “There are some things we never shared, and we won’t start now. She is completely taken,” he said, leaning in to place a kiss on her wife’s lips.
Cobra would admit he was happy for Colton and Cortez. He couldn’t help wondering if he would be so lucky one day. He then frowned at the thought that he would wonder about such a thing. Hell, he wasn’t sure any woman could hold his interest for long.
At that moment, thoughts of Desiree flashed through his mind. His desire girl. He couldn’t help but recall the hot kisses they had shared a few days ago in the Belgium Room.
“Any reason you have a silly-looking grin on your face, Cobra?”
For a minute, he had forgotten his brother and sister-in-law were still there. “I don’t have any silly-looking grin on my face.”
“You do, too.” Colton then turned to Kelly. “Doesn’t he?”
She shook her head, grinning. “I refuse to let you pull me into that.”
Cobra winked at her. “You’re not only gorgeous, but you’re smart as a whip, Kelly.”
When some of their other cousins approached, the subject changed to other things, such as any plans being made for a Masters’ Christmas get-together.
It was only a short while later that Cobra decided to go outside to sit in the civic center’s courtyard, where the family reunion was being held.
Today had been a busy day, and he was glad that in an hour or so, another family reunion would be coming to an end.
***
“The family reunion turned out great, Cobra. You and your committee did an awesome job on it.”
Cobra glanced over at Quinn, one of his older cousins who owned a massive law firm in Los Angeles.
He was also married to Grammy-award-winning artist Alexia Bennett Masters.
Cobra and his brothers were blessed with older cousins they could look up to as they grew up.
Quinn and his brothers—Grey, Lake, and Shane—had always been there to offer an ear and advice when needed.
Now that the triplets were adults, he especially appreciated that the ‘Brothers Four’, as they were often called, never pried but were always ready to listen.
“Thanks, but it wasn’t all up to me. Aunt Gertrude drafted my services.”
Quinn chuckled. “She’s done that to all of us at some point or another. It was your turn.”
“Whatever.” Cobra took a sip of his beer and looked around. “Hayes seemed to enjoy himself.”
“He told me that he did,” Quinn said, sliding into the chair across from Cobra in the courtyard.
“Of course, he’s still getting to know everyone.
The past year hasn’t been easy for him. To lose both parents the way he did, and then to have to leave his friends behind and start over in a new state, a new school, and a family he’d never met.
But he’s managing. He’s doing well in school, and he told me that he signed up for the softball team. ”
“That’s great! It’s hard to believe it was a year ago when you got that call.”
Social Services in Philadelphia had contacted Quinn to let him know that Sonny, his grandfather Kenneth’s grandson, whom he hadn’t known about, and his wife had been killed in a robbery.
They’d told Quinn that unless a family member applied for custody of Hayes, Sonny’s child, the boy would be placed in the foster care system.
When they sent Quinn a picture of Hayes, Quinn could tell the boy was a Masters. He favored most of them.
The ‘Brothers Four’ immediately flew to Philly to claim Hayes. Quinn had claimed full custody since Hayes was the same age as Quinn and Alexia’s daughter, Idella. They were in the same grade and could attend the same school.
Quinn got up and grabbed a beer from the cooler, and when he sat back down, Cobra asked, “You dated a lot before you settled down and married Alexia, right?”
Quinn chuckled. “I dated, but I didn’t have a revolving bedroom door the way you do.”
Cobra grinned. “Sounds like you’ve been listening to Cortez.”
“Not just Cortez. Over the years, I’ve heard your mama complain about your love life as well. Your reputation is legendary. But sooner or later, that lifestyle starts to get old. Has it?”
“Let’s just say I had a wake-up call when that woman tried to trap me.”
“I heard about that, and no, Cortez didn’t tell me. He didn’t have to. He works for my firm, and I know about all my attorneys’ cases.”
Cobra nodded. “You know about the bet, too?”
“I heard about it. Winning will be a test of your willpower and control. But I’m sure you know that.”
“Yeah, and it’s hard because I’ve met someone.”
“Recently?”
“At Colton’s wedding.”
Quinn nodded. “That was two months ago. So you’ve got three months of abstinence left, right?”
“Yes.”
“I take it you don’t want a steady relationship with this woman, just another short affair. One night or one week.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because it sounds like you’re chomping at the bit to take her to bed, instead of using the time to establish an emotional relationship rather than a mere physical one.”
Cobra thought about that. He didn’t want to treat Desiree like the other women who had passed through his life. He honestly enjoyed spending time with her. “She’s different, and I want to get to know her better, and I want her to get to know me.”
He decided not to mention that a few weeks ago, Cortez had suggested he consider entering into a steady relationship with a woman. Considering the close call that he’d had with Bernice Whey and the fact that he’d been gun-shy ever since, maybe that was something he should consider.
“Usually, when two people take the time to get to know each other, sex is off the table in the beginning. For how long is up to the couple,” Quinn said.
“It’s about the type of relationship you want to build, the emotional connection you want to make.
But if sex is the only thing you can think about, you need to ask yourself if that’s your only interest in her. ”
Cobra was still thinking about what Quinn had told him when he walked into his Savannah home a few hours later.
He and Desiree were intensely attracted to each other; that was a certainty.
In the past, that would have translated into something sexual and nothing more.
So maybe there was a reason she had come into his life at a time when sex was not the main factor in the relationship.
What he told Quinn was true. He wanted to get to know her better by spending time with her.
That was why he still intended to read the report from Landon that he’d received the day before he had left New York.
He hadn’t had the time to look at it before leaving for Savannah, but he’d make it a priority when he returned.
He wasn’t sure what he wanted to find. He didn’t think he’d discover anything nefarious about her, but hopefully the report would help him understand her better.
As much as he enjoyed being with her, there were a number of things about Allison Desiree Sharpe that didn’t add up.
When Quinn was talking about Hayes and the adjustments he was making after losing both his parents, Cobra thought about Desiree.
She had been placed in a similar predicament.
At twelve, she had left behind friends, an aunt she had been close to, and the country where she had been born to come to live with a grandfather she barely knew.
A grandfather who was going through his own grief.
Unlike Hayes, who no doubt had Quinn and Alexia, and even their kids—their daughter, Idella, and their twin sons, Blake and Bennett—to help ease Hayes into their family structure, Desiree had been shipped off to a boarding school.
Not because Richard hadn’t loved her or wanted her, but because emotionally, he hadn’t been capable of giving her what she had needed.
But like he told Richard, the relationship between him and his granddaughter was theirs to fix, and he sincerely hoped they would.
What Cobra had to decide, however, was what type of relationship he wanted with Desiree and why. She was pulling all kinds of emotions out of him; emotions he had never felt before for a woman. Emotions he had honestly thought he was immune to. Desiree was proving him wrong.
Even now, he was missing her and couldn’t wait to see her again.
He wanted to show her once again that Aimery LeBlanc’s claims weren’t worth thinking about.
Suddenly, he realized he was doing more than just priming Desiree for what was to come; he was branding her, something he had never done. He was branding her as his.
After taking a shower and slipping into bed, he decided to call Desiree.
He again thought about what they had done in the Belgium Room the day before he left town.
Memories of having her in his arms, of tasting and exploring her breasts with his mouth, had dominated his thoughts and made him anxious to taste other parts of her.
He punched in her phone number and waited. He felt a stirring in his stomach when she answered.
“Hello, Cobra. It’s nice to hear from you. How is your family reunion going? Is everything alright?”
He settled into a comfortable position in bed. “Everything is fine. I was just thinking about you. The family reunion was a success. How did your weekend go?”
“I helped out with that reading class as usual yesterday. However, I did attend a dinner party last night that Saul and his wife gave, and I went to church with them today.”
“That’s great. They’re a wonderful couple. Real down to earth.”
“I agree, and I really like them.” She paused. “When are you coming back?”