Текст книги "Drawn Together"

Автор книги: Lauren Dane

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

“You are not bad news. No matter how often you tell yourself that. And I will say the sleep stuff is a killer. When Carrie was a baby she was pretty easy. She slept well. But when she started walking she just hated to sit still. She was up at five. Gave up naps before she was two. My ex hated that.”

“You were at work all day while she was home with the kid?”

“One of us had to pay the mortgage. We talked about it before she got pregnant. That she’d be home. I didn’t expect her to because she was the woman. We had a deal. She . . .”

“I’m not accusing you of being a sexist jerk. It was a question, that’s all. Erin is really good at it. The stay-at-home-mom gig. She’s got this endless patience with him. It helps that he’s a really happy kid. But still, she just goes and goes. Did you have a nanny or a night nurse or whatever?”

He relaxed a little. “She wanted a night nurse but I was really opposed. But she did have a nanny a few days a week. My mother came and helped a lot too. Looking back, the first cracks in our relationship were then. She wasn’t cut out for it. Parenting, I mean.”

“Yes, well. Carrie has you. Sounds like she’s better off without your ex. Who, by the way, sounds like a total moron. Did her tits blind you or something?”

He choked as he laughed. “We were young. She was gorgeous in her way. Her family knows my family. It seemed like the right choice at the time. I did love her. Then.” Even as they’d started to get into trouble he’d loved her, wanted to fix things. But once she’d started neglecting Carrie, that had killed it.

“You Warner boys sure do like to marry dumbasses. From what I hear, your mother isn’t stupid in any way.”

“I thought you liked Daisy?”

“I do. But he isn’t married to her. Yet. I’m talking the first one. And your ex. And the dumb, racist one your other brother is married to.”

“I’m going to hear your voice calling her the dumb racist one every time I see her from now on. Thanks for that.”

She shrugged.

“I think we did what we were expected to do.”

“I insulted you.”

“No. Not really.” He paused, teasing her with another bite. “You say things people don’t say. It’s . . . I’m not used to it.”

“Honesty?”

“Candor perhaps is a better term.”

“I don’t know which fork to use either.”

She was so fearless in many ways, but also vulnerable. He saw it all through her words and body language. It got to him. He wanted to gather her up and protect her.

So he did.

She didn’t resist, though she was surprised as she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling from his lap.

“I’ve got you.”

The words were simple. Easily understood in the context.

But they were more. It tore at her. Made her lose her grip on her defenses.

He put his head on her chest and she relaxed a little.

“Forks are overrated. Also, you talk a good game, but your table manners are pretty impeccable.”

He had a house in Maui. Good lord.

“I’m full, but you hardly ate.”

He sat straighter and pulled her plate over. She moved to take the fork, but he grabbed her wrists with one of his hands, holding them fast at the small of her back.

A pulse of warmth flowed through her. Narcotic.

He fed her, pausing to kiss her here and there as he did.

She couldn’t explain to herself why she tolerated it. That he restrained her and fed her and she made no effort to stop him.

But it did something to her. Filled a crack that had been forming since he’d come into her life.

“Candor is important. Most people aren’t honest on that level.”

“Erin says I’m sort of feral.” She shrugged. It was true really. It’s not like she was ever in any one place long enough growing up for a responsible adult to teach her how she was supposed to act.

He smiled. “Not feral. You’re just not affected like so many people are.”

“I’m really not trying to offend people. Well, most of the time.” She smirked. “I can be a total bitch when I put my mind to it.”

He laughed. “I bet you can. And I bet you’re aces at it.”

“Not worth doing if you don’t do your best.” He kept feeding her, holding her hands, keeping her on his lap until she was nearly catlike in her laziness. She leaned into his body, warm and lethargic. “I’m full. I promise.”

He put the plate aside.

“Do you trust me?”

She managed to tip her head back enough to look at his face. She didn’t trust a lot of people. But there she sat, on his lap after he’d held her hands captive and fed her. After she’d told him about growing up in the system.

Ludicrous. But no less true.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

He stood, keeping her in his arms, though he did let go of her wrists to keep from dropping her.

“I can walk.”

“I know. And I can carry you. What’s the point of going to the gym if I can’t carry a hot woman to my bedroom where I’m going to strip her naked and fuck her?”

“Put that way.”

She had to admit she was impressed by the easy way he carried her. As if she weighed nothing, and heaven knew that wasn’t true.

He nudged the doors to his room open with his foot and put her on the edge of the bed. “You need to be naked.”

She quickly complied, pulling her shirt off.

He sucked in a breath. “Mmm, I know you love purple, but red really looks gorgeous next to your skin.”

She was glad she’d worn the red bra.

She bent to help him get his jeans off and then his shirt, which luckily was a button-down so he wouldn’t have to pull a shirt on over his head with his back sore.

She pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “You have a fantastic body. Really.”

“Thank you.” He tipped her back to the bed and pulled her jeans off. Pausing to look at the tiny red panties she wore.

“I’m not sure I’d have pegged you for matching lingerie. But I like it. A lot.”

“I have a slight problem. I love lingerie. So much that it’s one of my favorite things about finally having a regular place to live so I can store it all instead of carrying it around.”

“Clearly I need to come to your place so I can check it all out.”

“Maybe. If you’re extra good.”

He grinned, looking rather like a pirate.

He crawled up the bed toward her body, nibbling up her thigh until he got her panties off, tossing them behind him. He paused as he held her gaze and a change came over his features.

“Hold on to the headboard. Don’t let go unless I say.”

She obeyed as if he’d pressed a button.

The cool of the wood was real against her palms. An anchor as he nibbled up her belly and then bit the underside of her breast until she hissed. Then he licked over the spot and warmth flowed as he hummed against her skin.

“Gonna leave a mark.”

That appealed to her. Knowing she’d be able to see it the next day. A tangible reminder of the time they’d shared.

“I like knowing it’ll be there. Knowing my mark will be on your skin. Like a secret.”

He left her breathless with the stuff he said. Good gracious.

The edge of his teeth found her nipple. First the right and then the left. Over and over until she was writhing. Grabbing the headboard so hard she wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d broken it.

“What shall I do next? Hmm?”

She’d been about to answer when he sat up.

“Don’t move.”

She didn’t as he disappeared into the next room. She heard him rustling around for a few minutes and then returned looking rather triumphant.

“I’m not sure if that look bodes well for me.”

“It bodes well for me, anyway.”

He pulled out a blindfold. “I use it while sleeping on long plane rides, but it’ll work just fine for you too.”

The material was cool against her face as he slid it on. It smelled faintly of lavender and of him.

Her skin came alive at the loss of her sight. Gooseflesh rose as he drew a fingertip down her collarbone and then over her nipple.

“On your belly. Hands out to the side.”

He took one of her wrists and she felt the clasp of a leather cuff as he tightened it on one side and then the other. Then he moved her wrist up and attached it to the poster of the bed somehow. He followed with her ankles.

Now, she wasn’t a stranger to sex. She’d been tied up for shits and giggles a few times. But this was different. This wasn’t a game. He was far too good at it to have been a game.

Part of it was—a big part of it—how hot it seemed to make him. She heard his breathing change as he moved. The brush of his cock as he worked let her know he was more than a little turned on by what he was doing.

His hands on her were sure and strong. And though what he was doing was binding her, those hands did not harm or misuse. This was out of her normal repertoire, but she knew that she liked it and wanted more. And that was enough.

“You’re so beautiful this way. Your back, your gorgeous ass and those long legs. Goddamn.”

She couldn’t quite put her words together so she didn’t say anything, though she managed a grunt of assent.

She wanted to know what he was going to do next. Wanted to experience it.

He’d never seen anything better in his bed. Ever.

Her dark hair a river over her shoulders and her back. Her muscles corded with her arms up, bound to the bed with the cuffs he’d actually never used before today. Though he’d taken them out and thought about using them more than a few times. He’d never been alone in the house with a woman he’d trusted enough to use them with.

Charlotte had barely tolerated his taste for rough sex. But she’d never submitted this beautifully. There had been others since the divorce. A woman he used to visit at her apartment. He’d learned a lot. His likes and dislikes. How to wield the tools that appealed. But it had been more like training than a relationship. He’d never been invested in her beyond her bedroom door.

This though . . . Raven was something far more. It had been a very long time since anyone had called to him the way this woman did.

So much to do with her. He let it take over, that part of himself he kept leashed deep inside. It settled in easily. As if it had been waiting for Raven.

Provocative. Her eyes covered. Naked on his bed. Her skin a riot of color from her ink, the roses curling up her inner arms. Her ass jutted out because she’d arched her back.

His. No one else around. Hours and hours.

He leaned down and bit one juicy cheek and she shuddered on a moan.

This strong, bossy woman had given over to him with such ease it had startled him. And, he realized, it startled her too.

He picked up the slapper, testing it on his palm, liking the sound.

She stilled.

He drew the edge of it over the curve of her ass. “Still with me?”

She managed a moan of assent.

And then he brought the leather down against her skin, the sound loud, more startling then the actual slap, he’d wager.

He dipped to lick up the line of her spine before he slapped her ass several more times. Slowly. Building heat. Building pleasure to beat back the pain.

“Your skin turns the most beautiful shade when it’s being paddled.” He blew over her ass cheeks and smiled to himself when gooseflesh rose in response.

Her legs were spread wide, leaving her pussy open to his touch. When his fingertips brushed against her labia he found her wet and hot.

She moaned low and ragged when he parted her, swirling a finger around her clit, tugging lightly on the hoop.

His pulse pounded in his temples. His cock was so hard it nearly hurt. He wanted to slide into that hot, wet cunt and fuck her. Right then.

Instead he drew it out.

Her muscles trembled as he slowly built her orgasm.

Her skin, so much of it, soft, taut over curves that stretched forever, called to him. He kissed the dimples at each side of her spine. Licked the small of her back. He kissed the blades of her shoulders and across her back.

Every once in a while, he returned to her cunt and she strained back to get more.

“Do you want it?” He surged up to nip her ass again.

She made a frustrated growl, her muscles tightening.

“I need you to tell me.”

“Yes!”

“Yes what?” He blew against her pussy and she groaned as he tickled her clit.

“Yes, I want you to make me come.”

“There you go. That wasn’t hard, was it?”

She growled again and he resisted laughing. Only barely.

He went back to her cunt, one hand there, the other he slid between her body and the bed to play with a nipple. Her body gleamed with sweat and a flush as her climax began to build in earnest.

She smelled so good he couldn’t resist leaning in to lick over her ribs. She whimpered and he nipped her skin. The whimper smoothed into a moan.

She rained honey on his hand as her nipple hardened against his palm and fingers.

With a strangled gasp as he pressed his palm against her cunt, still stroking her clit with his fingertips, she came hard and fast, her muscles tightening as she strained against the cuffs. He was thankful for the sturdiness of his furniture; her upper-body strength was nothing to sneeze at.

And when she finally went boneless on a satiated sigh, he kissed her skin.

“Mmm, you’re so fucking delicious when you climax.”

She mumbled into the mattress.

“It’s my turn, Raven.”

He sat up enough to undo her cuffs from the bed, though he left them on her wrists.

She was still boneless and lazy. He wondered how often she was this way and figured it probably wasn’t very often.

He pulled the blindfold off and she blinked at him. “Hello there, beautiful. You need to climb up and fuck me.”

She managed to get to her knees on the bed, and then he hooked the cuffs on her wrists together, binding them behind her back.

“My balance . . .”

He put a finger over her lips to silence her and he nearly came when she sucked it into her mouth.

“Goddamn.”

She smiled, catlike.

“I’ll handle your balance. You said you trusted me. Prove it.”

She licked her lips and then relaxed as he kept hold of the chain between the cuffs to help her remain upright.

“Your back . . . ” Her words were slightly slurred. “Either sit or put a bunch of pillows under your head and neck or you’re going to hurt.”

He hadn’t thought of that but she was right. He moved to a nearby chair and brought her along, helping her off the bed first, sliding a condom on before she straddled him, her knees to either side of his body.

Looking up at her this way brought pause. This wasn’t play. This was more. He was breaking her in a sense. Battering all her defenses until she submitted to him totally. There was a lot of responsibility he was about to take on. If he wanted her to submit to him, he had to deserve it. To continue to deserve it every day.

This woman was strong. Vibrant. She was wild and willful. But beneath? She was fragile and he needed to tread carefully so as not to harm that. He wanted her total trust. He had to earn it.

One-handed, he angled his cock, brushing it against her pussy a few times before he lined up and pressed in. Her lips parted on a sigh and she pushed down, taking him into her body completely.

He held her wrists, letting her know he wasn’t ready for her to move again just yet.

His gaze danced over her body. Lingering as he took in the curve of her hips. The weight of her breasts. The glint of the silver bars piercing her nipples. Her face, those gorgeous, lush features, her full mouth, the slumberous, slightly wary eyes.

And then there was the sight of his cock as she drew up on her knees, nearly leaving her body, and then slowly disappearing as she fell slowly down on him again.

Dark, slick with her honey, the sight of his cock disappearing into her cunt seemed to hypnotize him. Seduce his senses.

She arched, jutting her hips as she slid herself back and forth on his cock. All while he held her to keep her from falling. Watching her face as she closed her eyes. He wanted her to look at him, to know it was Jonah who gave her this experience. But he sensed she wasn’t ready for that kind of exposure. Not yet.

He’d demand her gaze when it was time.

For then, her body surrounded his in a hot, wet embrace. The weight of her body against his kept him aware of her curves.

“You make my mouth water. So lush and sexy. Goddamn.”

Her smile was a little shy. She was touched. The hesitance there only served to dig in under his skin even more.

“Slow. I want this to last a while.”

She pouted then and he laughed.

“Someone doesn’t like to wait.”

“I have instant-gratification issues.”

He tugged on the cuffs a little and she swallowed hard, her head falling back.

He’d thought he was being smart, but all he’d done was render her even more attractive. The long line of her neck offered up along with her tits. The window behind the chair let in moonlight and it caressed her skin.

He growled, unable not to. He leashed his impulse to thrust up hard and fast just to see her tits jiggle. Though he would the next time.

He wanted to savor this. So he did. On and on as he drew closer and closer. His orgasm built, filling him bit by bit, more and more, until there was nothing else to do but let it take over.

But before he did, he wanted her with him.

He moved his free hand to her clit where he squeezed it between his fingers. Fingers he’d gotten wet in her mouth. Hot, hot, hot.

“I want you to come all around my cock.”

She shifted to look down her body at where his fingers played against her clit. He watched her watch him. Orgasm bore down on him. His balls crawled up close to his body and he came on a snarled curse. But he kept his fingers squeezing over and over until, just a few seconds after he’d begun to come, she did as well.

It drew his climax out longer, the tight grip of her inner walls around his cock. Wave after wave until it felt like there was nothing left in his body.

He unclipped her wrists and gently helped her stand, leading her to his bed before darting to the bathroom to get rid of the condom and returning to her.

She watched him as she stretched. “Wow.”

He grinned. “Why, thank you. Back atcha.” He watched her carefully, so carefully that she cocked her head.

“What? Did I do something wrong? I’m not . . . well, this was new for me.” She blushed so prettily he couldn’t help but lean down to kiss her.

“You did everything right. I just want to be sure you’re with me all the way. What we did was good. Really good. I want you to be good with it too.”

She smiled, sliding her fingers through his hair. “Yeah? I don’t know what to say to you sometimes.”

“That’s got to be novel for you.”

Her laugh relaxed him.

“That’s pretty true, as it happens. I get the feeling this is normal for you. No, not normal, that’s a judgment word as Erin would say. Regular? I guess I figured you just said what needed to happen and that was that. Your lifestyle? I don’t know, I’m saying it wrong.”

He understood right at that moment that Raven Smith hated to be uncertain about things. Liked to be in charge.

That she was willing to be off balance with him—for him—meant quite a lot. More than he wanted it to, but it was too late to feel anything else for her but the way he did. That he hadn’t known her very long was pretty irrelevant at that moment.

“I resist terms like lifestyle because playing golf is a lifestyle, gardening. Whatever. To me, this isn’t a lifestyle. This is how I like to have sex. Other people may say differently and that’s how the world works. Regardless, I’d be a prick to do things with you, especially when you were bound, that you didn’t like as much as I liked doing them.”

“Oh. Yes, I liked them. You should do them more.”

He laughed, pulling her close. “Gimme a few minutes to recover. You’re hell on my cock, gorgeous.”

“That’s probably one of the best compliments I’ve ever received.”

8

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

Erin laughed as she hooked her arm with Raven’s and steered her toward the front door of Tart, the home of Mary’s supper club, Delicious.

It was, of course, already full of the people who made up the whole extended group of friends and relatives Erin was part of.

Mary had to stop doing the public one after it had become so well known she was involved with Damien Hurley, uber big rock star. But she still did them for her friends on occasion.

“And I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Jonah Warner was a kinky motherfucker. Jesus, you totally hold out on me all while telling me you love me?”

Erin said it in an undertone so no one else could hear, but Raven felt the heat of a blush anyway. Damn it, she did not blush!

“I told you yesterday. I’m sorry. I figured it would scar Alexander for life to hear his mother and Auntie talk about how Auntie’s man loved to whip her with a slapper while she was blindfolded and tied up.”

“I love it when they blindfold me. Makes all my other senses come alive.”

They’d actually not been able to get into the whole Jonah discussion too deeply the day before either, as they’d run into Elise and Rennie while they were out shopping and had ended up spending the afternoon together.

“He’s so hot. My god.” Erin’s grin made it impossible not to grin back.

Like this was news? The man messed with her head. Made her break all her rules. He was a tornado in her life.

“I agreed to be monogamous while we were together.”

Erin turned, her brows flying up. “Get out! Really? Damn, he must make you come so hard.”

“Well yes. Didn’t I already say that? He demanded it. And I like him and it seemed silly to argue. I’m too busy to fuck anyone else right now anyway, and this will burn out in time and I’ll move on when we’re done. I’m a big girl, I can do it.” She chewed her lip. “I think.”

Erin cocked her head.

“God, what if I mess it up?”

Erin put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “You’re not going to mess it up.” She took a drink from the table and handed it to Raven, clinking her glass to it. “It had to happen sometime. My baby is growing up.”

Raven snorted before she took a sip.

And then she heard him.

“Well now, I’m extra glad I came tonight.” Jonah walked straight to her as if no one else was even in the room. He took her free hand and kissed her fingertips. “Hello.”

She knew she did one of those cartoon gulps but she really couldn’t help herself. “Hi. Fancy seeing you here.”

“I called your place, actually. To ask you to dinner. But you weren’t there and Levi bugged me to come here and I was hungry. But this makes everything so much better.”

He made her skin tingle. His voice did things to her nipples. Flashes of how he felt deep inside her as he fucked her kept running through her memory.

“Hey, Raven.”

She tore her gaze away from Jonah to catch sight of Daisy approaching wearing a big smile.

“Hello, Daisy.”

“We saved you a seat. Next to Jonah, I mean.” She fluttered her lashes at Raven, who managed to wrestle her left eyebrow into staying put.

Jonah did some fancy thing with her hand. He turned as he put her hand on his arm, his own hand firmly over it, keeping her at his side as he walked her over to their table.

Erin simply moved their things down to that end of the table. “That was pretty nifty there.”

Jonah gave Erin a look, but she wasn’t the type to be scared off by a big alpha male face, as she had two of her very own anyway.

“That little spin as you directed her, I mean. So how have you been?”

Todd sat on one side of Erin and Ben the other. He kissed Erin quickly. “Smooth. You totally could have been a CIA agent with your sneaky skills.”

“I’m not sneaky. He’s smooth. I’m not waterboarding him or anything.”

Jonah leaned in closer to Erin, clearly amused. “Would you?”

“I don’t know. I might. Have you done anything worthy of being waterboarded?”

“Not yet. I don’t think.”

Raven cleared her throat. “Just ask him whatever you’re going to ask him already.” She turned to Jonah. “You need to give in now. She won’t give up. She’s like one of those little dogs. She’ll bark and nip at your ankles until you submit. It’s her way.”

Erin laughed, clearly delighted. “I’m just getting a feel for him. If he wants to take my daughter out, I should know his intentions.”

Raven couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m a big girl, Mom.”

“She’s concerned.” He put a hand over hers briefly. “I promise not to despoil her. And to have her back by ten.”

“What if I like being despoiled?”

“I tell you, you walk away from a table filled with these people and you return to talk of despoiling.”

Mary shooed her fiancé, Damien, to the table. “Sit. Don’t get any ideas.”

“I can help you in the kitchen.” He mooned over her, which Raven—though she’d never admit it out loud—thought was sort of sweet.

“You are not my helper tonight.”

“I am. So back off, buster.” Daisy sent him a lovely smile that sort of ruined her gruff words. “You get her all the time. It’s not enough that you stole her away to Oregon? You get to be in her kitchen every day. You need to learn to share.”

“That sounded sort of dirty. Can we watch?” Adrian leaned back in his seat, his arm around Gillian’s back.

“Only if you want me to poke your eyes out.” Levi sipped his drink. “If anyone gets to watch, it’s me. And Damien I guess, if he’s nice.”

Raven breathed a sigh of relief when the conversation moved past the grilling of Jonah. Oh, she knew people thought she loved being the center of attention and none of them mattered enough for her to correct their misperception. But she didn’t like it.

Erin leaned closer. “So we need to continue our discussion later.”

Jonah slid his hand up her spine, stopping to cup the back of her neck. She shivered and Erin’s eyebrow slowly rose as she took in Raven’s response.

“Yes. Later.”

“Oh, is it a secret? What’ll I need to give you to let me join in?” Jonah’s words were playful, but his grip on her neck made Raven tingly.

Todd laughed.

Erin sniffed but wore a grin. “This is what I’m trying to get her to tell me. What you give her, I mean.”

Raven knew this was her payment for being so provocative with all her friends. Now Erin was going to be merciless.

“So what’s on the menu tonight?” She grabbed the card on her plate to look it over.

Jonah turned to her, amusement in his gaze. He tipped her chin up with his fingers. “Are you trying to change the subject?”

She leaned in close. May as well get him as worked up as she was. “I’ll tell her all the details later. When we’re not surrounded by fifty people. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell her how hard you make me come.”

He laughed, kissing her quickly. “Good to know. I have a reputation to uphold.”

Levi looked sideways at his brother and Jonah sent him a raised brow. Levi shrugged, but Jonah knew he’d have to have a long talk with him about Raven.

But for that night, he wanted to be with her. It was clear by the way the others seemed to react that Raven hadn’t brought dates around. Then again, he never had either.

He stroked the smooth skin at the back of her neck.

“So I hear most of the outlining is done on your back piece.” Brody spoke this time.

“Yes. It’s looking good. He’s a champ. I worked on him for several hours and he never complained.”

Jonah snorted inwardly. He had a high pain tolerance and really, she was so good and he was so distracted by everything else that had been going on between them that he’d barely noticed.

“Itchy today though.”

“Means it’s healing. That’s a good thing.”

“My mother says he has superhuman healing powers,” Levi added.

“Levi and I used to beat the fuck out of each other. I always healed first.”

Daisy sighed. “You’re supposed to unite and beat other people up, not your brother!”

“He’s the one who hauled me out of bed and made me finally see reason and grovel to you.” Levi smiled at Daisy, who softened immediately and sent a look to Jonah.

“Yeah? Well, I guess it’s okay that you may have punched him over that.”

Jonah laughed. “Well, to be fair, we always united against anyone who tried to hurt our family and friends.”

“That’s what family does.” Daisy shrugged and flounced off to help Mary in the kitchen.

Raven looked down at her hands.

He kept stroking her skin.

Erin glanced his way and then back to Raven. The storm had passed and Raven pulled her gaze from her hands and back up to Erin.

Brody spoke again. “Make sure to take photographs of the back. Step by step. For the book.”

Raven nodded at Brody. “I did.”

“The book?”

“Raven is being featured in a piece about tattooing. There’s a short film with it too. Anyway, they’re using some of her bigger pieces. From her design for you, I think it would be a good one.”

“You saw it?”

“Of course I did.” Brody gave him a look that told him he was dumb for thinking otherwise.

Jonah didn’t quite know what to make of the closeness between Brody and Raven. It was totally and utterly clear Brody Brown adored his wife. They had a connection so strong, so tangible, it was nearly a physical thing. Brody was protective of Raven. Like he was of Erin in many ways.

But it rankled that she had this history with another man.

Stupid. He had an ex-wife he had a kid with. It seemed hypocritical when Raven didn’t seem overly bothered by his ex. But there it was. Jonah figured he wasn’t entirely reasonable when it came to Raven.

“I show all my work to Brody. He’s a great sounding board. He tossed out a few of my sketches so you should be thankful.”

“I’m sure they were just as amazing as the others.”

Brody raised one brow and Elise blinked, hiding a smirk behind her hands.

“She’s a pretty amazing artist. I’m sure all the designs were good. I’m sorry I didn’t see them all.”

Brody sipped his drink, clearly taking Jonah’s measure. All around them pockets of laughter and conversation rose and fell, ebbed and flowed. These people, all of them, had a deep connection to one another. He liked it. Wanted a place in it. But he had to deal with this man sitting a few seats down, who clearly saw himself as Raven’s protector. Jonah wanted that job.

“She is. I agree. But it’s a process. Design, I mean. Some ideas don’t make the cut.”

Raven put her hand on Jonah’s arm. “Some of the designs he tossed out, as an example, would have been too large on your back, or too small. Because you’re doing black and gray, the balance is really important. You’re too . . . elegant . . . No, that’s a feminine term, I think . . . Anyway, all that ink wouldn’t have fit you. Not your personality or your body type. It’s why I bounce ideas off him. He’s been doing this longer than I have. He’s better at it.”

On one hand, he liked that she explained. On the other, he hated that she was defending another person to him. That she’d feel she had to, that he was being a pissy fool, that she’d said anyone was better than her.