by Elyse, Drew
“I’m not leaving,” I swore, holding his gaze as I did. I held on as I gave him something more, something I wasn’t sure he’d ever gotten from anyone. “I hate what you went through, I hate that you felt you had to do those things, but none of that changes the fact that I love you.”
That ache in my heart only intensified when he looked startled at hearing that.
“What?”
Compelled to ease that pain, in both of us if I could, I leaned up and pressed my lips to his. It took him a moment to respond, but his soft kiss felt like cool water soothing over every burn that had ravaged me for days.
When I pulled back, I did it meeting his eyes. “I love you, Parker.”
He yanked me in tight, like he might be able to merge us into one and never have to let me go.
And into my neck, he whispered back, “I love you, too.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Park
“Will you tell me the rest?”
For the last hour or more we’d been on the couch. I had Gwen in my arms, and I’d never felt anything like the utter contentment I was experiencing right then.
I’d never, not in my wildest dreams, thought I’d give her all of that, all of me, and be met with her love. I’d been certain the only way I’d keep her would be by also keeping my past a secret. That somehow I’d have to find a way to get her to let go of that, and then I could give her everything else in my power and maybe I’d have a shot at what I was feeling right then.
But Gwen, my beauty, she was a miracle I didn’t deserve. One I’d thank my lucky stars for every goddamn day.
I skimmed my fingers through her hair, loving the way she burrowed into my chest and practically purred when I did.
“The rest?”
She tipped her head back. “What did you do after you ran? How did you end up here in Hoffman?”
I nodded. I could give her that. For all she’d given me, I’d do anything for her.
“That first bus was headed south, so I rolled into Portland. It was busy, so I took the chance and got off, hoping that if they had followed, I could be lost in the crowd. The next bus I could get on heading out from there was going east. I rode for a while, staring out the windows to see if there were any cars tailing us. When we rolled into Hoffman, it just felt right. Big enough that I could probably pull off the subletting thing, maybe find work that wouldn’t care about ID—hell, maybe find a way to get my hands on a fake ID for that. I got off, and if they’d ever had any idea where I’d been heading, they didn’t manage to track me here.”
She brushed her fingers along my chest, swirling them all over in a hypnotizing way.
“And then Carson discovered you?”
“Yeah. It was a while later. Managed to get a shit fake ID that probably couldn’t even get me booze, but I found work where people didn’t care too much. Found sublets for a bit, then a few guys that shared a house that were renting a room. It was a mess. They were all using, but they left me alone. I’d already been into graffiti. Used some of the money I had back in Seattle to buy cheap spray paint and have that outlet. When I couldn’t handle being around those assholes while they got high, I’d hit the streets and paint.”
“And Carson really just saw it and tracked you down?”
So she remembered me telling her that even months ago when we’d just met. I liked that, because I damn well remembered everything she’d ever told me.
“Yeah, but it was more than that. Gave me the job cleaning Sailor’s Grave like I said, but he also gave me a room with him and Jean for a while to get me out of that house. He even sorted out an ID for me, when I gave him the truncated story. Said he had contacts that could set me up, all new information. I assume it was through Sketch and the Disciples, but I never asked.”
She went up on an elbow, looking down at me in confusion. “New information?”
She never missed a thing.
“Wasn’t born Parker Coleman.”
“What?”
I grinned. I could hardly believe it after three days without her and opening all those closets to let the skeletons out, but I did. She looked so shocked, I couldn’t help it.
“Carson told me they could set me up, get me everything I needed to be who I was born, or they could start me off fresh. I’d already been going by Parker Coleman. That’s what was on that crap fake ID I had. Decided to make that me, leave who I had been behind for good.”
“And you were born…”
The fact that I didn’t get a say in whether I wanted to give her that or not was clear, but I would have anyway.
“Jacob Dennis. No middle name. Not sure where she even got Jacob from. It wouldn’t shock me if she’d asked the nurses to just pick something.”
Gwen’s eyes got hard at the mention of my mother, but she didn’t take us back into that anymore than I already had.
“I like Parker better.”
“That’s good, beautiful,” I said, leaning down to say against your lips. “After what you gave me earlier, you’re stuck with him.” I kissed her, savoring those sweet lips.
I’d been born into a mess. I hadn’t known luck for even a minute until Carson found me, until I got a place at Sailor’s Grave. Now, with Gwen, I felt like the luckiest fucking man in the world.
“I love you.”
She smiled big, those dimples popping. And there it was, after I’d dulled it and lived in darkness for days, I had all that light shining on me again.
“And I’m sorry. So fucking sorry for going off like that, for taking off and disappearing on you. I know you get where my head was at, but it wasn’t okay. I swear to you that won’t happen again.”
Some of that smile faded, but the softness in her eyes grew. “Okay, baby.”
I kissed her again, taking the invitation she gave to make it deeper than before. Taking everything she gave, even as she kept on giving.
When that giving turned into the sweet undulating of her hips, I broke the kiss to ask, “How about I make it up to you?”
Her eyes heated, and my already hard cock responded by getting harder still.
“Mmm. Yes.”
I didn’t waste time, just got down to work doing that. I coaxed all the pleasure I could out of my beauty while my hands and mouth, worshiping every inch until she was nearly wrung out. Only then did I sink inside and take her there once more, going over that edge with her as she cried out and said those perfect words again.
“I love you.”
“I swear to God, if you pull that crap again, I will castrate you,” Jess ranted.
We’d just gotten back to the apartment. After everything that had happened, we decided to stay the night at the cabin. I’d called Carson—not about to call Jess even though she had a key after all the calls and texts I had on my phone from her—to look after Thaddeus, and we enjoyed an evening away from everything else.
I was wishing we weren’t both feeling the need to get back to work right about then.
We had literally only managed to get in the door, see Jess and Carson parked on the couch, and for me to pick up Thad, who’d come right to me, before Jess jumped down my throat.
“I mean, seriously. Everyone was worried about you. Gwen was a fucking wreck. And this asshole” —she pointed a thumb over at Carson— “fucking talked to you and didn’t say anything.”
I handed off Thad to Gwen, though he was reluctant to leave my arms. Moving around the couch, I went directly to Jess and pulled her into a hug.
“I’m sorry. I won’t pull a disappearing act like that again.”
The wind went out of her sails, and she dropped her forehead to my shoulder.
“You’re such an asshole,” she said, voice soft now.
I knew it was acceptance of my apology, even if she was still a little ticked.
“I know.”
“And you better believe you’re calling all your own clients and fixing the mess you made of your schedule,” she kept grumbling, just to be cross.
&nbs
p; “I’ll take care of it.”
Then, very quiet so only I would hear, she whispered, “She’s good for you.”
“She is,” I agreed, looking over at my beauty.
“I’m glad.”
Not nearly as much as I was.
Jess moved away, going to Gwen. Knowing her, she now felt a moral imperative to check on my girl and make sure she was all good. I might have bitched, but I wanted Jess in Gwen’s corner, even if that might be against me sometimes. Anyone that wanted to defend my beauty was welcome.
“Knew she’d be it,” Carson came close to say. “First time I met her, knew you’d found the woman for you.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“She’s too good for me.”
He laughed. “You think I don’t think that every day about my Jeany? You just got to bust your ass to make that settling worth it, and she’ll never think that she did.”
I could do that. For Gwen, nothing would be sweeter.
First, I had to do something else.
“Thanks, Car.” I held his eyes as I added, “For everything.”
“Son, you got no idea how much it was my pleasure.”
He gave me that, after years of giving so much, then stepped past me.
“Come on, Jess. Let’s get out of here and leave them alone.” It was an order, and Jess didn’t bother arguing.
As they headed out, Carson stopped at Gwen and dropped a kiss to her head, and I knew then. As far as he was concerned, he’d adopted another daughter right along with Jess and Kate.
Because Sailor’s Grave was a family, the only one I’d ever had.
With Gwen in that fold, the only one I’d ever need.
We had a long way to go, wounds we both needed to heal, and scars that wouldn’t fade—inside and out—that we had to learn to live with. But I knew, without a doubt, that we’d get there.
It was just another thing my beauty gave me. And I’d spend the rest of my life repaying her for that and all the rest.
As the door shut behind them, Gwen set Thad down on the couch before joining him. I followed, scooping up the cat, and pushing Gwen to lay down before joining her. With my beauty tucked into me, Thad making himself comfortable on my belly, I’d never felt my next words more.
“It’s good to be home.”
Epilogue
Gwen
ONE YEAR LATER
“What the hell kind of wedding has no single bridesmaids? Or single chicks at all?” Danny grumbled.
I laughed. “She told you there wouldn’t be.”
“I thought she was just busting my balls. Or trying to keep me away from her friends.”
That was fair. After all, that went both ways with Jess and Danny. For once, though, Jess had been completely serious.
It was Jess and Braden’s wedding day.
Pure Jess, the whole thing was spectacular. The hall she’d found was stunning in its own right with the vaulted ceilings and windows that went all the way up displaying the perfect early fall night. The exposed beams and wood features throughout made it the perfect balance of elegant and not too stuffy for the crowd she’d filled it with.
Between the Sailor’s Grave team, the Savage Disciples brothers, and Braden’s family and brothers in blue, the guest list had been very long very fast. Hence, the lack of single ladies for Danny, since even keeping the event to what Jess and Braden deemed “family” meant nearly maxing out on the venue’s capacity.
Jess made a stunning bride. After an intensive search—that I could vouch for the intensity of since I’d been part of it—she’d chosen a pure white satin gown that hung off the shoulders, then skimmed across her body to flair out into a beautiful train. Although it wasn’t festooned with lace or beading, the plunging back, deep dip at the chest, and the prominent slit up one leg took the dress from classic and demure to being all Jess.
Even having seen her in it when we tracked it down, then again that day while she got ready, it was still hard to look away when Carson escorted her down the aisle. She was that incredible in it. Only the desire to see Braden’s reaction had drawn my eyes away, and it was worth it. His face shared that he thought she looked every bit the goddess he often called her, and that he, a mere mortal, was experiencing a miracle just to have her walk toward him, let alone tie herself to him.
Which meant I was already a teary mess even before she made it to him and the ceremony began.
Right then, the happy couple were across the room, talking to Braden’s brother and his parents. Both of them looked unreasonably attractive and deliriously happy.
On that thought, I scanned for the only man in the room who looked better than the groom, and found he was already on his way toward me. Park in a suit was a powerful sight that had been seriously distracting for me as it was, but right then, he’d topped it off even further by adding in the sleeping baby in his arms.
“You’ve got a little drool,” Danny teased, and I just rolled my eyes.
Park settled into the chair next to mine, doing so gently to not disturb little Heath’s sleep.
Just about two months old now, this was Heath’s first big outing, and it was clear he was done with it. Although Jess needed ample time to plan the wedding she wanted, it hadn’t been her plan to wait a full year. However, when Liam and Kate had announced the imminent arrival of this little guy, Jess didn’t want to risk not having two people who meant that much to her not being able to make it. She’d dove right in to moving the date the next day.
When Heath, named for Liam’s late father, was born, we’d all been there. Just as we had when Sketch and Ash welcomed a third little girl, Adelaide, into the world. Just as not one of us would have missed that day.
Because what I’d suspected at a barbecue more than a year ago was absolutely true, these people were one big family, one that had long considered me one of their own.
Which was why I hadn’t just been a guest that day, I was one of Jess’s—not single—bridesmaids.
Park grinned at me, something he did full-out now. Something that wasn’t rare. Still, I felt the warmth of it right down to my heart every time. “I was going to come ask the pretty bridesmaid to dance, but I got caught in the baby hand off.”
“I’ll take him,” Danny offered, moving to do just that. “Not like I have anything else to do.” He meant anyone else, but even that was bullshit. Like everyone else around here, he doted on little Heath, and was happy to get time with him.
Park passed him over, and Heath slept right through it. Then, standing, he offered his hand to me and led me out to the dance floor.
The song was slow, so Park pulled me in close and swayed me around the floor. It was heaven, and I wondered how long we could stay just like that.
“Know why they did it,” Park said, and I focused up on his face. “Heath, plus this whole year, this is pure Jess, but I don’t want it to take a year for us.”
Was he… “What?”
He kept his face passive, and I knew it was intentional for once with the way his eyes were bright. “I don’t want to spend a year calling you my fiancée.”
“I’m confused.” As I would be, since I was not, in fact, his fiancée at all, and I seriously did not think he was asking in the middle of Jess’s wedding.
“When I put a ring on your finger—which, gorgeous, you can take to mean that will be happening soon—I don’t want to wait a year to call you my wife. So I’m hoping you’ll work with me on that and not make me.”
I… He…
“Weddings take time,” I found myself blurting. “Dresses alone can take months to come in and venues take time to scout, let alone book.”
The grin came out. “Maybe you should start thinking on all of that then, getting an idea together of what you want so you’ll be ready.”
“I… You…” I didn’t even know what to say to that. So I settled on, “Okay.”
The grin grew to a full out smile, and I was dazzled as always. “I guess I don’t have to worry about yo
ur answer.”
I knew what to say to that, at least. “Of course not.”
With that, the smile went from amused to soft before he leaned in and whispered, “My beauty,” against my lips before he kissed me. I didn’t question that name like I once did, because I knew he meant it. He thought I was beautiful. He loved me, inside and out, scars and all. Just like I loved him.
COMING SOON
The Savage Disciples MC
and Sailor’s Grave Series
are getting a second generation spin-off.
Emmy, Sketch’s daughter, will be the first
one to tell her story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Drew Elyse spends her days trying to convince the world that she is, in fact, a Disney Princess, and her nights writing tear-jerking and sexy romance novels.
When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found over-analyzing every line of a book, binge watching a series on Netflix, doing strange vocal warm ups before singing a variety of music styles, or screaming at the TV during a Chicago Blackhawks game.
A graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a BA in English, she still lives in Chicago, IL where she was born and raised with her boyfriend and her fur babies Lola and Duncan.
Website: DrewElyse.com
Facebook: facebook.com/DrewElyseAuthor
Facebook Group: bit.ly/DisciplesClubhouse
Twitter: twitter.com/DrewElyseAuthor
Mailing List: bit.ly/DrewElyseNews
BOOKS BY DREW ELYSE
The Disciples’ Daughters Series
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