Edge (Gentry Boys #7)

by Cora Brent

  She came quickly, shuddering nonstop as the climax lasted and lasted. Then when I couldn’t hold on anymore I followed her, gripping the headboard to push as deep as I could reach and hoping it wouldn’t be too much for her to take. But she took it. She took it and spread as wide as she could and shrieked from the power of a fresh orgasm.

  We panted together for a full five minutes before I tactfully disposed of the condom and switched the light off. Now that I’d been spent I was starting to feel somewhat drowsy again. Roslyn seemed pleased when I took her in my arms as soon as I returned to bed. She snuggled against me and let out a happy sigh as I stroked her long hair and marveled over how well we fit together, how easy it was proving to be to feel close to someone.

  Almost dangerously easy.

  As if she’d heard my thoughts she moved on top of me and rested her chin on my chest.

  “Do you think we’re moving too fast?” she whispered.

  “Baby.” I kissed her. “There’s no such thing.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ROSLYN

  Conway had impeccable timing. He called barely thirty seconds after I’d left work for the day and was on my way to the parking lot.

  “I was just thinking about you,” I said as I climbed into the front seat of my car.

  “I was thinking about you too,” he said, “but then Jackson yelled at me to get my hand off my dick and watch the road.”

  I laughed. “What road?”

  “A big one. With lots of unfriendly looking drivers. People look pretty scary outside of Phoenix.”

  “Conway, where are you?”

  “Driving back to the valley from Tonopah. That’s why I called. Traffic’s being a filthy bastard and it looks like I’ll be a little late for dinner.”

  I almost asked him what he’d been doing way out on the west side but I choked the words off. We’d been together for almost two months now and I still didn’t know a whole lot about Conway’s world. He had admitted he was involved in street racing and gambling rings. When I asked if I could come see him race sometime he looked almost comically alarmed and growled that he’d never want a woman he cared about to spend ten seconds in that kind of company.

  My stomach hurt when I thought about Conway being in any sort of danger, no matter how much he assured me that he wasn’t dumb enough to take on real trouble and knew how to get himself out of tight places before they turned sour. I worried anyway.

  “That’s fine,” I said lightly. “Now I’ll have time to get home, start dinner and make myself pretty for you.”

  He chuckled. “That’s doesn’t require much effort. You’re always beautiful and you know it.”

  “I like to goad you into saying it anyway.”

  “Then I’ll say it again. You are so fucking beautiful, Roslyn. No matter what you’re wearing. No matter what you’re doing. No matter if your hair is perfect or a tangled up mess. No matter what time of day it is or what kind of mood you’re in.”

  Somewhere in the background on Conway’s end I heard a disturbing gagging sound, followed by a hearty slap.

  “What’s that noise? Is someone dying in your backseat?”

  “That was Jackson. He didn’t appreciate the poetry of my sentiments but don’t worry. I smacked him and he looks very sorry. Actually maybe I shouldn’t have hit him so hard. He’s writhing around in pain and I’m worried he might puke on my new floor mats.”

  “Pain my ass, you motherfucker,” I heard Jackson say but he was laughing.

  “Shut up,” Conway told him cheerfully, “or you’ll have to explain to Emily why you’re missing a testicle.”

  Their banter was all in good fun. The two of them were good friends and I always felt better when Con had Jackson at his side. Jackson was smart and loyal and apparently a pretty good boxer from what Emily had told me.

  Speaking of those two, Jackson and Emily were every bit as hot and heavy as Conway and I were these days. They were with each other almost every night and the four of us frequently hung out together. It was amazing, watching my friend fall hard and fast. It was almost as amazing as falling hard and fast myself.

  “Roslyn?” Conway said and I realized I’d gone completely quiet.

  “I’m here.” I started my car and cranked up the air conditioner.

  “Just wanted to say that I can’t wait to see you.”

  My heartbeat quickened and I smiled. “You saw me last night.”

  “And it was quite a night. I’m looking forward to a faithful reenactment of those events.” His voice dropped and I could tell he was trying to keep Jackson from hearing every word. “I missed you all day.”

  Oh, god. This boy and what he did to me. Always speaking in sexy riddles punctuated by moments of searing honesty.

  “I missed you too, Con.”

  “At this point I’m guessing we’ll be at your place around seven.”

  “Emily’s probably already home. I’ll be waiting. Bring your appetite.”

  “Ha, of course I will. I’m bringing all my appetites.”

  Indeed, Emily was already home. Lately her hours had been cut back at her job and though she’d been searching for a new one, the labor market wasn’t ideal. I half suspected she didn’t mind working less because it gave her more time to spend with Jackson, who had the same kind of variable schedule Conway had.

  Emily was crying when I walked in and I thought something bad had happened but it turned out she was trying to get a head start on dinner by chopping up onions. She’d made a mess out of the poor thing and I was glad she hadn’t started on the peppers yet because I hadn’t bought more than I would need for dinner.

  I shooed her away to go tend to her red eyes and took over the chopping until everything was in perfect bite-sized pieces. Once it was all chopped and ready I tossed my work into a red mixing bowl and shoved it in the fridge for the time being.

  Emily emerged, having changed into a cute vintage style blue checkered dress, complete with pearls that made her look like a lovely Asian version of Donna Reed.

  “You need to wear your Rita Hayworth dress,” she told me as she fastened pearl studs into her ears.

  “Don’t you think that’s overdoing it for an evening in?”

  She shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

  “Okay, then. Rita Hayworth it is.”

  Since I was going to a lot of trouble anyway I took a quick shower before sliding into the black evening gown. There was a deep slit in the fabric along the right leg and I felt like pre-packaged sex as soon as I put it on. The bust was tighter than I remembered but I figured I had probably gained a few pounds over the last few months. Conway was always keen on trying new restaurants and we went out to eat at least several times a week. After applying my makeup to perfection I carefully curled my hair and pinned it up on the right side with an elaborate black and white flower-shaped clip. As a finishing touch I dug my Louboutin black pumps out of the closet and stepped into them.

  Emily unleashed a wolf whistle as soon as I stepped into the living room.

  “Hot,” she declared. “Although I feel like a regular Plain Jane next to you tonight.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Come on, Em. You look amazing.”

  She smiled down at herself. “He loves this dress,” she said and then swooned into a nearby reclining armchair. “I think he’s it, Roe. He’s the one. I never felt this way about Gage. I never felt this way about anyone. You like him, right?”

  “Jackson’s a nice guy,” I said as I fished an apron out of the cupboard and tied it around my waist. “He treats you like gold and he might be even more enamored of you than you are of him.”

  She sat up straight, grinning. “I don’t believe that’s possible but I’m glad you think so.”

  Conway had texted about fifteen minutes ago to say that he and Jackson were within Phoenix city limits so I figured I should get the stir fry started. Emily was floating around the living room singing Unchained Melody as I heated oil in a large pan and removed al
l the ingredients from the fridge.

  “Want some help?” she called.

  “I can handle it,” I answered diplomatically. Emily was a wretched cook and I tried to keep her out of my kitchen whenever possible.

  She sat at the breakfast bar, poured herself a glass of wine from an open bottle of red and watched me bustling around.

  “Roslyn, I love him,” she blurted. The flush in her cheeks wasn’t just from the wine. “I told him that last night. At first I thought I shouldn’t have but then he said it back.”

  “Wow.” I smiled as I tested the temperature of the pan by letting a few drops of water fall in. They sizzled immediately. “That’s a hell of a big step.”

  “I know.” She poured another glass of wine. “Isn’t it funny, how things work out? If I hadn’t met Jackson you wouldn’t have started seeing Conway and now we both have these amazing guys we’re crazy about.”

  Emily had been kind of skeptical of Conway at first but he’d long since won her over. In fact she was all ready to push me into a white picket fence happily ever after with him.

  “Roslyn?” she said, somewhat tentatively.

  I looked up from the sizzling pan. Emily was drumming her fingers on the counter, watching me earnestly. She started to ask a question and then stopped.

  “Spit it out, Em.”

  “Are you in love with Conway?”

  The sharp knock at the door cut off the inquiry and sent Emily running down the hall to answer it. She reappeared a moment later in the arms of Jackson.

  “Hey, Roslyn,” he said cheerfully and I waved from my position at the stove.

  Conway strolled in a second later, always cool and utterly gorgeous. He hadn’t shaved today, his baseball cap was backwards and the black shirt he wore was notably faded. Nonetheless, he looked like he’d just stepped off a modeling shoot.

  He looked me over hungrily and I shifted enough so that the slit in my gown exposed my leg all the way to mid thigh.

  “That’s some dress,” he said and gave me that incomparable Gentry grin that made me want to drop everything and jump his bones.

  “Thank you,” I said and offered him my sexiest smile.

  “Come here,” he whispered.

  I hesitated, searching for a place to set the spatula down. But Conway wasn’t the patient type so he came to me before I could move. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me slow and deep. Conway was a perfect kisser. He knew when to use his tongue and how to tease until I couldn’t stand it.

  “Later,” I said, reluctantly pulling away. “I have to finish dinner.”

  Jackson and Emily had moved outside to the small balcony. He was telling her some animated story complete with creative sound effects and she was laughing.

  Conway came around behind me as I returned to the stove. He slipped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder.

  “What’s for dinner?”

  “Teriyaki stir fry.”

  “Mmm. What’s for dessert?”

  Instead of words I pushed backwards, grinding my ass in a deliberate slow circle that had him hissing out a curse and pressing back until I could feel the unmistakable outline of his lust. He moved his hands down, running his palms down the silky gown until I grabbed his right hand and guided him to the place the fabric split. One finger stroked the inside of my thigh and I urged him higher as I twisted my neck so I could see his face. When he realized there was nothing else there, no panties, only me, he shut his eyes in ecstasy and groaned.

  “You say something, Con?” Jackson called from the balcony.

  “No!” he shouted.

  Somehow I managed to get Conway to let me finish dinner preparations even though he argued a really convincing case for visiting the bedroom first. When I firmly refused he sulked for a few seconds, then poured himself a glass of wine, chugged it like it was a shot of whiskey and leveled me with the world’s sexiest glare.

  “Don’t pout,” I said, stirring the vegetables in the pan so they would cook evenly.

  “Then don’t make me wait, baby. It’s unhealthy. Plus excessive horniness brings out my cranky side.”

  I batted my eyelashes. “Maybe you ought to teach me a lesson later.”

  He raised his eyebrows, looking very interested. “I always thought I would make an excellent teacher.”

  “And I’d be quite eager to fill the role of your student, Mr. Gentry.”

  Emily and Jackson were almost nauseatingly cute together. Conway looked at me and rolled his eyes when they started feeding each other stir fry one bite at a time.

  Early this morning I’d whipped up a chocolate pie and set it in the fridge. As I sliced and served the pie I felt Conway’s eyes on my body. I expected to see a sexy smirk on his face when I looked up but instead he was leaning back in his chair, one finger thoughtfully pressed to his chin as he gazed at me with shy tenderness. It was a rare expression. Not just for him, but maybe for all men. I sure as hell couldn’t remember ever being on the receiving end of a look like that before.

  Jackson mentioned going to some action film about international spies and Emily tried to coax us along but it didn’t sound like my kind of movie. Anyway, I was really looking forward to being alone with Conway. I caught the conceited grin on his face and knew he was thinking exactly the same thing.

  Even though Emily and Jackson tried to do their part in cleaning up before leaving, the show they wanted to see started in twenty minutes so I told them I’d take care of it and pushed them out the door.

  Conway beat me to cleanup detail though. He was already clearing the table and sent me to the living room with a glass of wine and an order to relax.

  I watched him from the couch, noting that he probably didn’t do dishes very often because he seemed overly serious about it. I sipped my wine and wondered if I should point out the existence of the dishwasher but he looked so damn cute frowning over a sink full of suds that I just relaxed and admired the view. Finally when all the clean dishes were stacked and Conway’s shirt was half soaked he left the sink with a sigh.

  “I have a newfound respect for kitchen workers,” he said.

  “Poor baby,” I murmured. “By the way, you’re all wet.”

  He looked down at his shirt, shrugged and pulled it over his head. Conway tended to wear his jeans on the loose side. When he stretched to remove his shirt I got a rather erotic glimpse of his lower torso, Adonis belt and all. He saw me looking and smirked a little.

  “Did you enjoy your dinner?” I asked innocently.

  “Sure. I was promised dessert though.”

  “Pie wasn’t good enough?”

  “Not even close. Especially because you have a few things to atone for, young lady.”

  I set my wine glass down and slid over on the sofa to make room for him. “That’s right. You promised to teach me a lesson.”

  “And a man should never fail to keep a promise.”

  He loomed over me, suddenly growing serious.

  “What are you thinking?” I asked innocently.

  “I think you’d look damn good on your knees in that dress.”

  “Is that an order?”

  “Get on your fucking knees, Roslyn.”

  “But Jackson and Emily might come back,” I said in a hushed voice of fake shock. I was already obeying.

  “They might,” he agreed and grabbed a fistful of my hair with one hand while dropping his pants with the other. “And if they do they’ll see you down there on the floor getting an education in sucking cock.”

  Such crude words but they turned me on like nothing else as I took him in my mouth. I already knew how to please him, which spots were most sensitive, how he liked to be handled. I’d been at it for a little while, using every trick to get him to the threshold when he suddenly pulled back.

  “That’s enough,” he whispered, stroking my cheeks and peering down at me with formidable desire in his half closed eyes.

  He sank into the couch with his pants still down as
I crawled over to him.

  Conway reached down and carefully traced my lower lip with his finger. “Now I believe that fancy dress needs to get really fucking dirty, sweetheart.”

  “I think you’re right, Conway.”

  He abruptly picked me up, settling me over his lap in a straddle. Sometimes I forgot just how strong Conway was but he’d just heaved me off the floor like I was light as a pillow. As we kissed I felt him reaching down and grabbing for his pants, probably searching for a condom. I reached behind my back and unzipped the dress, letting the straps fall from my shoulders and Conway stopped what he was doing.

  “Holy fuck,” he moaned and bent his head to suck my breasts.

  Somewhere in the middle of all that I stopped caring about anything but satisfying the urge between my legs that grew fiercer with every heartbeat. Clothes were shoved aside, skin met skin and suddenly he was inside me with nothing else between us and it was so good, so fucking good, that all I could do was hold on and let it take me.

  “Honey,” Conway gasped as he kept thrusting, “I’m so damn close, so fucking close, oh FUCK!”

  He pulled out and came against my belly, a hot burst of passion that left us shaking in each other’s arms for what seemed like hours.

  “Lesson learned,” I mumbled into his shoulder and he snorted with laughter.

  Eventually we moved to my bedroom, Conway carrying me in his arms. Most nights that we were together were spent here instead of the San Gabriel. Even though Conway had a lot of friends there he admitted there were always sketchy characters around and he didn’t like to take a risk that his girl would get catcalled or otherwise bothered.

  We slid into bed naked and held each other. We kissed, we stroked, we talked. Conway had sort of taken in a homeless teenager and I asked how he was getting along these days. Ranger was the name the kid had given, though Conway doubted it was real. He’d set him up with odd jobs and tried to keep him out of trouble, even tried to talk him into finishing high school. So far the kid had balked at any mention of school but Conway said he’d keep working on it. I’d met Ranger a few times. He appeared to be a bright kid and I strongly suspected he was not yet eighteen, though he insisted otherwise. Conway seemed determined to help the boy however he could and I wondered how much of that was due to his own history. After all, he’d once been a scared teenager who’d been thrown to the streets. If his cousins hadn’t taken him in there’s no telling what would have happened to him out there.