by Ember Leigh
“She’s yours,” Cobra said.
“Ha ha,” Gen said, wiping away a few more tears. “That’s very funny, but I think we should at least make something of an effort to find its rightful owner.”
“No, Red.” A knowing smile curled his lips upward, “This is Stella. She’s your dog. I got her for you.”
More tears filled her eyes as she looked down at the puppy. Stella. She held her up again, looking into those big brown eyes once more. “Stop it.”
“I’m serious.”
Her chin wobbled this time, and she couldn’t stop it. An ugly cry burbled up. Cobra scooped her and Stella back into his arms and held them, swaying gently.
“I can’t…even…” she blubbered into his chest, “talk.”
“Sorta thought you’d be into it,” Cobra said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Stella is amazing. You’re going to love her.”
“I already do,” Gen wailed.
“Come on. Let’s go inside.” Cobra led her and Stella back down the brick path, his arm protectively around her shoulders. She took deep, cleansing breaths as they walked, trying to reel in the tears.
“I’m so happy she’s yours,” she said. “I mean, mine. I mean ours.” Gen wiped away the last of her tears. “I was planning on kidnapping her regardless.”
“Atta girl, Genny,” Cobra said. He smiled down at her, pure joy written into his features. She’d never seen him so vibrant.
“You are absolutely stunning,” she whispered.
Cobra laughed, checking the traffic before they crossed. “Me? Take a look at yourself, gorgeous.”
“Stella too,” Gen murmured into the top of the puppy’s head. “Stunning Stella.”
“Numba one stunna, Stella,” Cobra added.
“That’s a pop culture reference I think I’m missing.”
“Yeah, it’s a song Lil’ Wayne was on. You didn’t miss much.” Cobra led the way to the door Gen had been knocking at, never relinquishing his grip around her shoulders. “This is my home, babe.”
More emotion arrived, vice-gripping her throat. She nodded, wiping away more tears as he unlocked the front door. She’d never tire of the pet names. With a grin prouder than a father on his daughter’s wedding day, Cobra pushed open the door, urging her inside.
“Check it out,” he whispered.
“I already love it,” she whispered back, stepping into a long front hallway lit by skylights above. “Simply because it’s yours.” The hall opened up into a great room, with a small kitchen attached to the side. Two doors hung open off the great room—one was a bedroom, the other surely a bathroom. The entire place was swathed in natural light, eggshell white walls gleaming.
“We don’t have to whisper,” he whispered, setting his keys on the kitchen island.
“I don’t want to disturb the perfection of this moment.” She whispered anyway, smiling as she took in all the details. “The first time I saw your home, exactly as you’d have it.”
Stella wriggled in her arms, wanting to be let down, as though she recognized her home and wanted to roam free. Once she had bounded across the room, heading straight for a Pac-Man squeaky toy, Cobra grabbed Gen’s hand.
“There’s something I wanna show you.” That smile returned, the same one he’d had prior to revealing Stella was hers. He led her over the soft, squishy white carpet, toward a framed picture on the feature wall. One of the only pieces of art on the walls.
“I haven’t done a ton of decorating,” he said, “Because that shit’s expensive and I’ve been busting my butt to put this place together. But one thing couldn’t wait.” He jerked his chin toward the big picture.
Two model-grade, scantily clad people, the man lifting the woman by the hips.
Vaguely familiar shiny vinyl strips wrapped around the red-head. She had a look of shock on her face. The man with one eye pinched shut, expression silently asking, What the fuck?
Gen blinked.
It was them. The day they’d met. The day she’d farted on him. Probably the precise moment of farting.
“Oh, my Lord.” She looked up at him. “Where did you find this?”
“I had Travis help me track it down,” Cobra slung his arm around her shoulders again, admiring the picture as though it was the first time for him, too. “When I busted my old phone, I lost all my pictures of you. I was going crazy. So I had him comb through the photographer’s pictures. I got a few others too, but those are just for me. Bedroom pics. If you feel me.”
“Oh, yeah?” She rubbed a hand over the solid plane of his chest, too happy to even comprehend. All the rough edges inside her—the uncertainty, the questions about the future—were smoothed and consoled by Cobra’s touch. The feel of him against her, sturdy and unyielding. She could lean on him whenever she needed. For however long she needed.
This time, she knew he wasn’t going away.
And for that matter, neither was she. Not for a long time. And not unless he came with her, too.
“But maybe I won’t need to use those anymore,” Cobra said, bringing her against him, hands rooted at her hips. “Maybe you’ll wanna stick around for a little bit. With me.”
Happiness prickled and boomed inside her, a fireworks display that she doubted would ever end. “That seems very likely.”
“At least long enough for me to get some pictures again,” he said.
“Well, of course.”
His smile dropped a little. “Did you love it over there?”
She tilted her head as she toyed with the new length of hair at the nape of his neck. Long hair looked good on him. Anything looked good on him “I did. Each place was special and interesting in its own way.”
“Was it hard to come back?”
Gen shook her head. “No. I knocked off a lot of items on my bucket list, but now it’s time for something different.”
He cocked a grin, as if he knew where she was heading. “Like what?”
“Like starting a career. And saving money for the next trip. And now, raising a puppy.” Her heart swelled, threatening tears. “Stuff like that.”
“Any room in there for a crazy-in-love guy who wants to give you the world?”
The tears returned, despite her best efforts. She nodded as a few spilled over.
“Stay the night, Red,” he whispered.
“I thought that was implied with the invite over here,” she whispered back. “Why are you whispering now?”
“Because I’m trying not to disturb your decision making when I ask you to move in with me.”
She tilted her head back, a laugh rippling out of her. “Oh, stop.”
“I’m serious. Doesn’t have to be now.” His fingers dug into the flesh of her waist as he gave her a squeeze. “But the offer is on the table.”
“You sure like to move fast,” she teased, because if she didn’t tease him, she’d break down into tears. In her deepest parts, she’d been terrified of what she’d find back in LA: that his e-mails were misleading, that he’d never really tried to help himself.
Now, she could see that Cobra hadn’t just taken the ball and run with it. He’d lobbed it over the moon.
“I told myself I wasn’t gonna ask you that when you showed up. At least not until a few weeks had gone by. Oops.” He laughed. “Gen, when I met you, I had no idea what I was doing in life. You saved me. Along with everyone at Holt Body. I might not have shit all figured out, but I’m getting there. And I’m running to get there.”
She twirled her finger in the lock of hair she’d been playing with. This, right here—this was a moment she wished she could preserve. With Cobra looking at her, intense and tender, equal parts bad boy and lost boy.
And wasn’t it the same for her? Equal parts grown, worldly woman and little girl still too scared to leave her family.
“And I haven’t told you in person yet,” Cobra said, his palms smoothing a warm path over her shoulders. “I love you. So much, Genny.”
The words from his lips sank into he
r like an anchor in the open sea. Reaching all the way to her core. Into the softest, most eager parts of her. Getting stuck there. Burrowing in deep. Making a home forevermore.
“That sounds a little too right,” she said, whispering again. She couldn’t help it. Everything about this day was epic. “I love you too, Cobra. More than I thought possible. More than I even realized.”
Cobra surged forward, capturing her lips in a kiss. He hoisted her by the hips, spinning her in a slow circle. Over his shoulder, she caught the picture of them half a year ago.
Strangers.
Sinners.
And saviors.
Epilogue
“Okay, okay. One more.”
Cobra pressed his lips to Gen’s, snagging one last smooch. When they broke apart, she grinned ear to ear.
“One more,” he said, leaning forward again.
When that kiss broke, Gen pressed a palm against his chest. “We’re stuck in the infinite loop again.”
This had been their morning routine for six months now. Come into work together, spend five minutes saying goodbye near the front desk, and then they’d go their separate ways: Cobra into the weight room, where he still helped on occasion, or back to the private lessons gym to see a client, while Gen headed into the back office as Travis’s second full-time accountant.
He cupped her face in his hands. “Last one.” And then he smooched her so hard his lips tingled. When they broke apart, a giggle ripped out of her. She swatted his chest.
“You messed up my lip gloss,” she teased, but he knew she didn’t care. That was their joke—as an LA girl, she should wear lipstick and lip gloss and contour and all that shit. Gen was more gorgeous than anyone, but still didn’t do a damn thing most days, except for lip gloss.
“It looks better messed up.” He pushed her at the hip. “Go to work. You’re gonna be late.”
“Same to you.” She sent him a sultry look over her shoulder. Six months together. Six months under the same roof. And some days, it still didn’t seem like enough. He could see her every day for the rest of his life and it might not be enough.
It was crazy. He was in a relationship, and it didn’t make him want to run screaming for the Hollywood Hills. In fact, it was fucking awesome.
Cobra watched her saunter down the hallway, no trace of the little limp that had plagued her when they’d first met. She was rehabilitated now—strong and solid. And this weekend, she would celebrate one year in LA.
Gen had mentioned it offhandedly a few weeks ago, which sent Cobra into a spiral thinking about how he could surprise her. It was the sort of thing he’d never done before—and had purposefully shied away from. But Gen deserved shit like this. And it was one more chance for Cobra to show her that he was serious about this. About them.
Not to say that they didn’t have their rough patches. Cobra’s demons liked to make a guest appearance every once in a while. And Gen, too, suffered from crippling doubts—wondering if she really would go to hell, whether she’d see her family again, maybe she should pack up and go home. Those demons and doubts never lasted long, though. Together, they were able to beat them back. Keep their chins up. Focus on the good shit on the horizon.
He’d reached out to Sophie, who’d become something of a good friend since Gen returned from Europe. They shared a ruthless sort of humor together—jabs and ribs, but lined with respect. With friendship. Together they’d planned a dinner for Gen, something intimate and upscale and full of balloons with puppies printed on them. Everyone at Holt Body was invited. Even Levi, the new guy, who’d at first pissed Cobra off with all his hotshot grandstanding, but now was basically his permanent workout buddy at the gym. And the big night was tonight. Excitement thrummed through him, prompting a silly smile even as he met with his training clients that morning.
Gen was blissfully unaware, and each second that ticked closer to the big party made him exponentially more scared that someone might slip a detail and spoil the surprise. He’d never thrown a surprise party. And really, this was some fun shit. Maybe more fun for him organizing it than it would end up being for Gen.
The end of the day drew near. Cobra practically burst out of his skin wanting to take Gen “to the library” as he’d promised. She loved weeknight visits to the library maybe more than sex. No, that wasn’t true—she loved sex more than anything else. Almost as much as she loved him.
Cobra headed for the reception area to wait for Gen to show up so they could head out together, but she was already there, flanked by Travis and Lex and Levi. He held up a hand to high-five Travis as he joined the small group. “Sup, fam?”
“Hey. Just the guy I was looking for.” Travis squeezed Cobra’s shoulder, eyes crinkled around the edges behind those black frames he always wore now. It took balls to go from MMA stardom to wearing those glasses on the daily, but if anyone could pull it off, it was Trav.
And yeah. He called him Trav now.
“Here I am. In the flesh. Better than fantasy.” He shot Gen a knowing smirk.
“Cobra, I’ve got an offer for you.”
The looks on everyone’s faces told Cobra that this was a surprise. Something that maybe they all knew about. Gen rolled her lips inward, excitement shimmering on her face.
“Okay. Should I accept now? I trust you. I bet it’s good.”
Travis laughed, searching out his gaze. “It’s pretty damn good.” He paused, wetting his bottom lip. “You know we’re going live with the new Holt Body app soon.”
Cobra nodded. The next phase of Holt Body Fitness taking over the world. Maybe that’s why Travis wore the glasses so much these days. All that time spent figuring out his new workout app that linked users with Holt Body trainers and feedback.
“All of the trainers available on the app are going to have their own profile. But I don’t want this to be run-of-the-mill profile stuff.” He crossed his arms, a wide smile curling his lips. “I want you to draw the avatars.”
Cobra blinked, his gazes shifting from between them all, wearing the same shit-eating grins.
“Are you serious?” was all he could say.
Travis nodded, then finally Lex spoke. “Dude, we’ve seen your drawings since you started sketching at work. They’re out of this world good.”
“You’re like Picasso,” Levi cracked while he tugged his now-famous light brown tresses back into a ponytail. The man swung his mane around the gym like he was in a Pantene commercial. “Hey, did you hear about the artist who died while he was finishing his masterpiece?”
Travis and Lex and Cobra shared a glance. In almost no time at all, Levi had become known for his super-corny jokes.
“What?” Gen asked, eyes lighting up.
“He had a brush stroke of genius,” Levi finished. Lex sighed tersely, while Travis shook his head.
“That one was lamer than the others,” Cobra said, biting back a laugh.
“So what do you think, Picasso? You’ll get full illustration credit,” Travis went on. “And the appropriate pay to match, of course.”
His mouth parted. The words still refused to gel. But at least he had the good sense to blurt, “Uh…yeah.”
Gen clapped her hands together, jumping up and down. Travis offered his hand, and Cobra shook it.
“This is gonna be so badass,” Travis said.
Cobra turned his incredulous gaze toward Gen. “So why the welcoming committee for a business proposal?”
“We wanted to see how fucking shocked you’d be,” Lex said, slapping Cobra on the back. “And this was gold. Shoulda taken a picture.”
Travis and Lex pushed Cobra around playfully, while disbelief still made heavy steps through his body. Hired for a drawing gig? Fucking unreal. It had started a few months back—Cobra doing quick sketches of his coworkers, just for shits and giggles, which escalated into more interest, more requests.
“We should go out and celebrate!” Gen said, wrapping her arms around Cobra’s waist.
“Uhhh,” Cobra began, while the g
uys sent stricken looks from behind her. “We can’t, babe. Remember? We’re going to the library.”
“Yeah, that’s right.” She sounded disappointed. “And I need some books about Ancient Egypt. Can we celebrate some other time?”
Cobra pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Of course. Now let’s go get ready for the library.”
Cobra tapped his knuckles to Lex, Trav and Levi before he headed out of the gym with his arm wrapped around Gen’s shoulders. Outside, bright sunlight beat down on them, reminding him of when he and Gen had met for coffee that very first time. The nerves he’d had, heading to that fancy mall, waiting to lay eyes on her. The way his hands had shook, ever so slightly, when he paid for their drinks.
She’d been his first date. His first love. His first—and only—soul mate.
The joy of today’s offer, like the joy of the surprise party later, was best shared among friends. But these people…they were way more than friends now.
They were his family.
“Are you sure you don’t want anything other than Ancient Egypt books?” Cobra asked as he slid into the driver’s seat. Same shitty Corolla, but now with a brand-new air conditioner, which made it feel like at least a 2014. To him, at least.
Gen laughed a little. “Well, I was kinda thinking about borrowing some books about cults. I’m starting to think my family is in a cult. So I need to brush up.”
“Ancient Egypt and cults.” He nodded, squeezing her knee before he backed out of his parking spot. “That’s pretty well rounded.”
“Yeah. Kinda like you.” Gen lifted a brow, sending a teasing look his way. Another one of their inside jokes. Any vague reference to something wholesome or kind or fulfilling, Gen made sure to send it back to Cobra.
“Careful. I’m not so well-rounded that you can let down your guard around me.” Anticipation buzzed through him as he maneuvered into the late afternoon traffic. “Who knows if I’m telling the truth about everything? Maybe the library is a lie.”
Gen gasped with fake shock. “Oh, heavens! What if!”
They laughed, but the truth sizzled through him. Truth was, this surprise party was just one way of sending back her own goodness. And a way to thank the Holt Body crew.