Page 43

Chapter 43

McCoy

Coy: How long does a femme take to get ready? This is insanity.

Coy sent the message to the Fab Five group chat before expelling a long breath outside Sawyer’s bedroom door. Her girlfriend had been in there for an hour or more. Coy had snuck in to say hi once she’d arrived, and Sawyer had just been going in the shower. She’d kept Patches company downstairs until she felt like she needed to do something . That impulsivity had taken her out to the garage, where she found herself changing the oil on the Range Rover. Now she was pacing the hallway with an oil stain on one of her favorite shirts after scrubbing her hands and face clean in the downstairs bathroom before coming up.

Multiple messages came in at once.

Tauni: It takes however long it takes, babe.

Abi: Get used to it, playgirl.

Abi: Can’t wait to officially meet Sassy Sawyer.

Coy groaned, quickly firing out a reminder not to mistakenly call Sawyer that.

Krystal: I’ve been asking that for yrs. Tauni takes so long once I thought she’d made her own dress.

Tauni: Bitch, please. You’re just jelly you can’t pair an outfit to save your life.

There was nothing from Sloane, even though Messenger confirmed she’d seen their conversation. Coy’s shoulders drooped a little as she thought of her twin. They’d barely spoken two words since that day three weeks ago. Whether it was the fact that Coy had been staying at Sawyer’s more often or that any time she even looked at Sloane, her sister would shoot daggers at her was anyone’s guess. Coy didn’t know how Sloane would grin and bear it around her when they went to Nana’s with their father and Miranda next week. It was Christmas, and every year they went to her house and spent a few days there. Coy had been trying to convince Sawyer and Bree to come, but so far was met with resistance.

Sighing, she typed out another message.

Coy: I’m going in. Maybe she slipped or fell asleep.

Abi: Highly improbable. She’s probably still deciding what to wear.

Tauni: You’re already gonna be late, so don’t become entranced if she’s half dressed. Sex can wait.

Abi: Life is too short for all that. It’s my party Tauni.

Abi: Tess and I agree that if available, sex should rarely be put on hold.

Coy shook her head and laughed at that. Abi was something else.

Krystal: HAHAHAHA TESS AGREED

Krystal: Didn’t mean to scream that. All caps were on.

Abi: well as much as she can boneless and sweaty atm LOL

Coy threw her head back, roaring with laughter.

Sloane: So that’s why you haven’t shown yet. Gonna be late for your own engagement party. FML. I need to get laid.

Tauni: Saw Naz checking out your ass last weekend.

“Gross,” Coy muttered, knocking lightly on Sawyer’s bedroom before pushing it open, “Hello?” As she was pocketing her cell, she saw the latest DM.

Sloane: Hard pass, thanks.

Coy had to agree, if for nothing else then the fact that Sloane hated her right now and Naz was a close friend. If they hooked up, it’d throw a wedge between the three of them.

Hell, I sound like Tauni. Her friend had thought something similar when she walked in on Tess and Abi years ago.

“Sawyer, you okay?”

She found the woman in question sitting in front of the makeup vanity in the far corner of her bedroom. Wearing just a bra and underwear, Coy’s chest tightened momentarily as she thought of her lover stressing over all the scars she felt she had to cover. She was about to offer reassurance of how stunning she was when she heard Sloane’s voice coming from Sawyer’s phone.

And then Sawyer laughed .

“Sweetheart?”

“McCoy.”

Sawyer spun around to face her, her phone flying out of her hands and skittering across the floor. Guilt had her not quite looking Coy in the eye. Rather, she kept glancing at her phone like she’d been caught watching porn.

“Erm … what, ah … what’re you doing? Is Sloane on the phone?”

“Sloane? No, why?”

Coy frowned, picking up Sawyer’s cell and holding it out to her. “Oh, I just thought I heard her.”

Still looking properly chastised, which was new for Sawyer, she closed her hand over the phone and somehow unlocked it in the process. An old YouTube video of Sloane and Coy racing down the trails began playing. By the look of it, the video was half over.

Sawyer snatched the phone away, a beautiful blush staining her bare throat and cheeks. Laughter racked Coy’s shoulders, earning a scowl from the older woman.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll finish getting dressed.”

“That’s what you’ve been doing all this time?” Coy gaped, warmth filling her chest. “How long have you been watching Sloane & McCoy ?”

“I blame Bree.” Sawyer lifted her face in a haughty manner, tossing her phone on the bed and heading for the closet. “Long enough to watch all your cooking and drink videos. Tell me something: how long have you been flying off slopes at dizzying speeds?”

Coy grinned, giddy at the thought of Sawyer wasting an hour watching videos of her doing something she loved other than mechanic work. She closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around Sawyer’s waist. She pressed a lingering kiss between her shoulder blades, nuzzling her nose against Sawyer’s soft, freshly showered skin. “You smell so good.”

Sawyer turned in Coy’s arms, her hands coming up to palm Coy’s cheeks as she held her in place for a kiss. “It’s dangerous.”

“I take every precaution,” Coy replied, relaxing into Sawyer’s touch. A soft moan escaped when Sawyer bit her lip. “Sweetheart, I promise.” She slid her hands to Sawyer’s hips and lifted her easily, walking the two steps to the closet’s threshold as Sawyer wrapped her legs around Coy’s waist. “First Aid kit and rations on me always.”

“You do know First Aid,” Sawyer agreed, meeting Coy halfway for another desperate, passion-filled kiss. Her nails scraped Coy’s fresh undercut as her fingers tangled in Coy’s locks. When the kiss ended, Coy slowly slid her lust-filled gaze past Sawyer’s swollen lips to see the worry and love darkening the depths of her storm-gray eyes. But there was also a burning attraction staring back at her.

“Watching you straddle that bike for the last hour …” A breathy sigh left Sawyer’s lips. “I want you to fuck me. Right here, with your strap on.”

Coy’s eyes widened a little, and she was at once glad she came packing tonight. As she pulled Sawyer in for another kiss, she had only one thought.

Well, shit. At least Abi gave the okay to be late.

“I may be allowing you to drive me around whenever we go out,” Sawyer said much later as they strode inside O’Rourke’s Pub. Patrons were gathered around the large flat screen on their right, cheering and drinking to the hockey game that was live-streaming. Sawyer narrowed her gaze on the group before clasping her hand around Coy’s arm. She gave it a light squeeze, leaned in, and added in a louder voice, “For now. But someday soon, we’ll take the Rover. I will drive.”

“Ooo-kay.”

The smell of burgers and steaks cooking on the grill wafted out from the kitchen, or maybe it was from a nearby table, but it had Coy’s mouth watering. She tilted her head to examine Sawyer closer, struggling to understand what she was saying between the lines. There was a stubborn look about her, as if Coy driving was an issue she’d been thinking about for days. Did it upset her that much?

“Erm … sorry,” Coy said to the three people behind them, still waiting to get in. Gently, she guided Sawyer to one of the few empty tables, pulled out the heavy wooden chair, and gestured for her to sit. She squatted in front of Sawyer, which probably looked odd, but Coy didn’t care. Something in her was screaming this is the way, and who was she to ignore it?

“McCoy, what are you doing? People are staring,” Sawyer said through clenched teeth, her exquisite gaze scanning the crowded pub. Coy did the same, meeting raised eyebrows of several onlookers before glancing down at how she was positioned in front of Sawyer.

That’s not what I’m going for.

It looked like she was consoling Sawyer, but that wasn’t Coy’s intention at all. She wanted to submit . She considered herself a switch in the bedroom, yes, but when it came to matters of the heart, Sawyer owned hers.

Coy dropped down to her knees on the dirty pub floor, not caring who witnessed. They wouldn’t understand what was happening, how much significance the moment held. Only Frankie, if she was lurking somewhere nearby, would grasp the situation for what it was.

“Sweetheart, I’m nothing like him .” Coy emphasized the last word, hoping to all hell Sawyer learned to completely trust in her. She stared up at the love of her life, feeling the second her heart began to race. She reveled in the feeling, hoping the crazy, heart-pounding joy she experienced for Sawyer never left in the years to come.

Studying Sawyer’s non verbals, Coy noticed the thudding pulse in the same spot she’d spent so much time kissing earlier. Right below her jawline. The erratic pulse was the only proof of how affected Sawyer was. Well, that and the tightness of her lips as she pursed them.

“It doesn’t matter to me who drives, Sawyer. If you want the control and the freedom, by all means, take it. I am yours . Whatever you want or need, okay? I will never try to control you. If you’d rather drive, I’ll be the best passenger prince ever.”

That evoked a tense smile from Sawyer. She reached out to skim her hand over the top of Coy’s hair, then down the side of her face to cup her cheek. “Well,” she said, finally, her smile widening ever so slightly, “sometimes I like when you drive. And when you hold the door open for me.”

Coy smiled back. “Yeah?”

“Yes. Now get up.” Sawyer glanced over Coy’s shoulder and grimaced. “I believe your friends have spotted us.”

Ugh, this’ll be good . Coy climbed to her feet and inwardly cringed as Abi and Taunya rushed over.

“Just a minute.” Sawyer stood as well. Coy felt her hand slip into hers, and then she was twisting Coy around to face her once more. Their eyes met, a flare of mischief in Sawyer’s, and then she dipped down to capture Coy in a kiss.

“That’s a power move if I ever saw one,” Taunya rang out behind them—and none too quietly either. Coy felt Sawyer smile into their kiss before she deepened the contact and brushed her tongue along Coy’s lips.

“It’s hot,” Abi said just as Sawyer pulled away, leaving Coy’s lips swollen and her brain filled with a prelude of what would hopefully transpire later that night.

“Hello, Abi, it’s nice to see you again. Congratulations on your engagement,” Sawyer greeted them coolly, and Coy witnessed Abi’s excitement as Sawyer held a hand out for her to take. “And you must be … Taunya?”

“That’s me. It’s great to finally meet you, Sawyer. You must have some kind of superpower to hold this playgirl down.” Taunya winked at Coy.

“Okay, har har,” Coy mocked with a roll of her eyes. She had a feeling that wouldn’t be the last teasing she’d hear tonight.

“C’mon. We’re at our usual corner booth,” Abi told them, her gaze flickering curiously to Coy before she and Taunya started back to their seats.

“‘Playgirl?’” Sawyer echoed, narrowing her eyes in blatant distaste.

It felt like a rock plummeted into the pit of Coy’s stomach at those words. Her cheeks grew hot, but not from embarrassment per se. From shame . She cleared her throat, admitting, “It’s been a running joke slash nickname for years.”

“I don’t like that your friends call you that. Do they realize how that makes you sound?”

Coy faltered, not wanting to have this conversation here. The problem was, she did know. Now. Years ago, when she’d first been dubbed the city’s playgirl, she thought it was something to be proud of. No one could lock her down. She was living for a good time, not a long time, and for the most part, she hadn’t taken life too seriously. Somewhere along the way, though, that way of thinking slowly changed. Watching Abi fall for Tess, or Taunya with Derek, or maybe even how Sloane consistently tried and failed to meet someone who just … got her.

When she’d met Sawyer, Coy hadn’t truly realized how ready she was for a relationship. Ready to slow down. To discover something worth sacrificing everything else for. To understand she’d been lying to herself for far too long.

“Come, darling.” Sawyer’s hand slipped into hers, and together, they made their way across the pub to her friends. After introductions were made and drinks were ordered, Sawyer clinked her glass. Conversation around the table fell silent, and Coy eyed her girlfriend curiously. Sawyer wasn’t a shy person, not like Tess, for example, but Coy had never seen her go out of her way to garner attention. Her palms ached to touch Sawyer. She didn’t overthink it, just reached out and placed her hand on Sawyer’s thigh in quiet comfort.

“First, I’d like to give thanks for including me in your celebration.” Sawyer’s smile seemed forced, if the tension around her eyes and the rigidness of her spine was any indication. “I look forward to getting to know you all, as I plan to stick around.” She turned to stare directly at Sloane, who was seated as far away from McCoy as possible. “You lost the bet, my dear. Now get over it. And for everyone else at this table, there is no playgirl here. If you can’t call McCoy by her name, then come up with a less demeaning nickname.”

If it weren’t for the noise outside of the group bubble, Coy was certain they’d be able to hear a pin drop. The utter silence, and the multitude of facial expressions, from shock to annoyance, staring back at her and Sawyer was overwhelming. Coy had to close her own gaping mouth.

What the fuck just happened?

That was the last thing she expected Sawyer to say, and her brain was still grappling to catch up. Hell, should they leave? What if Sawyer wasn’t welcome now that she’d stuck up for Coy?

Then, a slow clap started. Coy’s gaze flew up to see Taunya doing the honors. And grinning . The others joined in, causing Coy to sag in relief.

“Finally. I genuinely hated that nickname,” Tess, of all people, admitted.

“Ditto.” Krystal clinked her mug against Tess’s.

“Damn, you’ve got a good woman, Coy,” Taunya said, raising her beer up high. “Raise your drinks, ladies and queers. Let’s do another toast—this time to the end of an era.”

Whoops and hollers went up around the table. Coy shook her head and laughed, leaning in to plant a kiss on Sawyer’s satisfied smirk. “Fuck, I love you.”

“What about ‘lovergirl’? Is that nickname off the table?” Abi called out, earning a chuckle from Sawyer this time.

“I think I’ll come to love your friends,” she said, loud enough that only Coy could hear. Sawyer brushed her thumb across Coy’s bottom lip, a thousand emotions swirling beneath the grayness of her eyes. Coy rode that turbulent rollercoaster, soaking up everything Sawyer couldn’t put into words. It was all consuming. Her heart started to race in the intoxicating stare-down, and Coy felt the breath whoosh through her lungs when Sawyer finally smiled. “Not how I love you, though, darling.”