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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

SWAN

S tretching, I swallowed and relaxed when the action didn’t hurt my throat. However, my mouth was dry. I licked over my lips to wet them. Opening my eyes, I froze as I realised where I was.

Drake.

He’d been the one to take care of me. The one who made sure I drank, took medicine. He’d given me food, placed a washcloth over my forehead when I was hot, hugged me when I was cold.

My heart galloped wildly under my ribs.

He wasn’t beside me in bed now.

How long had I been out of it? There were only flashes of moments that stayed with me. Still, I would forever hold those sweet moments, actions from him, in my heart and mind.

My sinuses no longer hurt, either, and my body only slightly ached.

I glanced to the bedside table where there were some meds and a bottle of water. Sitting, I snatched up the bottle and took a long drink. Once finished, I sniffed, immediately screwing up my nose. I needed a shower desperately. I also wanted to change Drake’s bedcovers.

With my bladder yelling at me for release, I quickly got out of bed and went to my bag that I saw on the chair in the corner of the room. I grabbed out some fresh clothes and slipped into his bathroom.

After the toilet break, I had a shower, smiling at the fact that I would smell like Drake’s body wash. He always had a yummy scent to him. Maybe it was that or cologne or just him.

It was probably all three.

There was my toothbrush on a folded towel on the sink, so I used both and then dressed in leggings and a sweater. I took my dirty clothes to my bag and placed them in an area away from the clean ones.

Feeling much more human, I headed back to the bed and removed all the covers. I didn’t see a hamper in the room, and I hadn’t in the bathroom, either, so I took them with me while I searched for the laundry room.

Drake wasn’t in the open living area, so I went down the back of the apartment and found what I was looking for. I placed on a load of washing and grabbed some new covers for his room from the big linen cupboard.

Just as I’d finished making the bed, two things happened: my stomach growled, and Drake appeared in the doorway, making me jolt and scream.

He grinned. “You’re lookin’ refreshed.”

My belly fluttered at the sight of him. “I am.” Even when my nerves made an appearance, I needed to remember we were dating. He was mine. So I walked over to him, saying, “Thank you for taking care of me.” I wound my arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. He wrapped me up just as quickly, and I felt him kiss the top of my head.

“I always will, Birdy.”

“How long was I out of it?”

“Just a few days.”

“A few days?” I squawked. I went to push away, ranting, “I have to call work and my parents and?—”

“Birdy.” Drake chuckled, holding me against him. “Relax. I let work know. They told me you were scheduled off for Monday and Tuesday since you worked the weekend anyway. I said you’d be back Thursday, tomorrow.” I nodded against his chest, melting some more for this man. He then added, “Also spoke with your parents. They’re cool. Deanna told me that when you get the flu, you’re pretty much out of it for a while.”

Emotions thickened my throat; this man had taken care of me like I was precious to him. Knowing that was how he saw me still blew my mind. I gripped the hem of his tee at the back. “Thank you again.” Tipping my head up, I smiled at him. My cheeks heated as his warm gaze ran over my face. He started to dip, but I blurted, “Germs.”

“Are all gone, and I would have gotten sick already if I did catch anythin’.”

He was right since he’d slept beside me each night. Though beside me was not strictly true. At times I woke in the middle of the night to find myself lying over him before I went straight back to sleep.

I licked my lips. “Okay,” I whispered, grateful that I’d brushed my teeth already.

He grinned, but it vanished when he touched his lips to mine. It started as a soft brush of skin before pulling back once, twice, and then, when I cupped the side of his neck, he stayed against me, deepening the kiss and turning it from sweet to hot as we tangled our tongues together.

The raw desire rose, leaving me wanting more.

My pussy pulsed, the lust driving me to slide my hands up under his tee, stroking over his back. He broke the kiss and shook his head, stepping away.

My hands dropped to my sides. Worry thickened my throat.

“Fuck, Birdy. Don’t look like I just killed a puppy. Want you somethin fierce, Swan.” He glanced down, and I saw the outline of his erection. I bit my bottom lip, smiling around it.

He was turned on for me.

“You need some food. You’re still gaining your strength back. I don’t want to push?—”

“You’re not. You never can. I know how much you respect what I want, how you put me first, but what I want is you.”

“Birdy,” he groaned roughly.

“I would like to have sex with you, Drake.” The bold move had me wanting to hide my face or sink into the floor, but I stood tall, fighting the need to flee, to get what I desired.

I didn’t want to wait to be with the man I loved. I already knew he would take care of me in every way.

Okay, I had to stop thinking or I’d go up in flames.

He dropped his head back and closed his eyes, breathing hard. “Christ.” He straightened and nodded, gaze darker and hungry. “You’ll have me. Fuck yes, Birdy, but I need to take care of you first. I didn’t miss the way your stomach howled for food. Let me feed you before anythin’ else. And even when it comes to anythin’ else, know you can back out at any time you want.”

The organ under my ribs went crazy. My body tingled.

“Feed me then, please.”

Because I was desperate for something more.

Him.

My pulse went ballistic, but I wouldn’t back down.

Drake Marcus wanted me. He’d proved it over and over. He got a tattoo of a swan.

He was true and clear on his emotions for me, and he showed me that. I wanted to be strong and show him too.

He stepped forwards and kissed me again with a low groan.

* * *

I stood in the kitchen watching Drake’s hands and arms as he fixed us some sandwiches. I’d never noticed veins on a man until that moment.

Nibbling on my bottom lip, I listened—and watched, of course—as he told me about the customer he had to deal with downstairs while Coyote was out. They’d wanted a refund on an item, but the item looked used, and when Drake refused, the customer started ranting. That was why he hadn’t been upstairs when I woke.

“I forgot I caught you changing the covers. You didn’t have to do that, Birdy.”

Rolling my eyes, I told him, “I sweated in them. I felt like it should be me.”

He stilled, and I looked up from his hands to see him watching me. “The way you’re watchin’ me, Birdy, you’re makin’ things hard.”

“Which things?” I blurted with a glance down, but the counter was between us and blocked my view.

He chuckled.

“Sorry,” I said, blushing.

“Birdy, don’t apologise. You say anythin’ on your mind. But, Christ, babe, it’s like a treat knowin’ you want me.”

My nerves got the better of me; I ducked my gaze and shrugged.

He chuckled again. “Let’s eat.” He slid a plate over to me and picked up his own sandwich. Both of us took a bite.

While we ate, we talked about our family. Apparently, it hadn’t been just my parents and Nicky to check on me. Maya and Texas had stopped by, as well as his twin, Ruby, with her boyfriend, Dillon. Zara and Talon called their son to see how I was, as well as Nancy, Drake’s grandmother, but it hadn’t stopped there. His uncles and aunt did too. Julian, Mattie, and Josie.

“As Julian said, the word had spread like a prostitute’s legs that I was lookin’ after you at my place while you were sick.”

Laughing, I shook my head. Of course that was something Julian would say. “You’ve definitely been busy.”

He grinned as he chewed, nodding. After he swallowed, he said, “But it doesn’t bother me. Good to know they care.”

“We do have the best families.”

He winked. “Most of the time anyway.”

Laughing, I nodded. “True.” I cocked my head to the side when I realised it was Wednesday. I adjusted on the seat and swallowed my bite. “Am I keeping you from work?” I gasped, choked, and coughed. Drake rose out of his chair to come around, but I waved him off. I took a quick sip of my soda. “Y-You haven’t stayed the whole time?” I cleared my throat.

As he slowly sat back down, his brows pinched. “Most,” he admitted.

“Drake,” I whined. “I don’t want to keep you from your work or to become a burden?—”

“You could never,” he said quickly and roughly. He pushed his empty plate away. “With the work I do here at the Harley store, the garage, and tattooing, I get to pick and choose when I want to work. I get to shuffle things around if somethin’ comes up.”

“But don’t feel you have to miss out on jobs because of me,” I said to the counter while twisting my plate around. I loved that he wanted to stay to take care of me, but he couldn’t do that all the time.

“Birdy, don’t stress, yeah? I wanted to be here for you. I wanted to be the one to take care of you. If I have it in my power to do it again the next time, I will. You come first over anything or anyone else. And I promise that if I can’t take the time off when you’re sick, I’ll make sure someone can drop in to help if needed.”

But… it sounded like he was talking as if I would be here instead of my parents’ place. Or was I reading that wrong?

Either way, it was lovely knowing he wished to be there for me in any situation. Wanted to be the one I relied on. I hoped he knew I wanted to be his person he relied on most too.

“How are you still single?” I asked, honestly baffled. He was the kindest, most honest, caring, and calm man I had the chance to be around, while also making me feel comfortable and needy.

He smirked. “I’m not anymore.”

Smiling, I nodded. “No, you’re not.”

“Birdy?”

“Yes?”

“You want me?”

A tingle started in my heart, then shot to my stomach and lower.

Biting my bottom lip, I nodded. His gaze locked onto my lips. I released it and licked over the skin. He slowly pulled his eyes back up to meet mine.

“You gonna let me between your legs? Let me taste you? Gonna get you ready nice and slow, Birdy. Don’t want to hurt you, but I heard it does, and that fuckin’ sucks. But?—”

“I know you’ll take care of me,” I blurted.

He smirked. “Yeah, I will.”

Was he hard now from talking like that? And if he was, I wondered what it would be like to suck and lick and taste Drake Marcus.

A roll of desire ran through me at the thought of taking Drake’s cock into my mouth. Would he care how inexperienced I was?

I ran my gaze up to his and was about to voice my concerns when I caught the heated look in his eyes. He wouldn’t care. He wanted me. Cared for me.

“Bedroom, Birdy. Now.”

Standing from my seat, I walked swiftly into his bedroom.

Thank God I’d changed the sheets.

In there, I paused. Did I get undressed or wait for him so he could watch?

I was so out of my element even with all the romance books I’d read.

Hearing Drake’s footsteps, I faced him. He stopped in the doorway, hands gripping each side of the frame.

“I don’t know what to do. I worry that this won’t be any good for you or that I’ll somehow stuff up and it’ll end terribly. I-I want it to be good for you.”

He strode towards me, cupping my burning cheeks, kissing me softly, sweetly.

“Birdy, you don’t have to worry. It’s you I have in my arms and bed. It’ll be good for me no matter what. Just need you to tell me if there’s anything I do that you don’t like. Be honest with me during this, Birdy.”

“Okay,” I whispered close to his lips and then tipped up to my toes to take his mouth in a kiss that sent a shiver down my spine. Was it strange that I wanted to kiss him for days? Even if it was, I didn’t care. He was all that mattered. He was the one that threw my body into chaos with his touches, his kisses, his words.

While I wrapped my arms around his neck, Drake slid his from my hips down to my arse and grabbed a handful, pulling my hips against his. I could feel his erection. A moan escaped me, and Drake drank it down.

There were too many emotions swirling like crazy inside me. All intense. All consuming. All for Drake Marcus.

His hands glided up and started to lift my sweater from my body. I broke the kiss and lifted my arms. He smiled wickedly as he removed the material from my body.

God, even his dangerous smile had my heart hammering against my ribs.

I needed this man in all ways I could.

Panting, I watched as Drake’s dark gaze became glued to my breasts under my red bra, and he let out a curse. He dropped the sweater to the floor and threaded his fingers into my hair, cupping my neck at the back to force me into his embrace for another long, slow, desire-filled kiss.

Another moan dropped from my mouth into his when he used his other hand to cup and knead my breast. I slipped a hand up under his tee, needing to feel his skin so much that my hands shook.

“Too many clothes,” I said, face igniting, but I still kept his gaze and loved seeing his smirk.

“Then let’s get them outta the way, Birdy.”

My breath caught when his fingers slid to the sides of my leggings, and then he crouched before me to pull them down.

With my hand to his shoulder, I stepped out of them, and he straightened.

“I, um, did mean your clothes.”

He grinned. “I know.” His gaze ran over me. “Like the red, Birdy.” My bra and underpants matched.

A laugh left me. “You picked them.”

“I definitely did.”

I shivered when his hand ran over the skin at my arms, waist, hips, arse, and dipped to the front, between my legs, where he brushed two fingers over my pussy.

“Fuck, Birdy. Already hot and wet for me.”

I made a noise in the back of my throat and nodded. My panties were soaked. The need for him coursed through me, stronger, headier, sending tingles down my spine to my stomach and core.

“Will you get on the bed for me?” he asked.

Yes.

Heck yes.

Turning, I went over to the bed and sat on the edge. Just as I was about to lie back, I stopped to watch Drake drag his tee over his head with one hand. He grinned when he saw me staring and then popped the button open on his jeans. He slowly unzipped the fly and hooked his thumbs into the denim.

When he didn’t move, I glared up at him.

He chuckled. “Just makin’ sure you’re still on board.”

“I am,” I told him, moving back on the bed so I rested against the headboard. Usually, I would be worried about how I looked. I had curves, a lot of them, but Drake’s gaze and the way he already treated me gave me the confidence to like my body more.

I really loved this man.