DrawnTogether (7 page)

Tessa placed yet another baseball glove into the box then
swiped a sweaty lock of hair off her forehead. How could one man have so many
baseball gloves? “Are all these necessary?”

“I was a pitcher, babe.” Graig wrapped his arms around her.
“Different gloves for different days. Hot weather, cold weather, night games…
Yes, I’m quirky that way. Made my strikeout average in college pretty high.”

“You’re allowed, then.” She kissed his cheek. “I like them.”

“Case, get your ass in here. This couch is fucking heavy,”
Dennis called from the front room.

“He is who he is.” Tessa patted Graig’s arm then stood.
“I’ll finish in here. Go.”

“Love you.” He tucked her into the crook of his arm, kissed
her and swiped his tongue along her bottom lip then let go.

Tessa closed the box of baseball equipment then unplugged
the cords of the television from the wall. Footsteps padded on the floor behind
her.

“Graig, you’d better help or Den will rip off your face.”
When she turned around, she snapped her mouth shut.

“So it’s true.” Lila folded her arms. Her bracelets jangled
on her wrists. “He’s moving in with the whale.” She stomped her pump-clad foot.
“It’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair about it?” Tessa stepped toe-to-toe with
Lila. “You lied, bullied and connived. What did you expect? Did you really
think he’d run off into the sunset with you?”

Lila’s face pinched and her eyes narrowed. “My happy ending.
He was supposed to be mine. We were going to have beautiful children together.
Beautiful people are meant to be together, not dragged down by…you.”

Graig strode through the bedroom doorway. Adam and Dennis
stood behind him. “Lila.” Graig rested his hands on his hips. “You’re a pretty
girl but you’ve got a black soul. We’d never work because there is no love
between us.”

“So there’s no chance we’ll work this out?” She flipped her
hair over her shoulder. “None at all?”

“Not in hell.” Graig grasped Tessa’s hand. “I found my
forever girl.”

For a moment, Tessa actually felt sorry for Lila. She knew
how it felt to have the future ripped out from under her. But Lila screwed up
her own life.

Lila straightened her shoulders then notched her chin in the
air. “I thought I’d be upset, but I’m not. It’s fine. You and I would’ve never
worked out. You spend too much time at the school and not enough at home.” She
turned on her heel and left the apartment.

The men stared at each other then at Tessa.

“That was odd,” Adam blurted. “You dated her?”

“No one is perfect.” Graig tensed beside Tessa. “Not my
brightest move.”

“And you said I have too much drama in my life.” Dennis
snorted. “Pallas, grab the front of his armchair. I’m over this moving shit.”

“Ditto.” Adam hefted the front of the chair and moved in
tandem with Dennis to carry the armchair out of the bedroom.

Tessa wrapped her arms around Graig. “She left without much
incident. I’m shocked.”

“She knew. She wanted perfect and no one is perfect.” He
rested his forehead on hers. “But you—you are my kind of perfect.”

“I’m sweaty and tired, but I accept all your compliments.”

“How about you accept something else?” He let go of her and
dropped to one knee. “Marry me, Tessa. I want to make you happy for the rest of
our lives.” He pulled a flocked box from his sweat shorts then opened the box.
A diamond ring glittered in the satin. “We were drawn together and I think it
was fate. I love you and don’t want to let you go. Will you marry me?”

How could she say no? Tessa blinked back happy tears and
threw her arms around his neck. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you so much.”

He slid the ring onto her finger then kissed her again. “We
can call the hallway the Case Wing.”

“We could.” She allowed the tears. If someone told her she’d
find the love of her life in the same building in which she devoted her life to
teaching, she’d have laughed. She’d found her true self, her heart and a love
to last a lifetime. No more running. No more hesitating. She’d come home.

She glanced at the ring on her finger. Graig truly owned her
heart and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “The Case Wing sounds absolutely
perfect, but you’re telling Dennis.”

“Deal.”

* * * *

Four hours and what seemed like countless boxes later, Graig
stared at the lack of mess in Tessa’s apartment. The living room didn’t appear
as large with almost double of everything, but he didn’t care. She belonged to
him. Nothing else mattered. He rested his hands on his hips. She’d agreed to
marry him. His heart swelled in his chest. Time to give her the rest of the
surprise.

He picked up the box he’d hidden in his bat bag and strolled
into the bedroom. Steam billowed from the bathroom and water splashed. He
grinned. Cleaning up for him? God, he loved her.

The water stopped and moments later Tessa emerged from the
bathroom. The enormous towel damn near swallowed her body.

“Do they make bigger towels?” He perched on the edge of the
bed, the box hidden behind him.

“I don’t know.” She clutched the towel just above her
breasts. “Figured you’d join me.”

“And mess up the show? Nah.” Blood thumped in his ears and
his skin itched. He loved seeing her scrubbed clean and fresh. But he loved her
no matter what she looked like.

“I see.”

“You will.” He crossed the room to where she stood. “I got
you a present. My friend and former roommate in college, Donovan, owns Ink
Works. I asked him to help me pick out something special.”“ Graig parted the
towel, knocking the damp fabric to the floor. “Something for these.” He palmed
her breast. “Want to see?”

Tessa nodded. She bit her bottom lip and fires burned in her
eyes.

Graig patted the bed behind him, grasping the box. “These
aren’t permanent, but if you like them then we can make them permanent.” He
flipped the lid from the box. “What do you think?”

Her cheeks flushed and the redness swept down her chest to
her breasts. “I’ve got earrings.” She met his gaze then picked up one of the
open rings.

“They go on your nipples.” Graig sucked her nipple into his
mouth, flicking his tongue over the tender point. Tessa sighed and tipped her
head back. She placed the ring in his hand then forked her fingers into his
hair. At the same time, she ground her hips, rubbing her sopping pussy over his
fabric-covered cock.

He released her nipple with a pop then eased the ring around
her sensitive flesh. She snapped her gaze to his and whimpered. Her lips parted
and a thin ring of blue shone around her dilated pupils. Her soggy hair dripped
on his knees.

“Feels sexy.” Her breath tickled his cheeks. “So sexy.”

“Yeah?” He kept his gaze on hers then sucked her other
nipple into his mouth. He needed to shuck the shorts and soon. When she moaned
and pulled his hair, he let go of her nipple then affixed the ring. The white
gold glittered against her rosy areola. “That’s one of the sexiest things I’ve
ever seen.” He swatted her ass. “Come here.”

Tessa wobbled on her feet. Her chest heaved with each
breath. She smoothed her hands up and down her sides, touching the lower swell
of her breasts, but not quite reaching her nipples.

“Touch yourself, babe.” Graig eased his shorts and boxers
down his hips, freeing his cock. The cool air in the room kissed his aching
skin. With tentative hands, Tessa did as he asked and cupped her breasts. Her
engagement ring glittered on her finger. Her eyelids fluttered shut and she
blew out a breath. He swatted the bed for the condom he’d secreted in the box.
When he found what he wanted, he tore the corner from the foil packet and
sheathed himself.

“Come here.” He coaxed her onto his lap then grasped her
ass. “Feels good?”

She nodded again.

“Donovan can make them permanent if you’d like.” He guided
her pussy onto his cock, joining their bodies. Graig rolled his hips, bouncing
her on his lap. Tessa grasped his shoulders, digging her fingernails into his
skin. She braced her knees on the bed and met him thrust for thrust. Her cunt
rippled around him and squeezed him tight.

“Yes,” she gasped and her head lolled on her shoulders. Her
breasts jiggled and her mouth opened.

Each whimper and moan kicked his desire for her up a notch.
He slipped one hand between their bodies and caressed her clit with his middle
finger. His belly trembled and his balls buzzed. Every nerve ending in his body
sizzled. The first twinges of orgasm crept into his brain. He nipped her neck
and breathed in her sweet scent.

“More.” Her cream slickened his way. “Graig.” She pulled
away from him and panted in time with his thrusts.

“Come for me, love.” He wasn’t going to last long. Seeing
her so on edge, with the delicate rings on her nipples, he’d finish in a
second. “Let go.”

Her brows knitted and Tessa curled into his arms. She
shuddered and her cream slickened his thighs. After a moment, she sagged
against his shoulder.

Graig gritted his teeth and surged into her once more. He
filled the condom and tingled from his head to his toes. The room tilted then
spun. He collapsed on the bed with her in his arms. Neither one of them spoke
for a long moment.

“I knew the moment I met you, Tessa, that you were the one
for me.” He stroked her still-damp hair and withdrew from her then tucked her
to his side. “Everything happens for a reason.”

“I believe you’re right.” She rose up on her elbow. “I love
you.”

“Love you too.”

She opened her hand over his heart then touched her breast.
“When do you think Donovan has time to make these permanent?”

“When were you thinking?” He twined their fingers together.

“As soon as possible?” Tessa shrugged. “Or whenever.”

“All we have to do is ask.”

“Later.” She scooted back onto his lap. Passion glittered in
her eyes. “I think it’s time for round two.”

“You got it.”

Like spicy romance? So do I! Come along on this journey with
me.

I’ve always dreamt of writing the stories in my head. Tall,
dark and handsome heroes are my favorites, as long as they have independent
women keeping them in line. I love playing with words and letting the
characters run wild. Ohio farmland, dirt racing, animals and second chance
romance all feature prominently in my books. I’ve got a fetish for faded
concert tees, loud music and Jeeps.

Wendi welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author
bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.

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Drawn Together

ISBN 9781419947957

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Drawn Together Copyright © 2014 Wendi Zwaduk

Edited by Whitney Mae

Cover design by Fiona Jayde

Cover photography by Ohishiapply/shutterstock.com,
periodimages.com

Electronic book publication January 2014

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