Page 108 of Swan

“Of course.”

He reached up and pinched my chin gently between his fingers. “I ain’t askin’ for anythin’, but I’d fuckin’ love it if you’d let me sleep beside you.”

Yes.

Please.

“Um, that would be okay.”

He grinned, dipped in, and kissed me with just a brush of his lips to mine. “Fuckin’ ace, Birdy. Go get in your PJs, and I’ll be in shortly.”

With a tingle in my stomach, I rushed into my room, closing the door after me. There was a firework going off under my skin knowing that Drake hadn’t wanted to call an end to the night either.

I rushed to the bathroom, where I’d left my sleepwear. Picking up the ratty old tee and mini shorts I’d brought, I wished I had something sweeter or sexier. Then again, it was probably best I didn’t. I knew Drake wouldn’t pressure me into anything or try to take my clothes off, but I was more worried about my restraint.

Drake seemed to bring out this fiercer want and desire in me.

I quickly did my bathroom routine and got dressed. By the time I walked back into the bedroom, Drake was opening the door, and I swallowed my tongue.

He only wore a pair of fitted black boxers. But that wasn’t what had me gasping. My heart thundered in my chest, and tears pooled in my eyes. “Drake,” I whispered.

He was half turned from closing the door and had dropped his head but turned his face my way as he moved his arm away from what I wanted to stare at.

What I thought I’d seen actually was what I had seen.

I sniffed, bringing my hands up to clasp them in front of my chest. Could I be wrong about the meaning to his tattoo? No, I didn’t think I was, and knowing that made me weak in the knees.

I blinked, and tears fell, but I couldn’t look away from the beautiful black swan.

Its tail was at his hip, its beak stopped up near his ribs, and its wings spanned to his stomach and back.

It was the most stunning image of a swan I had ever seen.

“Birdy.” Drake groaned before he started towards me. He swept me up into his arms before he sat on the bed with me on his thighs.

“I-I don’t want to read into it, but… for me?” I whispered.

His hand ran down my spine, and I turned to have his eyes. He nodded.

“When?”

“Can we talk about that another day?”

“Why?”

“I ain’t ready to reveal it yet. I will. And soon. Just not yet.”

He was asking me to wait for answers I was dying to have. Drake Marcus had a tattoo of a swan on his skin for me. A tattoo that would be there forever. A tattoo that had been there a while, since it looked all healed.

Something invisible gripped my heart before it felt cradled in something soft and sweet. “Okay,” I said quietly. I could wait for answers. I would.

He cupped my cheek and smiled. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to mine, once, twice. “Thank you.” I released a gasp when he stood and planted me on my feet again. “Let’s climb into bed.”

My face flushed from his words, but I went to the side and slipped under the covers while I watched Drake stride to the other side and climb in.

We rolled to our sides and faced each other.

“It’s beautiful,” I told him. “Did you design it?”

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