Chandin Whitten - Beautiful Misery

Mentally I counted to ten before replying through gritted teeth. “I know I picked to be here and I would do it again, over and over. This is just as hard on me as it is you. Neither one of us pictured things happening like this but it did. This is how I deal. I make dumbass remarks and say stupid shit. I don’t mean anything by it, Cobie. Honestly, I just wanted to make you laugh. If I woulda known it would upset you I woulda kept my damn mouth shut.” Using my free hand I picked up her hand. “If we want this thing between us to work then we both need to talk. We need to communicate. When I piss you off you can’t just shut down. Tell me. And when you’re being a pain in my ass I will let you know.”

Cobie shifted her eyes between mine. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, trapping it between her teeth. “I just don’t want you to feel trapped.”

Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “I don’t feel trapped. When will you get that through your damn head?” Cobie lifted one shoulder but said nothing. Wanting to lighten the mood I asked, “So what did you think of this place?”

As soon as I mentioned the house her face lit up. I could see the answer written all over her face, she had loved it but I wanted her to tell me. Fighting back her smile she said, “I liked it. What did you think?”

“I think if you liked it, then this is our new house. I will call Colleen and tell her to send the offer in. If everything goes smoothly we should have the keys in a week or so. Welcome to our new home.”

Both Cobie and I looked out the windshield at the large brick home in front of us. The house that would be ours to raise our child in.

She scrunched her face up. “How can you get the house so fast? Won’t we need to wait on the bank?”

I shook my head. “Nope. I’m paying cash. Cash money, baby.”

Cobie rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, “Of course you are. Why would you need a loan when you are the one and only Gage Tucker?”

Smirking I said, “That would be the one, the only, Gage Motha’ Fuckin’ Tucker.”

Cobie laughed and shook her head. “Call Colleen before your big head explodes.”

Oh man I could say something right now…No! I will be good and not upset her.

“What?”

“Huh?” I asked, confused.

“The look on your face. It was like you wanted to say something but changed your mind.”

How the hell did she know me so well already?

“I did but I decided not to.”

“Why?” Cobie asked. She squinted her eyes like she was trying to figure me out.

“It was dirty.”

Cobie’s eyes went from small slits to the size of saucers. “Oh.”

“Yep. That’s why I decided to just keep my mouth shut.”

Leaning her head back to lay on the head rest she stared out the windshield. “What were you going to say?”

I shook my head. “You get pissed when I say shit like I was thinking. My mouth is shut.”

Turning the car on, the radio came to life. And, damn if Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke wasn’t playing. Both Cobie and I looked at each other.

“Well, ain’t this just perfect?” Cobie asked, sitting up in her seat. She laughed and for the first time she looked comfortable with me.

“It is kinda fitting for us, huh?”

Cobie started singing along. And after a few beats I joined in. She looked relaxed. She looked beautiful. She caught my eye and gave me a huge smile. When the song ended she took a deep breath and sat back.

“So, Tucker, you going to tell me what was going through that head of yours earlier?”

Fine. If she wanted to know, I would tell her.

“You can’t get pissed because you asked for it.”

Cobie nodded and said, “I asked for it before and look where that got us.”

Damn. This girl had so many sides. She seems so quiet and sweet then BAM! She says something totally unlike the Cobie I know.

Giving her my famous ‘Tucker Tease’ smile, as it has been dubbed by the media, I said, “When you talked about my big head exploding, I thought that wasn’t the only big head I had that could explode.”

Cobie swallowed hard. “Well, I guess when it’s true I can’t really argue.”

Raising both my brows I lifted one side of my mouth. “Why, Cobie Nayler, did you just say I have a big dick?”

Cobie’s mouth popped open. “You are incorrigible.”

I shrugged. “Maybe so but that doesn’t change the fact that you just agreed that my dick was big.”

“Will you call Colleen already?”

“Will you answer my question already?”

Cobie wrinkled her nose. “Nope. Now call Colleen.”

Laughing I pulled my phone out and put my car into drive. I called Colleen on our way back to Cobie’s mom’s house. The following morning Colleen called back, informing us that the house was ours and since we were paying cash we would have the keys within days.

Five days later and we had the keys and started moving in, just in time for me to fly back to New York for meetings and a photo shoot for GQ.

Cobie

I rolled to my side trying to get comfortable but I could still feel the sharp pains in my back. I slightly opened my eyes to peek at my clock, a little after eight. I should probably get up. Gage would only be here a few more days before he had to fly back to New York to start practice. It felt like he was constantly flying between New York and home. He had just got here four days ago would be leaving soon. Then it was up in the air when I would see him.

I could smell the coffee aroma floating up from the kitchen, calling my name. Gage always made coffee for us in the morning when he was here. Following the scent of heaven to the kitchen I grabbed a mug from the cabinet, filling it full of coffee. I leaned my hip against the counter as I brought my mug to my lips, letting my nostrils fill with the sweet smell and my mouth warm with the dark liquid. Pure heaven.

“Morning, Co.” Gage said from the bar.

Turning my head in his direction I froze in place almost spitting my coffee out. Gage was sitting on a bar stool in nothing but gray shorts. His shirt was off giving me a full view of his six pack and chiseled chest. We may live together and have created a baby together but I had never seen this much of him. He looked like some sort of Greek God sitting on his throne.

“You goin’ to swallow that coffee or see if it magically absorbs into your belly?” Gage asked amused.

Clearly the guy was used to being ogled by the ladies. Hell, I’m sure even men ogled him.

Blinking a few times I swallowed my coffee choking out, “Sweet Jesus man. Is it even natural to have abs like that? What is that you have?...Like a twelve pack? Nobody should look that good this early in the morning.”

Gage quirked an eyebrow and looked at me over his coffee mug. “Nope. I was made in a factory.” Shaking his head he smirked. “Sweetheart it’s called hard work and dedication.” Setting his mug down he bent over a little to look at his stomach. Bringing his hand up he counted out loud as he ran his index finger along his abs. “One…two…three…four…five…six. Huh, I only have a six pack. But, a twelve pack, damn even I would be impressed with that.” Keeping his head down Gage looked up at me through his lashes.

Sitting like that, that look on his face he look every bit the womanizing man whore that I know he is. Or…well was? And damn if it wasn’t hot as hell.

Pursing my lips I shut my eyes only to open them and be looking at shirtless Gage again. This time he was on the cover of GQ magazine. Jesus! He was like a nasty little gnat…his half naked body was everywhere. Taking a closer look at the cover I saw Gage standing in the middle of what looked like a stadium, he was flexing both his arms as he held them straight out, a football in his right hand. His legs were crossed at his ankles and he had that damn panty melting smile on his smug face. Like he knew that every woman that saw this magazine would use it that night and possible the following weeks as their personal female fantasy fun time. Shoving the magazine across the counter I asked, “You still going to my doctor appointment today?”