Page 22 of Love Gamble
Chapter Ten
Corey
The week passes quickly, and before I know it the mural is complete. Although everyone has seen bits and pieces of it, I ban everyone from coming outside on the final two days so that the reveal will be a surprise. I cover it up with a white sheet and smile, happy with how it turned out. I’m packing up all of my things when I turn back to the sliding door, only to see a man standing there watching me, scaring the shit out of me.
“Holy shit,” I gasp, dropping my paintbrush. I realize he must be one of the prospects, which Julianna warned me about.
“Here, let me help you,” he says, coming over and picking it up for me. “I’m Blaze.”
He grins, flashing straight white teeth. He’s tall, lean, and heavily inked from his neck down, only his face remaining untouched. Dark hair, shaved on the sides, dark eyes. He’d be handsome if he didn’t have a ridiculous caterpillar of a moustache sitting on his top lip.
“Nice to meet you, Blaze, I’m Corey,” I say, offering him a smile before heading back inside. He follows behind and places my paintbrush on the table while I wash my hands.
“So how did you end up here?” I ask, watching him out of the corner of my eye.
“Looking for somewhere I fit,” is all he replies, and I nod, understanding exactly what he means.
“Say no more.”
“You’re cute,” he says, giving me a once-over. “But apparently off-limits.”
I laugh. “You’re cute too, but you’d be even cuter if you lost the pornstache.”
“Never happening,” he replies, amusement playing in his dark brown eyes. He runs his hand over the top of his hair. “If you don’t like it then you’re not the woman for me.”
Of course Damon walks around the corner at that exact moment, and glances between the two of us. He turns to Blaze with a tight jaw. “Pretty sure I just told you to stay the fuck away from her.”
Blaze backs down, lifting his hands. “Just having a conversation, there was no intention of anything further.”
I roll my eyes. “Damon, you have serious problems, you know that? I can talk to whoever I want to. You have a girlfriend, so why don’t you worry about what she’s doing instead of cockblocking me? You just want me to be a virgin for the rest of my life, don’t you?” I don’t miss the surprise in his gaze at my admission. I turn to Blaze. “See you around.”
He nods.
And I get out of there.
I don’t know who Damon thinks he is, trying to put me on a fucking shelf until he’s ready for me. This bitch needs to be eaten now, or never at all.
Literally.
I’m about to fucking expire here, while he’s sleeping with whoever he wants and having lunch with whoever he wants.
Maybe I should start doing the same and putting myself out there. I guess before I can do that I need to work on getting out more.
I’m done with Damon.
If he wants me, he can come and get me.
I meet the other two prospects when I storm back into the Devils clubhouse, still angry from my conversation with Damon.
“Corey, this is Diamond and Leif,” River introduces when he sees me. They’re all sitting in our lounge room, talking between themselves. “This is my baby sister.”
He emphasizes those words, the threat underneath them clear. They aren’t to mess with me.
Different clubhouse, same shit.
I roll my eyes and send him a scowl. He ignores it.
“Hey, Corey,” the man known as Diamond greets me. The first thing I notice about him is he has nice biceps—in fact, his whole body is straight out of a men’s fitness magazine. His eyes are a pale blue and I wonder if that’s how he got his nickname. He’s...sexy. There’s no other way to describe him. Dark, curly hair and full lips. I mean, I wouldn’t say no.