"Virgin." She rolled her eyes. "In all ways."
"Hooker head. In one way." I laughed as she playfully jabbed at me with her fork.
"Call money bags. Go on a date and be miserable."
"It might be great."
"His balls probably rub his knees." She shook her head and stuck out her tongue.
"Maybe I like to be tea-bagged from up high." I poked at the chicken on the plate between us.
"Ugh. Gross." She pushed her plate away and leaned back. "It's Edward or your hot pirate with big muscles."
"Somehow Edward feels far more safe."
"Duh... He's not a firefighting pirate. Anything is safer than that."
"True." I turned my attention back to my dinner, ready to be done with the conversation. Jeremy wasn't going to be mine. Not ever. The best I could hope for was a friendship. It would be a start, and hopefully, I would be strong enough to be happy with nothing more than that.
I could love him from a distance.
I'd been doing it my whole life.
7
Jeremy
It had been a long two days since seeing Bailey in Blackhouse Grille. The shock of coming face to face with Rhys's little sister and finding her everything I wanted tucked beneath me in a set of cold sheets was sobering. Maybe my love life wasn't over.
"No," I growled and got up from the porch swing on my mother's big plantation-looking mansion. It was an odd style of home to have in the northeast, but she was a southern girl at one time. I started for the door only to stop short. Nina walked out wrapped in a shawl.
"How can you stand it out here? It's mid-Nov. It's fucking freezing."
"You kiss your momma with that mouth?" I turned and headed back to the porch swing. My sister was my best friend outside of Rhys, and I usually took every advantage to spend quality time with her.
"Hell no. You know Mom doesn't show affection." She chuckled, and I joined her.
"Mom's an odd duck, but she's ours." I dropped down on the swing and wrapped my arm around my sister's narrow shoulders as she sat down next to me.
"This is true." She glanced over at me, and I couldn't help but notice the worry in her eyes. "Did you talk to her yet, Jer?"
"About?" I feigned ignorance. It was my go-to when I wanted to avoid a conversation, but Nina knew what I was up to.
"About you dating and how it's none of her damn business who you go out with." Her expression tightened.
"Nope. And I'm not going to." I shrugged and pulled my arm away from her. "She's my momma. If she wants to set me up with a million sluts and gold diggers, then so be it."
"And crazy witches, and infantile looking women and-"
"The list goes on." I smirked and pressed my forearms to my thighs. "I'm the one on the dates. Believe me, the list goes on and on. Some of them are pretty funny stories." I let my head drop as a smile lifted my lips. The last two years of my dating life had been something of a reality TV show, and yet... I was still alone.
Nina rubbed the top of my back and let out a sigh. "I just wish she would leave you be. Maybe it's not time for you to find someone. You know?"
I wanted like hell to agree, but I couldn't. "Mom knows what she's doing, Nina. If she didn't push me, I'd become a bachelor and never date another woman."
"Why?" She moved up so we could see eye to eye. "You don't want to love again?"
"Hell no." I sat up and lifted my arms to stretch. "I don't want to do anything again."
"Hurts too much?" My sister leaned back and pulled her legs up. She wrapped her arms around her bent legs and pressed her cheek to her knee. "You still think about Laila all the time?"
"I dream about her every night." I glanced up toward the ceiling. "I see her in crowded areas and if I close my eyes and listen closely," I paused as tears burned my eyes, "I can almost hear her whispering my name."
"Oh, baby. I'm so sorry." Nina dropped her legs, moving closer and wrapped me in a side hug. "I didn't mean to upset you. Forgive me."
"It's all good." I forced my emotions back into the tight little box in the center of my chest where they belonged. Losing my everything left me shattered in a way that I couldn't contemplate coming out of. Not ever. No matter how many dates I went on.
"New subject. How's Rhys? Have you talked to him lately?"
"Yes." I reached up and pressed my fingers to my eyes as Nina moved back. "He's coming up here for Thanksgiving in a few weeks."
"Oh yeah?" I could hear the playfulness return to her voice. "Is he dating anyone?"
"No, you cougar." I glanced over my shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "His little sister Bailey is here. I ran into her the other night."
"Oh Lord." She stood and pulled her shawl around her shoulders as she turned toward the yard. "That girl has been in love with you her whole life."
"She was a kid, Nina. I was her brother's best friend. Of course, she was in love with me." I crossed my arms over my chest and kept to myself that I hadn't dreamt of Laila since seeing Bailey two nights before. It was terrifying to even think about replacing my wife in my dreams, and yet I had. Bailey at the park with me, spread out on a blanket, laughing, smiling, loving me.
"And you were a really good looking kid." She glanced over and wagged her eyebrows at me.
"Oh, great. So I was good looking. Thanks a lot. Just kick in me the nuts when you're done tearing me down, yeah?"
"So dramatic." She rolled her eyes and walked toward the house. "You need to talk to Mom, Jer. Set her straight."
"You do it this one time for me, and I'll do it the next time."
She laughed before disappearing back inside the house. "Not a chance in hell."
"Exactly," I mumbled and let my thoughts fade back to my dreams the night before. As lusty as I wanted them to be, they weren't at all. They were sweet, soft, loving.
"I'm thinking you might be a stalker." My sister glanced over at me as we walked up to the Blackhouse Grille later that night. Mother had set me up on another fucking date, but Nina saved me by taking me out herself.
"What? I love this place." I reached around my sister and mimicked her voice. "You might be a stalker if you like a good steak and eat at the restaurant near your house more than once."
"Keep it up." She glanced over her shoulder and chuckled. "I know what you're doing. You can pretend with everyone else, but it's not going to work with me."
"Whatever. I'm not listening to your gibber gabber. Get in there. It's cold." I pushed at her back with my shoulder and walked in behind her. She dealt with the hostess as I glanced around the restaurant. Every cell in my body pulsed with the need to see Bailey. It was silly, but something about her sparked hope inside of me. Maybe it would just be a friendship, but I needed that more than anything anyway.
"She's at the bar." Nina sat down at the table we were shown to and smiled up at me. "Go get me a Bud Light in a bottle with a lime."
"What?" I glanced down at my sister and back up at Bailey, who had yet to notice me. "The waiter will-"
"Now, please." Nina pushed at my stomach softly. "Go. Get. Me. A. Beer. At. The. Bar."
"What are you, a robot now?" I smiled and turned toward the bar. "How did you know that was her?"
"She hasn't changed a bit." My sister snorted and glanced over her shoulder. "She's filled out, but she still looks like little Bailey down the street, Jer."
"No." I shook my head and headed toward her. "No, she doesn't. Not in the slightest."
The little girl with boy’s clothes, pigtails, and mud all over her face was all but gone. The woman in front of me was stunning and left my body hard and aching like a mother fucker.
"Jeremy." She smiled and pressed her hands to the bar before looking toward my table. She leaned closer and whispered playfully, "Another date? Need help?"
I laughed and glanced over my shoulder before turning back to her. "No. My older sister."
"Nina?" Her eyes lit up.
"Yeah. She's saving me from another blind date Mother set me up on." I shrugged.
"My mom wants me to move on."
"I think that's very sweet of her to stay involved in your life." She reached up and tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ears. I wanted so badly to see her hair down, to slip my fingers into it, to make love to her pretty pink lips.
"Sweet?" I forced a laugh. "Try again. It's a pain in the ass, but I love her too much to tell her to back off."
"Tell Nina to do it?" She offered before bending down to grab something from the counter below her. The white button-down shirt she wore opened just right. The muted pink bra she wore pressed her tits up, their creamy tops thick and beautiful. My cock pulsed in my jeans and pressed against the back of my belt.
Fuck me. She was everything I wanted. I hadn't thought about making love to a woman in ages, much less taking my time to explore her fully. I wanted quick and dirty so that it was over and I could get on with life. I didn't want anything soft, sensitive or loving.
"Like what you see?" She glanced up to find me half-drooling. Fuck.
"Yes. You're so beautiful." I sat down at the barstool closest to me. "I can't even find remnants of the little girl who Rhys and I tossed in the air or dragged around in the mud."
She laughed, and that girl showed up. "Really? I don't see anything but that girl when I look in the mirror."
My thoughts dove into the gutter without hesitation, as if the fuckers were waiting right there to go south. I could picture her in front of a full-length mirror in her bedroom, naked and sexy as fuck. My body tightened as my balls contracted. I could have come standing there talking to her.
What the hell was wrong with me?
"Anyway," I cleared my throat as she moved around, working while we stood there talking. "I need a Bud Light for Nina."
"Sure. No problem." She turned and walked back to the cooler. My eyes moved down to the thick curve of her ass. How many men had she been with? None. I wanted it to be none.
"Rhys said he was headed this way for Thanksgiving. Are you cooking or taking him out, cause you guys could join us if you wanted to. My mother and Nina always go way above and beyond."
She walked back to me and set the beer on the bar. "I'd like that. Both me and Rhys would like to see your little one, and it might be fun to catch up."
"Good. I'll send him the information. Or I could send it to you." I pulled out my phone and lifted it as if waiting on something from her.
"Sure." She gave me her number and smiled. "You know I could help you out."
My cock twitched. "How so?" I wanted to seduce the fuck out of her, but I knew better. This wasn't the usual lust and run situation, and that alone terrified some part of me.
"Just bring your dates here." She moved back and shrugged. The movement caused her breasts to bounce, stealing my attention like I was a fucking caveman.
"You want to see my dates?" I forced myself to pull my attention back to her eyes. They pulled me in so deep. My pulse spiked, and it felt warm all of a sudden.
"No, silly." She was so comfortable around me, and I was about to come myself and start panting. What the fuck was going on. "I can help you out if they're ugh. Just give me the signal or text me now that you have my number. I'll come over and cause a scene for you."
"Be my baby momma?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"The one you haven't paid child support too, you sorry, sorry mother fucker." She leaned forward and laughed.
I smiled so hard my face hurt. God, she was beautiful. "I like naughty words coming out of your mouth, Bailey."
She blushed. "Get outta here. I'm not falling for your tricks."
"No? Damn." I took the beer, feeling a little too confident. "So what are you going to want in return for helping me out? Nothing is free in this world."
She pressed her fingers to her lips, and I stifled a moan. I wanted her to suck on her fingers for me. Fuck that. I wanted her to suck on my fingers. God, I needed to get laid. Again. And fast.
"What do I want... What do I want..." She paused and glanced up, looking me square in the face. "I want you to be happy. That's all."
I nodded and gave her a wink. "Then it's a deal." I turned and walked back toward Nina, my heart hurting, my dick dancing and my world shifting just a little too much.
8
Bailey
Two Weeks Later
"Are you sure you don't need me to work tomorrow?" I stood in the doorway of the office at the back of the restaurant.
Tanner leaned back in his chair and studied me. "No. You've taken every holiday since coming to work here. Go have fun with your brother. He's coming in tonight from Illinois, right?"
"Yeah." Excitement fluttered through me. I couldn't wait to see Rhys, and yet there was a part of me that knew exactly why I was beyond thrilled to see my brother for a few days.
Where Rhys was, Jeremy would be too. There was no separating them.
"Alright. Get out of here. Go get him." Tanner waved me off. "Take a few days off. I'm serious."
"Okay. Fine." I turned and walked through the restaurant, looking for Ellen. She didn't have good ties with her family, and though I hadn't invited her to Thanksgiving for fear that she'd fall in love with my older brother. He was a playboy and a half, and the last thing I needed was for my only friend to get heartbroken, and it be partially my fault.
"Hey!" Ellen jumped out from behind the waitress counter.
"Shit!" I moved back and lifted my hands. "You scared me to death. Warn someone, please?"
"Okay, so here's the deal." She ignored my request and moved closer. Never one to mince words. "I have no one to spend Thanksgiving with, and I know your brother is coming into town, but tell me when we can have a meal together at least. I don't want to encroach on your time with Rhys, but I do want to see you."
I bit on my bottom lip and worked through my issues quickly. I couldn't leave her spending the holidays by herself. No matter what.
"Just come with us." I shrugged.
She yelped and bounced up and down, excitement all over her pretty face. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, but there are some rules." I put my hands on my hips, feeling far older than I was.
"Rules?" Her smile faded. "No. No rules. Not for the holiday."
"Yes, rules. No hitting on or flirting with Jeremy."
"The pirate?" She crinkled her nose. "He's not my type. He's too bulky, and he's your guy. I would never do that."
"No hitting on my brother." I lifted my eyebrow.
"What? Why not? What if we have chemistry."
I laughed. "You will most certainly have chemistry, but don't do it, Ellen. He'll break your heart and then you and I will have issues, and I don't want that. Not over a lay."
"What if it's the best lay of my life? I don't think you're really thinking this through." She moved up beside me and slipped her arm into mine. "What if your brother and I are soulmates? Do you really want to fuck that up for two people that you really love?"
"Well, no, but-"
"Exactly. I have a rule in my own life."
"Really?" I stopped and turned toward her. There was no fucking way she had any rules. She was the most anti-rule person I knew. Pantser 100%. Never looking left or right before she crossed the street. Probably didn't know what a condom was.
"Yes. If I'm going to allow a man to put a ring on it," she lifted her hand and wagged her fingers in my face, "then I have to try the merchandise at least three times."
"Eww!" I swatted her hand away. "We're talking about my big brother here. You're grossing me out."
"Just updating you on the Ellen way of life."
"You're weird." I walked to the hostess stand, grabbed my keys and stopped at the door to look back at her. "I'm going to get Rhys now. We're having Thanksgiving at Jeremy's mother's house tomorrow. I'll text you in the morning and Rhys and I can stop by and pick you up. That good?"
"Yes, and thanks, Bailey. Seriously. It's weird not having anyone to spend the holiday with."
"No problem. I would have missed you like crazy anyway
if you had somewhere to go."
She surprised me by walking over and pulling me into a tight hug. "If you don't want me to hit on Rhys, I won't. Seriously."
Ellen was my brother's type through and through. He would lay a turd in my bed if I cock-blocked him with my bestie.
"No, it's okay. Just trying to protect you." I hugged her back.
"Well, don't. That's what condoms are for." She moved back, winked and bounded off.
I growled before grabbing my coat off the rack and slipping it on. It was getting cold outside, and winter had officially set in. There would be no playing football out in the yard this year for Thanksgiving, but maybe that was a good thing. Everyone was getting older anyway.
A smile lifted my lips as I thought about telling my brother and Jeremy that they were too old to throw around the ball. I'd likely get dragged through the mud. Verbally or physically.
It was the way of the world... at least it was in my world.
"Sis!" Rhys walked into the baggage area at the airport and spread his arms wide. "You look too thin."
"Hush." I moved into his arms and pressed my cheek to his strong chest as I closed my eyes. He was a huge part of my life growing up and had been my biggest supporter in my decision to move from Illinois, where our parents relocated too just after Rhys left for the Air Force. Mom and Dad were still down the road from him, but I'd made the call to move back to my childhood home in New Hampshire.
Funny how no one I grew up with was there anymore, but the places were familiar. It was home to me, and always would be.
"I'm serious." He moved back and gripped my shoulders. His strong jaw was locked, and his icy blue eyes moved around my face as if assessing me. "Are you eating?"
"Nope. Liquid diet." I popped him in the stomach and walked toward the exit. "Did you check anything?"
"Hell no. That's a waste of time." He wrapped his large arm over my shoulders and moved us to the exit. "I'm almost surprised Jer didn't come with you."
"I didn't invite him." I shrugged and pulled my coat tighter. "We've seen each other a few times over the last month or so, but nothing too regular."
Captain Hotness: A Single Father Bad Boy Novel Page 5