by Josie Kerr
He shrugged. “I don’t like the word ‘titties’. It seems so…trashy.” He lightly squeezed a breast. “Yeah, definitely my favorite.”
“Even more than this?” Bailey said, and she leaned forward and darted her tongue to lick the drop of moisture that had seeped from the head of his cock. She looked up at him as she ran her tongue around the swollen head, once, twice, and then she took it in her mouth and sucked hard. Colin groaned and cursed his pleasure out.
Bailey leaned into him. She ran her hands down his big thighs and over his stomach and chest while she slowly sucked and licked his cock, humming around his hard length as she grasped the base and pumped in time with her rhythm.
Colin squirmed in the chair and he finally gave up and put his hands on her head. He leaned his head back and reveled in the pleasure of her hot, wet mouth.
“God, Bailey. Jesus.” Her chuckle vibrating around him almost set him off.
She pulled her head back and his cock slapped against his belly again. She licked the throbbing vein that ran along the underside of it and then moved her head down to take one his balls in her mouth. That elicited another deep groan from him that got deeper and more urgent when she pumped him in time with her sucking.
“Bailey, I’m gonna come, and I don’t want to do it in your mouth,” he panted. He tilted her chin up to look her in the eyes. “I want to make love to you, Bailey. Please, let me.”
Bailey glanced down and took a deep breath. “Wow.”
“I’ll be careful. Please, let me love you.”
Bailey leaned into Colin and kissed him. “I know you will.” She grinned and then she nodded.
Colin smiled one of his rare smiles. “Hold on a second.”
He reached in his pocket and pulled something out.
“What’s that?” Bailey asked. “Is that a condom? I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m already pregnant.”
Colin laughed. “Just to be safe. I know I’m clean. I have to get tested before every fight, and anyway, I haven’t been with anyone in over a year. But I want you to feel safe, so, condom.”
Bailey chewed on her fingernail. She appreciated his thoughtfulness. When she found out that she was pregnant, she had the whole gamut of tests done because she wanted to know beforehand if there was going to be a problem. Who knew where Tripp had put his willy? She made a face.
Colin shrugged, misunderstanding Bailey’s expression. “It probably won’t feel as good, but….”
“Oh, no! I was just…thinking…”
Colin nodded, and then quickly donned the condom.
“Bailey, darling, I’m about ready to explode, so get up here,” he growled. In a flash, he had pulled her up and then pushed her down in the chair.
Bailey’s eye widened and her mouth formed a little ‘O’ when Colin pulled her legs up almost beside her hips, spreading her thighs wide and exposing the full softness of her. He ran a thick finger over the crease, and when he was finished, he put his glistening digit in his mouth and sucked.
Holy wow!
He kneeled in front of her, his cock jutting straight out, and said, “You ready for me? Because I’m ready for you.”
Bailey huffed a small laugh and nodded her head. Colin caught her mouth in a hot kiss as he slowly eased into her. Bailey moaned into his mouth as he slowly, luxuriously filled her up.
Colin threw his head back and closed his eyes as he slowly rocked into her, his hands gripping her hips and pulling her toward him. Bailey moved too, meeting him as his hips rolled into hers.
Colin opened his eyes and looked at Bailey just as she flicked a finger over her nub. Her eyes were closed and her head tilted, her body rocking with Colin’s rhythm.
When she bucked her hips and her breath hitched with a tiny whimper, Colin exploded. Bailey gripped his face, fingers splayed on the side of his head. Her palm pressed into his cheek as he let out a sob of pleasure. Colin grabbed her hips and ground her into him and Bailey arched her back and let out her own cry. He rocked with her until both of their pleasures crested and then subsided.
Both of them were breathless and slick with sweat. Bailey opened her eyes when they stilled to see that Colin’s eyes were still closed and his eyebrows furrowed in almost a frown.
She reached out to him and smoothed his forehead. “Honey, are you all right?” Honey? What am I doing calling him ‘honey’?
He opened his eyes, and Bailey gasped a little. “Colin, are you all right?” she repeated.
Colin took a deep breath and slid out of her. He unfolded her legs and, still kneeling, pulled her into a tight hug. He grasped the back of her head and kissed her cheek, her temple, the crook of her neck, and then just held her close.
Bailey wrapped her arms around the big fighter, holding him as tightly as he was holding her. “Oh, honey.”
“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you, Bailey.”
Bailey huffed a small laugh and kissed his cheek and just held him until he let her go.
Chapter Seven
“I do not have time for this today,” Bailey moaned as she tried to start her car again. Before, the engine tried to catch, but now, the ignition didn’t even click when she turned it. “Fartblossom!”
Bailey stretched her back as she sat in the car and tried to decide what to do. She had been meaning to add roadside assistance to her policy, but she hadn’t gotten around to it, and of course, now, she needed it.
“Fart, fart, fart, FART! Argh!”
A tapping at the window made her jump, and when she saw Colin looking at her with an amused expression on his handsome face, she flushed. Bailey rolled her eyes, blew out a breath, and rolled down her window. Well, that’s one plus for having a car that’s almost as old as I am – crank windows.
“You having car problems, Bailey?” Colin asked. “Well, of course you are. Otherwise you wouldn’t be sitting in the carport throwing a hissy fit.”
Bailey narrowed her eyes. “I wasn’t throwing a hissy fit. I was expressing my frustration with my vehicle.”
“Uh-huh,” Colin said with a grin. “Can I give you a ride?”
Bailey’s eyes drifted down to below his waist. “Um…”
Colin chuckled and his ears pinked. “Can I take you to the office? It’s on my way.”
It was Bailey’s turn to blush. “That would be really nice, but…”
Colin shook his head. “Come on. I bet Rory knows a mechanic who will get the car towed and take care of things. Come on, please? Let me help you out.”
Bailey huffed a breath, but opened the car door and started to get out. Colin reached out his hand when she had some trouble, and she scowled but grabbed on to it and hauled herself out of the car.
“Thank you, Colin. I don’t like asking for help.”
“I couldn’t tell,” he said with a grin. “Shall we?”
“Let me get my…” Bailey started, but huffed again when Colin already had her bag in one big paw and the other resting on her lower back, guiding her toward his car.
“You are the politest bossy britches ever,” she said, as she settled in the front seat.
“Why, thank you, Miss Bailey.” Colin grinned and started up his car, and Bailey rolled her eyes but smiled at she looked out the window as they made their way to Tara Security Systems.
“What do you mean my car is at DS Fight Club? Why the heck is it there?” Bailey listened to the man at the auto shop make excuses, but then she interrupted. “Okay, you know what? Just fine. Thank you for getting my car repaired today. How much do I owe you?” This is the part that she was dreading. While Rory paid her very well, she still spent very little and hated dipping into her savings. You never know when there’s going to be an emergency.
“Oh, it’s already been taken care of, Miss Jenkins.”
“What? By who?” Silence on the other side of the line. “You need to tell me so I can know whose butt to kick.”
The man on the other side
of the phone chuckled. “He told me not to tell you.”
Rory walked out into the lobby just then and Bailey pointed her finger at him and silently demanded that he come over to the desk. She quickly wrapped her call up and then hung up the phone.
“Rory Doyle, do you have something to tell me?”
Rory looked at Bailey in confusion. “Um, no? I was coming out to ask you if you needed a ride to the Fight Club…”
Bailey narrowed her eyes at him. “Why would I need a ride to the Fight Club, Rory?”
“Because Colin said you needed a ride to the Fight Club?”
Bailey continued to stare at Rory, but she soon decided that he really was clueless. She huffed another breath and said, “Fine. Take me to the Fight Club.”
“And so why is her car here?” Junior asked. “And don’t tell me you paid for those repairs.”
“I had it towed because it was dead in the carport.”
“Why didn’t you get it delivered to her office? Or hell, why didn’t you let Irish take her to the mechanic’s?”
Colin’s brow furrowed into a frown. “I didn’t even think about Rory taking her to get her car.”
“Uh-huh.” Colin could see Junior’s lip twitch. Oh, God.
“She seemed really upset, and the repair was pretty expensive, and since I had it towed…”
Junior shook his head. “Colin, you are too nice of a guy. Didn’t the whole Andrea fiasco start very similarly?”
Colin grunted at his trainer, but he knew Junior was right; his relationship with Andrea, if that’s what you could call it, started with him helping her out with a car repair. One big difference though was that Andrea asked Colin to help her, and Colin had the impression that Bailey wouldn’t have asked him for help if he were the last person on the planet.
“Yes, and no, Junior. Just…butt out. I don’t need you egging Bailey on. She’s got some fire in her.”
“That little mami?”
“Yeah, that little mami, which she probably wouldn’t appreciate you calling her.”
Junior cocked his head at Colin, and Colin just shook his head at his trainer and walked away.
As he made his way to what was soon to be his office, he saw Bailey stomp in the door, followed by a grinning Rory. Oh, God.
“Hey, Bailey. I take it…”
“Colin Carmichael, what in the heck were you thinking, paying for my car repairs? I have a job! I can pay for my own car repairs!”
“Bailey…”
“How much do I owe you? Hmm? I’m gonna write you a check right now, and you are gonna go and put it in your bank account today.” Bailey stomped her foot and crossed her arms over her chest. Dang, she was cute when she was riled up.
“You might as well let her pay, Colin. It isna going to be worth it,” Rory said.
Colin reluctantly handed over the bill. Bailey’s eyes widened as she scanned the final costs, but then she inhaled deeply and got her checkbook out.
“Why don’t you split it into two parts? Or how about four?”
Bailey glared at Colin with such force that even Junior sucked his breath in through his teeth.
“Here,” she said, handing him the check. “Now, where are my keys, Colin? I want to go home. In my car. By myself.”
Colin handed her the keys. Bailey snatched them but said, “Thank you for taking care of things. I do appreciate it, but if you do something like this again, I will kick your ass.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Bailey stalked out of Colin’s office, and she thought she could hear Junior and Rory roaring with laughter.
When she got in the car, she exhaled with relief. She gulped some more air, and then started up the car. Okay, Bailey Jenkins, you made it through a visit to a gym without throwing up or crying. Excellent work.
As she drove home, she thought more about the Fight Club. Honestly, it wasn’t at all like the gyms where she grew up. She didn’t know if it was because gyms had changed in the ten years that she had stepped foot in one, or if it was because it wasn’t really open to the public and that particular odor of sweat, blood, and testosterone hadn’t permeated every surface yet.
That was ten years ago, Bailey. That part of your life is over. You’re self-sufficient, you’ve got a good job with good people, and you’re going to have a baby in a month. Look forward, not backward. She shuddered and shook the bad feelings off, and drove out of the parking lot.
Chapter Eight
Colin watched the FedEx man deliver a huge, flat box to Bailey’s duplex. He knew it was the crib because she had ordered it a few days before and asked him to keep an eye out for it. He grinned as he called Bailey’s number. She didn’t answer, so he left a message.
“Hey, Bailey, the crib just came. I was going to go over to your place and do the final touchups on the paint in the nursery anyway, so I’ll go ahead and bring the crib in the house. I didn’t want you to think it was stolen or anything. Call me or text me and tell me if you want me to go ahead and assemble it. See you this evening.”
Colin pulled the heavy package inside the door and carefully balanced it against the freshly painted wall. He went into the nursery and looked at his handiwork, pleased with the results. Bailey picked out soft buttercream yellow paint for the walls, which Colin happily applied. She wanted the all the woodwork left white, so he did that, too. He pulled the blue painter’s tape off the big window that looked out over the small backyard.
Colin thought that he needed to install a blackout shade in here for naps. He made a note on the little pad that he kept with him at all times. He thought about planting a big bush or tree outside the window. He didn’t like the way the window was so exposed. He made another note.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
Bailey: You can start on the crib but don’t you dare finish it.
Bailey: I want to be there when the last doohickey is attached.
Colin chuckled to himself. He knew that Bailey was very handy and, if she had not had a giant belly that got in the way, could have assembled the crib more quickly than he could.
Three hours and an additional engineer later, Colin and Mick looked at the crib with hatred.
“Well, that was a nightmare,” Mick said, disgusted with the nearly incomprehensible assembly instructions. “That’s probably why they have the assembly service.”
“I convinced her to not use it. I’ll keep my mouth shut from now on.”
“I’ve got something out in the car for the nursery. Em wanted it to be a surprise. Come help me bring it in.”
“Did you ever think you would end up with an SUV?” Colin asked with a laugh.
“Well, Grace and I were going to have to buy a something that would fit four car seats, so I guess it was fated that I drive something big.”
“Oh.” Colin scratched his head even as he cringed. He was never really sure how his older brother felt about discussing his deceased wife and children.
“B’y, it’s okay. It doesn’t bother me to talk about Grace and the boys, and in fact, it’s gotten easier since Em and little Emily are in my life now. Now, help me get this thing out of the car.” Mick grunted as he pulled a lumpy, blanket-wrapped object out of the back of the SUV. “Grab that side for me, C.”
They carried the thing into the house. “What is this thing, Mick?”
“‘It’s a surprise!’” he said, quoting his wife. He shook his head and laughed, rolling his eyes. “For someone who hates receiving surprises, Em sure likes to supply them.”
Colin chuckled. “She’s something else, Mick. You’re a lucky man.”
They set the odd-shaped thing in the nursery and Mick leaned on it, crossing his arms. “I know I am. I’m possibly the luckiest man in the world.”
“Okay, now you’re making me kind of sick to my stomach,” Colin said with a laugh. His brother just shrugged, but kept on grinning.
“Boys, I’m home,” Bailey called. “Where are you
two? I saw Mick’s truck out front.”
“We’re in the nursery, Bailey.”
“Oh, it’s perfect! I love it!” Bailey clapped her hands together in delight. “I’m not even mad that you finished assembling it. What’s that?”
Colin laughed at Bailey’s excitement. She seemed to get more energy the closer she came to her due date.
“What is it?” she repeated. “I didn’t have anything ordered except the crib.”
“Why don’t you unwrap it and find out?” Mick said with a laugh. “Sheesh, she’s really excited, isn’t she?” He grinned at Colin.
Bailey smiled and pulled off the blanket, and immediately burst into tears. Colin looked at Mick in horror, but Mick just shook his head and pulled Bailey into a hug.
“I love it, Mick. It’s perfect,” Bailey mumbled into his chest.
Colin continued to stand in the middle of the nursery, looking at the item that caused Bailey’s tears. He frowned. It looked like some sort of rocking chair, but not. He mouthed “I’m really confused” to Mick, who was trying not to laugh.
Mick patted the back of Bailey’s head as she hugged him tightly.
“We saw it in the shop when we ordered the crib, but I thought it was too expensive when I could get a plain rocker at the thrift store for not much. Oh, and she’s already redone the cushion to match the bedspread.” Bailey sniffled. “I haven’t ever had such thoughtful friends before.”
“Em said she would bring the curtains and the dust ruffle over after work,” Mick informed Bailey.
“What the hell is a dust ruffle?” Colin asked.
“It’s that thing that goes between the mattress and box spring and hides the legs of the bed,” answered Mick. At Colin’s look of confusion, he said, “I know. Who knew that there was a need for such a thing and that thing had a name? I’m learning all sorts of new stuff.”
Colin said to Bailey, “Don’t put up the curtains yet. I want to put up a blackout shade for daytime naps and it’ll be easier to do before you install the curtains.”