by Josie Kerr
“Bailey, there’s a shower right in here. Why be the boss if you can’t have a private bathroom?” he said with a wink as he started stripping off his sweaty clothes. When he was bare, he leaned down to the couch, his arms on either side of her, and got right in her space. He kissed the underside of her jaw while dragging a thick finger down the center of one breast. “Want to join me?
Bailey’s mouth dropped open. “Colin Carmichael, I am not getting naked with you in your gym!”
Colin laughed, then gave her another kiss and hopped up. “Never hurts to ask,” he said with another wink as he shut the bathroom door.
Bailey chuckled to herself as she stretched out on the big, comfortable sofa. She heard the water turn on and had a delightful seven minutes of imagining Colin soaping up his body. Mmm-hmm.
Bailey opened her eyes when she heard the bathroom door open, and when she turned her head, she saw Colin stalking across the small office, still stark naked, with a look of hunger in his eyes. He hadn’t said a word, but pushed her gently back on the couch and removed her leggings and panties, but left her top clothed.
“Don’t worry, you’re not naked with me in my gym. You’ve still got your top on.”
Now, still completely, deliciously bare, he knelt between her legs. Bailey’s eyes gleamed as she watched Colin spread her thighs, hooking one along the back of the couch and the other over his shoulder.
“Oh holy cow,” she breathed as he took one luxuriously long lick between her folds and lightly nipped her hood. His chuckle vibrated against her nub, bringing her closer to orgasm. God, is that all it takes these days? Colin’s tongue thrusting into her core threatened to send her over the edge. It must be. She wanted this to last, but then she also needed him, all of him, Right. Now.
Bailey ran her nails against Colin’s scalp, making him moan into her pussy, which was not exactly helping her resistance. She couldn’t help but pull him deeper into her, thrusting her hips into his face.
He pulled away, and said with a grin, “You’re a bit impatient today, aren’t you, Bailey. Maybe we need to slow it down?”
“God, no,” she panted. “You’re killing me. It feels so good, but you’ve gotta go back in there. Please.”
“Oh, that’s the magic word, babydoll,” he said as he slid a thick middle finger inside her core and bent down to suck on her nub, never unlocking his eyes from hers. Oh boy, that was hot. He slipped another finger inside her, stretching her deliciously in preparation for his thick cock.
Curling his fingers upward, he continued flicking and kissing her clit. Bailey moaned and wiggled her hips, causing him to chuckle and sending another reverberation through her pussy. Bailey closed her eyes to revel in pleasure.
When he pushed a third finger in, she thought she was going to explode. She opened her eyes to find him gazing at his fingers moving in and out of her. He was biting his lip and breathing heavily, and Bailey noticed that he was pumping his cock with his other hand.
“In me, Colin. Now.”
Colin didn’t seem to be able to speak, but he raised himself up a bit and removed his fingers from their place in her core, sucking on each one, his eyes rolling back into his head as if her juices were the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
Bailey, bereft at the absence of his fingers, cried, “Colin!”
He chuckled and took his cock his hand, the vein underneath throbbing along its length. He teased her, running the dark red head of his cock up and down along her slit.
Bailey growled at him.
“Oh, I am gonna make you wait longer if it’ll make you make that sound some more,” he laughed. His eyes were intense as he continued to tease, placing the head of his cock barely inside her, and slowly, slowly pushing deeper. She grabbed his ass and Colin pushed all the way in her with one deep stroke. They both gasped with pleasure at their joining.
And then Junior knocked on the door and immediately opened it, calling “We’re back, mami!”
When it registered what exactly he had interrupted, he exclaimed “Motherfucker!”
Bailey replied with, “God, this mother can’t get fucked if we keep getting interrupted!”
Colin laughed so hard he almost cried, while Junior cursed and pleaded for them to get some clothes on. Bailey grumbled as she pulled on her leggings, but Colin continued to roar with laughter, still naked and sprawled on the couch.
“Baby, put some pants on. Your bobbing willy is distracting me,” Bailey said with a small grin and a pat to said bobbing willy, which sent another wave of giggles through Colin, though he did wander into the bathroom to find his pants.
Chapter Twenty-one
November
Bailey watched anxiously out the window for Tripp. This would be the first time that he had dropped Maude off at the house and Bailey was nervous. About what, she didn’t exactly know, but still, she was nervous.
When his car pulled into the driveway, she made herself go into the kitchen to wait.
Tripp walked up the driveway to the house, shaking his head in dismay. Sheesh, what a dumpy little place this is.
Bailey flung the door open as soon as Tripp rang the doorbell.
Tripp stood on the small porch with Maude, who practically launched herself into her mother’s arms.
“Oh, I missed you, Maude,” Bailey said with a smile and a kiss on the baby’s cheek. Maude responded with her own slobbery kiss and a pat on her mother’s face. “Did you have a good time with Tripp?”
“Yes, she had a good time with Daddy. We went to the park.”
Bailey nodded. “She loves the park.”
“I think it’s time that I kept her overnight.”
“What?”
“Bailey, come on. These two hour visits are a pain in the butt. I want to spend more substantial time with my daughter.”
Bailey inhaled. She knew that Tripp had every right to keep her overnight, but still, Bailey panicked.
“You know she has her own room and everything, Bailey.” Tripp looked at her pleadingly.
“Why don’t you come in the house, Tripp? You don’t have to stand out there on the porch.”
Tripp stepped inside the house. Wow, looks can be deceiving. He looked around the small duplex. Everything was tidy and cheerful and cozy, a direct reflection of Bailey herself. “This place is cute, Bailey. I like what you’ve done with it.”
“Thanks, Tripp. I like it an awful lot. Have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?”
“No, I’m good. So?”
Bailey sat opposite Tripp, Maude in her lap.
“Yeah, so. When were you thinking about this?”
“Next Friday? I know you have your workweek routine and I don’t want to disrupt that.”
Bailey blinked at Tripp. Where is the old Tripp and could you banish him to Siberia? “That’s fine. That sounds good, Tripp. I’ll drop her off after work...”
“And I’ll bring her home around two, before her nap?”
“Sure. That sounds good.”
The two adults sat and looked at each other for a few moments.
“Well, I’ll take off so you can get Maude fed and ready for bed.”
They all went to the door, and Tripp surprised Bailey again by leaning over and giving Maude a sweet kiss on her head. “Bye-bye, Maude. I’ll see you in a few days,” he told the little girl. Tripp stood up and looked at Bailey, saying, “Bye, Bailey. I’ll talk to you soon.” And then he left.
Colin looked through the window, hoping to get a glimpse of this Tripp Holbrook person. Colin didn’t know what he was expecting, but it sure wasn’t the man that got out of the car with Maude. He had an unfamiliar and unwelcome tightness in his chest when he saw them walk up the driveway.
From Ashley and Em’s descriptions, Tripp Holbrook was a prissy, entitled, soft man. The man that approached Bailey’s half of the duplex was muscular and fit with a self-assured but not cocky walk.
He could hear
Bailey and Tripp talking on the porch and tried not to eavesdrop. He was surprised when they both went into the house. The half-hour that elapsed during the visit was the longest thirty minutes of Colin’s life. What were they talking about? Was everything okay? Was Tripp being an ass to Bailey? More than once, Colin caught himself at the door, getting ready to stalk to Bailey’s side to throw open the door and claim her and baby Maude as his.
But they weren’t. As much as he didn’t like Tripp being anywhere near Bailey, he was still Maude’s father and was going to be in Bailey and Maude’s lives forever. Oh, God.
When Tripp finally left, Colin was again torn between storming over there to make sure that Bailey and Maude were okay and hiding out until Bailey decided she was ready to see him. He opted for waiting on the back porch, under the pergola.
Bailey stepped out onto the patio, her feet bare and her hair piled up on top of her head. Colin loved it when she wore her hair up because little tendrils escaped and he could twist the soft strawberry-blonde curls around his fingers.
“Hey, Colin. I thought I heard you out here,” Bailey said with a smile. “May I?” She indicated the settee where Colin was sprawled out.
He sat up and scooted to the side of the settee. “Please do.”
Bailey grinned and plopped down next to him. Tucking her feet under her and her body next to Colin’s, Bailey took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Did things go okay?”
Bailey turned to her head to look at him. Colin’s arms were relaxed, thrown over the back of the seat, but he stared straight ahead and she could see his that his jaw was tensed. Oh, Colin.
She laid her hand on his bicep and gave it a squeeze. “Things are fine, Colin. Tripp is acting very...human. He wants to keep Maude overnight on Friday.”
Colin whipped his head around. “Overnight? Why?”
“He’s her father, Colin. He wants to spend more time with her. Surely you understand that.”
Colin blew out a breath. “You’re right. Sorry.” He grinned weakly at her.
Bailey chuckled softly. “I know. It’s weird. I’m glad that he wants to build a relationship with her, but at the same time, I want her all to myself, you know?”
Colin nodded. I feel the same way. Colin leaned over and kissed her temple. Bailey snuggled closer into his side.
“Did you know that I was five before my father even knew I existed?”
“What?” Bailey looked at Colin’s strong profile as he stared straight ahead into the night. “How is that even possible?”
Colin barked a laugh. “When your mother runs off to the other end of the continent and doesn’t tell her boyfriend that she’s pregnant, it’s possible.”
“Why would she do that?”
Colin rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why my mother did anything she did. Apparently she called him out of the blue and essentially told him that if he didn’t come get me, she was going to give me up. He was on the next flight up to St. John’s.”
“Do you ever see her anymore?”
“See who? Moira?”
“If Moira is your mother’s name, yeah.”
“She died about ten years or so ago. No, I never saw her again but Duke kept tabs on her. He didn’t want me to get jerked around if she decided that she wanted back into my life.”
Bailey was quiet for a few moments. “So it was just you and Duke? He never married?”
“Yep, me and Duke. He had a ladyfriend that I never met. Hell, I didn’t know she existed until he died and he left her some money. She called me right before I moved here and told me how much Duke loved me and how proud he was of me.”
Bailey shook her head. “Why on Earth did he never introduce you?”
Colin shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve talked to her a few times since then. She seems like a nice woman.”
“Do you ever want to meet her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe if I ever go back to Houston, I’ll suggest that we meet for dinner or something.”
Bailey nodded and kissed Colin’s cheek. “I think you should do that.”
“Yeah.” Colin swallowed and blew out a breath. “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”
Bailey ran her hand over the back of Colin’s head, petting his close cropped hair. He closed his eyes, appreciating the soothing pressure of her touch.
“Since you’re going to be free that night, did you want to do something?” he asked.
“Like a date?”
“Yeah, like a date. We could go to a movie or out to dinner or something.”
“That might be fun.”
Seeing Bailey’s anxious look, Colin added, “Or we could order in and watch a movie here. Whatever you want to do, babydoll.”
Bailey snorted. “Why do you call me ‘babydoll’?”
Colin chuckled. He twirled a piece of her hair around his fingers. “That’s what I call you in my head. You look like a doll.”
Bailey raised an eyebrow at him. Colin grinned. “I do not look like any sort of a doll.”
“Bailey, come on. You do too look like doll, all delicate and porcelain-skinned.”
She scoffed at him. “Porcelain-skinned is a nice way saying frog-belly white, and I am anything but delicate, you know that.”
Colin gazed seriously at her. “No, you’re not delicate meaning fragile, at least personality-wise. You’re one of the strongest people that I’ve ever met. But you look delicate. I think that’s why Tripp underestimated you. He expected you to be this meek little girl who needed a big man to take care of her.”
“Colin, that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
He leaned over and kissed her softly on the mouth. Bailey surprised him by deepening the kiss, thrusting her tongue into his mouth and sucking on his tongue.
“Wow.” Colin licked his lips. “Just, wow.”
Bailey giggled and shrugged.
“I definitely think we’ll stay in on Friday.”
Chapter Twenty-two
“I keep thinking that Maude’s in her room, taking a nap and that’s why she’s not out here in her high chair eating, and that we’re gonna be screwed later because she’s never gonna go to sleep tonight, and then I remember that she’s with Tripp,” Bailey said. She heaved a big sigh.
“Oh, babydoll, come here.”
Colin pulled her into his embrace and kissed the top of her head. “Do you want to give Tripp a call? I’m sure he wouldn’t think anything of it.”
“No,” she said in a small voice. “He’ll think I don’t trust him with her. And I really do trust him with her. But still…”
“I know, Bailey. I get it.” He wrapped his arms tighter around her. He hated that she was feeling anxious. Hell, he was feeling anxious, and Maude wasn’t even his child. He couldn’t imagine what Bailey was feeling, but he was sure she felt pretty crappy.
The doorbell rang, giving them a respite from the all the emotions they were feeling.
“Pizza’s here,” Colin said, unwrapping Bailey from his body. He gave her a sweet kiss. “Let me answer the door and we’ll get some food in you. That’ll make you feel better, okay?”
Bailey nodded, her bottom lip thrust out in a small pout. “Okay.”
Colin paid the pizza gal and brought in the two large boxes.
“Holy moly, Colin. That’s a lot of pizza,” she laughed. “Who’s gonna eat all that? Is Junior coming over? The boys from the Fight Club?”
Colin looked at the boxes. “This is just for us. Hell, I’m not in strict training just yet, so I’m gonna enjoy the hell out of this pizza. We can have some for breakfast, too.”
Bailey grinned. “Okay, sounds like an excellent plan.”
Whew!
Colin was glad that Bailey seemed to relax. He got two plates out of the cabinet and put a slice of pizza on one plate and three on the other.
He laughed when Bailey took the plate with three slices. “Where’s yours?” s
he said through a mouth full of pizza.
Colin laughed and went back into the kitchen to get more food.
They were watching a movie when Bailey’s phone rang. She sprang across the couch, faster than Colin had ever seen her move.
“Hello? Is everything all right?”
Colin was tense, ready to grab his car keys and Bailey and speed them to wherever it was that they needed to go, but when Bailey wrapped her hand around the side of his face and smiled a small smile, he knew everything was fine. He waited patiently while she listened to who he assumed was Tripp.
“Okay, Tripp, thanks for calling and letting me know how she’s doing. I’ll see you tomorrow around two. Okay. Yeah. Bye-bye.” Bailey ended the call and blew out a breath. “He said he knew I would be missing her and wondering how she was. She’s doing great, had a good dinner, and now she’s asleep.”
Colin visibly relaxed. “Okay, good. Whew. I was freaking out for a moment.”
“I was too, but I bet you couldn’t tell,” she said with a giggle. “I think I can relax now.”
“Good. I like my girl relaxed.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I like my girl any way she is, but I especially like her when she’s relaxed.”
“What about when she’s horny?” Bailey wiggled her eyebrows.
“Oh, I don’t like her when she’s horny.” Bailey’s mouth fell open. “I really like her when she’s horny.”
She swatted him. “You brat.” He grinned at her.
“So you wanna watch another movie? How about something scary?”
Bailey levelled a serious look at him. “Really, Colin?”
Colin laughed. “No, I’m not serious, babydoll.” He pulled her toward him where he was sitting on the couch. He pushed his fingers under the hem of the sleep shorts that she wore. “Why, Bailey Jenkins, did you forget to wear panties to dinner?”
“Oh my lands, Colin Carmichael, I might have.”
Colin pulled the waistband of her shorts away from her body and took a peek. “Oh, I like this view.”
Bailey chuckled and sighed deeply. She ran her hands over the back of Colin’s head, dragging her nails against his scalp. She continued rubbing his head as he laid it against her breast to listen to her heart thumping.