Once, we went to an all you can eat Chinese restaurant, and between us and the Hayes brothers, we ate them out of everything. And within an hour of us being there, we had trashed the place by getting into a fight. I’d rather Bailey not see that side of me, not when I know what she went through.
“Who accused him of eating it?”
I shrug. “I don’t remember.”
She eyes me closely, before she arches an eyebrow and laughs. She slaps her knee before pointing her accusing finger at me. I can feel my cheeks heat, and groan. “It was you.”
I hold my hands up. “Look, it was a legitimate argument. He had crumbs on his shirt.”
“What did he say they were from?”
“Crisps.” I shrug, ignoring her laughter. “After that, they wouldn’t take orders from our address. We’re band from most places anyway, what’s one more?” I grin when a thought occurs to me. “But don’t worry, I have you to order for me now. Just don’t tell the others. It can be our little secret.”
Her cheeks turn pink. “Okay.” She takes in a deep breath, tucking her hair behind her ear. “What would you like me to order for us?”
“Whatever you fancy. Do you have the online food app?” I ask, knowing she can’t ring.
She nods. “I do. I love cooking but I love to pig out some days too.”
My kind of girl.
Sunday starts crying, so I reach over while Bailey leaves the room. I pick her up, rocking her. She had her bottle before Mum came so she can’t be hungry.
I sniff her bum—under protest, but it saves me from stripping her then spending an hour trying to line up all the buttons. She doesn’t smell and my shoulders sag. I hold her up in front of me, smiling at her cute face. “Aw, did someone just want Daddy’s attention?”
Her expression should have warned me, but before I can move, vomit is landing all over my mouth, dripping down my chin. The second load lands on my shirt, and I gag, moving over to the sink. With Sunday still in my arms, I empty my stomach. The smell of stale milk has me gagging once more, and I end up vomiting again.
Like father like daughter.
Warm hands reach for Sunday, and for once, I don’t argue, letting Bailey take her from my arms. I lean over the sink, running the cold tap and furiously try to get it all off me. When I taste it in my mouth, I gag again, but this time, nothing comes up.
Fuck!
When I’ve composed myself enough to stand away from the sink, my top is soaked. I look at Bailey apologetically. “I’m sorry about that. There’s a lot of things I can handle, but someone being sick isn’t one of them. The minute I gag, I end up being sick.”
“It’s okay, but you might want to go and get changed,” she tells me softly. “And, um… do you have nappies and stuff with you?”
“Why?” I ask, before looking down at my jeans. I haven’t pissed myself, have I? Nope. All clean.
“Sunday was more than sick,” she says, wincing a little.
I nod, stepping forward to take her, but the smell hits me and I gag, rushing back over to the sink. Bailey giggles and I hear her moving about.
“You go change your shirt, whilst I change her. Do you have a changing mat?”
I rinse my mouth out before looking at her. “I can do it.”
“You really should go and change your shirt.”
I look down at my favourite AC/DC shirt and wince at the vomit stains on it. “Yeah.”
“I’ll change Sunday. I’ve changed nappies before.”
Reluctantly, I agree. “Okay. There’s a changing mat and blanket in the Minnie Mouse bag.”
When she gives me a questioning look, I shrug. “I don’t want her to be on a cold surface.”
“You’re so sweet.”
I rear back. “I’m not sweet.”
She laughs. “Yes, you are. You’re a good dad.”
I puff my chest out with pride, because I am a good dad. “Call me charming or something. Just not sweet. Or if you slip up, make sure it’s not in front of them,” I tell her, pointing towards the garden area. “I’ll never hear the last of it.”
“Okay,” she tells me, grabbing the Minnie Mouse bag. “Now, go change your top.”
“All right,” I sigh, glancing at Sunday. “Um… she likes it when you do it quick. She hates having her bum done.”
“All babies do,” she says, not looking away from me. “Are you going to go change?”
I nod, still not moving. “Yeah.”
“You need to leave to be able to do that, you know.”
Coming unstuck, I head for the conservatory doors, stopping when I reach them. Bailey looks up from the pram she’s placed Sunday in so she can get the stuff ready, raising her eyebrow.
“She needs the ointment that’s in the side pocket too. Not too much, just a small pea-size.”
“All right.”
I take a step into the conservatory, before quickly popping back into the kitchen. Bailey looks up, her lips twitching. “Are you okay?”
I clear my throat. “Yeah. I was just coming back to say if you need me, just scream my name or come outside.”
“You’re going to be gone two minutes, not a lifetime.”
I nod again, leaving, but as I reach the back door, I have to turn back, moving into the kitchen. Her sigh of annoyance is cute.
“Don’t shout me and wait. Shout and bring her to me.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “It’s going to be Christmas at this rate. I’d have been finished by now and you’d be back with her in your arms if you’d just gone already.”
I scrub a hand down my face and quickly rush out the kitchen, ignoring her tinkering laughter. The lads all glance at me when I step outside. They all smirk and I give them my middle finger. “Dude, put in a good word for me,” Maddox yells. I come to a dead stop, turning to glare at my cousin.
“Stay the fuck away.” I carry on, my steps slower, before turning back to them. “And make your own damn sandwiches.”
He grins, leaning back against a pile of bricks. “Lily already made me some, but Bailey’s taste so damn good.”
I take a step towards him, readying to lay him out, when he licks his lips and winks at me.
“Fucker.”
“Aiden, go get fucking changed. You look like someone pissed down you,” Landon growls. “And going by the way you rushed out of there, you didn’t want to leave Sunday.”
Fuck—Sunday.
“Stay away from her, Maddox.”
“Hard to do when I’m working here. Every. Damn. Day.”
I keep moving towards my apartment, ignoring the others’ laughter as I strip out of my top to save time. There’s no way I’m going to let him try it on with her. No way at all.
Either I’m going to have to get over my fear of a relationship, or let Maddox ask her out.
Yeah, I’ll rip his head off if he goes near her.
Life can be so screwed up. I just have to figure out what I want.
And for some reason, the second I picture what I want, Bailey’s face is the first thing that pops up.
I’m so fucking screwed.
CHAPTER TWELVE
AIDEN
It’s raining as I step outside and rush around the back to let myself inside Bailey’s house. When I notice no one is in the garden, I quickly backpedal to the side of the house and see that Maddox’s work trucks are still there.
Fucking arseholes.
My steps move quicker. I let myself in, wiping my feet and shaking the rain out of my hair.
The voices in the kitchen have me groaning. If they’re eating food, I’m going to lay them out.
Bailey looks up when she sees me stepping inside, eyeing me apologetically. “It’s not meant to rain long. I called the guys in so they didn’t get soaked.”
I don’t bother telling her they usually call it a day when it rains, unless they’re working inside. Instead, I force a tight smile and glare at my brother and cousins.
“She had some chilli in the fr
idge ready to heat up,” Mark says defensively. I eye the food, my mouth watering.
Todd, Maddox’s site manager, struts in from the hallway and I narrow my eyes dangerously.
“Where the fuck did you just come from?”
He smirks at me as he walks over to Bailey. I watch, feeling close to losing it when she smiles at his approach.
“Thank you for letting me use your loo,” he tells her, giving her a side hug, rubbing her hip.
“It’s okay. Glad you found it okay,” she tells him softly, and I take glee in the fact she steps away, using Sunday as an excuse as she rocks her.
I smirk, giving him a smug look. “Fucker, touch her again and I’ll break those fingers.”
“Why? She ‘ent yours,” Todd fires back.
“Ooh, fighting talk,” Maddox grins.
“Who’s fighting?” Bailey asks, looking around the room before turning back to Maddox.
“There’s a fight on tonight,” he lies, winking. “We’re thinking of going out to watch it.”
Bailey pales, and I want to gut him for upsetting her. Any kind of violence upsets her.
“You should come with us. We’re going to The Ginn Inn later,” Todd says.
She glances at me, sucking in her bottom lip. “I would, but I have a ton of work to do.”
Todd pouts as I reach Sunday, taking her from Bailey. She’ll be the only thing to keep me from laying him out right now.
“Maybe you and I could go out to dinner?”
I grit my teeth and look away; too afraid she’ll say yes. Maddox snickers behind his cup, and I kick him.
“What was that for?” he sputters out.
“Get him the fuck out of here before I kill him.”
He rolls his eyes, and as he’s about to answer, Bailey speaks up, a blushing mess. “Um, I—I’m really busy at the moment.”
I have to turn around when his expression falls before she sees me laughing and thinks it’s aimed at her.
“Todd, can you go into the office and make sure the tiles for the roof are ordered?” Maddox says, clearing the amusement out of his voice.
“Yeah,” he mutters, before meeting my gaze. “If you ‘ent gonna date her, then let someone else have a shot.”
I shrug lazily. “Can’t help it if women are crazy about me.”
He rolls his eyes, giving the others chin lifts before escaping out of the kitchen door. I chuckle when he leaves, forgetting about my audience.
“Sucker!”
“Did you say something?”
I nod, lying without shame. “I said Sunday doesn’t need a sucker.”
The skin between her eyes creases adorably. “You don’t give her a dummy?”
“Nope. I don’t trust them.”
Landon chuckles, shovelling food into his mouth like he hasn’t been fed in a week. “This ought to be good.”
“Fuck you,” I snap at him.
Bailey doesn’t seem fazed as she looks between us, reading our lips. I hate that she has to stare at their lips. I like it when she watches mine. Her eyes go all droopy and she gasps out tiny bits of air.
I lick my bottom lip, enjoying the way sparks flash in her eyes, her gaze drawn to them. I smirk.
“And what did the dummy do to offend you?” she asks, all breathless.
Yep, she’s totally affected by me.
“Tried to suffocate my daughter,” I tell her, grabbing a piece of garlic bread.
“Um, how? Did you give her one of those rock dummy’s?” she asks teasingly, before moving over to fill me a plate. I wait for her to make it. What can I say, I’m an arsehole who loves his food.
Once I have her attention, I answer. “No. It’s just too big for her mouth. It could suffocate her.”
“They breathe through their nose,” she tells me, laughter in her voice.
I roll my eyes. “I don’t care. I tried and the thing looked like it would choke her.”
“Mums breastfeed their babies. A dummy isn’t much bigger than a boob.” Her face turns bright red, like she said the naughtiest word ever.
Liam smirks. “Clearly you don’t get out. You should have seen the tits I sucked on last night.”
My lips twitch with laughter, glad Bailey wasn’t looking in his direction. It would have only made her blush harder.
“Pretty sure nipples are the word you were looking for, darlin’,” I drawl.
And there’s that blush again. I’d love to know how far down it goes. My cock twitches at the thought. I shift behind the counter before I embarrass myself in front of the others.
“Even her bottles’ teats are bigger than a dummy. You worry too much. People have been giving their children these things for generations.”
“It can stop at mine,” I tell her, shrugging.
She giggles, holding her hands out for Sunday. “Want me to hold her, or are you worried my breasts will suffocate her?” A second of silence passes before she groans, covering her face with her hands.
The lads look at her with wide eyes, while I look down at her impressive chest. Yep, I wouldn’t mind being suffocated by them.
“Did you want me to answer?” I ask, smirking when she looks up at me.
“No.” She shakes her head furiously. “Please pretend I did not just say that.”
I laugh this time, liking this girl more and more.
“I need to go. I have to take Charlotte somewhere for the night and need to go get my things,” Landon announces. I glance at my cousin, worried. He doesn’t look away from my gaze, instead staring me down. We both know he isn’t going to be with Charlotte all night.
No. He’s going to be fighting again, something we’ve told him time and time again to stop doing unless it’s in front of proper instructors, referees, and judges. Not in some abandoned warehouse.
“I’ll let your mum and dad know. They were only telling Mum yesterday that they hadn’t seen you for a while.”
He narrows his eyes at me, getting angry. “I saw Mum and Dad the other day. Keep your nose out of my business.”
“I will when you stop making stupid choices.”
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“I know since losing Freya you’ve have some anger issues, but you need to move on, Landon.”
He steps towards me, but before he can reach me, Sunday starts crying. He stops, looking down at Sunday with round eyes before meeting my gaze with a guilt-ridden expression.
“I’m sorry,” he chokes out, before leaving.
“Landon,” I call out after him.
“I’m gonna go check on him. Plus, I think he’s forgot he’s my ride,” Liam says, before looking at Bailey. “Thank you for dinner. It was delicious.”
Looking adorably confused, she just nods. “It’s my pleasure.”
I want to growl, because I own all her pleasure.
Where the fuck did that come from?
I shake it off, feeling like shit for bringing Freya up—in front of Bailey, too, who he doesn’t really know.
Liam’s phone beeps and he pulls it out, smirking. “That’s Landon. He got to the end of the street before he remembered me. I feel loved,” he teases, before looking at me. “Don’t worry about it. We all agree with you, but he has to deal with this in his own way.”
“I’ll message him later to say sorry, man. I’m just worried about him. He seems to have more bruises lately.”
A shadow crosses his face. “Yeah, well, we’ve all warned him.”
“We’re going to go too. I want to make sure all our jobs are on schedule,” Maddox says as he and Mark get up.
“Something I said?” I jokingly add.
They laugh, slapping me on the back when they pass. Maddox, unable to help himself, pauses at the door. “Bailey?”
She’s looking at me with a concerned expression.
“She can’t read your lips from here.”
She reads what I say, and her gaze turns towards the kitchen door. I turn as well, tucking
Sunday higher up my chest, her bum fitting in the palm of my hand.
“Next time you cook dinner, light some candles. I’ll bring dessert,” he says, winking.
She giggles. “Bye, Maddox.”
“Bye, darlin’.”
I growl as he leaves, ignoring his taunting laughter. When they’re gone, Bailey turns to me, biting her bottom lip.
“Are you okay? That was really intense.”
I sigh, stepping over to Sunday’s pushchair and gently placing her down. I smile as her body curls upwards, like she’s seeking out my warmth. Seeing she’s settled, I face Bailey with a grim smile.
“Landon likes to fight. I can’t talk about why, but he has a lot of built-up anger and that’s his outlet.”
She pales, like I knew she would. “He just goes around fighting people?”
I shake my head. “No. There’s an underground fighting ring that he fights for. He’s one of their best contenders, and people are starting to take notice. The thing is, there’s only one rule: no weapons. But it doesn’t stop people from playing dirty. He’s had people cover their brass knuckles with tape. I just hate seeing him like this.”
She takes me by surprise when tears fill her eyes and she walks over to wrap her arms around my middle. I tense at the feeling inside of my chest. I feel like I can’t breathe—all my nerves feel like they’re on fire from her touch.
She pulls away before I have chance to hold her, to feel what it’s like to hold an angel in my arms.
Her big doe eyes are nearly my undoing. My cock stirs at the sight of her, the moisture in her eyes and the tremble in her lips.
“He really is lucky to have you looking out for him, Aiden. I’m sorry he’s going through something. He does look lost. You can see it in his eyes.”
I sigh. “He’s angry. He’s mad at the world for what happened.”
“You really are an incredible guy, Aiden Carter.”
I grin. “Does this mean you’ll make me dinner this week?”
She blushes, but a smile spreads across her face. “Yes. But only you.”
I laugh, throwing my head back. “No going on a date with Todd?”
Her nose twitches. “Um, no.” She groans, dropping her head onto my chest, and the tightness comes back. “I can’t believe he asked me. I felt so torn. I didn’t want to let him down in front of everyone,” she mumbles against my chest.
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