Page 29

Chapter twenty-nine

“Promise you’re good to spend time with your Mama when it’s supposed to be my weekend?” I ask Lyric.

Heather’s been doing good since we had our last blowout. Far as I know, she ain’t been fucking with drugs or dudes. Even said she’s been trying to find a job since she lost her last one at the diner. She apologized about the condom bullshit and the shit she tried pulling when she found out about Bailee. Don’t know whether she means any of it, but don’t really give a fuck as long as she does right by my little girl.

I’d been keeping Lyric until I knew Heather was good, not that she fought me on it. She only does that when she feels it benefits her to have a hold on me. She asked me today if I’d bring Lyric back home to her and let her have Lyric on my weekend so they could have more bonding time. I caved after agreement from our daughter. Lyric wants her mom to be a mom so damn bad, and she’s trying hard to give her the chance to do that. If my girl can, then I can do the same.

It’ll give me time with Bailee on our own. We don’t get much of that because it’s always one thing or the other pulling our attention. Shit’s calm right now—almost too calm, if I’m honest—so I’m gonna take advantage of it and spend some time with my woman.

Lyric is excited the whole ride to her mom’s place. She’s bouncing in her seat, her little body unable to contain it all. There’s not been a quiet moment since we left, not that I mind. Her incessant chatter has always filled me with peace.

“Daddy?”

I glance into the rear-view mirror and catch my little girl’s eyes. They’re not as bright as they were earlier, and I want to growl in frustration because I know she’s expecting nothing but disappointment from the woman who birthed her.

“Yeah, Princess?”

“This is good, right? Mommy wanting me back home?”

My fingers tighten around the steering wheel, and I blow out a breath. “Fuckin’ hope so, Lyra, ‘cause I’m goin’ to be real honest with you, kid. Don’t know how much more I can take of her makin’ you eat shit before I keep you from her for good, yeah?”

She stares at me with a sad expression on her face, and I hate that I’ve had to lay it out to her like that, but I’ve always been truthful with her, and I’m not going to stop now. Especially when there’s every bit of a chance of it becoming her reality far too soon.

“Okay, Dad,” she says quietly, turning to look out the window.

Pain radiates up my jaw as I grind my teeth together.

Dad.

It’s the first time she’s used the more grown-up word, and something about it breaks my damn heart as much as it makes me angry at the shit hand for parents that life has dealt my girl.

I’m doing the best I can, but I ain’t her mama, and I know that’s what my kid craves more than anything. It’s why I eat shit from Heather more often than not. Lyric’s got my mom, and now she’s got Bailee, but it’ll never be the same for her. Least from what I can tell. And until Lyric shows me different, I’ll do what I can to give her what she wants.

Heather is waiting outside her apartment when we arrive, and she actually looks happy to see Lyric. Her eyes are clear, and the smile on her face seems genuine. I keep my eyes on her as Lyric and I climb out, searching for any sign of deception, any sign that she’s been using, but there’s nothing. Either she’s clean or she’s gotten that fucking good at hiding it from me.

I’m leery, but there’s hope for Lyric that maybe me keeping her away a little bit helped her see how important our little girl is.

Heather holds her arms open with a smile, and Lyric takes a hesitant step forward . . . then another . . . and another before she’s giggling and then running into her open arms. Heather lifts her up and spins her around, making Lyric laugh, and I stop in my tracks to watch. It’s the first time in a while that I’ve seen Lyric laugh with her mom.

That hope grows just a little more.

I’m the weakest son-of-a-bitch when it comes to my daughter.

“Hi, Steel,” Heather greets, her voice full of so much sugar, it makes my teeth ache, and not in a good way.

“Heather,” I grunt, holding out Lyric’s duffel bag.

Being in her presence still makes me want to rush into a hot shower, but it’s something I’m gonna have to deal with. I ain’t taking this from my girl just because I can’t handle the fact that she . . .

She takes the bag, and the move cuts off my thought before it has time to finish, which I’m thankful for.

“Thanks for bringing her back and for doing it on a weekend that I know is supposed to be yours. It means a lot. I’m just so excited to get to spend some time with her.”

“No problem. Glad you’re doin’ better for her and for yourself. If you need anything, give me a call.” I turn away from her and toward Lyric. “Love you, Princess. Have fun. Need me for anything, no matter what time it is, no matter how big or small, you call. Hear me?”

“Yeah, Daddy.” She walks over and wraps her arms around my waist. “Love you more than all the clouds in the sky.”

I scrub a hand over her head. “Love you more than all the stars in the universe.”

They both stand on the sidewalk as I pull away. Too many times, I almost slam on my brakes and turn around to go back and grab Lyric away from her, but I fight the compulsion and continue on my way to pick up Bailee.

My fucking line of work has made me one paranoid motherfucker.

I lean against the doorway of the kitchen and watch Bailee whip up some grub on the stove. Whatever the fuck it is smells delicious. When I picked her up earlier, she asked if I had shit here for her to cook because she wanted real food, and she bounced in her seat a lot in excitement like Lyric does when I told her I did.

As soon as we got here, she changed into these short-ass things that have half her ass cheeks hanging out anytime she moves and switched out her t-shirt for one of those thin-strapped tanks minus a bra. Of course, I’m not complaining because I find myself admiring the view anytime it’s in front of me. Bailee’s fucking beautiful. Always has been, no matter what the fuck she’s wearing, but her being comfortable enough now in my home to be barefoot in nothing but sleep shorts and a tank while cooking us dinner sets loose that primal side of me again.

Bailee awoke a beast trapped inside me that’s been slumbering for years, and now, he clings to me as he waits for any chance to come out and make her ours.

She’s the only woman I’ve ever felt this overwhelming need to claim. To own. To fucking worship. It’s why it terrifies the fuck out of me. Even when I thought I felt shit toward Emmy Lou, it was nothing like this. Hell, it wasn’t even a millimeter of a fraction of this. Emmy Lou was merely a crush. Don’t think she was even that. She was just something pretty and warm in the middle of the darkness. It didn’t even bother me when she and Atlas got together. Would we have become something if they hadn’t? Maybe, but we’d have only been a flash fire. We’d have burned out quicker than we caught fire. Shit never would have been more than surface level between us, same as it was with Heather.

“Crap on a cracker, Steel. If your eyes burn into me any hotter, I’m going to have to go change my dang clothes again,” Bailee grumbles, setting the spatula down in some holder in the middle of the stove before turning to me.

I straighten from my perch and prowl toward her, letting her read the intent in my eyes. Her face flushes as she grabs the spatula and wields it in front of her like a weapon.

“Oh, no, sir. Nope. No way. We are eating dinner like a normal couple, mister. So, stop those delicious, wicked thoughts I see in your eyes and put them away for later. You can make good on them then,” she snarks, waving the spatula at me.

Decisions must reflect in my eyes because her posture suddenly deflates, and she peers at me with a somber expression.

“Please, Jericho,” she whispers. “As much as I love you fucking me, I just want to be with you right now. Can we do that? I promise I’ll give you what you need, just . . . I want to feel normal for a little bit.”

Ah, fuck.

I close the distance between us and grasp her chin in my hand, tilting her face toward mine. “You need it, you get it. Understood? Fuckin’ love bein’ buried inside that sweet little cunt, Hummingbird, but enjoy just bein’ with you too. You want dinner and a movie?”

“Please?”

“Whatever you want.”

I tighten my hold so she stays in place while I drop my mouth to hers and lock ours together when my tongue steals inside. It’s quick, full of heat, and whispers all the promises of later while also reassuring her that it’s more than just that for me.

When I pull away, I run the pad of my thumb across the plumpness of her bottom lip. “Need help with dinner?”

Bailee smiles and lifts her hand to my neck, settling where the pulsing beat flutters under my skin. It’s something she’s done for as long as we’ve been together. Even during our casual shit in the past, I would catch her doing it. I don’t think it’s something she even realizes she does. I’ve never said anything about it and don’t plan to because the move makes my heart stutter a little in my chest when she does it, and not in a bad way. It’s a move I’ve seen Wraith do to Nova when he needs reassurance she’s breathing, and it’s something I’ve caught Crow doing to Sage, though I don’t think my brother realizes he’s doing it either.

“No. Go relax. It won’t be much longer. I’ll bring it in when it’s finished. You want a beer?”

“With dinner. Goin’ to change.” I let my eyes wander over her face, soaking her in, knowing yet still not quite accepting that this woman is making me feel shit I don’t really know if I’m ready to feel. “Goin’ to fuck this up. You know that. Don’t know what the fuck I’m doin’ with this shit.”

Her jaw clenches under my fingers, and her eyes harden. She pulls her chin away from me, and I let her. “Yeah, well, I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t really expect much then, huh?”

Don’t have anything to say to that, so I let her be when she turns back to the stove, and I head out to change.

By the time I take a piss, wash my hands, and change my clothes, Bailee has our plates sitting on the coffee table in the living room with a glass of wine in front of hers and a bottle of beer next to mine. The smile she gives me washes away the dark that tried encroaching when I figured I’d already fucked up again.

“Come on, bossman,” she says softly, holding out a hand. “Let’s eat.”

The smells wafting from the bowl in my hand is mouthwatering, and when I take my first bite, something ridiculous happens. My eyes prick, my heart pinches, and I want to toss the bowl down and run crying from the room. Bailee’s made shit for me before, but there’s something about this one that has me falling for her a little deeper, and it’s got my feet itching to carry me the fuck away from her.

My heart is begging me to stay where I’m at while my mind is screaming, “Danger! Danger!”

I don’t do it, though. My ass stays parked while I listen to my woman tell me about stupid shit customers got up to while I eat. At least, that’s what I do until she makes me participate in the conversation.

“I’m enjoying this,” she says, waving her spoon between us, “but I’m worried about you missing your weekend with Lyric. I know you’ve had her until you were sure Heather was doing okay and Lyric would be safe, but do you think this is something Heather will use against you?” She tucks her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t know her enough, and I don’t want you losing any time with Lyric because of me.”

I take the last bite of the soup, set the bowl on the coffee table, and lift the beer to my mouth to wash it down. “Don’t know what the fuck you call that shit, babe, but it was fuckin’ delicious.”

“Creamy chicken tortilla soup. It’s one of my favorite things to make. Our chef,” she rolls her eyes and grimaces when she says it, “growing up, he taught me how to make it after he found out it was my favorite. It’s one of the very few fond memories I have growing up in that house despite my brother thinking otherwise.”

I know that her father wasn’t the greatest. Anyone who pays attention to the fucking news would know the Sterling name. It’s been notorious in the media and over the damn internet. He and his childhood friends were found to be serial killers. They’d gotten away with it for so fucking long because they lived in a small town and were goddamn billionaires who had the fortune to buy off anyone they needed to. It wasn’t until Emmy Lou’s dad died in prison after being framed by them that the truth came out. Emmy Lou wasn’t going to let it stand any longer and made her way back to her hometown in Bourbon Falls to start digging for the truth. Once their secrets couldn’t stay hidden any longer, they came after Emmy Lou, which ended up being their downfall.

“You never answered me about Heather using this against you, you giving up your time with Lyric for her,” she says, changing the subject.

“Don’t see how she’s goin’ to use it against me. Not when I got all kinds of shit on her stupid ass. She knows what happens if she pulls a stupid move like that.”

“Are you really okay with that after everything that’s happened?” she asks quietly, her tone telling me she’s only trying to understand.

I sigh, grab my beer, and lean back against the cushions as I turn my head to look at her. “The way you talk about love, only ever felt that for one person outside of my parents.”

“Lyric.”

“My little girl. There’s a lot of shit I’ll eat to make sure she’s happy. That includes dealin’ with all the bullshit that comes from the woman who gave birth to her. Want to see the good in her for Lyric’s sake. Gotta believe my girl sees something in her that I don’t. Hell, won’t lie, Lee, there were times when it wasn’t all bad with Heather. She does have some good in her, but drugs tend to strip that from someone after a while. ‘Specially when they refuse to get clean.”

“But she did, right? Isn’t that why you let Lyric go back to her?”

“She got as clean as someone who is forced to. My experience? Someone has to want to get clean on their own before it sticks. Ain’t got no proof that she’s not, and when I saw her, she was as clean as I can remember her ever bein’. It has to be enough for my daughter. Gotta believe she loves Lyric because she’s her mom.”

“Oh, Jericho,” Bailee says with a sigh. “You can’t count on that. Just because you give birth to someone or give the sperm to help create them, doesn’t mean that love is going to be there. I’ve got scars that prove that.”

“Fuck. I know that, Hummingbird. My head fuckin’ knows that. But I got great parents. They’ve never raised a hand to me in anger, never spoken bitter words that couldn’t be taken back. Just want my girl to have that. Despite what I feel toward Heather, gotta give her a chance because Lyric is the only family that Heather has. She’s always said that’s meant something to her.” My laugh is a bit rough when I let it out as I jam my head against the couch cushion. “All this shit makes me seem like a goddamn doormat to that bitch, don’t it?”

Bailee scoots closer and grabs a handful of my beard, pulling my face toward her. “Don’t do that. You’re a great father, Steel. You love that little girl to the depths of your soul, and you’ll go to ridiculous lengths to make sure she’s happy. There’s not much wrong with that. A great parent should want their child to have the best life possible. You see the love she has for her mom, so you try to make sure she has that in her life no matter what it costs you.”

Her fingers travel through my beard to curl around my jaw. “And bossman, it may not be so visible to others, but I see what it costs you to be around her. Especially after what she did. If you ever need me to take over, just say the word. I’ll be the go-between. I don’t give a crap about her, only you and Lyric. If I have to take her on, then I will. It wouldn’t be the first fight I’ve had protecting someone I . . . care about.”

Her hand drops when I pull my head away as I lean forward to place the bottle of beer back on the table. Disappointment rolls off her, but when I turn to her and drag her onto my lap so she’s straddling me, her relief is palpable.

I guide her arms over my shoulders then settle mine on her thighs. “Don’t need you takin’ her on, Hummingbird. ‘Preciate the offer, but it’ll only give her more fuel for her fire and don’t want that for Lyric.”

Something flashes in the depths of her eyes, but it’s gone when she blinks and smiles at me. “Well, I’m here, okay?”

The tips of my fingers dig into the bare skin of her thighs when fucking feelings for this woman fire through my blood. She must see it because she drops her forehead to mine.

Words ain’t really needed as we sit here staring into each other’s eyes. They speak for us, saying the words we’re both still too terrified to speak out loud. I’m good with that. Silence has always been preferable to me anyway. Sometimes, it’s the silence that speaks the loudest, if you only listen to what it’s trying to tell you.

“I know this scares you,” she whispers, her words breathing life against my lips. “Us. It does me too. You’ve left before, and it bent me pretty badly.”

The only sign I show that her words cut me is the way my fingers tighten against her.

“What happens next time? Where will that leave me? Those breaking points I was talking about before, I haven’t hit them yet, but I’m really scared because I don’t know what will happen when I do.”

“Don’t give me that power, Hummingbird,” I order. “I don’t fuckin’ want it.”

Her eyes fill with tears. “Believe me, I don’t want you to have it any more than you do.”

Unable to stop the bitterness her words bring to my mouth, I decide to drown them out with her taste. Lifting my hand from her thigh, I grasp the back of her neck and pull until the distance between our mouths is closed. I attack her like a fucking savage, my tongue shoving its way through the small opening she gives and dominating hers.

My cock aches and lengthens when she swirls her hips, grinding her pussy against me.

I suck her moans down greedily.

This. This I know. This is what I’m familiar with. Pure, unadulterated lust. Even if there’s something else burning deeper and hotter underneath it, this passion is what I understand.

Fucking, I’m good at. Loving . . . not so much.

She pulls away, breathing harshly, and grabs the hem of her tank, lifting it over her head. Her tits pop free, and I waste no time grabbing the globes in my hands and dropping my mouth to them, sucking the pebbled nipple into my mouth tightly.

Bailee tosses her head back with a moan, her fingers lifting to tangle in my hair and hold me to her.

I move to the other tit after one last gentle nip to the stiff peak.

“More,” she groans.

I lift my mouth from her. “You want my cock, baby girl? You want me buried inside this tight little cunt?”

She doesn’t answer me. Her eyes stay closed as she twirls her hips against the bulge in my pants.

Pleasure racks up my spine, and I grit my teeth.

Dropping my head, I grab one of her nipples between my teeth and bite down, knowing just how much pressure she can take and how much it’ll take for her to get off.

Her scream echoes through my living room as she shudders on top of me, and heat soaks my sweatpants where her release drips from her.

“Fucking hottest shit ever,” I growl. “Lift.”

She does as I order, blinking sluggishly as she comes down from her release. I yank her shorts down her hips, helping her out of them one leg at a time. Then I slide my sweats down far enough so my cock springs free and there’s room for me to work.

I think we’re both too hungry for one another because no sooner am I free from my sweats and the tip of my cock brushes against her, she slams down, burying me balls deep inside her.

A loud groan rips from my chest and tangles with the moan that leaves her. Neither of us have time to fucking breath as my woman sets a punishing pace on top of me. She rides me like she was fucking born to do it. Maybe she was. Maybe she was born just for fucking me.

“Yeah, baby girl. Fuck me just like that. Look at that pussy suckin’ my cock like the hungry bitch she is,” I groan, anchoring my hands at her hips to help her move as I keep my eyes on where we’re joined.

“Jericho,” she whines.

Fuck, I love how she uses my given name, especially when we’re being intimate. It means a lot of shit to me.

Losing myself between Bailee’s thighs, I let the sweet feel of her cunt and the sweet words that drop in whispers from her mouth distract me from everything else fucked-up in my world right now.

I drift my hand up her body as she rides my cock, fucking loving the way her eyes never fall from mine and the way her heart beats triple time under her skin. Her pulse creates its own melody under my fingers as I wrap them around her neck. White hot heat flares behind her eyes as her pupils dilate and her pussy clenches around me when I tighten my hold.

“So fuckin’ beautiful,” I rumble.

Bailee’s body jerks as she tries to find her release, but it remains elusive. She’s used to me being in control, and as much as we’re both enjoying the hell out of this, I know she wants me to take the driver’s seat as much as I’m craving to.

I drag her face down to mine, shoving my tongue past her lips to fight with hers before pulling back with a sharp bite to her bottom one. Dropping my hands so I can grab her ass to hold her in place, I lift to my feet in a move so swift, she gasps and wraps her legs around me.

She doesn’t stop fucking me, though, and I help her keep the traction going while I carry us over to the wall.

I slam her back against it and untangle her legs from around me so I can toss them over my arms to spread her wider.

“Fuck, yeah,” I snarl, my head falling back between my shoulders. “Pussy was made for my cock, baby girl.”

“Just fuck me, bossman,” she snaps, one of her hands lifting to my neck and digging her nails in.

So, I do. I nail her to the wall repeatedly until my grunts sync with her broken cries as we climb toward our release. Sweat rolls down my neck and drips into the indents her nails left behind. The sharp sting pulls a hiss from my lips as my hips jerk against her harshly. Our hips clapping together and the wet suction of her pussy sucking me in surround us, joining in with the noises that pour from our mouths, creating our own filthy love song.

There’s never been anything more breathtaking to me than my beautiful Hummingbird creaming all over my cock. Her mouth drops open with a fragmented cry, her eyes fill with a love so bright that it nearly incinerates me, and she does this thing with her body as if she’s trying to crawl inside me and make a home there. The sweet heat of her cream coating my cock as she clinches around me lights a fire in my belly and sends me into a tailspin of addiction so strong, I don’t know if I’ll ever break it.

Wanting more from her, I tighten my grip and push her back into the wall harder as I pin her to it with my hips.

“So,” thrust , “fuckin’,” thrust , “good,” I groan, thrusting harshly, chasing the high that always comes from being buried inside her.

For one hot second, a vision of her swollen with my child flashes behind my closed lids, and it terrifies me enough that I jerk them open.

There’s something on Bailee’s face that I’ve never seen before. A new kind of wonder emerges in her eyes as she stares up at me while I piston into her. It’s an expression that makes me believe she might have had the same vision as I did.

She lifts her hand to my cheek. “I lo—”

My face tightens, my fingers digging into her thighs as I hold my breath, fucking terrified of what she’s going to say, but also wanting—no, needing —to hear it. But something on my face must scare her because she cuts herself off and smiles softly instead.

That’s okay.

Her eyes whisper it to me anyway.

There’s something about this moment that makes me want to tell her what I’ve never told anyone else outside of my daughter. Not even my club brothers.

But voicing it out loud makes all of this real. It makes her a weakness to me, and in my life, you can’t have those. Lyric is my biggest, but I can’t shove her out of my life. It would be tearing away a part of who I am. The fight to keep her safe is big enough. How the fuck do I cope adding another person?

Bailee’s pussy clenches around my cock, pulling me from the thoughts I’d rather not be having right now.

The look in her eyes and the way her hips help work over my length have a groan tearing from my chest as my fingers dig into the skin at her waist.

I drive in and out of her pussy as my balls draw tight then drop my mouth to the space between her neck and shoulder. My teeth clamp into her silky flesh at the same time her nails dig deep into my back, the pain snapping through us and yanking the releases from our bodies. It slams into me, pulverizing me into a million pieces. It steals my breath and my vision, leaving me with nothing but the feel of being surrounded by her. My cock jerks deep within her as my cum paints the walls of her insides, the heat of her release washing over my length as she clamps around me one last time.

My hungry little Hummingbird refuses to disengage until she’s milked me for every drop that remains inside.

I open my mouth, unleashing her neck from my hold. Little beads of red swell to the surface, and I lean down to lick them away before brushing my lips over the beautiful broken skin.

“Anyone can see that for what it is,” I murmur, lifting my hand so I can brush my fingers around the mark.

Bailee snorts. “What, that I’ve had a beast chewing on my neck?”

I glide my hand from the mark to cup her around her neck, using my hold to lift her chin so she’s peering up at me. “No. They’ll see a claimin’ mark. Whole world will fuckin’ know that you’re mine.”

She lifts a brow and drops her legs from around my waist, causing me to slide out of my warm perch inside her pussy. “Is that so?”

Leaning down, I smack my mouth against hers in a quick kiss before pulling away and searing her with a heated look. “Stop playin’, baby. We both know it.”

Bailee lifts a shoulder in a half shrug and sasses, “Maybe . . . maybe not.”

I wait until she scoots around me before twirling around and smacking that perfectly plump ass of hers. I smirk at the squeal that passes her lips and relish in the pretty red handprint that’s now painted on it. “Need to show you again, baby girl?”

Her eyes twinkle, and she bats her lashes. “I doubt you’d be able to get it up again, bossman. You’re getting older.”

“Why, you little minx,” I growl, stepping toward her.

Lightness fills my limbs as her happiness helps create my own. It’s a feeling I’ve only ever known around my brothers, my parents, and my daughter. Finding it with her is just another sign that maybe I need to quit being a goddamn pussy and accept that this woman was designed for me.

She takes off running, and with a deep chuckle, I take off after her.

“Run, run, as fast as you can,” I taunt, pausing when her steps trail off and the house grows quiet. “Hide and seek, baby? You already know I live life in the shadows. This is a game you’ll never win.”

Pausing, I close my eyes and slow my breathing so my hearing will tune in better. My little Hummingbird seems to have forgotten that this is my house. I can travel the entire square footage with my eyes closed and never bump into a motherfucking thing. Something I’ve found important with my lifestyle. You never know when an attack could happen. As much as I have my home and my property locked down, it doesn’t mean there’ll never be anyone who can’t get through my systems. I have to be prepared for that risk, so when my girl is with her mom or she’s in bed, I practice making my way through this space without a single light to guide me. That way—because I’m realistic as fuck and know that it might eventually happen—whenever someone does come, I’ll be ready to protect my people to the best of my ability.

“I can smell you, Hummingbird. My favorite smell in the whole fuckin’ world is the cream that leaks from that tight little cunt when she’s hungry. You hungry for me again, baby girl?”

The closer I get to the bedroom, the more her scent teases the beast inside me. I open my eyes, letting them adjust to the darkness of the room as I step inside. They sweep through the space, making note of any little thing that’s been disturbed. I follow the tracks that I’m sure she didn’t realize she was leaving behind as I make my way into the bathroom. There are no windows in here, so there’s nothing lighting my way. I’m so used to the blackness that it doesn’t bother me, but I normally keep a light on beside the toilet for Lyric. Bailee must have shut it off when she came in here thinking it would make it harder for me.

I’m not quiet when I move around the space, wanting her to know that she’s only got seconds left before I’m sliding back inside her.

The shower curtain moves just a small bit, as if a gust of air blew past it, but since there is no window and the air hasn’t kicked on, there’s only one reason it’d move like that.

I pause beside the tub and smile when the quiet inhale reaches my ears. As much as I want to draw this game of hide and seek out, I just want her more. We’ve been playing enough games with each other. Now, it’s time to just fucking be.

With that thought in mind, I keep as quiet as can as I slither my hand through the shower curtain. Her breathing gives me her location behind it, so I’m able to find a part of her body quickly.

She lets out a terrified scream that makes me chuckle darkly as I grasp her arm and yank her out of the tub and into mine.

“You really think I wouldn’t find you, baby? You’re mine, and I always find what belongs to me.”

Bailee is breathless as she peers up at me. She steps closer until her tits brush against my chest and my heavy cock rests against her warm skin. “I was counting on it, bossman. It’s nice knowing you’re chasing after me for a change. The question now is what are you going to do with me?”

“Other than slidin’ inside you again? Keepin’ you sounds pretty fuckin’ appealin’ right now,” I admit.

“I think I could be okay with this plan,” she replies breathlessly.

“Up,” I growl, not wanting to waste any more time.

She’s obviously on the same page because she jumps and wraps her legs around me.

My hands find purchase on her the globes of her ass as I turn us toward the bedroom. She drops her face to mine, sealing our lips together as I carry us the short distance to the bed.

I untangle her from me and toss her onto the mattress, my eyes eating up the way her tits bounce freely when I do.

Fuck. I think she’s the most exquisite fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my damn life. Her beauty goes deeper than just surface level shit, and I believe that’s what makes me crave her more. The last seven years, I’ve been with someone who is vapid and shallow and loves herself and her drugs more than she does her kid. Bailee barely knows my daughter, but I can guaran-fucking- tee that she’d step in front of a bullet meant for her without hesitation. Something not even her own mother would do. It’s tough to admit that, but it’s about time I did.

“Come here, bossman. Let me help you get rid of those shadows in your eyes,” Bailee purrs, spreading her legs and showing off her pretty bruised cunt.

My cum still glistens on her folds, making the beast rise up inside me and roar. The hunger clawing at my insides, yanks on its leash, demanding I sate it by climbing between her thighs and stuffing her full with my cock.

Climbing onto the bed, I scoop her legs up into my hands as I go, spreading her wide as I slide into her.

It’s easy to get lost inside her, which is what I do for the next while until we’re both dropping to the bed in exhaustion hours later.

Bailee rests her head on the back of her palm on my chest, her leg thrown over mine, her other hand playing with the hair on my chest as we catch our breath. Her eyes roam over my face in a warm caress.

She’s trying to peek into my mind, and I don’t care this time because there’s only one direction it’s gone.

“You’re worried about her. Why don’t you just call, Steel?” she asks quietly, her breath brushing over my skin.

I trail my fingers up and down her bare back as I think about her question. “Tryin’ to trust Heather.”

Bailee’s fingers stop digging through my hair as she moves her hand to grasp my beard and hold my face where she wants it. “You listen to me, bossman. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you having trust issues when it comes to that woman. She’s never given you a reason to, and after what she did to you . . .” She trails off, her jaw clenching as she works through her anger on my behalf. “If you’re feeling the need to call and check on our girl, you fucking do that, you understand me?” she ends fiercely.

I work my jaw back and forth as I hold her eyes, fighting against her words, telling myself that it’s never going to work if I don’t trust Heather. But it’s hard to combat the truth that was in them.

She must see the defeat in my eyes because she smiles and lifts to brush her mouth against mine. “I’ll grab your phone.”

While she runs into the living room to grab my cell, I climb from the bed and grab a pair of gray sweats from my drawer. Bailee comes strutting back in, and the confident way she wears her skin fucking sets me on fire. She hands over my phone before lifting to her toes and brushing her lips against the underside of my jaw. Then she grabs one of my t-shirts from the drawer to pull over her head, hiding all those delicious curves from me.

“Call her. I’m going to find a snack and snuggle in bed with a movie. I’ll be there if you need me.”

When she goes to leave, I reach out and grasp her wrist to keep her from leaving. “We’ll call together.”

A burst of happiness flashes in her eyes before she shutters them. She may hide it in her eyes, but she can’t keep it out of the small smile she blesses me with.

Bailee grabs my hand and tugs me behind her over to the bed, climbing in and settling crossed-legged in the middle. Once I’m settled back against the headboard, I dial the number to the phone I gave Lyric before she left today and put it on speaker.

“Daddy,” Lyric answers happily.

“Hey, Princess,” I reply with a chuckle. “Havin’ a good time?”

“Yep,” she chirps. “I’m watching a movie with Gina while Mommy went out to get treats.”

My body tightens and my hand clenches around the phone at the name. “You’re there alone with Regina?”

Bailee leans over and places her hand on my knee to try to calm the rage and discomfort she can feel coming off me. I could tell her it’s no use, that I’ve never trusted Regina from the moment Heather introduced me and that she’s no good for Heather or Lyric. But the calming sensation that creeps through my veins under Bailee’s touch, easing the tension Lyric’s words caused, would call me a liar. So, I let her touch do its thing so I can focus on my daughter and make sure she’s safe.

Lyric giggles, and it works in tandem with Bailee’s touch to continue loosening the malevolent emotions running through me. “I’m okay, Daddy.”

“Promise?” I ask gruffly.

“Yes,” she replies, dragging out the word and causing my lips to twitch at her sass.

“All right, Princess. You know to call me if you need me, right?”

Lyric huffs. “Yes, Daddy.”

I chuckle. “Need anything?”

“Nope. I’m okay, Daddy. You and Bee have fun.”

I shake my head, knowing better than to question how my girl knew I was with Bailee. She’s fucking astute.

“Love you, Princess.”

“Love you more, Daddy. See you tomorrow.”

The screen flashes, showing me she’s hung up, yet I stare down at it, my stomach churning. It’s screaming at me but not telling me why, leaving me with nothing but questions regarding the choice I made to let her go.

Bailee takes the phone from me and climbs into my lap. Heat seeps into my cheeks when she cups my face between her palms.

“Do you want to go get her? We’ll leave right now and go.”

“No,” I say, exhaling heavily. “Sounded fine and actually happy over there for a change.”

Her thumbs caress the skin right under my eyes. “I don’t like the look in these. It tells me you’re worried.”

“All good, Hummingbird. But if you want to help, you can do something to distract your man.”

I lean forward and suck her bottom lip into my mouth before releasing it and biting down.

“My man, huh?” she questions, lifting a brow.

“Don’t see anyone else ridin’ my dick, baby girl.”

“You want more sex, or do you want to actually talk?”

“Much as I fuckin’ love being buried inside your pussy, my dick is worn out.”

I lean my head back against the headboard and peer at her through hooded lids. Tenderness swells inside me as I gaze at the woman who has captivated me from the moment I met her. Her skin is soft and silky against the back of my knuckles when I brush them down her cheek.

“Want to fuckin’ know everything about you,” I admit gruffly, not really liking the vulnerability that statement opens up for me.

And so, she tells me all the shit I was always scared to know before.

She moves off my lap so she can rest against my chest. While my fingers dive through her red hair, we talk about everything we could possibly talk about until both our eyes are closing and we’re drifting off to sleep.