by Susan Stoker
“I’ve thought about getting a tattoo myself. Maybe the date we met, so I never forget it.”
At his words, the tears she’d been holding back sprang into her eyes, and she sniffled. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Yes, you do,” Nathan countered immediately. “We deserve each other. We’ve had a hell of a life up to now, but it’s time for us to have good. Don’t you think?”
Bailey smiled through her tears and nodded. “Definitely.”
Nathan smiled back, then leaned forward and rested his cheek on the bare skin of her belly, hugging her to him. They stayed like that for quite a while. Taking comfort in each other.
When it was obvious Bailey’s tears had dried up and she was over the worst of her painful emotions, Nathan leaned his head back and looked up at her. “I’m sorry you went through what you did, but from this point on, no one is going to hurt you. You’re going to have the life you should’ve had all along. I’m going to make sure of it.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Two days later, Nathan woke up with Bailey’s mouth around his cock. Even though Donovan’s arrival in their lives was hovering like a giant black cloud, his relationship with Bailey had never been better. It was as if showing him her tattoo, and exposing what she thought was her shame, had freed her to be who she was with him.
And she was an extremely sexual woman who loved to touch, and be touched, and she taught Nathan how and where. She hadn’t lied when she’d admitted that she liked sex, and he felt like the luckiest man alive. Not only was Bailey beautiful, but she was sharing a bed with him. She liked to wake him by sucking him off, trying to see how close she could get him to exploding before he fully woke up.
This morning was no exception. His dick was fully engorged and halfway down her throat when his conscious mind realized what was happening. Instead of protesting, as he’d done the last two mornings, he went with it. Nathan grabbed her head and held on as she bobbed up and down on him. Within moments he was close, his balls pulled up tight to his body, the come churning inside ready to shoot out the tip of his cock.
“I’m close, pixie,” he croaked in desperation.
In response, she closed her mouth around him and sucked—hard. That was all it took.
“God!” Nathan ground out between clenched teeth and did his best not to shove his hips into her face, choking her. It was several long moments before he could think clearly again, and when he could, he sat up, grabbed Bailey around the waist, pulled her up his body, and she eagerly straddled his face.
He’d only eaten her this way once, but it had obviously been something she’d liked as she’d ground down on his tongue and hadn’t hesitated to use her fingers to rub her clit as he feasted. This morning was no different. She was obviously primed by sucking him off because she was dripping wet.
It didn’t take long before she was undulating over him and high-pitched keens came from her mouth. She shook and shivered over him as she went over the edge, and Nathan licked and sucked every drop of her come he could reach with his tongue.
She fell to the side, her head at his hip, arm draped over his thighs, breathing hard.
“Good morning, pixie,” Nathan said softly, knowing the huge smile on his face was being communicated in his words.
She chuckled, and he felt the warmth of her breath on his leg. “Good morning.”
“I think I could start out every morning that way,” he observed dryly.
Bailey lifted her head and looked up at him with her eyebrows raised.
He burst out laughing and hauled her up and around so her head was next to his. Then he kissed her. Not caring that he could taste himself or that she could undoubtedly taste herself on him as well. The kiss was easy and tender, and made his heart hurt with how perfect it was. She pulled away after a long moment and rested her head on his shoulder, running her fingers through the sparse hair on his chest.
“I can’t do lunch with you today,” Nathan told her. “But Grace said she’d love to get out of the house and meet up with you at Clayson’s. I think she’s going stir-crazy with Nate and Ace and needs a change of scenery.”
Bailey lifted her head and gave Nathan the stink eye. “You know I can’t protest when you put it like that.”
“I know,” he agreed easily, his eyes sparkling with humor.
“Fine. But only because it’s been too long since I’ve seen those adorable creatures.”
Nathan kissed her on the forehead. “Go ahead and shower. I’ll get Joel up.”
She didn’t say anything for a long moment, then finally said softly, still looking him in the eye, “Have I told you lately how appreciative I am of you?”
“Yeah, Bailey. You have.”
“Well, I’m saying it again. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Nathan said immediately, then continued with, “But you know I wouldn’t do anything I didn’t want to.”
“I do know it.”
“Good. Now, go on, get up. Shower. Get ready. I’ll go get Joel and start breakfast.”
Bailey leaned up and kissed him hard. “Okay.”
“Okay.”
Nathan watched as Bailey climbed out of bed and headed for the small bathroom. They’d started spending more and more nights together at his house, partly because he had an en suite bathroom, and he thought partly because Bailey somehow felt safer there. The fact that she was okay walking completely naked to the bathroom, knowing her tattoo was on full display, made him all the more proud of her.
It was awful. Hideous. But that tattoo wasn’t her. No, it was what Donovan tried to make her. But she was so much better than her ex would ever be that Nathan barely even saw the hateful words on her skin anymore. All he saw was her ass, and her slim waist, and the twinkle in her eye when she looked at him.
She hadn’t said she loved him, but it was there. Nathan saw it in the way she looked at him, the way she made love to him, and the way she thanked him. Every day she told him how grateful she was he was in her life. He hoped, maybe foolishly, that every time she said Thank you, what she really meant was I love you.
Knowing he’d spent enough time lying in bed, Nathan climbed out and got started on the day.
Bailey glared at Ozzie. His one eye not covered by the eye patch twinkled with mirth.
“Don’t know why you bother paying rent when you’re practically living at Nathan’s house.”
“Shut up, Oz. I am not,” Bailey protested. She’d just called Nathan and told him that she needed to stop by her house on the way home because she and Joel needed to get some more clothes. Ozzie had obviously overheard her conversation and was now giving her shit.
He held up a hand. “Hey, don’t get me wrong. I think it’s fucking awesome. I like him . . . even though he doesn’t know the difference between OEM and aftermarket parts.”
Bailey rolled her eyes. “There’s more to life than fixing cars, Ozzie.”
His face got serious. “You wouldn’t have said that a few months ago. He’s not a superhunk, but he’s good for you, Bailey. That’s all I’m saying.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the way he looks,” Bailey huffed immediately.
“I didn’t say there was. But he’s not exactly Mr. Universe,” Ozzie observed.
“So?”
“So nothing. Look, it’s obvious the man cares for you, that’s all that matters.”
“He says he loves me,” Bailey blurted, then closed her eyes in embarrassment. She so hadn’t meant to tell Ozzie that.
“If he says he loves you, then he loves you,” was Ozzie’s response.
She wrinkled her nose. “It’s soon. I’m afraid he’s caught up in my drama and he’s going to come to his senses as soon as it’s over.”
“I’m not dissing him, but men like him . . . they don’t often get a woman like you to look twice at them. And this might be surprising, but men generally fall faster in a relationship than women do. Statistically they’re more apt to say I love you first.”
&
nbsp; Bailey gritted her teeth. She was getting really sick of people dissing her boyfriend because he was a nerd. “Ozzie, I swear to God, you’re like a brother to me, but if you say one more derogatory thing about Nathan, I’m gonna slug you. Yeah, he’s a nerd. But who cares? He’s got this inner alpha that comes out at the weirdest times. And I’ve noticed his confidence level over the last couple weeks has really grown. I don’t know why, but it’s sexy as hell. He doesn’t give a shit what other people say about him, but I do. So don’t diss him again. All right?”
Ozzie was smiling huge, and Bailey shoved her hands on her hips and demanded, “What are you grinning about?”
“Nothing.” But he kept smiling.
Bailey rolled her eyes. “I’m outta here. Tell Clayson the Accord is good to go. It didn’t need a new air filter.”
“I will. Have fun with your boyfriend tonight,” Ozzie called out.
She lifted a hand and waved at him with her middle finger without looking back. “I plan on it,” she retorted, grinning when she heard Ozzie bark out a laugh.
Starting up the engine on her Chevelle, she thought about the night ahead. Nathan and Joel were planning on playing his This Is War game tonight. Even though Nathan sucked at it, he said he wanted to get better. And since he was teaching Joel math, it was only fair that the boy got to try to teach him to be a better video-game player. It was sweet, and Bailey knew Joel felt very important that he got to be an expert in something that Nathan sucked at.
Bailey had told Nathan she’d meet him back at his house after she stopped by hers to pick up some clothes, but he’d insisted on meeting her there. He’d said, “I missed you today. I haven’t seen you in eight hours. Even going an extra thirty minutes is too long. I’ll bring Joel, and we’ll meet you there.”
What could she do but agree? She’d missed Nathan too.
Being around him was amazing. She’d learned a lot about him simply by watching him interact with others. He stayed in the background a lot, especially around his brothers, but he was a great observer. He saw what a lot of other people missed. His analytical mind was constantly working.
What she’d told Ozzie was true. Over the time they’d been dating, she’d seen him break out of his shell. He was more outgoing with strangers, more protective of her and Joel, and he didn’t put himself down nearly as much as he used to. She liked to think she’d had something to do with his growth.
And once he overcame his shyness in the bedroom, he had far exceeded her expectations. She’d always been fairly sexual, but over time, Donovan had squashed her libido until it was nothing but a shriveled mass in her belly. But Nathan’s enthusiasm and obvious love for her had resurrected it so it was now stronger than ever. She hadn’t thought about the awful things Donovan had made her do in a long time. She and Nathan had made love every night over the last week and a half, and she’d loved introducing him to new positions and activities.
In the past, she’d tolerated taking a cock down her throat, but hadn’t really enjoyed it. But Nathan didn’t hide his appreciation or enjoyment of her doing that for him . . . and he always came quickly when she put her mouth on him. She loved that she could make him lose control so easily.
She’d never been happier in a relationship. She sometimes felt bad that Nathan constantly told her how much she meant to him and she hadn’t reciprocated, but she wasn’t sure what she felt for him. She enjoyed being around him, respected him, liked him, but wasn’t sure what love for a man was supposed to feel like. She didn’t want to do anything that would hurt him, and telling him she loved him, then later telling him she’d been wrong, would hurt him.
All the way to her house, which wasn’t really that far, Bailey thought about nothing but Nathan. She got giddy at the end of the day when she knew he’d be coming to get her, or that she’d be seeing him soon. It was ridiculous, but it was a good feeling.
Bailey pulled into her small driveway and smiled when she saw Nathan’s piece-of-crap Ford already there. She bounced out of her car and jogged up to her door, eager to see the man who was quickly becoming the center of her world—in a healthy way this time and not something destructive, which she’d always had in the past.
Throwing open the door, she called out happily, “Hey, guys!”
The smile faded from her face as the scene in front of her registered. Nathan was sitting in one of her rickety kitchen chairs, his hands tied behind him, his ankles secured to the legs.
Joel was standing a couple of paces away from him looking completely freaked out.
And Donovan, fucking Donovan, was standing next to Joel. His hand around the back of his neck. Smirking.
“We’ve been waiting for you, Bailey. Now the party can start.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Bailey slowly closed the door, taking a big breath to strengthen her resolve before taking a good look at her ex.
Donovan looked like shit. Oh, he was still muscular, and still had that cocky grin he always thought got him anything he wanted, but his skin was pale, and he looked disheveled. She had no idea when he’d showered last, but it wasn’t anytime recently. His jeans were dirty with black streaks and dirt. It looked like he’d lost weight as well. He shuffled from foot to foot as if he couldn’t stand still.
Bailey’s eyes swung to Joel. “You okay?” she asked quietly in a voice that was steady with resolve. They knew this day was coming, and even though it had surprised her, she’d do exactly as she and Nathan had talked about. She only hoped Joel was ready as well.
“Yeah,” he said softly, and winced when Donovan squeezed his neck.
“You didn’t think you’d really get away from me, did you?” Donovan asked casually.
Bailey shrugged. “I thought you’d be ready to move on when you got out of prison.”
“Not hardly. You’re the hottest piece of ass the Inca Boyz have. Even if I was ready to move on, that doesn’t mean you’d get to go anywhere. There are other Boyz who wanted their turn.”
Bailey forced down the bile that rose in her throat at his words. Unfortunately, he continued talking.
“From the second you waltzed into one of our parties when you were fourteen, you were marked. I knew I’d have you. I let some of the others play with you for a while. Teach you how to suck cock and get fucked. You’re nothing but white trash, and you’ll be nothing but trash for as long as you live. The only place you got is with the Boyz.”
“Um . . . excuse me . . . are you talking about Bailey?” Nathan asked in a tone Bailey had never heard him use before. It was meek, and shaky.
Donovan turned to Nathan and, without a word, punched him in the face. Bailey cried out as his head whipped to the side with the force of the blow, and blood immediately began to trickle out of his nose.
“Owwwwww, that hurt,” Nathan whined.
“Don’t ask stupid-ass questions, and I won’t have to hit you,” Donovan retorted calmly.
Joel’s eyes were wide, but he kept silent.
“I didn’t know she was yours, man. She didn’t tell me she was in a gang.”
“What the fuck you think that tattoo on her back meant, asshole?”
“What tattoo?”
Donovan’s arm shot out again, once more hitting Nathan in the side of the face, and once more his head flung to the side.
“Goddamn, stop it!” Nathan cried.
“Bailey, are you seriously going to stand there and tell me you’re fucking this pansy? First, it’s disgusting. Look at him. He’s skinny as fuck and looks like a total dork. Let me guess, you’re spending your time watching Star Wars or some shit? Where are his geek glasses?”
“Leave him alone,” Bailey begged. She knew it was part of the plan, but she hated seeing the blood on Nathan’s face. Hated it. She and Nathan had talked about letting Donovan think Nathan wasn’t a threat, and the possibility of him knocking him around, but it was so much more . . . real . . . seeing the blood in person.
Donovan let go of Joel and stalked over to whe
re Bailey was standing near the front door. He grabbed her bicep in his meaty grip and hauled her over to where Nathan was sitting. She refused to look at Nathan. She couldn’t. It would kill her and she’d fuck up the plan.
Donovan spun her around, forced her head toward the floor with a brutal hand behind her neck, and whipped her shirt up her back.
“This tattoo, motherfucker,” he snarled at Nathan. “She’s my whore. I fuck her when I want, where I want, and how I want. And when I’m done, I give her to whoever I want. And she takes it without a fucking word. Because she’s nothing but a dumb whore. A good-for-nothing slut. All women are good for is fucking and sucking. That’s it. They’re weak and nothing but a pain in my ass.” He ended his statement by shoving Bailey as hard as he could.
She threw out her hands to try to catch herself, but wasn’t fast enough. She hit the ground face-first and cried out as pain exploded in her cheek. She stayed on the ground and turned to look up at the man she’d once thought she was in love with.
Her jaw tensed. Donovan would not win today. There was too much at stake. Her relationship with Nathan, Joel’s future, her own well-being. No, their plan would work. It had to.
“Look, man, I never saw that tattoo,” Nathan said in the most pathetic voice Bailey had ever heard. “We only did it when she was on her back. She didn’t want it any other way. I think that’s the only way she can get off.”
Donovan laughed at that. Put his head back and guffawed as if Nathan had said the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “Get off? You dumbass. There’s no point in a woman getting off. Why you even care about that shit? No, man, you gotta fuck a chick the way you want, not how she wants it.”
Bailey hated that Joel was hearing any of the vile words coming out of Donovan’s mouth, but she couldn’t do anything about that now. They’d deal with it after.
As if her thoughts about her brother were spoken aloud, her ex turned to the little boy and hauled him into his side with a tight grip around his arm. “Joel, did you miss me?”
