I’ve had crushes. Like sometimes guys from other clubs
would visit and I’d think they were hot. I thought Vaughn was hot
when he first showed up. With Nick, it’s more than his looks. I
feel if I lost him that I’d be losing everything.” Pausing, I
sighed again. “This is where you tell me I’m being overdramatic and
need to get a grip.”
“ The heart isn’t rational.
I knew Vaughn was trouble and he knew I was trouble. We made no
sense, yet are perfect together. That’s how love works. Maybe what
you feel for Nick isn’t love yet, but need is need. No way to get a
grip.”
Smiling at Raven, I appreciated the support.
Nick made me feel amazing and awful at the same time. I wondered if
he knew how much power he had over me.
“ How’s Winona doing?”
Vaughn asked, stepping onto the porch and wearing one of his goofy
bowling shirts.
“ She does good most days.
She did call in sick on Monday because of her agoraphobia, but I
knew that was a problem when I hired her.”
“ What do you need with an
employee anyway?”
“ She takes notes in class
for me. You know, so I can stare at Nick and think about him
naked.”
“ Makes sense,” Raven said,
giving me a bright grin. “I think it’s nice that you gave her a
job.”
Vaughn frowned at a barking dog. “Harlow
says Winona ain’t been right since they were taken. Like it brought
back a lot of problems she had conquered. She was helping the Todds
with their business then she just shut down,” he muttered then
glanced at me and smiled. “You’re doing a good thing giving her
something new to focus on. Something separate from the Todds.”
I struggled to hide how much I loved getting
compliments.
“ On fall break, Mom is
having me trained to take over the financial stuff at her bar. It’s
my first business to run. Winnie will have more to do then. She’s
good at organizing stuff and we’ll both learn to be in charge.
Might make her a manager one day when she’s better at talking to
people.”
“ Look at you,” Raven said,
hugging me, “being a mentor to that poor girl. You’re strong and
she’s weak. Soon, you’ll both be strong.”
The next few minutes consisted of me feeling
super awesome about myself. Raven and Vaughn hung out on their
porch and talked about HGTV.
“ Ever since you broke your
leg, your TV choices have gone downhill,” Vaughn said while
wrapping his arms around her. “Get pickier.”
“ Accent walls are
hot.”
While they took turns sucking on each
other’s necks, I ignored them and waited for Nick. Harleys came and
went. With each one, I became more worried he wouldn’t show. I was
checking my phone to see if he had bailed when Nick arrived.
Nearly running to him, I forced myself to
slow down. I hoped I looked sexy enough in my jean shorts and
stripped tank top. Nick was sex incarnate in a tight black tee and
jeans I suspect fitted him better before he bulked up.
“ Hi,” I said like a
dipshit.
Nick grinned as if knowing I was too hot for
him to even form sentences.
“ You look…” he said then
shivered. “Like perfection. I’m sorry I was late. There was a fight
in the courtyard of my apartment building.”
“ Are you okay?” I asked,
caressing his face to check for injuries I knew he didn’t
have.
Nick grinned again. “Yeah, I just helped
them settle down. It was stupid shit. Nothing serious.”
“ I like how you help
people,” I murmured, sounding too horny to pretend otherwise. “It’s
sexy.”
Nick’s grin faded. “Bailey, I have to bowl
with your brothers and friends tonight. Please don’t make it
difficult for me to walk in these tight jeans.”
We both smiled. “They are tight. Maybe after
bowling, we can hang out,” I hinted then added when he didn’t
understand, “Hint, hint.”
Nick leaned down and kissed the corner of my
mouth. “Can we keep things casual until I’m done enduring your
brothers play their ‘Who has the bigger balls competition?’ If we
survive
would visit and I’d think they were hot. I thought Vaughn was hot
when he first showed up. With Nick, it’s more than his looks. I
feel if I lost him that I’d be losing everything.” Pausing, I
sighed again. “This is where you tell me I’m being overdramatic and
need to get a grip.”
“ The heart isn’t rational.
I knew Vaughn was trouble and he knew I was trouble. We made no
sense, yet are perfect together. That’s how love works. Maybe what
you feel for Nick isn’t love yet, but need is need. No way to get a
grip.”
Smiling at Raven, I appreciated the support.
Nick made me feel amazing and awful at the same time. I wondered if
he knew how much power he had over me.
“ How’s Winona doing?”
Vaughn asked, stepping onto the porch and wearing one of his goofy
bowling shirts.
“ She does good most days.
She did call in sick on Monday because of her agoraphobia, but I
knew that was a problem when I hired her.”
“ What do you need with an
employee anyway?”
“ She takes notes in class
for me. You know, so I can stare at Nick and think about him
naked.”
“ Makes sense,” Raven said,
giving me a bright grin. “I think it’s nice that you gave her a
job.”
Vaughn frowned at a barking dog. “Harlow
says Winona ain’t been right since they were taken. Like it brought
back a lot of problems she had conquered. She was helping the Todds
with their business then she just shut down,” he muttered then
glanced at me and smiled. “You’re doing a good thing giving her
something new to focus on. Something separate from the Todds.”
I struggled to hide how much I loved getting
compliments.
“ On fall break, Mom is
having me trained to take over the financial stuff at her bar. It’s
my first business to run. Winnie will have more to do then. She’s
good at organizing stuff and we’ll both learn to be in charge.
Might make her a manager one day when she’s better at talking to
people.”
“ Look at you,” Raven said,
hugging me, “being a mentor to that poor girl. You’re strong and
she’s weak. Soon, you’ll both be strong.”
The next few minutes consisted of me feeling
super awesome about myself. Raven and Vaughn hung out on their
porch and talked about HGTV.
“ Ever since you broke your
leg, your TV choices have gone downhill,” Vaughn said while
wrapping his arms around her. “Get pickier.”
“ Accent walls are
hot.”
While they took turns sucking on each
other’s necks, I ignored them and waited for Nick. Harleys came and
went. With each one, I became more worried he wouldn’t show. I was
checking my phone to see if he had bailed when Nick arrived.
Nearly running to him, I forced myself to
slow down. I hoped I looked sexy enough in my jean shorts and
stripped tank top. Nick was sex incarnate in a tight black tee and
jeans I suspect fitted him better before he bulked up.
“ Hi,” I said like a
dipshit.
Nick grinned as if knowing I was too hot for
him to even form sentences.
“ You look…” he said then
shivered. “Like perfection. I’m sorry I was late. There was a fight
in the courtyard of my apartment building.”
“ Are you okay?” I asked,
caressing his face to check for injuries I knew he didn’t
have.
Nick grinned again. “Yeah, I just helped
them settle down. It was stupid shit. Nothing serious.”
“ I like how you help
people,” I murmured, sounding too horny to pretend otherwise. “It’s
sexy.”
Nick’s grin faded. “Bailey, I have to bowl
with your brothers and friends tonight. Please don’t make it
difficult for me to walk in these tight jeans.”
We both smiled. “They are tight. Maybe after
bowling, we can hang out,” I hinted then added when he didn’t
understand, “Hint, hint.”
Nick leaned down and kissed the corner of my
mouth. “Can we keep things casual until I’m done enduring your
brothers play their ‘Who has the bigger balls competition?’ If we
survive
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