“Yeah, it only took half a book, and she was conked out. I wonder if she’s going through a growth spurt with how tired Piper is today.” If that’s the case, it’ll be time for me to climb in the attic to get the next set of hand-me-downs left over from Cammy. A trick Mom told me she wished she had done between Madden and myself, though it would have been a fuck ton harder considering we were built different growing up.
“That could be, or she’s staying more active now that you’re here full-time. I love my family, but besides the pool and school, that was about all they could get in.” Swimming is done until summer, and piano hasn’t been the top of our priorities either, contrary to what my mom thinks. I’m not complaining; they were doing me a solid, helping me out when I couldn’t help myself. Now that Bailey is here, Piper is doing more in the way of arts, crafts, writing her name, and this week I noticed Bailey was working on counting to twenty with her. Not an easy task when the peanut doesn’t talk all that well.
“That could be. She’s also eating a lot more. Might be a mix of both.” I walk towards the stairs. Bailey’s on the second to last step, which puts us at eye level with one another. My hands automatically go towards her hips. “Forest.” Her soft lyrical tone has a breathless quality, allowing me to do what I’ve been all but dying for, hand sweeping beneath the tank she’s wearing until my fingers hit skin.
“That right there, baby. Missed hearing it. Too fucking much. You’ve been on my mind more than I care to admit, more than I thought possible, and while we’ve got a lot to sift through, know this.” Her eyes never leave mine, not slamming shut, attempting to block me out, a right she has more than anything. “I’m going to find a way to make this work between the two of us. I’m not a coward, though I’ve been acting like one as well as an asshole. I should have known that setting rules when it came to us would have been useless.”
“Well, if we’re going to start whatever this may be, I need you to be all in. Your girls, I’m already attached to them.” I go to interrupt her, but Bailey puts her hand out to stop me. “I also need you to know that I heard you out on the balcony.” Bailey, who doesn’t usually blush, is now.
“Glad you’re like that with my girls. What I want to know is what you did after you heard me come while watching you down on the pool deck in that sexy-as-hell bathing suit, wearing it like it’s a second skin, perfectly molded to this hot-as-fuck body.” I pull her closer, thumbs sweeping up her rib cage. My cock is thickening in my jeans as I contemplate what she did after I saw her walk into the pool house.
“You weren’t the only one getting off, except I was behind closed doors when I moaned your name.” Son of a bitch. Bailey isn’t pulling any punches, and now I’m imagining exactly how she took care of herself.
“The next time we get off, it’ll be with one another, me watching you fuck your fingers while I’m jacking my cock.” The need to have that happen is overwhelming. “You good with where this is going? We’ll go as slow as we need to. I’ve got some baggage that sadly will probably creep back up. What I won’t do is take it out on you, and if I do, call me on my shit. You’re not the past. I want you as my future. Fuck, Bailey, what you’ve done for my girls in a week is more than their own mother has ever done, and I promise we’ll talk about that, but it’ll have to be later. I’ve got a favor to ask first.”
“Wow, well, I guess this is a lot to take in. What’s your favor? The rest I’m good with. I will ask that we keep whatever is building between us away from the girls. It’s not fair to them if something happens and things don’t work out. They need stability, and while we can act like adults, handling our emotions, they cannot.” Her tenacity for protecting my girls, fuck, she might have found her calling in being a nanny, but she was made for me, for Cammy, for Piper, and I’m going to make sure that happens.
“That’s fair.” My lips graze hers. Feeling Bailey, her scent surrounding me, makes me fall deeper. A promise I made to myself is well in the past is just that, in the past. I pull back, not deepening the kiss even though all I can think about is kissing her, backing her up until she’s on the stairs, naked, writhing, and begging me to let her come.