Page 14 of His Relentless Angel

Everyone would be better off if I did.

Chapter 7

Isaiah

Men circle Bailey like wolves, and I want to bite all of their heads off—every single one of them. I have no right to do so, but what I wouldn’t give to shrug off my top and button it up over Bailey’s perfect tits that are spilling out of her dress. Jesus. All these years, I’ve been lying to myself about how absolutely stunning she is, refusing to look at any of the pictures her family has posted on social media. Having blocked Bailey’s socials as soon as she made them, I immediately scrolled by all of her family’s, leaving her a blur.

But, my god, she’s the most beautiful angel to ever walk the earth. Most of the men seem to think so, too, and I can’t fucking stand it. Can’t stand myself either for my reaction to seeing her for the first time in so long.

When I moved to Austin, I was worried she’d find out where I was and follow me. I looked over my shoulder for months. My hyper-vigilance eased the longer I was away. Of course, I thought of her and that night she spent at my old condo every single day, stroking my cock whenever I took a shower, cursing and hating myself each time I came in the panties I never could get rid of. But she stayed away, even after Autumn gave her my address, and I tricked myself into thinking she couldn’t possibly be as beautiful as I remembered.

I was so fucking wrong.

Jai senses my waning attention as soon as we step outside. We casually slept together when we both attended UT, and she seemed excited when I invited her to leave the restaurant with me. In truth, I only said that so she’d get off my lap a minute after she sat on top of me with no intention of bringing her home. Now, though, she watches me as my eyes drift to the bar where Bailey had been standing through the glass door, hoping for another glimpse of her.

Jai pushes my shoulder. Her brows are drawn together, and her red-painted lips are curled in disdain. “You were just using me, weren’t you? To make that girl jealous.”

Girl. Christ, Bailey is just a girl. Legally an adult but fifteen years my junior. I lived a whole lifetime before she was born.

I shove my hands into my deep pockets. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make her jealous.” I think. “Just wanted her to get the hint to leave me alone.”

She scoffs and crosses her lean arms. “Leave you alone? She didn’t utter a single word to you the whole time. You’re so full of yourself. Grow up.”

Jai digs her keys out of her gold clutch and presses a button that makes her silver BMW parked close by in the small parking lot flash and beep. Because it’s dark, she allows me to walk her the short distance to her car so I know she’s safe, but she rolls her eyes when I open her door for her. She leaves without saying another word, and I doubt we’ll ever speak again if we ever run into each other.

I should get in my car and leave, too, but I can’t. I’ll wait in the parking lot until I see Bailey to make sure she and her friend are ok. Thirty minutes later, after watching the front door like a creeper, there’s a flash of red. Bailey exits the restaurant and takes a few steps toward the parking lot. She leans against the restaurant’s brick wall and hangs her head in her hands.

Where the hell is her friend? Why is she by herself?

I jog to her side without consciously deciding to do so. “B?” It’s the first time I’ve said anything directly to her all day. I don’t touch her, but my hands hover around her soft edges, begging to be laid upon her warm, bare skin.

Her head snaps up at the sound of my voice, and she puts a hand over her heart as if it aches in her chest, immediately pulling my attention to the cups propping up her breasts, more delicious than the dessert I watched her eat. I want to lick her the way she licked her spoon. I want to tug on the tie between the cups with my teeth until the material falls away from her tits. But then I frown when I work out at last what has been nagging at me all day—her gold bumblebee necklace is missing.

Bailey’s chest rises and falls quicker by the time I’m able to trail my gaze to her upturned face. Her eyes are puffy and red, and I wonder just how long she’s been crying—and if it’s because of me.

Fuck, I know it is. I saw her expression when Jai was sitting on my lap. Bailey had run away too soon to notice the questioning look Jai had given me when I didn’t actually press my lips to her skin to complete the kiss.

Bailey doesn’t say anything as we stare at each other, and the first thing I think of is to stupidly ask, “What are you doing out here?”

“Waiting for my Uber,” she says in a defeated voice.

Duh. I knew that, but my mind is a chaotic mess. Everyone else left before us. The only reason I didn’t leave first is because my ass was superglued to my seat with my dick a goddamn steel pole in my shorts, which I carefully kept from brushing up against Jai as I watched Bailey’s tits jiggle every time she moved in her dress. I know it’s one of her creations, sewn to goddamn obscene perfection, and ought to be illegal.

“Where’s your friend? It’s not safe out here by yourself.”

Shaking her head instead of answering my question, she looks off to the side toward the parking lot. “Where’s Jai?” She spits the woman’s name with a touch of venom.

No, my intention wasn’t to make Bailey jealous, but her green streak makes my heart and dick swell.

She still loves me.

I hate it.

It means no matter how much pain I’ve put her in, she hasn’t forgotten about me like I had hoped she would. It’s not like I’ve done any better. I haven’t been with a single woman since her birthday. My dick has utterly refused to harden for anyone else I’ve brought home—one that I never fully moved into, most of my moving boxes still taped up—which is both humiliating and very telling, though I haven’t allowed myself to acknowledge it.

“Jai was just an old friend,” I say sincerely.

“Yeah, because friends sit on each other’s laps and kiss each other’s necks. I do it with all my friends. Totally normal,” she says with less venom but more sarcasm.

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