Page 100 of Hopeless
With my arms around her torso and my leg slung over hers, she finally settles. Her laughter eases into a light, contented sigh.
“How are your feet?” She pushes back into me, pressing her back flush against my front, and I drop a kiss to her hair.
“Better. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” is her soft reply.
I shut my eyes, assuming now is the time we go to sleep.
But I should know better than to assume anything where Bailey is concerned.
“Hey, Beau?”
I sigh raggedly. “Yes, Bailey.”
“Why didn’t you let me put your cock in my mouth earlier?”
Good fucking god. “Bailey.”
“I thought that was coming next. Ya know? You stood up, and it wasright there. Pointing at me like I was the chosen one. And I was ready to practice. But you took off before I could make my vocal cords work again.”
Any trickles of relaxation that were taking over in my brain are washed away in an instant. Rapidly replaced by images of shoving Bailey back into those white lavender-scented bubbles and letting her practice putting my cock in her mouth.
“Ready to practice?” I grumble, annoyed by how uncontrollable my urges are around her.
“Yeah, some instruction would be good, so I know what I’m doing out there.”
Out there. That meansafter thisand I don’t like that thought at all.
So I squeeze her tighter, not letting my head go there. Not letting my brain plan for that worst-case scenario. The inevitable case scenario.
I can’t handle facing it, so I just say, “Go to sleep, Bailey.”
And I spend all night dreaming of teaching her all the things she wants to know.
But only here and only for me.
28
Bailey
Beau:Cade called me out early. You were out cold, so I didn’t wake you. But I didn’t want you to think I just ditched you either.
Bailey:You left me breakfast and a note on the kitchen island. Why would I think you ditched me?
Beau:Thought you might see this first when you checked your messages. Didn’t want you to think I’d do that to you.
Bailey:I just didn’t check. You’re the only person who messages me. Thank you.
“Where’s Beau this morning?” Summer looks up at me from behind the front desk of her athletic club. She’s fresh-faced, sporting a topknot with damp hair by her temples, and she’s wearing a branded Hamilton Athletics tank top stretched tight over her chest.
“He said Cade called, and he had to run out and help with something at the ranch.” I try to keep my voice bright, taking in the wide-open gym with high ceilings and perfectly polished mirrors.
Truthfully, I wasn’t sure what to make of the fact that he was gone when I woke up. Couldn’t tell if he really had work or was making an excuse. This all started out as a show, but the things that are happening behind closed doors make it feel like a hell of a lot more.
There’s something fractured about Beau. About his spirit. Like he’s torn between so many versions of himself and doesn’t know which one to pick.
I wish he knew it’s okay to be all of them with me.
