The storm still going strong, I flinched at the lightning and thunder. Edgy again, I needed away from Bailey until I felt clean. As if sensing I wanted away from her, she wrapped herself tighter around me.
“Don’t leave,” she whined. “Guys always leave afterwards and I hate that. Even when I hate them, I don’t like getting ditched. If you leave, it’ll break my heart.”
“I’m not leaving,” I said, wiggling free.
“Why are you pulling away?” she mumbled, struggling against me. “Damn boobs are in the way. Don’t go.”
“Bailey,” I said, finally twisting around and breaking free, “I’m not leaving, but I need to breathe.”
“No.”
Bracing her wrists over her head, I kissed Bailey hard until she stopped squirming. When she was docile, I softened my kiss and said, “I’m not leaving.”
“You want to though.”
“No.”
“What do you want? I know you don’t want to cuddle.”
Sighing, I glanced at the bathroom then back at her. She looked delicious with her tits jutting towards me and I was hungry for those hard nipples. Even aroused, I felt dirty next to Bailey’s perfection.
“I need a shower,” I confessed. “It’s not you.”
“I know. I’m amazing.”
As I grinned, my gaze rolled over her sweaty body. “I want you,” I whispered, biting my lip to keep from lowering my mouth to her closest nipple.
“You can have them both,” she said and I thought she meant her tits. “A shower and me. Let’s just take our fun back under the water.”
Releasing her wrists, I sat up. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”
“My hot body distracted you,” she said, jumping up and running to the bathroom. I found her standing in front of the mirror. “I don’t blame you. These boobs are to die for.”
Pressing my body against hers, my hands covered those lovely boobs and I found her gaze in the mirror.
“I want to be like normal guys, but this is the best I can do.”
Bailey turned around and lowered my forehead to hers. “Normal guys eat shit. You be you and I’ll be happy as long as you stay with me.”
Grinning, I reached over and turned on the water. “I’m not going anywhere,” I promised, kissing her as I lifted her up against me. Soon, the water washed away my past while Bailey kept me pleasured in the present.
Chapter Nineteen ~ Bailey
The storm intensified until the apartment felt under attack. Staring at the ceiling, Nick rested perfectly still next to me. I watched him for a long time without saying anything. A part of me was afraid to upset him. Finally, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer.
“You’re not in that trailer,” I said, scooting closer.
“I know.”
“You’re safe.”
Nick nodded without looking at me.
“Do you want to take a shower?”
“No.”
“Can I do anything besides shut up?”
Nick smiled tightly and reached for my hand. He placed it on his chest and sighed.
“I feel… I just need to wait out the storm. You don’t need to stay up and wait with me.”
“Are you hot?” I asked, thinking about him trapped in the closet during a storm. “Want me to put on the ceiling fan?”
Nick didn’t react for nearly a minute. Finally, he glanced at me in the dark room.
“That might help actually.”
Feeling brilliant, I jumped up and reached for the fan remote. After turning it up to high, I returned to bed. We rested quietly as I built up the courage to ask the question I’d been circling for a while.
“Is your dad a smoker?”
His gaze locked on the ceiling, Nick didn’t react except to say, “Yes.”
“Is that how you got the scars?”
“Some of them,” Nick whispered. “Cigarettes and lighters were his favorites. He also played baseball and used metal cleats when he was drunk. He was just being careful, you know? He didn’t want to burn down the trailer while punishing me for his shitty life.”
“Nick…” I said, finding no magical words to fix his pain.
“You can get used to the physical stuff. The mind learns to work around it, but I never figured out how to deal with thunderstorms. Isn’t that funny?” he asked without any humor.
“You are so brave,” I said, wanting to touch him, but holding back. “You were raised by a monster, but you grew up to have honor.”
“I’d rather be normal.”
“Average is lame, Nick. You’re extraordinary.”
Nick tried to smile, but failed. “The tattoo hides many of the scars, but not enough.”
“I think you’re beautiful.”
“Despite the scars.”
Frowning, I sighed. “Not despite. Everything about you is beautiful to me.”
Nick nodded. “People keep telling me you’re wild or rude or whatever. I don’t see it the way they do. I guess the heart makes us blind to things too. I only see how funny and strong you are.”
“I want to touch you.”
“Please don’t.”
“I won’t, but I want to.”