Bailey was propped in his bed, a pillow behind him, in a tight black tank top. I could see the points of his nipples through the fabric. His hair was messy, as if he’d been lying on it, and the whole picture was getting me hard.
Fuck. How was I supposed to resistthis?
“Hey, babe,” he said. “How was your day?”
“Okay,” I said.
The corners of his lips tilted up. “You sure? You seem a little down.”
“I guess it wasn’t the best day.”
“Same here,” he said. “I miss you.”
It hit me then, just how damn much I longed for him. The fact I’d even entertained the thought of giving him up seemed ludicrous.
“Me too,” I rasped. “You have no idea how damn much I need you right now.”
Bailey cast a look to the side and smirked. A second later, the door shut none too gently. “My roommate’s afraid of getting a show.”
I chuckled. “Would you do that with him in the room?”
“Nah, but it’s tempting, because you look all broody and sexy tonight.”
“Is broody sexy? I didn’t know that.”
“On you, everything is sexy.”
I chuckled, my chest loosening. “Baby, I could say the same about you. What the hell are you doing with me, anyway?”
His eyes narrowed. “Why would you ask me that bullshit?”
“No reason,” I grumbled.
“This is my brothers, isn’t it? They giving you shit?”
“No, just… They’ve been great, honestly, but Holden said something today.”
“What?” Bailey asked, voice flat.
“He just said he didn’t want me to put my prison baggage on you, and I feel like I already have, and I don’t know, maybe I’m bad for you, you know? I’ve got all these ugly experiences tainting me.”
“Fuck that,” Bailey said, straightening up. “You’re not a prisoner anymore. I know you went through a dark time. I know it still probably hurts. I wish I could make that all go away, but I can’t, Flynn. I can only tell you that I love you—all of you—every part. And you wouldn’t be the Flynn I fell in love with if you didn’t have those experiences. You would be a different Flynn. Maybe I’d have loved that guy too? Probably. But I don’tknowhim. I know you.”
Bailey’s eyes were bright, practically glowing. His cheeks flushed with color.
Damn, I was lucky.
Deserving or not, this man had decided I was worthy, and no one—not even me—was going to convince him otherwise.
“I love you,” I said. “I’m just afraid I’ll damage you.”
“Flynn, I grew up with a lot of damage all around me, and I came out just fine. If I could handle it at three, and eight, and fifteen, I can sure as fuck handle it now. Holden’s protective of me, but I’m notfragile.I’m strong enough for you to lean on, okay? I’m strong enough to fight for you. And if my brother doesn’t back off, I’m strong enough to kick his ass for you.”
A laugh burst from me, because shit, I believed he would. Bailey was like Taz. He was smaller and often underestimated, but he was ready to tear apart anyone who fucked with him or those he loved.
“Are we done with this bullshit?” Bailey asked.
“Yeah, Bails. You set me straight.”
