Damaged and the Dragon (14 page)

“
Can Nick bowl?”

“
No.”

“
Then Vaughn won’t pay him
attention. He barely remembers Judd exists now that they’ve both
got women. Aaron might be good, but he’s busy with Lark and soon
the twins.”

“
We shouldn’t be
controlling Nick’s life,” I said then added, “Should
we?”

“
I’ll have Coop take an
interest in Nick.”

“
I’m sure they’ll both be
thrilled.”

Mom smirked. “I like Nick. If things work
out, Coop needs to know how to act around your man without
remembering how the two of them met.”

After walking to the bedroom and peeking
inside to see his hot body, I shut the door. Returning to Mom, I
sighed dramatically.

“
I’m keeping him. He’s mine
and I’ll kill anyone who takes him away. You might want to warn
Cooper about that.”

“
Baby, don’t scare off this
boy.”

“
I won’t.”

“
I’m just warning you that
he’s on edge. I saw that when we talked. Even smiling and being
friendly, Nick felt on the spot. Not like a normal boy talking to
his girlfriend’s mom either. He wants to run, but he wants you
more. Just take your time with Nick and it’ll go easier for you
both.”

“
Girlfriend,” I whispered.
“I have a real boyfriend. Not some loser guy I slept with and hope
calls me again. A great guy too. I’m keeping him.”

Exhaling hard, Mom grunted, “You’re not
listening.”

“
Take it slow. Be gentle.
I’ll do all that because he’s mine and I’m keeping him. See, I
listened.”

“
Bailey.”

“
Why are you acting like
I’m a bitch who will torture poor Nick?”

Mom stood up and kissed my forehead. “Baby,
you get pushy when you want something. I also know Nick makes you
happy. As much as I want you to be happy, I need to be brutally
honest. You will fuck this up if you don’t watch yourself.”

“
Okay,” I muttered,
crossing my arms.

“
Don’t pout. I’m just
saying to be gentle with him like you are with Winnie, not like how
you are with Sawyer. I know he’s strong on the outside like your
brothers, but he’s not strong on the inside. If you treat him
sweet, you’ll both be happy and I can see my baby smile
more.”

“
Okay,” I said with less
whininess to my voice this time.

“
Bring Nick by the house
later for dinner. Pop needs to meet him and get that growlfest out
of the way.”

I hugged Mom who took a cup of coffee with
her. After watching her return to the house, I crawled into bed
next to Nick. He never stirred, not even when I tugged a sheet over
us both. Fitting so perfectly next to him, I was certain he was
made just for me.

Barely awake, I reached for Bailey in bed.
Her skin felt warm under my exploring fingertips. My eyes remained
closed until she straddled me.

“
A morning fuck is the
best,” she murmured. “Or at least that’s what I’ve
heard.”

Grinning, I caressed her hips. “You wake up
beautiful.”

“
You’re perfection,” Bailey
said, guiding my cock inside.

Unable to find the right words to explain
how I felt, I hoped my affections spoke in a way I couldn’t.
Bouncing up and down, she worked us into a frenzy. When Bailey
orgasmed, she cried out so loudly that the dogs howled in response.
She was just as loud in the shower a half hour later. I could
barely keep hold of her soapy bouncing body. Her enthusiasm was so
intoxicating that I agreed to go to the pool even without knowing
how to swim.

Wonderfully relaxed while walking with
Bailey to the main house, I didn’t think about how I was wearing
Cooper’s clothes. Most of my life was spent enjoying someone’s
discards. Cooper’s swim shorts and tee felt better than my too
tight clothes anyway.

“
I don’t know how to swim,”
I said as we walked onto the back deck where the pool
awaited.

“
I’ll teach you,” Bailey
said, smiling over her shoulder. “First, I need to clean out some
of the gunk from the storm.”

After scooping up dead leaves and bugs until
the pool looked pristine, Bailey jumped into the pool.

“
There’s a secret to
swimming,” she said, giving me a wink.

Tossing off my shirt, I didn’t think about
how much I hated to go shirtless outside of the cage. I just walked
into the water and returned her bright smile. “What’s the
secret?”

“
Friction.”

Before I could ask, Bailey slid her wet body
against mine. “Lots of friction,” she murmured, grinning
wildly.

The moment my hands went to her ass, her
legs wrapped around my waist. “I feel like I might drown. More
friction might be necessary.”

When I nibbled at her shoulder, she went
soft in my arms. Getting cocky, I tugged at the strap of her bikini
with my teeth.

“
Shit,” she muttered and I
knew we had company.

Glancing back, I found Kirk watching us
while Sawyer gnawed at an ice cream.

“
Screwing my daughter in
the pool,” he said, exhaling cigarette smoke. “I like a man with
balls.”

Bailey frowned. “We’re not screwing.”

To ensure the moment was truly awkward,
Bailey slid her hands up and down my chest. Nothing made a guy piss
his pants like having his nutty girlfriend feel him up in front of
her scary dad.

“
We’re going out to
Longhorn’s for dinner tomorrow night. Brass Balls can come with
us.”

“
Thanks, Pop,” Bailey said,
grinning like her hands weren’t on my ass.

“
We’re grilling and your
brothers are here.”

Sawyer grinned at me then Bailey. “A man
should die with a full stomach.”

Snorting at his kid’s comment, Kirk took her
hand then walked away. Bailey watched them leave then looked at
me.

“
I was going to fuck you in
the pool,” she whispered.

“
You’re going to get me
killed.”

Bailey rolled her eyes. “Pop wants me to
have a nice boyfriend, not a scumbag druggie. You’re nice. Very
nice,” she said, purring the last word.

Once out of the pool and covered by our
tees, Bailey grinned up at me. “I get to show off my hot boyfriend.
Best day ever.”

Smiling tightly, I followed her without
speaking because no words could explain how nervous I felt.

The massive deck off the Johanssons’ back
door was where we found the family. Standing in front of the grill,
Kirk was a big guy like his sons. Rougher though and I could
imagine him killing his way up the ladder to the head of the
motorcycle club. I doubted anything was ever handed to him, but he
still ended up on top.

His kids lived a cushy life. Bailey never
thought twice about buying something. Yet they weren’t decadent
people. As I walked with Bailey onto the deck, Lynyrd Skynyrd
played from the inside of the house. I spotted bowls filled with
potato salad and coleslaw on the table while near the grill waited
burgers and steaks. This was wealth Johansson-style. Surrounded by
family and large dogs, they enjoyed a good meal with a beautiful
view of the river.

Kirk gave me a nod then smiled for his
daughter who returned the gesture. She looked young and happy in a
way I hoped she never lost.

“
Nick, come help me out. My
boys are too busy chasing their women’s fumes.”

Cooper frowned at the suggestion that he was
whipped even though he sat with Farah on his lap. Her bare baby
bump smiled up at them both from where Sawyer drew a happy face on
it with her water paints.

Leaving Bailey with Jodi, I joined Kirk at
the grill.

“
You need to flip them
after four minutes. I’ve got it timed perfectly.”

Nodding, I kept an eye on my watch then
flipped the steaks like he instructed. At first, I was simply
nervous that Kirk might hit me at any moment. The coldness in his
eyes reminded me of my dad.

Kirk lit a cigarette while watching me flip
the food. When the steaks were finished, I placed them on a plate
then added new ones to the grill. He gave him an approving nod and
I relaxed. Kirk Johansson was scary as hell, but he wasn’t my dad.
Besides how to take a punch, my father never taught me how to do
shit. In the half hour with Kirk, I learned how to handle a grill
along with the signs of a good slab of meat.

After Jodi filled the plates with more food,
Bailey and Sawyer brought them to everyone. Kirk and I remained at
the grill, working on extra burgers.

“
My boys will want thirds.
Maybe fourths,” Kirk said, giving me a grin. “Bailey said you’re
into bacon.”

Smirking, I rolled my eyes. “One time I
stink like bacon and she thinks I’m an addict.”

“
My baby loves bacon. She’s
fond of you too.”

Feeling awkward immediately, I focused on
the tattoo across Kirk’s bare chest. Jodi’s face looked back at me,
smirking with a cigarette hanging from her red lips.

“
Did Aaron do that
one?”

Kirk glanced at the tattoo then nodded. “I
got most of my tats before Aaron was out of elementary school, but
I never trusted anyone to do Jodi. Right after Aaron started his
shop, my buddy got a tat of his dead kid. It was like looking at a
picture. I knew then Aaron could do justice to my woman’s
beauty.”

We looked at Jodi who noticed our eyes on
her. She winked, causing Kirk to get a look that made me think they
would fuck soon. To prove this point, he left me at the grill to
help his wife with something inside.

On the other side of the deck, Bailey talked
wedding plans with Maddy. I kept an eye on my watch and flipped the
food as instructed. I never minded being on my own and usually felt
more comfortable alone. I didn’t remain alone for long.

Sawyer sized me up. “I saw you fight once.
The guy punched you in the face a bunch of times and you didn’t die
or cry. That was cool.”

“
Thanks. Not crying is one
of my talents.”

Sawyer stood on a chair so she was closer to
looking me in the eye. “I’m not a crybaby either.”

“
Planning to be a fighter
one day?”

“
No, I’m too pretty and
rich for that. I’m going to be a chef like Gordon Ramsey. I want a
show like
Hell’s Kitchen
where I have high standards and call stupid
people donkeys.”

“
I’d watch
that.”

Sawyer smiled then her gaze latched onto a
scar near my elbow. “Someone hurt you when you were little. Mom
told me.”

I just nodded.

“
Was it your
dad?”

Again I nodded.

“
Want me to have him
killed? I know people.”

Smiling, I flipped the steak. “No, I’m good,
but thanks.”

“
Okay, but I wasn’t
kidding. Bad people need to die, so they don’t hurt good people.
Pop told me.”

“
He’s not wrong. I just
never think about my dad,” I lied.

Sawyer tore a hot dog in half and threw one
part to a nearby dog. “My sister isn’t a whore.” When I frowned at
her, Sawyer shrugged. “I heard people say she was and sometimes I
throw things at them. Once I bit a guy who said that, but biting is
bad because you can get a disease or something.”

“
I think Bailey is
perfect.”

Sawyer smiled. “She needs someone to take
care of her. She’s stupid, you know?”

Laughing, I glanced at Bailey who was
eyeballing us. “I don’t think she’s stupid.”

“
Well, she’s
not
smart.”

I couldn’t help laughing harder when I saw
the expression on her young face. Sawyer laughed too until she saw
Bailey coming our direction.

“
She cries easy and whines
a lot,” Sawyer whispered. “She really likes you, so don’t break her
heart. I can’t stand more whining. Seriously.”

“
What’s she saying?” Bailey
demanded as her laughing sister ran away.

“
She wants me to be nice to
you.”

Bailey’s angry expression faded and she
smiled at Sawyer who was now fighting for Cooper’s attention.

“
Oh, well, Farah’s been
training her to be less evil. It’s working too,” Bailey said,
wrapping her arms around my waist. “Was Pop nice to
you?”

“
Yeah, he taught me how to
grill.”

Nuzzling my chest, Bailey sighed. “He likes
you because you’re awesome and you’re mine.”

“
Just like
that?”

“
No one has ever made me
happy like you do. I’m glad I waited for you.”

Staring into her beautiful blue eyes, I knew
I loved this amazing woman. As much as this realization scared the
shit out of me, being with her and the Johanssons felt comfortable.
For the first time ever, I didn’t feel like an outsider.

The Thunderdome was one of three good ideas
Tucker ever had. The other two were Maddy and Scarlet, but those
were more about luck.

I had loved the idea of watching fights
until I saw Nick in one. He bled for money after a childhood of
bleeding for a freak. Since then, the whole idea of the Thunderdome
bothered me and I never liked visiting.

Now waiting for him in the empty locker
room, I wished he was safe and healthy. Instead after his latest
fight, Nick stood over me, bruised and broken. The guy even fucking
bit him!