Move (Club Kitten Dancers #1)(17)

This is the most f*cked-up family dinner I’ve ever been to, but there’s no quitting now.

“Hey, now, just you listen to me,” Lucille’s face turns red, and I wonder how Bailey has put up with her mom’s crap for so long. No wonder Kasey can’t stand the woman: she’s a beast. “I will not tolerate that kind of language.”

“And I won’t tolerate this kind of ambush. I love Bailey. I plan to spend the rest of my life with her, if she’ll have me, and I will not put up with you treating her like she’s somehow not worthy of true, honest love,” I tell Lucille. Then I turn back to Dominic. “And you need to leave. You’re a dick. You f*cked her cousin, then blamed her. Why the hell should she be with you? She doesn’t take pole dancing to be a better lover, dipshit. She takes classes because she loves it, because she’s graceful, and because she cares about her own mental and physical health.”

Dominic doesn’t make a move to leave and neither does Lucille. They just stare at me and Bailey, open-mouthed, and then Professor Scranton comes into the room wearing oven mitts and a bright pink apron.

“Hey, did I hear some shouting in here?” He says with a big, stupid grin. “Would some fried potatoes make everyone feel better?”

“Feel free to call Bailey when you’re ready to apologize for your behavior,” I tell Lucille, completely ignoring Scranton. Then I take Bailey’s hand and pull her from her mother’s house.

She deserves so much better.





Chapter 10


Bailey



I sit in silence, crying quietly until we get back to my apartment. Cooper parks the car, then looks at me.

He strokes my cheek and asks if I’m okay, but I’m completely caught up on just one thing.

“Did you just propose?”

“That’s what you’re thinking about, honey? That I want to marry you?”

I nod.

“Does it scare you?” He asks.

I shake my head.

“Does that mean you’ll be my bride, Bailey?”

“What about your deployment, Coop? What about your career?” I shake my head. My whole world is spinning right now and I’m afraid that I’m going to wake up at any second and find out this has been a long dream.

In what world does a girl like me get the guy?

In what world does a girl like me get the happy ending?

“What if I hold you back? We’re both so young. What if you find someone better?”

“I’m not scared of our youth, Bailey. I want to grow old with you. Hell, I want to grow up with you. I don’t want you to quit school and be a housewife or give up on your dreams. My job might mean we have to move in a few years and it might mean a few deployments, but I’m willing to work it through if you are.”

All I can do is nod.

All I can do is be shocked I’m so lucky.

All I can do is kiss him, hold him, promise him that everything will be fine, promise him that I’ll be his for always.

No one has ever stood up for me the way Cooper stood up for me today with my mom. No one has ever made me feel so perfect, so loved, so adored. Cooper managed to take a situation that was about to become completely unbearable and out of control, and he made it okay.

He makes everything okay.

“I love you, Cooper,” I whisper.

“I love you too, Bailey,” he says.

We go inside my apartment and I lock the door.

“Hey, Kasey?” I call out, but there’s only silence. “I think she’s at pole class.”

“Good,” he says. “I want you all to myself. I need you, Bailey. I need to be inside you.”

“I need that, too.”

We start kissing and soon our clothes are off. There’s nothing between us, nothing separating us. There’s nothing keeping me from touching Cooper completely, from giving myself to him.

He runs his hands through my hair and down my spine, over my soft skin and down to my bottom. He grips me, pulls me into him, and I feel his length against my belly.

My * clenches, aching for him. I’m already wet. I need him. I need all of him. I want him.

Cooper is the only one who has ever lit me up like this. He’s the only one who has ever made me feel this urgency when it comes to being with him. I need him now and nothing will satisfy me until he’s buried deep inside of me.

We don’t even make it to the bedroom.

Instead, he bends me over the back of the couch and I place my hands on the cushions. Spreading my legs, I feel him press at my entrance.

“Fuck, baby, you look so sexy like this.” He runs a hand down my back and cups my bottom. He squeezes, then runs his nails over my skin. “You have such a great ass.”

I’ve always been sensitive, touchy, about my backside. It’s just never been part of my body I thought was attractive, so hearing his dark words makes me excited, aroused.

“Cooper,” I murmur. He fists my hair and bites my neck hard as he thrusts into me. He’s no vampire, but being bitten like this makes me feel dominated, owned, complete.

It makes me feel like I’m totally, absolutely, his.

Our relationship isn’t going to be easy. His deployment is going to suck. Being apart after we’ve finally found each other is going to be hard, but we can do it. I fully believe we can do it.