Chapter 3

Hailey

God, I’m such an idiot. For a moment, I thought maybe something was happening between Derek and me. The way he was looking at me was different from how he used to look at me. And it seemed as if he was jealous when his friends were flirting with me. He wasn’t just being protective like he’s always been, he was acting almost territorial. Like he was going to beat the guys up for merely smiling at me. Then when his hands began touching me the way they were, soft and caressing, I could have sworn he was interested.

But I shouldn’t have been listening to his body language and should’ve been listening to his actual language because he made it clear when he seethed the fact that I wasn’t his girl. He was angry about the misassumption his friend made because we’re family and nothing more. Yeah, I should’ve listened to those words because they were loud and clear. From what I just heard, I know I will never be anything more to him. Not just because he sees me as a little sister, but because according to Derek, he will never be in a relationship.

My stomach twists with that truth, my shaking nerves making it nearly impossible not to trip over my own two feet as I carry two beers over to the table I’m delivering to. I place one down and then go to set the second one down but I accidentally knock it over, spilling the entire thing onto the guy’s lap.

“What the fuck? You just spilled that shit all over me, you klutz!” The guy’s shout has me jerking back. I look at the giant mess I’ve made and then up at the seething man, not knowing what to do. I’d help him clean it up, but I’m not about to rub napkins all over his crotch in an attempt to dry the spot up.

“I’m so sorry. Here are some more napkins.” I quickly hand him a bunch from the little pocket belt wrapped around my waist. “I really am sorry. Tonight’s my first night serving, and I’m so nervous. Here, let me get you another beer.”

I turn to head back to the bar, but his words stop me.

“I don’t want you to get me a new one and spill another drink on me. I want you to get on your hands and knees and rub this shit off me until I’m all nice and dry.”

His angered glare turns into a nasty leer, and suddenly, I’m not just frazzled but incredibly uncomfortable. I’d usually be more than happy to put a perverted ass like him in his place, but I’m at work and this is my first night on the job. I don’t want to do anything to cause a scene and risk losing it. I’m already worried this little slip-up will be the first strike against me, and I’ll only have two more left. If I even get two more chances.

“You have two fucking seconds to pay your fucking bill and get the hell out of this place.” The deadly voice comes from directly behind my back and puts me at ease. I should probably be scared, considering how lethal Derek sounds right now, but I’m not. His arm wraps around my waist, and I melt back into his chest, feeling safe again.

But the guy I spilled the drink on, clearly doesn’t feel safe. He goes from looking like a vicious monster to a scared, weak little mouse. He quickly takes his wallet out and fumbles with the thing as he tries to pull some bills out with his butter fingers.

“Make sure you give her a big fucking tip, too, for making you all wet.” I have to bite back the giggle that wants to escape when I see the mouse digging back into his wallet for even more money. “And don’t you ever think about coming back here again, or you’ll be dealing with all of us.” Two more guys, who I’d just met tonight but can’t recall their names, step up to the table, and by the look on the mouse’s face, I think he’s about to have wet pants for an entirely different reason.

The jerk drops his money on the table and is out the door faster than I’ve ever seen a grown man run before.

“You okay, baby?”

I turn in Derek’s arms and look up at the man who has always had my back and has come to my rescue more times than I can remember. “Yes, I’m fine. Thanks for that. I’m so nervous, and I feel like I keep messing up. I really don’t want to lose this job, Derek, but maybe I’m not cut out for being a waitress. Maybe I should…”

He grips my chin and places his finger over my mouth, stopping me from continuing down my spiral of self-doubt.

“Baby, you’re doing great. But even if you do mess up, it’s okay. Trigger isn’t going to fire your ass over spilling a drink on a needledick little shit who deserved it.” I can’t help but smile at his chosen nickname for the jerk. “Look, if you spill a drink, let the house cover the check. If you mess up an order, give them a round on the house. If you forget something, bring double when you return. And if you get held up and make someone wait too long, then bring a couple of free shots when you finally make it to the table. There are always ways to fix your mistakes, and whatever you see fit to make the customer happy, Trigger will be fine with.”

He brushes my cheeks with the side of his thumbs, and between their soft touch and his sweet words, I’m all kinds of warm and gooey inside. “Just promise me that if anyone ever makes you feel uncomfortable, gives you shit, or makes some crude comment, you let me know. And if I’m not here, you tell one of my men. I won’t stand for anyone disrespecting my girl. You hear me?”

And those two words make my panties melt. I want to be his girl. I want to be his in every way.

I nod, and then watch as his lips curve up into the sexiest smile.

“Now, are you going to get back to work and show them who’s boss around here?”

“Yes, sir.” I tip my chin. “I sure am.”

“That’s my girl.” He winks, and once again, my panties are taking the hit from the effect he’s having on my body.

With a slap on my butt, he sends me back to my tables. And by the end of the night, I’m no longer nervous. I actually feel like I’ve gotten the hang of being a server. But I definitely haven’t gotten a grip on my feelings. If anything, they’ve only grown more intense over the last few hours as Derek has kept his eyes locked on me, making me feel secure and protected, and all kinds of tingly inside.

When my shift is over, I say goodnight to Riley and Maisy, who are quickly becoming good friends, before heading out. The moment I’m out the door, I’m grabbed around the waist and pressed against the side of the building. If it weren’t for the familiar smell I know and love so much, I’d be alarmed. But the only part of me alarmed right now is the one between my legs. Plus, I knew Derek was going to be out here waiting for me since he told me he would be.

He wraps himself around me, enveloping my entire body in his massive frame as he nuzzles into the side of my neck. It’s like he can’t get close enough. As if he’s breathing me in.

“Damn, baby. I missed you so much.”

For some reason, he was really busy with the club during the past few years and couldn’t show up for me, but tonight, he had my back. And right now, it feels like I’m the most important thing in his life again. It feels like if he had had his way, he wouldn’t have stayed away for so long.

“I missed you, too, Derek.” I wrap my arms tighter around him, and practically moan as his lips brush against my neck while he snuggles in even closer.

“Baby, we need to talk.” His words come out on hard breaths, and the sexy sound of his raspy voice sends my body up in flames, dousing my panties like a firehose.

“What about?” My voice comes out just as breathless. His hands are gripping and tugging at my waist like he needs me even closer. Mine are latched onto his back, trying to keep him locked in place.

“We need to talk about you covering up this sexy little body, baby. You can’t come to work dressed like this anymore.”

Sexy? Did he really just use that word? So maybe he does like what he sees, and maybe he’s not looking at me like I’m a little girl anymore.

“Why, Derek? All the girls who work here dress the same. And besides, it’s hot when I’m running around trying to wait on everyone.”

His lips travel up my neck, stopping right below my ear. A whimper escapes me when he places a kiss on my sensitive skin and then begins sucking on the spot. Yeah, I definitely don’t think he still sees me as that little girl anymore.

“I don’t want other men looking at you, baby, that’s why.” His lips brush against my lobe with his words, and my panties are so drenched, I’m in jeopardy of looking like I wet myself.

“So what if guys look?” I want him to tell me why he cares so much. Does he not want men looking at me because he feels the need to protect me? Or does having other men look at me make him jealous? God, I hope it’s the latter.

“I don’t want other men to see these incredible tits.” His hands travel higher up my waist, inching toward my breasts. And as if they know he’s coming for them, my nipples become tight and point in his direction.

“Why can’t they see them, Derek?” I’m still not letting him off the hook. Although I’m pretty sure by the way his thumbs are brushing the underside of my breasts, I know the reason.

“Because,” he groans into my neck, and the barely restrained need in his voice has my knees growing weak and my body starting to tremble.

“You have to give me a better reason than that, Derek,” I moan as his thumbs brush higher and higher with each pass.

“Guess you’re too damn old for because I said so, huh?”

The smirk I feel against my skin as he kisses up and down my neck creates all kinds of tingles between my legs. I’m throbbing now and desperate for some friction so I can make the ache between my legs go away.

“Yes, definitely too old.” I practically gasp the words as his fingers finally brush over my swollen nipples. My head falls back against the wall, too heavy to hold itself up, and I soak in every single sensation as he rubs, tugs, and plucks at my tight peaks as if he’s trying to pull an orgasm right from my breasts.

“Because I don’t want other men getting a look at these perfect fucking nipples, baby.” He squeezes them both, emphasizing his point, and another loud moan leaves my mouth. “I don’t want them getting to see your sexy cleavage and picture sliding their cocks through this incredible channel.” His mouth runs along the line he’s referring to, and I’m about to beg for him to put his dick between them and show me personally what he doesn’t want others to think about. “I don’t want other men beating off while they think about my girl. That’s why.”

His hips thrust forward, showing me how hard he is right now. Just the one little press against my pelvis and I’m nearly going over the edge. He slowly begins to rub his cock against me, the pressure pressing over my swollen clit with every pump forward, and the need starts racing toward the finish line. I’m almost at the point of no return, ready to come completely undone for the man who’s been the object of my fantasies for years.

“Derek, I’m so close. Please don’t stop. It aches too much.”

“Not a chance I’m stopping, darling girl. Not until I give this little pussy what it needs. Come for me, baby. Let me feel how hot and wet I make your cunt. I want to hear how good it feels as you cream those little panties of yours.”

As if he just ordered a cream pie, I do. I come so hard, crying out his name and practically sliding to the ground as my legs lose all their strength. My orgasm plunders right through me, my body absorbed in pleasure, and I never want it to stop.

His hips rock against me a few more times. His chest heaving, body tensing, and the shocks keep hitting, simmering to a slow steady state of complete calm. The word mine is growled into my ear as his hold on me tightens, and those four little letters roll down my shoulders and land in the left side of my chest. I want to be his. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.

He pulls back, staring down at me with his dark eyes, and I’m breathless once again. There’s a look on his face I’ve never seen before. It has the L word rushing through my mind. And the longer he locks me under his stare, the closer it gets to the tip of my tongue.

He suddenly shifts away, breaking the heated stare as if the tension is too much to handle. His attention drops down to his pants and he shakes his head. “Damn, baby. You sure are a pro at making a mess out of a guy’s pants.”

I bite back my giggle and grip onto his waist, wanting his hips pressed against me again. “Well, maybe you should let me help you with that,” I purr. “I don’t have any napkins on me, but I have my tongue and will gladly clean you up.”

He lets out one of those rough growls that has my body heating, and moves in closer, pressing his full, thick, cock right where I need him. His head starts moving in, and I swear he’s about to kiss me when suddenly bright lights shine on us as a car comes pulling into the parking lot. We both turn in the vehicle’s direction, my eyes rolling when I see the red and blue lights flashing on top. The police cruiser comes to a stop just a few feet away from us, and then my brother steps out of his vehicle while Derek steps away from me.

“If he asks, nothing happened,” he whispers under his breath.

Derek’s hushed request has me confused until it clicks. I’m guessing he doesn’t think my brother will be happy knowing a “criminal” just made out with his baby sister. The so-called “criminal” who used to be Bentley’s best friend and lived at our house and helped take care of me after Mom and Dad died. Yeah, something’s not adding up. There’s definitely more to the story than the fact that they just grew apart.

Since I don’t want to cause any more friction between the two stubborn men, I’ll go along with Derek’s request and keep my mouth shut. I just hope that eventually, we won’t have to hide our relationship.

Wait… Are we in a relationship now? Does what we just did together make us a couple? I did hear him tell Trigger that he doesn’t do relationships and never will. But he did just call me his girl and groaned that intoxicating word: mine.

“How come you’re still up here, Hailey?” My brother’s harsh voice has me snapping from my thoughts. It’s as if Bentley’s forgotten he’s off duty now and is talking to his sister and not some thug he’s arresting for breaking the law.

“Derek wanted to have a chat with me about my attire.” I give him most of the truth, sparing him the details of why the man doesn’t want me to dress so skimpy. “He was trying to convince me I should wear more clothes to work. And I was telling him that it’s not going to happen because it gets really hot in there. Running around to all the tables makes me sweat.”

“We’ll save that argument for another day,” Bentley states, which means come tomorrow I’ll be getting another earful. “Now, how was your first night on the job? Did everyone leave you alone?”

Of course, my overprotective brother would ask that question first.

“Yes.” I roll my eyes. “Everyone was nice to me. And the only guy who was a dick to me because I accidentally spilled a beer on him got his balls handed to him by this one.”

I point my thumb at the lethal brute who now looks abnormally tense and nothing like the relaxed man I was just making out with minutes ago. I really want to know what happened between these two because they both act like they want to kill each other. If my brother wants to talk about my work attire, then he will have to explain what really happened between him and Derek. Otherwise, the conversation is closed, and I’ll wear whatever I damn well please.

Bentley turns his head toward Derek and gives him a curt tip of his chin. “Thanks for looking out for my sister. Now, I think it’s time I got her home. Come on, Hailey. You shouldn’t be out here this late. It’s not safe. Too many criminals are lingering about.”

My brother’s warning is obviously pointed at the man beside me, and it pisses me the hell off. The only time I truly feel safe is when I’m with Derek. I know he would never hurt me. He never has. And my brother is wrong to think otherwise. Bentley asked Derek to live with us and used to have him look after me whenever he had a late shift at work, which was almost always. He trusted this man with my life once upon a time, and now he doesn’t. I want to understand why. Yep, we are definitely going to be having that chat.

I step away from the wall and wrap my arms around Derek’s waist, wanting to show both men that I’m not afraid of him. And maybe also because I want to get one last touch in before I have to leave. “Thanks for helping me tonight, Derek. It’s really good to see you again.”

After a long beat, he finally wraps his arms around me, returning the hug. “No problem, babe. Now, remember what I said. Anyone gives you shit, you tell me or one of my men, and we’ll deal with it.”

“Come on, Hailey. Let’s go.” My brother’s patience is at a negative right now, and I’m not interested in dealing with his grumpy pants, so I pull away from Derek and move closer to Bentley.

“I will.” I smile. “Goodnight, Derek.”

He gives me a nod, then turns and walks over to his bike, which happens to be parked right next to my car. Without another glance in our direction, he climbs on, revs his engine, and takes off. And wow! That man looks so freaking hot riding a motorcycle. Yep, that will definitely be an image I use later when I’m alone in my room with my fingers flicking between my legs.

“You better get that shit out of your head right now, Hailey.” Bentley’s harsh command has me turning. “That man is dangerous and no good for you.”

Apparently, I was just caught drooling because now Bentley is glaring me down hard.

“If he’s so dangerous, why did you call him to come over today?” I cross my arms, giving him the same attitude he’s currently hitting me with.

“Because this bar is owned by one of his men, and I wanted to make sure that your stubborn little ass was looked out for on the inside.”

“Again, if he’s so dangerous, Bentley, why would you want him looking out for me? It’s a bit hypocritical, don’t you think?” He swears he’s dangerous yet wants him to be my bodyguard. Makes no sense if you ask me.

“I don’t think he’ll physically hurt you, Hailey. I think he’ll emotionally hurt you. Look what he did while you were away. He didn’t even come to visit you. He didn’t even make it to your graduation. You think he gives a shit, but he doesn’t. The only thing he cares about now are those thugs he calls ‘brothers.’ And let me tell you, whether you want to believe it or not, they’re dangerous. Now, let’s get the fuck home because I’m done with this fucking day.”

I nod then stomp my way to my car. There’s no point in arguing with him right now. Based on the mood he’s in, it will get me nowhere. He likes to call me stubborn, but Bentley owns the word.

As I pull out of the lot, heading home, I pick through everything he just said. It’s obvious Bent hates what Derek did to me while I was away at college and is afraid he’ll hurt me again. It’s also more than obvious Bentley is jealous of the guys in Derek’s life now. I didn’t miss the way he sneered the word brothers. And as far as the “dangerous” comment goes, it may very well be true, but from what I saw tonight, those men look out for one another, love their women hard, and don’t like it when a man disrespects a girl. So dangerous or not, they have definitely earned my respect.