Page 30 of The Bad Boy's Good Girl

Chapter 10

What started as a simple conversation, Bronx had found a way to turn into a surprisingly satisfying living arrangement. Nola had come home from work the Friday after Christmas to find him in her home, jamming his clothes into her closet and he hadn’t left since. Not that she minded. Having Bronx around was an interesting adventure. He made sure breakfast waited for her every morning and they rode to work together every day this week. He’d made sure she ate lunch by ordering it and then sitting with her to eat it. It felt so good she couldn’t help the niggle of doubt that things would fall apart. Any day now.

She wanted to relax. More than anything she wished she could quiet her mind and think good thoughts. Enjoy the moments she had with Bronx while she had them. Unfortunately for Nola, she’d been raised by a wise woman and Grammie had always told her that tigers didn’t get their stripes right away. “It took a long time and a lot of growing pains for them to become the majestic creatures we see today,” she’d said on more than one occasion. That lesson reared its ugly head as she waited for Bronx to tire of her, of playing the dutiful father to be.

But she gave him the benefit of the doubt, every day when she woke up and found ginger ale—the real stuff, not the sugary soda in the big grocery stores—sitting on the nightstand right by a plate of crackers. She let herself believe when he rubbed her feet after she’d spent all day in sexy shoes, she would have to give up soon. He cooked some nights and she cooked too but sometimes they ordered in and ate in front of the TV. She never could have imagined living like this.

With Bronx.

For all the great things she experienced by having him around, there was one thing she found very difficult. Sharing a bed with him. Every night this week she had fallen asleep with the best of intentions, on her side with her back facing him as she curled into a ball. However, she always woke up in the same position. Head resting on his chest, one hand low on his rock hard abs and a leg thrown over his. It really was humiliating to think that even in her sleep, she couldn’t deny Bronx.

Hell, who was she kidding, she couldn’t deny him.Period. Asleep or awake. She loved him and, she could admit, she had loved him for a long time. Probably since the very beginning when he’d flirted outrageously with her. But that didn’t mean she had to fool herself into thinking that they were two people in a unique circumstance and trying to cope as best they could. Nola promised herself she would not make waves. She would not want or ask for more than what they had. That probably meant soon, she would be living alone. Again.

“We should go out tonight,” Bronx said as he strolled into the room, interrupting her thoughts and making her mouth water, in nothing but low slung cotton pants and damp hair. Why did he always have to look so appealing?

Go out? Was he kidding? “I won’t make it to ten o’clock, never mind midnight. You should go on without me.” She hadn’t figured he would stay in on tonight of all nights. Bronx loved to party and this was the biggest party night of the year.

He didn’t like it and he did very little to hide that fact from her. “I’m not leaving you alone tonight, Nola, and Brooks is out of town.”

She hid her own grin at his gruff worry. “I am aware of that, just as you are aware that I’m much too old for a babysitter.” She sighed, appreciative at his concern but annoyed he thought her useless. “I told you I would only allow this living arrangement to continue if it didn’t interfere with your regular life. Which includes going to a party on New Year’s Eve.”

His scowl lessened, shifted to concern as he stood in front of her. “But what are you going to do? More importantly,” he grinned that panty dropping arrogant smile, “I was hoping to get a midnight kiss.”

That would be nice. Nola couldn’t remember the last time she had someone to kiss at midnight. “As much as I might like that, I’ll be long asleep by then.”

Bronx, as she’d known he would, took her words as a challenge. He sat beside her, so close that not even a breath of air could pass between them, and placed her hands on his warm chest, still moist from the shower. One hand speared her hair while the other slowly slid up her bare thigh. Then his mouth descended on hers, a slow and deep assault that was hotter than any kiss she’d ever had. So hot she could smell her panties smoldering beneath her dress. The kiss went on and on, her body melting into his. Her mouth begging for more. Bronx pulled back and smiled, she blinked then licked her lips but holy hell, Bronx was her new favorite flavor. “I’ll bet if we started that kiss at bedtime, ten, I could have you wide awake to ring in the New Year.”

She laughed at him, leaning in for another kiss. Losing track of time and space as she climbed into his lap, grinding against him with his hard throbbing cock cradled between her legs. They kissed endlessly, like horny teenagers at home alone for the first time.

Somehow, Bronx managed to make her forget all about him going out to a party. All about her being in bed by ten.

It had been the best start to a new year she’d everhad.

* * *

Bronx was in trouble. He didn’t quite know the exactly flavor of the trouble but his racing heart and sweaty hands told him it would be the life changing, big as hell variety. And all of it had to do with a curvy little blonde who was as efficient as she was sexy.

After the new year, he and Nola had settled into a routine that felt a lot like a relationship. But it couldn’t be a relationship because Bronx hated them. Plain and simple, he didn’t fucking do relationships. Hell, he began to panic the minute something felt a little too much like a relationship. So yeah, he tried to relax, because it couldn’t be a relationship. Whatever it actually was though, he liked it.

He liked it a lot.

It scared the holy fucking hell out of him. But, he liked it.

Seriously though, he loved it.

He knew that as a fact because January had come and gone in a flash and he hadn’t felt that he couldn’t do the things he wanted to do because he hadn’t wanted to do those things. He wanted Nola and it was as simple as that. Though his world had gotten smaller—Nola, the baby and work—he didn’t feel restrained in any way. He and Nola got along great, made love often and work, well Galactic Warriors had quickly become the best selling video game of the holiday season. It was the hottest gift in the country, selling better than popular sequels and trilogies from bigger and better known companies. Two big ass government checks had cleared for their new predictive software and three more were expected by the end of the quarter. Yeah, life was good.

Damn good.

“Have you heard the good news, brother?” Brooks strode in wearing a bright smile and an expensive, ugly suit.

“I haven’t but I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

“Hell yeah,” he said, grinning as he took a seat. “Galactic Warriors has been chosen for the 2018 Ultimate Gaming Warriors Competition. Thanks to our kickass performance and all the buzz surrounding it. This means nonstop promotion, sponsorships and best of all, merch.”

Bronx laughed and shook his head. “You really are a suit,” he told him with affection. The truth was that without Brooks they might not have turned that inheritance into a billion dollar gaming empire.

“Thanks. That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” His smile was bright but dimmed at the next topic of conversation. “So how are things going?” Bronx appreciated his brother’s attempts to mind his business considering he and Nola were such close friends.

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