Page 42 of Believing Bailey (Granton University 2)

Worried I’d messed up somehow with that question, I gulped and glanced around before asking, “What?”

She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Wow. Save a guy’s life and he completely forgets what you look like. I feel so special right now, Bucket. Thanks.”

The name Bucket caused my eyes to widen. I scanned her from head to toe but didn’t recognize a single thing about her from the one night we’d met except her height. “You…” Clearing my throat, I started again. “Sorry, I just, your hair—the rainbow hair, I mean—was the only thing I really remembered about you. And now that you dyed it, well…” I shrugged lamely.

Yes, I was an idiot.

Bailey touched the side of her head, her scowl only deepening. “Why is everyone so obsessed about me dying my hair? Does it look that bad?”

“What? No,” I said immediately, worried I’d offended her. This girl had saved my life, the last thing I wanted to do was upset her in any way. “It’s beautiful. The curls. They’re…” I motioned to my own head, stupidly drawing rings around my scalp with my finger before adding, “I’ve always liked curls.”

Realizing how strange I sounded, I winced.

Bailey lifted an eyebrow and stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. But she didn’t seem leery or afraid, which, after the hassle I’d had yesterday getting a hotel room, was actually awesome. I would take the you’re-so-whack stare any day of the week over the please-don’t-rape-me cower.

“So my friend said you stopped by the fraternity,” I started over, feeling like I was bombing this whole conversation the more I spoke. Then I sniffed. “Well, ex-friend. Acquaintance,” I corrected.

It felt weird to call Max a mere acquaintance. We’d known each other since freshman year when we’d rushed Alpha Gamma Rho together. We’d mucked horse stalls out at the University barn together, gotten drunk together, played wingman with girls for each other. And now he didn’t want to get caught even talking to me.

It seemed so bizarre that this girl I didn’t even know wasn’t glancing around to make sure no one driving by on the street caught me anywhere near her when my own so-called best friend had.

Yeah, thanks a lot, you fucking friend.

“So you found my address and came to find out what I wanted from you?” she asked slowly, still gazing at me as if I’d lost my mind.

I shrugged. “And to say thank you,” I added. “Mostly to say thank you. So…thank you.”

I kind of half-nodded, half-bowed to her, like I wanted to treat her like royalty but felt weird about it. She blinked, letting me know I was totally weird.

I cleared my throat and shoved my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie. “Why were you trying to find me?”

Eyes widening, she jerked her head back and forth, shaking it madly. “N-nothing. I mean, no reason.”

I squinted. She gulped. Then she winced and let out a defeated sigh before admitting, “I wanted to apologize.”

My eyebrows jerked up. “For what?” Her apologizing made no sense whatsoever.

Flushing, she looked away and hugged herself. “Because,” she muttered before pinching her brow into a frown and scowling directly at me, “Because I waited so long, you know, to come forward and help you.”

My mouth fell open. I gaped at her mutely, long enough for her to start squirming uncomfortably under my stunned stare. Then I shook my head and blurted, “That’s not…you can’t…don’t ever be sorry about coming forward. You saved me. I don’t think you really realize how much you honestly rescued me. I don’t care if it took you a day or a year, I am forever in your debt for what you did. You didn’t know me, you had no obligation whatsoever to put yourself out there for me. Yet you did. That’s what matters.”

As if uncomfortable by my praise, she hugged herself. “Well, I pretty much had to.” She shrugged one shoulder. “No one else was going to. I’m the only one who actually saw you, you know…” She glanced away, blushing. “I’m the only one who witnessed what happened.”

It struck me then, like really struck me, this girl had seen me have sex.

The moment instantly grew, like, fifty times more intimate. The air seemed to suck in around us, and this strange heat bloomed deep in the pit of my stomach, like almost at the base of my cock. Then the nerve endings in my extremities gave a tingling shudder, especially when her gray eyes ran over me as if remembering exactly what she’d seen me do with Melody.

Something must be really fucked up with my brain because for the briefest moment this overwhelming thought struck me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d liked what she’d seen. She’d watched me come, listened to my panting breaths as my muscles had coiled for an orgasm, she’d maybe even smelled my release permeate the air. Had that disgusted her? Or intrigued her?

Then my thoughts went even more depraved; I wondered what she looked like when she came. I could damn near picture those full lush lips parting, that pert chin arching up and those long lashes fanning over her gray-gray eyes before her breath caught and—

Damn it to hell, I should not be thinking about this. What in God’s name was wrong with me?

Since my encounter with Melody had led to everything that it’d led to, sex should be the very last thing on my mind. In fact, I might very well refrain from it for the rest of my life. No woman on earth was worth the hell I’d just been through.

Shaking my head to jostle my thoughts from the gutter, I refocused on Bailey’s face. She was staring at me with wide eyes as if she knew exactly what I’d been thinking—not scared of it, but maybe just intimidated as in a flattered, oh-my-God-was-he-really-just-thinking-about-me-like-that kind of way. Which didn’t help my growing erection die down in the least.

“Can I ask you for a huge favor?” I blurted, needing a distraction as I bent one leg strangely to create more space in my jeans and hopefully hide any bulges in case she dropped her gaze, to say, my lap region. Then I flushed hard, realizing what I’d just said. This was totally not the way I’d planned on begging for her help. Wincing, I added, “Even though I’m the one who owes you my life and you owe me completely nothing.”

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