The Yeah, Baby Series Read Free Page A

warm but keeping me from staying asleep. Bailey. The night before came rushing back and I smiled, then reached out to pull her soft body into mine. My hand met nothing but sun warmed sheets. I frowned and opened one eyelid, disgruntled that she’d gotten out of bed before I could wrap myself around her naked body and kiss her awake.
    “Bailey?” I sighed and lifted up onto an elbow, opening both eyes and looking around the room. I didn’t hear the shower running, but I climbed out of bed and padded over to the bathroom. Her clothes were no longer on the floor and mine had been folded and placed on the marble countertop. The open box of condoms near the sink reminded me that I’d fallen asleep still buried inside her. When I pulled off the condom I noticed a big tear right at the tip. Fuck! The motherfucking condom broke! Shit. Shit. Shit. I took a deep breath and washed my hands. OK, this wasn’t so bad. She was mine, I would be marrying her and starting a family at some point. I just hadn’t counted on doing it backwards.
    I wondered briefly if Bailey had noticed when she’d gotten up. Then I dismissed the thought. If she had, I’d probably be attempting to calm her down from a panic attack right now. Where was she? “Baby?” I called, grabbing my robe and walking out to the kitchen. When I didn’t find her there, I called her name again and checked every room. Something akin to dread was stabbing me in the chest, I stalked back to the bedroom, looked around and didn’t find even a note. She must have called a cab and ducked out while I was sleeping. I started pacing, I needed a plan. All I had to go on was her name and the fact that she was only in town temporarily. Fuck!
    ***
    “B ro, are you still moping?”
    I scowled at Jack as he handed me a beer and flopped down next to me on my couch.
    “Shut the fuck up, Jackass,” I growled. I took a deep pull from the bottle and dropped my head back, blowing out a frustrated breath.
    “No luck finding her, huh?” Jack asked, genuine sympathy in his voice this time. “You’re going to have to let mystery girl go at some point. Why don’t we go out tonight? We’ll hit the bar and pick up some buxom blondes.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
    “I’m done with that scene, Jack. I’m serious.” I gripped the bottle, my knuckles turning white. “She’s mine. I refuse to accept any other outcome than to find her.”
    I’d practically shut down my life for the last month, working and searching. I’d exhausted most of my options. There were literally over four hundred people with the last name Cross in Nebraska. Narrowing it down by the first initial B didn’t do me any good either. Not to mention, I didn’t even know if her permanent residence was in the same state. I’d only spoken to Jack briefly, shortly after the morning Bailey had run out on me. He’d recently discovered that he had a half-sister and the family had been busy getting to know each other. Not that I was even ready to really talk about her with him anyway.
    “Wow. Okay,” Jack shrugged. “I guess you were serious about that.”
    I didn’t reply, just chugged down the rest of my beer. I needed to get my mind on something else for a little while.
    “How are things with the new sister?”
    Jack’s face softened, a look I never thought I’d see from him. “She fits right in. Honestly, I wish I’d been there to be her big brother growing up. She’s beautiful, sweet and innocent and I get the feeling that I would have broken quite a few noses, maybe a jaw or two.”
    I laughed, the sound rusty and foreign to my ears. It felt good.
    “Why don’t you come have dinner with the family and meet her? Dad would love to see you.” Jack rolled his eyes and chugged his beer. “And Sharon. She’d love to see you, all of you.”
    I snorted. Jack’s step-mother Sharon was a unique species. She loved his dad, and was faithful, but she had no problem ogling “man candy,” and wasn’t