Chapter Twelve

Claire took a seat by the window, feeling John's arm wrap around her, and his lips tickle her neck. "What're you doing?" She giggled, feeling him smile.

"Getting some sugar." He stated, his fingers tangling in her hair as he leaned back to look at her. "And loving every second of it."

Thomas cleared his throat, letting John know he was watching. "I got my eye on you up there."

John sighed, turning to look at Claire's father. "Yes sir." He rested his arm over his girl's shoulder, smiling as Amelia started playing patty-cake with Kaylie. "I'll be a perfect gentleman."

Vernon looked at him in the rear-view mirror. "I don't think that's possible Bender." He chuckled, shifting the bus into gear.

John smirked, twisting the coin ring around Claire's perfect finger. "It's gotta be in my DNA somewhere." He looked up at Claire, seeing the smile on her face as he kissed her hand. "We Bender's aren't all selfish pigs."

Claire kissed his nose. "Not this one."

"Hey, I'm a Bender too!" Dominic announced through the bus, throwing a wad of paper at the couple in the seat in front of him.

Claire laughed, turning to look at the older of them. "Both Bender's are good men."

Brian nodded, looking between the three of them, noticing just how alike the cousins looked for the first time. "Did you two ever pass as twins?"

John turned to the geek, pain flashing behind his smile. "Our deadbeat dads were twins." He looked over at Dominic. "Guess the genetics got passed on." He remembered the accusations that he had heard, the truths that they'd held. How his mother had slept around with a few guys other than his dad. He could feel every hit he'd taken while protecting his mother from his dad's hate. He'd never liked his mom, she'd been a bitch to him every day of his life, but he'd hated his dad worse. He knew the pain of his old man's fists better than anyone, and no matter how much he despised his mom, it was wrong to hit a woman. He'd taken blows for her; every word, every doubt of his parentage being beaten into him as it was screamed at her. "Sometimes our own mothers couldn't tell us apart."

Dominic scoffed, leaning back in his seat. "Like that means much." He placed a toothpick in his mouth, looking out the window. "They were so high most of the time that they couldn't tell up from down."

John's lip curled, remembering the things he would walk in on in the living room of his own house. "There was a lot more they got confused about."

Claire dropped her gaze, sickened by what she knew John had seen. She gently rubbed a hand over his shoulders, feeling how tense his muscles were. "Relax, you might-"

"Might what?" He snapped, regretting it when the bus went silent. "Sorry." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "It's just…" He looked at Amelia, leaning over to whisper in Claire's ear. "I saw a lot of shit, and I might be Dom's brother instead of cousin."

Claire nodded, pressing a kiss to his lips. "It doesn't matter." She whispered, letting him kiss her again.

His movements were slow at first, the pace he set like warm caramel, but they soon became more aggressive, hungry for her. His teeth pulled at her lips, his body pressing against hers, until something thumped him on the back of the head. "What the fuck?"

He turned to see Thomas giving him a scolding look. "Back if off, kiddo." He patted him on the shoulder, pointing to his daughter. "You shut him down if he needs it."

Claire nodded, taking John's hand in hers. "Of course, Daddy."

Thomas started back to his seat, sending one last warning look to John. "Behave."

John squeezed Claire's hand, knowing that they would revisit this moment later. "Yes, Sir."