“Huck, you needto be careful of your knee. Those gummies are gonna wear off.”
“Let me worryabout my knee,” he said. “Right now, I’m saying something important, and youneed to hear it.”
“You’re high.” Irolled my eyes. “Literally.”
“Not so high Ican’t impart some truth.”
“Oh my god.You’re not my dad.”
“And thank godfor that,” he bit out.
“Can we justleave this alone?” I rasped, again trying to push out of his arms.
“Daisy Mae,settle.”
I let out ahuff, but I did settle.
“Look at me,” hedemanded, and I took a second to do so, partly because I knew he was about tocompliment me and I wasn’t good at receiving those, but more because I wasfeeling a little sassy.
“Yes, my liege.”
He raised aneyebrow. “I like that, Daisy, and I get that you’re trying to be cute, but allyou’re doing is makin’ me hard.”
I shivered,suddenly wanting to strip him naked and find out exactly what he’d do if Isubmitted fully to him. “Can you just get on with it?”
He smiledslowly. “At some point, you need to understand your worth, beautiful. I getthat you’re on the shy side, but I’m not talking about that. I’m talking aboutthe voice in your head that tells you that you are less than.”
I bit my lip. Ididn’t want to admit how quickly he’d gotten to the heart of me.
“Who hurt you,honey? Because I don’t get the impression it was your family. You seem closewith your parents and your brothers might be overbearing asses, but theyobviously adore you.”
I nodded. “Theydo. And my parents are awesome. It wasn’t them.”
“Who do I haveto kill, Daisy?”
“Can we leavethis for a time when you’re sober?”
He slid his handto my neck and stroked my pulse. “I’m almost there now.”
“All the waythere, Huck.”
He studied mefor a few tense seconds, then nodded. “Yeah. I can give you that.”
“Thank you.”
“But I want akiss.”
I smiled. “I cando that.”
I leaned downand kissed him gently.
“I’m gonna letyou go, beautiful, but only because I’m afraid that if I don’t do that now, Iwon’t ever be able to.”
I bit back asnort. “Good lord, you’re ridiculous.”
“Just speakingthe truth.”
I climbed offhis lap, careful to avoid his knee, and made my way to his door, surprised tofind him following me. “What are you doing?”
