And her father.
“I called Gabby. She’s going to come and get me,” I tell him, in case he feels obligated. I don’t want that.
“You can just call her and tell her that your family is going to bring you.”
“My family?” I ask, those two words making me feel nervous, even unsettled.
“Yeah, Red. That’s what me and Daisy are, right, Daisy? We’re your family.”
“Right!” Daisy cries. “We love you, Jaz-Min!”
“You do?” I find myself asking, but it’s not Daisy I’m looking at, it’s Luke—whose face has gone back to being stern and immovable.
“Daddy! I forgot Bear-Bear!”
“Go get him, baby,” he says softly, opening the door back up. “We’ll wait on you.”
“Okay!” she cries, taking off in a run.
“No running!” I yell, afraid she’ll fall. I’m pretty sure she’s ignoring me, but at least I tried.
“Gabby will come and get me. There’s no need for you to go to Kentucky with me, Luke.”
“She lives at least two hours from here, Red. What were you going to do? Sit outside that entire time?”
“Seemed better than having you standing in the same room with me and not talking,” I reply with a shrug.
He lets out an irritated breath, staring at me. “I was pissed,” he finally says.
“I could tell,” I reply. Because really, what else is there to say?
“Call your girl and tell her that Daisy and I are bringing you,” he orders, and I sigh.
“What if I don’t want you to, Luke?” I breathe out.
“Damn it, Jasmine,” he growls, but I shake my head no.
“Where were you last night?”
“I went to the club and had a few drinks,” he says, his eyes narrowing.
“Anything else?” I push.
“Are you asking me if I fucked another woman, Red?” he spits out, his voice quiet, but the anger is coming off of him in waves.
My gaze goes to the door, to make sure that Daisy is not there.
“Did you?”
“Jesus, you think I’m a punk ass bastard who is scared of his shadow and will go from fucking you every chance I can get to sticking my dick into someone else? That’s a great opinion you have of me, woman.”
“That’s not answering me, Luke.”
“I didn’t, although if I knew you were going to pull this bullshit maybe I would have.”
I moisten my lips, trying to sort through all of the bullshit running in my brain.
“I don’t want you to do that, Luke. If you did…I think it would kill me.”
“Why’s that, Red?” he asks, pressing me, not letting me get off easy.
“I love you, Luke,” I murmur. I keep my voice so quiet that I can’t be sure he can even hear me.
“Don’t think I heard you, Red. You’re going to have to speak up,” he complains, arms crossed at his chest.
“I said I love you, you asshole.”
“Then come over here, Red.”
I think about denying him, but the truth is, I ache to be in his arms again. I’m standing outside in the heat because I was miserable inside, thinking he was about ready to end everything. So, I go to him quickly, without another word. Before I even get there he opens his arms up and envelopes me in them as I fall into him. I crush the side of my face against his chest, taking in a big gulp of air.
“I was a bitch and I know you wouldn’t be afraid of my father or the rest of the club,” I mumble against his chest.
“Fuck that. I might be afraid. A little fear keeps a man smart and on his toes, Red. But, I wouldn’t run away from them or you. Get that straight.”
“Got it,” I murmur.
“Maybe we’re making progress,” he mutters.
“What do you mean?”
“You just ran outside today. There was a time you would have gone back to Kentucky,” he says and for the first time since this mess started, I see a ghost of a smile on his face.
“Well, technically, I was going back. I just had to wait on my ride,” I feel the need to point out.
“Yeah, but not so long ago, you would have taken a taxi or hitched,” he says, pulling back to look at me. He puts his hand under my chin, his thumb brushing against my lips and sweeping along my jawline.
“Probably,” I admit.
“So, see? Progress.”
“It really would have killed me if you’d been with another woman,” I tell him, pointing it out, even if I shouldn’t.
“I wouldn’t do that to you Jasmine,” he promises. “Besides, there’s not a damn thing out there that can compare to the way you take my dick.”
I blink, then laugh, the sound freeing after the way last night was spent.
“You’re such a sweet talker,” I laugh
“I try.”
“I got Bear-Bear! Daddy. I had to potty first,” Daisy announces, coming out of the house. She immediately runs to us and hugs us, her body pressing against my leg and thigh. I hug her close, my eyes closing as the sweetness of this moment surrounds me.