Threatening to spank her.
What was with that? He wouldn’t hurt her but he would spank her if she broke some rules, of which she knew nothing about?
“I’ve entered an alternate reality,” she muttered.
She jumped as she heard a chuckle and she turned to stare at him where he sat in the driver’s seat.
“You feeling all right?”
“Are you?” she countered.
He belted up. “Yeah, I’m feeling great.” He looked her up and down. “For the first time in a long time, everything feels right.”
And what the hell was she supposed to do with that?
* * *
Jed flicked his gaze over to his silent passenger. Funny, he’d expected her to be angry. Upset. He hadn’t expected silent. She’d always been a bit reserved. Aloof. But with other people. Never him.
Because she trusted him.
Had. She had trusted him. They no longer had trust between them and her shields were fully up.
What if Bear hadn’t found out about this date? What if she’d gone on other dates? With guys worse than that prick he’d just found her with? She had no business dating other guys when he. . .
When he what? He took a deep breath. He’d come to the conclusion as he was breaking the speed limit to get to her, his gut tied in a knot the entire time, that he was only going to find some peace was by exploring whatever it was that obviously still existed between them. These feelings that had been stirred to life by her return.
But he got that she was confused. So was he. He’d come on strong. He’d inte
rrupted her date, pulled her out of there and basically told her that she needed rules and discipline. And she. . .
Hadn’t hit him. Or told him he was a jerk. Hmm that was interesting. Did she want what he could give her? Boundaries and consequences?
“Guess you’re wondering why I haven’t left town?” she asked. “Is that why you came tonight to find me? To tell me to leave again? Are you driving me home so you can make sure I pack?”
He frowned. Fuck. He couldn’t blame her for thinking that way, though. He had been a jerk the other night. He hadn’t handled things well.
He didn’t want to want her. He didn’t want to spend these last few nights tossing and turning, thinking about her, remembering the look on her face after he’d told her to go.
This time he was going in with his eyes wide open and some rules firmly in place. He definitely had no intention of trusting her.
“I came tonight because I heard you were going on a date with a complete stranger to a bar that doesn’t have the best reputation.”
“You were worried about me?” There was surprise in her voice.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He took in a deep breath. “Daisy, I owe you an apology for the way I reacted at the cookout, but mostly for what I said to you the other night at your place. I had no right to tell you to leave town. You showing up out of the blue took me by surprise. I jumped to some conclusions and I didn’t react well.”
“You thought I searched you out for your money.”
He nodded. “I did.”
“I didn’t. I had no idea you lived here. I’m not after anything like that,” she whispered. “I hurt you. Ten years ago. When I left—”
“That was ten years ago. We were both kids and I’ve got no right to hold onto old shit to punish you with now. The past needs to stay there. So I’m sorry for what I said and the way I reacted. Forgive me?”