Drayton leans forward, sliding a hand through my hair and dislodging my woolly hat. “I know we didn’t get off to the best of starts, and that’s on me, but there’s something about you, Daisy Jenkins. The second I saw you, I knew you were going to be mine. I’ve wanted a taste of these lips all day,” he says, pressing his thumb against my bottom lip.
My eyes widen at his confession. I couldn’t be more surprised if he told me he liked to rollerblade in a pink tutu. I open my mouth to reply, but Drayton swoops in, claiming my mouth with his—and I’m lost. Lost in the heat and fire of a kiss from a man I only met today, a man my body seems to recognize on some inexplicable level that defies logic and reason.
Drayton’s other hand cups my face, angling me where he wants me. He licks across the seam of my mouth so that I open up to him with a moan. I’ve been kissed before, but never like this. It’s like he’s claiming me, branding me, marking me as his.
I bunch his shirt up in my hands, my heart pounding out of control as he nips my lower lip between his teeth. His beard is a delicious abrasion against my skin, answering my earlier question in the most delicious way.
I try to get closer to him, needing the warmth and strength of his body in a way I’ve never experienced before. When I thrust my tongue against his, Drayton releases a groan. His hands move to my back, pressing me against his chest, and my nipples pebble with desire.
“Dear God, Daisy!” Drayton mutters, tearing his mouth away and pressing his forehead against mine. “Never had a kiss like that. Not in my whole life.”
“Me neither,” I whisper through lips swollen from the pressure of his mouth. I’m shaken to my very core by the intensity of the emotions washing over me. How can this be? We’ve only just met, but I feel as if I’ve known him forever.
“Gonna make you mine, sweet girl. Just giving you fair warning,” he mutters, his eyes making me all kinds of promises. “You feel it too, don’t you?”
I nod, beyond pretending. Whatever this is between us, I want to run with it, immerse myself in it. I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve had a shortage of good stuff in my life, and something tells me that Drayton Saunders is just the kind of good stuff I need, despite our shaky start.
“Give me your phone,” Drayton says, cutting across my thoughts. I reach into my purse and hand it to him, giving him the passcode. I watch as he plugs his number into it and sends himself a text. “Don’t overthink things, baby. I’ll call you tomorrow, take you out for dinner, and we’ll talk,” he says, handing the phone back to me.
My heart does a little flip-flop at the endearment. “Okay,” I whisper.
“You should get inside before the storm comes. And make sure you charge that phone. Battery’s almost dead. I have a few more stops to make before I call it a night,” he says, retrieving my hat and pulling it over my curls.
“You’ll be careful?” I ask, concerned for his safety in these extreme conditions.
“It’ll take more than a snowstorm to bring me down,” he smiles, leaning in to press a hard kiss against my mouth. “Now, go.”
Still reeling from the effects of his kiss, I climb out of the car and head towards the house, pausing on the porch to lift a hand as he drives away.
I can’t help the goofy smile on my face as I open the front door and step inside. The smile freezes and drops away as I come face to face with my worst nightmare.
“Who was that?” Mom demands, weaving unsteadily on her feet in the hallway.
I clench my fists at my sides. “Have you been drinking?”
“So what if I have?” she sneers.
“Where did you get it?” I ask, knowing she doesn’t have any money.
“I have my ways,” she laughs loudly, stumbling back a few steps before righting herself.
“You called Bobby, didn’t you?” I demand, naming one of her ex-boyfriends who still lives in town.
“None of your fucking business, li’l girl,” Mom slurs, leaning drunkenly against the wall behind her.
“I’m not a little girl, Mom. I haven’t been a little girl for a long time,” I mutter, feeling sick at the sight of her like this.
“Bobby gives me what I need. Which is more’n you do,” she says, pointing a finger and squinting at me.
I shake my head. “I should never have come back. This was never going to work because you don’t want to get better.”
“Aha! Now she gets it!” she shouts, pushing off the wall and lurching towards me. “Don’t want you here. Never wanted you in the firs’ place. You were an accident. Your father told me to get an ‘bortion, but I was already too far gone, so… here ya are. My worthless daughter,” she mutters cruelly, waving her arms at me like I’m nothing, like she hasn’t just ripped my soul out through my stomach.
I need to get out of here. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I can’t stay in this house another second. Fighting tears, my self-worth in tatters around my feet, I spin on my heel and head back out the door, hearing it slam behind me.
“And don’t come back!” Mom screams from behind it.
Too late, I realize I’m at the mercy of the elements. The snow is already starting to swirl around me, and the wind is picking up. My instincts scream at me to call Drayton.
I pull my phone out, seeing I barely have any charge left. I dial his number. After a minute, it goes to voicemail. I cut the call and dial again with the same result. On the third attempt, I start to leave a message when my phone dies, and I curse myself for not leaving a message the first time.
Releasing a frustrated groan, I turn back to the front door. I pound on it with my fist, shouting for Mom to let me back in, but it’s no use. She’s put the chain across, and she’s either passed out or choosing to ignore me.
I look around me, considering my options. Our nearest neighbor is more than two miles away. It would be madness to head out anywhere with the storm now raging around me. My best bet now is to find some shelter and hope that Drayton picks up my message.