“Yes, I never stopped, baby. Not ever. I love you more now than I did yesterday. I’ll love you more tomorrow than I do today. And when our lives end, I’ll have loved you enough for a thousand lifetimes and still, it won’t be enough.”
Tears dripped down her cheeks and her body seemed to just deflate. He had to tighten his hold to hold her up.
She clung to him, as she leaned her face against his chest. “I love you too. And I don’t want you to stop spanking me. I kind of, well, it makes me feel good knowing that you care enough to have rules and enforce them. I never had that.”
“I know, baby.”
“I’m not cheating on you. I never have.”
He stiffened against her. “Sugar, we don’t need to talk about this—”
She pulled back against his hold and glared up at him, her look so fierce it made him pause. “Yes, we do. Because not talking about it is part of the reason this happened. I have wanted to explain. To apologize. For never being brave enough to go against your grandfather and tell you what really happened.”
His grandfather?
That sick feeling in his stomach grew. “What does my grandfather have to do with anything?”
“He’s the reason I left.”
14
Daisy took in a sharp breath as he rose to his feet then pulled her up with him, not letting go of her hand as he walked into the living room. Then he strode over to the curtains.
“No, don’t pull them!” she screeched. He paused and looked down at her. “He’s watching me.”
“Who is?” He scowled. The air in the room filled with his fury. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Who is out there?”
“My stalker.”
“Your stalker?”
She couldn’t read his facial expression clearly. “Yes. He’s been sending me flowers. Started two days after you left. I thought it was a neighbor. Until the next two bunches arrived. Then last night there was a note. He must have come back and left that lingerie.” She licked her lips. “He’s been watching me undress and he wants me to wear it for him.”
He said nothing. Just stared at her. Did he not believe her? What was he thinking? Then he turned and strode towards the door. Was he leaving? Tears dripped down her face as she watched him. Then she gasped as he pulled back his fist and smashed it into the wall. Plywood split, small pieces went flying as he drew his hand back. He then leaned both hands on the wall and dropped his head.
“Jed?”
More silence then he turned and the fury on his face made her breath catch in her throat. He paced back and forth.
“Fuck. Fuck! You’re being fucking stalked by some sicko and I didn’t even know? I accused you of cheating on me? I fucking left you here on your own, so terrified you tried to smash my head in with a baseball bat. A damn baseball bat to protect you! It’s my job to protect you. Mine.”
And he thought he hadn’t done his job. Which would kill a man like Jed. Someone who prided himself on looking after those he considered his.
What the hell did she say to that?
“It’s my fault. I didn’t tell you.”
“I wasn’t here for you.”
“Jed, you have an important job to do.”
He turned his head to look at her, his eyes intense. “Nothing is more important than you.”
She gulped. She’d never had that. Not once.
“Those kids needed you.”
“So did you.”