Chapter Eight

Uncle Ian stood, closing his laptop with a long sigh. "So we agree we'll put Daisy up at Sanctum and we'll keep a guard with her twenty-four seven until we can figure this situation out."

The DPD and Dallas district attorney's office representatives had left mere moments before.

It had been a close one, with her father arguing she should go to London and Captain Brighton defending the joys of witness protection. Uncle Ian had managed to work a compromise. She was going to be stuck in Sanctum for the foreseeable future.

So no job. No sweet little house she got to work on. No future.

Nate would see what it meant to be with her now.

It had been easier when she was sitting on Nate's lap, surrounded by his warmth, but she'd moved to the seat next to him when the serious discussions had begun. When her da had been staring at her like he didn't know who she was.

He didn't, but she'd kind of hoped he never had to.

"I think that's acceptable." Her mother seemed determined to be the voice of reason. "It's actually kind of fitting since when Nate was a baby we stashed his mom and dad there."

Daisy looked to her mom. "Really?"

"I've heard the tale many times," Nate agreed.

Her mother nodded. "Oh, yes. You should tell Daisy the story sometime."

"Or we should learn from history and understand what can happen when you don't protect your daughter," her father said, a frown on his face.

"She ends up happily married for over twenty years with two kids she loves?" Nate asked .

Uncle Ian stood, shaking his head. "O'Donnells, this is where I leave you to handle all your family shit. Daisy, please stay close to Nate. Nate, let me know when you need someone to take a shift or two. We'll arrange for some days off."

"Don't need 'em," Nate said. "I won't be leaving her."

Uncle Ian sighed and took Aunt Charlotte's hand. She was giving Daisy a grin.

"I'll let Erin and Devi know what's going on," Aunt Charlotte promised. "And I'll work on finding you something to do while you're there. If you don't mind, you could take the Saturday night kid's club. We're kind of low on subs willing to hang with the kiddos."

"I would love to." It was something she used to adore doing. During high school and college, she'd made a lot of money by handling the kiddos on Friday and Saturday nights. It was probably her favorite job ever.

"I'll see you then, sweetie." Charlotte followed Ian out, and she was left alone with her family.

It might have been the longest three hours of her life, and it looked like it wasn't over. Although maybe she could get out of this. "I think I'm supposed to be taking over the phones this afternoon so the receptionist can have her break."

Her father's brows rose. "You think I'm going to let you sit in the lobby? The whole front of the place is glass, girl. There's a bounty on your head."

"Liam," her mother said.

"He's right in this case." Nate sat back as though settling in. "The glass is bulletproof, but I don't want anyone getting a look at her. I'm considering how I'll get her out of the building in the safest manner possible."

"The safest manner possible would be putting her on a bloody plane with her family," her da muttered.

She'd argued for staying at The Hideout, but there had been so many eyerolls she'd known she was going down in defeat.

At least her father wasn't screaming at Nate anymore. They'd gotten down to growls and dirty looks and some Irish she was grateful Nate didn't speak.

"Liam, we're not going to London. Let it go. Daisy, are you okay?" Her mom stared at her from across the conference table.

Daisy simply nodded and forced a bright smile on her face. "I'm good. I can use some time to myself."

She wasn't about to tell her mom how useless she felt. Fake it until you make it. It was her motto.

"You won't be by yourself," her da complained.

Her mom sighed and stared at her da for a moment. "Are we doing this now?"

The big family talk. The one where everyone cried and said how worried they were about her, and did she know what she was doing? Nope. She didn't want to do that at all. She rather wanted to run to Sanctum and lock herself in with Nate and enjoy what little time she would have with him.

"Nathan, I think you should go back to your desk so I can talk with my family," her da said. "Ian's right. We should get our shit together as a family."

Nate turned her way. "You want me to leave?"

That was an easy question. "No."

Nate turned back to her da and shrugged. "Sorry. If she wants me here, I'm staying. Besides I kind of think she needs someone to protect her."

"From her own da?" Her father was getting red in the face again.

"Nathan, could you go into the break room and grab the sandwiches I sent with Li this morning? Daisy hasn't eaten all day," her mother began. "She's pale."

Nate obviously wasn't used to her mother manipulating situations. Or he didn't notice because he bought her mom's request immediately. "Of course. I'll get something for you, too, Mrs. O'Donnell."

"I don't suppose you're going to call me Aunt Avery," she said wistfully.

"I can't," Nate replied. "I know your husband doesn't believe me, but I'm serious. Do you want some coffee, love?"

The last question had been directed at her. Well, her mother obviously wanted to get her alone, so she might as well get something out of it. "I would rather have a soda. Whatever they have in the vending machines is okay,"

"I'll take a coffee, if you don't mind," her mom said.

Nate looked to her da, but his eyes stayed steady on Daisy.

Nate finally walked out, promising to be back soon.

"Daisy, I know Nathan has convinced you he's interested, but you have to understand no one will protect you the way your family will." Her da barely waited until the door closed.

"He is family, Liam." Her mother looked at a loss for words. "I don't understand what's happening."

"Well I do, and he's not the sweet boy you remember. He's a man, and he's doing what men do to innocent young women," her da said. "Daisy, I know you don't have a lot of experience with men."

Her mother groaned.

"Which is why you have to understand I'm only looking out for you," her da continued.

"But I like Nate."

"You don't know him." Her da stood and paced.

"I do," her mom argued.

A familiar figure raced by. Aidan. He wore green scrubs, and he hadn't bothered to take off his cap. Carys followed after him, stopping when she saw they were in the conference room. She pushed through the door. "Daisy. We just heard what happened. Are you all right?"

Aidan had turned back, following her in. "I'm so sorry. I was in surgery. I came as soon as I could. Da said someone tried to kill you."

At least her brother loved her. Sometimes she worried he viewed her as a burden. "I'm fine. Nate took care of the situation."

Aidan's eyes went hard. "Yeah, I heard about that, too. I'm going to be having a talk with him."

She was about to challenge him when her mother's eyes narrowed.

"Why would you have a talk with him? Beyond saying you hope he treats her well, son?" Her mom didn't usually sound so cold.

"He's going to do what needs to be done." Da stood next to Aidan, putting a hand on his shoulder. "He's going to let Nate know she's not without protection."

"I thought Nate was her protection," Carys said, looking at Daisy and then the men, seeming to understand something was going on beyond a simple assassination attempt.

"Nate is her bodyguard, but it appears he is also her boyfriend," her mother explained. "Why don't you sit down, sweetie? It looks like we're having a family meeting, and this could take a while. Aidan, I'd like to know what your father is talking about when he says you'll do what needs to be done. What needs to be done, son?"

Aidan stopped, seeming to realize he was in a trap of some kind. "Uh, look, Mom, all I know is Da called and told me Daisy's in trouble again. She got freaking shot at and now there's a bounty on her head, and apparently my friend tricked her into bed with him. So yeah, I'm going to talk to him."

Carys looked Daisy's way. "I don't think that's what happened."

Poor Carys. She didn't want to give her up. "Mom and Da know, Carys. They know I spent last night with Nate and he didn't know who I was at the time. Apparently, though, my super-secret disguise didn't work, and he recognized me as Dee this morning."

Aidan frowned. "Wait. Carys knew you were on the dungeon floor last night? And she didn't bother to tell me?"

"Why would it surprise you?" Carys seemed genuinely shocked at his attitude. "She belongs to the club and has since the day it opened. She has every right to play at her home club."

"But she doesn't play," Aidan argued. "She hangs out in the locker room and comes to social parties."

"Because she's not really into all that stuff," her da proclaimed.

"Stuff?" Carys moved around the conference table, taking a place at Daisy's side. "Stuff like the lifestyle we were all pretty much raised in? The one her parents practice and has helped them have a very healthy, happy marriage? Are we talking about that stuff? Or are we simply talking about sex?"

"Maybe we should leave this discussion to Daisy and our parents," Aidan hedged.

"I'm happy to have Carys here," her mother said. "I'm also very glad Carys has apparently been mentoring Daisy at the club. She's right. I would like to know why my daughter stays in the locker room when she has a whole club to play in and Liam"—she pointed a finger Da's way—"don't even start on her being a good girl because I will bring Erin in here. I love you, but I won't let you shame our daughter. She isn't some shrinking virgin."

"Well, she's not anymore, and that's young Nathan's fault," Da shot back.

"No, it's Justin Harper's fault." He'd been her boyfriend, though she wouldn't have called them terribly serious. They'd had a bunch of classes together and they seemed to fit, and not once had she felt for him like she did for Nate.

Probably because he wasn't Nate and never had been even close. She had to acknowledge the fact that she'd been thinking about Nate Carter for years.

"I don't need to hear that," her da said. "I knew we shouldn't have let you go off to college."

"You probably shouldn't have let me out of the house," Daisy said quietly.

"Aidan, I'd like an answer." Her mother stared a hole through her brother. "What does your father mean?"

"I'd like to know, too." Carys crossed her arms over her chest. "I would also like to know why it's perfectly okay for me to play in the club but it's too dirty for Daisy."

"Now, you know what I'm talking about, Carys," her da insisted. "You have a perfectly good fiancé. It's fine for you and Aidan to do whatever you like."

"But I'm alone so I should be a virgin?" This conversation was everything she'd been afraid of.

"I only want you to be safe," he replied, his voice going low. "It's not the same for you as it is for Aidan. We have to protect you, and part of protecting you means having conversations with the men who want to get close to you."

What had Nate said? She hadn't believed him at the time, but now she wondered. "Like you had Aidan talk to guys at The Hideout?"

"What?" Carys's head shook like she didn't even understand the words Daisy was saying.

"Sweetie, why would you think your brother did that?" her mom asked.

She felt tears fill her eyes. "Well, it's not like I haven't tried to play. But when I do, suddenly no one is available." She turned to her brother. "Did you or did you not warn all the Doms at The Hideout not to play with me?"

"Don't you dare lie to her," her mother warned. "Aidan, I've dealt with your father putting Daisy on a pedestal because I thought he didn't know how to handle having a daughter. But you damn well know how to handle a sister. So I need to know if you've been meddling with your sister's relationships."

"I've been protecting her." Aidan sighed and pulled the cap from his head, shoving it into the pocket of his scrubs. "I know those guys, Mom."

Oh, but he didn't. "You barely knew that guy named Grim. And Josh Barnes."

"I knew his name was fucking Grim, and he wasn't getting his hands on my sister," Aidan shot back.

Carys's jaw had dropped. "You warned Doms off her?"

"I did what my father asked me to do," Aidan replied with a frown.

"Yes, he's done a good job, but he took his eyes off her this time," her da replied.

The room went quiet for a moment and her mother stared at her father. "Li, I need to speak with you in private."

She rarely heard her mother talk to anyone in that tone of voice. It was usually directed at her, a sure sign she was in trouble. She almost never heard her mother use a harsh tone when talking to Da or Aidan.

Daisy's gut clenched. She didn't want to be the reason they had this conversation. She hadn't meant to make her mom upset. She loved her mom. Loved them all. Her family was all she had.

Were they going to ask her to give up Nate?

What would she do if they told her she had to choose? Should she choose momentary joy over her lifelong family? When Nate eventually decided she was too much trouble, who would she have?

She'd only spent a single night with the man. The best night. The hours she'd spent with him had made her happier than she'd ever been, made her feel more than she'd thought she could, and it hadn't all been about sex. He'd talked to her, opened up to her, and it had been everything.

But if it hurt her father, did she have any right to momentary pleasure?

"Avery, you don't understand," her da argued.

Her mother stood and started for the door. "Oh, I understand. I understand what you've done to our girl. Daisy, I want you to know how much I love you and how proud I am of you. I'm going to have a discussion with your father and he's going to stay out of your relationship with Nate. I'll send over supper for both of you tonight, and I hope you have a lovely time. You should try the privacy rooms. They're a lot of fun."

"You shouldn't…" her da began but her mom was already walking out of the conference room. Her da followed behind. "Avery, slow down."

The door closed behind them.

"Dais," her brother began.

"So, all those times I worked up the courage to ask someone to play with me, you knew they never would?" It felt like a betrayal.

Her brother's face fell. "It wasn't like that. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"And yet you did a fabulous job." Carys stared at her fiancé like she didn't know him. "I can't believe you did this."

Aidan leaned her way, an earnest expression on his face. "Why is it wrong to protect my sister?"

"You're protecting her from what, Aidan? From enjoying her life? From having good sex? From finding someone who she can love? You damn straight didn't protect her from feeling like no one wanted her," Carys pointed out.

It was good to know Carys hadn't realized what was happening. Another woman being in on it would have hurt far worse. "So my friends didn't know?"

Carys shook her head. "Absolutely not. I'm shocked no one talked, and now I'm worried the guys are being assholes and have some sort of pact to protect the little women. Are the other guys in on it? TJ? Tristan?"

"TJ doesn't have anything to do with it. Tris is looking out for his sister like I'm looking out for mine. When we started the club, Da was worried," Aidan began.

The door came open and Nate strode in, carrying the bags of sandwiches her mom had sent with Da this morning. Food was her mother's love language, but she didn't feel much like eating now.

"Are your parents okay?" Nate asked, setting the bag down. He also had a green can he handed to her. "You still like lemon lime? It's all you used to drink as a kid."

She loved it. "You remembered?"

His expression softened. "I remember a lot, love."

The way he was looking at her…like she was precious. Like she was the whole world.

"My parents aren't okay." Aidan reminded her he was still here.

"Neither are we," Carys said. "Nate, did he try to warn you off Daisy and Brianna? Any other young virgins who need to be protected at all costs?"

Nate whistled and started unpacking the food. "So, I was right and that's why all the Doms freaked out when they realized it was Daisy." He sat down beside her. "I watched you from the lounge. You should understand there wasn't an eye not on you last night. Every Dom in the club wanted you the minute you stepped out because you were the most gorgeous sub on the floor. It was only after they realized it was you that they started acting like you had an infectious disease or something."

Every word was a balm to her soul. "Well, I'm kind of glad now because I think it worked out for me."

He shook his head and took her hand in both of his. "I would have come after you. I knew what I wanted, and even if you'd started playing with someone else, I would have made a move."

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, sending a thrill of arousal through her.

"Is that what you wanted to protect her from?" Carys asked quietly.

Aidan's eyes closed, and he took a long breath. When he opened them again, there was regret in his gaze. "From the moment you were born, Da told me it was up to me to protect you. It's always been my job. I honestly wasn't trying to hurt you. I want the best for you, and I know that's you finding someone who loves you and having a great…sex life, but you're still my kid sister. The one I'm supposed to protect from everything."

"He's going to stop now," Carys promised. "And we're going to have a long talk with Tristan if he ever fucking comes home again."

Carys had enough on her plate. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to cause trouble between the two of you. Aidan, you should know I had already decided to find a new club. You won't have to worry about watching me make any mistakes."

"Daisy, please don't." Aidan slumped down onto the chair across from her. "I was trying to please Da. You know how much he adores you, and he's never been able to see beyond you being the five-year-old girl who wanted nothing more than to be with her father. Can you forgive me? I will talk to every Dom at the club and explain I was wrong."

"Maybe we should play on different nights." It still hurt, but it was easy to see her brother loved her. She wasn't so sure about her da, who seemed to be figuring out she wasn't a little girl. Daisy wasn't sure he would be able to love the woman she'd become.

"Nate and I will work that out," Aidan promised. "Car, do you want to talk?"

Carys sighed and moved around the conference table, sitting next to her fiancé. "Not really. If Daisy is willing to accept your apology, then I say we sit here and have our first double date." She reached for his hand. "Life is too short to be mad."

"Thank you." Aidan leaned over and kissed her and then looked to Daisy. "And I'm so sorry, Dais. I love you. I want you to be happy, and if your version of happiness means you've got a three-hundred-pound Australian tree on top of you most of the time, then I'm glad for you. I will talk to Da."

"I'm not three hundred pounds," Nate said with a frown. "I'm barely two sixty."

"And it's all muscle," Carys said with a wink.

"Hello, fiancé right here." Aidan frowned Carys's way.

"Well, I can look, and I'm going to high-five Dais when you two aren't looking. Now, is there a ham and brown bread? I'm starving, and I have to get back to the hospital for afternoon rounds soon." Carys took the sandwich Daisy gave her.

Aidan stood again. "And I will go get us some sodas since Nate only remembers what Daisy drinks."

"Mate, I didn't even know you were here." Nate had a big smile on his face.

"Well, you should know I'll be anywhere my sister needs me," Aidan vowed. "And I'll check and make sure Da is still breathing."

When the door closed behind him, Carys leaned over. "Thank you for not being too rough on him. The wedding is…well, is coming up way too fast, and it's settling in that Tristan isn't going to be there."

In some ways she understood. Daisy forced a smile on her face. "It's okay. I don't need revenge or anything."

"So I shouldn't have texted the twins and asked them what's going on?" Nate opened his own soda casually, like he hadn't dropped a bomb that was going to explode in her brother's face.

"You did what?" Carys asked, her jaw dropping slightly.

"Oh, I just figured if anyone would be able to tell me if I was right about what was going on, it's the twins." Nate was a gorgeous bastard, and she kind of wanted to jump him right there. "I mean they are in the information business. Kala said she would handle it. I don't know what she means by that."

Carys stood. "I have to go warn Aidan. Are they back? How long do we have?"

She rushed out the door, and Daisy was left alone with the most gorgeous man she'd ever met. The one who would probably break her heart.

"Hey, I didn't actually text the twins. I'm not trying to get your brother killed," Nate explained. "Just uncomfortable."

She grabbed a sandwich and forced herself to relax. "Well, if my brother thinks the twins are coming after him, he might move. Far away. Though they might think about recruiting him because I swear the twins know everything. Big brother did a great job hiding it."

But it was all out in the open now, and she would have to deal with the ramifications.

* * * *

Nate made sure the security system was on and then sent Avery a text letting her know they were safely locked in for the night.

He'd promised his mum's best friend he would protect her daughter with everything he had.

What he didn't tell her was he intended to protect her soul, too.

Something was up with Daisy. Oh, she was smiling and polite, and she'd been incredibly patient. But he saw right through her. Something had happened the night before, something that had shifted his universe into place, and he had zero intention of allowing those stars to unalign.

Daisy was the sun in the sky for him, and it didn't matter that everyone would tell him he hadn't known her long enough. He knew this deep in his bones. He'd spent the night with her and known he wanted all the nights with her.

He stepped out of the security office and jogged up the steps leading to the lounge and beyond, the dungeon floor.

Daisy sat in the lounge, her head down, staring at her phone.

This was what he'd dealt with all afternoon. After the confrontation with her father, she'd shut down. Oh, she would smile when she needed to, and she'd been polite when her father had walked in and told her to be careful, but when he'd hugged her, she'd barely hugged him back.

She'd done everything she'd been asked to do, including make a list of things for Devi to pick up for her and drop off at Sanctum. Devi had gone with her mom, and they'd even stopped at the grocery and stocked the kitchen for them.

"We're locked in for the night," he said, studying her. She was simply stunning. All the awkwardness of her girlhood was gone, and nothing but a glorious sun of a woman was left in her place. Which was precisely why he hated the fact that her glow had dimmed.

He had to find a way to wipe the afternoon out of her head for a little while.

She looked up. "Oh, good. I'll go see what Mom sent for dinner."

"I think we should talk first."

She sighed. "What is there to talk about, Nate? I've done everything that's been asked of me. I'm putting my life on hold so no one has to worry. If you've changed your mind, I can handle that. My family was a lot today."

She didn't understand him at all, but maybe he hadn't made himself clear. "I don't want to talk, Daisy. I want to chase you through this club. I want to rip your clothes off and fuck you on every possible surface."

Her eyes flared. "So we're going to do that thing where we're together in the club?"

"The club is simply where we are right now. If I'd thought for a second you would have been up for it, I would have hauled you into a closet at the office and fucked you there, but you were going through some things," he admitted. "And I don't have an actual office. It's a cubicle, and I'm too big to hide behind those walls. Besides, I want to hear you when you come."

"Nate," she began. "Maybe you should think about this. There's a reason my brother warned his friends off me, and no matter what he said, I have to think it was at least partially about protecting them."

"From how gorgeous you are? From how you could rock their whole fucking worlds?"

She stood, her hands going to her hips. Her fighting stance. "From how much trouble I can be."

He needed her to understand he could handle a fight. But he was also open to negotiations. "How about we make a deal, love? You get into trouble and you call me. When I get shot for you, you owe me some submission time."

Her expression softened, and she moved into his space. "I forgot. Nate, I should look at your arm."

He shook his head. "I don't need a nurse. It's fine. I don't even feel it. It was more like a graze. Now what happened to my truck is another story entirely. I'm going to need quite a bit of time for that. We were lucky to have Alex drive us here. Tomorrow they're going to give me a rental, and it won't be big enough."

She stepped back, putting space between them. "I'm sorry. I certainly didn't intend to wreck your truck. You know I didn't plan any of this. I didn't exactly go into the week thinking Hey, I'd like to witness a bunch of crimes and lose another job and get shot at ."

At least the hollow look was out of her eyes. How often had she felt weary and no one else saw through her pretty mask? All he'd heard was about how crazy Daisy's life could be. Did anyone think about the toll it might take on her? How it affected her view of herself? "And yet it happened, and in the middle of a firefight, you wanted to make sure your da had breakfast."

"I told you, he's cranky when he doesn't eat." Daisy's arms crossed over those gorgeous breasts. "See, I'm trouble. I also don't behave the way people think I should. And you know what, it wasn't much of a firefight. I could have helped if you'd given me a gun."

The thought damn near gave him a heart attack, so why did the idea of an armed Daisy also get him a little hot? Not that he wasn't hot enough for her already. "If you don't like how I protect you, we can discuss it."

She stopped, her expression going blank again. "I know what you're doing, but it can't work. Nate, I know this whole sex thing is hot, but it wears off."

He didn't like the space between them, but he had to be careful. He moved toward her. "It won't with me. It's more than sex."

Sure enough she stepped back, but her eyes were on him, and he could see the longing plain in her gaze. "You can't know that."

He wasn't even sure she realized he was herding her to the back of the lounge, where there would be nowhere for her to go. He could feel his body heating up. This sensation was completely new for him. He'd certainly wanted sex before, but it had never been this crazed need for one woman. "Is it all about sex for you? Was that the only connection?"

"How would I even know? The truth is it was the best sex I've ever had. If you want me to stroke your ego, I can certainly do that."

His ego wasn't what he wanted her to stroke, but he had a point to make. "It was the best sex of my life, too."

"It's not enough to build something real on."

She was forgetting they had a past. "Daisy, we were friends once. It's not like we don't know each other and this is all coming out of nowhere."

She'd left her phone behind, and all her attention was now where he wanted it. On him. "I was Aidan's sister."

"Then how do I remember what soda you like? How would I know that when you were ten, your greatest ambition in life was to be a teacher? Back then you were afraid of the dark because your cousins once played a prank where they hid in your closet and pretended to be monsters." He wasn't going to let her be afraid of what they felt for each other. Another step and he had her where he wanted her. "Here's what you don't know. Before I came here, I think I was in some kind of depression. Not clinical, but I was definitely at a low place in my life because I was numb. I got out of the military because it wasn't filling my soul the way I thought it would. I thought since my father served, following in his footsteps would be the right thing to do, but I really went in because I didn't have any other plans. Funny thing is, I think I am going to follow in his footsteps. My father didn't have some grand career. His job was loving my mum. That was his place in the world, and last night I found mine."

She was backed up against the bar. "Nate, you can't know that."

"I can, and I think you know it, too." He wanted to kiss her and blow past all her walls, but she was in a delicate state. Still, he could feel the heat building between them. "One of the reasons I came here was because most of my favorite memories revolve around you and Aidan. I was going to meet with you, and a part of me hoped you would still be that girl following me around, looking up to me."

"You knew I had a crush on you?" The question came out breathy, as though she was trying to force herself to concentrate.

It was so easy to be honest with this woman. He wasn't the kind of man who prevaricated, but he also didn't open up easily. But with her, being honest was like breathing. "Of course. I hoped you still did because I thought that awkward girl would be perfect for me. I thought she would be a balm to my soul. I even entertained the idea of seeing if there was a spark between us. I needed something in my life to work. Something easy."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not easy, Nate."

He reached up and stroked back her hair, giving in to the undeniable need to touch her. "No, you're not. I was looking for an ember to keep me warm and I got the bloody volcano, and I won't go back for anything. If you're scared I'm going to get fed up with the chaos that seems to follow you, I won't. If you're scared I'll back out, let's settle it. We can get married."

"What?" She tried to move away from him, but there was nowhere to go.

It felt good to throw her off. He got the feeling he would be chasing after her for the rest of his life, so he would take these moments when he surprised her. "I can cause some chaos, too, baby. Think about it. It solves the problem with your da. We can tell him we were joking and I took your virginity on our wedding night, and you can be pregnant by the end of the year. I've heard pumping out a few adorable kiddos softens up the mad dads pretty quick."

She ducked under his arm, moving away again. She started to pace, putting one of the luxurious sofas between them. "Nate, that's a crazy idea."

He could pick that sucker up and toss it away if he wanted to. "Yeah, it is. Let's do it."

She stopped, staring at him like he'd gone insane. "We can't."

He shrugged. "Why not? We're young and stupid, and I'm so fucking crazy about you. If it's a mistake, it'll be the best one I ever make."

He moved closer to her.

"You can't be serious." She held her ground, but it was easy to see she was… Not exactly nervous. Aware. She was aware of him.

Beware, little sub.

"I am bloody serious."

She bit her bottom lip. "Nathan, are you stalking me?"

It was good to put it plainly, though he rather thought he'd already done it. "I told you what I want, Dais."

"You want to chase me through the club." Every word was the tiniest bit shaky, like she knew what came next. "You don't want me to make it easy on you. You don't want simple."

At last she understood him. "I want trouble. I want whacked-out, crazy fucking trouble. Can you give it to me? You have a safe word. You should be ready to use it because I'm feeling feral today, love. I'm never feral. I'm perfectly polite. Been that way all my life. I learned how to shove the beast that lives in me way down or I scare folks. But you bring it out. So I'm going to ask you again. Are you going to give me the trouble I'm craving?"

"Just in the club?"

He shook his head. "Nah, love. You made your choice. You get me in and out of this club. I don't want boundaries or walls. If we're in the office and you need my cock, I'll get really fucking creative. This isn't a ploy to get a couple of hours of sex from you. I want it forever. You and the sex and all the trouble I can stand."

Daisy's lips curled up in the sweetest smile, and then she took off running.

Nate's beast growled in the best way as he stalked his prey.