Page 92 of Daddy's Wild Girl

No.

No, she did not.

Because she liked being held by him. She enjoyed being coddled. She might even need it right now.

He carried her into the house and then toward the stairs.

“Wait, I need to talk to Hayes first,” she said. “I need to apologize.”

“You need to get warm, girl,” Hayes said from behind them as he shut the front door. “I’m going to go up and run you a bath.”

He slid past them and headed toward the stairs.

“Wait! Please let me say this. Because I really am sorry. I didn’t mean to run out like that. I know it was against the rules and put myself in danger, and the two of you could have gotten into trouble if something happened. I didn’t mean to. I really didn’t.”

Corbin tightened his hold on her and Hayes turned, gazing down at her intently.

“Whether you believe in the threat or not, it should be taken seriously, girl,” Hayes growled.

“I know.”

Lord, she felt so terrible it was starting to eat her up inside. She hated disappointing them. She’d really grown to like them both in the last two weeks.

Now her head was pounding from the stress of tonight and her stomach was nauseous, wondering if they were going to tell her how disappointed they were.

How she needed to do better.

“Hey,” Corbin said carefully. “Bebe, it’s all right. We’re not mad at you.”

“Nope.” Hayes grew closer. “You ain’t the one we’re mad at. That would be your mother. Don’t know what she was thinking or what she hoped to gain. But, girl, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Understand me?”

“Y-yes.”

“Next time, though, you better run to us, not away, understood?”

“Yes. I w-will try.”

“You’re a good girl, Bebe. Don’t forget that, okay? Gonna go run that bath.”

She had to blink back her tears at his words. That ‘good girl’ didn’t have the same impact as it did coming from Corbin.

But, sheesh, she still liked it.

And she wasn’t sure what that said about her.

“He’s really running me a bath?” she whispered. Somehow, she thought Hayes would be the last person to do something like that for her.

Half of the time, she still wasn’t even sure he liked her.

“He likes you,” Corbin told her, as though he’d read her mind. “And trust me, that’s not common for Hayes. Pretty sure he still doesn’t like me.”

She had to smile at that. It was ridiculous.

“Why are you smiling?” he asked, carrying her toward the staircase.

“Because that’s crazy. Who wouldn’t like you?”

“Well, thanks.”

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