Page 99 of Daddy's Wild Girl

He crooked a finger at her.

Uh-oh.

He wasn’t headed to level five, was he? What reason did he have to be upset at her?

“Come here, Bebe.”

“What did I do?” she asked.

His eyes widened, then he shook his head and uncrossed his arms. “Hey, nothing. I’m not upset with you. I just wanted to give you a hug.”

A hug?

He wanted to hug her?

Ohh. She really wanted that hug.

“Sorry. It’s just you looked like you were upset about something.”

“Maybe the fact I haven’t gotten my hug yet?”

This wasn’t smart. And yet, when was she known for being smart? She found herself walking toward him and letting him bring her into his chest to hold her tight.

Ohhh.

That was so nice.

For the first time today, she really relaxed. Sounded crazy when she’d basically spent the whole day in bed. His hand moved firmly up and down her back, massaging sore spots she hadn’t realized she had. She melted into him when he rubbed the back of her neck.

“You worry me.”

She tensed slightly and he shushed her, continuing his one-handed massage. “Don’t get upset. Just telling you the truth. I’ve been worried about you all day.”

“I wasn’t going to jump off the bridge, Corbin.”

“It’s not about that. Well, not just about that. If you say you weren’t, I believe you.”

The last of the tension left her. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear that.

“I do wish you’d talk to someone. It doesn’t have to be about that, just in general. With everything your mother has done . . . is still doing… to manipulate you. You should talk that through so it doesn’t bottle up inside you and eat you up.”

He wasn’t wrong.

But she didn’t want to spend money on a therapist. And she didn’t have anyone else to talk to.

What about Corbin? Hmm. She’d told him most of the crap with her mother. But he didn’t know the rest of it. Was she brave enough to disclose it all to him?

Not yet.

“I’ll consider it,” she said instead.

He kissed the top of her head. “That’s my good girl. Come and sit down. Eat your food.”

This was so dangerous.

Every day in his presence, she fell more under his spell. Wanted more of him. Craved his attention and his praise.

His touch.