Page 92 of Bet On Me, Daddy

In the midst of shaking a martini for one of Cordelia’s tables, Ruby glared at Tara, who was watching her through narrowed eyes. “I’m fine.”

“Liar.”

Yeah, she was. Even after multiple doses of pain meds and a nap between her shift at the coffee shop and the club, her head was still pounding. Maybe it was allergies, because her nose was also starting to feel a little stopped up. January was a bit earlyfor allergy season, even in the south, but it had been a relatively warm winter right up until the cold snap they were currently in.

But if she told Tara that, she’d go tattle to Braden and Daddy B would take one look at her and send her home. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

Tara’s expression shifted instantly from worried to smug. “Oh? Do I need to tell Beckett to let my girl get some rest?”

“Did I hear someone invoking my name?”

Shit. Speaking of overprotective Daddies who would try their damnedest to send her home early.

Forcing a smile, she turned to Beckett as she poured the martini into a glass. “Tara’s just being a nosy b-word.”

“I wouldn’t have to be a nosy b-word if you didn’t lie to my face about not feeling well.” With a flash of teeth that barely passed a smile, Tara batted her lashes. “I’ll let your Daddy take it from here.”

Dammit.

Sure enough, Beckett’s flirtatious smile disappeared the instant Tara tattled. “What’s wrong, baby?”

Double Dammit. It wasn’t so much the question as the sweet, genuine concern beneath it that made her want to crawl across the bar and curl up in his lap. “I’m fine. Just a bit of a headache.”

“Have you taken anything? Checked your temperature?”

“Took some Tylenol and a nap after work this morning.” Jerking back when he tried to press his hand against her forehead, she sent him a withering look. “Seriously? I’mfine, Beckett.”

She deliberately used his name and not either of the titles they’d agreed on to remind him she was working and therefore their dynamic was completely off the table.

Fat lot of good it did her, though.

“If you’re sick, you need to go home. You need to rest. You work too much as it is.”

Annoyance pricked at her, making her headache even worse. “I work as much as I need to, Beckett.”

But he obviously wasn’t listening to her. Turning away from the bar, he twisted his head around as if he was looking for someone. “Where’s Braden? I’m going to tell him you need to go home.”

Fucking hell, not this again. “Beckett Stone, don’t you dare!”

They had an audience, and not the fun kind. All around them, people were staring, and not even bothering to hide their curiosity. Humiliation, again not the fun kind, heated Ruby’s face as she reached across the bar to grab Beckett’s shirt. “You’re making a scene,” she hissed, giving the soft material a hard yank. “Get a fucking grip, would you?”

Beckett turned, slowly, and when his dark gaze landed on her, their audience faded into the shadows. “Excuse me, little girl?”

Shit, shit, shit. It took every ounce of courage she had not to immediately back down in the face of that icy fury. “You’re making a scene. You need to stop.”

“And why the hell would I do that when you’re standing here, clearly in pain?”

The part of her that wanted, desperately, to be cared for the way he obviously could nearly caved. And she had to remind that part of herself that his kind of care came with a price she wasn’t willing to pay. “Because you’re not my Daddy. Not right now. We talked about this Beckett, remember?”

“Fuck,” he muttered, dragging a hand through his hair in clear agitation. “You’re right. I overstepped. Again. I’m sorry.”

Some of the knots in her stomach loosened at his apology. “It’s okay. I understand you’re just worried.”

“I’d be a lot less worried if you’d let me take you home.”

God, she was tempted. Especially now that her head was pounding even more after their argument. But she needed thetip money to pay for the oil change her car was dangerously overdue on. Which she couldn’t tellhim, because then he’d probably do something crazy like buy her a new car.

“What if I promise to go straight home after my shift?”

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