Page 63 of Bad Girls Don't Marry Marines (Rock Canyon, Idaho 3)

“I said—”

“Oh my God!” She jumped out of the bed and looked around the room before lunging for her jeans on the floor.

He had no idea what to say about it, mainly because he thought the whole situation was ridiculous. From what he knew about her father’s attempts to control her, their relationship was toxic as hell.

“Do you want me to go and—”

“No!” she yelled before her skin paled and she glanced toward the door, lowering her voice. “No, I’m going to head next door to change, and then I’ll handle him.”

“So, I’m guessing I shouldn’t ask his permission to date you?”

The alarmed look she shot him answered his question, but she actually surprised him when she padded over, wrapping her arms around his waist. Kissing his chest, she looked up at him and murmured, “Listen, I am not ashamed of you. Just a lot of stuff happened last night, and I’m so pissed off, I want to tear into him. Things are going to get ugly, I can guarantee it, and I don’t want you in the middle.”

He hugged her to him and tried to joke. “I have a dad; I know what a pain in the ass they are.”

She shook her head. “Trust me, your relationship with your father is nothing like mine.”

He wanted to argue and tell her about the doozies they’d had, but she was already pulling away from him and heading for the adjoining door. She blew him a kiss and warned, “Whatever you hear, don’t open this.”

And with those ominous words, she shut the door.

VAL CHANGED INTO a pair of loose jeans and a sweater and smoothed her hair back. Her father would hate the cut on sight, but it was none of his damn business. It was funny that the man who was all about appearances never had any problem humiliating her. Too bad he’d made his last wrong move with her. Nothing he could do could hurt or control her anymore, not after last night. She was nothing more than chattel or a trophy for him, something he paraded around to make himself feel good. She’d given him so many opportunities to be a good dad and he’d failed every time.

He’d lost his last chance with her.

Washing her face free of makeup, she slipped on her boots and walked toward the door, ready for battle. She opened it just in time to come face-to-face with Edward Willis’s fury, his skin the color of a sun-ripened tomato.

“Why, Father, so good of you to come so early. Did you change your mind about signing up after all?”

“Good God, what have you done to yourself?” His dark eyes were glacial as he pushed his way into the room, looking around as if searching for something to disapprove of. “We had a deal, you and I. The point of this little weekend trip was to help repair your image and show everyone that you have nothing to hide. To meet the right kind of men—”

“Like Kyle Jenner?” she asked coolly, her tone belying the molten lava flowing through her veins.

“Why not? Kyle is just the type of man you should be associating with.”

“Kyle Jenner is a disgusting, vile cretin of a man, and the fact that you’re willing to overlook all that because of his pedigree makes me think you’re no fucking better than he is,” she said, her mouth twisting in disgust. “After everything I told you about Natalie, how could you?”

“Kyle was never charged with anything, and besides, he said it was just a misunderstanding.”

Val laughed humorlessly. “Of course he did, but that isn’t the point. I told you I wasn’t going to let you control me anymore. Not my life, not my job, and especially not who I date.”

“I know all about you and Silverton, and I forbid it.”

Forbid it? In a rush, she was sent back in time to the night she’d spent with Justin, and the overwhelming joy she’d experienced until the minute her foot had touched the soft carpet of her bedroom. An iron grip had wrapped around her arm and yanked her the rest of the way into the room. Staring into her father’s cold fury, she’d been so scared, she couldn’t speak.

“I am not letting you go down this road like your sister, Valerie. I forbid it!”

Fast-forward to his office, arguing about college in San Diego.

“I am not letting you move thousands of miles away on my dime to party and slut your way through your studies. I forbid it.”

And then to the night after the topless photos had surfaced, when he’d stormed into her dorm room and thrown out her roommate, and rounded on her.

“If you think I’m going to suffer through any more of these humiliations, you are in for a rude awakening, little girl. You just cost me my chance at the senate, so you’d better toe the line. One more stunt like last night and you’re cut off. No parties, no gambling, or anything else that doesn’t make you look like the model student. Nothing, do you understand? I forbid it.”

Taking in a deep, calming breath, she flashed a pleased smirk, which turned his face eggplant.

“I am serious, Valerie.”

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