Page 120 of Daddies' Captive

“Here’s another drink, Effie,” Lucy said.

“You know, Lucy,” she said, gulping it down. “I was wrong, you’re not such a bitch.”

“Thanks,” Lucy replied. Although there seemed to be something wrong with her voice.

“Can you make a drink that tastes like jelly beans? I loveeee jelly beans.”

“Sure, Effie. Anything for you.”

“Yeah, you’re not a bitch at all. You’re so sweet.”

“Effie, are you all right?” Nate asked.

“Nate!” She threw her arms up in the air. “You’re the best too!”

“What’s wrong with her? What did you do?” Nate demanded.

“I didn’t do anything. But I think . . . I think she might have taken something,” Lucy whispered.

“Did you put something in her drinks?” Nate asked.

“No! How dare you suggest that!” Lucy said.

“I want to dance! I want to get up on the stage and dance! Where’s Chardonnay? I’m sure she’ll dance with me! Come on, Lucy, let’s dance!”

“Shit. We need to get her out the back.” Suddenly, Nate was in front of her. He wrapped an arm around her. “Come on, Effie. Let’s get you out back so you can lie down.”

“But I want to dance!”

“What the fuck is going on here?”

23

Grady watched as Effie spun, smiling wide at him. There was something different about this smile.

She actually looked happy. Really happy.

And he thought it would never be a bad thing to see that smile on her face . . . for the rest of his life.

As she spun, she tripped and he reached out to grab her.

“Stupid air. Keeps tripping me up!”

He held her against him, breathing her in. Fuck. She felt so good in his arms.

“You smell so good.”

“Do I?” he asked.

She snuggled into him as though she belonged there. Then she tilted her head back to smile up at him. “You are sooo pretty.”

Fuck. She was beautiful.

Even though he and Steele had had a conversation a week and a half ago about moving things forward with her, they hadn’t had much time to actually do anything.

Well, Steele seemed to find time each day to stop by and eat some of her baked goods. And Grady knew that she’d baked him an entire cake of his own. He knew that because Steele had guarded that thing like it held the crown jewels and hadn’t even shared one piece.

Greedy bastard.

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