Page 41 of Electric Kiss

Her voice sounded echoey, and all Daisy could focus on was the list of flowers and pesticides. Then she heard a fainthammering like a fist on a door. That’s when she heard a commotion but was too far gone to work out what was happening.

It wasn’t until warm lips touched hers that she came back to the present. She immediately threw her arms around Nate’s neck and held on as he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he cradled her arse.

“Which way to her office?” she heard Nate say.

“What the fuck is going on here? You’re the arsehole who made her life a misery at school.”

That was Luke, she heard shouting at Nate.

“She has forgiven me. Now I’m making amends which is more than I can say for you lot. She’s freaking out, and the furthest any of you are from her is ten feet. Jason, you’re fucking well sitting next to her,” he bellowed.

“How did you know she was freaking out?” Jason countered.

“She sent me an SOS.”

“How did she know you would come?” he bantered back.

“Because I will always come for her,” Nate roared. “You lot are so busy being loved up that you haven’t noticed your goddamn sister could do with support. Now which fucking way to her office?”

“I’ll take you,” Erica said.

Daisy opened her eyes and saw Erica hop off the bench and lead the way. As Daisy passed Luke, Archer, Jason, Heidi and Freya, they all stroked her arm or back. But Daisy didn’t have any energy to respond. She reserved all she had to hang on to Nate.

Nate followed Erica down the hall to Daisy’s office, his heart racing with worry.

“What happened to cause her to send an SOS? Did anyof you hurt her? I’m going out of my mind here. Each possibility is more frightening than the last. I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to her.”

Daisy didn’t know who he was talking to, but no one answered.

He had made her feel safe again.

When they finally arrived at her office, he barged in.

“Daisy?” he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper.

At the sound of his voice, Daisy’s eyes shot open, and she looked at him with a mixture of relief and fear.

“Nate,” she said, her voice shaking. “Thank God you came.”

“Is she okay?” Archer asked.

Daisy was now in her office chair. She looked over Nate’s shoulder as he crouched in front of her chair and saw her brothers and the girls standing on the threshold with faces of concern.

“I’ll take care of her. She’ll be fine with me,” Nate said with authority.

“Come and knock on any of our cottages if you need us,” Erica said.

Nate nodded and then focused his attention back on Daisy. His eyes were scanning her face but mainly concentrated on her eyes. She heard her office door click closed.

They were alone.

“You gave my brothers hell,” Daisy said.

“I’m really unimpressed with the Turner boys. They were all up in my face in school because I was an arsehole to you, but now they’re not looking out for you as adults. Fucking hell, Daisy, they were sitting within feet and didn’t notice you silently panicking.”

Daisy stared at him, mesmerised by his conviction, stunned by his vehemence.

“Thank you for coming.”

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