Page 176 of Her Daddies' Everything

“Actually, that’s exactly what I am,” he replied in a stern voice. “You got painkillers?”

“Um. What?”

“Painkillers, Immy. You got some?”

“I’m allowed to talk now?”

“When I ask you a question, yes.”

“Well, why not any other time?” she asked, throwing her hands up into the air in exasperation.

“Because I’m not very happy with you right now, Cherry.”

“What? Why? What did I do?” she asked. If anyone had the right to be angry, she was pretty sure that it was her.

“Do you have painkillers?” he repeated as he drove them to the hotel.

She sighed. “Yes. Why?”

“For your headache. Wanted to know if we needed to stop and get some.”

Okay. That was sweet. “I have some in my handbag. I just don’t have any water.”

“Was it the music?”

“No.”

“Was there even a headache, Immy?”

Shoot.

“I do have a slight headache,” she gritted out as they parked at the hotel.

“But it was really an excuse to leave, wasn’t it? It wasn’t about a headache, it was about wanting to get me away from Lauren.”

Urgh.

Darn it.

He’d know if she lied.

“Fine, it was mostly about getting you away from Lauren before you did something that you would regret. But I also had a bit of a headache.”

“Trust me, I wouldn’t regret it,” he told her darkly.

He undid his belt and turned to her. Then he grasped hold of her chin. His touch was gentle, but definitely firm. “Believe I’ve said this before, but I’ll keep saying it. Do not lie to me, Immy.”

She sucked in a breath at the look on his face. He was deadly serious. Intense. She might have been a touch scared, if she was smart.

But Immy decided that she wasn’t always that smart. Because instead of placating him, she leaned into him. “Again. You’re not the boss of me.”

“No? You think not?”

“I do think not.”

“Well, we’ll see. Because that’s exactly what I intend to be.”

He got out of the car before she could question him. Did she want to question him? Oh heck. What was going on here?

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