Page 70 of Desperate People

Defending me to her father.

Like she owes me something.

I should just let her go with him.

Set her free.

Tell her last night doesn’t come with chains.

But I don’t.

Because I want her.

I want her.

And I’m greedy.

I want her in my house. In my bed. In my life.

So no, I’m not walking away.

Not because of the fucking press. Not because of her father. Not for anything.

“Fine. He’s honorable, you say?” Marat growls, voice razor-sharp, and turns to face me fully.

His eyes are wild, jaw clenched, and even though he’s older, I can see how he was voted the Sexiest Man in Business eight times over by leading magazines.

Lucy is definitely his daughter.

The two of them are stunningly beautiful.

So much so, it hurts to look at them sometimes.

But I look at him.

Hell, I don’t even blink.

His suit jacket is thrown open like he stormed in without stopping long enough to remember who the hell he was.

“Well, Mr. Fucking Honorable,” he bites, stepping forward. “I want to know right now. How far are you willing to go to protect my daughter?”

I stand there, still naked, tension crawling down my spine.

“She’s all over the goddamn news,” he spits. “They’re having a fucking field day with it. Headlines tearing her apart, leaking that her security was lax. That she’s reckless. That she’s easy to get to. Is that how you plan to keep her safe?”

His voice breaks slightly.

Not weakness—terror.

And I get it.

Because the mere idea of Lucy in danger?

Well, it terrifies me, too.

“She’s in danger. Again. Maybe always. Are you gonna step in, big man?” he hisses. “You gonna make an honest woman out of her, take her off the market—put her under your protection? Or do I need to drag her onto a fucking plane and get her out of the country, lock her down until this blows over? Just like I fucking did last time some asshole got too close!”

My eye twitches. Something like this happened before? Rage fills me.

---