Page 143 of Sinful as They Come
I smirked at the thought for a second before I focused on Holly’s dad. He was leading me into a room. The first thing I noticed was the huge oak desk that sat in front of some large windows. He nodded at the leather chair in front of it.
“Sit down,” he said, taking his seat behind his desk.
I instead stood in front of the seat, hands stuck in my pockets. I had no time for sitting. He sighed at my action. I was being petty. But I had every right to be.
“Are you gonna tell me where Holly was last night?” he asked sharply.
“Do you really wanna know?” I asked bluntly. If he wanted details, I was more than ready to rattle them off, because I remembered every. Last. Thing.
“You want my approval to be with my daughter, and this is how you act?” he spoke up louder.
“What, you want respect after how you treated me last night?” I shrugged. “I came here last night to do things the right way.”
“Sneaking off with Holly last night was the right way?”
“Shecame tome.” I pointed at my chest. “She wanted to see me. After you had done what you did. Don’t blame me for the mess youmade last night. It could have been a hell of a lot easier if you just let go of whatever grudge you’re holding on to. She wanted me here last night. You’re the one who ruined it all. She was pissed atyou. There’s a reason why she came running intomyarms last night. Don’t forget that.”
I was glaring at him, my jaw painfully tight. Part of me wanted to jump over the desk and punch him in the face. But the man sitting in front of me was… Fuck, he was gonna be my future father-in-law, because I knew for a fact that I was going to make Holly my wife one day.
So, I had to take it easy. Settle down. Breathe steady. I was pissed that Holly’s dad had ruined what could have been a good first impression. Well, second impression, because both of her parents already knew who I was. But still. I had been so ready to show them how good I could be for their daughter.
“You really don’t get it, do you?” laughed Joe. “You can declare whatever it is that you want. It’s not going change the fact that you aren’t good enough for Holly.”
“She thinks I am. And that’s all I care about.”
“She’s going to college next year, kid. You think she’s not gonna meet someone who’s a better fit for her there?”
I shook my head at him. “You wanna do that shit again? Really? You probably thought Carter was perfect for her, and look at how he treated her. Dude was fucking half the girls in school. Hell, some of those girls were supposed to be her friends, but that didn’t stop them and it definitely stop your golden boy Carter. He treated her like he hated her. Fuck, Iactuallyhated her at some point and Istilltreated her better than he ever did. Money doesn’t mean shit. You can scare me all you want with that. Holly’s gonna go to college next year. I know that. I’m fuckin’excitedfor her, because I know she’s gonna do good things with her life. But that doesn’t scare me anymore. It doesn’t matter what rich asshole sits next to her in class. Because I know she’s gonna be coming home to me. She’s my girl. No one else’s. I love her. I love her with everything in me. Every part of her. And you can try and pull Holly away from me all you fuckin’ want, but I’ll just keep on running back. That’s a promise.”
I was breathing heavy. I had just said a hell of a lot, but every word was the truth. Last night had me confused. Worried. Fuckingterrified. But that fear was gone. Last night had cemented the fact that I was Holly’s and that she was mine, and that there was not a single thing that could get in the way.
Holly’s dad stood up, coming around the other side of the desk. If he wanted to hit me, there was his chance.
“Do you really mean that?” he asked me lowly. “Do you love Holly? Honestly?”
“More than anything,” I said quickly.
“You better not be lying to me, because—”
“I love Holly,” I told him louder. “And there’s nothing that anyone can say or do to make me change the way I feel. This is it for me.She’sit for me.”
“I just want what’s best for her.”
“And I’m gonna do my best to give her that. To give her my all. I want to spend the rest of my life with Holly. All I wanna do is make her happy.”
Joe sucked in a sharp breath. “You can’t hurt my daughter. Especially like he did. You can’t do that to her.”
“I would never, ever treat Holly the way he did.” I didn’t even want to say his name again. His name felt like poison. That blond prick was a thing of the past. And he wasn’t coming back. “I saw what he did to her. I would never put her through that. I kicked his ass a few times because of how he treated her. And I’d happily do it again.”
I couldn’t believe it, but I saw the smallest of smiles on Joe’s face. “Well, normally I don’t approve of violence…”
“But he deserved it.” I finished the sentence off for him. “I’m not gonna hurt Holly. Ever. She’s the best thing in my life. She’s… She’s a light I never knew I needed. And I never want that light to go out. Not just for me. Holly’s different. Confident, smart. She knows what she wants outta life and she’s gonna get it. I love her and her light and I’m gonna spend the rest of my life making sure she shines.”
Joe nodded slowly. “Holly deserves the best.”
“I know. And I’m gonna give it to her. She deserves that. You know,Holly makes me want to change. She makes me wanna work hard, makes me wanna be a better person. She’s changed me. In a good way. In the best way.”
“Look, just… Just don’t hurt her,” he whispered. “That’s all I ask.”
