Daddy’s Wild Girl (Montana Daddies #16)

Chapter 27

27

“ W hat? No. You’ve got that wrong. I’m not going with you.”

Although that explained why he was packing her clothes.

Corbin put his hands on his hips as he glared down at her. “Yes, you are. I’m going to pack you up some stuff, and in the morning, the three of us will get on a plane to Montana.”

Corbin spun back without waiting for her reply.

Kneeling, he started searching through her wardrobe.

Her mind was whirling so much that she wasn’t even worried about what he was doing.

Go home with him?

Was he nuts?

“I don’t understand this.”

He didn’t answer.

What was he looking at?

Shit! Her box was back there.

“Corbin! Get out of my closet. I need to talk to you about this.”

When he turned, there was a strange look on his face. But he was acting like a lunatic right then, so she didn’t think much of it.

“I can’t go back to Montana with you.”

“You can. You are. No arguments. Now, where are your pajamas?”

“Urgh, you’re so . . . so stubborn and annoying! And I thought you were so kind and reasonable when you first got here.”

“Seems getting fired and kicked out has done something to me.”

She sighed, rubbing at her forehead.

“Hey, are you all right?”

When she glanced up, he was giving her a look filled with concern. He seemed pale and worn. He should be resting right now, not going through her stuff like a mad man.

“And there’s the Corbin I first met,” she said quietly. “You’re going to hurt yourself. You need to sit down and talk to me rationally.”

“I don’t think I’m the one acting irrationally. And this is happening. Talking about it won’t change it.”

She just didn’t understand any of this.

“Why would you insist that I come back with you?” she asked. “That’s not part of your job.”

“Screw the job!” He threw down her pants and stalked toward her.

If anyone else strode toward her like that, with thunder in his face, she might have turned tail and run.

But she knew Corbin wouldn’t hurt her.

Because she trusted him.

She’d known this man for two and a half weeks now, yet she trusted him more than she’d probably trusted anyone before.

Perhaps she needed to find the money for that therapist.

“Do you seriously think I care about the job?” he asked.

“I . . . I . . . don’t you?”

“I only care about this job because I care about you. Because I want to keep you safe. And the safest place you’ll be right now is at my home. Where I know everyone and everything. So that’s where you’re going. Home with me where I will shelter and protect you.”

“You take all your clients home with you?” she asked.

“You’re not my client, Bebe!” he yelled.

Huh? Her mind was whirling. Did he mean she wasn’t his client because she’d fired him?

“I . . . I . . .”

A knock on the door made her jump. “Everything all right in there?”

“Yes!” Corbin snapped.

“No!” she said at the same time.

“All right, I’m coming in.”

She peered around Corbin to find Hayes leaning in the doorway. He appeared carefree, but she was getting better at reading the other man.

And that was concern on his face.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “You know that the shepherd’s pie has gone cold, right?”

Shoot. She’d forgotten about dinner! And now she wasn’t even hungry.

“Corbin has lost his mind; that’s what’s going on,” she replied. “He wants me to go home with the two of you.”

“No. Not with the two of us. I want you to go home with me. With. Me.”

Bebe stared up at him in shock. There was something in his face . . . something that she couldn’t quite understand.

Or are you trying to pretend you don’t understand?

“With me, Bebe,” he repeated quietly. Then he crouched in front of her, placing his hands on her thighs. “I want you to come with me. Can you do that?”

“I don’t understand why,” she whispered.

Glancing up, she saw that Hayes had left. Where had he gone? And was he was going to stay there long? Wasn’t he supposed to be rescuing her?

But then Corbin grasped hold of her chin and turned her face toward him.

“Focus on me.”

“I . . . I am.”

“Good girl.” He ran this thumb along her lips.

That wasn’t a friendly gesture.

That was a more-than-friends touch.

And she was in deep, deep trouble because she parted her lips and let him push his thumb slightly into her mouth.

Deep inside her, arousal stirred. Her clit throbbed and she felt herself leaning in toward him.

Touch me more.

Touch me all over.

Please.

This was such a bad idea, yet she couldn’t stop herself. She wanted him so much that it was a daily ache.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered. “I tried to fight my feelings for you. Mostly because you’re the client. But if I bring you back to the Ranch with me, it won’t be as my client. It will be as my girl.”

She closed her eyes for a long moment. Bebe expected to feel worried. Maybe scared.

But all she felt was this sense of relief.

Of longing.

Of rightness.

He removed his thumb from her mouth. “Do you understand what I’m saying, baby? I don’t want to be friends anymore. Well, I want more than that. I want to be your everything. Your protector, your champion, your man. The person who chases away your nightmares. Who stands in front of you when you need my protection. Beside you when you need my hand to hold. And behind you when you need my support and someone to cheer you on.”

Bebe felt the tears slipping down her cheeks. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had that.”

“I know, baby. And I want to give it to you. So let me. Please.”

A sob broke free from her lips.

He really wanted her? He felt the connection between them? The attraction?

Well, he has been calling you baby and darling. They’re not exactly nicknames you give to someone who is just a friend .

“Hey, that wasn’t supposed to make you cry.” He sat on his butt and lifted her down onto his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he rocked her back and forth.

“It’s not your fault . . . I just . . . I feel overwhelmed. It’s like you’re offering everything I ever wanted. However I’m so scared, Corbin.”

“There’s nothing to be scared of.”

“There’s everything to be scared of.” How did he not see that?

Maybe because he doesn’t know everything about your past? Because you haven’t told him about the asshole.

She just didn’t know how to do that. She was so humiliated by what had happened. Embarrassed that she’d been such an idiot to fall for the asshole’s words. That she’d let him . . . she took a deep breath and let it out.

She owed it to Corbin to explain some of what was going on in her head.

“What are you scared of, Bebe?”

Losing you.

Losing me.

But those words felt too vulnerable as well.

“I’m not . . . I’m not good at relationships.”

He reached down and tilted her face back with his finger under her chin. “You want to expand on that?”

“Not right now.”

“Hmm. I’m going to let that go for the moment, but I will want to know more at some stage.”

“It’s too big a step. Me moving to the Ranch with you.” She started to feel panicky at the idea.

Would she be trapped there? What if she wanted to leave, could she?

“Hey . . . don’t go into your head and start freaking yourself out. Just take one step at a time. I want to take you to Sanctuary Ranch with me because someone attacked you.”

“I wasn’t hurt. You were!”

“Yes, because I’m your bodyguard. They came for me first in order to get me out of the way and go after you. And now we don’t know if this house is safe.”

“He could know where I live,” she whispered.

“Yes, he could.” He didn’t sugarcoat his words. “He likely does since it seemed like he was lying in wait for us. But you don’t need to worry because he’s not getting in here. Hayes will take watch overnight. He’s going to stay awake, and I’m going to sleep in the hallway outside your room. Okay?”

“You . . . you can’t do that. Your injury . . .”

“It will be fine.”

“What if that person follows us and tries to get to me again? He could follow us to the Ranch.”

“Then I will protect you. And Sanctuary Ranch has the best security you’ll find. Not only are there cameras and alarms, but a bunch of ex-military guys live there.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “You’ll be safer if you stay away from me.”

He shook his head.

“Don’t you understand that I’m trying to protect you?” she cried.

He stared at her for a long moment. “That’s why you tried to fire me? To keep me safe?”

“Yes. Only you won’t listen to reason, you Neanderthal! You got hurt because of me!”

“Baby, I would a thousand times rather I got hurt than you did. Protecting people is my job. I was trained to do this.”

“You told me that you mostly sit behind a desk!”

How often did he get hurt on the job?

“I do most of the time,” he said soothingly. “It’s true that I rarely go out on jobs, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t kept up my training. I can protect myself, and I can most definitely protect you. This is just a scratch.”

Just a scratch? Just a scratch!

“He had a knife!” she cried. “Oh God. This is definitely a terrible idea.”

“Look at me. Bebe, look at me,” he said firmly.

She stared up at him. There was no way she could risk him. It wasn’t happening. That wasn’t a scratch.

“You’re still fired.”

He smiled. And then he started laughing.

What was he doing?

“Don’t you believe me? You’re fired. You need to leave and I’m not coming with you.”

“Baby, you’re coming with me even if I have to carry you the whole way over my shoulder, kicking and screaming.”

She shook her head. “You can’t do that. I don’t want you to get hurt!”

Corbin’s expression hardened and he cupped her face between his hands.

“Be careful of your arm,” she ordered. “You shouldn’t be moving it this much.”

“Bebe,” he said firmly. “Stop fussing over me. I’m fine. You need to listen. You are coming home with me. I know you’re scared. There’s a lot for you to worry about. The guy who attacked you. Going to a strange place with a man you haven’t known that long. But you do not need to worry about me. I am fine. I told you that I can protect you and myself, and if you doubt me once more, I’m going to start getting insulted.”

Well, hell.

Men.

Their egos were so darn fragile.

“I know it feels like we haven’t known each other long enough for you to move in with me. But think of this as a holiday with a guy who thinks you’re incredible. Who thinks you’re beautiful and smart and precious. Things can move as slowly as you want them to, okay? I am not rushing you. What I do want is for you to be safe and close to me, where I can watch over you.”

“You . . . you really think I’ll be safe there? That we both will be?” she asked.

What if she managed to convince them both to leave and she stayed behind?

God. Then the stalker would come after her with a knife and there would be no one standing in his way.

“I’m certain of it.”

She studied his face, looking for any sign that he was unsure or worried. But there was nothing on his face but calm certainty.

Would going to the Ranch really be such a terrible thing? Sure, she wouldn’t be able to work on her house. But that could wait. There was no other reason she needed to be here. She could go and get some fresh air in Montana and get far away from this crazy stalker.

Bebe nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted. She was just too tired to fight this anymore.

And there’s a part of you that doesn’t want to fight it.

Because that part of her wanted to belong to this man as much as he belonged to her.

“All right, then. I’ll come back with you.”

“That’s my good girl. So sweet. So precious.” He leaned in, his nose rubbed against hers.

Bebe let out a soft sigh of pleasure. Was he going to kiss her? His lips brushed against her left cheek, then her right.

Before he kissed her lightly on the lips.

Oh. That wasn’t enough. It was a start, but it wasn’t what she really needed.

Then he wrapped his hand around the back of her head and drew her closer. His lips firmed. His touch became stronger.

He slid his tongue over her lips, then pressed against the seam, demanding to be allowed entrance.

And she opened to him. Acquiesced to his dominance.

All the ways that this seemed like a stupid idea fled from her head as he kissed her like he owned her.

And Lord, the man was one heck of a kisser. She could barely keep up with him as he played with her tongue, teasing her.

Turning on his lap, she placed her hands on his shoulders and tried to get closer to him, wanting more.

When he drew away from her, she whimpered. “More.”

He smiled and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Not right now.”

“Yes. More.”

His face grew stern. “No more. We need to get you into bed. You’re exhausted and pale. You need to eat some dinner and go to bed. It’s going to be a big day tomorrow.”

Dinner and bed?

How could he think about sleep right now? And if anyone was pale and needed sleep, it was him.

“I can’t sleep, I’ve got to pack.”

“Already doing that for you, baby.”

“Um, throwing a few sweaters and pants in a duffle bag isn’t packing. Wait, doesn’t it snow in Montana in November?”

“Ahh, yep. We got some snow a couple of weeks back.”

“Holy moly. I don’t know if I have enough warm clothes to survive the snow.”

“That’s okay, we have shops in Montana. We can buy you new stuff. Come on, do you want a shower first?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

Was she really doing this? Was she going to Montana with him? To a ranch? What did she know about ranching?

Absolutely nothing.

Bebe was a city girl. Although she did love nature.

She just hoped that nature loved her.