He nodded once. “I felt that way about my brothers out there.”
“It’s the same kind of love. Of loyalty.” She shrugged. “He doesn’t want more than that, and neither do I. I want…I want…”
For a second, he thought she was actually going to admit she wanted him. The only times she had before were when he was driving her insane with desire, so it would have been nice to hear her say it on her own for once. When he and his wife had been married, they’d never been big on declarations of love, or feelings.
So it was weird to crave it now, from Daisy.
She studied him with speculation in her eyes. “Will there still be jealousy, even though you know there’s nothing between us?”
He shook his head. “No. I trust you. If you say there’s nothing there, that you want to be with me and go public with this, then that’s enough.”
“You have to be sure. There will be times where we’re out late, or even all night. And sometimes he might need me in the middle of the night. And if he does, I’ll go to him. He would do the same for me, so I owe him nothing less.”
“That’s fine. I trust you, Daisy,” he said, taking a step closer. “Do you trust me, too?”
“I’m trying to. Trust doesn’t come easy for me,” she said, watching his approach warily. “My father…he didn’t make it easy. I know I’m my own person, and I’ve come a long way from that scared little girl I used to be, but I didn’t have a great childhood. It’s hard for me to believe people when they say they like me, or that they want to be with me, because he…didn’t.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said quietly.
“I find that hard to believe, considering the very real and very logical reason you have for not wanting to date me in the first place.” She locked eyes with him. “I can’t change my career, and more importantly, I don’t want to. My job is who I am. It’s me. I won’t apologize for it.” She crossed her arms in front of her. “Don’t ask me to.”
“I never would. I respect you for your job.” He couldn’t help but think she was trying to protect herself from him, even now. Like she was so sure he’d hurt her in the end. And maybe she was right. Or maybe she’d be the one to hurt him. There was only one way to find out. “I’ll be scared shitless every time you go out, but that’s on me. Not you.”
She stared at him, saying nothing.
“Still not ready to take the leap? We’ll keep talking.” He took a tinier step toward her. She backed up one big one. “Cats or dogs?”
“Cats,” she said immediately.
“Same.” He cocked his head. “Ginny wants one.”
“Go to the SPCA. Don’t buy.”
“Maybe you could come with us?”
She hesitated. “Maybe.”
“Would you like to meet her? You could stick around in the morning and have breakfast with us.” He tried his best to keep his tone as unexcited as possible, shoving his hands into his pockets. He wore jeans and an unbuttoned shirt, and she was in pajamas, so the mood was casual, but his question was anything but. “Would you like that?”
She hesitated again. And that hesitation was like a dagger digging into his back. “We’re both new at this. At trying to make things…work.”
“If you’re not ready, that’s fine.”
This time, she took a step toward him. “It’s not that. It’s just…it’s a huge step. I don’t want to rush things more than they’ve already been rushed. More importantly, I don’t want to rush you. So if you truly want us to meet, I’ll gladly stick around, but don’t feel like you have to want that. We can be separate parts of your life for a while. I’m okay with whatever you want.”
“I want you,” he said softly, holding a hand out. “In any way you’re willing to give yourself to me. The good. The bad. The ugly. The pretty. I want it. I want it all.”
After what felt like a million years, she placed her smaller hand in his. “God help us both, I want it, too. But I’m warning you now, I’m a hot mess, and this’ll probably blow up in our faces, and you’ll end up hating me, and then—”
She was doing it again. She was running even though she hadn’t moved her feet. Chuckling, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her into silence, effectively cutting off her nervous babbling. She melted into him, fisting his shirt tightly, and opened her mouth under his, granting him access. He slid his tongue inside her mouth, holding her so close it was a miracle she didn’t protest. She didn’t like being held down, his Daisy. He’d learned that about her. If he held on too tight, it would only be a matter of time until she pushed away.
He loosened his grip, and she shifted closer, curling her arms around his neck. He let out a predatory growl, slid his hands under her ass, and lifted her up. She broke the kiss off and rested a hand on his cheek as she locked eyes with him. “Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely positive,” he said without a sign of doubt. Because he felt none. It was weird, this certainty he had that this was the right move.
“How can you be so sure?” she exclaimed, her voice half frustration, half disbelief.
He headed down the hallway toward his bedroom, pausing in front of Ginny’s room to peek inside. She was sound asleep with Mr. Bunny in her arms, just like the last time he checked on her. “Because I am.”