If You Were Mine(4)

I looked over at Daisy and saw confusion on her face, but then realization washed across her expression when she recognized me. Her eyes widened and I felt a surge of possessiveness slam into me.

She took a step forward, and I could see by the expression on her face she wanted to protect me and not the other way around.

I took hold of her hand, and was about to steer her away from the crowd and take her back to the palace, to my room, but the asshole clocked me right in the side of the face. I stumbled backwards, my anger rising. I turned and faced him, swung out, and hit him in the temple.

His head cocked to the side and he slammed into the wall. It was then that I realize my hat had gotten knocked off, the room was quiet, and there were about a dozen cell phone cameras aimed right at me.

Fuck.

No doubt this incident would be on the front page of every paper in the country come morning. I had Daisy's hand in mine a second later and was leading her out of the pub. We didn't speak as I took her down some back roads, snuck her into the palace through a couple hidden passageways, and finally made it back to my room.

I shut my bedroom door, just now tasting a metallic flavor covering my tongue. I lifted my hand and touched my lip, the sensitivity letting me know that it was split.

I turned and faced Daisy, seeing her watching me, her expression guarded, confused.

This hadn't been how I’d wanted this night to go. But it looked like there was no going back now.



Daisy



I didn't know what was going on. My mind was whirling over the fact Lennon had been at The Pub, that he'd hit some guy for me… that he'd looked so possessive of me.

My heart was beating so hard it was actually painful. Lennon was watching me like he had something to say. How had he known I was there? Why had he defended me like that, acted like I was his?

And now, the way he looked at me, stared into my eyes, made me feel so bare, despite the fact I was fully dressed.

Wasn’t this what I’d always wanted? I’d always wanted to be in his room, his hands on me, his gaze locked on mine. That had all seemed like a fantasy though. But this, although reality, felt surreal, like I was in a dream, trapped in a loop and unable to escape. But I didn't want to leave, didn't want to run away or pretend like this wasn't happening.

There were a lot of things I wanted to say to Lennon, but the words were lodged in my throat.

I saw the mark on his lip, his battle wound from defending me.

The guy had hit him, the asshole so drunk, saying inappropriate, gross things to me that made my skin crawl. I would've been surprised if he even knew what day it was. But when I’d realized it was Lennon who was there this wave of relief filled me. He made me feel like everything would be okay.

Now is the time to say how you feel.

I felt on edge, the arousal so intense it was like a living entity inside of me.

“I was worried about you when I knew you went to The Pub.” His voice was slow, deep, his focus trained right on me.

I felt my cheeks heat at his admission. “How did you know I'd be there?”

He glanced away for a second, but then moved over to the couch. He had his hand on his lap, his fingers curled into his palm. He looked tense, as if he was ashamed by the answer he might give me. He looked at me again, his blue eyes hard. “I overheard one of the staff talking with you on the phone.”

My heart was beating so hard, so fast it was painful. “You came out to make sure I was okay?”

He nodded once. “The very thought of you being surrounded by a bunch of drunken assholes...” He didn't finish speaking, but I could see the anger move across his entire body.

Tonight he’d shown me a different side of him, a side that seemed to want me enough to risk being seen, being recorded fighting, defending my honor.

As the seconds and minutes moved by, I felt like I was in this alternate reality, one I’d only dreamed about. I knew that no matter what I had to be honest with him tonight.

I had to be honest with myself as well.





4





Lennon




“Come sit with me.” I wanted to be close to her, wanted her body pressed right to mine. I’d wanted her for so long this moment seemed surreal. My heart was thundering behind my ribs, and I wondered if she’d come closer, if she’d sit with me on the couch.

I’d shut the bedroom door, maybe presuming she’d be comfortable with that, maybe hoping she’d see it as something more.

And then she did move closer and sat right beside me, and the scent of her invaded my senses. I grew drunk from it, aroused because she was so close. I shifted on the couch, feeling my dick punch forward, growing harder, thicker. God, I wanted to be with Daisy, wanted to claim her as mine. I wanted her in every possible way.

She was looking at me, and I knew she was nervous. God, I hated that she had to wait on me, like I was better than her. I wasn’t. If anything she was better than me.

I reached out, not stopping myself, not even bothering to pretend this wasn’t going to move forward. I needed her to know how I felt. Now.

I lifted her head up with my finger under her chin, forcing her to look at me. Her eyes were so big, so blue. I got lost in them, drunk on them. She ducked her head, her dark hair falling over the side of her face, blocking the view I had of her. I reached out with my other hand and pushed the strands away, placing them behind her ear and letting my fingers linger over the soft shell.