“Like hell I was,” he growled. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Think about what you just said,” Xavier said dryly. “I’m going to go check my messages. I’ll be back soon. Oh, and don’t fuck her until I’ve checked her pussy. I want to do a complete check-up on her.” He got up and left.
What he just said? He thought about it. Oh shit.
“Duchess, look at me,” he said firmly. She raised her gaze to his, her eyes glassy.
“Jesus, my girl, why would you think for even one moment that I would leave you? My life would be fucking empty without you. It’s . . . you . . . you fill me up. Fuck.” This shit didn’t come easy to him. He wasn’t a smooth talker like Xavier. “I love you. Do you still love me?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
“Then that’s all that matters, isn’t it? And you should know that as long as you love me, I’m here. Even then, you’d be hard-pressed to scrape me free.”
“Like chewing gum on my shoe,” she said with a small smile.
“Exactly. Although, gross.”
“Even though my brother threatened to chop off your balls, sauté them in butter, then feed them to you?”
“Still not leaving you.”
“Even though he said he would smash your dick with a mallet?”
“Still gonna be here.”
“Even if he makes it impossible for you to find another job?”
“Think you or the Doc have enough money to keep me in the style to which I’ve become accustomed?” he joked. Although that threat had hurt more than the rest. “Point is, Duchess. I’m going nowhere. When I said I was going to leave with Sterling and Elias, it was so I could go get my stuff and move here. I mean, if that’s what you want.” He realized then that he hadn’t actually asked her.
“Of course it is. I want you here. I’ll come help you.”
He shook his head. He knew she didn’t like to leave Wishingbone. “There’s not much to pack up. I want to get there and back as quick as possible, and I don’t want you traveling for hours in my truck just to turn around and come back. You’ll get too tired.”
She pouted for a moment then nodded. “Fine, Daddy. But I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too. Let me text the guys and see what their plans are.”
He sent off a text to Sterling, who was more likely to answer his phone.
“They’re leaving in the morning. Hm, I guess that means that I get to be here for your check-up.”
“Oh, goody.”