Keeping Her - Jordan Marie Page 0,43

nose, thinking I should have brought Daisy to the house instead of going about it this way.

“Is that how you like it?” Ford asks. Fuck me…Am I going to have to shut my own President down? He’s clearly hitting on Jasmine and I don’t like it.

I don’t like it one fucking bit.

“Never have been. But I like it the way Luke gives it to me, any way he does,” she says, and I’ll remember those words. I’ll remember them because of the pleasure they give me. I’ll remember them because of the way she effectively put Ford in his place. A lot of women in my world would step over a man to get to the President. Jasmine is clearly unfazed. She’s here with me and fuck, she’s making that known. She turns into me, and I look into her eyes, thinking I like anything she gives me too—any way she wants to give it.

“I want to meet Daisy. If you can tell me where—”

“I can take you, Red—”

“The name is Jasmine,” she tells Gina, who showed up right behind us, but has kept quiet. She’s standing behind Sledge, but carefully not touching him. I never noticed that kind of thing before I met Jasmine, but I am now, and something seems strange about it. “Only Luke can call me Red.”

Gina cocks an eyebrow up. She’s not used to having women talk back to her. I probably should warn her to tone it down. It’s not that I don’t think Jasmine could handle herself, it’s just that Gina won’t exactly fight fair and she can be a cold-hearted bitch.

Jasmine starts to walk away, but I grab her hand, not letting her leave.

“I’ll take her,” I interrupt.

“But I can—”

“I’ll take her, Gina. I didn’t get to see her yesterday.” I turn around, leading Jasmine down the corridor where Daisy’s room is.

“Well, don’t get her too excited. It’s time for her to be in bed.”

“It’s barely six in the evening,” Jasmine says, turning to look at Gina.

“Yeah, but there’s a party tonight.”

Jasmine’s body jerks in my hold. Clearly she doesn’t like it. It’s not sitting well with me either. I never thought about the fact that Daisy wasn’t around when the parties were going strong. I just assumed she was playing and being seen too. Now, it’s beginning to dawn on me how lax I’ve been. Hell, Jasmine was right to be pissed at me. I’m starting to get pissed at myself.

“Of course there is,” she mutters.

“Red,” I respond quietly, not sure of how to defend myself and kind of resenting that I have to. I’m not used to answering to anyone.

“No,” she murmurs, as we reach Daisy’s door.

“No?” I question.

“Don’t bring me to meet your daughter and expect me to not react to the things I see. I don’t know your daughter, Luke. We can end this here and I’ll walk away and never know her. I’m okay with that, because I haven’t met her. I’m not attached. But, if I walk through this door and meet your daughter, I’m probably going to get attached. That means I will have opinions. What you choose to do with them, is up to you, but I warn you that I will give you a piece of my mind. So, you decide now, how this plays out.”

“Red? Baby, when haven’t you given me a piece of your mind?”

“Then, you shouldn’t be surprised, should you?” she huffs.

I bring my hand up and press my palm against the side of her cheek, looking down at her and wondering if it would even be possible to go back to a life before Jasmine was part of it. Somehow, I don’t think it is.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Red. You’re constantly surprising me.”

“Don’t try to be nice to me right now, Luke. I’m pissed and I need to direct that on you.”

“Why?” I laugh.

“Because if I don’t, I’ll probably kill your buddy’s old lady and I’m sensing that would be bad.”

“It probably would be,” I say with a chuckle and bend down to kiss her. “You ready?”

“As I ever will be, I guess,” she says, sounding like she’s getting ready for a firing squad.

“She’ll love you, Red.”

“Yeah, but how am I going to feel about you when all this is said and done?” she asks, and I can’t stop from worrying about that myself.

29

Jasmine

“Daddy!”

I heard the little girl’s cry and there was so much joy in it that my heart squeezed in my chest. Then, I heard footsteps, obviously