“We need to talk,” he declared.

She stopped tracing patterns on his chest with a pearl-white fingernail that had a pink tip with a swirl of black across it, the black embedded with rhinestones.

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him.

“Uh-oh,” she mumbled the minute she did.

Marcus tightened his arm around her at his side and pulled her over his chest.

Then he clamped his other arm around her.

“I’m thinkin’ this is a serious talk, you need me fixed to your chest,” she kept mumbling, her eyes aimed at his chin.

“This is serious, darling, so please look at me while you listen to me.”

She looked into his eyes.

She was holding her body stiffly and Marcus wanted to shake her.

She was preparing for the worst.

This shouldn’t be a surprise, not with the life she’d led.

However, Daisy lost it with him taking his time completing them. The operative part of that was taking his time.

She was far from dumb.

And he’d taken his time and taught her better.

Holding his patience, he stated, “I handle you with care.”

She stared at him.

“Have I ever not done that?” he asked.

“No,” she said slowly.

“So you know that.”

“Yes.”

“So why are you tensed and looking freaked out?”

“Uh…I don’t know, because you’re freaking me out.”

“How am I doing that?”

“You’re bein’ real serious and we just had a fun time, sugar. After fun times don’t come serious times. After fun times there’s cuddling and whispers which lead to kissing and groping and then more fun times. Unless you’re sleepy, then they lead to sleepy times. They don’t lead to serious times.”

A variety of things with Daisy would be a lot easier if she wasn’t so goddamned cute.

“You don’t use your last name,” he announced.

She stared at him again.

“Smithie’s got it on your employment records but you don’t use it. Ever. None of the girls know it. None of the bouncers. Waitresses. Nobody.”

“Well, I’m Daisy like Cher’s Cher and Charo is Charo. But I’m more like Charo. She has better hair…and cleavage.”

Yes, a variety of things would be easier if Daisy wasn’t so fucking cute.

“That’s not it,” he pushed.

Haltingly, she replied, “I…it’s not mine. It’s…well, his. And he hasn’t been a part of me in, uh…maybe really in forever.”

“You’re right. It’s not yours. You’re Daisy. And the only last name you’ll ever really have is Sloan.”

Her body lurched on top of him.

He just held her tighter.

“So let’s get this straight, shall we?” he suggested.

“Okay,” she whispered, her eyes bright and still staring.

Marcus had a feeling with what he’d already said she had it straight.

But he went about making certain.

“I handle you with care. I’ll always handle you with care. I will never, not ever, Daisy, give you reason to leave me. I won’t cheat on you. I won’t beat you. The gambles I take will be in business only, but you’ll always be covered financially regardless. I like to drink but I never drink too much. I’ve never taken drugs in my life. I like control and you can’t be in control inebriated or stoned. To end, you’re safe with me. You’ll get from me only what you deserve, which is everything I can give you doing it handling you with care.”

“Okay, sugar.” She was still whispering.

“Is that completely understood?”

She nodded.

She was staring at him so closely he decided she did understand.

Completely.

Regardless, he kept going.

“If I break any of those promises, you’re free to leave me. If I don’t, you’re not. Not ever. If something isn’t working, we talk it out and make it work. Which means we’ll always work so there will be no reason to leave.”

With that, a different understanding was all over her face when she said softly, “I got stuff twisted in my head, Marcus.”

“That was clear.”

“It’s untwisted now, baby.”

“Good.”

She drew her fingers down his jaw, dropping her face closer to his.

“Never gonna leave you, Marcus.”

“Good,” he grunted.

“God,” she whispered, her gaze moving over his face. “Who woulda thought, givin’ my heart, havin’ it broken, learnin’ to guard it, I’d learn something else one day. That bein’ the best way to keep it safe is to find a man who’d prove he could handle it with care and give it to him.”

That felt good.

Fucking good.

So fucking good, he’d never felt anything that good in his whole goddamned life.

But Marcus didn’t share that with her because he knew without a single doubt she knew it too.

“I’m glad you got that part, Daisy. It’s important.”

She looked into his eyes.

“Now,” he continued, rolling them to their sides, “we can get to the cuddling, whispering, and groping part.”

She smiled at him, a brilliant flash of teeth added to a dazzling flash of humor in her cornflower-blue eyes.

Then she started giggling, filling their bedroom with the sound of bells.