"It isn't as romantic as it sounds, little deer." I touch his cheek, the small bristles coarse under my palm but undeniably virile. "No?" "No." His large hand swallows mine before removing my palm from his face, and it feels like an icy wall is being erected between us. Is it to keep me out? Or to keep him in? "I won't be yours, but you are mine. That is already settled. You will handle this better if you forget about your father all together. The man is not worth your consideration."
