"You... you can take the rest of me, Sir."
Jennifer's voice cracked on the words, desperation bleeding through every syllable.
"All of me."
The plea hung in the air between them... pathetic, broken, everything she'd never imagined herself saying to anyone.
But she was past caring about dignity. Past caring about anything except keeping him from walking away.
Alex stared down at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable behind the mask.
Then something shifted in his posture.
"You really are her daughter," he said quietly.
Before Jennifer could process the words, his hands were on her. He gripped her waist and lifted her off the floor in one smooth motion.
"Ah—!"
The cry escaped her throat as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms flying up to circle his neck for balance.
The position pressed her directly against him.
