Daisy loved the kitchen. Over the last five months, Daisy had talked about work nonstop. That was how I knew she was born to run her own kitchen.
Odie and James? Not so much. James quipped, “I thought I came to college so I wouldn’t end up a dish washer.” And according to Daisy, Odie was less than thrilled to be working in close proximity to Charlie.
I sat in the cafeteria waiting for Daisy to finish her shift. Odie and James trickled out from the back, their blue shirts untucked and dragging. They tossed me tired goodnights and trudged out the door.
Charlie came out next. He nodded a curt goodbye and was out the door in seconds. From what Daisy had told me, Charlie had a perpetually dejected countenance ever since Odie had started dating his roommate.
I knew Daisy would be coming along any moment. She was usually the last of the student staff to leave.
A few seconds later she exited the doors looking cute in her shapeless royal blue uniform. She walked up to me and snatched her hairnet off, freeing all that hair that I was so enamored with. I watched as it fell to her shoulders. Then she rose on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. That was all it took for my body to react; I was ready to go.
Thankfully, so was she.
“I’m free! My warden has released me!” she joked cracking a smile. One of the perks of being Mrs. Dot’s favorite was that she let me stay after the dining hall had closed. I waited for Daisy every night she worked, and then I walked her home. She joked, but Daisy was now closer to Mrs. Dot than I ever was; she adored the old lady.
The air was warm on our walk and we moved slowly. I wondered if Daisy would like to have a bath tonight. I would draw her one before I went upstairs.
“Has Julian decided what he’s going to do for the summer?”
Jules had been accepted into Columbia Law School and would be moving to New York in the fall, but he’d been tying himself in knots over how to spend his summer.
El and Gracie had been trying to convince him to move to New York early to spend time with them. They’d both be enrolled in schools in the city starting in the fall.
I’d also invited him to Green Valley, but he’d seemed reluctant to return. I thought I knew why. Ordinarily his—our—summer would’ve been spent leaving a trail of hedonism from Charlotte to the Vineyard, with maybe a stint in Europe in between. But now I was happily settled and I wasn’t going back to Charlotte. I knew Julian loved his parents and I would never ask him to choose them or me. I knew very well that familial love was not something you could turn off easily. However, his parents were absolutely the type to ask him to choose. I tried to stay out of whatever happened between them and just let him know I’d always be there for him.
“I don’t know what Jules is doing. He told me he still hasn’t made up his mind.”
I tried to push the worry for my friend out of my mind but I couldn’t quite manage it. The closer we got to graduation, the more unmoored he seemed. This was the first time in nine years he and I would be apart. The original plan had been for us to both go to Columbia for grad school; he’d get his JD and I’d get my MBA. But New York held no appeal for me, not when my entire world was in Tennessee. I’d turned down Columbia and had been accepted into Vandy for the fall. It kept me closer to Daisy and I could go home on some weekends to visit my folks and to see Charlie in the marching band.
My parents and brother would be up in a few weeks to finally watch me graduate. It felt extra special because they’d been denied so many moments with me.
Jules’ parents were coming too. They were throwing a big graduation party for him and allegedly for me. At first, I’d flatly refused to go. I was working through my anger but I didn’t feel ready to see them and I didn’t want to do or say something in anger that I’d regret. I’d had enough of that for a lifetime.
Then Daisy said, “My love, they have stolen so much joy from you. Don’t let them steal celebrating all you have accomplished with your best friend too. We’ll just ignore them.”
That was Daisy. Always pushing and poking and prodding me to be a little better.
“Have the girls decided which weekend they’re coming down to Green Valley?” Daisy’s friends had promised to visit her over the summer.
“Odie says the Fourth of July, James says Memorial Day—in other words, no, they haven’t picked a date yet.” She threw up her hands in an exasperated little motion.
“What are they doing for the summer?”
“James is being vague about her plans, but Odie is going to work at the bus depot in Charleston with her dad.”
We entered her apartment and it was dark and quiet. Elodie and Gracie were probably already asleep.
Most nights Daisy passed out shortly after I got her home. Her schedule was crammed since she elected to continue double-majoring and had to work. Dr. Gwinn had been nice enough to give Daisy a reprieve from joining the debate team because of her work-community service, but judging from the way we argued, I would have had to watch my captain’s spot if she’d joined the team. I didn’t mind sparring with Daisy during the day; it made for hotter and sweeter nights.
Daisy hadn’t wanted to take a bath so I waited for her to finish her shower. She was taking a long time and I could feel my eyes getting heavy but I wouldn’t leave. I would wait for her, however long she took.
Usually I would lay with her until she fell asleep and then return to my own apartment because I was trying to be a good man for Daisy, but I was still a man. I’d just yawned for maybe the third time when the bathroom door swung open.
Daisy stepped in and closed the door.
She wore a robe.
Then she didn’t wear a robe.
Daisy
I didn’t feel shy, not under Trevor’s regard. I felt powerful as I met his stunned gaze.
His mouth fell open as he took me in. I felt his eyes like strokes everywhere; he looked at me with such devotion, such love, such smoldering heat that I almost combusted on the spot.
“Daisy?” he questioned. He sounded panicked. He sounded in pain.
Poor love. I can’t wait to kiss it and make it better.
I’d been contemplating seducing my man for the better part of the month.
I loved him. I wanted him desperately.
But the clothes kept getting in the way.
Every time we started to progress in the right direction, Trevor would stop my hands from wandering too far on his body. Or he’d stop me from removing too many clothes on my body.
So I’d decided to get rid of the clothes.
I walked over to him and he reached for me instinctively, then hesitated, hands hovering above me.
This would require a bit more persuasion.
I slid between his legs and let my hands begin to stroke the waves of his hair in a soothing motion.
Trevor was frozen still as a statue.
I licked his lips and Trevor went ramrod straight.
I captured his face between my hands and looked deep into his eyes.
I held my face just inches from his, close enough so that he could see the sincerity and passion in my own.
“Trevor Boone, I love you. I want you. Will you let me have you tonight?”
He groaned my name and then he took my lips. His tongue plunged deep; this kiss was hot and languid and undoubtedly different. It was the smoldering base note we would build our song around.
I groaned and deepened the kiss, and within seconds I was breathless and fumbling to unbutton his shirt.
“You’re so gorgeous,” he growled, as he batted my hand away from his shirt. I growled back in frustration but then it quickly turned to a moan as Trevor lowered his head and captured one of my aching nipples in his mouth. Searing heat coursed through me, and I shuddered as he reached over and pinched the other.
He laved my breasts with attention; first one, then the other. I cried out with the shock and pleasure of it.
I felt his lips tug into a smile. Then he stopped, pulled me onto my bed,
and lowed himself over me.
“What am I going to do with you?” he asked, his hands ghosting over every part of me.
“I have some ideas,” I gasped as he kissed a tender spot on my neck. “Trevor, take off your shirt.”
I felt him shake his head against my skin.
I pushed his shoulder gently and he immediately retreated and sat on the edge of my bed.
“What's wrong? Why won’t you take off your clothes? Don’t you want me?”
“You know I do,” his voice was hard and frustrated.
“Then what is it?”
“I’m not ready!” He exhaled in frustration. “If you had told me that you were ready to take this step then I would’ve been prepared. I don’t have any condoms and—”
I laughed.
He looked at me like I had grown an extra head. I opened my nightstand drawer and pulled out a box of condoms.
Trevor’s eyes went wide.
“Now that’s settled.”
Trevor looked at me with fierce intensity. “You’re sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
He returned to my neglected breasts and lavished them with attention. He laid me back on the bed and slid himself between my legs. He moved, sliding down and trailing hot, wet kisses along my stomach. He nipped, then licked the delicate skin on the inside of my hips and I moaned. All the while Trevor whispered soft, hot words of ardent devotion.
You’re my everything, as he skimmed the back of my legs with kisses.
I love you. You’re mine. You taste so good, I want more. I closed my eyes and gave myself over to the deliciousness of Trevor’s words and touch.
My eyes flew open as I felt him quickly part me and then his mouth was on me, languidly licking between my folds. I couldn’t think because Trevor sucked on a spot.
My body reacted violently, going from hot to inferno, liquid heat flooding where he licked and I clenched down hard. “Mmm, you like that,” his rumbly voice washed over me.
I loved that.
I gasped his name.
And he smiled up at me wickedly. “I love hearing you say my name like that.”
Before I could react he dipped his head back between my legs, licking, sucking, and worrying that spot that drove me wild.
I became an unintelligible mess of moans and grunts.
Then he surprised me by slipping one finger inside me. He slid and curled it, coaxing me. The extra sensation was almost too much to bear. I felt my stomach coiling, stretching to reach something and I let out a loud moan. He murmured lowly, “That’s it, love. Let go for me,” against my wet slit. The friction of his sucking and the motion of his finger made the sensation that much more intense.
It made it unbearable.
My insides clenched as he drove me higher and higher until there were white sparks at the edge of my vision and something inside me spasmed hard before releasing with a rush.
I collapsed back on the bed and Trevor was there pulling me into his arms, kissing me deeply, slowly, hotly.
After a long moment, I began to come back to earth. Our kisses morphed from white hot to soft and sweet. I noted with some frustration that he was still fully clothed and made a noise of distress.
He pulled back, pushed my hair from my face but held me still. His eyes searched mine cautiously. “That’s a noise I haven’t heard before. What was that noise for?”
I smiled, temporarily thrown off by his declaration. “You don’t know all my noises.”
He smiled at me smugly. “I know a lot more of them than I did before.”
I looked away bashfully, and he kissed my neck.
Then he began to rain kisses on me.
“Daisy, there is nothing”—kiss—“to be shy about”—kiss—“when you’re making love”—kiss—“to the”—kiss—“one you love.”
His words melted me and I relaxed into him with a sigh and I felt his erection prodding my navel angrily.
“Oh! You’re still . . .” I moved my hand down to his waistband, but he stilled me.
He kissed me until I was languid and senseless and then he kissed me some more.
“Tonight is not my night.”
“But . . . I want . . .”
“Daisy, I have everything I need. Tonight was more than I could have ever dreamed.”
He was assaulting me with his sweet words and with his care.
“I enjoyed what we just did.”
His smile could have lit the whole campus, maybe the whole city.
“But what about—”
His hands roamed all over my body like they couldn’t stop. Like he needed to be touching me, pinching my nipple, biting the curve between my shoulder and my neck, winding me up, distracting me.
“Trevor, you are making it very difficult to have this conversation.”
“Good!” he said simply.
“Trevor!”
He took a deep breath. “Daisy, you wanted to have me tonight, and I will give myself to you. I will do whatever I can to make you feel amazing. But that doesn’t mean that I get to have you tonight. Tonight is just for you. There will be a night.” His eyes roamed over my body hotly. “Hopefully, there’ll be lots of nights that will be just for us.”
His palm slid over my belly and down to my hips. It made me tremble.
“But tonight is just for you, love.”
His expression stole all my breath. His eyes were full of devotion, of promise, and of love.
The End
Acknowledgements & Author’s Note
Mommie, you lent yearbooks, personal photos, sat for interviews, and were so selfless with your time. I absolutely could not have written this without you. I love you. Aunties, your closeness and sartorial choices were the inspiration for Daisy and her friends; I’m forever indebted to you! Thank you Uncle for the Fisk-tory lesson. Cousin Collective—you all are the best confidantes I could ever dream of. Family, I appreciate you letting me disappear for long stretches of time to write this, and for still being there when I returned to you. Rah you let me vent and cry and never gave up on me. Love you. To the ladies who brunch, you saved my sanity when I needed a writing break. All my gratitude to Smartypants Romance, especially Penny, for her selflessness with her characters, and to Fiona and Brooke for having the patience of Job and spirit of the beatitudes. Lastly, thank you to my editors Michelle and Rebecca, and to my beta readers Heather and Nicole for your invaluable insight.
A note about Fisk University:
When I was presented with a chance to write Daisy and Trevor’s story, I knew it would occur on the campus of an HBCU. The Payton and Boone families have such deep Tennessee roots it seemed natural that they would have a relationship with the oldest HBCU in the state. Despite the research I conducted to ensure historical accuracy, there may be errors present; it may help the reader to think of this version of Fisk as I do, as a fictional version of the real university meant as an homage.
That being said, there are areas where I elected to diverge from reality to serve the purpose of the story. For example, Daisy would’ve needed approval from more than just Dean Gwinn in order to double major, and the judicial process is a little more complex than stated in the story. It’s my fervent hope that these minor transgressions can be forgiven by any readers, especially any Fiskites that read this story.
About the Author
Chelsie Edwards’ mother declared her a smarty-pants at 4 years old; now she gets to be one professionally. She manages project timelines by day and book timelines by night. She resides in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and has no dogs, fish, or birds, but her neighbors cat “Buddy” keeps her company by sunbathing on her porch.
Find Chelsie online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelsieedwardswrites/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19916501.Chelsie_Edwards
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChelsieEWrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stillchelsie/
Find Smartypants Romance online:
Website: www.smartypantsromance.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/smartypantsromance/
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/smartypantsromance
Twitter: @smartypantsrom
Instagram: @smartypantsromance
Read on for:
1. A sneak peek of Stranger Ranger, book #2 in the Park Ranger Series by Daisy Prescott
2. Smartypants Romance’s booklist
Sneak Peek: Stranger Ranger, Book #2 in the Park Ranger Series by Daisy Prescott
Chapter One
Daphne
“I’m going to hell.”
“Why this time?” Kacey repeats her typical response to my declaration.
“Impure thoughts.” I sigh and stare up at the sky.
Taller than I am by half a foot, she scans the crowded farmers’ market. “Which guy are you talking about? The tall one with the blondish hair or the grumpy-looking guy loudly talking about his sausages? I can see this going either direction.”
“The tall one.” I’ve been trying not to stare and failing miserably—like a belly flop instead of swan dive level of failure.
“Ooh. He’s a living, breathing advertisement for eating your recommended daily servings of vegetables.” Kacey sighs and I find myself doing the same once again.
Across the community center parking lot is what I can only describe as a fever dream crossed with a hallucination, sprinkled with fantasy and a dash of what-the-ever-loving-hell-is-he-doing-here-in-Green-Valley-Tennessee mystery.
The six-foot-something bearded man—or perhaps a demi-god is a better description—stands behind a table loaded with wooden crates and baskets full of vegetables.
Upsy Daisy: A First Love College Romance Page 39