by Ivy Layne
“That was quite a fire. Anything you wish you'd thrown in while you had the chance?”
Chapter Sixteen
royal
I took a bite of quiche and thought about it. “I think we hit the major spots in the office, but I wish the others had been here. I'm sure they had stuff they wanted to see go up in flames.”
“Is it weird? All of you living at home again? Hope told me it was part of the will. I'm sorry if it's awkward that I know these things because of her. She's one of my best friends, so—”
“I don't mind. I'm used to people knowing way more about my family than they should.”
Daisy looked away, her shoulders stiff. I reached out to close a hand over her arm and gave her a gentle shake.
“I don't mean you. I'm just saying I'm pretty much an open book. I don't mind you knowing stuff. I trust Hope's judgment, and I want to get to know you better. It wouldn't be fair if I asked you about your family and then got annoyed that you know about mine.
“And to answer your question, it's extremely weird to have all of us back home again. Griffen is practically a stranger. So is Finn. And I don't know the rest of them that well either, aside from Tenn. Prentice was always setting us against each other. What we should have done is team up against him, but by the time we were old enough to figure that out, we'd spent most of our lives getting played by Prentice. I don't think it occurred to a single one of us to work together. Watching Ford betray Griffen felt like an object lesson.”
“Wasn't your father behind that? Didn't he talk Ford into it? Hope said—” Daisy stopped herself. “It just seems like maybe an object lesson was the point. Maybe it wasn't only about Ford and Griffen. Maybe your dad wanted to prove to the rest of you that you couldn't trust each other.”
I stared at her. Why had that never occurred to me? I'd figured out that Prentice had been behind Ford's betrayal of Griffen. It had been obvious at the time. Prentice hadn't even bothered to hide his machinations once they came out. But it had never occurred to me that he might have been making a point to the rest of us.
If that was his plan, it had worked.
Daisy watched the realization bloom on my face. Reaching out, she closed her hand over mine. “Sorry to bring it up. Your dad was a real asshole.”
I barked out a laugh. Goddamn, this woman was good for me. “And then some.” I leaned over and dropped a kiss on her lips. Immediately, I wanted more. After dessert. Soon.
Daisy looked over my shoulder at the rear elevation of Heartstone Manor. “At least you have plenty of room to avoid each other if you want to. You could probably stash a football team in there and no one would notice.”
I followed her gaze. The house was massive, it was true. “You'd be right, except half of the bedrooms aren't even furnished. Prentice let the house go to hell, and none of us were living here, so we didn't know.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. He was a miserable bastard most of the time. The only one of us who had regular contact with him was Ford, and Ford claims he doesn't know what Dad was up to. I don't know how they could work together all day and not know anything about each other's personal lives, but apparently, that was the case.”
“Whatever happened with cockroach guy?” Daisy asked suddenly. “Did he say why he was messing with you guys?”
“Like every other asshole who's come after our family lately, he claims he was paid by someone else.”
“And you don't know who?” Daisy ate the last bite of her quiche and set the plate down beside her empty wine glass.
“No clue,” I admitted.
“I bet this is driving West nuts.”
“West and the rest of us. Especially Griffen. Hope probably told you he spent most of the time he was away working for one of the best security companies in the country. Even they haven't been able to find anything.” I picked up the bottle of wine I'd corked. “Another glass?”
“I'd better not. I have to drive home, and more wine will put me straight to sleep. I still have to prep for tomorrow, and I was up at 3:30.”
“Do you always get up that early?” It had been a while since I'd seen three-thirty am. I hadn't gotten to bed that late in years, and I sure as hell wasn't getting up that early.
“No, not usually. I've been working on some extra projects and getting up early is the easiest way to fit them in. I'm not a late sleeper anyway. You can't be and run a bakery, but even I have to admit I could do without the 3:30 wake up call.”
“Then we should have dessert so you can get to bed on time.” I rummaged in the picnic basket and came up with two clean forks. “I hope you don't mind sharing the pie.”
I repacked the picnic basket and set it aside. Grabbing the pie from the bench, I sat back down, leaning against the tree. “Come over here, and I'll feed you some pie.”
Daisy's eyes were cautious. For a second, I thought she'd claim her fork and turn me down. Triumph swelled in my chest as she came to sit beside me, hip to hip, and leaned back into my chest.
Just the feel of her that close was everything I wanted. The weight of her body against mine, the scent of her hair, sweet with fruit and flowers. She fired me up and calmed me down at the same time.
I wanted to toss the pie aside and get my hands on her, but she was skittish enough as it was. Instead, I forked up a bite of the mixed-berry pie and carefully brought it to her lips. She took it and chewed slowly. I took my own bite, my eyes closing in bliss as the tart, sweet berries exploded over my tongue.
I fed her another bite and then another. I loved to watch this woman eat. The way her tongue flicked across her lips, her eyes closing as she gave herself over to experiencing the food. The little noises of pleasure she made in her throat, just like she did when I kissed her.
Maybe I could have behaved myself if we'd been sitting across from each other at the dining room table. If we hadn't been alone.
I'd planned to share more of the pie. I swear I had, but I couldn't take it anymore.
I set the pie plate on top of the picnic hamper and tossed our fork into the grass. “Pie later. I need to kiss you now.” Pulling Daisy into me, I tilted her face to mine, already lost in the heat of her warm brown eyes.
Daisy's fingers slid into my hair, closing in a firm grip, pulling my face to hers. Daisy's mouth on mine was all the answer I needed. I lost myself in the kiss. In the taste of her lips, the feel of her in my arms. So sweet and so right. Everything about her felt like she belonged exactly where she was.
Daisy didn't protest when I rolled us to the blanket and stretched out. She arched into me, kissing me harder, as lost as I was. I skimmed my hand under her shirt, my fingertips drinking in the soft silk of her skin, the weight of her breast in my hand through her lace bra.
I wanted to strip her clothes from her body, to spread her legs and taste her everywhere. To fill her with me. To make her come. Somewhere in the back of my head, I managed to remember that while we were alone, we weren't that far from the house.
If anyone was nosy enough to go up to the second floor or happened to be in their bedroom, they could look right out the window and see everything that was happening on the picnic blanket.
No matter how much I wanted her, I wouldn't embarrass Daisy like that. I could settle for just kissing. I could have kissed Daisy all night. For just a second, I thought about sneaking her into the house and up to my room, my thought process not that different than it had been at sixteen.
No. Not this time. I already knew she wasn't ready. For the first time, it wasn't about the end game. I wanted Daisy in my bed, but more than that, I wanted to keep her there.
Rushing might get me a fuck, but it wouldn't get me Daisy.
She shoved at my shoulder, and with a rush of disappointment, I rolled back to let her go. I didn't expect her to follow, pushing me to my back and lean
ing over me, one leg hitched over my hip, grazing my hard cock. Soft breasts pillowed on my chest as she brushed her lips against mine, her fingers again buried in my hair, her palm nudging my head back into the perfect position for a slow, deep kiss.
The brush of her leg against my cock was almost enough to push me over the edge. But it wasn't just that, it was her taking control, leading the kiss. So far, I'd been the one to initiate. I hadn't realized how it would feel for Daisy to turn the tables and seduce me.
Her fingers busy on my shirt buttons, I skimmed my hands up her back and flicked open her bra, filling my palms with her breasts, loving the hum of pleasure in her throat at my touch. It wasn't until she spread my shirt open that she sat up, her nipples peaking beneath her polo shirt, teeth sunk into her swollen bottom lip.
Her fingers stroking down my chest, voice husky, she said, “We're outside, aren't we?”
I grinned up at her as she looked around, eyes dazed with lust as if wondering how we got here. “We are. And there are a lot of windows aimed this way.”
Her teeth sank into her lip again, the obvious regret on her face the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Curling up to sit beside her, I nuzzled her cheek, reaching behind her to refasten her bra. “Next time I want you somewhere private. Somewhere it's just us.”
“I want that too,” Daisy admitted. “Not tonight, but soon.”
“Not tonight, but soon,” I agreed.
Letting her go—packing up the picnic and carrying it back to the house, walking her to her car and sending her off with just one more kiss on her sweet, perfect mouth—it was all so much harder than it should have been.
It was a date. A date with a pretty woman. I'd had countless dates and not a single one of them had meant anything. I'd walked away from every one of those women without a second thought.
I hadn't taken Daisy to bed. She hadn't even agreed to go out with me or confessed that she didn't really have a boyfriend, and still, saying goodbye was a bitch.
I wanted her to stay. I wanted her in my house. In my bed. I just fucking wanted her.
Now, I knew she wanted me, too. I could have walked away if I thought she wasn't interested. Really, truly wasn't interested.
Now that I knew she wanted me almost as much as I wanted her?
Nothing was going to scare me away.
Not even Daisy herself.
Chapter Seventeen
Daisy
For two days, I was walking on air. All I could think about was Royal.
I tried not to. God knows I had plenty to keep me busy.
I'd managed to put Grams off on the expansion, and while I hadn't come close to replacing the money, I was making progress. I tried not to look at each entry in my spreadsheet and think about what it was costing me in time and sleep and worry.
I tried not to think about how far I was from my goal and that eventually, I was going to have to explain to Grams and J.T. why our pretty little deck wasn't going to happen this year. So far, I'd added another regular account with the gift shop on the other end of Main Street, and the pop-up grilled cheese stand I'd done for lunch on Tuesday had been a hit.
I was exhausted, tired all the way to the marrow of my bones, and still, all I could think about was Royal.
I couldn't get my head around the idea that he liked me. More than liked me.
He was Royal Sawyer. He was smart, and funny, and successful on top of just being a Sawyer. And handsome. So freaking handsome. Just looking at him—hell, just thinking about him—made my knees weak. It was everything. Those blue eyes. His smile. That body.
I'd barely gotten a good look at it the other night under the tree, but what I'd seen—wow.
I wanted to see more. A lot more.
I had to face the truth. I wanted Royal Sawyer.
It would be easier if I could tell myself I just wanted to sleep with him. J.T. had been right, it had been a long time for me. Whether I wanted a relationship or not, I could do for some physical contact of the sexual variety.
If I was going to face the truth, I had to admit that I wanted a lot more than that from Royal. He was so easy to talk to. To be with. He didn't judge. I'd wondered if he would look down on me for not having gone to college like he had or for not going after culinary school like J.T. was, but it felt like he completely understood.
He listened, really listened instead of waiting until I was done so he could talk. When I was with him, I felt like I could tell him anything. It wasn't until I was alone that the doubts crept in.
“Daisy? Do you want to talk about this now?” Grams' voice cut through my fog of distraction. My cheeks went hot as I thought she wanted to talk to me about Royal. No way I was discussing him with Grams.
I already knew what she thought on the subject. If I asked her, she'd probably drop me off at his door in lingerie with a fistful of condoms. Grams did not approve of my date-free lifestyle.
“Huh?” I set down the pan I'd been drying for at least three minutes too long and turned around. Grams stood in front of me, concern in her eyes.
“You look tired, baby.” She ran her fingertip beneath one eye, stroking the puffy circle I knew was there.
“Just not sleeping well,” I lied. Not sleeping enough was more like it. “I can't get used to J.T. being gone during the week.”
Grams raised an eyebrow at me, not buying my bullshit. “It's been over four months since he started at Tech, and he's been staying in town during the week for half of that at least. You should be used to it by now. I'll give you an herbal tea blend. You need your sleep.” A grin spread across her face that I knew meant trouble. “Maybe you should ask Royal Sawyer to tuck you in.”
“Grams, butt out.”
“I'm your grandmother. I'm not going to butt out. It's my God-given right to be nosy about my granddaughter.”
“Not about my sex life,” I protested, busying myself with cleaning up the kitchen and prepping for the next day.
Grams propped a hip against one of the worktables and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, the day you get a sex life, let me know and then I'll proceed with being nosy.”
“Smart-ass,” I muttered under my breath.
“Who's a smart-ass?” my mother asked from the doorway to the shop.
“Daisy says I am because I'm teasing her about Royal Sawyer,” Grams said. “Shop all closed up?”
“Everything's done up front,” my mom said, adding, “I think she's a smart girl if she's being cautious about Royal. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, you know.”
I bit my tongue before I could demand to know what she meant. Grams got there first. “Sheree, what makes you say that? Prentice was a bastard, and Ford could be cold, but I haven't seen any sign that the Sawyer children take after their father. More like they take after their grandfather. Now, Reginald was a good man. I always thought Prentice drove him into an early grave.”
“Drove him into an early grave? How?” I asked, curious. I got most of my Sawyer-related info from Hope, but suddenly, it occurred to me that Grams had been born in this town, and she probably knew more of the old history than Hope did.
“Well, Prentice talked his father into signing the company over to him when he was in his 30s and then pushed his father out completely. Said it was an early retirement, but Reginald was born to work. He just wasted away after Prentice put him out to pasture. Died not long after. I don't know where Prentice got all his mean, but it doesn't run in the blood, that's for sure.”
My mother crossed her arms over her chest, her jaw set mulishly. “I'm just saying you can't know that. There's nothing wrong with Daisy guarding her heart. Royal is a player. Everyone in town knows it. And he may put on a good act, but he’s still Prentice's son.”
I turned to study her, realizing that this wasn't my mom suspicious of a man who had an interest in her baby girl. This w
asn't really about me. It was something more.
“What do you have against the Sawyers? What did they ever do to you?” I couldn't imagine. My mother hadn't spent that much time in Sawyers Bend despite her long marriage to my father. They flitted in and out of town, but they were never here long enough to make friends or cause any trouble.
My mother lifted that set jaw in my direction. “Prentice Sawyer took advantage of your father in a business deal not long after you were born. I don't care if he lived in that big house and wore a fancy suit, he was still a thief. When your father tried to get back the money Prentice swindled out of him, Prentice had him arrested.”
“Sheree!” Grams cried, “Why didn’t you ever tell me this? I could have helped! I could have—”
“It's ancient history,” my mother said quickly, and I could tell she regretted letting so much slip in front of Grams. “It happened right after Daisy was born. We might not have had to leave town for so long if it hadn't been for that.”
Maybe I was bitter about my parents' frequent absences. I tried not to be. I tried to focus on everything I had instead of the things I was missing, but I couldn't help thinking that if Prentice Sawyer had swindled my father out of money it was probably done before my father could swindle him out of the same.
For the life of me, I couldn't imagine any business Darren Hutchins could have with Prentice Sawyer that was aboveboard. Possibly because I'd never known my father to have any business that was aboveboard. Except the one he'd pitched to get my money.
I tamped down the sick feeling that rolled in my stomach, the revulsion at hearing my mother complain about being swindled out of money when she and my father had done exactly that to me.
I wanted things to be simple. I just wanted to love her and have her love me and leave it at that.
I couldn't help resenting the easy way she slipped through all of it.