by J. H. Croix
I was acutely aware of why. The reality that Jeff noticed her and found her attractive shouldn’t have been the least bit surprising to me. Daisy was beautiful. With her bright honey gold hair, her wide brown eyes, her endearing lopsided smile, and her curves that went on forever, I was confident plenty of men noticed her. Hell, I’d noticed her the first time I met her. The more time I spent with her, the more that attention had grown into a fierce desire for her. I’d only barely tamped it down due to our friendship and the awareness she’d wanted more than what I wanted.
Then, I’d gone and given in to the urge to kiss her. If she hadn’t spent the subsequent year avoiding me, I was fairly certain we’d have arrived in this very place much sooner. The desire between us burned so hot and fast, it was a replicating force. Nothing seemed to take the edge off my need for her. Even when I’d just spent myself and was still buried inside of her, all I could think of was how fucking good it felt. How right.
Case in point. Right now, I should be focused on the team. We’d had a grueling practice and most of us were bloody annoyed with Roddy. I figured he was on his last shot before Coach told management to go to hell and trade him. While I was able to focus when I was actually playing, once I wasn’t, my mind spun to Daisy.
Fuck me. I pushed off the goal post and glanced to Alex. I’d stopped to chat with him on the way to the locker rooms. While Liam was mostly stuck dealing with Roddy’s cocky attitude, the kid had been foolish enough today to offer defensive pointers to Alex.
Alex slung a towel over his shoulder and stepped to my side. “Eh, he’s enough of a problem now, Coach shall have to do something. As for me, he can jabber at me all he wants and I’ll just keep ignoring him,” Alex said with a shrug in response to whatever the hell I’d said a minute ago.
That how pathetic I was. The second I started thinking about Daisy, I lost track of everything else.
Alex, having known me for years and being damn perceptive, eyed me and cocked his head to the side.
“What’s up with you? I know your knee’s up to speed because I can see it in your play. You’re not favoring it at all. If anything, you seem a tad faster than you were before your injury.”
We began walking slowly toward the locker room. I twirled the now-empty water bottle in my hand, not replying to Alex because I didn’t have a good answer.
Alex let me be for a few seconds and then prodded me. “So?”
I shrugged. “Nothing. Long practice today, and Roddy’s annoying as hell.”
I glanced to my side to see Alex arch a brow and shrug. He wouldn’t push because he wasn’t that kind of guy. We headed to the showers. I let the steaming water pound over me longer than usual while I stewed over Daisy. Yet again, we hadn’t made plans tonight. I wanted to see her. Needed to see her. All the while wishing my need for her wasn’t quite so fierce. Trying to shove it away only seemed to heighten it.
Chapter 22
Daisy
“You’re coming to dinner, right?” Olivia asked the second I answered her call.
I glanced at the clock above my office door and then at the spreadsheet I’d been reviewing. I’d been deep in data all today. It was actually something I loved. The precise nature of it, the answers it could give me, how satisfying it felt when it was organized and told me something good—maybe it was crazy, but it was what I loved. I’d known from the start of medical school that I wanted to do research. Medical research had saved us in so many ways. Most people today didn’t even have to think about small pox or polio because those diseases, which had killed swathes of humanity in eras before, were largely eradicated. I was passionate about the fact I felt like medical research had lost its way in the era of profit. The research company I worked for was small, but embodied everything that mattered to me. It was a non-profit, and we focused on preventative medication trials.
As it was, I’d had a great day filled with data, but dinner sounded nice. “I didn’t know we were having dinner, but I’m game. When, where and who?” I asked in return.
“Me and Liam, Harper and Alex, Zoe and Ethan.” She paused, and I could practically hear her wondering if this was a good idea. “And Tristan. If you come, then you too,” she said quickly.
It was like a couples dinner then, and the first dinner with all of my closest friends where the fact Tristan and I were doing whatever the hell it was we were doing was public knowledge amongst our friends. My heart gave a little squeeze. The part that hurt was the knowledge we might be there and we might sort of be together, but not really. Oh God. The end of our month was coming too fast and was also too far away. Trying to gracefully manage the pending end of this would put my heart to the test.
“I’ll be there. You forgot the where and when,” I said quickly.
I couldn’t dwell on what Olivia might be worrying about, and I wasn’t going to hide anymore.
“Oh right. Six o’clock at Thai Paradise,” she added.
“See you then.”
I hung up quickly and spent the next half hour finishing up everything I’d been working on, so I had a good starting point next week. With it being Friday, before this whole thing with Tristan had started, I might’ve worked over the weekend. I had no intention of doing that this weekend. He’d been spending every night with me lately. We only had this weekend left before we had to ‘reassess’ as he’d declared we would do at the end of our month together.
Not much later, I pushed through the doorway into Thai Paradise. The restaurant was an old favorite of mine and Olivia’s from back when we were in med school together. It was quick and delicious and perfect for late night of studying. I pushed the hood back from my rain jacket and took it off before shaking it. The drizzle earlier today had turned into true rain. A glance around, and I saw most everyone else had already arrived and was seated at a large round table in the corner.
I headed that way, disappointed to find everyone but Tristan there. Great. Just what I wanted—a couples dinner where I was the one and only single person here. I forced myself to cast a bright smile around the group. “Hey everyone, how’s it going?”
I slipped into one of two empty seats and draped my jacket over the back. Even though I had to bite my cheeks to keep from asking, I didn’t ask where Tristan was. Fortunately, Liam was deep in the middle of a conversation with Alex and Ethan about something to do with a new player on the team. Zoe was seated to my side and caught my eyes.
“Team drama,” she said with a slight smile. “How’ve you been?”
“Same, same. Haven’t seen you at the gym since the other week.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know. I’ve got this big finance case that’s been tying me up. I’m spending way too much time at the office.”
Ethan leaned our direction, dropping a kiss on her cheek. “Yes, you have.” He caught my eyes. “Please tell her to stop working so hard. She won’t listen to me,” he said with a wink.
“Of course, I’ll badger her for you,” I offered with a grin.
At that moment, I felt Tristan’s presence. That’s how attuned to him I was. My back happened to be facing the entrance, so I couldn’t see him approaching, but I literally felt his heat and strength come up behind me. A prickle of awareness ran up my spine, followed by a ripple of heat.
He slid into the chair beside me. I had to physically hold myself back from touching him. We’d gotten comfortable together now that we’d spent so much time with each other. I was used to easy touches, but I wasn’t used to us being out in public like this, much less with our entire group of friends here as witnesses.
I managed a casual hello and was relieved Tristan was quickly drawn into the conversation about the team drama Zoe referenced. Our waitress arrived to take our order and serve drinks. The evening actually settled into a normal routine. I was almost comfortable enough to think about touching Tristan when I felt his palm slide over my thigh and give it a subtle squeeze.
My low belly clenched, and I was instantly wet. Okay
, I wanted to act normal around our friends, but I didn’t want to be squirming in my seat over wanting him.
I was saved for a most annoying reason.
“Oh hi Tristan,” a female voice said brightly from behind us.
I glanced over my shoulder to see a stunning woman approaching the table with another equally beautiful woman beside her. I didn’t spend much time thinking about my appearance. It was something I was mostly confident about. Oh, I wasn’t all arrogant about it, but I knew I was no ugly duckling and was confident in my brain, so I could cast aside feminine doubts about my looks. There was one thing I got a little insecure about here and there though—my height and my pretty generous curves. I was on the short side, so every curve seemed even larger since there wasn’t any room to stretch out.
Anyway, these two women were tall and willowy, quite the opposite of my short, curvy self. The one who’d greeted Tristan had a sharp, possessive air to her. One glance at her and the description I promptly assigned her was shallow bitch. I watched as he looked up. His eyes didn’t give much away, but I saw a flicker of surprise followed by the narrowing of his gaze.
“Hi Renee,” he said perfunctorily.
Fucking great. This was Renee. Just what I needed—the reminder that Tristan didn’t dally with anyone and cut women out of his life with the precision of a scalpel if they expected too much. Renee flicked her long, blonde hair off of one shoulder and rested her hand on her hip. She was the epitome of stylish and gorgeous with her model thin figure, her straight blonde hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in silky black slacks with a fitted white blouse that cinched at her waist. Oh, how I wished I didn’t know she’d recently been involved with Tristan.
At his rather flat reply, Renee arched a brow. Her friend stayed quiet, her eyes scanning the table. When Tristan let the silence stretch, Renee rolled her eyes. “Well then, I suppose it means nothing we saw each other for almost a year,” she said with a snide tone.
Tristan’s eyes darkened. Everyone at the table had gone quiet. If there was one thing I knew well about Tristan—he didn’t do drama. He despised gossip and kept a remarkably low profile for an international sports star. The other thing I knew well about Tristan—he didn’t do relationships, and he certainly didn’t appreciate a spectacle. Renee publicly confronting him like this would not be something he appreciated. At all.
His eyes flicked between them, and he stood quickly. Moving smoothly, he slipped his hand through Renee’s elbow and escorted her away from our table. Her friend followed along a few feet behind them. I couldn’t keep from watching. Tristan stopped beside the entrance and stepped back. I could see him speaking. Whatever he said, Renee looked annoyed. When he walked back toward our table, she didn’t follow and left the restaurant.
He sat down and drained his beer. When he looked up, all eyes were on him, although I was trying to be casual about it.
“What?” he asked.
“You’re the one who never has to deal with drama. Can’t help but wonder how you’re doing,” Ethan said with a shrug and a sly grin.
Tristan rolled his shoulders and shook his head with a sigh. “Right mate. I can do without it. Let’s not make it more than it was.”
Olivia’s eyes caught mine from where she sat at an angle across from me. I could see the concern in her gaze. I knew she’d be worrying how I was interpreting that little interaction. She had good reason. Everything about it reminded me why I’d spent a year avoiding Tristan. Too late for a do-over on that though. I’d jumped in and was already over my head now. I swatted away the thread of insecurity that the tall and willowy Renee’s presence had tugged loose inside. That and the way Tristan dismissed her. Because I knew he was an honest man, I knew he hadn’t misrepresented what he wanted to her. He was so up front about the fact he wasn’t interested in even entertaining the idea of a relationship that it was a known fact publicly and the very reason I’d tried to kill my desire for him with avoidance. I couldn’t really think about any of this now. The last thing I wanted was for our friends to observe me feeling awkward.
Our waitress stopped by to check on us, and I had her fill my wineglass and bring another bottle for the table. The tension from Renee’s appearance dissipated once conversation moved on. I could sense Tristan’s tension, but I ignored it. I was feeling prickly and annoyed as much with myself as with him. I needed not to care so much, but I did.
I filled my wine glass again and took a slow sip, staying quiet, which wasn’t like me. Not in a group of friends like this. The buzz of the wine softened the edges of my annoyance and helped me shove my insecurity far to the back of my mind. Somewhere in the midst of a good natured debate between Liam and Ethan, I felt Tristan’s hand curl over my thigh again. I glanced his way reflexively, colliding with his hazel gaze. Sweet hell. He had amazing eyes—layers of green, gold and nutmeg—with thick dark lashes that curled against his cheeks. It was almost obscene for a man to have lashes like that, but then this was Tristan and he’d been ridiculously blessed when it came to looks.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice low.
My throat tightened with emotion. Great, just great. My defenses were down, and this was bad, really bad.
“Uh huh,” I said with a rapid nod. “I’m good.”
He searched my gaze, and I prayed he couldn’t see how exposed I felt. His hand was a hot brand on my thigh. Butterflies amassed in my belly, and I could feel the slick heat in my core. No matter what, my body betrayed me when it came to Tristan. I didn’t want to want him the way I did, but I was helpless to stop it.
He finally nodded, just barely. “Okay. Shall we go?”
My body almost started jumping up and down. Yes! Let’s go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get naked and you can be buried inside of me.
Did I really just think that?
Yes, yes you did.
His hand gave a subtle squeeze, and I looked back to him, nodding before an actual thought could keep me from doing anything else.
I couldn’t think past the need flooding my body in hot waves. I should be thinking about how to gracefully untangle myself from Tristan. Yet, it was becoming beyond obvious I was already in way too deep.
Between the desire thrumming through me and the wine fuzzing my thoughts, I didn’t even notice Tristan already saying our goodbyes until he started to stand. My mind snapped to the moment, and I glanced around the table. No one seemed to notice anything amiss. Ethan was laughing at something, and Zoe was rolling her eyes at him.
I felt Tristan’s hand curl over my shoulder. Reflexively, I reached up, and he laced his fingers with mine as he pulled my chair back. I stood and glanced around the table.
Olivia caught my eyes. “So we’ll see you at the game tomorrow?” she asked, appearing to reference a conversation we’d already had.
“Of course!” I said, injecting a cheery tone into my reply.
“Perfect, Harper’s driving, so we’ll pick you up,” she said matter-of factly.
Wow. My entire evening was planned out tomorrow and somehow I’d been so zoned out over Tristan, I’d nearly missed the fact I’d made plans.
“Sounds good. What time again?”
“Five. Good night,” Harper added with a wave.
“I’ll be ready,” I said with a smile. I managed the rest of my goodbyes and headed out, my hand held in Tristan’s warm grip.
I was so bad off, I even loved having him hold my hand. The fact he didn’t try to hide it made my heart do a little dance.
Chapter 23
Tristan
I held the door open at Daisy’s place, and she walked through in front of me. I couldn’t say why but we always stayed at her place. Well, perhaps I could say why. I liked it. My flat was perfectly fine, but it wasn’t as warm and inviting as Daisy’s. Everything about her place screamed Daisy with it’s brightly colored rugs and throw pillows scattered on the couch. It was also warm and comfortable…as she was in ways that made it ha
rd for me to think about.
I closed and locked the door behind us. It briefly crossed my mind that I was assuming I’d be spending the night here. I toed off my shoes and glanced across the room. She was walking through the archway into the kitchen, her hips swaying with each step. She must’ve come straight to dinner from the office because she had on her almost appropriate work clothes. Her black skirt landed just above her knees and otherwise hugged every inch of her luscious hips like a lover. She’d paired that with a quite appropriate white blouse, save the fact the buttons were strained by her generous breasts. She tossed her purse on the kitchen table and turned, kicking her shoes off as she did.
My cock had been hard for hours now. My only respite the entire evening had been when Renee showed up. One look at her, and the need pounding through me temporarily cooled. I’d been pissed, mostly because I hated the drama of it. I’d been nothing but completely upfront with Renee the entire time we’d occasionally seen each other. Hell, she was the one who’d put a stop to our arrangement once or twice when she was seeing other guys.
When I’d walked away from the table with her, she’d shifted gears and seemed embarrassed. As nicely as possible, I’d reminded her things with us were over. I felt bad about the whole thing, if only because I’d obviously missed the cues she was reading more into things than I was. I might have had crystal clear boundaries about expectations when it came to relationships, but I wasn’t an ass about it. I never set out to hurt anyone. I don’t know that Renee was overly hurt, as much as her pride had taken a hit. She was used to being chased and was stung that I wasn’t giving her that little thrill.
The moment Renee left, my entire attention had swung back to Daisy. I’d had to sit through the torture of seeing the valley between her breasts all evening with her musky scent drifting up to me. I walked toward her, my eyes locked to hers. It felt as if the air between us was vibrating with the force of our desire. She leaned her shoulder against the inside of the archway and traced her fingertip along the V of her blouse.