Page 52 of The Rogue and His Flower

Gritting my jaw, I nod. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Where have you been?”my father asks, his anger barely veiled by the thin smile he gives us both as we head back into the ballroom.

“I needed some fresh air,” Daisy says before I’m able to respond.

“Well, we’ve all been waiting for you. It’s time for your speech, Dalton,” he replies curtly.

Next to me Daisy stiffens, but I take her hand in mine, tugging her into my side. “Come on,” I encourage her. “Let’s do this.”

“Fine,” she murmurs, falling into step beside me as we both follow my father onto the stage at the back of the ballroom that’s been set up for this very moment.

“Ladies and gentlemen, can we have your attention, please?” my father says, plastering a smile on his face as we approach. “Dalton would like to address you all.”

As we take our positions on the stage, the room falls silent, save for the soft instrumental music playing in the background. I steal a glance at Daisy, her eyes locked on to the crowd, the warmth of her fingers seeping into mine as she grasps my hand tightly. I squeeze her fingers briefly before reaching into my pocket and pulling out the speech my father has written for me, my eyes scanning the words. Yet none of them feel right for this moment, they’re too stark, too perfunctory, entirely untruthful, and certainly not how I want to express myself to these arseholes. So, I pause, clearing my throat, before folding the paper up and sliding it back into my pocket. Daisy notices, her eyes widening a fraction.

“Ladies, and gentlemen,” I say, my voice steady. “I stand before you all tonight, not just as the heir who will eventually take on the mantle of his family’s legacy, but as a man who has been humbled by a woman willing to point out his flaws and marry him despite them.”

“Dalton, the speech,” my father hisses under his breath, but I ignore him, reaching for Daisy’s hands, wanting to say this part directly to her.

“Daisy, I’ve known you for as long as I’ve been best friends with Drix. I’ve watched you blossom into a beautiful,resilient, compassionateindividual despite the cruel treatment you’ve received from some members of this town, and the judgement of many others.”

As I expected, there is an audible gasp from the crowd and a flurry of whispered comments erupts in the room. But I remain steadfast and pay no attention to them. Nor do I pay any mind to my father’s obvious disapproval. I really don’t give a fuck what he or any one else thinks for that matter. Right now, I needDaisy to know that I’ve got her back, that I will stand by her as my fiance, my wife, and eventually, the mother to my child. This might not be a declaration of love, but it is meant to be a declaration of my support, and I hope to fuck she sees it that way.

“I’ve come to admire you more and more with every passing day, and I’m grateful that you’ve chosen to be my wife despite knowing that we will have many more hurdles to overcome. I believe, wholeheartedly, if we face them together our relationship will only strengthen,” I add, surprising myself.

“Dalton, what are you doing?” Daisy whispers, a question in her gaze as she glances out into the audience.

“Despite my past mistakes, of which there are many, I promise to honour our relationship, and the vows we will soon make to one another.”

Stepping closer, I release her hands, and cup her face in my palms. She blinks up at me, uncertainty clouding her features, before a deep blush spreads across her cheeks.

With fierce determination, I lower my voice to a whisper and say, “I’m taking that kiss now, Daisy.”

Then, without hesitation, I press my lips against hers with bruising force, causing her hands to fly up to the lapel of my jacket as she holds on tight, drawing her closer as her fingers dig into the fabric. Our kiss deepens as she melts into my embrace, and my fingers curl into her hair, tugging on the strands. She whimpers a little, and by fuck the sound is like music to my ears and a jolt of electricity to my cock. This kiss ignites the embers of my attraction, fueling them until they’re fanning flames. I feel them lick over my skin as our tongues dance and my body presses against hers in an indecent embrace. I’m vaguely aware that we have an audience, but honestly as she whimpers into my mouth, I don’t give a fuck about anything other than the taste of her glossy lips on mine, the feel of her silken body pressedagainst me, the heady scent of her skin, and the soft moans and whimpers that send me fucking feral.

“Well, Dalton,” I hear my father say, his firm grip on my shoulder forcing me to break our kiss, as everything comes back into focus. “I think it’s time you release your fiance, don’t you?” he adds with a forced chuckle, mirroring the insincere laughter of the crowd. “A toast to Dalton and Daisy!”

Daisy’s cheeks are flaming as she lifts her trembling fingertips to her mouth, her eyes as round as coins, shiny and bright as I slide my hand into hers, squeezing it tightly. She attempts to pull her hand away, clearly angry that I stole that kiss, but I refuse to let her go as my father’s words cut through the air like a sharp knife, stinging me with their disapproval.

“To Dalton and Daisy,” the crowd replies, raising their glasses, despite the glares of disdain and the palpable shock at my defiance.

I find myself searching the crowd, finally settling my gaze on Drix and Lia. Lia smiles in what seems like approval, and Drix acknowledges my gaze with a tight nod. I can tell he’s pissed off that I kissed Daisy, but I’m hoping he at least trusts my promise, because despite selfishly stealing that kiss, I meant everything I said.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

DAISY

“So, that kiss…” Lia says, her voice trailing off as warm puffs of air release from her mouth. It’s midweek, and we’re sitting huddled together on the park bench whilst Drix and Toby run around the playground together, their laughter a balm to the churning feelings inside my stomach.

“…Was unexpected,” I reply carefully, still not sure how I feel about it, in all honesty.

“From where I was standing it looked like you were enjoying yourself,” she teases, nudging me with her arm.

“I can’t deny that he’s a good kisser,” I mumble, my cheeks heating.

“But?”

“But it’s all part of the act. We had to make our engagement look real,” I reply, hating how good it had felt in the moment, knowing that it meant nothing.

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