Page 100 of The Rogue and His Flower

“Oh, and one last thing. I’ve arranged for the press to attend the wedding reception party.”

“You’ve donewhat?” I ask, snapping my head up.

“You and Daisy will pose for pictures as a happily married couple, which shouldn’t be too hard given how you’ve enjoyed spending so much time together, no?”

With that, he dismisses me with a wave of his hand, and as I step out of his office my head spins with anger and resentment towards my father. In just a few minutes he’s managed to strip away any semblance of happiness I’ve begun to feel, and has reminded me of my own shortcomings. I was a fucking fool to believe that I could ever get the upper hand, and the weight of that knowledge is a heavy burden to carry.

“Dalton, what is it?”Daisy asks, as she falls into step beside me, our feet crunching over the frostbitten leaves that litter thepath leading towards the old ruins a few miles outside of town. It’s a place I’ve often frequented when I’ve needed to get away from my father, and today I wanted to share a quiet moment with Daisy without prying eyes watching our every move to report back to my father.

“It’s nothing,” I lie, forcing a smile on my face as we step beneath the vine-covered archway into the ruins.

“You can talk to me, you know,” she says, gently pressing her fingers against my arm.

“There really isn’t much to say. It’s just… business,” I add, wincing at my choice of words given what my father had said to me earlier about our arranged marriage being nothing more than a business deal. Maybe in the beginning it had been, but now? Now, standing in the shadows of these ancient walls with Daisy’s concerned eyes searching mine, I feel a surge of guilt for ever thinking of our relationship as nothing more than a transaction. She deserves better than that.

“You know I never even knew this place existed,” Daisy says, sensing that I’m not willing to talk any further on the subject. “It’s beautiful, if not a little creepy.”

“It’s been my secret sanctuary for as long as I can remember,” I confess. “Not even Drix knows I come here when I need a moment to think.”

“I guess there’s a lot to think about with our wedding only a few days away,” she murmurs, stepping over some rocks, her breath visible in the chilly air.

“You know legend has it that this place once belonged to a powerful witch who was said to have the ability to see into the future.”

Daisy turns to face me, her lips quirking up into a smile. “Something I’m sure you’d love to make use of right now, huh?”

“I’m not sure that knowing what’s coming would be a good thing. I’d rather be blissfully unaware,” I reply honestly.

“Really? That surprises me,” she says, cocking her head to the side as I approach her.

“Surprises you? How so?” I ask as cool air swirls around us, picking up some scattered leaves and tossing them in the air.

“Well, for someone who needs to be in control, I would’ve thought you’d want to know every detail of what’s to come,” she explains, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Personally, I believe a little mystery is good for the soul.”

“Is that so? What mysteries are you hiding from me, Daisy Hammer?” I ask, brushing an unruly curl off her face as we stand within the crumbling stone walls.

“None in particular. There isn’t much more to me than you know already,” she replies, shrugging her shoulders.

“Perhaps there are depths to you that even you’re not entirely aware of,” I reply, referring to the fact that she appeared to enjoy being spanked in the House of Mirrors. It surprised me greatly, and turned me on.

“Go on,” she murmurs, her cheeks colouring a little as she looks up at me. “What is it that you think I’m unaware of?”

I lean down, capturing her lips in a soft kiss before whispering against them. “The depths of your own desires, Daisy. The ones you keep hidden, even from yourself.”

“Is that why you brought me here today, so you could have your wicked way with me?”

I smirk at her playful challenge. “Do you want me to have my wicked way with you?” I ask, my hand trailing down her back as I draw her closer, the air around us eddying with anticipation.

“Perhaps,” she replies, a mischievous glint in her eye as I brush my lips against hers, unable to stop myself.

Without a word, I take her hand and lead her further into the centre of the ruin where shadows twirl and contort around aged stones, whispering secrets only the ghosts of the long dead inhabitants can hear. As we step into a covered archway, I pullDaisy close, the late afternoon light filtering through the cracks in the stone wall.

“Do you feel that?” she asks, her hand tightening around mine as she shudders. “It’s as though we’re being watched. Maybe that witch you spoke of haunts these ruins.”

“I dare say she does,” I reply, “But I’m not afraid of ghosts, Daisy.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“Nothing,” I reply, stiffening a little at the way she searches me with her gaze.

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