Page 6 of Sinful Skulls
My gaze roams over her paintings. They’re light and airy. If that’s any indication of her personality, I think her name is spot on.
She trails my gaze, and sighs quietly.
“I don’t think there’s an opposite for daisy,” I say. “It’s a flower.”
She surprises me when she reaches out and runs her fingers over the black dahlia tattoo on my arm. “All of your tattoos are dark with no color. Why?”
I shrug. “A preference, I guess.”
“You prefer dark things?” she asks, those hazel gold eyes pulling me in as her fingers roam higher up my arm, tracing a spider.
“Sometimes, but not always. There’s got to be a balance, don’t you think?”
When her touch leaves me, I instantly ache for its return. “How so?”
This is the strangest introduction to someone new I’ve ever had, but I have to say I’m enjoying it immensely. Daisy is unique.
“Well, if you spend too much time in the light, I think you lose empathy for the darkness. But, if you spend too much time in the dark, you forget about the light. The dark can pull you into its void and suck you right out of this world.”
I can tell how my words affect her by the way she plays with her necklace as she continues to take me in. Her eyes roam over all of my artwork.
After a few minutes, she smiles. “I think I like you.”
A laugh bursts from my chest. “It took you a long time to come to that conclusion.”
“Well, a girl can never be too careful.”
I nod, leaning toward her. “You’re right, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. I liked you the minute I saw you.” I’m being bold by touching her, but I run my finger over her arm like she did mine. Her skin is flawless. There’s nothing to trace, so instead I draw an invisible daisy over it.
When I’m finished, I wrap my fingers around her wrist and raise my eyes to meet hers. “I should probably go.”
She’s holding her breath.
A little more coaxing and I’m confident she’d invite me to spend the night, even though I can clearly see she’s not that type of girl. She’s innocent. And, for the first time in my life, I want more than one night.
Daisy is an enigma. I want to peel back her layers and explore every one of them.
“Will you be at the beach again tomorrow?” I ask her.
She nods, slowly releasing a breath.
“May I join you there?”
Again, another nod of her head.
“Good.” I smile, releasing her wrist and standing.
She follows me to the door.
When I step out, she stops me. “Wait. We didn’t set a time.”
I turn, walking backward. “I’ll sit there all day waiting for you.”
She clasps her hands in front of her. “I’d never make anyone wait on me.”
“Maybe you should. You’re worth it.”
My words make her smile shyly. “How about six? It will be cooler then. I wouldn’t want you to sweat your balls off for me.”
