Page 49 of Chaining Daisy
“She’s not going anywhere,” I interject. Seriously, Rose is taking things too far. She’s blowing this out of proportion. Her face is blotchy with fury and her hands are shaking as she raises them and pantomimes strangling me.
God. My preference for sneaking around and nearly getting caught has really come back to bite me. My own fault. This is a disaster and I’m unprepared. I researched the shit out of dom/sub relationships but announcing a taboo relationship? Didn’t do that. Didn’t think it would ever happen. Now, look where I am.
I glance down the hall, toward the stairs that lead up to the bedrooms. My girl doesn’t appear … I assume she’s getting dressed.
“You’re her stepfather!” Lily mutters, breaking the silence.
“Actually, former stepfather,” I reply. “And she’s an adult.”
“And he’s hot,” Violet adds from down the hall, her voice echoing off the walls. She’s definitely my favorite.
The other two are unconvinced. Apparently, my hotness doesn’t erase my clandestine activities.
“You fucking married her mother!” Rose shouts as if I’ve forgotten my past legal commitments. She’s most definitely forgotten they’re past.
“Yes.” My reply is calm, but only because I can’t let Daisy see me shouting at her friends. It’s not fair to put her in the middle of a heated argument. She’s probably going to be embarrassed enough to admit the truth, though that does make me wonder if any part of her regrets what we’re doing, especially since she’s brought up her guilt twice now. I know she’s already torn about her mother, but could her friends’ judgment tip the scales?
My chest tightens up.
I just got her. I can’t lose her.
Not over something as stupid as a few laws. Some signatures on a piece of paper. I need to convince her friends that this isn’t a big deal.
“Darla was a good woman. But it’s not like we had a love match. My attraction to Daisy is—”
“I don’t give a shit that you’re attracted to her. You were filming her without her permission!” Lily’s cheeks are as white as her namesake flower.
Technically, she’s half correct. Daisy and I had a conversation about my proclivities, but I haven’t told her yet about the cameras I set up while she was sleeping.
Will she mind? Will that be the dealbreaker? I squeeze my eyes shut, because it feels like someone just dove right into my chest and is performing open heart surgery on me while I’m conscious.
“You’re a peeping Tom. Is that it?” Rose tosses a hand out to the side, gesturing in the direction of my office. “How long have you been watching her?”
I don’t respond. My eyes are on the stairs. I don’t owe explanations to these girls. I only owe them to my girl. And I need to see how this is affecting her. How I hurt her. I consider running up the stairs to her room, but she might be so angry at me she won’t want to see me. And I don’t want to unintentionally intimidate her into a decision.
Will she forgive me?
Will she even want to tell them about us now? Is there still an us?
“You sick fuck!” Rose shouts and tears spring to her eyes.
She’s crying?
I glance over at Lily, bewildered about the intensity of Rose’s reaction. It seems over the top, but Lily looks just as taken aback as I do. Her hand tentatively goes to Rose’s shoulder, but Rose shrugs it off, pointing a threatening finger at me “Don’t you dare even talk to Daisy—”
Daisy emerges from the hall wearing only a plush white robe that ends at her calves. Violet is trailing behind her, a shocked and dazed look on her face.
My girl’s face is much calmer than I realize, her blue eyes seeking me out. As soon as our gazes connect, the fierce burn in my chest recedes and I can breathe again. Seeing her, I just know we’re going to be okay.
Something soft and bright takes up residence inside my ribs.
Then my girl breaks eye contact and scurries across the front entryway over to Rose. “Rosie! I love you for defending me. But stop. You don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Yes, she does! Nobody with good intentions fucking videotapes people in their own home. He’s a creep!” Rose declares.
She’s not wrong. I did have dirty intentions for Daisy from the moment I met her. I didn’t just want to fuck her. I wanted to be her Daddy. I wanted to dominate her. Own her. I still do. Daisy brings out something in me nobody else ever has.
But in addition to domination, Daisy brings out a tenderness in me I’ve never had before. She makes this demon inside me worse. But she also makes other parts of me better.
