Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 94585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
“Whatever happened with cockroach guy?” Daisy asked suddenly. “Did he say why he was messing with you guys?”
“Like every other asshole who's come after our family lately, he claims he was paid by someone else.”
“And you don't know who?” Daisy ate the last bite of her quiche and set the plate down beside her empty wine glass.
“No clue,” I admitted.
“I bet this is driving West nuts.”
“West and the rest of us. Especially Griffen. Hope probably told you he spent most of the time he was away working for one of the best security companies in the country. Even they haven't been able to find anything.” I picked up the bottle of wine I'd corked. “Another glass?”
“I'd better not. I have to drive home, and more wine will put me straight to sleep. I still have to prep for tomorrow, and I was up at 3:30.”
“Do you always get up that early?” It had been a while since I'd seen three-thirty am. I hadn't gotten to bed that late in years, and I sure as hell wasn't getting up that early.
“No, not usually. I've been working on some extra projects and getting up early is the easiest way to fit them in. I'm not a late sleeper anyway. You can't be and run a bakery, but even I have to admit I could do without the 3:30 wake up call.”
“Then we should have dessert so you can get to bed on time.” I rummaged in the picnic basket and came up with two clean forks. “I hope you don't mind sharing the pie.”
I repacked the picnic basket and set it aside. Grabbing the pie from the bench, I sat back down, leaning against the tree. “Come over here, and I'll feed you some pie.”
Daisy's eyes were cautious. For a second, I thought she'd claim her fork and turn me down. Triumph swelled in my chest as she came to sit beside me, hip to hip, and leaned back into my chest.
Just the feel of her that close was everything I wanted. The weight of her body against mine, the scent of her hair, sweet with fruit and flowers. She fired me up and calmed me down at the same time.
I wanted to toss the pie aside and get my hands on her, but she was skittish enough as it was. Instead, I forked up a bite of the mixed-berry pie and carefully brought it to her lips. She took it and chewed slowly. I took my own bite, my eyes closing in bliss as the tart, sweet berries exploded over my tongue.
I fed her another bite and then another. I loved to watch this woman eat. The way her tongue flicked across her lips, her eyes closing as she gave herself over to experiencing the food. The little noises of pleasure she made in her throat, just like she did when I kissed her.
Maybe I could have behaved myself if we'd been sitting across from each other at the dining room table. If we hadn't been alone.
I'd planned to share more of the pie. I swear I had, but I couldn't take it anymore.
I set the pie plate on top of the picnic hamper and tossed our fork into the grass. “Pie later. I need to kiss you now.” Pulling Daisy into me, I tilted her face to mine, already lost in the heat of her warm brown eyes.
Daisy's fingers slid into my hair, closing in a firm grip, pulling my face to hers. Daisy's mouth on mine was all the answer I needed. I lost myself in the kiss. In the taste of her lips, the feel of her in my arms. So sweet and so right. Everything about her felt like she belonged exactly where she was.
Daisy didn't protest when I rolled us to the blanket and stretched out. She arched into me, kissing me harder, as lost as I was. I skimmed my hand under her shirt, my fingertips drinking in the soft silk of her skin, the weight of her breast in my hand through her lace bra.
I wanted to strip her clothes from her body, to spread her legs and taste her everywhere. To fill her with me. To make her come. Somewhere in the back of my head, I managed to remember that while we were alone, we weren't that far from the house.
If anyone was nosy enough to go up to the second floor or happened to be in their bedroom, they could look right out the window and see everything that was happening on the picnic blanket.
No matter how much I wanted her, I wouldn't embarrass Daisy like that. I could settle for just kissing. I could have kissed Daisy all night. For just a second, I thought about sneaking her into the house and up to my room, my thought process not that different than it had been at sixteen.