6. CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER THREE
DAISY
Now
J ustine leans across the narrow aisle to touch Blake’s arm and I silently congratulate myself on not ripping the appendage off her deceitful body. She’s seated herself on the leather sofa seat directly across from us. Her gaze has only left Blake long enough to accept the drink the flight attendant hands her. She takes a sip, her eyes sparking with mischievous glee as she watches Blake intently over the glass.
Lily waves over the flight attendant handing out drinks, first taking one for her and Kane, then hands one to Blake and me before settling back in the plush seat next to Justine. She fixes her gaze on Blake. “We’re glad you made it, Blake. We were getting worried you would be a no-show.”
“He was held up in a meeting,” I tell her, yet again, the lie I made up to cover for Blake’s late arrival.
Justine leans forward again and runs her finger over Blake’s forearm. “Well, I, for one, am very glad you made it.” She gives him a little wink. “It’s nice to have such interesting company for this trip.”
Can I at least break her finger if I can’t remove the entire arm? I breathe deeply through my nose, clenching my jaw, willing myself not to react in the slightest of ways. She’s doing this to piss me off. This is the way Justine works.
“Darling,” my mother calls, drawing everyone’s attention to her. Her gaze flickers between Justine and me, reminding me that my mother is much more perceptive than people think. After a breath, she shifts in her seat and turns slightly to speak to the flight attendant. “My husband needs a drink.”
My father accepts the whiskey from the flight attendant, quirking a brow. “Already? I have work to do. ”
“It’s a Conner Gathering, daddy,” Lily says, leaning out in the aisle to look at him where he’s seated toward the cockpit. “No work, remember?”
The ice clinks as he takes a sip. “But it’s important.”
My mother slowly closes the open laptop in my father’s lap. “We’re on vacation. Can we enjoy our family and leave work behind for a few days?”
My father sighs and kisses my mother on the temple. Warmth blooms in my belly when she smiles. I love how much they love each other after all these years. After raising kids, scouting for three different colleges, and juggling two separate careers, they have kept their marriage and love alive.
“Tell me,” Justine says, drawing my attention back to her. Her eyes travel from his muscled chest, barely concealed behind the button-down shirt, all the way down to his form-fitting khakis. “Tell me, Blake, all about you.”
Blake gives her a warm smile that makes my stomach twist. I don’t like him looking at her. Her eyes on him make me drown in my rage. I hate her. I hate how much I hate her. It makes me sick that there is another person who I feel this much distaste for. And she’s sitting across from me right now, touching and talking to my …
Fake boyfriend. I need to remember that Blake is here for the…
What is Blake here for? Free vacations? From the conversation he’s having right now, something about security firms paying nicely to keep their accounts safe, he’s pretty damn okay in the money department. So a free vacation can’t be what’s got him returning for a second trip with the most irritating family the east coast has ever seen. Maybe the thrill of pretending?
That’s got to be it. Blake must be one of those thrill junkies and he gets off on risk-taking. Then again, he admitted in the mountains that he followed me to the library and watched me in the coffee shop for two months before approaching me. Maybe he is interested in me. Or obsessed. After unpacking this over and over for the last five months, I’ve decided what would normally be a red flag lands somewhere close to sweet stalker-ish behavior. I’m not the best at seeing red flags in men, so I’m letting this belief slide since I’ve already fucked him and my brain probably isn’t working properly when it comes to Blake.
“I’m surprised to see Daisy with anyone.” Justine’s slightly nasal voice cuts through my mental spiral. I wash all thoughts away and glance at her. The smile she wears could cut diamonds with its sharpness. “Especially after Jim.”
Bitch .
The bitch went there.
Blake’s eyes find mine. I plaster a large smile on my face. Of course, this bitch would bring up Jim. The nerve of this woman is downright appalling.
“After Jim?” Blake asks, his near-black eyes flickering over my face. His brows knit, then the smile he has leaves his face. “Oh, yes. Jim.”
I relax into the seat, glad Blake is playing along. May Justine will shut up if she thinks Blake knows everything.
Justine leans back, away from Blake, into her seat. She brings the glass up to her lips and watches me over the rim. When the glass lowers, she smiles widely. Too wide. “Daisy told you about Jim?” That smile of hers never falters.
Blake’s gaze flickers from me to Justine in the awkward silence.
Erin irritates the piss out of me. She’s cruel and tends to gang up on me with Lily to entertain herself. Justine? Justine is the devil disguised in a pretty little body and sunny dresses. She is more calculated and conniving than any person I’ve ever met. I learned the hard way just how ruthless she can be when she sets her mind on a target .
“Of course.” Blake grabs my hand, intertwining our fingers and brings them to his mouth, his dark eyes locking with mine. He brushes my knuckles over his lips.
Justine makes a sound in her throat as she watches Blake. “Daisy never even told her family about Jim,” she says, that sly smirk playing over her lips again. “I’m surprised she told you.”
Blake’s heated gaze melts slightly. He blinks but keeps his eyes on mine. A shadow of something—concern? confusion maybe? — passes over his face before he smiles large, teeth showing, and looks back at Justine.
“It’s nice that you can join us for this family Gathering,” he says. “I forget already what you said your relation to the family was?”
Her serpentine smile fades. “I join the family for every Conner Gathering.”
“Huh.” Blake’s brows scrunch in confusion. “I don’t remember anyone mentioning you when the family went to the lodge for Lily’s proposal announcement on Valentine’s Day.”
I bite my lip, not wanting to outright laugh in her face, even if she deserves it. Justine is definitely not family. Even though she is one of Lily’s friends, she’s not like Erin, who is as close to my parents and brother to the point she may as well be a blood relative.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend then,” Justine says, practically spitting fire at Blake now. “Too short notice.”
“Funny,” I say, a sweet smile on my lips. “I was pretty sure Erin said she’d forgotten to invite you.”
She gets a sugar-coated smirk and takes another sip of her drink but remains silent, making me regret my spiteful comment. My stomach sinks. Hopefully, that shuts her up, but I’m worried about what she’ll say or do later for revenge. Justine showed me that you pay the price when you get on her bad side. After everything with Jim, I’d thought she’d leave me alone. Maybe I shouldn’t test her. What I really need to do is play nice so that I can enjoy the next few days. My heart flitters in my chest, reminding me I have the next five days with Blake.
Five whole days on a private resort in the Keys. In our own room. Alone.
“I’m excited to see the hotel,” Lily suddenly says, making me worry that my thoughts show on my face. No one looks mortified, so maybe not. “Daddy said that we each have a private bungalow.”
“Thank god.” Forest’s voice carries toward us from the front of the jet, making Kane snicker .
“I’ve never been to this resort,” Blake tells Lily. His grip tightens on my hand.
“It’s gorgeous!” she exclaims and pulls her phone out, showing Blake a few pictures. “Each bungalow is just steps from the water. We have our own chef and private dining space for the Gathering.”
Erin gets up from her seat and squeezes in next to me, showing Blake more pictures of the resort and the snorkeling trip our father planned.
“Stop walking around the cabin,” Amber says breathlessly from her seat up front. She glances around the jet. “You’ll make us crash.”
“Calm down, Amber,” Erin says. “We are perfectly fine.”
“You’re supposed to stay seated,” Amber says, “It’s safer—”
“Oh hush,” Erin says, rolling her eyes. She turns to face me. “We have a great opportunity to boost our online presence and promote Lily’s new line.”
Now I roll my eyes, letting out a dramatic groan. “Please, let’s not ruin this vacation by forcing everyone to join in your marketing schemes. ”
“I brought a bunch of new pieces,” Lily says. “A few dresses and new bathing suits for the upcoming mid-summer release.”
Erin pats my arm. “Some of them may even look good on you.”
Justine snorts out a laugh.
“I’m pretty sure anything Daisy wears will bring attention,” Blake says, again squeezing my hand. “She’s stunning.”
Justine chuckles. “Attention for sure.” A tight-lipped smile creates little creases around her eyes. “Well-padded figures are lovely and acceptable. We are all about body positivity.”
I hear Blake’s intake of air. I offer Justine another sweet smile. “I wasn’t aware that offering only up to size eight was body-positive,” I say, already exhausted from the trip. Just two more hours to go.
“It’s a young brand,” Lily says defensively. “Justine says the best way to attract younger, more influential clientele is to cater to the standard size. Later we can expand.”
“ Justine says?” I ask. “You are taking fashion advice from Justine?”
“Uh yeah,” Lily says. “She’s like a marketing director for an enormous company.”
“It’s literally her job,” Erin chimes in .
“Wouldn’t being more inclusive with sizing draw in many clients?” Blake asks, turning his attention to Justine. “Because last I checked, younger, influential women come in all sizes.”
Justine waves his words away. “It’s a complicated process, Blake. One I’m sure you wouldn’t understand.”
Before he can open his mouth, I turn to him. “Too bad the plane’s facilities are so small that we can’t join the mile-high club.”
“Daisy!” my mother shouts, then brings her glass to her lips, covering up her laughter. My father groans and shakes his head, looking out the window to avoid looking directly at me, his suddenly crude daughter.
“I can’t believe you just said that.” Lily laughs. “I’m impressed.”
“Little Daisy has become quite outspoken,” Erin says.
“Too outspoken,” Forest calls. “She needs to stop saying vulgar things in my proximity.”
“Is she too vulgar for your fragile sensibilities?” Amber asks, laughing.
“I’m traumatized enough,” Forest says. “My weak constitution can’t handle anymore. ”
Everyone around us jokes for a bit about Forest’s weak constitution before settling into a comfortable silence. I turn to find Blake’s eyes boring into me. He keeps brushing my fingers to his warm lips, each touch sending shivers of delight through me, distracting me from the conversation.
He leans in so his mouth brushes my ear. “I’m going to fuck you the second we get into the hotel room.”
***
“It’s so hot,” Lily complains, fanning herself with the resort brochure. “How is it so much hotter here?”
Erin looks skyward with a roll of her eyes. “Because it’s like thousands of miles away from home?”
“We’re closer to the equator,” I offer, pulling Blake close. He glances around at the resort lobby, a strange look on his face. I squeeze his arm. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
His head snaps my way, like I had caught him doing something he shouldn’t. “It’s beautiful.”
Blake was quiet for the rest of the flight and the short drive here. I wish I knew what he was thinking. He had kept glancing at Justine, whose eyes constantly seem to find their way to him. The constant looking at one another has left me a little uneasy, but I brush it off. He’s my fake boyfriend, and so far, he’s doing a good job convincing my family he’s madly in love with me. Justine has a history of flirting with anything with a penis, and I’m sure her watchful eyes have him feeling weird. Maybe he’s worried she’s watching him a little too closely. As beautiful as Justine is, he couldn’t possibly be attracted to her. Blake is nothing like Jim. Jim never stood up for me or held my hand in public.
Blake brushes the back of his hand across my cheek, bringing my thoughts back to the present. “You okay?”
I nod. “Just excited to see our room.”
A slow smile spreads out over his full mouth. That mouth . My core throbs. He leans in so only I can hear him, his lips brushing against my ear, sending a shiver through me. “The second we are in the room, I’m going to lift that pretty little dress, bend you over the bed, and fuck you until you scream my name.”
My breath rushes out of me. Blake hooks a finger under my jaw, tilting my head up so I’m forced to look in his eyes.
“Is that a promise?” I ask.
A loud screech makes me jump. Everyone turns toward Justine .
“Will you be careful?” she snaps. Justine adjusts her straw beach hat, then points to her bag. A young man, still holding the handle of the bag, freezes, his eyes locked on hers. “Be. Careful. Your entire paycheck wouldn’t cover the cost of a pair of my shoes.”
The young man glances at my father, then back at our bags in the cart. “Sorry, ma’am.”
Justine spins back to him, holding her hat to her head. She steps forward and taps his name tag with a long, lacquered nail. “Do I look old enough to be your mother, Timothy?”
He opens his mouth, then closes it.
“It’s okay, sweety,” my mother says, placing herself between Justine and the bellboy. “Please, just leave the bags in our rooms.”
Timothy nods to my mother and scurries away.
“Entitled much?” Blake mumbles.
It takes a minute for my mother to wrangle our group into a circle once we’re all in the lobby. One would think we’d never been to a resort with the way everyone is acting. She snaps her fingers, calling out our names until we’re paying attention.
“We booked the rooms all next to each other, except one.” She hands Blake a keycard. “That one is for you and Daisy. ”
“Thank fuck,” Forest says melodramatically.
My mother ignores him and continues, “After everyone is settled, we’ll meet in the bar by the pool for drinks and appetizers.” She checks her watch. “I have a meeting with the resort’s yoga instructor in a few.”
“Meeting?” Lily whines. “But this is a vacation.”
My mother pats her on the back. “Casandra is one of the most popular online yoga instructors.” She winks. “It would be silly to come here and not meet with her.”
Erin clasps her hands together, bringing them to her chin. “Yes! And Lily and I can come to show off the new yoga line we are developing.”
“Wait,” my father says. “If you’re working, why can’t I finish writing that email?”
Forest claps our father on the back. “Don’t you know these women are always working?”
“If you call scheming, working, then yes.” My father kisses my mother’s temple, then pats her on the bottom. “Go. Meet with the instructor and sell yourselves well. This old man wants to retire soon.”
We all separate and agree to meet at the bar in an hour, then follow a woman with dark hair and skin along a path that leads to the beach. A long line of perfectly spaced square bungalows lines the waterfront. A lush grassy stretch of lawn stretches from the bungalow’s steps to a line of jagged rocks at the water’s edge. Kane and Lily are shown their bungalows, then Erin and Justine.
“Oh!” Amber says, stopping in the middle of the path. “I forgot my phone in the lobby.”
Forest sags and stops next to her. He turns to the woman escorting us and says, “I guess we’ll be right back.”
The woman smiles and then motions for Blake and me to continue with her.
Our bags are in the room when we arrive, placed at the end of the large king-sized bed. Blake walks around the room, taking in the details. The bright hardwood floors. The large picture window overlooking the water. The sliding glass doors leading to the small covered patio. He stops next to the bed, running his hand along the white bedding as he moves toward me. Heat pools between my legs.
Blake trails his hand along my side as he walks behind me. One hand grips my hip, the other presses to my stomach, pulling me against his chest, then slides up, between my breasts, stopping at my throat. He cups my jaw, tilting my head back to his shoulder. I grip his forearm, unable to stop the small moan that escapes me .
“Daisy,” he breathes next to my ear. The hand on my hip glides down to the hem of my dress and then underneath. His fingers dip under the waistband of my panties, slipping lower until he’s cupping me and my legs get weak. His breath leaves him a quiet whoosh. “You’re completely bare.”
“Yes,” I breathe out, opening my legs for him. I’ve spent months waiting for this. Waiting for his mouth, his touch. I grind myself back into his dick, already hard against my lower back.
Blake groans, then nips at the skin on my neck, sending goosebumps down my arms.
“What a good girl you are.” He slips a finger between my folds, dragging the slickness to my clit. A jolt of pleasure rushes through me, ripping another low moan from my throat. He rubs my clit again, slightly harder. “Have you missed me?”
“Yes.” I move my hips, trying to get better friction. He slips one finger inside me and my knees give. I sag back into him, grasping his arm across my chest. Blake presses light kisses against my neck, trailing up to behind my ear, sending glittering shivers of anticipation through me. “Blake, please.”
“Begging already?” He grips my jaw tighter, digging his fingers into the skin. The finger inside me moves in and out, slowly, torturously, dragging my wetness to my clit and then plunging back in deep. I cup the nape of his neck, angling my head and pulling his mouth to mine. His lips brush mine, his tongue flickering out to taste my skin. “I like hearing you beg, sweet girl.”
I release his neck and reach behind me, gripping his length through his pants. He’s so hard he feels huge. He lets out a grunt as I rub the bulge of him. “Fuck me,” I tell him, breathless. “Bend me over and fuck me.”
Blake lets out a breathy laugh. “So eager.” He slips another finger inside, driving them in deep. “I should fuck that filthy mouth of yours.”
Yes, please . Anything. I grip him roughly, tugging at his dick, and he gasps. The finger he’s torturing me with leaves my body and I groan in frustration. My blood burns through my veins, leaving me feeling hot and needy. I don’t know what he did to me. I’ve wanted him so badly since we left the lodge that masturbating has become useless.
Blake releases me suddenly and grips my wrists, pinning them to my back. He pushes me forward until my knees hit the bed, then shoves me face-first into the mattress.
“Open your legs,” he grates out. He adjusts his grip so that he has both my wrists in one hand, pinned to my back. I hear the buckle of his pants and the soft whisper of his zipper .
Yes, yes, yes . I open my legs wide, wiggling my rear. I’m so ready I feel like I may explode. The fabric of my dress slides up, bunching at my waist.
“Look at that gorgeous ass.” Blake runs his palm over my skin, sliding his fingers back under the panties. He tugs at the material and lets it snap back before rubbing the sting away. “You—”
“What the fuck!” someone screams to my left.
Blake lets me go. I jump up at the sound of the voice, pulling my dress back down. I spin and find Forest in the doorway, his hand still on the doorknob. Amber peers over his shoulder and lets out a garish laugh.
“Why?” Forest asks, looking between Blake and me. “Why are you trying to fuck my sister in here?”
I glance at Blake, who’s zipping up his pants. He gives me wide eyes and a smirk. My face heats as warm horror creeps down my chest. I press my hands to my hot cheeks, trying to catch my breath. This is so awful. “Why are you in here?”
Forest closes his eyes and presses his knuckles to his forehead. I see the keycard in his hand. “This is our room.”
“Sorry,” Blakes says, still buckling his belt. He walks to the side table and picks up our key card. He holds it up for Forest to see. “This is our room. ”
Amber pushes around my brother and steps in front of him. “Were you guys really going at it already?” She looks me up and down, then nods in approval. “Get it, girl.”
“Can you stop?” Forest pleads. He backs away and leans against the doorframe. “As if I’m not traumatized already.”
“Stop being such a drama queen,” Amber says. “She is an adult. Adults fuck.”
“Yes, Amber,” Forest says with a nod. “I’d just rather not witness my sister getting railed in a hotel room.”
“Bungalow,” Blakes says. Everyone turns to look at him. “She was about to get railed in a bungalow.”
Amber lets out a loud cackle, clamping her hand over her mouth.
Forest rolls his eyes, then motions for Blake to follow him out the door. “Come on, Don Quan, let’s figure out the bungalow situation.”
Amber flops on the bed, letting her sandals fall to the floor. “You better rail me when we get our room,” she calls after him.
Blake kisses me on the temple and pinches my ass. “Don’t worry.” He gives me a wink. “We’ll finish this later.”