Chapter 22
DALTON
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“A word, son,” my father calls from his home office as I stride past his door a few days later.
“What now?” I mutter as my footsteps still, resenting how much of my time he’s taken up these past few days with business matters, when all I’ve wanted to do is to spend it with Daisy.
I consider pretending I didn’t hear him. I’ve been walking on cloud fucking nine since my date with Daisy and, despite his attempts, so far he hasn’t managed to ruin my good mood. But I know ignoring my father will only piss him off more, so I turn on my heel and head into his office.
“Yes?”
“Shut the door behind you. Take a seat,” he commands, looking up from his computer screen as he points to the chair opposite him.
“What is it? I have a busy day,” I counter.
“With work?” he questions, seeing right through me, because I have every intention of spending the rest of the day with Daisy.
“Actually, no. I was going to take Daisy out before everything gets too chaotic before our wedding on Saturday,” I retort, meeting his gaze challengingly.
“What, on another trip to the amusement arcade?” he asks, lifting an unimpressed brow. “And before you ask, I have eyes everywhere.”
“So you were spying on us?”
“That’s hardly a befitting way for the heir of this family to be spending their time, don’t you think?” he retorts, ignoring my question. “You’re not a damn child!”
“We were having fun, a concept you clearly struggle with,” I counter.
Fun is a concept he’s never understood. His idea of fun is corporate takeovers, firing people and turning the businesses they once put their blood, sweat and tears into into something lucrative yet unrecognisable.
“Fun?” he laughs. “Are you forgetting the purpose of this marriage?”
“I’ve not forgotten,” I reply tightly.
“It seems to me like you’re enjoying this arrangement a little bit too much,” he questions.
I lean back in my chair, holding my father’s gaze as I weigh my words carefully. “What harm is there in finding friendship in a situation that was forced upon us both? It works in your favour if Daisy and I have found a way to make this work.”
My father’s eyes narrow, his lips forming into a thin line of disapproval. “This is not about friendship. Your personal feelings are irrelevant. Your behaviour and how you both represent this family, however, matters immensely. Stop fucking about, and focus.”
“Spending time with my fiancé is not fucking about,” I reply through gritted teeth.
My father leans forward, disapproval etched deep into his features. “Need I remind you that this whole arrangement is about securing the future of our family, about maintaining our legacy and standing in society. It is your duty as my son and heir to uphold it with respect and responsibility. Your actions reflect not only on you but, more importantly, me, and I’ll be fucked if you think you can continue to act with such blatant disregard to my?—”
“Your what? Feelings? Would you prefer it if I act like you? Cold, calculating, ruthless? Is that the legacy you want me to uphold?” I challenge him, my voice holding a mix of defiance and frustration.
My father’s eyes flash with anger, his composure cracking just slightly before he regains control. “Firstly, do not mistake pragmatism for lack of feeling, boy. Everything I do is for the good of this family,” he responds icily. “And secondly, you think you’re none of those things too? I’ve watched you fuck over and discard women time and again. You might be doing a good job at pretending with Daisy, but I see you.”
I flinch at that. Maybe once I had been that man, and that stings, but now? I don’t want to be that person anymore.
“Family? We’ve never been a family,” I cut back, unable to contain myself. “We are no more than business partners that share the same blood.”
He barks out a laugh. “If we’re going to be truthful, son, a business partner would imply equal standing, and we can both agree that isn’t the case.”
Despite being a grown fucking man, I can’t deny that my father’s words cut me deeply, and are a stark reminder of the power dynamics between us. His expectations, and continued lack of care and any form of affection stifles any sense of individuality or happiness that has dared to bloom these past few weeks in Daisy’s presence. Everything that I’d begun to feel starts to wilt inside my chest, and I fucking hate him for it.
“I don’t have to listen to this shit!” I snap, moving to stand, needing to get the fuck out of his office and as far away from him as possible, before he turns everything inside of me into nothing but dust.
“Sit the fuck down,” he retorts, struggling to contain his anger as he leans back in his chair, the leather creaking beneath him. “You’ve always had a sharp tongue, but watch what you say to me. Do not forget who you’re speaking to.”
“I’ve learnt from the best, and I know exactly who I’m speaking to. You’re someone so consumed by power and control that you’ve forgotten what it means to truly care for another human being.”
“Being this way has gotten me to where I am today. I’m not ashamed of that fact, and you will do well to remember that this lifestyle you live, this mansion you’ve been brought up in, the doors that have opened so easily for you, is because of my unwavering desire to secure your future and that of the Gunn family name. Without it, you have nothing. I could cut you off as easily as that,” he retorts, snapping his fingers. “So don’t ever think you can disregard my wishes without facing the consequences of your actions.”
“And without me and Daisy you don’t have a family or the possibility of continuing the Gunn family name. Perhaps you would do well to remember that,” I reply just as sharply.
My father’s jaw tightens at my words, his face contorting with a mix of rage and disbelief, his knuckles turning white as he clenches his fists on the desk. Tension crackles in the air between us as we stare each other down. I hold his gaze steadily, refusing to back down even in the face of his intimidating presence.
“Your point is noted,” he concedes after a moment, despite his tone still holding a dangerous edge. “Have your fun with Daisy, but don’t forget what’s at stake here. You’re not the only one who’s future will be ruined if you fail to fulfil my wishes. Drix’s debt is only paid in full if Daisy has your child, or have you forgotten that part?” he adds with a cruel smile.
My blood runs cold at the reminder of Drix’s precarious position and my father’s insidious hold over all of our lives.
“Well?” he insists, arching a brow.
“I’m well aware of what’s at stake,” I respond through gritted teeth.
“Good,” he replies, the tension leaving his body as he realises he’s won this argument. “Now do what you need to do to ensure that everything is proceeding according to plan, but don’t let sentimentality cloud your judgement. Treat this as a business deal, nothing more, understand?”
I nod my head, dropping my gaze as defeat creeps up my spine. He’s got us all over a fucking barrel and he knows it.
“Oh, and one last thing. I’ve arranged for the press to attend the wedding reception party.”
“You’ve done what?” 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 the path 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 pull Daisy 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.
“Everyone is afraid of something,” she insists.
“Not me.”
“Liar. Tell me.”
“I think you know the answer to that already,” I whisper, pressing her back against the stone wall and crowding her body with mine.
“I’m not sure that I do,” she murmurs, tipping her head back as she looks up at me.
I grind my hips against hers, my cock thickening with lust as I try to blot out the truth hovering between us.
“Do I need to spell it out to you?”
“You’re afraid of love?” she whispers.
“Yeah, that,” I admit.
“No one should be afraid of love, Dalton,” she replies, reaching up, her fingers delicately brushing against my jaw.
“And yet here I am, admitting that to you. Love is a concept that terrifies me, Daisy.”
“Why?”
“Because when you love, you open yourself up to pain, disappointment and heartache. It makes you vulnerable, weak. I don’t ever want to be in that position. Nothing good can come of it.”
“That’s true, loving someone can make you vulnerable, but I disagree about it making you weak. Love gives you strength. Strength to battle your demons, strength to live. There are so many wonderful things about being loved, about loving someone, Dalton,” she says gently.
“Like what?” I ask, leaning into her hold, unable to help myself as she cups my cheek, drawn to the warmth and care emanating from her. It’s so effortless for Daisy, and I’m envious of that.
“Happiness. Joy. Loyalty. A sense of belonging,” she answers with a gentle smile, her thumb caressing my cheek softly. “And passion… intense, unbridled passion,” she continues. “The kind that makes your heart race, and your body ache for the other person.”
“I can feel that without needing to be in love,” I counter.
“Can you though, truly?” she questions.
“Yes,” I argue.
“Fucking someone can feel passionate, I agree, but when you really boil it down that’s just the bodies response to a rush of pleasure hormones.”
“That’s what passion is, isn’t it? A rush of hormones.”
“I disagree. Real passion isn’t just a physical reaction, it’s an emotional one too. It’s so much more fulfilling when there are feelings involved.”
“I wouldn’t know,” I mutter.
“That makes me feel sad for you, Dalton,” she replies, and my fucking throat constricts.
The encounter with my father earlier has left me raw, in need of someone to talk to, but words lead to truth, and truth uncovers feelings, and… Well, we’ve already established that I’m not any good at those.
“Don’t feel sad for me, Daisy. I don’t deserve your sympathy,” I retort, shoring myself up as I press my lips against hers in a hard kiss, wanting to dominate this moment with sensation not feelings.
For the briefest of moments, she responds, parting her lips, allowing me to sweep my tongue into her open mouth. My fingers wrap around her throat as I hold the beat of her pulse in the palm of my hand. She tastes of sweetness and light, and everything someone like me can destroy. But before I can take things further she twists her head to the side, her hands pushing against my chest gently.
“It’s not sympathy, Dalton,” she whispers, a frown deepening between her eyebrows. “It’s empathy. I can see that you’re guarded, and I can understand why you might be afraid of love, but do you know what else I see?”
“What?” I find myself asking, aching to kiss her again, yet needing to hear what she has to say.
“I see the potential for something beautiful in you, for you, even if you can’t.”
My breath catches, my fucking heart squeezes painfully. How? How can she see something that simply isn’t there? I’m not someone deserving of anything beautiful, least of all her.
“And yet all I can think of right now is taking you against this wall and fucking you. I don’t feel anything other than the desire to sink my cock inside of you, to feel your pussy clench me tight, and to come so hard that I’m lost to the physical sensation. Love has nothing to do with it,” I say, refusing to listen to that nagging voice deep inside that is quietly calling me a fucking liar.
“I see,” she whispers, her hand falling away, disappointment flickering in her gaze.
“Daisy, I told you about my failings, and you accepted them,” I say, scrambling to regain control of the situation.
She nods. “You’re right. I did…”
“But?” I ask, crowding her in as she tries to step out of my hold.
“There’s nothing more I want to say. Perhaps we should go?”
“I don’t want to go. I want to fuck you.”
“And what if I don’t want to have sex? What then, Dalton? Are you that heartless that you could take something from me that I’m not willing to give right now?”
“Of course not!” I exclaim.
“Then let me go.”
“You’re angry,” I accuse.
“A little, yes.”
“Because I told you the truth?”
“No, because your inability to look inside of yourself is only hurting you. Don’t you see that? At the very least you should love yourself.”
“You’ve already told me on many occasions that I do that already,” I counter darkly.
“And I’m sorry for that, truly. That was cruel. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I mean accepting yourself, embracing your flaws, making peace with them. Perhaps once you do, you’ll be open enough to let love in, to love someone else.”
“I know who I am, Daisy, and I know who I’m not. More importantly, I know my limitations,” I reply tightly.
“And that’s the issue right there,” she sighs, her eyes pleading with me to see the truth. “You’re so focused on your perceived limitations, that you’re missing out on the person you could be. You have so much wasted potential.”
“I already have everything I need, Daisy. There is no wasted potential.”
“On the surface, yes. You live in a beautiful home, you have a wonderful lifestyle, and all the material things. But what about your happiness? What about that?”
“I am happy,” I say a little too forcefully.
“No, all I see is a man holding himself back out of fear, and for what exactly? To live the rest of your days in a mansion filled with things, to surround yourself with piles of money? That’s a very lonely life, Dalton. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, nothing is more important than love. It’s the only thing worth living for.”
With that, she ducks out of my arms and strides away, once again leaving me fucking reeling.