Chapter 10 #2
His fingers twisted the back of the bra, releasing the hooks and freeing her breasts.
Daisy nearly moaned from the relief, and then she moaned from the heat of his mouth on her nipple, tugging and sucking ravenously.
She kept waiting for the fear to resurface, but all she felt was a deep, craving need for more.
She touched him everywhere she could reach, dragging her hands over his back and dipping inside his briefs to cup the contours of his backside.
That drew a tortured groan from him. He pressed his hard length against her belly and moved to her other breast, giving it the same attention. “Something tells me you’ve been hanging out with Tiffany,” he said as he smoothed his hand over the tiny triangle that covered her mound.
Daisy was so undone by the movement of his hand that she couldn’t form the words to reply to his statement.
“Daisy?”
She forced herself to focus on his eyes as he looked down at her in concern. “Hmm?”
“Breathe, honey.”
She sucked in a deep breath and realized she’d been holding her breath.
He dropped his head to her belly, his lips setting off a new firestorm of desire that surged between her legs.
She’d never felt such urgent need in her life, but neither had she ever been with a man who put her first the way David always did.
“Are you still okay?” he asked, concern etched into his handsome face.
Nodding, she said, “It feels so good to hold you this way.”
“I love it, too. Are you sure you want to keep going?”
“Yes. If you do…”
He took her hand and pressed it to his thick erection, which surged under the heat of her hand. “Don’t have any doubts about what I want—or who I want.”
She stroked the full length of him, which made him gasp and moan.
“Christ, Daisy.”
His jaw was clenched with tension, and seeing him struggle for control made her want him even more than she already did.
She tugged at the boxer briefs and was relieved when he helped her take them off.
She eyed his erection, which stretched to his navel and seemed to get bigger as she looked at him.
“If you touch me, we’ll be all done,” he said, sounding tense.
“Then why don’t we save the touching for next time?”
“That sounds like a very good idea.”
“Do you have protection? I never even thought of it.”
“I thought of it, but I need my wallet.”
“I’ll get it.” She reached for his pants on the floor and pulled his wallet from the back pocket. When she turned back to him, he was watching her every move with interest that made her feel self-conscious. She lowered her gaze and moved her arms to cover her breasts.
“Don’t,” he said, his voice a low growl.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t be shy. You’re gorgeous, and I love to look at you.”
He already knew her so well and understood her better than anyone else ever had. That understanding made it easier for her to drop her guard—as well as her arms—and hand the wallet to him.
She watched closely as he applied the condom and seemed to lengthen and thicken before her very eyes.
Her lips were suddenly dry as she experienced a moment of fear over whether or not she’d be able to go through with this.
Then he reached out to her, bringing her into his warm embrace, and desire overtook the fear, clearing her mind of everything except him and how he made her feel.
He was front and center as he’d been for weeks now, and like he had when she was injured, he tended to her gently. “Talk to me,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her neck as he caressed her back in soothing circles. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“It feels good to be held by you, to be touched by you. It feels different with you.”
He moved his hand from her back to her breast and teased the nipple that tightened from his ministrations. “Why do you think that is?”
“Because you’re different. This is different.”
“It is for me, too.”
“Sometime I want you to tell me how it’s different.”
“I will, but not now.” He raised her leg over his hip and pressed his fingers to her core, using the triangle of material that Tiffany considered panties to arouse her.
“No,” she said, panting, “definitely not now.”
“Tell me what you want, Daisy. You have to tell me so I know how to make this good for you.”
“It’s already good. So good.”
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”
“I’m not. I couldn’t be.”
He removed the thong, letting his fingertips slide slowly down her legs. “Yes, you could. If I do something that reminds you of something you didn’t like, you could be afraid.”
“I don’t want to be afraid of you.”
“Keep your eyes open. Look at me. Remember it’s me. Remember how much we’ve shared and how close we’ve become.” As he spoke, he continued to move slowly until he was above her, looking down at her with those incredibly sexy eyes. “Is this okay?”
Daisy held his gaze as she nodded and placed her hands on his shoulders, needing to hold on to him as he aligned their bodies.
He kissed her softly, tracing her bottom lip with his tongue. “Open your eyes, honey.”
She hadn’t realized she’d closed them.
“That’s it. Look at me. Hold on to me.”
Everything was fine, truly fine, until he began to enter her.
The panic hit her so fast she had no time to prepare herself for the flashback of another man, a brutal man, trying to force his way inside of her.
As if something heavy was sitting on her chest, she struggled for every breath and fought her way free, blinded by terror, until she was sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking violently.
Oh God, had she hit him? No. Please, no.
“Daisy, honey, it’s okay.” He placed a hand tentatively on her shoulder, and she flinched.
The last thing she wanted right now was to be touched, even by him. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her shoulders heaved from the sobs that seemed to come from her very soul.
“What can I do?” David asked from behind her.
Daisy shook her head because there was nothing anyone could do to help if her twisted mind was determined to turn the lovely David Lawrence into something evil and hurtful. “You… You don’t have to stay. I’d understand if you wanted to go.” Another sob broke free from her tightly clenched jaw.
“I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me you don’t want me here.”
“I want you here.” The thickness in her throat made it difficult to speak. “I have no idea what happened. I was fine…”
“Believe it or not, I sort of expected it to happen sooner.”
Shocked by what he’d said, she spun around to face him, wincing at the hint of blood on his lip where she’d clocked him in her haste to get free.
She could only imagine what her face and tear-ravaged eyes must look like.
Frightful… But the way he looked at her…
Sweetly, tenderly, gently… And then he slayed her by reaching for her T-shirt, which was inside out, and helping her into it.
She took a deep, shuddering breath. “What do you mean?”
He reached out to wipe the tears from her cheeks, his touch a whisper against her skin. “The last man you cared for hurt you so badly. In every possible way. How could you not be afraid to do this again with someone else?”
“But I’m not afraid, or I wasn’t before…”
“Would it be okay if I spoke to you as a doctor and not as a boyfriend right now?”
She bit her bottom lip and nodded.
“You were nearly raped, Daisy,” he said softly, taking her hand.
Daisy held on to him for dear life.
“Not all that long ago. You’re not ready yet, and that’s fine. I totally understand.”
“You’ve always been so nice to me, and I really appreciate that, but it might be better if we didn’t see each other anymore. It’s not fair for me to do this to you.”
“What’re you doing to me?”
New tears fell from her eyes at the heartbreaking thought of not seeing him anymore. “Mixed signals. Yes means no.”
He smiled and shook his head, as if she’d said the silliest thing he’d ever heard. “You’re not sending mixed signals. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless you don’t actually like me as much as I think you do.”
“I do like you! I like you so much. I probably even love you a little bit.”
His sharp intake of air and the intense way he looked at her made her melt on the inside.
“I probably love you a little bit, too, which is why you’re not getting rid of me that easily.
” He reclined against the pillows and drew her into his arms. When he had her settled against him, albeit rigidly, he kissed her forehead and ran his hand over her back soothingly.
“I’m not going anywhere. If it takes a month or three months or a year or two years, we’ll get there.
But only when you’re ready. We’ll do what you want when you want, and I’ll wait because I have a feeling you’re worth waiting for. ”
“It’s too much to ask of anyone.”
“You’re not asking me for anything. I’ll happily give you as much time as you need.”
“David…”
“Daisy…” His stern tone drew a reluctant laugh from her.
“No one has ever been so nice to me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. You should be treated with respect and affection always. That’s the least of what you deserve.”
Her heart did a funny squeezing thing that left her breathless. “What about…”
“What about what?”
“You.” She glanced down at his penis, which was now flaccid against his belly. At some point, he’d discarded the unused condom.
“What about me?”
“I feel like such a tease. We were all ready, and then I freaked out.”
“It doesn’t matter. I swear it doesn’t.”
“How can it not matter? You’re a guy.”
David’s low chuckle rumbled through his chest. “Who is not governed entirely by the whims of his cock. I assure you the two of us will be just fine as long as you don’t shut me out. I don’t know if I could deal with that. I’ve become rather attached to you.”
“You have? Really?”
“Really.” His hand continued to move up and down her back, soothing and calming her, even as she continued to tremble. “Close your eyes and try to get some rest.”
“I don’t think I can sleep.”