Chapter 25
CHAPTER 25
E ven though dinner with her friends wasn’t for a few hours, he’d gotten to Daisy’s house early. He could hear orchestral music playing, but had no idea where it was coming from as he let himself into her house. Leaving his bag by the stairs he saw the back door was left open. With his hands in his pockets, Rafferty followed the music to the greenhouse.
It was a small space with a counter running against one side while the rest of it was covered in plants. Large leaves blocked his path, but when he stepped past them, he saw her. His eyes gobbled her up greedily—her feet were tucked into gardening shoes and bare legs led up to a short dress that flaunted the silver lines on the back of her thighs. A dark blue apron was wrapped around her body and her hair was up in a messy knot that matched his. She was humming along with the music, body swaying as she dug into a pot.
“You can’t leave your house unattended, darlin’,” he said and she jumped, dropping some of the mud she was working with. “What if I was a serial killer looking for my next victim?”
Rolling her eyes, she looked him up and down. “Serial killers are often very handsome men. So in short, I’d be screwed.”
He chuckled, pushed off the doorway and her arms slipped around his neck as his settled at her waist. They stared at each other a long moment before she stretched up to kiss him. Rafferty sighed happily and pulled her flush against him.
“You’re early.”
“Was missing you.”
She nibbled on his bottom lip before leaning away. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. Wanna help me finish repotting?”
“Sure.”
With another quick kiss, she stepped out of his arms and tossed him a pair of gloves. She lowered the music and pointed to what they were working with—strawberries.
“I’m sure you know how to do this, but I have a process I like.”
He nodded. “I’ll follow your lead. I don’t know how to repot strawberries. How often do you have to do this?”
“Every couple of years. This batch didn’t produce much so far, so I figure revitalizing them would be a good idea.”
“Did you get good stuff off the others?” he asked, looking around the small space and identifying a few vegetables.
“The tomatoes have been really good. I think by the end of the summer, the others will have their act together.”
He grinned and watched her get to work. She did have a process, but there was something so beautifully fluid about how she moved. Even if she did stop often to brush her hair out of the way. Rafferty did the best he could to focus on his own pot, but it was impossible. She was always distracting, even more so when she was in her element.
“Eyes on your work, hotshot,” she teased.
“I’d rather be looking at you, anyway.”
She shook her head, more strands falling into her face. She huffed and attempted to blow them away, but wasn’t successful. He took off his gloves and helped, his fingers twisting the wisps of hair before sliding it behind her ears. She stared at him, lust swirling with the caramel in her eyes and her lips were slightly parted.
“Don’t look at me like that, Daze.”
“You started it,” she whispered, gloved hands fisting into the front of his gray T-shirt.
“We both know that once I get started, I’m going to lose all semblance of control.”
“You’re being too much of a gentleman. I like it when you’re unhinged.”
“When it comes to you, I’m permanently unhinged.”
“Show me,” she demanded, eyes blazing and pressed against him.
He dragged his hands down her sides, gripped the back of her thighs and hoisted her up. She gasped, hands flying out to grab his shoulders as he set her on the counter. Their eyes met and she spread her legs in a silent request for him to truly unleash his restraint. He kissed along her jaw and down her throat as his hands fisted her clothes. She shifted so he could get the layers out of the way, one hand sliding along the inside of her thigh. He pulled back as the soft sounds of her panting filled the space, her pupils blown with lust.
“You sure you want this?” She nodded and he smiled at the glazed look on her face. His fingers lightly touched the sides of her underwear as he said, “Gimme words, Daze. What do you want me to do?”
Squirming against him, she whispered, “Fuck me with your tongue, hotshot.”
The words hit him in the dick and he growled, “With pleasure.”
He dropped to his knees, lifting one leg over his shoulder as he pushed the other to the side. He looked up to find her watching him and slowly rubbed his knuckles against her through the cotton of her underwear. The gusset was wet and he could feel the shape of her pussy against his fingers.
“ Raff ,” she moaned, bucking against his hand and when he pulled away, she huffed. He hooked his fingers into her underwear and tugged it to the side. The glass rattled as she slumped back against it, gaze hooded as she watched him.
“Fucking spectacular ,” he mumbled, staring at her bare pussy, wet and pink for him. “Making such a mess of yourself.”
One hand held her underwear, while he dragged the fingertips of the other one through her slit. She trembled as he watched her blossom and open for him. He knew what she wanted, but he wasn’t going to touch her clit yet. Instead, he spread her open with two fingers, unable to suppress a loud growl.
“This is my new favorite view,” he said and she jerked against him as he pushed two fingers into her. Twisting them, he gritted his teeth at the feeling of her walls sucking and clenching around him.
When he pulled his fingers out, she grabbed his wrist and sucked the digits into her mouth. His eyes widened at the way her tongue swirled, cheeks hollowing as she licked him clean. She released his fingers with a pop and smirked as he stared at her.
“I taste fucking good, hotshot,” she said and he grunted, tugging at her underwear. She lifted her hips and he slid them off, making sure to stuff them into his pocket. She pulled off the dress and apron, leaving her completely naked from the waist down; Daisy was the most tempting meal of his life. Her leg returned to his shoulder and she set the other foot on the counter, spreading herself open for him. “Go on, taste me.”
He licked his lips, like a man preparing for the best meal of his life. He dropped a hand to grip his cock through his pants and squeezed as he leaned in to get his first taste of her—sweet and fucking delicious. His eyes rolled back in his head as he licked up the length of her slit. Her moans filled the greenhouse and he felt her hands in his hair. The more he licked, the tighter her grip on his hair became and he swallowed every drop of her spilling onto his tongue.
She tried to direct him with the hand on his head, but he thwarted every attempt to shift his mouth to her clit by sucking on her labia or teasing her opening with his tongue. She huffed, but he wasn’t going to give in, not until he was ready. Pressing his hands against the inside of her thighs, he kept her spread and flattened his tongue to apply pressure to her pussy. She jerked, pulling at his hair enough to make him wince.
“Be still or I’ll stop.”
“Give me what I want,” she whined, fingers gently moving through his hair.
“Greedy,” he teased, nipping at the inside of her thigh.
He pushed his fingers in again and watched as her head tipped back against the glass, eyes fluttering shut. He twisted and curled them, rubbing against her walls. She shuddered and he pumped his fingers while he kissed along the leg draped over his shoulder. Her thighs trembled and he traced the silver lines on her skin with his tongue. They were beautiful and proof of how much her body had changed.
He had always been in awe of Daisy, but this adult version was definitely the one that astounded him.
“Raff…” she moaned and he slipped a third finger in, the sound turning strangled.
Her grip in his hair faltered and he kissed his way back to where his fingers were buried inside her. When she pulled at his hair again, he finally gave in and sucked on her clit. That one touch lifted her hips off the counter as she gasped loudly. Rafferty did the best he could to hold her steady as he continued to pump his fingers while his tongue worked on her clit. She was writhing and squirming, moaning loudly as she pulled at his hair aggressively.
“Oh god, fuck, fuck, fuck !” The last fuck was dragged out as her walls squeezed around his fingers. Then she was coming, body shaking so hard he was certain the table was vibrating. His cock throbbed, feeling heavy as he stared up at her. When she finally collapsed against the glass, he slipped his fingers out of her and sucked them clean, using his other hand to adjust himself.
One taste is never going to be enough of this woman.
Keeping her legs spread, he licked and cleaned her up as she trembled at every swipe of his tongue. Once he was done, he kissed his way up her body, scraping his teeth against her hardened nipples as they poked through her bra. She sighed as he kissed along the swells of her breasts, up her neck and to her mouth. It was just a pressing of lips before he pulled back, smiling at how big her pupils were and he wondered if he looked the same.
“You’re right. You taste fucking perfect,” he told her, helping her sit up as she draped an arm around his neck, pulling his mouth to hers.
A soft giggle echoed into the kiss before her tongue swept over his bottom lip, flicking at his. He was very aware of how naked she was and how much he was wearing, but he didn’t care. Especially when she scooted to the edge of the table and pressed her wet center against him.
“You got me all dirty, Daddy.”
He moaned at the husky and filthy way she said it, their breath mingling as he slowly pulled his mouth away from hers. Her eyes were dark and full of wicked promises. Rafferty slid his hands down to her hips and in a well-practiced move, he bent down and pressed his shoulder into her stomach and flipped her over his back. She squealed and he smacked a hand against her bare ass, fighting the urge to laugh at how ridiculous they were being. He grabbed her clothes and carried her into the house. In the bathroom, he gently set her on the counter and took a step back, chest heaving with how fucking turned on he was.
“Your turn.”
“No time,” he forced out and added, “Besides, if I get anywhere near you in that state, we’re not going to make it to dinner.”
Her lips turned down in a pout and she unhooked her bra, sliding it off her arms. His mouth went dry at the sight of her breasts, the dark hardened tips and down to the tattoo below. He knew she had the New York skyline inked there, but this was the first time he was seeing the words she found herself printed between the skyscrapers.
“That’s where I found you too,” he said, memories of their years together flashing through his mind. “Shower, I’ll finish the repotting.”
“Then you can help me choose what to wear tonight?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. I’ll help.”
It would kill him, but he’d fucking do it. Returning her smile, he walked out of the bathroom and inhaled deeply. When he heard the shower turn on, he returned to the greenhouse and finished the job, cleaning up all of the dirt.
When he walked back into the house, mud staining his shirt and spread over his arms, Daisy was standing in a towel in the loft.
“Gardening looks good on you, hotshot,” she said with a grin, running a comb through her wet hair. “You ready to choose my outfit?”
He had no idea what he looked like, but was glad that she approved. “Yup. Do you have a notebook I can use?”
“I have my iPad.”
“Where is it?”
She gestured to the pile of things on the couch and after rummaging through it, he pulled her iPad out.
“Putting a twist on this—you model the clothes and I’ll rate them.”
“And this will help me how?” she asked with a laugh.
“It’ll give you a chance to see how you feel in each outfit. But mostly, it’ll allow me to admire the heck out of my girl.”
“Your girl?”
“Fuck yes my girl.”
He’d always thought of Daisy as his and he was glad that he could finally say it out loud.
“Does that make you my guy?”
“Feel free to call me anything, as long as it implies that I’m yours.”
“Silly man,” she mumbled and blew him a kiss.
He caught it and pressed it against his heart. “Show me your clothes.”
She laughed and stepped out of sight. Since he wasn’t someone who spent a lot of time on his phone, outside of texts and phone calls, the only way he knew about anything that happened on the internet was because of the guys at the firehouse. On a particularly slow day, the rookies played a video of a man rating his wife’s date night outfits.
All he could think about was doing that with Daisy.
“Okay, first outfit.”
She appeared at the top of the stairs in a floral top paired with a black leather skirt. She twirled, to show him the full look and he shrugged.
He scribbled 15/10 and flipped the iPad for her to see. “You look great, but that skirt doesn’t look comfortable. Next.”
“Have you forgotten how math works?” she teased and went to change.
Minutes later, she came back in a bright red sundress with tiny flowers. While it would match the shirt he was planning to wear, it wasn’t an evening outfit. She cocked a hip and posed dramatically, which made him chuckle.
“Look at those legs, damn . Save that for our next date.” He showed her the 12/10 rating.
“What kind of rating system are you following?”
He chuckled. “I doubt there’s an outfit in the world that doesn’t work on you, so why stop at ten? Besides, we’re rating what works for tonight and you’ll know when it’s the one. You could wear a potato sack and I’d be drooling all over you.”
“You’re such a man.”
“When you’re looking at a woman as beautiful and incredible as you, it’s really that simple.”
“Cheesy too,” she called out as she changed.
He smiled and filled a glass with water. He heard shuffling and stepped out from under the loft as she appeared in a turquoise dress. He might have said even a potato sack would look good on her, but this dress was putting that comment to shame. It did nothing for her and hid all the things he loved about her body.
“I take that back, this dress is a sack and it’s not flattering.” He flipped the iPad around with 8/10 scribbled hastily.
“You’re ridiculous,” she huffed.
Chuckling, he looked through the books on her shelf and didn’t recognize a single one. All the spines were bright colors and some had punny titles, making him wonder if they were like the audiobook she’d been listening to that day in the ice cream shop.
He touched the top of a book to pull it out when she said, “I like this one.”
Rafferty stepped away from the shelf and nodded. She was wearing flared black shorts that flaunted her legs and a white tank top with red flowers.
“Makes me want to take you to the beach, because this is cute as fuck. But…” he mumbled and wrote 18/10.
“I only have one more outfit anyway, so you’re gonna have to make a decision soon.”
“Okay. But hey, quick question—” she stopped mid-turn and as he pointed at the books. “—which one would you recommend I start with?”
“Find me an outfit and I’ll give you a book.”
He continued perusing the spines until the scuffing of feet drew his attention to the loft. She was coming down the stairs and his eyes followed her, heart faltering at the outfit. It wasn’t even that special of an outfit, but it was the one. It was a dark blue dress that stopped at her knees, and covered in tiny gold flecks. Her shoulders and collarbone were exposed while the sleeves were short enough to put her tattoos on display.
Daisy looked like she belonged in the sky with the rest of the stars.
“Infinity out of ten,” he mumbled.
She laughed and spun in place. “I should have known you’d pick this one.”
“Reminds me of the stars.”
“That’s why I bought it.” She pushed onto her toes and kissed him, her hands on his shoulders for balance. Only then did he realize he hadn’t showered after their greenhouse interlude. Before he could pull her in, she was heading to the bookshelf. “Here’s one I really loved. When I picked it up, I didn’t know it was part of a series or that you’d come back into my life.”
He frowned, taking the book from her. It had an orange spine and a couple on the cover, the man had long hair as he kissed the woman’s head. “What is it about?”
“Cowboys, rockstars, badass babes and loads of hot sex.” She smirked and coyly added, “He’s got long hair, is a bit grumpy and likes his tattoos.”
“Are you saying that I’m grumpy?”
“Well, he does remind me of you.” He flipped it over to read the back as her phone started ringing. “That’s probably Roe. You, my love, need to wash up.”
Then she was rushing up the stairs, like she hadn’t used a brand new term of endearment for him. Like she hadn’t stumped him with those two words. My love . He stared at the loft space for a moment longer, thinking she’d come back. He heard her speaking on the phone, so he grabbed his duffel and went for a shower. The whole time he washed the day off his body, he thought about all the ways they’d been saying I love you without actually saying the words. He knew that it wasn’t necessary, but in case she didn’t know how he felt, he wanted to make it clear.
He was dressed in dark pants and a red shirt with large prints of bird of paradise flowers. Nonna had bought it in an attempt to brighten his wardrobe years ago, but he’d never worn it. A date night seemed like the perfect time. When he came out of the bathroom, she was standing in the middle of her house, head bent over her phone. Her long legs ended in a pair of strappy heels and her gold necklaces were resting against her warm brown skin.
“The brightest star,” he said and she looked up with a grin.
Her eyes swept over him and she whistled. “Who knew you owned colors, hotshot.”
“We’ll keep it between us.”
“Hell no, come here.”
With his boots hanging off the tips of his fingers he stood beside her as she tucked herself against him. When she lifted her phone, he pressed a kiss to the side of her head and heard the click of the camera. She tipped her head back and he met her lips as she took another picture. A few more were taken as he stepped away to slide his boots on and she made him pose for one where his face was fully visible. Only then did she lead him out of the house, memories of the day playing on loop in his mind.