Page 45 of Daisy Chain
“Well, it seems like it still does happen, if I’m with him or not. There’s nothing official or serious happening with Evan.”
He shakes his head and takes two steps away from me. “Until he knows where he stands with you, then we need to stop this.”
Pointing a finger in his direction, I say, “Youneed to stop this. You’re the one who can’t keep his hands to himself. And for the record, I can see or have sex with anyone I want. I’m sick of you telling me what to do.” With the keys still in my hand, this time, I have no trouble finding the lock. I open it and step inside my apartment. “Until you can work out what’s going on with you and where your morals lie with Evan, don’t touch me again.”
With that, I close the door in his face.
sixteen
CHAINS
It’sbeenaweeksince Daisy slammed the door in my face. And with good reason. I keep telling her I won’t touch her because of Evan, yet when I’m within breathing distance, I can’t help myself. She’s like a magnetic pull I can’t fight.
Every time I close my eyes, I still taste her. Feel her body pressed up against mine. Hear the soft sounds of arousal escape her lips. Just kissing her got me harder than I’ve ever been. I don’t usually take the time to kiss a woman so thoroughly. With Daisy, it was the biggest turn on.
After leaving the baby store, I meant to drop her off at home, walk away and never see her again. Take away the temptation.
I didn’t need to walk her inside. It was for my own selfish reasons. I needed just a few more minutes with her before I let her go. I got more than a few minutes. I was ready to fuck her up against her door. When she’d asked me inside, having her was the only thing on my mind.
Until Evan’s call.
That snapped me out of the haze I was under.
However, my plan to keep her away backfired.
I have a new mother threatening me with bodily harm if I don’t get Daisy to visit again. At first, Natasha thought it was something she’d done. Wondered if she’d somehow pushed Daisy away. She’s had enough rejection in her young life; I can’t let her believe that Daisy would abandon her. So, I had to fess up. Without giving her any details, I told her I’d pissed Daisy off, and she’s avoiding coming anywhere near me. So, now whenever Daisy visits, I’ll make sure I’m not around. Especially if she’s with Evan. The thought of her with another man makes my gut churn—even if it’s with my brother. Although, if things move forward between them, and now that he’s back in my life, I won’t have much of a choice but to see them together.
But for Evan, I’ll get over it. I’ll have to. Missing out on more of his life is not an option.
I’ve already missed too much. The only good thing in my life had been ripped away from me. Living in a hellhole household, I soon came to the conclusion that he was better off without me. Especially after I left that shit place. He would have ended up in trouble or worse… dead. I could barely look after myself, let alone a kid. I did the right thing, keeping my distance and not contacting him.
Things are different now. I’m not that kid getting into trouble. The business I’ve built with Lincoln and Asher has provided us with more money and stability than we know what to do with. We’re doing things the right way now. Once I got my life on track, I should’ve contacted him. I was just ashamed and didn’t think he’d want to have anything to do with me. Better to stay away than to face rejection.
But after what I told him about my life, it hasn’t scared him away. In fact, he’s on his way over for pizza. We’ve had a few interactions since we stumbled upon each other at the club. We haven’t had a deep and meaningful conversation since thatmorning in my kitchen when I told him what a troubled kid I was.
There’s so much more I want to know about him.
After all these years apart, can I have a relationship with Evan? What would we have in common? Our lives are so different. What if, after spending time together, we hate each other?
My phone dings with a message. Maybe it’s Evan wanting to cancel. Maybe he’s feeling unsettled about spending time with me too. I pick the phone up off the coffee table.
It’s Natasha.
Have you spoken to Daisy yet? Is she coming over anytime soon? You better not have pissed her off so much that being in the same building with you is too close. You better make things right, or I’ll never speak to you again.
This is the third message in an hour. I’ve been avoiding contacting Daisy. If I don’t get her here anytime soon, Natasha will never stop.
I rest back on the couch and drop my feet on the coffee table. Blowing out a long breath, I dial her number instead of texting. For some reason, I want to hear her voice. Who the fuck am I?
She picks up after the third ring. “Hello?” She answers like she’s asking a question. After the way we left things last week, I’m not surprised if she’s wondering why I’m calling.
“Daisy, it’s Chains… I mean, Kade.” What the hell is happening to me? She’s turning me into some teenage boy who doesn’t know where the fuck his dick is.
“Is everything okay? Is something wrong with Natasha?”
“Everything’s fine. Natasha’s been asking for you. If you’re free this evening, do you think you could visit with her?”
There’s silence. For a moment, I wonder if she’s hung up, then she says, “You said she wouldn’t need me. That the nurses had everything under control.” I hear a note of accusation in her voice.
