Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts) (66 page)

Aiden dismissed them and the men walked out. He checked the dinner arrangement that was rushed to his door. Under visions of feeding her and drinking wine from her nipples, he smiled. There were few regrets for acting like a brat over the paternity of Amy. Still he knew he had to do better. He and Pete would deal as men; the kid was in his heart. She was his too.

Satisfied that every thing was in place, Aiden sucked in a deep breath and smoothed back his coal black hair. He would remain calm until he had Donovan in his sights, and if he didn’t get an answer to explain the unexplainable, then his friend would learn why the warning he himself gave to many was true. I
t was never wise to fuck over Aiden Keane
.

He went through the room to the bathroom and he could hear soft splashes of water. Pushing the door open wide he saw her, hair pinned to the top of her head, passion marks marring her flawless skin on her neck and chest. He did get carried away.

The steamy scent of lavender filled his garden tub that was fit for four. Daisy held out the remote in her hand, flicking through the channels for the wall mounted TV.

A vision.

She looked at him and smiled. “What I want to know is what is the
Great Aiden Keane
doing with scented bath beads and bubble-bath?”

“
For you, babe, always for you.”

“
Mmhmm,” she chuckled. “Come get in. Let’s play.” She blew at the bubbles swopped up into her cupped hands, the foam dropping off into the moving sudsy water.

Aiden undid his robe, letting it drift to the floor and did as she asked. He eased into the cool water, missing warmth he was sure should be there. It didn’t matter if it was a chilled bath or hot one. It would get steamy again with her he was sure. His hand immediately went to her. She drifted to him, coming between his legs with her back resting on his chest.

“
Water’s cool.”

“
Yeah, well I needed something to soothe all those tender spots. You wore a girl out.”

“
And I want more.” He rubbed her nipples between his fingers, his erection expanding against her back.

“
Did I hear you yelling at Donovan?” she asked.

“
I wasn’t yelling. Was I?”

She looked back and then forward again, with a chuckle. “I don’t understand your relationship. I just can’t imagine a man, any man, telling you what to do.”

“
That is not the nature of our relationship.”

“
He says you rely on him to clean up your messes. Maxine. He also said that you paid her to get rid of your baby.”

Aiden went silent.

“
Aiden, what really happened? ”

“
She was a kid. I was an asshole—you know how the story ends.”

“
So it was like me. A game?”

He tensed. “No, I’d never done what I did to you and Pete.”

Daisy gave him a sideways look, face half turned. He rubbed her abdomen. “Truth is, Daisy, I’ve done stuff, bad things, but that proposal was real; the one I made you, the feelings of wanting you came to me when I saw you at the slots.”

“
You were watching me?”

“
I was watching you.”

“
The crap table?”

“
Before. Call it luck… fate… when you stepped up and I saw you, I wanted to pull you in.”

Daisy lifted. “What did you see?”

“
Nothing.”

"Finish, Aiden. It’s done. Let’s be honest about it.”

He knew better. Women swore they wanted the truth, but some truths were better left unsaid. His truth was when he saw how giddy she was over the winnings, how her tits bounced in her halter and the delicious curves of her body when she bent over and threw the dice. How her hillbilly boyfriend glared at him when she nearly creamed herself over a 1000 dollar coin. He wanted to fuck her in a stack of chips and make him watch. There was no nobility in that moment. Not an ounce of sincerity. He was the man her mother warned her about.

“
When I saw how beautiful you were, I was determined to know you. So I came up with the game.”

She smiled, seeming to settle on his answer before resting back against him.

“
And Maxine?”

“
She was a little older than you, but, yeah, she was trusting like you—worked in the gift shop in my hotel. We became involved.”

“
Serious?”

“
As serious as I could be with a woman. Remember I—”

“
Have issues, yes. Did you love her? Care at all?”

“
Why are you asking me this?”

“
No more secrets. I don’t want to wake and she’s standing at your door one day. I’ve only had one man in my life, Aiden, and you pretty much know all about him. If she was special in anyway, I'd like to know.”

“
She won’t show up. Not after everything. She wouldn’t.”

“
Then what happened?”

“
She told me she was pregnant, and I didn’t take it well. I threw her out.” His voice trailed off. “I told her to get rid of it.”

“
You said that? Why?”

“
Fear, cowardice. I never wanted fatherhood, Daisy. One of the things I knew I’d fail at. But if she had the baby, then I would never abandon my child. Not like my father did me. So I thought I was trapped, I suppose. I tried to get out before it was too late.”

Daisy adjusted. He could hear the strain in her voice when she spoke. “Yeah, well I did the same thing I suppose. Had an abortion because I thought I was trapped. Guess we weren’t good people.”

“
Not the same, sweetheart. You were trapped. Hollow Creek wasn’t for you.”

“
Don’t say that, Aiden.”

“
It’s true. You know it.”

“
Well, I had the baby and the life. Pete’s baby. So, somehow, I think the lesson isn’t lost on me. Not really.”

“
True.”

“
And Maxine?”

“
She paid Donovan a visit, admitted to wanting money more than my seed. I was out of town. He called and told me that she was making threats. I tried to talk to her. But damage was done, and I still couldn’t admit to wanting the kid. On my order, he cut her a check and took her to the place to have it done. Then months later she took a bottle of pills.”

“
She asked for money?”

“
Yes.”

“
That’s not how Donovan told it,” Daisy said.

“
How did he tell it?”

“
He made it seem a little more sordid, as if you forced her to the clinic. He gave the impression that you tired of her and tossed her aside.”

Aiden frowned. “Well I may have. I said a lot of things then. I wasn’t opposed to paying for it. He knew that.”

“
You give him too much power, Aiden.”

“
Who? Donovan? He’s my attorney. He has power, Daisy,” Aiden chuckled.

She didn’t.

“
Donovan has a convenient position in your life… too close. It’s kind of creepy. You don’t know how it feels to have him put on you. I remember the way he told me to take the million-dollar check. Implied that I should take the money and run back home when you may have wanted me to stay. He sure as hell didn’t make it appear that way when he found me in my hotel room.”

“
Exactly what did he do?”

“
Gave me your note, but the way he said it. He doesn’t work in your favor, Aiden. I think he works in his own.”

Aiden narrowed his eyes. “Is that so?”

“
And I think he feeds that meanness in you and helps you justify it. He’s poison. You keep him around everything.” She looked back. “You even had him come to the hospital for Amy’s paternity test. I don’t like the man sneaking in my business.”

“
Wait. No I didn't.”

“
He was there. It doesn't matter if you gave the order or not to force her into that abortion, Donovan isn’t the voice of reason for you. He’s the devil on your shoulder, and, Aiden, you may be doing his bidding as well as your own.”

“
What do you mean that I had him at the hospital?”

Daisy blinked. “He denies it. Guess you didn’t want me to know.”

“
Know what, Daisy?”

“
That he was there. I saw him after you ran out. Saw him getting in his car. The creep had the nerve to say I didn’t. If we are going to be together, then Donovan goes. Point blank. I don’t want the man anywhere near me or Amy.”

Aiden just stared at her, eyes cool and hard. She could tell he was angry by the flare of his nostrils and the forced restraint that had his lips clamped shut. But he wasn’t angry at her. Maybe he was opening his eyes to who Donovan was.

“
Aiden?”

“
Let’s not discuss Donovan. Let me handle him,” he said in a calm even tone just as something dark eclipsed his stare that he pushed away. “I’ll get to the bottom of it. I promise.”

She accepted his request and drifted toward him, this time straddling his lap. Her arms lifted from the water and circled his neck. Her breasts bobbed, nipples grazing his hard pecks. She gave him a pop kiss. “There’s a lot I don’t know about you. Isn’t there?”

“
We’re starting over, remember? Who I was before didn’t deserve you.” He applied soft kisses to her neck; his hand rubbed up and down her back as his cock, now erect, was pressed between her most private parts.

Daisy rubbed his nape, smoothing his hair down with her wet palm. “I can’t believe this will be our ending. I didn’t think you and I were an option,” she giggled. He lifted his eyes to hers. Hands finding her hips, he raised them so she ended up on her knees. His weaving cock brushed her clit and she held tighter to his neck, using her other hand to reach between them and grasp his shaft. She steadied it for descent. Her eyes joined with his until the slow slide had them fluttering shut. His head dropped back.

“
Aw, yes,” he moaned.

Though yearning to lose himself in her vibrant pussy as it rose and fell on his length, taking him in inch by inch, he forced himself to withstand the urge. Trying to be gentler, he moved with her slowly at first to rock her into a rhythm that would prevent him from ravaging her again, and then to manage her doses of pleasure. She chuckled, moving under his instruction, then rising and falling while holding to his shoulders. Daisy leaned in, offering sweet kisses to his throat. And he had to admit it turned him on. He loved how her breasts pushed into his chest and craved how she loved him. Groaning with each front to back thrust, his hands on her ass helped with the ride. She offered him another open mouth kiss that took him under.

“
I love you, Aiden,” she said.

He heard himself groan with intense, searing pleasure as her deliciously tight channel sheathed his cock completely on her final descent. He got it good then. Pumping up to her, she put down a grind on his lap, hitting that spot. With his balls drawn up tight, the muscles in her vagina worked at a stroking with her rises and falls that had him panting out loud.

“
I love you, Aiden,” she said again between kisses.

He abandoned his bitter self, loving each muscle spasm in her honeyed sweet flesh. Screw his pride, his ego and his need for revenge. He just wanted to love this woman, get more of her loving in return and die with her on him this way.

“
I love you,” she moaned.

He smiled. “I love you too, Daisy… oh yeah I do.”

****

There weren’t many cars parked along the street. Most were in garages or driveways. Pete glanced back to the rental and wondered if he should move it. Deciding it might be best, he turned from the door just as it opened. Denise, Daisy’s middle sister, and the darkest of the Johnson women who favored her father more than their mother, smiled up at him.

“
Hi, Pete.”

He walked in. “Hi, Denise.”