Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts)

by Mynx, Sienna

  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 t
o 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.”

  “Pete!” Amy exclaimed. She got up from her knees and opened pages of coloring books to run through the living area to him. Suddenly, things didn’t feel as bad. He knelt to catch her as she reached and leapt at him. Her little body of warmth up against his made him smile. To his delight, she hugged his neck and kissed his cheek. Just like her mother, she was a complete charmer.

  “I’m so glad you here,” Amy shouted. “Did you bring the freebee?”

  Pete chuckled. “No blossom, I didn’t. Hope that’s okay?”

  “That’s okay. My grandma is cooking dinner. She said she knows how to make McDonalds. I don’t believe her though.”

  He lowered Amy, swallowing his grin. Janette, seated on the sofa with Sandra next to her, gave him a welcoming smile. Daisy’s mother came out of the kitchen, hands in the front of her apron. “Pete, I’m so glad you came.” She walked straight over and greeted him warmly. “Where’s Nina?” She looked beyond him.

  “She had to get back home.”

  “We all do,” Sandra grumbled.

  Pete looked away from Martha Johnson’s questioning eyes. Amy took his hand and pulled him along. “Come to my room. I wanna show you something.”

  He looked back at the Johnson women who indicated he should go, so he allowed Amy to lead him upstairs.

  ****

  “When is Daisy coming home?” Sandra huffed.

  “Stop it, Sandy,” Denise said.

  “It’s true. She should be here. Her daughter meets her father and she’s off doing God knows what.” Martha threw her hand up.

  “Daisy already introduced Amy to Pete, mama; this isn’t the first time they met,” Janette added.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Would you all just cool it?” Denise said. “C’mon. She’s the one that called and asked that he come over. She’s doing good with all of this.”

  “She's doing what she always does. Thinking about her self first,” Martha snorted.

  Janette shook her head and Sandra rolled her eyes. Denise was the only one to follow Martha back into the kitchen. “Mama.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t you say anything to Amy. Do you hear me?”

  Martha didn’t answer, stunned to hear Denise so in defense of her sister.

  “Do you hear me, mama? Daisy and Pete will tell her about her father. Not you. Don’t interfere.”

  “Loving my children is interfering?” Martha slammed a pot down. She whirled on Denise with raw hurt in her heart. “I raised you girls better than this. Your father deserves better than this! Daisy has to put that baby first. Always! For her to not be here, well I just thank God Pete is the father. If she wants to run off to Sodom with Aiden Keane, then maybe it’s best she give Amy to us.”

  “Mama!”

  “Pete is in Hollow Creek, and I don’t have anybody in that house now. I could take Amy, raise her and keep her safe.”

  “Stop it. First you want to chase Daisy from our lives and then when we find her, you want to control her again. Now this. You’re pushing too hard. It’s her life. That little girl is hers. We won’t make it worse, and you won’t go to Pete with these ideas. Promise me. Promise!”

  “I will do no such thing. I will do whatever has to be done to keep this family together and that evil man out of it!”

  ****

  “It’s my favorite. Daddy and I watch it.” She handed him the DVD.

  He eyed the cover. “Barbie Cinderella story?”

  “Yes,” Amy grinned. “Daddy said he was going to buy me more of them. As many as I want,” she beamed.

  Pete looked at her and smiled. “Did he?”

  “Yep, and he said he gonna buy me a cooker to make me cereal whenever I want. And he like nuggets too,” Amy grinned.

  “Sounds like he plans to buy you a lot of things.”

  “Yep,” Amy nodded.

  Pete sat the movie down. He reached for Amy’s hand and kissed her tiny knuckles. “I—” he stalled on the words. “I really want to get to know you, things for just you and me. Anything we can do that no one else does?”

  Amy’s eyes stretched. She turned and pointed. “Yes! I got it for my birthday. Can you fix it? Mama said she would, but she not here.”

  He followed her point to a large dollhouse. How she’d manage to cram another toy in this room was beyond him. The dollhouse, equipped with an elevator, was still sealed in its box. Pete rose and walked over to it. “I’ll put it together if you’ll help. How’s that?”

  Amy clapped her hands. “I can do it, Pete.”

  “I know you can.”

  ****

  Daisy drank and savored the soured taste of the Merlot. She was gorged on lobster, steak, pasta, salad, everything. She burped and blushed, looking around. Dinner was great until someone showed up with a briefcase, and he and Aiden went into another room. When alone, she finished off her meal and part of his.

  Pushing back from the table, she walked over to the windows and stared out at the desert night. No stars. Not in the sky anyway. They existed in the trillion flashing, blinking, twinkling lights below. The streets were packed with traffic.

  Soon, she was a little homesick for Mango Grove. She loved him, but she wasn’t necessarily in love with all this. Her life had changed. Daisy loved living in a small community where she drove her daughter to school and built sand castles with her by the ocean. Amy’s well-being and nurturing had shifted her priorities and created a new home for them both. What was next? Would he want her to move here with Amy, live out of his suite in the Shamrock?

  “Daisy?”

  Aiden appeared in his black robe and pajama pants, his hands in the pockets. His gemstone eyes seemed especially clear and earnest. Whoever the visitor was, she only got a glimpse, had escaped as discreetly as he had arrived. Daisy smiled. “You conducting business on my time, mister?” she joked.
r />   “Couldn’t be helped.”

  “Is he gone?”

  “He’s gone.”

  She walked over to him, her bare feet across the cool floor chilling her. Damn hotel always stayed cold. She put her arms around his neck. “Dinner is done. How about we go back to bed. I want to get on top again while you feed me kiwi.”