Daisy took a bite of her meal and moaned sweetly when she got a full hit of its flavor. It was a traditional meal. She had first had a taste of the meal when she paid a visit to Ugo's parents and ever since, she got hooked. The taste was divine. "Good, right?" He asked. "Very good. In fact, if you keep this up, I might consider keeping you to myself forever." She joked and wiped her mouth and hands. "That would please me, Daisy." He paused and looked at her. "Do you find exclusivity far fetched, for you?" He asked, setting his cutlery down. There was a loud stillness to his words and Daisy tried guessing what he was thinking, but came up empty. "To clear any doubts, I'm trying to say that there won’t be any other men for you as long as we're together, Daisy." A shiver moved through her at his blunt finality, The tone and steadiness in his gaze touched a part of her. Just as Daisy had grown and evolved over the years, so has he. There was now an even darker side to him that
Daisy looked at him with raised brows. "How did you know what I’m thinking?" "You get this look on your face when you’re turned on. And I plan to put that look on your face as often as possible." Brett replied. He covered his plate and stood, withdrawing a business card with his home, office and personal phone numbers at the back from his pocket, he set it down beside Daisy. "Call me whenever you want to, Daisy. When you need someone to talk to, when you need anything at all." He brushed the backs of his fingers down her cheek. "Can I call you whenever I feel like?" He asked. Daisy wrinkled her nose. She covered her plate and wiped her hand and mouth. "Yes, you can." She replied. "Thank you for the meal, it was delicious." "It was my pleasure." He leaned over her and pressed his lips briefly to hers. "Do you need to use the washroom?" "Yes. I need my toothbrush from my purse, too." A few minutes later, Daisy found herself standing in a washroom hidden behind a door that blende
One of the cars in the left bank of elevators arrived. Madison, the receptionist at Daisy's floor stepped out and Brett stepped in, his gaze locked with Daisy's until the doors closed. "Whew," Madison said. "Girl, you've scored." Not having any words to reply to Madison with, Daisy smiled. The whole stuff was still new and she didn't want to go ahead of herself with tales. She was afraid to jinx it. As it kept ringing in her head that the feelings of happiness she was feeling wouldn’t last. Everything was going too well, and that was not her, that was not how peaceful her life used to be. Chaos was always part of her life. She rushed to her desk and got to work. "Daisy, she looked up to see Donald standing in the threshold of his office. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" "Of course." She replied, hoping he wasn't upset that she came back late or maybe he wanted to admonish her for hanging out with his Boss. Her thoughts kept running wild as she grabbed her tablet, even though his
The day at the gym had commenced with hitting the treadmills first. Brett refused to let Daisy out of his sight throughout their session. One time, he had briefly stepped over to the bike while Daisy did squats with shoulder weights. One of the trainers came up to assist her as anyone would expect in a top-of-the-line gym. He was handsome and very nicely built. "Hi," he greeted her, with an accommodating smile that showcased his teeth. "First time here, right. I haven’t seen you here before." "Yes, first time." "I’m Jamie." He extended his hand, and Daisy gave him a handshake. "Daisy." "Are you finding everything you need, Daisy." "So far so good, thanks." "It's my pleasure. Did you get the tour of the gym and its surroundings? If not, permit me take you around." He touched Daisy's elbow lightly and gestured toward the stairs. "As a first timer, you're entitled to a free hour of personal training. We could do that tonight or make an appointment for later in the week." "Oh,
Brett took a step back and took in the whole of Daisy. He gulped in air as it dawned on him that she belonged to him in more ways than she can imagine. Daisy stepped up to him, pushing her hands up beneath his shirt to feel his damp, sweaty skin and the hardness of the muscles beneath it. "Get naked, now." He laughed as he took off his sneakers and yanked his top over his head. "Oh my God....." she gasped, taking him in, all of him. His shorts hit the floor and Daisy gasped. The man was perfect. There wasn’t an ounce of excess flesh on him anywhere, just hard slabs of toned muscle. He had that abdominal V line that Ugo calls the Adonis Belt. He was the embodiment of everything Daisy coveted, fantasized about, and wished for. "I must have died and gone to heaven," Daisy said out loud unashamedly. Brett giggled. "I'm glad you like what you see Daisy." He came to her with a strong purr of their lips. She slipped and landed on the bed, and barely caught her breath before Brett came
Her gaze was riveted to his gorgeous face. His features were harsh and filled with lust, his eyes were so dark and dilated and Daisy knew she was staring into the face of a man who had passed the limits of his control. She felt several swarms of joy that he had made all that effort because of her, because he'd wanted so much to pleasure her and prepare her for what would be a hard ride. Her hands fisted in the bedspread, anticipation building. He had made sure she got her pleasure, over and over again. This would be for him. "Brett," she called gently, touching his face, "Fuck me," she ordered, daring him with her eyes. "Daisy." He called out her name as he rammed into her. She gasped in slight pain and huge pleasure. He was big, hard, and so damn deep. The connection was startlingly intense that she felt so completely taken, possessed, owned. Emotionally and otherwise. With Brett's hands restraining her and his total dominance of her body, her desire and pleasure was ratch
Daisy called the one person that she knew would always come through, she called Ugo but unfortunately her calls kept going to voicemail. The first bout of tears rushed down her face as she plied through the crowded streets of Fairview. She put back her phone inside her pocket and thought of Brett. Was it all a coincidence that he invited her to his gym and it so happened to be close to the hotel he fucks his women in. What happened to he's never had any other relationship since they broke up. Was that just him making up stories he knew she would love to hear? Crazed out and extremely exhausted, she stepped on a curb, waiting for a taxi. But her mind drifted far away to how much hurt she was feeling. Empty taxi drove past her, yet she didn't stop any. Pulling out her phone, she tried calling Ugo again and just like before, it went to her voicemail. She hurriedly dropped a message for her summarizing the situation of things as explicitly as she could before she changed her mind. She s
As they rode the elevator up to Brett's apartment, the tension within him was palpable. Daisy thought of stopping the elevator and urging him to let her go home. But she knew he would never agree. She looked at his hand, still trapped with hers and realization struck her that bringing her to his home, his space was indeed a big deal to him. It was something he had never done before and he's doing it now, but for what? When the elevator opened directly into his home, Brett's grip on her hand tightened before he finally released her. He unlocked the door entrance with his prints and ushered her inside, his anxiety screaming loud as he watched for Daisy's reaction. Brett's home was as beautiful as the man himself. It was so very different from his office, which was sleek, modern, and cool. His private space was warm and sumptuous, filled with antiques. It was simply amazing, "Your home is so beautiful. " Daisy said softly, feeling privileged to be the only one among his women to ha
We were now in an open corridor. Rocco stood like a statue at the end of the room, staring into space. Two other guards stood at a reasonable distance, taking the same stance. I snatched my hand back from him, crossing it over my chest. "Good. Then that's settled. But make no mistake, he turned "I'm going to take my pleasure from you, how and when I deem it fit." He threatened. "You dare not!" I challenged, creating a distance between us. "Really," he mused. "Let's see how that goes." "Every single thing about this situation is disappointing," I corrected him, feeling my jaw quiver. I had a temper. So I try so hard to always remain happy and positive. And that was why I surrounded myself with people that really love and care about me. They all knew and understood how bad my temper used to be. As a form of control, I would always remain cold and calm in situations I have no power over. Until I grab a full picture of the situation. But then, in some conditions, I almost alw
I was awakened by the distant sound of the television. Immediately I opened my eyes, I saw Maxine cropped up on a chair at the end of the room. "Welcome back to the land of the living," he muttered. "Where are we?" I croaked, sitting up on the bed and surveying the empty room that had only a bed and a television. Maxine stretched his arms, and sighed. "Home, The Garden." "Thank God." I sighed, before realizing what he meant. "You mean your home is referred to as The Garden?" "Mhmm." He hummed. "Gross." I spat out. "It's a good name." He stood up. "Hollis totally owe me for this." He murmured and left the room, not even saying a goodbye or any other word. My throat felt raw, and my body, emotionally exhausted. I could feel dark isolation seeping through the room like deep depression. I just wanted to go home, to go shopping, boat cruises, clubhouses and the courtroom. I wanted my life back. But even I know I couldn't. Not with the continuous attempt on my life and wi
Maxine gripped the steering wheel and side-glanced me. "Put your seatbelt on, this is going to be fun." I did as I was told, and he hit the red button on the rearview mirror, which caused the garage door to slide open. We drove out onto the gloomy street. Maxine didn't let go of the gas pedal until we were driving well above the speed limit. Darkened street signs flashed by. He sped through a red light, swerving around a car that was patiently waiting for its turn. 'What was the point of making me wear my seatbelt if he was planning on killing the both of us by crashing the car.' With an extended grin, he weaved us in and out of traffic. Eventually we moved away from the city streets and onto a country road. We picked up more speed, but at least there were no other cars to play chicken with. I was able to unclench my teeth and my stranglehold on the security bar against the door, using my free hand to wipe my newly dampened forehead. The car air-conditioner couldn't do anyt
The next time I woke up, the sun was already setting. I was feeling better, rested, though my joints and muscles ached from the lack of movement. As for the bump on my head, it was only sensitive to touch. there was no more throbbing. My hair on the other hand was a tangled mess. My head felt naked when my hair was down. I searched my pockets and then the barren room for anything that I could use to tie it back. The only thing I found was the glass of water that had been refilled, and that I greedily gulped down. The bedroom door had been left open, and hollowed sounds from a Television could still be heard. As soon as the smell of food tickled my nose, my stomach grumbled. The last meal I had eaten was the vegetable sauce my mother made specially for me. How long ago was that? My brain was still too foggy to count back the hours or the days. The thought of my mother sent chills down my spine. I haven't heard from my parents and I knew they would be worried sick. Letting my sto
With a stiff neck, I scanned my surroundings. there wasn't much to decipher. I was in a small room, lit only by the bedside lamp that was on the table next to the bed. There was an armchair with a rose velvet cushion in one corner. The walls were bland and frameless. After waiting for another bout of nausea to pass, I went to the window, holding on to the small table as support for my shaky frame. Outside, the sunsetting sky was of resilient palettes of shady hues, and I was peering over the shadows of endless rooftops. Wherever I was, it was high above a city, at least twenty stories high. Down below, a yellow cab was waiting at a red light on an otherwise empty street. I couldn't decide if I was still in Lilycity. I thought I had a fair recognition of the clock tower that stood at the center of the city square, but it was too distant and I was too tired to be sure. My hand pressed against the glass. I closed my eyes until the dizziness passed, then slowly and painfully moved to
There was a flash of light and distant noises. My head felt like someone was taking an ice pick and pouring heavy chipping on my skull. I decided that death couldn't be this painful, so I was probably not dead or this was what hell was supposed to feel like. My eyes were pried open, and a light came flashing again. This was followed by a groan, like a bear cub. 'was that me?' I managed to flutter my eyes open without anyone's help. Inches away from my face, someone was holding a pen-sized flashlight. I couldn't focus enough to see him, but I could definitely smell him. Light scent of woodberry and some chemicals I remember enduring the mixing process once I snuck into the chemistry laboratory during practicals that were meant for students offering science courses. The ceiling was swimming. I thought I was going to vomit, and I had to let my eyelids drop to stop the spinning. Slowly, the muffled sounds became words. "What's your name, sweetheart." Asked the man with the flashli
I climbed down carefully from the grey van that picked me up from the house. I was going to see a cartel Boss. So there are quite a lot of things that could happen today. It's either I end up dead or I succeed in striking a good deal that will keep my father alive and give my family enough time to pay up the crazy-absurd debt they leveled against my Father. If the stars are in my favor, the money might even be forgiven. But in all, one of these things was going to happen today and I pray my dead body won't be drawn out of the industrial looking premises. As I stood looking around, I got a nudge behind from one of the men. "Move!" He barked at me and like a crippled roach revealed by a light from a handheld torch. I had to put both of my feet to good use. One of the men walked in front, leading the way, while two others walked behind me. "Stop." A baritone voice from a guard stationed at the gate yelled at us. "She's going to go in blindfolded." He read out a rehearsed instruct
The silence at the dinning table felt excruciating and painful. I forced most of the mashed potatoes down my throat and swallowed hurriedly each time, unable to feel the taste of the meal. When the silence became too unbearable, I shifted my meal and turned to my parents. "Let's hear it, what's the problem?" "Eat Ugo." My father said, tapping me gently on the arm. "I'm full, and even if I'm not, I can't take more. I've lost my appetite. What's going on, what's with the silence and brooding, did someone die?" My mother was the first to shake her head. "We didn't lose anyone. But we might as well loose someone if we don't find a solution." She said, "Ada..." My father called in his usual peace-loving manner. "Ugo is not a child, honey. The earlier we start taking....the better." "Please talk to me... anyone. Dad, Mom." "Honey, it's nothing serious....." "Your father was accused of stealing from his company." My mom interrupted. "What?" I looked at my father, hoping he would as
UGO I took in the orderliness of the little room that had always served as my safe space for the longest time. All my childhood memories were still intact, almost as I had left them. My mother had taken it upon herself to preserve all the good memories, making sure not to alter the shape of the room and the position of things as I left them. I tried recalling the last time I visited Lilycity. It's been well over two years. Fairview had found a way to draw me into its tight grasp and sapped me off all my free time. I sighed, recalling my mother's tears at the airport when she came to pick me up. I was initially skeptical that she would be the one to pick me up, but then she somehow managed to convince me with my father's support that she has recovered perfectly since her intestinal surgery. "Poor woman." I murmured regrettably. Pulling my hair into a tight bun, I sat down on the only chair in my room, took in the beauty of the modest-looking room and smiled. What my room lacked in