Page 30 of Connor

“See how this is your home,” I tell him, thinking back to the conversation we had on the drive in.

“You can take the boy out of the country…”

“But you can’t take the country out of the boy,” I finish for him.

“Now you get it, Daisy. I love it here, and I think you’re going to fall in love with Whispers the longer you’re here too,” he says with full confidence, his eyes searching mine. I swallow hard and wonder if they turned up the thermostat in here.

“I’ve never been in love…” I say, almost absentmindedly, the two of us so close now, I feel his breath on my cheeks.

“Sail away with me… to another world…”

I grin, the lyrics of the song so ingrained in my head.

“Cheesy… but I’ll pass it,” I say, both of us laughing together.

How am I supposed to get through this crush? It was fine when he was being arrogant and insulting at Sunshine. But now, I know he’s a nice guy. I’m not going to survive.

As Victoria draws me into a new conversation, chatting about the spa again, I pretend my racing heart has more to do with the nerves of starting a new job than from sitting next to a man who can make my pussy clench just from the sound of his voice.

Yeah. This is going to be a long month.

12

CONNOR

My heart thuds heavily as sweat drips down my back. I discarded my t-shirt about a mile back, tucking it into the waistband of my shorts as my lungs gulp in the fresh air. I love running in the mornings in Whispers, and the sunrise here is hard to beat. I have flown all around the world, and not even Greece is better than this.

As I get closer to home, I slow to a saunter and cool down. I’m stressed. Our barley farms aren’t producing what I need when I need it. The weather is wreaking havoc, my mind full of so many things I can’t think straight, the five miles a day I do not even taming the thoughts, and it doesn’t help that I have fucking “Islands in the Stream” playing on repeat in my mind. As I walk to cool down, I look over my own private running track. There’s nothing but me and the clean air and the rising sun. It’s quiet, no one else awake or at the distillery, especially since Dad and Victoria moved up to their new place on Billionaires Boulevard.

Running is my stress relief and one I desperately needed today. I hardly slept last night with visions of Daisy flicking through my mind like a movie reel. Her laughing at something I said. Her smiling next to me in the bar, listening to me intently, like she’s interested in every word I say. The way I picked her up and put her in my truck. I shouldn't have touched her. It’s not professional, and I didn’t need to feel her in my hands, but damn, she looks good in my truck. I was permanently hard all night, my fist doing very little to tame the beast in my pants that seems to now have a mind of its own.

I walk around the corner of the tree line to get back to my place, knowing I need to shower and head to my office for an early morning conference call. But then I look up and stall. She’s like a beacon, calling to me, and I watch her in awe as she does yoga in the front garden, my feet not moving, feeling like they are encased in cement, as I’m completely mesmerized.

She’s wearing tight matching yoga pants and a crop top. I see her shape, her curves, and damn, has she got curves. So many curves. She has such a womanly figure, and I like that. I swallow, my mouth watering as I stand like a fucking stalker, watching her, peering over the high hedge. My eyes feast on her large, round peach of an ass, and I bite the inside of my cheek so I don't groan and completely startle her. She changes poses, and I get a front view of her perfect breasts that are almost spilling from her tight top as she lowers her hands to the ground.

“Good morning, Connor!” our gardener yells cheerily, and I jump, looking over at him on the far side of the garden, waving to me with a wide grin and a pitchfork in his hand. I grind my teeth together, waving back with a fake wide smile, pissed off that he interrupted my morning viewing. I forgot that fucker started early on Fridays. I look back at Daisy, who’s now standing, hands on hips, looking straight at me. Shit.

“Good morning,” I say, walking toward her slowly, confidence in my gait.

“You forgot your shirt?” she says, her flushed cheeks becoming a little more vibrant, still embarrassed by my half-nakedness, it seems. Yet I don’t miss the way her eyes flick to my naked torso, which makes me smirk. Last week at Sunshine, she couldn’t look at me, and now, her eyes are glued. I push my shoulders back, enjoying her attention.

“I just finished a run.” I let my eyes roam a little. From a distance, she’s stunning, and up close, she’s delectable.

“Without a shirt?” she asks, and I shrug, feeling cocky. I work out. I look after myself, more for my mental health than anything else. But present me thanks past me for all those runs and weight sessions because Daisy seems flustered.

“I’m not used to having anyone here. Dad moved up to his ranch a while ago now, so his place here is rarely used.” I brush my hand down my naked torso and watch her swallow. Good to know I affect her just as much as she affects me.

“I didn’t realize anyone was up yet,” she says, her hands still on her wide hips, and I tame the smirk pulling at my lips. I’m her boss, goddammit. I’m never thrown off my game. But for some reason, Daisy is now ingrained in my vision, and I can’t get her out. I don’t even want to.

“I usually go for a run to watch the sun come up. It’s the best part of the day,” I tell her honestly, coming to a stop about a foot in front of her. Her skin radiates in the morning light, a slight sheen to it, telling me she’s been out here for a while herself. Her long red hair is piled onto her head in this messy yet sexy-as-hell bun, tendrils falling around her face. My fingers twitch to step forward and push them behind her ears so I can see her face more clearly. But I refrain.

“The sunrise showcases the start of something new. No matter what happened last night, yesterday, or even the days before, the sunrise allows us to reset, restart, and rejuvenate, ready for a brand-new day,” she says in a tone that has me immediately relaxing and taking a deep breath. My shoulders lower instantly, and it feels like she’s wrapping me up in a warm hug. I almost groan at feeling the stress melt away, simply from her voice and the morning sun showering me in warmth.

“I like sunrises too,” she admits when I remain quietly staring at her.

“So… yoga?” I say, scrubbing my eyes, willing my brain to function. We haven’t bitten each other’s heads off yet, so the conversation feels more adult than the past week or so since I met her. Although it’s early, so I’m sure her sass or sarcasm will come to the forefront at some point. I almost look forward to it.

“I try to have a daily practice each morning. That and meditation. It helps me to clear my mind and create some good energy for the day.”

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