Page 67 of Almost Always

“Now is a good time to start practicing some of that restraint.”

He sighed and reached for her, but she moved out of his grasp, grinning as she backed away. He watched her go and once she turned the corner, closed his eyes and tapped into his resource of willpower and hoped like hell that he’d be able to keep it together for the rest of the day.

Thirty minutes and a whole lot of resisting her later, they piled into his car. Boots was stretched out in the backseat with Cal beside him. Daisy was in the passenger seat, poking and twisting every button and knob.

“Where are we headed?” he asked, squeezing her thigh so she would stop fidgeting.

She covered his hand with hers and grinned. “Home.”

It took them about fifteen minutes before they turned into a small driveway that led to a compact, but gorgeous green house. She hopped out and opened the back door for his son and dog, while he stood in the small garden in front to admire the home. White flowering vines crawled up the sides and over the roof, looking incredible against the dark green of the exterior. The windows and doors were also trimmed in white. The small pathway on the side seemed to lead to a bigger garden, but when she unlocked the front door, that was where his attention shifted.

“Welcome to my home,” she announced.

He walked inside and paused, taking in all of the gorgeous detail. It looked much smaller from the outside, but the open plan made everything seem brighter and more spacious. A largecouch and coffee table were on his right, dining and kitchen straight ahead. French doors off the kitchen led into the back garden and he even caught sight of a small greenhouse. Stairs on the side led up to a loft space and big windows and skylights brought in so much natural light that the whole place was lit up beautifully.

“This is incredible, Hero.”

“My second big investment.”

Cal came charging in seconds later. “You have a greenhouse! And your garden is so pretty, but Boots pooped.”

Sighing, Rafferty handed him the keys to the car. “Bags are in the trunk.”

Then he was off again and she laughed. “I’m going to change and then we can go, okay?”

“Do I get to watch?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re already failing the challenge, hotshot.”

“I’m trying, but you’re impossible to resist.”

Gesturing to the couch, she smiled. “Sit and be patient. I’ll be back.”

He sat down as she went upstairs, the minute she was out of sight, he was on his feet again. He wandered through the space, peered into her bathroom and saw a large tub, watched Cal and Boots in the garden and rummaged around in her fridge. He’d never even considered a tiny home as a residence before. He’d always been fascinated by the concept, but with a kid it seemed impossible. Now with a large dog, it was definitely never going to happen. He loved that every inch of the space was personalized and had elements of Daisy.

“All right, let’s go!”

He turned and froze. He’d seen so many different versions of her since their reunion, but this was by far the most startling. In a good way, of course. Baggy black pants sat low on her hips,pushed even lower by the hands shoved into her pockets. A white T-shirt fell just above the waistband, flashing a little bit of her underwear, which he was surprised to see had a sensible thick band, unlike the pink lace she’d been wearing the night before. Her hair was loose and spilling down her shoulders. On her head, she was wearing his faded mustard cap. While they’d been missing the day before, her collection of necklaces were back. She wasn’t wearing a lick of makeup and yet her eyes sparkled and the gloss on her lips made his mouth water.

“I can’t promise that I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“Seriously, in this outfit?”

“I don’t know what it is, butdamn.”

She laughed and twirled, making him clench his hands so he wouldn’t grab her. She was right, it wasn’t the sexiest or most revealing outfit but it was the one that altered his brain chemistry. What she might not remember was that these clothes were reminiscent of the first time he’d realized he had feelings for her—casual chic, she called it back then. Comfortable, but still fashionable.

Honestly, Daisy could wear a paper bag and he’d be completely blown away by her.

CHAPTER 21

She might have challenged him to keep his hands to himself, but the truth was she was the one struggling. From the minute she’d seen him that morning, all Daisy wanted to do was climb Rafferty. Given that she knew what it felt like to be in his arms, to have those hands on her ass and that mouth pressed against hers, she was constantly seconds away from saying ‘fuck it’.

Sure, they weren’t hiding their relationship from Callahan, but grabbing his father because she was horny was definitely not the right way to approach the situation. It also didn’t help that she liked the way it felt to be looked at by Rafferty. It was never just simple appreciation; longing, love, lust and desire were evident in those golden eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that her expression reflected the same thing. They didn’t need to say the words, because it wasobvious.

Once Cal had picked up the poop in her garden, she showed them her greenhouse and Rafferty almost copped a feel. She loved that he was following instructions, because if he even gave an inch, she was most definitely going to take a mile. She knew they still had so much to figure out about their relationship—like where it was going, what this meant for the future andeverything in between—but she was also looking forward to being with him.

With hands washed and house locked up, they were back in the car, heading to the flower shop. While she could take the day off and spend it with the Ames men, she didn’t want to take her staff for granted. Besides, she owed Cal a visit. Last night, while their colorful nails were drying, he’d thanked her for the flowers and thenpolitelyreminded her that he hadn’t seen her shop yet. Who was she to deny the kid a visit to her second home? He kept up a steady stream of conversation in the backseat, while Rafferty’s hand stayed on her thigh, squeezing every so often.

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