Page 2 of Plucking His Daisy

I want to squirm with the way she’s looking at me, like she’s never seen me before. I don’t like it. I don’t like feeling this way—out of control and without an anchor.

I didn’t realize how much I was pinning on a future with Lorenzo. Now, I do and it’s not good.

I gasp and grab Hy’s shoulders, “You should do it with me.”

“No fucking way,” she shouts before jumping off my bed, pushing off some wedding magazines I’ve been looking through in the process. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She scoffs and waves her hand down her body. “Me? Auction myself off?”

I get up, the idea of my best friend being there with me making some of the fear I’ve been harboring, and trying to ignore about my little plan, disappear. “Yes, you,” I reiterate. “Of course you. You’d catch a pretty penny, I bet,” I tease her, but she does not look amused.

“Tazio would kill me,” she hisses.

“No more than Elio would do the same. If he ever found out.” I square my shoulders and raise my chin defiantly, my voice harboring steel, “Which is why he’ll never find out.”

Her voice drops to a whisper, “What if he does though?”

I shrug one shoulder and try to look casual even though the idea of Elio or any of my brothers finding out about my plan makes a chill go down my spine. If I think I’m caged now, what would they do if they found out? They’d probably ship me off to Siberia or something.

That would be worse than it is right now, but I can’t think about such things. I won’t. I won’t let fear or loving a man who will never want me hold me back. Not anymore.

I wave my hand dismissively. “He won’t find out and if it happens, hopefully, it’ll be after everything is said and done.”

She deadpans, “After you lose your virginity, you mean.”

“Exactly,” I chirp brightly. She does not look amused. Again. I sigh and level with my best friend. “Look, I have to do this. I need to do something, and this is the best I have at hand right now. I’m tired of being the sheltered little princess that everyone fawns over while also being untouchable. I have needs,” my voice goes embarrassingly whiney at the last bit, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

Hy considers me the same way she does when she’s trying to figure something out. I saw the same look on her face when we were trying to learn calculus. I don’t think I’m nearly that complicated, but what the hell do I know? I thought for sure Lorenzo was going to come for me, to claim me, but it hasn’t happened.

“It’s not about the money,” she narrows her eyes at me, “is it?”

I blink at her a few times, my mouth falling open before I’m overtaken by a fit of giggles. When she joins me, I know we’re going to be okay. I might not be a virgin anymore in a week, but I’ll always have my best friend at my side. It’s her job to try and talk me out of making stupid choices, after all.

This time, though, I don’t think it’s stupid. This feels like I’m taking control of my life when it’s been dictated by everyone else for far too long. I should have a say over my body. This way I don’t have to find out if someone is willing to stand up to my family to have me because I’m not allowing them into the equation.

The only thing that worries me is being bought by some octogenarian or something. That would be gross, but I hope it won’t happen. If I think about it too long, I’ll chicken out. This is a chance to do something to change the tide of my life and I’m going to take it.

The only fight I’ve ever run away from is Lorenzo and I’m doing it by putting myself up for auction. I’ll fight to the death for my family and those I love, but I’m not going to continue to pine for a man who clearly doesn’t want me or, if he does, is going to let Elio stand in his way.

That isn’t a man who deserves me.

Not even a little bit.

When we stop laughing, I can tell Hy is on my side. She might not agree with me, but she’s going to support me. That is why she’s the best friend a girl could have. I’m damn lucky to have her.

“So,” she sighs, “what are you going to wear?”

My eyes light up as I smile at her and we say at the same time, “Shopping trip!”

Yeah, this is all going to work out. Butterflies fill my tummy at the reality of what I’ve signed up to do. I ignore them because I’m resolved to doing this my way.

It’ll all work out. I’m not looking for forever, I’m just looking for one night, a way to get rid of my virginity and take the first step in putting my ridiculous crush on Lorenzo Vitale behind me.

CHAPTER 2

LORENZO

I swear I can smell the scent of Daisy surrounding me like a stormy spring afternoon. It’s fucking distracting as hell, and I can’t seem to shake it. I’ve tried to stuff my feelings, my damn need, for Daisy into a box at the bottom of my soul, but it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

I will take someone’s life with my bare hands without a second thought but admitting I want and need Daisy to be mine is like swallowing glass. I want to bind her to me, chain her up and never let her go. I want her to be my fuck toy, the love of my life, my wife, and the mother of my children all wrapped up in one little package.

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