He didn’t put her down until they were inside his part of the house. Daisy was put onto the sofa where they’d touched each other the previous night.
She blushed thinking about what they’d done.
****
William could throttle her. Did she have any idea how dangerous it was walking about? He didn’t care that it was Cape Falls. He’d never been so scared before in his life. Her feet were a mess from the shoes she wore. Why did women wear shoes that only appeared to hurt their feet? It was beyond his comprehension.
He rinsed out a warm damp cloth and took it into the sitting room. Her feet looked painful. William placed the cloth over her feet and then sat down with her feet in his lap.
“You scared me, Daisy. I’m sorry if my reaction scared you.”
“That’s okay. I put it down to another part of your control. You’re worried about me. I like it,” she said with an endearing smile.
“You have no idea.” He stared at her for several moments then turned his attention to her feet. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes, told off, but I’m fine.”
“Did you get chance to look over the contract?” he asked.
She nodded. “It’s in my bag. The bag you put in the car.”
“I’ll go and get it.” He got up, went to the car, grabbed her bags then moved back to the chair. She pulled out the contract then handed it to him.
William began to check the items she’d ticked. He stroked her leg as he read through the contract.
“David and Paul invited me to lunch today,” she said.
He looked up and saw her biting her lip. “Did you go?”
“No, I told them I was too busy. I know they only asked because of Anna, their wife. She came to see me as well.”
He watched her shift on the sofa. “What are you afraid of?”
“Afraid? I’m not. I mean, I don’t know,” she said, tears filling her eyes. William put the contract down on his lap, turned on the sofa and stared at her.
“Tell me, Daisy.”
“My whole life, I’ve been one huge disappointment. My mother had me and didn’t want me. I’ve never known my father, and I’ve found out I have two brothers. I don’t want them to feel obliged to want to know me, William. I want them to want to know me, for me.”
And there was the vulnerability he’d seen from the first moment he’d ever laid eyes on her. The Daisy he knew that no one else did.
This was the other side of the coin. The second face she didn’t show anyone else.
“Maybe you need to be the one to make it work. Show them that you don’t want anything else other than their company.”
“I don’t know. I think it is easier to let sleeping dogs lie. If you know what I mean.”
I know what you mean,” he said.
“Can we talk about something else?” she asked, wiping her cheeks.
“Sure. I noticed you put a question mark against ménage and sharing. I wondered why.” William picked up her contract. He was pleased with several of the points she’d ticked and crossed.
“I’ve never done it with one man, let alone two.”
“Then that is something I’m going to have to introduce you to.”
“Who's Edward Banner?” she asked.