Steel Hearts: Oopsie Daisy

She peeked another look at the big man beside her and then down at their joined hands. There was something comforting about him in general. His calm outward appearance, belying his ability to protect with his physicality and intelligence, made her feel safe even though she couldn't explain why she felt that way about him.

They pulled into an underground carpark, and with Mitch carrying her bag as well as his own, they escorted her upstairs to where she would be staying until she could get herself together enough in this new town to disappear into the crowd. Then, as if reading her mind, Mitch reached down and took her hand with his free one.

"You will be safe and wanted here. You look like you are planning your escape before you have even seen your room," Mitch murmured, bending down to ensure she heard him. "Give us a chance to prove you can trust us before running away from the only part of your father's family with whom you will get the chance to have a relationship."

The elevator doors opened, saving her from answering as she stumbled into what looked like a vast open-plan living area consisting of a lounge room, dining and kitchen area. Before she could fall, however, Mitch dropped the bags and reached out to steady her with a gentle hand. She followed Grace around the vast space, noting which room was Mitch's as well as Saxon and Grace and a mysterious third man, Beau, whom she hadn't met yet. She hadn't picked the detached seeming Saxon to be in an unconventional relationship, but it weirdly made sense. Because of that relationship, there was a spare room on this floor, so she was shown a room she would have to herself.

"Would you like some help to unpack?" Grace asked, noting the single bag Mitch placed on her bed and regretting her words.

"Thanks, but I got it," Daisy said quietly and looked around the austere room.

"You can redecorate with whatever theme you want. This is your home now if you want to stay," Grace added quietly. "It can be a little overwhelming at first, believe me, I know, so take your time. I'll be in the common room if you need anything."

"And Mitch," she looked toward the door he had gone through after depositing her bag on the bed.

"He will stay if you want him to," Grace said easily. "He would have only gone downstairs for a drink and checked in with the guys."

"Downstairs where you sing?" Daisy asked.

"Yeah, but I won't be singing tonight, and all of the guys will head up to meet you eventually, so it won't be a hardship for Mitch to stay here if you would like to have him around. He's comforting, like a big warm hug. I love him like a brother, not just him, but all the guys, and you will get to know them and realise they are all great guys.

"I don't want to stop him from doing what he normally would. He put his life on hold enough for me," she said while messing with her bag. "Do you mind if I have a quick shower before meeting anyone else? I only found out I had an uncle this morning, and now here I am. It's a lot," she admitted.

"Got it," Grace nodded. "At the risk of sounding pushy, you will find I bought you some clothes and stuff. It's all in the draws. Just jeans and T's mostly, because everyone wears that, but if it's not your thing we can go shopping and get you something you like. I just put the stuff I use in the bathroom, so you can just send it back to me if you don't like it. No hard feelings. I just wanted you to have everything you needed when you arrived. The guys aren't good at stuff like that. Or at least they weren't when I got here after some douche destroyed my home and everything I owned."

"Oh, gosh. I didn't know," Daisy put a hand over her mouth.

"How could you know we only just met," Grace laughed lightly. "All I am saying is you are welcome here, and if there is anything you need, all you have to do is ask. The guys are amazing and very protective of the people they care about, and... well... you are one of us now, so welcome to Steel Hearts," she stepped forward and hugged Daisy, unsure if the girl wanted that sort of closeness.

*****

"I'm going to shower and change," Mitch said after he had briefed Saxon on the events leading up to him arriving at the airport with Daisy. "She is not dumb, despite evidence to the contrary, so don't treat her as if she is," he warned his friend.

"Got it," Saxon grunted, eyeing one of his oldest friends as if seeing into his thoughts.

"Tell her where I am and to wait for me before going exploring," he said as he turned and walked to his room. He needed a cold shower. He'd been fantasising about Daisy for weeks, and he had spent the day being able to touch her and smell her, and if he wasn't bound by the fact that she was forbidden fruit, he might have lost his mind and tasted her too.

"Forbidden fruit," he groaned as he entered his bathroom. His friend's daughter. He was old enough to be her father if he had been as horny and uncaring as Knox had been back then. There were so many reasons why lusting after her was wrong, aside from the age gap, but his body wasn't listening to reason, and he couldn't have stood in that bedroom with her any longer than it had taken to place her bag on the bed. He'd been holding her hand for hours and fighting down the fantasy he had been indulging all week.

Stripping and stepping under the cool water of the shower, he closed his eyes and indulged his fantasy one last time, even though that was not a promise to himself he was sure he could keep. The image of Daisy climbing the metal steps into the private jet came to mind. He couldn't remember ever having watched her climb steps before, even though he had noticed the exquisite curve of her hips above a firm spankable ass.

The steps weren't overly high, nor the treads too deep for someone like him to notice on his own, but seeing Daisy take those steps made them seem that much higher and deeper. So much so that they made for an awkward pace and rhythm for someone as small of stature as Daisy. So instead, he watched her firm, round ass as he walked behind her. The depth of the steps made her shift her weight a bit more than usual, which caused her ass to swing slightly, emphasising her hips by making her turn her torso. Each time she shifted her weight, he imagined how she looked under the skirt that covered her curves but didn't quite conceal them from him altogether.

He didn't intend to be an old lecher like so many of the men she dealt with at the club each night. He didn't make a point of following her just to stare at her ass, but once he was behind her, it couldn't be helped. The stirring in his pants was noticeable only to him, or at least he hoped that was true. She hadn't been aware of him or that she had become an object of desire for him.

He had been watching her long enough to conclude she had one of the finest asses he had ever seen, but that was not the only mesmerising part of this young woman. She was delicately made. Her breasts were small, not calling attention to themselves. He liked small breasts and wondered if they were tipped with small pink areolae and tight nipples or were capped by wider, darker rounds and flatter ends. He never knew if she was cold or excited, he couldn't even tell in her club uniform. Those nipples would remain a tantalising mystery to him, for now, perhaps forever.

Her lovely ass, though, he could imagine more accurately. He'd seen her in jeans fitted snugly around her hips. Her slimness could have made her appear skinny, but her hips made her a convincingly desirable woman. A woman you could lift in your arms and carry away to make happy forever.

Her dark hair was thick and natural, hanging past her shoulders at the right length to wrap his hands in without hurting her too much. Speaking to her at the club, he managed to see her face and look into her eyes, albeit briefly. However, her eyes were dark, and she lowered them demurely when talking to the men at the club. Likewise, she dropped her eyes when she saw him at The Alliance clubhouse today, perhaps a submissive trait or just shyness. Or, just as likely, the gesture was to avoid men like him who seemed familiar from the club.

If that was what it was, her shyness attracted his attention, so he then made it a point to try and see her on other days when she left her home for something other than work. He was attracted to her physically without a doubt, but her shyness touched him deeply and brought out even more of his protectiveness. Now that he had seen them up close, her eyes were mesmerising, large deep pools of light golden brown that told of an innate strength tempered by uncertainty about who she was and her place in this world.

Each time he saw her, he lusted for her. He knew it was wrong. She was Knox's daughter. His childhood friend's child! Not only that but the niece of one of his best friends in the world now. As much as he tried to prevent the erotic thoughts that gave him such strong erections while he was watching her, it was when he was alone that he would replay the moments that had stayed in his mind and stroke himself to relieve that ache until the next day.

Now, however, she was here, in a room on the same floor, and she knew he was watching over her. It messed up his fantasy that she could be his one day. Now they had the results of her DNA; all he was left with was this. He looked down at his hand, gripping his cock, which was rock hard just from the thought of her perfect body.

Once again, he followed her in his mind's eye. He had liked being around her today, captivated by her quiet presence and self-effacing humour that showed not only in her smile, and her eyes. In his more noble moments, her competence and professionalism as she worked in the seedy strip club were what he recalled. He was finding it hard to find those noble thoughts now, though.

In these private moments, his imagination ran wild. He undressed Daisy and studied her porcelain skin, finally discovering the nature of her small breasts. He conjured an image of pretty pink nipples, then leaned forward to suck them lightly before moving his face along her flat belly to the thatch of brown hair he hoped to find trimmed and minimalised. He imagined he smelled her, could almost taste her, and it relaxed him, calming and arousing him simultaneously in that if she were with him, she would be safe from those who would take her from him. The girl had messed with his mind completely, and given the opportunity, he wasn't sure he could do the right thing and leave her alone.

In his fantasy, once he had licked and tasted her breasts and pussy, he turned her over onto her stomach to caress her fine, smooth ass. Dimples at the base of her spine only added to her cuteness and overall appeal. He imagined roaming his hands over her ass before lightly spanking her and imagining the delicious sound she would make. He rested his hand over the warm marks on her ass as he watched the fingers of his other hand race up along her imagined thighs to their wonderful intersection. Then he touched lightly along the cleft of her pussy lips, making her continue the delicious noises he knew she would make for him.

He traced the marks he left on her beautiful ass, teasing her in his mind. Then he spanked her harder, leaving a large red hand-print. It wasn't rare for him to fantasise about marking someone like that, but the idea of spanking Daisy elicited different feelings in him. He wanted to protect and keep her safe, making him want to dominate her world enough that she would depend on him and listen to his instructions. The thought of her as an obedient girl who trusted him to look after her had his cock leaking silvery drops of pre-cum as he imagined exploring her deeper.

In the fantasy, he pulled her hips up, still belly down, positioning her to better access her swollen pussy lips. She was wet and willing, though quiet, although it seemed that quiet calm was the norm for her. His fantasy version of Daisy spread her knees, leaving no doubt about her eagerness to be taken this way. Her breathing told him she wanted him along with her body and positioning.

He leaned forward, pressing his face once again between her thighs. She made soft whimpers this time when his tongue touched her sensitive clitoris. He drove his tongue in and out of her pussy with his nose pressed almost flat. Then dropping down to lick her clitoris with the flat of his tongue, he put as much pressure as possible against it. His face was buried in her, suffocated by her, intoxicated by her beauty, scent and smell.

As he stroked, he immersed himself in the images of his face buried in her softness. But then, he thought he heard her moan alongside his own when he came. She was fixed in his mind now because he had returned to his imagination, again and again, as he had followed her, but now, now she was here and real, and he knew the innocent touch of her hand when it held his, and he knew that would have to be enough for now.

He didn't let himself imagine fucking her or having her ride him as he might have on any other day. He'd left her alone in a house full of strangers who claimed to be her family long enough. He knew she was nervous, even if her façade of confidence would never let her show that anxiety. He cleaned himself one last time, breathing deeply and stepped from the shower hoping it was enough to take the edge off his lust and need for the young woman who was his family now. His desire seemed somehow incestuous now, though she was no blood relation to him.

When he made his way back out to the common room where Saxon and Grace had been joined by Beau as well as Daisy, he sought her out immediately and was greeted with a bigger smile than he had received before. The smile told of genuine pleasure at seeing him again and the relief that he would help her navigate this strange new world where she found herself. Crossing to where she sat, he took a place beside her.

"Did you find everything you need?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks. Saxon said that he and Knox didn't get on very well or spend much time together growing up. But, he said you would know Knox better than anyone else," she explained.

"That's fair," Mitch nodded. "The brothers were kept apart and pitted against each other by their father from a young age. Knox was happy that his brother was being kept out of most of the bad stuff their father was into," Mitch admitted.

"So Knox was into all that bad stuff too?" she asked, trying to get a clearer picture of her father than the one her mother gave her.

"Mostly as his father's heir, but yes, he was good at being a member of his father's operation," he said, downplaying how harsh and uncaring her father could be to those deemed below his station in life. "Knox and I were a couple of years older than Saxon and Beau, but we were at the same school when Knox died and set off the chain reaction that endangered all our lives."

"Wait, my father was at school? He was younger than my mother?" she asked, confused. Her mother had always made him seem larger than life in a tall, dark, handsome, heroic role. She wouldn't have thought he was younger than her and certainly not years younger.

"He always looked older than he was," Mitch said carefully, not knowing how old Sabrina had been when she fell pregnant.

"Sabrina was five years older than Knox. I looked into her story while you were verifying that Daisy Locke was the right woman," Saxon said. "Sabrina was promised to a man she didn't want to marry and thought giving her virginity away to Knox would make her parents call off the arrangement. She hadn't planned on getting pregnant and ran away after finding out. Or so we believe," Saxon said.

"She told her mother. She spoke to her whenever we got into a bind, and she would put money into Mum's account. I have the number mum used on her old phone, but I would never use it myself," Daisy admitted.

"We don't know if Sabrina managed to get hold of Knox to tell him or not before she disappeared. I have been trying to get an interview with your grandmother to find out exactly what happened to make your mother run, but I haven't been successful. Maybe now that you are here and we have proof of who you are, she will want to know you. Unfortunately, your grandfather is a prideful man and would never admit that the daughter he claims died many years ago could have had a baby of her own. He might also be making it difficult for your grandmother to respond to my requests," Saxon admitted.

"My mum always made Knox Steele sound like some epic heroic figure who had died trying to protect her and me from her crazy father," she said, frowning. "The man you describe is nothing like what my mother told me about him."

"Why don't we take a break and head downstairs for dinner in the restaurant so Daisy can look around at her new home?" Grace suggested into the silence following Daisy's quiet admission. "It's a lot to take in for me, let alone Daisy, who didn't even know she had family who knew her father well enough to care about her and want to help her. The guys should all be there soon to eat with us."

"I could eat. How about you?" Mitch asked, looking at Daisy as she shuttered her expression and straightened to answer him.

"Sure, that would be good. Should I change for the restaurant?" Daisy asked, indicating her jeans and comfortable shirt.

"I'm going to change my shirt, but jeans are fine," Grace said, talking about her clothes rather than criticising the shy young woman who looked even younger and smaller when sitting beside the big man, Mitch.

"I'll do the same," Daisy said, coming to her feet and hurrying to her room as her mind reeled from what she had learned.

*****

Daisy walked into the restaurant beside Mitch. There was something comforting about the man even though he had stalked her for weeks, if not months and scared her initially when he had shown up at her place. She believed him when he said he cared what happened to her, and for the first time in her life, she felt truly safe with a man around her. He may not be the tall, dark and handsome man her mother had dreamily told her about, but he was big solid and confident, which was more attractive to her. She slipped her hand into his as they walked. In this strange world she found herself in, Mitch had quickly become her touchstone, her place of safety.

Mitch had looked down at her as she held his hand but had only smiled softly and squeezed her hand reassuringly. He wished he could make her understand that there was no need to be nervous around his brothers. They would all protect her now, not just because she was a Steele by blood but because she was a good and decent human being who, just like them, had a rough start in life.

"The three guys we're meeting for dinner also have rooms on our floor, so you'll run into them occasionally. They are part of our inner circle, and the circle protects each other before anyone or anything else," he stated.

"Okay," Daisy nodded and stumbled over nothing but air as she craned her neck to look up at Mitch as he spoke again.

"Oopsie Daisy," he chuckled.

"That's how I got my new name," she explained. "I'm so accident-prone my mother had no choice but to start calling me Daisy," she grimaced, but her mouth turned up, showing she wasn't upset by the comment. "She always carried a small first aid kit in her purse. So I guess I should start doing that now. Or at least once I get a purse to carry it around in," she laughed sadly. "I always thought purses for old ladies and mothers who needed a purse to carry all their must-have rubbish in, but I have often thought I needed one without Mum."

"We can pick one up when we go shopping tomorrow," Grace said from the other side of Daisy, where she had been walking ahead of Beau and Saxon.

"Shopping tomorrow?" Mitch raised an eyebrow.