C H A P T E R T W O
Rose
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I hate these days. And love them more than I love my stupid, ugly cat, Alfredo.
His full name is Creamy Alfredo Sauce because he’s the color of the perfect, delicious sauce. My favorite food in the entire world. When I make it that is. See I can’t eat food if I don’t see it being prepared but that’s neither here nor there right now.
Can you love and hate something with equal measure?
Yes. Yes, you can.
Last night I lay there in bed, on the verge of tears, knowing today he would walk into my shop. He’s nothing if not a creature of habit. Every thirteen days.
I barely ate my breakfast. Organic sprouted grain flakes and hemp milk. I know, right? Who would want to eat that? But it’s what I eat, every morning at 5:45 am. I’m a creature of habit as well, apparently.
Others would call it something else but my issues are just that. Mine. And they always will be.
So here we are now staring each other down across the counter at my floral shop. My usual reaction is to lose my stomach or run into the back room.
Tanner Valentine the hunky lumber-rose-grower that’s been the source of too many of my fantasies the last few months. Kandi is leaning over the counter, showing off her goods, and I’m standing here like a mute with acute social phobia as usual, because his presence turns off my already limited vocal abilities.
And just look at him.
Tanner Valentine.
Oh my God. Just him.
He’s standing there like a human sex toy, making my panties soaking wet while little moaning sounds catch in my throat.
“Rose.” He says and I swallow the drool gathering under my tongue.
Today his demeanor is different. He’s different.
Yes, the flannel is there. As well as the beard that nearly makes me orgasm just from the sight. The eyes the color of gunmetal and sapphires. All there.
But he’s different. The usual intensity is ramped up to eleven. He’s staring at me relentlessly, holding that vase of roses after he pulled them away from Kandi, sidestepping around the counter to come behind and closer to me.
“I’ll take you to dinner. I need to go over this paperwork and you need to eat. It’s Valentine’s Day and I know you’ve probably been working non-stop for days.”
“Not really.” I respond, maybe a little too quickly. “It’s a small town,” I offer, shifting my weight to the other foot and biting my bottom lip to stop it quivering. “All the orders are done. I’m fine.”
It’s the most I’ve ever said to him. Kandi spins on a heel and clears her throat. Unconsciously I’m shaking my head, turning down the offer before I’ve even thought about it, and Kandi pounces at the opportunity.
“I’ll go to dinner.” She juts out a hip and tosses her blue-black hair over her shoulder. “Rose doesn’t eat out. But I do. She has food issues.” She adds the last little bit on a snarky whisper and I want to disappear.
She’s right. I don’t eat out. It’s so bad, it’s to the point I’ve been thrown into full blown panic attack and passed out at restaurants trying to force myself to consume the food there.
But I hate her for telling him that. For spoiling this. Even though I’m turning him down I hate that she’s right here to squash the moment.
He gives her a glance that chills the room, then his eyes are back on me.
“You want the roses, though, don’t you?” His voice chases away the chill and sends heat racing between my legs.
I nod. There’s no thinking going on, I’m running on adrenaline and instinct.
“Good. I’ve got the paperwork in my truck.” He hands me the vase and I’m shocked when my hands reach out to take it from him. I swallow hard as he spins on his boot heel and heads toward the shop door. “I’ll be right back.” Before he’s out the door he turns and gives me a look that has my ovaries surrendering. “You do have an office, don’t you?”
He glances toward the doorway to the back of the shop. My voice is still locked up somewhere so all I can do is nod.
“Good. We can talk in your office then. Back there, right?”
He tips his head to the doorway and without my response he’s out the front door of the shop leaving me standing there holding nearly two thousand dollars’ worth of the most expensive, rare, and beautiful, roses in the world.
“Well. That was rude.” Kandi crosses her arms over her medically enhanced breasts. “Did you see how he completely ignored me? I mean, I said I’d go to dinner with him. Can you believe he—”
“Shut up.” I’m as shocked as she is that I just said that, but damn it. She’s not ruining this for me. “You can go home.”
“What?” She screws up her face and rolls her eyes again.
“I said you can go. You’re off in an hour anyway. Just leave.”
“Maybe I don’t wanna—”
“Go!” I’ve never been this rude to anyone in my life. But I feel a shift in the universe. Something's about to happen and for once in my life I’d like to actually show up for whatever it may be.
“Fine.” Kandi huffs. “I’m leaving.”
With that she’s in the backroom and I hear her mumbling as she grabs her purse and then the squeak and slam of the rear door.
When Tanner gets back I’m still frozen, holding the vase and wondering if he’s allergic to cats.
“You can set those down.” He smiles and retrieves the vase from my hands. It’s probably best, because I’m not entirely sure I wasn’t about to drop it and watch it shatter at my feet.
He’s even more amazing up close. God, I can smell him. Like a walk in the woods with a hint of man musk.
“Office?”
Like a fool, I point toward the back room, my feet still solidly pinned to the floor.
“You coming with me?” I watch his lips move under the deep brown facial hair. They are fighting a smile but even though I know it’s at my expense it’s sweet. He’s sweet. And the tension between us is about to buckle my knees.
With a hard swallow I manage to send the necessary impulses from my brain to my musculoskeletal system and my legs move. I brush him as I step past, sending my nipples clenching, and things are going on between my legs that I’m sure only happen in the most tawdry of affairs.
“Follow me.” I manage to mutter and I swear when I do, I hear him groan.