Chapter Ten
LIZZIE DRIFTED THROUGH Monday morning feeling like her whole world had changed. When Blue had shown up at her house to work on the renovations, he’d swept her into his arms, and it had taken all of her focus not to throw caution to the wind and stay home with him instead of rushing off to the shop. But her supplier was due to bring fresh flowers, and Blue had enough on his plate between her kitchen renovations and working on his own place. He didn’t need her slowing him down, no matter how enjoyable it would be.
“Knock, knock.” Sky breezed through the door wearing a short dress, knit stockings, and knee-high go-go boots and carrying a to-go cup in each hand. “I brought liquid energy.”
“You’re a goddess.” Lizzie sipped the delicious coffee as she moved through the shop putting together displays and primping flowers.
“So? I texted and left messages and you totally ignored me.” Sky pushed herself up and sat on the counter, watching Lizzie whip around the shop. “Either you’ve turned antisocial or you were with Mr. Blue Eyes, and from that freshly loved glow you’re sporting, I’m thinking it’s the latter.”
Lizzie set her coffee down on the counter beside Sky and stared at the colorful bouquet in front of her, sighing dreamily.
“Sky, he’s so…” She sighed again, because words to describe Blue were not coming easily. She felt so much for him, so fast, and everything about him was in high focus. If she closed her eyes, she could see his, full of wicked sensuality and something far deeper. Knowing Sky was still waiting for her to finish her thoughts, she finally said, “He’s everything. Hot, sexy, sweet-but-all-male.”
“I know he is. I told you!” She kicked her feet excitedly. “So. Did you two…?”
“Did we ever.” Lizzie felt her cheeks flush, and when Sky jumped from the counter and barreled into her, hugging her so tightly she could barely breathe, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m so happy. Two of my best friends, together. What the heck took you so long?” She pushed her long dark hair over her shoulder and hugged Lizzie again. “So, you guys are a couple now, right? Like, not dating other people?”
“We didn’t talk about it, but yeah, I think so.” She looked at her friend and wanted desperately to confide in her about her webcast and see if she had any idea how Blue might react. She knew that if they were going to be together, she needed to tell him about it. He was so good, so honest and trusting, but as much as she wanted to tell him, she also didn’t want to lose him over it.
“What’s that look?” Sky asked. “Your smile faded.”
“I…um…” Just thinking about telling Sky that she pranced around in nearly nothing for money made her feel cheap and ashamed. She couldn’t do it. Not yet, anyway. Right now she wanted to revel in what had been swelling in her heart for two days.
“We’ve only gone on two dates, and I feel like we’ve been dating forever. I’m so comfortable around him. That’s weird, right? That it’s so fast?” She walked to the back of the shop to keep herself distracted from what she wasn’t sharing with her friend and filled a watering can. Sky followed on her heels.
“That’s not weird. When I met Sawyer I felt like I’d known him forever by the end of our first date, and you’ve known Blue for a year. How does he feel?”
Lizzie watered a peace lily, remembering the look in his eyes when he’d told her he was falling for her, and later, when his eyes had heated even more and he’d said that everything in his life had led up to the moment when they’d made love. A shiver tickled up her spine with the memory.
“He said he’s falling for me,” she admitted.
“I knew it. I should be a fortune-teller.” Sky smiled and Lizzie laughed. “What? I knew you guys were perfect for each other. I never understood why he wasn’t asking you out for all those months.”
Oh no. That was something else she’d kept from Sky. She felt like such a heel. At least this she could come clean about without feeling cheap or risking her parents finding out about the Naked Baker. “Sky, he was asking me out. The first time he asked me out was right after your friends’ wedding, but I said no.”
“What?” Her jaw hung open and her eyes narrowed. “You never told me that.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry. But I didn’t want you to pressure me. You know how crazy my life is, between the flower shop and—”
“Busy or not, you should have told me. Oh my gosh, Lizzie. I gave him such a hard time all year long for not asking you out.” Sky crossed her arms angrily. “How could you keep me in the dark like that?”
The hurt in her eyes seared straight to Lizzie’s heart.
“I’m sorry. I really am. I just wasn’t ready to say yes, and if you were pressuring me and telling me how wonderful he is all the time, I would have caved.” She reached for Sky’s hand, feeling her friend’s resistance and wishing she’d told her sooner. “Now that I’ve gone out with him, I wish I had accepted his offer sooner. I’m so sorry, Sky. I only kept it from you out of self-preservation.” Guilt settled heavily around her shoulders. If Sky reacted this way to not being told about being asked out by Blue, how would she react to the Naked Baker? How would Blue?
“Self-preservation?” Sky rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Am I that pushy?”
“No.” She smiled. “Maybe.”
Sky shook her head. “Well, if I am, it’s only because I knew you’d be good together. I guess I’m just glad that you’re together now. What else haven’t you told me?”
“Nothing.” Lizzie closed her eyes for a moment, fully expecting to be struck by lightning in the next ten seconds.
“Okay, but you owe me a drink. Want to catch open mic night at the Governor Bradford?” Governor Bradford was a restaurant and bar in town.
She needed to film her show tonight, and she wanted to spend time with Blue before that, although she didn’t know his plans for the evening.
“I really want to see Blue before working through my inventory tonight.” Inventory. Not only would she be struck by lightning, but her nose was probably growing, too.
“Don’t you ever get tired of being the good girl and doing everything on a schedule, checking off your to-do list without fail?” Sky asked.
Yes, only every day of my life. “It makes life easier”—and views to my webcast higher, which means higher profits—“if I follow a schedule.”
Sky looked around the shop. “Well, you do earn a boatload of money, so you’re doing things right. That’s for sure.”
Or very wrong.
“How’re your kitchen renovations coming along? Oh! I just realized how often Blue’s at your house. That’s convenient.”
Except when I’m filming. “Yeah, very. He’s doing an amazing job. The kitchen is already stunning.”
“We knew he would. He’s so talented. I need to get back to the shop—Cree’s watching it for me—but I’m so happy for you guys.” Cree was a waitress at Governor Bradford, and Sky had done several tattoos for her. “She wants me to teach her how to do tattoos.”
“That sounds like fun.” Sky hugged her again and waved on her way out of the shop, and Lizzie’s mind traveled back to Blue.
She didn’t have much time to linger on thoughts of Blue, as a steady stream of customers kept her busy throughout the afternoon. By the end of the day, her feet were killing her. She groaned at the thought of shoving them into a pair of heels for her webcast, when all she really wanted to do was curl up with Blue and have him kiss the long day away. He’d called her twice when she was with customers, and as she gathered the flowers that hadn’t sold and would soon wilt, she finally returned his call.
“How’s my favorite girl?” His voice sent a river of heat through her.
“Missing you. Still flying around, getting ready to take flowers over to the firehouse.”
“Lucky firemen,” Blue teased.
“How about you?” How had he become so important to her so quickly? Just hearing his voice rejuvenated her. “Are you sick of being in my kitchen yet?”
“Never. But I’m sick of being without you. Can I take you to dinner?”
She glanced at the clock. By the time she closed up and dropped off the flowers, it would be nearly eight o’clock. She hadn’t had time to prepare for filming tonight’s webcast, but she desperately wanted to spend time with Blue.
“I would love that. I’d offer to cook for you, but this hot guy has my kitchen torn apart.”
“Why don’t we cook together at my place? Or we could go down to the pier and grab something at Mac’s if you’d rather.”
Being alone with Blue was just what she needed. “Dinner at your place sounds perfect. What can I bring?”
“Just you, babe. I’ll grab what we need on the way home.”
Lizzie swallowed past the guilt that clogged her throat. She needed to tell him about the webcast. Tonight, she promised herself. Tonight she’d tell him.
BLUE LIT CANDLES and set them in the center of the table, turned on the stereo, and as Lizzie came up the front walk, he went outside to greet her. He’d just seen her twelve hours earlier, and still his pulse ratcheted up at the sight of her in a miniskirt and strappy sandals. He drank in her smile and the sultry look in her eyes. He was one lucky guy.
He gathered her in his arms and touched his lips to hers, intending to give her a tender welcome, but tender went out the door when her luscious curves melted against him and she kissed him back with fervor. How would he ever make it through dinner when every time he was near her he wanted to devour her? Desire radiated from her body, her eyes, her breath, and he knew she was on the same page. Was all this passion, all this desire, just the culmination of a year’s worth of wanting, or was this something bigger? Something even more powerful? Something that made him want to sweep her off her feet and make her his forever?
“I missed you,” he said against her lips before capturing her mouth in another kiss.
“Me too.” She ran her hand up his back and pressed on his shoulder blades, holding him as close as she was able. “It was so hard to walk out of my house this morning knowing you were staying.”
“It was even harder for me to let you go.”
They walked inside, kissing every few steps. At the sight of the candlelight dinner, Lizzie’s eyes widened, and her smile followed.
“You did all of this? For me?”
She turned to him, and he couldn’t resist gathering her close again. Their mouths met in a spark of fiery kisses. He lifted her in his arms, and her skirt slid up her thighs as her legs circled his waist.
“Do you want to eat?” he said breathlessly.
“Dessert first,” she said as she lowered her mouth to his neck, sucking hard enough to blur his thoughts.
He pressed her back against the door. “You feel like heaven.”
His teeth grazed over her jaw, and she let out a sexy little sound that drove him wild.
“I love the sounds you make.” Her head tipped back, giving him better access to her neck, which he licked and kissed, making her squirm with desire. Her fingernails dug into his back as he pressed against her.
He buried his tongue in her mouth, probing, taking, starving for more of her. Knowing she was craving him as much as he craved her, shredded any chance at staving off his desires.
“Damn, Lizzie. I can’t wait. I need to be with you.”
“Yes,” she said in a heated long breath.
He turned off the stove, blew out the candles, and in a few determined steps they were in his bedroom. He set her feet on the floor and she reached for her skirt.
He set his hand over hers. “Let me.”
He cupped her cheeks, kissing her with all the love in his heart and all the emotions that had been mounting for so long.
“You own me, Lizzie. Heart, body, and soul.”