This has to be a mistake. A tall bouquet of lavender roses takes up half the reception desk.

“Are you sure?” I ask Susan, the secretary, who will be retiring next month. I lean over and smell a bloom. Wowzers, they smell great. So sweet, almost fruity.

Susan raises an eyebrow. “Someone is getting a little Hammer time.” She giggles, and I wrinkle my nose. Hammer time?

No way will I even hint at my sex life while at work, so I school my features.

She waggles her eyebrows at me. “The courier said it was for Madeline McDermott. That would be you. And this wasn’t cheap. It’s Sunday. No one delivers on Sunday.”

I feign indifference and thank her for paging me before heading back to my cubicle.

The arrangement is heavy, and I have to wrap both arms around the glass vase. I’m a little afraid I’m going to trip in these heels and land in a swan dive.

When I’m back at my desk, all I can do is stare at the bouquet.

Daren did not just send two dozen roses to my job. He’d never. Would he? For something that’s casual?

A pang in my chest aches as I think about what that means.

I’ve been freaking out all morning over what I told him last night. It just poured out of me. The poor man probably didn’t know what to do with crazy Maddie and her big mouth. Because “casual” does not mean detailing how your dad died before you went into a tailspin. How it led you to change the whole direction of your life.

Of course Daren was sweet. He’s always sweet. He was freaking Prince Charming, consoling me while I sobbed all over him. Well, before I pounced on him in the shower. And then he became one of those guys in Sheri’s dirty books, which I’m thinking I need to start reading.

I bury my head in my hand, still not quite believing I threw myself at him like that. But my jaw still aches, a reminder of exactly how far I went. Jeez.

After unloading that story, I wanted to be close to him. It was like I was addicted to him, to how safe he made me feel.

And I am not the kind of girl who throws herself at men, but that’s what I did last night.

When I snuck out of his bed at four thirty this morning, he reached for me and told me he’d miss me, and I felt like a lightning bug, buzzing and alive with hunger for him.

But by the time I got to work, though, the excitement had worn off. Because men say all kinds of things in the middle of the night when a girl is naked.

My palm presses into my stomach to quell my nerves.

“Open the card, Maddie. Stop being a freak,” I whisper to myself.

The card, like the bouquet, is exquisite and written on a thick cream card stock. For the girl with the purple streak in her hair. I owe her a date. xo

“Damn, that’s kind of awesome,” Nicole says over my shoulder, making me jump.

“Jesus Christ, you scared me.” My heart bangs away under my palm where I clutch my chest.

Thank God Daren didn’t sign that card. Because, holy crap, he sent me flowers! That giddy feeling I’ve been fighting all day comes flooding back, and I can’t help the smile that lifts my lips.

Turning my back to Nicole so she can’t see my stupid grin, I take a deep breath and try to calm down. I’m not sure how much Nicole saw, and I don’t bother to ask when I tuck the card away and try to focus on my mile-long to-do list. But it’s hard.

Daren sent me flowers. A whole freaking field of flowers!

The teenage Maddie who secretly swooned over him during our first interview is doing a cartwheel and spirit fingers.

I shouldn’t be this excited. I need to have realistic expectations. He’s an NFL player for Christ’s sake. Calm down, Maddie.

And shit. I'm. At. Work. Part of me wants to die from happiness while the other half is considering hiding the bouquet behind the recycling bin.

“You’re really not going to tell me who they’re from?” Nicole huffs.

“Nope.”

My heart thunders in my chest. Please go away, Nicole. I really don't want her blabbing to the office.

Leaning forward to smell the bouquet again, she whisper-yells, “Is that a hickey?” as she points at me.

My hand rushes to cover my neck, and she busts out laughing.

“Nah, just kidding. But clearly you’re sexing up someone who could give you a hickey. And really, instead of that scowl on your face, you should be thanking me, because if I had gotten that gig interviewing him, maybe he’d be sending me roses right now.” Her eyebrows tilt up before she starts whistling the NFL theme.

She never says his name. She doesn’t need to. But the look in her eyes says it all.

My heart is beating fast and sweat builds on my neck. Damn it. I hope no one heard her comment. I’m so pissed that I fell for her dumb “look at that hickey” tactic, I’m not sure where to begin, but we’re interrupted when Brad clears his throat.

“Hey, Maddie.” His jaw is tight as he hovers in the doorway.

I return the greeting as I try to cool off, unsure why he’s shooting daggers at me with his eyes. Realizing I’m still clutching my throat, I lower my hand. “Hey, Brad. Did I forget to email you? I thought I submitted the paperwork you requested for the system upgrade.”

He scratches the back of his head and shakes his head. “No, I thought you might need… That you might want… Actually, never mind. You’re right. You turned everything in.”

Turning on his heel, he disappears around the partition.

Weird.

“Looks like your fanboy is jealous,” Nicole says, motioning toward my flowers.

I can’t help frowning. “What? No way. We don’t have that kind of relationship. We’re friends.” While he might have asked me out when I first started this job, from all of our interactions since then, I thought he’s been okay just being friends.

She shrugs. “Whatever. All I’m saying is he could give a shit about how many times my laptop freezes. He only ever asks you.”

Huh. “Well, we’ve chatted a few times, and we’ve had coffee once or twice on our lunch breaks. Maybe he’s just having a bad day.”

“Or maybe he’s lamenting the day little Maddie got herself a boyfriend.”

She swivels back to her desk, and butterflies take flight in my stomach. Boyfriend. Is that what Daren is?

I try all day to keep that smile to a minimum, but it’s parked on my face like a Broadway billboard.