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“Thelma ran out, but she’s preparing some, and I’ll pick it up at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning and bring it to you. Is that okay?”
Her mind whirred as it worked on the logistics.
“Perfect. Thank you, Jennifer.” She nodded at the two of them, noticed more Bloomers arriving on foot carrying dishes in their hands, and nodded again.
She then straightened her dress and soothed her hair.
This was not the outfit she was supposed to have worn for their arrival. She had a pleated black ankle-length skirt, paired with a white chiffon sleeveless blouse over which she would have draped a light blazer-style jacket.
It was her most formal outfit, and she saved it for special occasions. The rest of the time, she wore easy summer dresses and high heels, which were a secret obsessive passion of hers. One she overindulged in without any guilt attached whenever she went into the city.
“Here goes nothing,” she murmured to herself.
“Gentleman,” she said, entering her lounge again. She was happy to hear her voice, which sounded strong and confident to her own ears. Even as they turned to look at her with a gaze, they seared her right through her skin.
She was also happy to add that her body only just half reacted to them. She wasn’t in the business of lying to herself, but on this, where they were concerned and her nipples and her clit were concerned, she was more than eager to bend the rules.
How could they be so tall, so clearly muscular, and yet command the space with a grace that was both beautiful and lethal?
“Please allow me to apologize once more. The day seemed to have gotten away from us, but we’re all back on track again. Allow me to also tell you how honored we are to have you here in our little haven, where everyone has a smile and a hug ready. That’s Bloomings Tide’s personal policy. We have a lovely outdoor casual dinner planned to welcome you to our little town. You get to meet my residents and try out their signature dishes. I can tell you one thing: each dish is prepared so lovingly that your palate will fall in love with all our special flavors.”
She was overselling their culinary skills. At the very least, they were wholesome, but not enough to see them win awards.
“Our very own Mrs. Jettbridge makes the most tantalizing corn pudding, and Rebecca Downly’s fudge is to die for.”
“Have you called your doctor yet?” Chance asked her, throwing her off course as he lifted her chin up with his index finger and analyzed her face.
“No. I’ll be—” She stopped breathing when Isaac closed the distance between them and boldly reached into the pocket of her dress. Her phone had been vibrating nonstop in her pocket, but the only way Isaac could have known it was in her pocket was because it lit up through the thinness of her dress every time, she got a notification.
But his touch and his nearness made the pulse in her throat start bleating wildly.
“Password,” he ordered her, and she would never know why she just gave it to him without putting up a fight.
“One. Two. Three. Four. Five.” She was a genius when it came to protecting her privacy. But then again, what privacy? She was the mayor of a small town; if she sneezed, everyone knew.
“Honestly, it’s not even necessary. I’ll be right as rain by—”
After Isaac unlocked her phone, he tossed it to Trey, who immediately skimmed her contacts. She couldn’t understand the thrill soaring down her back at the intimacy of what was going on. She was possibly, also losing her mind.
“This is Trey Marshall. Send Dr. Paulson to the mayor’s house immediately. It’s an emergency.”
“It’s not an—” But all she heard was Cherry, Dr. Paulson’s nurse, pause for a little bit, then leap into action when clearly his name registered in her head. After hours, all the doctor’s calls were taken by Cherry.
“I will let Dr. Paulson know of the emergency immediately, Mr. Marshall.”
Trey disconnected the call and then handed her back the phone.
She was still trying to understand what had really happened. No one bossed her around like that. And yet they just … they just took control as if they owned her. They had no idea how much their actions rattled her. She didn’t know how to respond, and that was her worst fear—not having an answer, solution, or appropriate reaction.
Still reeling from the event, she managed to truncate her thoughts on the subject when the sound of Debra Cole’s high-pitched voice carried from the front entrance into her living room. Everyone was supposed to come around the back, but, of course, not Debra Cole.
“This way, please. I think we’re ready for—”
Somehow the thought of Debra Cole made her face throb more, and she had no idea why.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t fast enough to lead them outside before Debra came upon them, and Kalista had a bizarre need to spin Debra around and send her back home.
While Celeste was an ethereal angel, Debra was sex on legs, literally. She was the tallest female Bloomer in town, and all that was leg.
