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“Oh my gods, Blake! No. I love flowers! And I enjoy plants of all kinds. If I was home more often, I’d have potted plants all over the apartment. But with my schedule the way it is, the poor things would never get watered.”
Blake nods. “The only reason I have any plants at home is because the cleaning service waters them for me.”
I pull on a form-fitting black T-shirt, the cutest black and white plaid, pleated miniskirt, and snatch up my Classic Doc Martens. “Well, we’re going to the conservatory. I really want to see it.” While his eyes are still closed, I pull on a pair of soft, lacy boy short briefs to tease him with later. “And we’re going to have a fabulous time. Oh, and you can look now. I’m dressed.”
His eyes shine with amusement but also appreciation as he takes in my outfit. “Alright then.”
Fifteen minutes and a dozen kisses later, I’ve pulled on socks, laced up my Docs, fixed my hair, added a bit of light makeup, and accessorized with my chunky, silver link choker and matching earrings. After a touch of lip gloss, I turn around and strike a pose. “Ready.”
Blake looks away from my book collection, and his eyes darken, making me warm all over. When he reaches for me, I give him my hand and he pulls me close. “Stef.” With careful precision, he places a kiss on my lips so he doesn’t smudge my gloss—which I appreciate and vow to thank him for later—then sits on the edge of the bed, pulling me with him so I’m standing between his thighs. “You sure you want to go right now?” His gaze tells me exactly what he’d rather do. “You look so good, sweetheart.” It’s a wonder how we keep our hands off each other. With one glance, Blake makes my insides feel like liquid chocolate.
“I lookfabulous, darling.” I run my fingers through his hair, tugging gently.
Blake’s warm laugh fills the room. “I stand corrected.”
“Technically, you’re sitting, but I’ll accept the capitulation.”
Blake’s grin is almost feral as his hands move down my thighs, slipping under my skirt. I smirk when his palms reach my lace-covered butt, and his pupils flare. His fingertips drift over the soft fabric. “Stef.” His voice is wrecked and my resolve waivers. Icouldhappily spend the rest of the day in my bed with him…
But no. We have a botanical garden to see. I bop him gently on the nose and step back a few paces, his hands caressing me temptingly. Grabbing one of them, I tug him to his feet. “That’s for later, if you’re a good boy.”
“What defines being good?”
There’s a petulance to his voice, and I laugh. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
After a few more kissing delays, we finally leave my apartment and climb into Blake’s SUV for the five-minute drive to the botanical garden. When we pull into the parking lot, I gasp in delight. The single-story, iron and glass building is beautiful. “How have I never been here before?” Eagerly hopping out of the vehicle, I grab Blake’s hand and tug him toward the entrance. “This is lovely!”
“Just wait until you see inside. I hope you like it.”
“Blake, I’m spending time with you, so of course I will. But I already love it.” I gesture at the building like a game show hostess. “Lookat this place!”
Grinning, he takes my hand, and we walk along the flower-lined sidewalk to the entrance. Once inside, my eyes are drawn upward to the high glass ceiling and luscious green trees that almost reach the panes. “Oh, this is wonderful.” According to the plaque near the door, this is the Palm Room. It’s overflowing with an incredible variety of plants, and I’m beginning to see why Blake loves it here. I wander slowly through the large main room while Blake pays for our tickets at the self-serve kiosk, my attention on the natural beauty surrounding us. I don’t notice him approach and make a small squeak when he slips his arm around me. “Oh, crap! You surprised me. I didn’t hear you come up.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Are you ready?” He kisses the side of my head and I lean into him.
“Which way? Left or right?”
He considers for a moment, glancing both ways. “Well, I think you’ll like the Seasonal House best, and that’s to the right, so the question is, do we do that first or go to the left?” Blake nods, dropping his arm from my waist and lacing our fingers together as he takes my hand.
I give his fingers a gentle squeeze. “Let’s save the best for the end.” We wander through the Palm Room, past banana plants and towering trees, to the Fern House. It’s lush and green, and even with the overcast skies, the room feels bright and vibrant. I pull Blake to a stop and inhale deeply, closing my eyes and slowly exhaling. “Oh my gods, I feel like I can breathe in here.” Even with other people wandering through the room, the space has a peaceful vibe. “It’s giving calm energy.”
“That’s exactly why I love it here. That deep sense of peace.” I open my eyes and glance at Blake. His expression is relaxed, his shoulders down and back. “Too bad I can’t recreate this at work.” As if on cue, his phone buzzes. He pulls it out of his pocket and frowns, swiping into the text. His jaw tightens as he turns off his phone and shoves it into his pocket.
“Something wrong?”
“Not anything I want to deal with right now. Remember that author I told you about? The one who doesn’t really fit with our company culture.” I nod. “He’s been contacting me directly with questions, pushing for more concessions.”
I take Blake’s hand and squeeze, hoping it helps in some way. “If he doesn’t fit, why not let him go?”
Blake sighs and rubs his neck. “I have this pet project I want to get off the ground. A division of my company devoted to supporting lesser known authors from Seattle. It’s been a dream of mine for years, and signing this big author to Hibernian Press would afford me the financial wiggle room to fund the new division and allow the lesser-known authors time to build their brands.”
That sounds so like Blake. “And without that big author, you couldn’t do it?”
“It would take me a few more years to gather the funds, and I wouldn’t be able to bring on as many new authors as I hoped.” He brings my hand to his lips and kisses it. “Enough work talk. We’re here to enjoy the day.”
A small burst of pride fills my chest, and I lean in and kiss him. “I’m proud of you. That’s a big step.”
His cheeks pink, but he smiles. “C’mon. Let’s look around.”
