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I grin at her, unable to deny it. “The worst,” I whisper back, before leaning in to kiss her slowly, tenderly. She sighs when I pull away, the longing in her eyes mirroring my own. “Just tell me you’ll go on a date with me. We don’t have to overthink it, Celestial. Just give me one chance to show you what it could be like between us.”
“Just one?”
I nod. “Just one.”
ChapterTwelve
Celeste
I look up in surprise when a man wearing the ugliest yellow suit walks into my office, holding a potted plant and what appears to be a shoebox. “Ms. Harrison,” he says, smiling. “I’ve got a delivery for you.”
My eyes run down his suit, and I frown. It’s yellow with tiny pink stars all over it, and my first thought iswhy? Who designed this, and who in their right mind would actually wear it? I clear my throat awkwardly. “I’m sorry, but who are you?”
He grins as he carefully places both the plant pot and the shoe box on the edge of my desk before reaching into his inner suit jacket. My eyes widen when I realize the lining is bright pink. It’s…a lot.
“My name is Mike Mitchells,” he says as he hands me his business card. I tense, recognizing the name. “I’m Zane Windsor’s secretary.”
I raise a brow and cross my arms. “And how, pray tell, did you get into the building?” I’m pretty sure that anyone even remotely affiliated with Windsor Hotels is banned from coming anywhere near our offices.
“I’m extremely good at my job, Ms. Harrison. My boss told me to deliver this to you, so that’s what I did.”
“Not an answer, Mike.”
He smiles at me adorably, but that doesn’t hide the cunning look in his eyes. From what I know, he’s been working for Zane for years now. There’s no way he could’ve lasted that long if he isn’t incredibly smart. “I was also told to hand you this card personally.”
I take the sealed envelope from him, my heart skipping a beat when I notice Zane’s handwriting on the front.Celestial, it’s addressed to.
Dear Celeste,
I hope you enjoy the Lily of the Valley that I planted for you. It’s from the observatory I took you to last week, and they were always meant for you. Just like we do, Lily of the Valley has a long history.
In the Victorian era, they represented a return to happiness, but in ancient times, they represented the goddess Ostara. The perfect plant for my own goddess, don’t you think?
More recently, this beautiful plant has been associated with apologies and a fresh start if that apology is well received. That’s what this is — a reminder that my apology was sincere, and that I want nothing more than a fresh start with you.
PS. Since they’re so fragrant, it is my hope that you’ll think of me each time you smell them, because I certainly haven’t stopped thinking about the way it felt to kiss you again.
- ZW
I can’t keep the smile off my face, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by Mike. His expression is carefully blank, but he fails to hide that calculating look in his eyes. I clear my throat and nod at him politely. “Please express my gratitude to your boss,” I tell him, my voice sounding a little more flustered than I’d have liked.
He smiles at me before stepping away, only to pause at the door and throw me a knowing look. “I’ll see you around, Ms. Harrison.”
I narrow my eyes as he walks out, mildly annoyed by his audacity and insinuation. I bet Zane’s attitude rubbed off on him.
I sigh happily as I reach for the shoebox, only for my lips to part in shock when I see what’s inside — the most beautiful black satin pumps adorned with small white gemstones in shapes reminiscent of the galaxy, and the word Celestial on the inner soles. I take a closer look and freeze when I realize that some of the stones aren’t crystals at all… they’rediamonds.
I carefully examine them, but can’t find a brand anywhere. There’s nothing but the small outline of a raven on the bottom. He clearly had these custom made for me, and I can’t help but wonder about his intentions.
He seemed serious when he apologized, and I can’t deny that he seemed nothing like the mean boy he’d been, but part of me is still scared to trust him. My experience with him makes me fear that this truly is an elaborate ruse, one that might not even be aimed at me personally, but rather at Harrison Developments.
I raise the tips of my fingers to my lips, my eyes fluttering closed as I think of the way he kissed me. He couldn’t have faked that look in his eyes, could he? Could this be real?
This thing between us… I don’t know what it is, but I can tell you it certainly isn’t hatred. Don’t you want to find out what it is, what we could be? Has the thought truly never crossed your mind?
I haven’t wanted to admit it, but underneath all my hatred for him, there’s always been something more. At first, it was a need for acceptance and wanting him to admit that I’m just as good as he is, if not better. As the years passed, it turned into something more, something a little darker, a little more illicit.
When was the first time I imagined Zane ending one of our countless arguments with a kiss? I must’ve been sixteen, and the thought had horrified me, but it wouldn’t leave me either.
