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Skyla glared at him. “Are you telling me you haven’t been having fun?”
Blake shook his head with a grin. “I meant something different that I hope will also be fun,” he corrected.
“I’m intrigued. What did you have in mind?”
“Nope, it’s a surprise. Get dressed.”
The sun had risen hours ago, but they were both still naked in his bed. Skyla eyed him carefully, but when he refused to give anything away, she got out of bed and headed for the shower.
Blake must’ve sensed her apprehension, because he followed close on her heels and assuaged any reservations she had about the time they’d already spent together with three more extraordinarily amazing orgasms, followed by a full on scalp massage that had her moaning nearly as loud as when she had come with his finger, then his tongue, and finally his cock.
They dressed, and Blake made one of his signature omelets. After eating and cleaning up the kitchen, they were out the door. Skyla was curious about what Blake had planned. They hadn’t touched on the subject of dating since leaving the hotel room, but she honestly wasn’t a fan of the idea anyway.
She’d dated guys in the past, and things always got complicated, leading to messy break ups and broken hearts. Skyla wasn’t interested in any of that bull shit. She just liked fucking this man, and taking as much as he wanted to give, while giving him as much as he wanted to take. It was easy with Blake. Something she’d never had with any other guy, and a part of her worried that whatever he had planned would ruin what they had.
“It’s not a date,” she said out of nowhere, as he drove. She sat in the passenger seat next to him, her hair flowing down her back after she’d used a curling iron to give it some beachy waves.
Blake nodded. “Never said it was. Just something fun to do. Trust me, okay?”
Skyla sighed. She didn’t actually trust anyone. Not really. The closest she’d ever come to trusting someone was Orly and Hallie, but that was only because they hadn’t done anything to hurt her - yet. A part of her wondered if or when they would, and while it was an awful thought, she couldn’t help thinking it. Everyone in her life had betrayed or left her in one way or another. Her mother had died, her father was using her, and AJ, well, he never missed an opportunity to message her with need of healing. It was still something Blake had a hard time dealing with, but she had drawn the line at him resisting whenever he summoned her. Skyla hated it, but a deal was a deal, and nothing was worth AJ’s wrath, if she ever reneged on her part of it.
They drove for almost an hour before Blake finally pulled into a nature reserve and parked the car. “We’re here,” he announced, as if it was obvious to anyone in the world where here was, and why it was so important that they had to come to this particular place today.
Skyla didn’t move to unbuckle her seatbelt. “Where exactly is here?” She couldn’t hide the skepticism in her voice, but to Blake’s credit, he didn’t seem offended by it.
Instead of answering, he simply turned off the car, got out and walked around to her side where he leaned in, unbuckled her seatbelt and extended his hand, inviting her to come out, without saying a word. Skyla reluctantly smiled and took his hand. It was such a Blake thing to do. He never forced her into anything, never tried to convince her to do something she didn’t want to do, and if she resisted, instead of arguing, he would simply stay quiet and patiently wait for her to trust him enough to move forward.
They walked down a winding path, lined by tall trees and brush, until they reached what looked like a vast screened in garden. “What is this?” Skyla asked, her curiosity peaked.
Blake stopped, still holding her hand, but his other hand went to stroke the side of her cheek and moved to the spot behind her ear where her butterfly tattoo was. “They’re having a butterfly garden here this month, and I thought you’d like it.”
Skyla stood frozen, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. She hadn’t been to a butterfly garden since before her mom died.
“According to the flier they have over a dozen different kinds of butterflies and over one hundred flowers and plants inside. We can go in and stay as long as you like.”
When she still didn’t speak, Blake did what he did best and just watched her, stroking her butterfly tattoo with a feather light touch. Tingles traveled down the side of her neck and landed directly on her heart. Skyla bit her lip, still trying to convince herself this wasn’t a date. But she found it hard to muster up reasons why, since this man had managed to not only give her the greatest orgasms of her life, but somehow found a way to touch her all the way down to her soul. He hadn’t just been fucking her, he’d been listening to her.
Men she’d dated in the past would take her to ball games or on fishing trips, both of which she didn’t give a crap about. But this man, Blake O'Connell, the guy who had lied to her face, who she shouldn’t have ever given a second chance, was standing in front of her, offering her the kind of gift she would not have been brave enough to give herself. A chance to reconnect with a time in her life when she was truly happy.
She swallowed back the knot in her throat and stood on her tiptoes, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek, then on his lips. “Thank you.” She took the first step toward the enclosure and Blake quickly followed, taking the lead.
Inside, the first thing that hit her was the incredible fragrance of all the flowers. It was like every imaginable scent she’d ever smelled in nature was bottled up into this perfect moment, and she was instantly determined to stay as long as she could. Right up until the last minute when they closed the place down. Something tickled her hand; the one Blake was holding and she looked down to see that a Monarch had landed on one of her knuckles. Blake saw it at the same time she did and they carefully lifted their joined hands to eye level, curiously watching the beautiful creature. “Monarchs were my mom’s favorite,” she said. “She used to say that people were always raving about the rare ones, but she preferred the Monarchs because they were always around, like a constant reminder of life’s perfect moments.”
“Tell me more about her,” he encouraged.
Skyla took a deep breath. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d talked about her mom. Her dad hardly ever brought her up anymore unless it was to blame Skyla for her death. “My mom was the kind of woman that butterflies loved. She was soft and sweet, and always smelled like flowers. I think it was her lotion or something, but somehow, butterflies loved her as much as she loved them.” Skyla smiled then. “Though as much as she loved butterflies, she hated caterpillars. Thought they were the ugliest and creepiest things ever.”
Blake smiled. “I can understand that.”
Skyla shrugged. “She brought out the best in everyone, but especially my dad. After she died, he - well - the best part of him died with her.”
“You told me once that he blamed you for her death. Wasn’t it an accident?”
Skyla nodded. “Yes, but because of my ability, he thinks I should’ve been able to save her.” The words came out soft, but Blake tensed all the same.
“Weren’t you knocked unconscious?” He asked, his eyes growing darker on her behalf.
“Yes. It doesn’t matter though. According to him, it was my fault she was driving that night, and it’s my fault she died.” Skyla swallowed past the knot in her throat, and swiped away at a tear that escaped down her cheek. “I wish it had been me instead,” she said honestly.
