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“Okay…” She imagined a man like Mr. Black got everything he wanted, when he wanted it. The mere thought aroused her. Did he want her?Stop it, Karlee!Just as she forced her inappropriate thoughts away, Elizabeth approached from the kitchen. She wanted to bury her head in the sand.
“There you are,” she called out. “You had me so worried, Karlee.”
“Sorry … my truck…”
Elizabeth briefly kissed her fiancé on the cheek and then looked at the bags stacked against the wall. If Karlee had a man like Robert Black, she wouldn’t feel good about having another woman under her roof either. He was irresistible.
“I’m sure everything will get sorted. You’ll help her, won’t you, Robert?”
“Of course. I’ll takevery goodcare of her.” Why did he seem to look into her soul when he said those little words? His fiancée was standing right there.
Once Elizabeth had walked off, Robert came closer. He kept coming until she was forced to back up against the closed glass doors. Why was she being tested? The guy was a two-timing loser, yet he still had a unique magnetic pull.
“What’re you doing?” she managed to squeak out.
“Hush.” He reached out and tucked some of her unruly locks behind her ear. The touch sizzled right down to her marrow. “You can’t imagine how good it feels to have you here. I watched you setting up the displays at my last business conference. All I could focus on was you—the highlights in your hair, the way you moved, the curve of your ass. I knew I had to see you again. Knew I had to have you.”
What the hell?Was he for real? She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Didn’t your parents tell you that you can’t have everything you want? There are some things money can’t buy.”
“That’s a lie,” he said. “I wanted you, and you’re here.”
“Then I’m an unsuspecting victim. I came here to sell flowers, not my body.”
“You’re right. You’ll give me that for free.” He smiled, not allowing her any personal space. “Tell me there’s no spark between us, and don’t lie.”
She kept silent.
“Sounds like fate to me,” he said.
Of course she remembered Robert Black. How could she not? He’d starred in most of her bedtime fantasies ever since they’d first met. She wasn’t sure how she could forget. “It’s all a coincidence.”
“There are no coincidences in life, Ms. Jones. Fate isn’t so fickle.”
Fate? As in the two of them together? What game was he playing? Did he think she’d readily open her legs so he could have one last fling? Was she part of his last bachelor hurrah?
“Well, I don’t give myself away for free, and I can’t be bought, no matter how much I need this job.”
“The job is already yours, Ms. Jones. That’s not in question. And please don’t mistake me for a man who needs to take without permission.” He leaned in close enough that his subtle cologne tickled her senses. “And I can be very patient,” he whispered.
He abruptly pulled back, nodded once, and walked away from her, turning a corner and moving out of sight. She felt an odd sense of loss after he was gone. Had she wanted him to continue?You’re sick, Karlee. Sick, sick, sick.
After collecting her thoughts, she sought out Elizabeth. If Karlee was trapped at the mansion, she might as well start planning for the wedding. And she needed a serious distraction from her unwholesome thoughts.
It was time to get to work. She’d need to know exact numbers and flower types so she could get everything ordered in time. With only two days’ notice, she really needed to get back to her laptop at the shop. This delay could cost her if her suppliers couldn’t come through in a bind. She was a hot mess of stress and unexplainable pent-up desire. What she really needed was a big glass of wine. Maybe the whole bottle.
She found the bride-to-be talking with the wedding planner. When Elizabeth saw her approach, she excused herself and met her halfway.
“Karlee, did everything get worked out? I feel terrible about your truck.”
“It’ll be fine,” she said, feeling guilty because Elizabeth was so damn nice. Why did she have to be so nice? “Mr. Black said he’d drive me to the impound lot first thing in the morning. You don’t mind if I stay the night, do you?”
“Of course not. Why would I mind?” Elizabeth smiled and touched her arm. She was so graceful, so ladylike—the exact opposite of Karlee. No wonder she had ironclad confidence.
On her best day, Karlee was covered in soil stains and an assortment of scrapes and bruises. Running a flower shop was not a prim and proper way of living.
“I do have to meet with the dressmaker this afternoon, though. The list of flowers is on the table in the upstairs hallway. I’m open to suggestions. Feel free to start planning while I’m gone.”
“I’ll do that.”
