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“It’s good to see you,” he said, his voice sober.
She whirled around, pretending to be busy tidying up the counter. She didn’t want him to see the war of emotion playing on her face. She was close to crumbling. Forcing herself to be strong this past month, failing to forget him, and now seeing him again in the flesh was too much. Way too much. “What are you doing here?” Did he require more floral services with mandatory bonus sex? There was no way she could put her heart through that again, even if the subtle scent of his cologne had already unraveled her.
“I had to see you, Karlee.” He handed her the roses as soon as she turned around.
“And you brought me flowers?” She lifted an eyebrow. “I own a flower shop, you know?”
“Yeah. I guess I didn’t think that one through too well.” He chuckled, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
He tried to reach out and touch her face, but she stepped back before he made contact. He was toying with her, using her emotions against her again.
“Don’t. Please, just don’t.”
“Why? Why’d you run out on me like that? Did I do something wrong?”
Karlee exhaled in defeat and began placing her new arrangement into an oversized vase, her back to him. “It wasn’t you,” she said. “I just had my expectations set too high. It seems to be a fault of mine. I’m over it, though.”
“Can you tell me how I failed to meet your expectations?” He spun her around and secured her by each arm so she couldn’t twist away again. It was odd having Robert Black in her little flower shop. He was larger than life, all male. It felt like two worlds were colliding—the reality and the fantasy. Part of her was convinced she was still dreaming, about to wake up to the alarm clock at any minute. But he was really here, and she wasn’t sure what to do or feel.
“You didn’t, okay. Look, I’m not the kind of girl to jump into bed with every man who asks. You can’t just show up here for a redo whenever you feel like it. What we did meant something to me. Honestly, I’m still not over it.”
“Really...”
“No, I’m not. So, if another niece or nephew is getting married, you’re going to have to find a different florist. Despite the crumbling brick and mortar outside my shop, there’s no price high enough to get me to work for you again. I’m sorry.”
He looked taken aback for a moment. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting that.” Robert tilted his head slightly. “You know you’re the one who walked out on me, right?”
“It was only a matter of time before you did the same. I know your type—rich, powerful, and you think can own anyone or anything. You told me yourself you always get what you want.”
Now he frowned. “That’s not fair, Karlee. I felt something between us, something deep enough that I wanted to get to know you better. But you rushed out of my life and refused to return my calls. I left you dozens of messages. I’ve been a zombie at the office. Everything reminds me of you. I keep replaying that day over and over in my head, wondering what the hell I did to piss you off so badly.”
Karlee didn’t know what to believe. She never returned his calls because she knew the second she heard his voice she’d become weak, and she didn’t want to have her heart broken all over again. The last month had been brutal for her. “Trust isn’t an easy thing for me. I don’t want to get hurt,” she said. “Sometimes it’s easier to run.”
He loosened his grip on her upper arms and tugged her closer. “You’re judging me unfairly. Just … give me a chance.”
“You make it sound very simple.”
“It can be.” Robert took a deep breath at her neckline. “Mmm, I love the way you smell.”
His voice was deep and gravelly, his breath hot against her sensitive skin.
The door chimed again. This time with a real customer. Before she could respond, Robert whirled partway around. “She’s closed!”
“Hey! That was a customer,” she said.
“Hush.” He leaned in and kissed her into silence. It was pure passion, possession, and a claim she couldn’t refute. She closed her eyes and savored the feel of his lips and tongue. She’d missed him even more than she realized. “I’ve been wanting to tell you something. You asked me a question that night, and I didn’t answer you honestly.”
“What question?” she asked.
“You asked if I ever got lonely.”
She swallowed hard. His tone had changed. There was no humor in his eyes now, no playfulness or teasing. “And?”
“Iamlonely in that big, old house. Much more so after meeting you. You made me realize what’s important, what I want out of life. When you don’t follow your fate, you can never be truly happy.”
He touched her hair as if she might break, studying her features with what appeared to be genuine affection. Could it be true? Her heart began to race as she processed all the possibilities.
“You could have any woman you want.”
