My stomach grows warm and my cheeks flush.
“I appreciate it, but I can’t. I can’t take money from the bachelor that I won at an auction! I’m paying money to spend time with you, not the other way around,” I say in a playful tone.
But Tim’s totally serious.
“Two thousand is way too much honey, and especially after what you just told me. I’m going to cover the auction fee, and I’m also going to give you a little to get by, so you can cut down on your time at the Krazy Kat. Maybe just one night a week instead of two. Again, baby girl, I’m not judging you. It’s just that I’ve seen those curves, and I’ve tasted them too. I don’t want to share them with any other guys if I don’t have to.”
I gawk at him a bit, the air whooshing out of my lungs.
“Are you serious?” I whisper.
He nods, his face dark.
“Yes, baby,” he says. “You belong to me now, don’t you know? All of you, Lina. You’re mine.”
Those words should scare me straight, but instead, a wave of warmth spreads over my frame, and I smile at him in the candlelight. He reaches for my hand again, and we link fingers, joined together in this moment of intimacy and romance. Because it is intimate and it is romantic. Who would have guessed? My date with my stepbrother has turned out amazing, and I never want it to end.
7
Tim
* * *
I pull up to Amazing Blooms and step out of my truck. It’s been two days since our date, and I can’t stop thinking about the curvy girl. I even whittled a little gift for Lina, although now it seems dumb in the light of day. Maybe I should just get back in my truck and go home, but now that I’ve come this far, I have to see it through. The bell jingles as I step through the shop door.
“Just a moment,” Lina’s melodious voice calls from somewhere in the back. “I’ll be right with you.”
I take the opportunity to look around the shop. It’s elegant, and done tastefully. There’s not a ton of room, but Lina’s made great use of the space she has: wooden shelves along the walls drip with flowers of every imaginable color, and colorful roses chill in refrigerators set up along the back wall. Succulents absorb the sunlight in the tall window, and in the center of the store, a magnificent display of orchids, daffodils, and snapdragons catches the eye.
“I’m sorry,” Lina says, emerging from the back. “We’re actually just about to close, but if you have a quick order I can—” she freezes the moment she sees me, and then her lips lift in a sweet smile. My beautiful girl is wearing an apron with “Amazing Blooms” embroidered across the front in pink cursive, and her hair is pulled up in a plain ponytail, but I’ve never seen someone so beautiful.
“Tim!” she exclaims, launching herself into my arms.
I laugh as I catch her, lifting and spinning her around before setting her back down. She fits just right in my arms, like she was made for me, and contentment mixed with arousal settle into my groin. I kiss the top of her head, her nose, and finally her lips, and they slide open at my touch. Quickly, the liplock grows hot before she pulls away, panting.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, and then gasps. “You didn’t text me did you? I always keep my phone off at work. I’m sorry.”
“No, sweetheart, I wanted to surprise you.” I fish my gift out of my pocket and hand it to her with a self-conscious smile. “I made this for you.”
Her eyes widen as she takes it in her hands. It’s a rose that I whittled out of purpleheart wood, and the petals unfurl around an intricate center. It’s just a small thing, but she gasps and turns to me with tears in her eyes.
“It’s beautiful, Tim,” Lina murmurs, quickly blinking the wetness away. “It’s the nicest gift anyone’s ever given me.”
I feel the tension leave my shoulders, and I pull her curvy form in close once more. “Really? To be honest, I felt a little silly bringing it to you, so I’m glad you like it.”
“Of course I do! But why would you feel silly?”
I grin.
“Well, I hate to bring up old relationships, but let’s just say I dated someone in the past who didn’t appreciate this stuff. She preferred shinier things, let’s put it that way.” I shrug, even though it doesn’t bother me anymore.
Lina smiles playfully. “You mean like aluminum foil? Shiny like that?”
I laugh, swatting her on the behind.
“No, not aluminum foil, you sassy woman.”
“Hmm, let me guess,” she says, pretending to think. “What else is shiny? Oh, I know. She wanted a mirror, right? One that’s shiny, so she could stare at her own reflection?”