I look down, trying to appear in thought, so my customer won’t notice the tears in my eyes. The day we learned the history of magnolias was the same day I found my mother dead. Whereas school taught us magnolias were believed to be the earliest known flower, predating pollination by bees, and epitomizes nobility in Chinese culture, for me, magnolias symbolize the promise I was going to make to my momma that day. The day I would tell her I would be majoring in floristry, and we would open the flower shop of her dreams. Though I never had the chance to utter that promise to her, it was one I had kept.
A beat later, I sigh. “Umbrella magnolias have a more rustic feel. Yes, they’re a little on the expensive side, but sparingly, it’ll work.”
After my customer leaves, I place her deposit and my notepad into my apron when a peony brushes over my bare shoulder.
How dare he.
Usemypassion against me.
The silky petal sends another tremble down my spine, actually more.
A trillion tremors dance across my flesh, moving like a current over my body straight to my core.
I turn.
With a flourished bow, Victor holds out the bunch. “For the lovely Lux.”
I look Victor up and down in all his dark glory and narrow my eyes. “Do you have any idea what I’d like to do to you with these flowers?” I grit in a low, curt tone. “It involves?”
He plucks another from the bunch skimming my cheek. “Based on your tone, it’s nothing compared to all the things Iwillbe doing to you with my flowers.”
As the petal caresses softly over my lips, my tonsils vibrate in a lengthy moan.
Victor steps forward, invading and becoming the air I breathe. As he replaces the lush, pink petal with his mouth, I turn my head away.
“But what I had in mind,” I begin, dropping my palm on his chest and looking up at him, “was your dick and ablood-red climbing rose. Most notable for itsthorns,which I’d stick straight into your—”
“Luxury.”
It’s all of one word—my name—punctuated by his hand claiming the nape of my neck.
I hadn’t seen the power beneath his calloused touch coming, although he’s not exuding said power.
Victor’s eyes go dark with craving and contained rage. And a good dose of discipline to stop him from following through.
His mouth brushes my earlobe. “Sounds painful. I’ll have to decline.”
“I’mdeclininganything you have to offer.”
We enter a power struggle, but the brick wall of his chest crushes my body.
“Fancy a cuppa?”
“No.”
“Listen, I’ll agree it’s all gone pear-shaped with us.”
“What?” I look up, still struggling to get away. I can’t believe the world disappeared the second I set eyes on him.
“I’m saying things keep going wrong for us, Luxury. I’m trying to be a normal bloke here.” He holds me delicately now, but I suspect that if I fight, push away, reject him, he’ll crush me in his embrace.
“You’re turning over a new leaf with the flowers? Frommyshop.Thanks for ruining my first chance of being on the recipient end ofsaidflowers. Let me go.”
A cocksure smile floats over Victor’s face, a second too late for him to contain it.
“You’re arrogant,” I hiss. Victor’s body is no longer washing me under a current of emotions, ranging from acrimony to zeal. I settle on detachment, biting my tongue from further humiliation.
“Youarecoming with me to dinner.”