Page 71 of Ruthless Contract
Monique nodded, listening closely.
“And we can add things to it to give it a more beach vibe, like a small seashell.”
“Really? That would be so cute.”
As Monique asked questions, Blossom answered them easily. Confidently. A few minutes ago, after meeting me, she'd looked like she wanted to escape her own shop. Now she looked completely at ease.
This was the look of someone who loved their job. Was this how I looked when I was doing hacking jobs or mixing chemicals in my lab? Is this how Juliet looked when she was trying to hack me? I watched the florist while Monique studied the tray.
Blossom reached out and gently adjusted one of the boutonnières, her fingers careful as she pointed out the differences among the stems, flowers, and greenery. Then her gaze flicked to mine. Only for a second.
The moment our eyes met, she quickly looked away.Interesting. At first, I figured she was nervous because of my last name. I was used to that. That made sense to me. However, the more I observed Blossom, the less certain I became that was the reason.
Her reaction didn't feel like fear. It was as though she was trying very hard not to look at me. Which only made me want to know why even more. Had we met before? No. I would remember a woman like her.
Was she simply shy? No. She didn't strike me as shy. At least not when she was talking to Monique about flowers. Not when she was in her element. Was it me who had her acting this way? It wouldn’t be the first time my looks had left a woman mesmerized.
However, Blossom the florist didn’t seem mesmerized by me. If anything, she seemed irritated by my presence. But I hadn’t done anything to irritate her. It had to be the last name that did it.
My thoughts drifted to Juliet. Would she look at me the same way if we ever met face to face? Would she glance away from me? Would she become nervous? Would she regret getting close to me once she truly met the man behind the screen?
I dismissed those thoughts.
Juliet wouldn’t stare at me like this. She already knew who I was. She knew my name. She knew my reputation. And she'd accepted me anyway. Whatever happened when I finally met Juliet, I didn't think she'd look at me the way the florist did.
She wouldn’t be as judgmental as this woman was. Damn it. Why was I getting angry with this woman?
“Rome? Rome!”
Monique's voice pulled me from my thoughts. I blinked and looked at her. She was smiling at me, one hand hovering over the tray. I saw the suspicious glint in her eyes. She’d caught me staring at the florist. I would never hear the end of this.
“What do you think of these?” Monique asked, smiling brightly.
I stepped forward and looked down at the boutonnières, trying to be interested in them. I had no fucking idea what to say. They were flowers. Tiny flowers. Pretty, I guess. Before I could come up with something that made me sound like I had a clue, movement caught my attention.
Blossom turned her head slightly and tried to suppress a yawn. She immediately covered her mouth and looked embarrassed.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized to Monique. “It’s been a busy week, and I’ll be even busier next week, so I’m a little tired.”
My entire body went still as Monique smiled at her.
“Oh, I understand. Wedding season is probably exhausting for you.”
Blossom nodded and said something in response, but I barely heard it. Because those words she’d just uttered were damn near the same thing Juliet had told me last night. Coincidence? Maybe.
But I didn't believe in coincidences. Not when they came at me back-to-back, as these had. I looked at Blossom again. Really looked at her. Taking in every detail I could about this woman.
The soft curve of her face. The nervous way she kept avoiding my gaze. Her exhaustion. She was tired because she’d had a busy week and planned to have more busy weeks since it was wedding season. She said things like, ‘Love has a funny way of sneaking up on you.’
Why did everything about Blossom remind me of my Juliet? Was I staring at Juliet in the flesh? Or was I so desperate to find her that I was imagining things? I didn't know. Not yet. But I planned to find out. Monique pointed to one of the boutonnières.
“I think I like this one.”
Blossom smiled and said, “That one would work beautifully.”
I barely glanced at the flowers. Because at that moment, I was far more interested in learning more about Blossom the florist than I was in learning anything about boutonnières. I watched Blossom as she showed Monique additional floral options.
She moved confidently around the work counter, pulling out arrangements and explaining different styles, colors, and combinations. The more I watched her, the less certain I became that she was my little cyber-criminal.
