Page 49 of The Arrangement

My jaw dropped. “You forgot?! This is literally, and I do meanliterally,what we’ve been working toward this whole time, and you justforgot?” I gaped at him, registering way too late the teasing smile on his face. “You didn’t forget.” He shook his head. “You’re fucking with me.” He nodded, biting his bottom lip, probably to keep from laughing his ass off. “Rude.”

“Come here.” He took my cup back and set it down with his. Still frowning, I stepped closer, though apparently not close enough. He looped an arm around my middle and tugged me so close that I could feel his chest hair through my thin shirt. I stared into his coastal blue eyes as he traced my lower lip with his thumb. “I would never forget something so important to you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He pressed his lips against mine in a way too brief kiss. “But I did want to mess with you a little.” He winked and kissed the tip of my nose, then passed me back my coffee. “I’ll change into more flower-receiving appropriate clothing once I finish my coffee.”

“You’re the worst,” I grumbled. I wanted him to counter like they always did in the movies, like they did in the books. I wanted him to say, “You know love me,” because then I could say, “Yeah, I do,” because I did.

JD was the love I’d never understood, the one I’d heard my classmates talk about like it was a drug they couldn’t get enough of. It was this vague, unknowable thing I couldn’t grasp. Why would you want someone to touch you like that all the time? It sounded messy and frustrating, and I already had more than enough of that all on my own. But it wasn’t like that with JD. God, I wanted him all the time. And I wanted more. Of anything, anything at all, as long as it was with him. He made me feel seen and appreciated. He made me feel like myself. More than that, he felt like this place, this shop, this town. He felt like home. My home. My Honeysuckle.

All of that was set to burst out of me when my phone rang, scaring the ever-loving, fucking daylights out of me. “Jesus H. Christ,” I hissed, my heart going a mile a minute for all the wrong reasons now as I yanked my phone out of my back pocket. “Go for Marc Weathers.”

“Mr. Weathers, this is Tracy from Floral Fascinations Distribution. The delivery team hit a spot of luck, and traffic was lighter than expected this morning. Is there any chance you’d be able to get to the flower shop sooner than we discussed?”

I glanced at JD. “Uh, yeah, that shouldn’t be an issue. How soon were you thinking?”

There was a pause in which I assumed she was checking with the drivers about their ETA, then she came back on the line. “Would fifteen minutes be doable, Mr. Weathers?”

Damn, they had made good time. “Completely. I actually live above the shop, so it’s not any trouble at all.” JD tilted his head, his eyebrows wrinkling in confusion. I smiled and reached over to smooth them out.

“Excellent. The team will be there soon.”

“Thanks, Tracy.”

“What was that about?” JD asked.

“Delivery will be here sooner than expected,” I replied with a massive smile. “Better hurry up, Sergeant. I’m about to put that ass to work.” To emphasize my point, I pinched said ass and scurried out of reach before mine could get the same treatment. It wasn’tmyfault his shorts did such a poor job of covering his cheeks.

“What’s this ‘about to’ business? You’ve been putting my ass to work forweeks.”

I simply shrugged and continued drinking my coffee, careful to stay out of pinching distance when he passed by me to get to his rucksack. Cup finished, I rinsed it and stuck it by the sink to dry, then made my way to the door to make sure I’d be there to welcome the drivers. Imayhave lingered a little—a lot—to appreciate the sight of JD switching out his teensy shorts. Jesus, those fucking thighs. Menace to society, that’s what they were.

Undoubtedly grinning like a jackass, I ran down the stairs, triple-checked both refrigerators, though all of today’s shipment would go into the walk-in, then opened the receiving door just in time for JD to join me.

“Hey, Hon–James,” I quickly corrected myself. He did a double take, but he was beaming, so… win? Luckily, the truck pulled up, eliminating the chance for any follow-up questions.

The next couple of hours were devoted to unloading, checking order slips, rearranging, unloading some more, rearranging… again, and finally, signing off and sending the Floral Fascinations Delivery Truck on its way.

“I never would have imagined so many flowers could have fit in that walk-in. I thought for sure we’d have to put at least some in the front refrigerator.” James continued to stare into the temperature and humidity controlled space, hands on his hips, face adorably baffled.

I snorted and made my way toward the front, fanning my shirt to get some cooler air on my skin. “That’s nothing,” I called back. “You should see how packed that thing gets for a wedding.” And I wanted him to. I wanted him to so badly. The thought of him not being there to see it felt like a hole in my body.

“Oh yeah?” JD said suddenly right behind me, then I was being dragged behind the counter. “And how many weddings have you done, Spec. Weathers?”

I snickered and hopped onto the countertop. “I see why your brother calls you an ogre.” He pouted, and I threw my head back in a loud laugh. “Oh my God, I’m not complaining, just observing,” I said before grabbing him by the shirt and tugging him closer to claim the kiss I hadn’t this morning. I nearly forgot his question as I got lost in the move of his lips against mine and the exploratory glide of his tongue. “Fifteen,” I said between kisses.

“Hmm?”

“I’ve helped put together fifteen wedding arrangements,” I said with a proud grin.

“Damn, baby boy, that’s fucking impressive. I’m looking forward to seeing these legendary talents.”

I tasted his lips again, savoring his smile. “I don’t know about legendary.”

“Haven’t even seen them yet, and I know they’re legendary. Don’t suppose your flower name is lavender?” Smiling, I shook my head and kissed him. “What about peony? Aster? Orchid? Camellia?” he finished on a purr, his voice dropping low, while his hands coasted along my thighs and slipped beneath my shorts.

I let out a truly indecent moan and hooked my ankles behind his knees to encourage him closer. Camellias, really? He waskillingme. “Someone’s been looking up flowers.”