Page 23 of Demon On Deck

“Where on Earth did you drive in from?”

“The other side of town. Just past the hockey arena.”

I shake my head in disbelief. “You live here?”

He chuckles and slides his hands down my arms to take hold of my hands. “I do. I should be asking you the same thing.”

“I’m about fifteen minutes away. My flower shop is about five minutes from here.”

The clearing of a throat jerks my head to the store manager I was speaking with before Evren materialized. I turn back to him and offer an apologetic smile.

“Did you need anything else, Mrs. Voss?”

My whole body clenches.

“Ms. Brooks, please. No, we are all set. I’ll be back in a few days to check on things. If you happen to need more before I come back, just give me a call.

“Sounds good,” he says before turning to leave.

Turning back to Evren, I can’t help the smile that threatens to break my face.

“I can’t believe you’re here. That we live in the same town!”

“I know,” he says thoughtfully. “Come with me to grab my creamer?”

“Love to,” I say as he drops one of my hands and keeps a firm grip on the other. We stroll hand in hand through the store until we reach the cold food items. There’s a discarded basket on the floor that Evren picks up.

I give him a questioning look, but he just shrugs and picks it up, adding a few more creamers to the basket.

“Stockpiling?” I tease.

He gives me a cocky smile. “The only thing I’ve craved more than this is you.”

My mouth drops open for a moment, and my stomach flips. God, I’ve missed that smooth, cocky tone in a deep bass timber that only belongs to Evren. Almost as much as I missed the demon himself.

My mind transports me back to the cruise where comments like that were the norm for us. Evren reaches forward and uses his finger tip to close my mouth before running a finger along my jaw.

Once we’ve checked out, Evren walks me to the flower shop’s delivery van, still holding my hand.

“I still can’t believe I found you,” he murmurs in an awed voice.

“Me either,” I whisper.

“Have dinner with me,” he says, locking eyes with me.

“Yes,” I say without hesitation.

A pleased rumble I can feel through our clasped hand vibrates from his chest and into my body…right to my slutty clit, who makes herself known with a pulse.

“Good,” he says, pleased. “Saturday?”

“Phone,” I say.

He hands me his phone, and I enter my phone number.

“See you Saturday," I say before I get into the van. The phantom pulse of his rumble courses through my body the whole drive home.

Saturday comes faster than I expect. Since bumping into Evren at the grocery store, I’ve been meeting with brides and getting more of my ready-made bouquets to the other grocery store.