Page 30 of Demon On Deck

“Mel keeps telling me the same thing,” I say as I begin stripping the thorns off roses for the arrangements I need to make for the grocery stores. “I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop, ya know? Like I found this amazing guy who treats me like a queen, but the paranoid part of me is just waiting for something bad to happen.” I sigh, moving onto the greenery.

“I’m gonna stop you right there, boss lady. We call that manifesting negative energy and projecting bad juju for the universe to gobble up and spit back out to you,” Grey says, turning to face me with the most serious expression I’ve ever seen.

I nod chastely. “Okay. No more doom projection.”

He gives a curt nod and then relaxes. We spend the next few hours making arrangements and taking care of a few customers who pop in to pick things up. Since I’m headed to the store anyway, I have Grey help me load the arrangements for the store into my car, and we say our goodbyes.

Once I hand off all the flowers to the store manager, I grab a bottle of wine and a loaf of cheesy garlic bread fresh from the bakery, and head over to Evrens. I use the keypad code to let myself in and set my purse on the end table near the door. Walking through to the kitchen, I stop by the fridge, place the wine inside to chill, and toss the bread into the oven to stay warm.

The back door leading to the patio is open, delicious scents drifting in and making me drool. Out of the deck, Evren is dressed casually in gray sweatpants that should be illegal with how sexy they make his ass look and a snug t-shirt that accentuates his biceps. I take a minute to just… drink in the view.

As if sensing me, he looks over his shoulder and gives me a devastating grin that turns my panties into a slip and slide and makes my pulse race.

“Hey, Doll.”

“Hey, Honey.”

“You gonna stand there and stare, or are you gonna walk that fine ass over here and kiss me?”

I giggle and walk towards him at a deliberately slow pace. “Such attitude.”

When I get close enough, Evren reaches out and snatches me into his arms, growling softly.

“Mmm. What can I say? I missed you.”

I melt a little as he leans down to capture my lips in a slow, sensual kiss. When we break apart, he presses his forehead to mine and sighs happily.

“I missed you too,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing myself closer to him. “How was your day?”

Evren pulls back and kisses my forehead before taking my hand and turning back to the grill. There are several cuts of chicken and vegetable kabobs sizzling away and making my stomach grumble.

“Long,” Evren replies, turning over the kebabs. “Merger came to a halt.”

“Oh, Honey, what happened?” I exclaim, shifting my focus from the mouthwatering food to Evren. “You’ve been ironing that out since before we bumped into each other at the grocery store.”

He shrugs nonchalantly, grabbing the tongs and flipping the chicken over, but I can see the tension in his shoulders.

“Red flag popped up. Our forensic accountants found a document buried in the financials. Massive tax debt that wasn’t disclosed.”

I drop his hand and wrap my arms around his waist. “I’m sorry. I know this was a big deal for you. Is there any hope of salvaging it?”

He wraps an arm around me, bringing with it his smoky scent mixed with the meal he’s cooking, and gives me a gentle squeeze.

“Honestly, I don’t know. The tax debt could have been addressed during negotiations. Would it have made things a bit more difficult? Sure, but we’ve negotiated those terms before. It’s the fact that they hid it from us that doesn’t sit well with me. Because if they were willing to hide that, what else are they hiding, ya know?”

I blow out a frustrated breath. I can certainly empathize with Evren's situation. If hiding financials could be a profession, Matt would have been a certified pro. He knew exactly just how much information to give me so that I could bail him out or finance his next “guaranteed” business venture.

“Hey, Doll, where’d you go just now?” Evren asks, cupping my cheek. I lean into his touch, enjoying the familiar warmth.

I close my eyes and sigh, dispelling unpleasant memories.

“Nowhere that matters anymore,” I say, remembering what Grey said earlier. No more negativity out into the universe. “Is there anything I can do to help with dinner?” I ask, looking into his stunning orange eyes.

He studies me for a moment before smiling and shaking his head, his horns casting shadows from the glow of the fire. “Nope. Another minute, and I can pull all this off. I was thinking, since it’s such a nice night, we could eat out here,” he says, gesturing at the outdoor patio set. I notice he has it all set with plates, silverware, and a few low-lit candles.

Such a simple, thoughtful gesture has the prickle of tears in my eyes. “Sounds perfect to me. Should I go grab the wine? I stuck it in the fridge to chill when I got here.”

“Absolutely. I’ve already got glasses out here. There’s salad and some dressings if you want to grab those too.”