Page 97 of Tulips and Lost Time

Her eyes flare wide. “Mitch?”

“Well… yeah. He’s my partner, and he’s watched me sulk about you for years. But everyone else…” I wave a hand toward the door, absentminded and unenthusiastic. “They will have seen us come in here, but as far as they’re concerned, you’re my best friend’s baby sister and that’s…” I shrug. “It. People see what they’re told to see.”

“So you’re saying I can walk out of here and no one will know we were… we were…”

“We were what?” Teasing, I drop a kiss on her plump lips. “No one can see us, Bear. No one can hear us. So those on the other side of that door will know only what we tell them.”

“And we can tell them…” She glances to the left and looks down at the box of gloves I tossed. “That I came in here looking for supplies.”

“Sure.” I drag her bottom lip between my teeth and grin. “You can tell them that.”

“And you won’t say anything different?”

“I’m not here just so I have something to tell everyone else.” I comb my fingers into her hair and tilt her head to the side. To make room along her deliciously scented neck. “I’m here because I’m gonna love you for the next hundred years. If it’s possible, I’d like to do it by your side. It’s way better than doing it from afar.”

“And you’ll just… You won’t tell anyone?”

“Not a soul until you’re ready. Though I suggest we mention it, even if casually, before we send out the wedding invitations.”

“Oh my god.” She blows out a frustrated breath. “You’re moving a million miles a second.”

“I’m catching up on the moves we missed over the last six years.” I drag her face across and feather my lips over hers. “I’ve made my move, Bear. I’m in love with you. Stupidly, painfully, irreversibly in love with you. Now I’m waiting for you to catch up. And while I wait, I kinda hope you let me kiss you some more.”

“And what about…” She gulps, noisily and visibly. “What about sex? You’re gonna want to do that, too.”

“I assure you,” I glide my tongue along her lip and grin when she groans. “When you’re ready, you’re gonna want to do it, too.”

“What if it takes me another six years to be ready? Ya know, to make sure you’re really committed to this?”

“Then I’ll do what I’ve been doing for years already.” I pull back and smile when our eyes meet. “I’ll reach into my pants and tug my cock, and I’ll think of you.” I drop a fast, sneaky kiss to the center of her lips. “It works a treat. Trust me.”

“Luc?” Mitch’s voice echoes from the other side of the door. A heavy knock, knock, knock that makes Kari jump a full foot into the air. “We gotta go, bud.”

“Just getting supplies!” Kari practically squeaks, scrambling out of my arms and bending to collect the tossed boxes. “Luc was helping me reach the gloves.”

“Good luck, Bear.” I grab another box down and plop it onto the pile she’s already creating. “You lie so well. This is gonna be a blast.”

“Shut up.” She shoulder checks me and charges toward the door. “I’m still gonna be mad at you. It’s become part of my personality at this point.”

“That’s cool. I’m gonna continue to love you. We’ll counteract each other until something shakes free. Now unlock the door, babe.” But her arms are full, so I wander from the shelf and come up behind her to do it myself. I smack her ass and lean around to press a kiss to her cheek, then I flip the lock and open the door to reveal a smirking Mitch. “Not a word.”

He raises his hands in faux surrender. “I said nothing. But we gotta go. They’ve got a situation brewing just outside town. They’re about to call for extra buses.”

“Alright.” I look down at Bear and flash a fast wink. “Guess my break is over. Thanks for your time, Ms. Macchio. It was fun.”

“You squeak when you lie, by the way.” Mitch leans in, poking his head past the threshold and grinning for Kari. “You squeaked when you mentioned the gloves.”

“Shut up!” She charges past him and storms into the hall. She wants to make a grand exit. All queenly and shit. But she skids to a stop and stalks back until he’s forced to tilt away or risk a headbutt. “Not a word, Mitchell Rosa! This isn’t to be discussed with anyone outside of us three.”

“No problem, Pipsqueak. My lips are sealed because as an older brother of a young lady too pure to be with a man, I sure as fuck wouldn’t want to hear about her getting hot and heavy with my best friend in the storage closet.”

“Shush!” She flexes her hands and flattens her lips. Then she shoots an angry glare my way before spinning on her heels and rejoining the rest of her shift-mates.

“You’re a dead man,” Mitch sighs, setting his hands on his hips and shaking his head. “Dead. Fucking. Meat.”

“I’m a man in love. And love conquers all, doesn’t it? Someone famous once said that.”

“Yeah. But now that person is dead.”

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