Page 2 of Be-Leaf in Love

“The flower girl? What does that even mean?”

“It means I deliver flower arrangements and plants for Palmer’s Potted Plants.”

He stares at me strangely. Then he glances down at the coffee mug. “How did you know I take it black?”

My giggle-snort is barely stifled behind my hand. Then I wave toward his massive frame. I don’t know what his suit is hiding, but I’m guessing it’s thousands of hardcore workouts. “Um, look at you. You’re a no-nonsense guy…sir.”

I meant it as a compliment, but his thick brow furrows and his lips turn down. It brings my attention to his mouth. Staring at his lips sends a fiery zip of energy through me. The more I stare, the more his attractiveness turns to…well…pure hotness.

I turn to leave, but the big blank wall catches my eye again and I just spit it out. “You know, a green wall right there would be amazing.”

“A green wall?”

I would have expected him to be sitting at his computer already, getting to work. Instead, he comes over to stand beside me, following my gaze as I point. “This wall faces south.” I gesture to the massive window. “Which means this entire wall could be plants.”

“Wouldn’t that look rather…I don’t know…jungly?”

“That’s the whole point. Greenery brings life and energy into a space.”

Looking up into his truly extraordinary eyes, a strange flutter runs through my belly, my hips, my lower back. It’s a prickly tingle I’ve never felt before. My heart is beating much too quickly, too.

This man isn’t just gorgeous. He’s sexy. Deeply, lustfully,sexy.

And even though he’s a total stranger, and he is giving me an odd look, this is the first time I’ve ever had this reaction to anybody.

2

JACK

Aflower delivery girl. Standing in my office, uninvited. Telling me I need to redecorate with a wall of plants.

If it were anyone else, I would have pointed at the door and waited until they marched out. But this girl is… I have no words. Or rather, the only words that come to mind are incoherent babbling: springtime, fairy, sweet, light, sassy, breathtaking. With earrings that are silver leaves, and bangles on her wrist that look like small flowers captured in acrylic.

Her lovely navy-blue eyes stare at me curiously, and I realize I’m frozen in place. Surely a woman this beautiful should be accustomed to men staring at her open-mouthed? Her dark green shirt and black pants are not particularly form-fitting, simply hinting at the exquisite curves underneath.

I want her.The thought is a lightning bolt that doesn’t so much zip up my spine as it does take hold of it and begin to shake.

Dammit. I need to keep her talking before she realizes I’m tongue-tied for the first time in my life. “Is it normal for office staff to want to work in a jungle?”

She laughs lightly, the sound breathing life into a dead zone. “Definitely! Sometimes people are so busy they don’t have time to go for a walk at lunch. A green wall gives them somewhere to go to just take a breath. Clear their mind. Or something to focus on while they’re on the phone.”

“You seem to know a lot about this.”

She shrugs. “Hey, I work at a plant store.”

I’ve stepped even closer to her, probably too close, but the urge to be near her is overwhelming. To cover any awkwardness, I stick out my hand. “Jack English.”

“Violet Palmer.”

Her hand is warm and soft in mine, and the light green nail polish is adorable. Standing shoulder to shoulder with her, I turn back to look at the wall. “So, you’re telling me that glueing a bunch of plants to this wall will make employees happier?”

She actually laughs at me. Nobody has dared to do that in years.

“We don’t use glue.” Her fingertips lightly swat my forearm. “We build a framework, with rows of long…well, more like trenches than shelves, really. Then we put plant pots in the trenches, and the greenery hides the framework.”

I certainly don’t have a green thumb, but I do know that plants need water and care. Which means that someone – hopefully Violet? – would come on a regular basis to do that.

Suddenly, I think the office has never needed a green wall more.

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