Page 87 of Hidden Heir

“Maybe we should. Couldn’t hurt.”

“You think so?”

“Of course.” Brooke smiles softly and leans down. She kisses me slowly before tiling her head to deepen the kiss. “I love you, Leon. And I’m going to love you until the end of my days so yes, I will absolutely do everything I can to make sure those days are healthy and full of life.”

“Alright,” I murmur, cradling the back of her head and bringing her down for another kiss. “I can get behind that.”

“Good. And you’re not going to lose me or Tiff. We’re here forever, understand?”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

38

BROOKE

“What have you got up your sleeve?” I settle back into the passenger seat, eyeing Leon as he drives with a broad smile that’s been on his face ever since we left the estate.

“What do you mean?” he asks innocently.

“You. You’re up to something.”

“Am I?” He glances at me and shrugs. “I’m just in a good mood.”

“No, I know your good mood smile. That is more of an ‘I’m up to something smile.’” I gently prod at his arm.

“I’m not going to ruin the surprise.”

“I knew it!” A bubble of excitement makes me sit up a little straighter. “You are up to something!”

“Of course I am.” Leon’s grin widens. “But I’m not telling you what it is until we get there.”

I kick my feet a little and press back into my seat, unable to stop smiling. If he’s being this secretive, it has to be something good. I just can’t think of what.

I’ve been riding a happy high since Tiffany’s birthday party. Work is going really well. We finally have a foothold inthe pharmaceutical drug market with connections to several hospitals—including the one that nursed Leon and me back to health—and the Irish have been using their extensive contacts to help me get into real estate. It’s much easier to house victims when I have a handle on the very market designed to keep them out.

Overall, things have been going amazing, so I can’t think of anything else that could be putting Leon in such a good mood. We drive for approximately ten minutes before Leon pulls up to a curb and hands me a blindfold.

“Are you serious?” I eye the dark fabric with mild suspicion. “What is going on?”

“Trust me,” is all he says.

I do. Completely. With a deep breath, I slide the blindfold over my eyes and knot it gently at the back of my head. Only then does the car set off once again and Leon drives for another couple of minutes. This time when we stop, he climbs out of the car immediately. I track the sound of his footsteps before my door opens and his hand slides into mine.

“Come with me, darling.”

I oblige, sliding from the car onto unsteady heels as I gain my balance in darkness. Clutching at his wrist and hand, I cling to him as we walk a few steps then Leon clears his throat.

“Okay, you can take it off now.”

“Really? No more suspense?”

Leon’s lips brush softly against my cheek. “You can stay blindfolded if you’d like,” he murmurs. “It’s kind of sexy.”

“You’re so bad,” I smirk. I remove the blindfold, blinking several times to adjust to the sunlight. “Oh. Oh my god.”

In front of us is a flower shop, the windows filled with colorful plants and flowers. Above the door is a sign with the wordsBrooke’s Bloomsin black and gold lettering. A couple of hanging baskets drift slightly in the breeze on either side of thedoor. At a glance, I recognize every single flower, and an old affection stirs deep within my heart. It’s been so long since I thought about flowers. Ever since my shop was burned down and Hannah was killed, I’d written off ever returning to my passion, but here it was laid out in front of me.

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