Page 11 of Smarty Plants
“Because I could tell you have a thick novel in your overnight bag.”
She bursts into laughter. “Did the weight give it away?”
“No. The square edge poking out on one side. Your hair seems very natural, so I couldn’t imagine you’d be bringing anything like a straightening iron or something. And you don’t wear a lot of makeup, so you wouldn’t need a huge makeup case. Therefore…book.”
“Nice detective work, Sherlock.”
Damn, I love her laugh. We focus on our dinner for a while, our conversation eventually getting to how our businesses are somewhat similar.
“We both want people to have nice, fresh homes.” Iris jumps up to clear the plates. “Us with greenery, you with lovely new cabinetry.” She looks around the kitchen. “These cabinets are amazing, by the way.”
‘Thank you. It was the first project I did behind Dad’s back, because I didn’t want his input.”
“Sneaky.”
“Yep. Speaking of which, what did your mother say when you said you wouldn’t be home tonight?”
Her chin drops. “She’s, um, out at a party. I left a note for my sisters.”
“Now who’s sneaky.”
We curl up on the couch to watch a movie, deciding on a documentary about birds of the rainforest. At first, we snuggle together quite innocently. I pull the blanket around her legs, then arrange her legs over my lap.
Soon Iris relaxes completely, her head fitting perfectly against the front of my shoulder.
Then we both shift at the same time, my hand slipping under her t-shirt to caress her back. The way she smiles at me is so adorable that I have to remember to breathe.
I cup her cheek with my palm. “I love everything you’ve done with my office, Iris. In just a few days, you’ve transformed my business’ look from a hand-me-down mess to a professional, successful company. When I first met you, I was simply hoping for a date. But now here you are, ready to jump in and improve my entire life.”
“I don’t think that’s at all what I’ve been doing.”
“Yes, you have. And I’m never going to stop thanking you for it.” My mouth trails a line of soft kisses along the side of her neck. “You’ve been working your sexy ass off. Why don’t we go to bed, and I can try to de-stress you?”
Studying her eyes carefully, I detect more excitement than nervousness. Another good sign.
“Good idea.” Her eyebrow quirks up. “We do have an early morning.”
“It’s a funny thing… I’m starting to care less and less about what happens tomorrow, and more about what happens when we stop worrying about things like clothing and being vertical.”
Iris smiles, standing up slowly. “And you know, I really didn’t check your bedroom very thoroughly. Didn’t even test the mattress for firmness. Weird, right?”
“By all means, let’s fix that.”
Her energy changes once we’re in the bedroom. I love that she’s twenty-four and still innocent. Love that she’s waited for the right time – the right man.
I need to be the right man for her.
I turn the bedside lamp on, using the lowest setting to create a dim glow before switching off the overhead light. I’ve always been gentle with Iris, but now my rough hands move even more slowly, snaking up into her hair and slipping up under the back of her shirt. Our lips meet in a dreamily tender kiss that instantly picks up steam.
With two shuffled steps, we’re against the foot of the bed. The urge to blurt out my deepest wish can’t be stopped. “We can stop any time you like,” I murmur, playing with the bottom of her shirt. “Or I could strip you naked and admire you while making you come.”
Her gorgeous blue eyes look up at me curiously. “You…really want to do that?”
My hands clench around her round hips. “Oh my god, angel, you have no idea.”
The atmosphere changes as my mouth angles across hers with slow, deep kisses as my thumbs dig into her waistband. I drop to my knees, pulling her leggings and underwear off at the same time. Then I kiss a slow trail around the top of her thigh before reaching behind her to unhook her bra. When I stand, pulling her bra and shirt off together, Iris shakes out her hair and looks up at me.
My breath catches in my throat as I stare in disbelief. Everything about her is perfect: every soft curve, every sweep of delicate soft skin. This is an image I’ll be carrying with me forever.
