Page 35 of Love in Bloom

She wondered, and not for the first time, who Miller’s hot date was. She wanted them to have a miserable time, but she knew that wasn’t fair. As much as she liked Miller, he wasn’t for her. Wren wanted to focus on growing Wallflowers and on her painting. She didn’t have time for a man in her life.It’s good he left, and it’s great he has a date, Wren tried to convince herself.

Wren jumped at the sudden banging on the front door.You’re too late, buster. She wanted to ignore the knocking and continue up to her apartment, but she couldn’t. She turned and saw Miller standing there. Wren smiled and then schooled herself turning it into a frown. She didn’t move. Maybe he would take the hint and go away. He didn’t. He held up a carrier with two to-go cups. Wren heaved a big sigh and opened the door.

Groundhog Day, and even if it were, I have no intention to repeat it. What do you want, Miller?” She stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. Miller brushed past her and handed her a cup.

“Nope. Not a movie. This morning it was coffee and pastry, and now it’s tea and cookies.” He held up a familiar bakery bag. “I’m thinking neither one of us needs any more caffeine and cookies are quicker to eat.” Miller continued to move toward the back room. “What do we need to do before you can leave?”

“We“—Wren placed heavy emphasis on the word—”need to do nothing.Ineed to empty the register and set the alarm.” She grabbed two cookies from the bag, took a bite out of one, and handed the other to Miller. “You need to leave and get ready for your hot date.”

“I am ready.” He checked his watch. “You, on the other hand, have about ten minutes to finish up here and get ready. Here’s what you’ll need.” Miller held a piece of paper out to her.

“Get ready for what?” Wren carefully took the list.

“You’re my hot date,” he said, smiling. He placed his hands on Wren’s shoulders and nudged her toward the cash register. “Tick-tock, we’ve got a reservation, so keep moving. I’ll stay out of your way and wait for you at the back door.”

True to his threat, Miller escorted her out of Wallflowers ten minutes after handing her the list. It had been a long day. Her body ached, her feet screamed, and her brain was exhausted from monitoring her behavior around Miller. Acting nonchalant and friendly was becoming difficult. Almost as difficult as Miller was becoming. “Miller, where are you taking me?” she’d asked for the second time as he pulled out of the parking lot behind Wallflowers. The man was insufferable.

“You’ll like it, trust me.”

“How do you know I’ll like it? You don’t even know me.” She sat back against the warm leather seat and scowled.

“I know you.”

Wren maintained her foul mood until they pulled into Ruthie’s Retreat. She recognized the spa and salon, but she’d never been there. Miller parked, and they followed the staircase along the outside of the building to the backside. Wren gasped at the enchanting scene. The steam from the hot tub rose into the cold night air. Stars twinkled down, matching the lights strung in the trees surrounding the patio.

Ruthie met them and escorted each of them to a changing room. Wren put on her suit, relieved that she had recently shaved. Miller was already relaxing in the hot tub by the time Wren arrived.

Her feet were warm on the heated patio floor, but her body chilled when she removed her robe to step into the tub. Her eyes met Miller’s as she slowly eased into the water. His gaze was hotter than the water as he raked it slowly over her near-naked body. Luckily, she’d found her open-backed black one-piece swimsuit in the back of her lingerie drawer. She didn’t think she would have survived Miller’s appraisal if she’d worn her bikini.

“I guess when you said ‘hot date,’ you weren’t kidding,” Wren joked as she moved her lower back closer to a jet. She surveyed the food to see what she wanted. There were meatballs, stuffed mushrooms, mini pizzas, and a fruit mix of strawberries, grapes, and clementine sections. For dessert, there were chocolate mini cupcakes and bite-sized cheesecakes. Wren opened a bottle of sparkling water and took a long drink.To hell with it, she thought as she loaded her plate with a little bit of everything.

They ate in companionable silence. Wren hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she’d started eating. When she was finally full, she leaned back, looked at the stars, and grinned at Miller.

“Looks like my hot date is going better than I thought it would,” he said.

“You had doubts?”

Miller chuckled and bit into a cupcake. “Ginge, where you’re concerned, I have nothing but doubts. I thought you’d fight me more and be more obstinate.”

Wren leaned her head against the back of the hot tub so she could look at the stars and not at Miller’s mouth. She felt him watching her as he stretched his arms across the back of the hot tub.

“Too tired to fight, and Ginge is a horrid nickname for a redhead, Counselor. Find a new one.” She tried hard to be irritated with him, but failed. She couldn’t even be upset about the “obstinate” comment. It wasn’t the first time someone had called her that.

“Color deficient, remember?” He pointed to one eye. “You remind me of the spice, ginger. You’re versatile and great in many things. And you’re sweet, but with a hint of heat.”

“Nice save. I might let you keep it.” She made the mistake of looking at him. Miller stood up and walked toward her. The water ran off his broad shoulders and traveled down his sculpted chest. Wren couldn’t look away. She licked her lips and saw his eyes focus on them. “Are you disappointed I didn’t fight you on this?” Wren didn’t even have the good sense to be embarrassed at the breathy quality of her voice.

“A bit.” He leaned in, and Wren felt herself closing the distance between them. Her eyes drifted shut and she parted her lips in anticipation.

“Ahem, time’s up,” said a sharp voice. “Sorry to interrupt, but it’s time for phase two.” She held Wren’s robe open for her.

“What’s phase two?” Wren asked Miller, her voice still breathy.

“Go with Ruthie. I’ll be waiting for you,” he assured her and tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear. Wren stepped out of the warmth and the cold winter night snapped at her. She tugged the robe onto her wet body and belted it as she followed Ruthie inside.

The room was dim. The brightest spot was the light from an ivory pillar candle in the corner. Wren walked over to it and took a deep inhale. “This is lovely.” She sighed and took another breath. “What is that scent?”

“Mandarin, orange, and bergamot. It’s supposed to be relaxing, but it doesn’t seem to be working for you.”

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