Page 21 of Bloom and Burn
8
Ryan
Jackandawomanin a wheelchair enter my shop the next morning. I didn’t get to talk to mom last night because she is super busy with festival preparations and came home late, but I can just about guess how that call went.
“Miss me already?” I tease as the two come up to the floral bar. I am still buzzing, even though I had time to sleep on what happened with Jack yesterday, and judging by the big smile on his face, so is he.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” He blushes a little. It’s adorable.
“Uh-oh. I sense sexual tension,” the woman, who I recognize as Jack’s sister, Emily, leers at him. “Did you two fuck?”
Well shit. She has no filter like me. I like her already, even if her words make my cheeks feel warmer.
“Maybe?” I bat eyelashes at her, pretending to be innocent and clueless.
She laughs. “Good. My brother’s been grumpier than usual lately, so he needed to get laid. Thank you for your service.”
Heh. I think she and I will be best friends in no time. “So… You must be Emily.” I offer my hand. “I’m Ryan, the owner of the Blooming Orchid. And, for the record, I did tell Jack off about the bouquet card.”
We shake hands. “I know. On both accounts,” she says, beaming a sun-like smile at me.
We jump into a discussion about Jack’s horrendous card-writing skills as she gives me a homemade brownie. It smells divine.
“Jack made it,” she insists, nudging him in the flank.
I arch an eyebrow. He didn’t strike me as a baker. “Really?”
He shakes his head and ruffles her inky hair. “No, don’t listen to her. I’m a disaster in the kitchen.”
I can sort of see how that could be the case, but at the same time, the way he’s lovingly looking at his sister screams otherwise. I bet he’s one of those brothers who’d do anything for their younger sibling, including professional-level baking at three a.m. just because his sister had a craving for something sweet.
It’s endearing.
Emily navigates her wheelchair around the shop, examining the flowers and pots I have on display. The smile doesn’t drop from her face, and that makes me happy as well.
“For the record, I did quality control the brownie,” Jack whispers in a conspiratorially low voice, leaning a bit into me.
I shiver in pleasure, part because of his proximity and part because I have to restrain the urge to grab his neck, pull him down and kiss him to death.
Sleep last night was hard to come to me. My body and mind couldn’t calm down, overwhelmed in the best way until the early hours of the morning, when exhaustion finally claimed me. I’ve never felt so strong about someone in such a short time, but then again, I used to crush hard on Jack in high school, so maybe that has something todo with it. He’s grown up, splendidly if I may add, and everything suggests that he’s no longer skirting the line between an evil bully and a decent human being. I smile to myself, failing to hide it. He’s definitely the latter.
“What’s so funny?” he asks, chuckling as he strokes a lock of my hair like he can’t help it.
“Nothing.”
He hums, twirling it around his finger and kissing it.Oh my god, he’s so fucking cute I’m gonna die.“It’s not nothing.”
“You’re imagining things.”
He narrows his pretty hazel eyes at me, ripping another delightful tremble out of me. “Are you thinking naughty throughs by any chance, Ryan?”
“No way, you dork.”
“No, no. I’m not condemning it. If anything, I’m encouraging it.”
Emily clears her throat, causing us both to look at her. She has her hands on her hips and she’s trying to scowl at us, but the smile lurking beneath her frown betrays her amusement. “Eww. Stop being so lovey-dovey, it makes me jealous. Also, dear brother, need I remind you we came here with an ulterior motive?”
Oh? Now that has me intrigued. “Is that so? Very sneaky of you.” I eye the brownie, surmising it’s an offering meant to sweeten me up to whatever they might want.
