Page 272 of Bad Wolf (Wild Men 4)

“Me?” She does a terrible show of innocence, fluttering her lashes, widening her eyes and pressing her hand to her chest. “How low you think of me.”

“And enough of historical series, or whatever it is you’re watching.” I finally gather myself together and stalk out of the kitchen, thinking to grab a shower and do something productive for a change. Take my mind off things.

Off him.

“The flowers are already here!” she yells after me. “They arrived earlier this morning, and I had nothing to do with them.” A pause while I turn back around. “But I did see them in the cup. Oh ye of little faith.”

“Who would send me roses?” I grumble as I trail after Kayla into the living room.

“Jesse Lee?”

“No. Jesse has trouble shopping.”

“Seriously? He doesn’t have to go out and buy the flowers himself, only call and give his credit card number.”

But he said he doesn’t have a bank account. He said he keeps his money in his room.

“And they’re white roses,” she says, lifting the bouquet from the sofa. “Who’d buy you white roses?”

My hands tremble as I grab the small envelope stuck on the bouquet and tear it open. I withdraw the small white card.

“Embers,” it reads in scratchy, crooked handwriting that I doubt belongs to the florist’s employee. “You’re the only girl I’d ever kiss.”

Holy crap. It’s from him. Which means he went out and shopped… Which means he wrote this note.

Which means he remembered what I told him at the wedding.

My head hurts.

“Are they from him, then?” Kayla appears behind me, and I yelp and manage not to drop the roses in the last moment. “Jesse?”

“Yes.” I hand them to her, not sure what I want to do with them. With his note. His gesture.

“Well, see? I told you. Double hearts.” She smells the roses. “I guess we should expect snow.”

“It’s summer, Kay. Frigging warm, too.”

“Yes, but Jesse Lee sent a girl roses.” She winks. “Today’s date should be engraved in stone for future generations.”

I shake my head, suddenly pissed with this charade. “He kissed a girl right in front of me. Some stupid roses won’t make me forgive him.”

“Twelve roses.” She waves the bouquet at me, as if I didn’t notice it. “White. Beautiful roses.”

Huffing, I plop onto the couch. I’m pissed, but okay, I’m also a tiny bit in awe of the roses. Never received flowers from a boy before, and I’m slightly giddy.

A pity I hate him right now. He disgusts me. He sucks.

Oh God, I’m going to start bawling again. No way. I pull my laptop toward me, log in, absently check the updates of my Chicago friends. “You were right. I should never have slept with him. I was being stupid.”

“He’s hot. Told you I would’ve slept with him in a heartbeat.” She sinks on the sofa next to me. “The trick is not to fall in love.”

Yeah. Piece of cake. I click on my inbox to check my emails. I do that every morning, a habit I picked up a year ago because of assignments.

“You’ve never fallen in love, then?” I scroll down. “Ever?”

“Of course not. Love is too much work.”

I glance at the roses, left by Kayla on the low coffee table. “Gifts are a sign of a guilty conscience, right?”

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