Page 59 of Monster Among the Roses (Fairy Tale Quartet 1)

She shook her head. “I know you weren’t angling for any. I’m just telling it like I see it.”

My breath caught in my throat. She really did see me the way she described. It registered through my system like a shock. “Well, whatever the reason, it’s making me want to kiss you right now.” I pushed away from the wall to stroll near her.

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Trust me. I didn’t say it to—”

But it was too late. I grasped her hand and tugged her against me. “I’m going to kiss you anyway.” Then I dipped my head and brushed my mouth across hers.

Our lips shifted, clung and then pressed together before I cupped her face and deepened things. Tongues danced, bodies closed in, breaths quickened. My fingers slipped down the sides of her neck, then her back until I was clutching her ass. Damn, it felt even better against my fingers than it looked in yoga pants.

When a moan sang from her throat, I lifted her slightly, rubbing us together, letting her feel my arousal, taste my passion.

“I can’t get enough of you,” I admitted, trailing the tip of my nose along the front of her throat. Her scent clouded my nostrils and we both shuddered.

Hand clasping my shoulder, her fingers bit through the cloth of my shirt as she tipped her head back and gave a husky laugh, taunting me. “Too bad you’re on the clock.”

Earlier, I’d made a strict rule there would be no hanky-panky between us while I was working. I was adamant about it, wanting to remain honorable and trustworthy to her dad. But to Isobel, I swear it became a challenge to tempt me at every turn.

“Dammit,” I muttered, stepping back. “You put on that ruby-red lipstick on purpose, didn’t you?”

She smiled, her eyes glinting with mischievousness.

Chuckling, because I really couldn’t mind her seduction attempts at all, I shook my head, murmuring, “Evil. You’re just plain evil.” Then I leaned closer and more quietly added, “I like it.”

Her eyebrow arched primly as she glanced down at the obvious tent in my pants. “Yes, I believe you do.”

I sent her a wolfish grin. “I won’t be on the clock forever, you know.”

Her smile and giddy laugh did my heart good. Touching her, kissing her, dreaming about going further was all good and well, but being able to make her laugh…that was the true triumph. She’d changed so much since the first day I’d been here, and I couldn’t help but swell with pride and accomplishment, knowing I’d been the one to nudge her from her shell. And I was the one to reap the benefits of it too, because once she was free from her insecurities, she was amazing.

Cheeks still flushed with pleasure, she cleared her throat and turned away from me. “What were we doing in here again?” she asked as she faced a silver rack sitting against the wall. “Oh right. Planting the baby rosebushes.”

“Our babies,” I immediately cooed when she picked up a seedpod where the tiny sprout was getting bigger. Instead of one inch tall as they had been when I’d first seen them, they were now three inches. “Aww.” I couldn’t help it, my heart melted. “They’re so cute. Can we name one Groot?”

Isobel sputtered a laugh and shook her head. “We can’t just name one.” Then she sent me an impish grin. “The others would get jealous.”

“So it’s settled.” I snapped my fingers. “We must name them all. This one can be Shaw, Jr., and ooh, that one looks like a girl. She’ll be Isobel, Jr.”

She snickered. “How the heck do they look like girl or boy plants?”

I shrugged, simply enjoying the playfulness of the moment. “No idea.” I pointed to another. “We’ll have to name one Margaret after my mom, and…” I glanced up. “What was your mom’s name?”

Gaze softening and eyes glittering with emotion, she swallowed before softly saying, “Annalise.”

“Annalise,” I murmured. “That’s pretty. I like that name.”

Her smile was watery and grateful. “It’s my middle name.”

I shifted a piece of hair out of her eyes, and she didn’t even flinch when I accidentally brushed past her scar. “Then we should name them all Annalise.”

She made an amused sound, but sadness lingered in her eyes, which I was sure was what prompted her to turn away. “So, where do you want to plant them?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Wherever you think best.” She kept gnawing on her lip as she studied the garden, unable to make a decision, so I pointed to the first bare patch of ground I saw. “What about there?”

Isobel stiffened, her entire bearing charged with tense distress. “Not there.”

When she immediately turned away, I crinkled my brow and turned to study the ground. “Why not there?”

She said nothing. I touched her back. “Isobel?”

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