Page 6 of Wallflower in Bloom

Jack awkwardly turned to Violet.

Oh god. Now he was looking directly at her. It was like having a 10,000-watt spotlight of sexy sunshine on her. “Come on in. Um, sorry, I’m so dirty, and the place isn’t picked up.”

“As long as it has a place for Todd’s litter box, we’ll do fine.”

They walked toward Violet’s back porch, and fireflies winked as dusk settled over the yard.

Jack cleared his throat. “I love these things. Like little fairies meandering through the grass on their way to important business.”

Ugh. Fairies meandering. Her heart couldn’t take how dreamy he was. “You like lightning bugs?”

“They’re enchanting and sadly not common where I grew up.” He paused, waiting for her to go up the cottage stairs first. “I hope you’ll allow me to pay for housing us.”

“Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.” Violet slammed her mouth shut and considered a collar and leash for it, since it liked to run so much. She swallowed, trying to be normal. “I love hosting people.”

I just never expected to host the star of all my sexual fantasies.

Chapter

Two

JACK

As they approached the cottage’s back door, Jack Grant looked down at Gray’s cute, curvy friend, who welcomed him and Todd with open arms.

On the way to her cottage, Gray had threatened him to be a monk-like gentleman around Violet. It made more sense now. This woman was endearingly innocent. Only a monster would think she’d be up for a one-night stand with a playboy like himself.

“If you grab your bag, I’ll grab Todd. Or do you prefer Toddrick?” Violet peered into the cat crate.

His lips quirked. She was cute as a button, even if she did have questionable taste in gardening clothes. Her owlish eyes peeked at him from behind her large, out-of-fashion glasses that covered most of her face.

She had the most enormous eyes he’d ever seen. They’d make a cartoon princess jealous with their innocence and sparkling humor. Her head was permanently tilted in a friendly, innocent gesture as if listening for what someone might say next.

She was nervous, and she definitely recognized him from the show.

God, I hope she’s not a fangirl.

They paid his bills, but he needed a certain distance from them to keep his sanity. He could never be the Lord Eagleton of their dreams.

In reality, he was just plain Jack Grant from the West Country of England. Shite at cooking, terrible dancer, cable network celebrity. Hopefully, she’d seen him in a supporting role in last year’s Christmas movie before Beyond the Manor Walls had taken off.

Or, hell, maybe she’d seen the clickbait news articles about him coming out of a jail cell after being held overnight.

After he’d fucked up his life yet again with ‘problematic choices,’ to use his employer’s terms. His agent hadn’t stopped hounding him for an apology statement so the Wayridge Network, the pinnacle of romance entertainment, wouldn’t fire him.

But that son of a bitch who slung hateful, slur-filled words at his mate had it coming. Jack was happy to smash his fist into that asshole’s face repeatedly until the cops came, but now everything was fucked up beyond all recognition.

He wouldn’t apologize; he couldn’t on principle.

“Ready?” Violet interrupted his thoughts.

“Right, of course. Lead the way.”

Maybe he’d go to bed early. He’d leave her to her fangirling and figure out where to spend the next six weeks so no one could find him.

Did Antarctic Cruises accept cats?

Lost in thought, Jack walked under the arched doorway of the thatched-roof cottage.

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