In Full Bloom (Second Chances 1)

As he stepped inside, he said, “That was the moment that I decided you were going to be trouble of the best kind.” Once he’d made it through the door, he reached out, pulling her up against him, and gave her a hug.

He felt her stiffen for a moment, then relax against him. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and asked, “Sleepy?”

He heard a muffled, “Exhausted,” against his chest.

He released her and said, “Then let’s go lie down.”

She looked up at him, hesitation written on her face. Finally, she asked, “Are you sure? It’s pretty early.”

“If I leave you to your own devices, you’re going to sit here and stew about all that shit we talked about in the car, aren’t you?”

She smiled wryly and said, “That sounds about right.”

“If you want me to go so you can do that, then I can. I just don’t like to see you unhappy,” he said, at a loss.

She shook her head and said, “No. Please stay.”

As soon as they slid into bed, he urged her to roll over on her stomach. Gently, he kneaded the tension from her neck and shoulders. Other than the occasional sigh of pleasure when another group of muscles became unknotted, she was completely silent.

Eventually, she said, “Thank you. That was amazing.”

He flexed his hands and then moved to snuggle in behind her. Pressing his lips against her shoulder, he said, “You’re welcome.”

They lay there for a few minutes, until he felt her breathing even out. She had fallen asleep. Mission accomplished. If only he could turn off his own mind now.

Chapter 13

Taryn stepped out on to the roof of the building, two cups of coffee in hand, and made her way to the greenhouse. Adjusting the mugs in her hand, she gripped the handles carefully in one hand, then opened the door, only sloshing a little bit over her hand.

Evan looked up, a sleepy smile on his face, and said, “Morning.”

She said, “Morning. I brought coffee. Interested?”

She set them down on a nearby shelf, then watched as he set the flower pot down and slipped the gloves off his hands. As he approached her, he said, “You’re amazing. Thank you.”

Instead of going for the cup, he shoved the gloves into his back pocket, then slid his arms around her and said, “Morning, baby. How’d you sleep?”

“Great,” she said, snuggling into him.

“Feeling better this morning?” he asked.

“Definitely. Thank you for last night, by the way.”

“No thanks necessary,” he said, pulling back and settling his hands on her hips.

“It is necessary,” she said softly. There was so much that she wanted to say, but she was absolutely terrified to put any of it into words.

Hesitating, she finally added, “I’ve never really believed much in luck before now, but I know I’m incredibly lucky to have you.”

She watched as the expression on his face softened. He cupped her cheek, seemingly at a loss for words, then leaned his forehead against hers. Their mouths just a breath apart, he finally said, “You have no idea what you do to me, Taryn.”

Taryn tilted her chin up, so their mouths met. She brushed her lips across his gently a few times before their mouths clung together. She felt his fingers slide from her cheek to tangle in her hair. As he angled his head to deepen the kiss, she sighed and then slid her hands up the back of his T-shirt to trace her fingertips along the muscular ridges of his back.

When his mouth broke away from hers some time later, his eyes gleamed. He said, “You’ve got ten seconds to go or I’m going to make you late for work, baby.”

“Mmm,” she said, reaching up to pull his mouth back down to hers. “Make me late for work, Evan.”

With a groan of surrender, he nipped at her lips as his hands moved to work at the knot in the belt of her robe. When he loosened it, he slid the robe off her shoulders and tossed it onto the work bench behind her.