Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Eden
“Addie, you’ve been weird all freaking day. What is going on?” I demanded, adjusting the angle of a framed watercolor painting until it finally hung straight.
It was my favorite of the half dozen now decorating the walls.
This one echoed the shop colors of lavender and baby blue, depicting sensual curves that mimicked the shape of a woman’s hips.
The rest were similar, all in varying shades of blue and purple, but this particular image spoke to me—subtly sensual, just the barest hint of passion hidden within those serene colors.
It was now in a place of honor behind the checkout counter.
“Nothing is going on,” my cousin called, dancing around with a satin bustier clutched to her chest. “I’m just excited for your opening!”
“You’re a liar, that’s what you are,” I grumbled, but I was excited, too.
With the artwork up, the meeting rooms furnished, and the shop’s signage finally unveiled out front, we were ready for action. I’d managed to avoid talking to my cousin about my trip to Dueling Dragons the day before, and she had stayed miraculously silent about her godson’s gift.
Miraculous? Or suspicious?
“Adelaide,” I drawled, “we really should talk about how you played me yesterday.”
Addie hung the bustier back on the rack and blinked wide, innocent eyes in my direction. “Eden, I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talking about. Besides, I’m famished and I have a client at six, so I have to run! I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow, darling!”
My mouth dropped open as she twirled her way toward the front door, then snapped shut when she held the door open for Milo before locking it with her key and dancing down the sidewalk.
Even surrounded by lacy underwear, he looked completely at ease, smiling at me as he approached the counter.
He was wearing what I’d started to think of as his uniform, jeans and a graphic tee depicting a superhero logo, though this time it was underneath a brown canvas jacket with cozy sherpa trim at the collar.
In the late afternoon sunlight coming through my now-uncovered front windows, his auburn hair blazed copper, the ends of it curling just below his ears.
For the second time in as many days, I stood frozen in place, trapped by my own insecurities.
Milo didn’t seem to mind, though, as he strolled toward me. “Eden,” he murmured.
“Milo.”
“I believe I have something of yours,” he said, reaching into his pocket.
When he pulled out the hair clip I’d been wearing the day we met, my breath stalled in my chest. I stayed perfectly still as he reached out and carefully clasped the flower into my hair, but the smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes sent the air whooshing back out of my lungs.
“I was saving it as a souvenir, but with you right next door, I think seeing you in person is an even better reminder.”
His voice was a low rumble that made my insides quiver. I tried not to remember the way it raised goosebumps on my skin when he’d used it to coax and praise and urge me on in my exploration of his body.
“But if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to forget that I came over here to ask you to have dinner with me this evening.”
My head jerked in surprise. “Dinner?”
“Yes, the evening meal. Surely you’ve heard of it?”
“Very funny. You want to have dinner with me?”
Milo moved closer, his eyes focused on my face until he paused with only a few inches between us, then his gaze swept down to my wide-legged overalls and cropped black t-shirt. I bit my lip until he reached out and gently released it with his thumb before dropping his hand.
“I want that and more, Eden, but what about you? Was it just one night for you?”
I sucked in a breath. “No. I didn’t—I’m sorry I ran out on you.”
“What do you want, Eden?” he asked, no longer touching me but still holding me in thrall with that impossibly sexy voice.
Of everything that happened between us, it was the memory of his voice that crept up on me unexpectedly as the days passed.
He had been sweet, generous, impressively talented, and utterly devoted to pleasing me—but that low, deep timbre of his haunted my dreams, the way my name rumbled from his chest and whispered past his lips.
“Dinner,” I squeaked, then kicked myself for being a ninny.
Milo’s lips tipped up at the corners, barely visible through his beard, and he murmured, “That’s a start. Do what you need to do, lock up, and I’ll bring you back to your car later.”
Much to my extremely strict parents’ dismay, I was not built for following orders. When they were issued by Milo’s low baritone, however, I couldn’t resist.
Everything was ready for the grand opening tomorrow morning, so I just checked the back door, grabbed my coat and purse from the little room we’d turned into the employee lounge, and met Milo back in the shop.
However at ease the man looked amidst lace and satin and the occasional marabou feather trim, I felt anything but.
My pulse worked double-time as I approached his spot in the center aisle.
I wondered which of the store’s offerings he might like best and what his reaction would be to seeing me wearing them.
When I came to a halt, he reached out and stroked his knuckles down the side of my throat.
“Relax,” he whispered. “I know you don’t know me very well yet, Eden, but we’ll remedy that over dinner, okay?”
With a breathless laugh, I nodded. “Okay. I’m sorry I made things awkward.”
“Things are awkward because I know what you taste like, but I don’t know your favorite food,” Milo teased, but the words were gentle. “We’ll get past that, and then it will be smooth sailing while we see where this goes. Sound good?”
“Yes. Good. Just, um, if you could not mention tasting me while we’re having dinner, I might be able to act like a regular human being.”
That grin. It got me every time. I remembered how soft the beard surrounding it was, thanks to some hipster beard oil he’d joked about, one that smelled faintly of pine.
“I’ll behave like a perfect gentleman, Eden. Tonight is just dinner and getting to know each other. You have my word.”
I was still mere seconds away from hyperventilation, but I nodded.
This was Milo—sweet, generous, kind Milo.
He didn’t hate me for leaving him alone in that hotel room, wasn’t holding a grudge because I’d made a split-second decision that hurt us both.
In fact, he seemed nothing but pleased to have found me again.
I took the hand he held out to me and led him out the front door, locking it behind us. The brisk January air did very little to soothe me, but when we passed my car, Milo squeezed my hand and chuckled.
“You know, even when I was annoyed at losing my parking spot, I was afraid I might actually like the owner of that car based on the bumper stickers alone. I didn’t peg you as a Zelda fan.”
Lifting my chin, I said, “Don’t tell me you’re one of those gamer dudes who looks down on girls that can kick their asses at video games.”
“Oh ho,” he protested, “I certainly am not. In fact, I welcome video game ass-kicking. Why don’t we pick up dinner, head back to my house to eat, and you can kick my ass at your choice of games while we get to know each other better?”
Normally, I’d assume a first date at a guy’s place was just a ploy to get into my pants, but Milo had already done that—at my very explicit request—so I said, “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Consider me warned,” he replied solemnly, but he winked. “What would you like for dinner?”
Part of scrimping and saving to open the shop meant I didn’t get takeout very often unless I was with Addie, who refused to ever let me pay. “I’ve been wanting to try that new Thai place on the next block. Do you like Thai?”
“Thai Me Down?”
I choked on my laughter. No matter how many times I drove by the sign, it always made me giggle. “Yes.”
“The first non-sexual thing for you to learn about me, Eden, is that I like food. Full stop. Specifically, however, I do love Thai food, so that’s settled. I’ve only ordered from their food truck, but everything I’ve tried has been delicious.”
We continued up the street, holding hands in a way that normally would make me feel awkward but for some reason comforted me instead. When Milo stopped so I could peruse the menu taped up in the restaurant’s front window, I slanted a glance in his direction.
“What?” he asked, cocking his head at me.
“Nothing. Thai food is definitely not the first non-sexual thing I’ve learned about you, that’s all.”
This time, the grin crept across his face slowly, giving me a chance to savor the entire process.
We were close enough for me to catch a whiff of pine, close enough that I could have lifted up on my toes to kiss him.
Though his gaze dropped to my mouth, he gave a tiny shake of his head, like he was reminding himself that he’d promised to be a gentleman tonight.
“There’s plenty more to learn, Eden, for both of us. Let’s order so we can get started.”