Bonus Chapter 1
The garden had been mine for years.
I’d spent countless mornings out here, often before the rest of the house had properly woken. There was something deeply satisfying about working with my hands, tending to something from the ground up, and watching a patch of earth slowly transform beneath my care.
I knew this place without having to think about it. I knew when something was wrong before there was any obvious sign, which corners needed attention, which tasks could wait until tomorrow, and which couldn’t.
I liked the patience it demanded. Nothing here could be rushed. A seed didn’t care how badly I wanted it to grow. A rose wouldn’t bloom because I was impatient. You planted, watered, pruned, waited, and trusted that, in time, your work would become something worth looking at.
There was comfort in that.
It was one of the few things in my life that had always been mine—a place I could disappear into and forget about everything else for a while.
Which was why, when Alessia told me she wanted to spend my birthday morning out here with me, I couldn’t hide my excitement.
She wanted to garden with me.
I’d been ridiculously pleased about it.
Maybe embarrassingly so.
I’d spent the entire morning showing her where everything belonged, explaining what needed watering, what needed pruning, what needed support, and which plants needed a gentler touch.
She’d listened to every word, nodding along with an expression of such serious concentration that I’d genuinely believed she was taking it all in.
She’d even asked questions.
I’d been so proud of her.
I’d been a fool.
“See?” Alessia held up the small plant she’d just finished burying, her face glowing with satisfaction. “That’s perfect, right?”
I stared at it.
Then at her.
Then back at the plant.
My brain struggled to process what I was looking at.
The poor thing was leaning so far to one side that it looked ready to collapse from exhaustion. Half its roots were sticking out of the soil, the dirt had been packed around the stem with enough force to suffocate it, and she’d somehow managed to bury two of its leaves underground.
I slowly blinked.
Alessia’s smile widened.
“Well?”
I looked at the plant again.
It was dying.
I was almost certain it was dying.
And she was standing there looking at me with the proudest expression I’d ever seen, waiting for me to praise her work.
I had never been more afraid of telling my wife the truth.
“Sweetheart,” I began, choosing each word with painful care because I valued both my marriage and my continued existence, “you know I love you, right?”
Her eyes narrowed at once.
“Why are you saying that?”
“I just think…” I rubbed the back of my neck, buying myself precious seconds while I desperately searched for the least offensive way to say what I needed to say. “Maybe gardening should stay my thing?”
One of her brows climbed.
“What?”
“It’s not because you’re bad or anything,” I rushed on, holding up both hands before she could take that the wrong way. “Not bad. Not at all. You’re wonderful. Incredible, actually. It’s just that gardening requires a lot of work. And time. And patience. A great deal of patience.”
Her stare sharpened.
“And you already work so hard,” I added quickly, digging myself deeper with every syllable. “So maybe you could leave the gardening to me. I’d be happy to handle it. You could relax. Sit somewhere. Read a book. Drink something. Rest.”
“Uh-huh.”
She gave a slow nod, her expression going eerily calm.
That was never a good sign.
“That’s what this is about,” she murmured.
Then she pushed herself to her feet, brushed the dirt from her palms, and started toward the house without another word.
I stared after her for half a second, completely thrown by the abrupt change.
Then I hurried after her, my brows drawing together as I tried to figure out what the hell had just happened.
“What?” I called, quickening my pace until I was beside her. “What is it about?”
She kept walking, her face unreadable, and that frightened me far more than anger ever could.
“You want to sleep in the guest room tonight,” she said without breaking her stride.
I nearly tripped over my own feet.
“What?”
I stared at her, my stomach dropping.
“No. Wait—what? Why would I be sleeping in the guest room?”
But I knew why.
I’d played with fire, and now I was watching the consequences walk away from me with that infuriatingly calm expression on her face.
“You could’ve just told me, Cassian.” She pushed open the door with a sigh, finally glancing back at me. There was a faint glint of amusement in her eyes, which only made this worse. “There was no need to give an entire speech about gardening.”
“No.”
I stepped in front of her.
“No, absolutely not. I am not sleeping in the guest room.”
Her lips pressed together, fighting the smile tugging at them. She had no business looking that beautiful while trying to punish me.
“It’s sad, really. I was actually looking forward to spending some time with you before dinner tonight. Everyone will be there, and I thought maybe we could spend some time in the garden together and then…”
Her gaze drifted over me, slow and lingering, pausing just long enough on my mouth to make my pulse kick hard against my throat.
“…well, I’m sure you can imagine what I had in mind.”
My breath caught.
Every thought in my head vanished beneath the heat rushing through me.
Oh.
“But it’s fine,” she sighed, giving me an almost pitiful look. “I’ll find a book and read somewhere while you enjoy your gardening.”
She started to slip past me, and I stepped closer until her body brushed against mine.
The contact was enough to tear through what little restraint I had left.
I caught her gaze, my attention dropping to her lips before returning to her eyes.
“Fuck gardening,” I muttered.
Her eyebrows lifted.
“It’s the worst.” My hand curved around her waist, drawing her closer. “I hate it.”
The smile tugging at the corner of my mouth betrayed me completely.
“You love it.”
She slipped her arms around my neck, a teasing smile curling across her lips as she pulled me flush against her.
I smiled, unable to hide how completely she had undone me.
I leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek, then another to the other side, savoring every second I had her this close.
Her breath caught against my skin, and the tiny hitch sent a shiver down my spine, sharpening every sensation until all I wanted was to hear it again.
“I hate gardening,” I murmured against her cheek, my lips grazing her skin between each word. “It’s dirty, it’s exhausting, and there are worms. Disgusting little creatures with absolutely no respect for personal boundaries.”
She laughed softly, her fingers threading through my hair, and I closed my eyes, surrendering to the warmth of her touch.
I could have stayed there forever.
“You’ve been doing it for years,” she reminded me, her fingertips gently combing through my hair. “And in all those years, I’ve never heard you complain once.”
“I was young and foolish,” I said, stealing another kiss from her cheek. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into.”
A kiss landed against her temple, then her forehead, each one slower and softer, lingering a little longer than the last.
“The garden has ruined my life,” I continued, brushing my lips over the tip of her nose. “And today, it had the audacity to upset you. That’s unforgivable.”
“You’re ridiculous,” she breathed.
“And yet you married me.”
My thumb traced a slow path along her waist as I leaned toward her ear.
“Twice.”
Her fingers tightened in my hair, and she drew back just enough to meet my gaze.
“I was young and foolish,” she murmured, turning my own words against me. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into.”
My eyes roamed over her face, taking in every breathtaking detail until I forgot what I’d been about to say.
My thoughts scattered the longer I looked at her.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” I whispered.
I closed the space between us, my lips finding hers in a kiss filled with everything I felt for her.
I kissed her with all the affection, want, and devotion I couldn’t put into words. I tilted my head, deepening the kiss, and for a few precious seconds, the rest of the world seemed to disappear.
She met me with the same hunger, her fingers tightening in my hair and drawing a strained breath from me.
I smiled against her lips before kissing her again, my arms tightening around her waist as I pulled her closer.
Every little reaction from her made it harder to remember that there was supposed to be anything else in the world besides this.
When I finally pulled back a fraction, she followed me instinctively, and the tiny reaction sent a fierce rush through me.
I smiled.
Then kissed her again.
My hand slid over her waist and up her spine, tracing the curve of it beneath my palm.
Without breaking the kiss, I scooped her into my arms, earning a soft gasp against my mouth.
Her legs immediately wrapped around my waist, her arms tightening around my neck as she laughed breathlessly between kisses.
I carried her toward our bedroom, barely managing to keep my eyes open long enough to see where I was going.
Neither of us seemed willing to put so much as an inch between us.
Needless to say, gardening was officially over for the day.
“Has he been here before?” Felicity asked, her eyes widening as she watched him.
“Nope. First time.” I shrugged, taking a sip of my drink.
Liam leaned forward, openly fascinated. “I’m starting to think he secretly owns a restaurant somewhere.”
“It’s not that impressive. I can do it too.”
Four pairs of eyes snapped toward Cassian.
Even Naija looked up from her phone.
He stared at us, visibly offended by our complete lack of faith in him. “What? I can.”
My husband could cook. He was damn good at it, too.
But Rohan had walked into our kitchen and completely transformed it into his domain.
I curled my fingers around Cassian’s arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Of course you can.”
Liam nodded solemnly. “Yeah. You can do anything you put your mind to.”