by Angela Hayes
“Perfect. Thank you.” Flora smiled, stepping into her pants. “He loves me?” she asked again, needing reassurance.
“Who wouldn’t?” Fia nodded, elbowing Runa.
“I’ll call Baker’s Dozen and order crepes with strawberries and sausage. You can pick them up on your way.”
“And to save you some time…” Fia phased out, phasing back minutes later showing off the gourd she’d picked up.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you two,” Flora said as she hugged them both.
“Be horribly dressed and running late,” Runa surmised, with a pat to her back.
“No doubt,” Flora agreed. “Anything I’m forgetting?”
“Just your car.” The banshee grinned. “I cranked it before I hit the shop.”
“You two have thought of everything. Bless you.” Blowing air kisses, Flora took the gourd from Fia and before she could change her mind, headed for Tharin’s.
Chapter 8
Walking to Tharin’s front door, Flora began to have second thoughts. Maybe she had been hasty in showing up without a phone call. Aw, Snapdragons! What if the man was in the shower, getting all sudsy? Or, he could still be sleeping. Preferably in the nude and alone. But what if he had company? Oh gladiolus! What if someone else was in there with him and he was just leading her on? If that was the case, she wouldn’t have the tattoo then, would she?
Turning to retreat, Flora jerked back around at the sound of barking coming from the other side of the door. She plastered a hasty smile on her face when the door opened without her knocking.
“Good morning, Flora.”
“Tharin. Hi. I was…I brought…. Uh, here. Breakfast.” She rambled, shoving the to-go bag at Tharin’s plaid-covered chest, unable to meet his eyes. “And a house-warming gift.” She awkwardly held up the decorated gourd for him to see.
“Please, come in before you freeze. Dorielle, back. Sit,” Tharin commanded the small dog that was trying her best to ease around his legs.
“Oh, okay.” Stepping over the threshold, Flora began to apologize. “I’m sorry for showing up out of the blue like this. I don’t…I’m not…” Her rambling drew to a halt as she noted the way Tharin’s jeans hugged his nicely formed butt as he walked in front of her. She blushed.
“Thank you for breakfast. I was just about to head out. Smells good.”
“It’s crepes and sausage.” She shrugged nonchalant, as he led her into the sparse galley kitchen with rich wood cabinets. The sound of Dorielle’s nails clickity-clacked on the hardwood floor. “Runa ordered it.”
“Runa sounds very efficient.”
“She’s an elf, so that explains a lot. She loves to be right and can’t stand it when her life, my life, or Fia’s is unorganized.” Bending down to let the dog sniff her outstretched fingers, Flora laughed as the small animal tried to climb on her bent knees and lick her on the chin. “What a cutie.” A vanilla Frenchie, her nails painted pink to match a rhinestone collar. Running her hands over her short coat, Flora could see a patch of light brown fur on Dorielle’s hip in the shape of a heart. Cute.
“She’s a spoiled diva. Now that you’ve petted her, she won’t leave you alone. Dori, bed,” Tharin ordered before pulling a pair of plastic forks and plates from a bag. “Fia is a banshee, correct?”
Dusting her knees off, Flora rose. “She is. That a problem for you?” She was well aware there were a few who chose to avoid the darker fae on principle alone.
“She just seems an unlikely companion to yours and Runa’s duo.”
“What? Please. If Fia wasn’t a banshee, she could totally be a gorse. There’s a part of her that craves the light we’re born with. She’s been drawn to it since the first day of kindergarten. I’ll never forget how she came up to me, took my hand, closed those magnificent blue eyes of hers, and said, ‘Saol’.”
“Life.” Tharin translated the Irish word, pulling the Styrofoam breakfast containers from their bag.
“She had the biggest smile on her face; we ended up standing there for like five minutes. We were actually friends before Runa joined us. From that day on, we all just sort of clicked. We fill in each other’s voids and strengthen what’s already there. It was actually Fia’s idea to open the shop years ago.”
Reaching into the stack of napkins, Tharin gestured for Flora to join him at the counter. “Come, share. There’s plenty here for us both. Then I’ll show you around.”
“Okay,” Flora agreed, trading the gourd for the paper plate Tharin had filled. “It’s so open.” Flora complimented, looking around. “Peeking in the windows doesn’t do it justice. I like how the kitchen and living room flow together and that’s supposed to be the dining area, right?” She pointed with her plastic fork, envisioning the wood table with metal legs and cushioned high back chairs she’d seen on her last trip to Tartan and Thistle.
“It is. You see this window here.” Tharin directed to his right where the kitchen split into sides. “I’ll be taking that wall out as soon as the weather warms. Put in a bayed breakfast nook to bring in more light. Where those French doors are,” Tharin pointed into the living room, “will be two guest rooms and a bath. And the door behind us,” Tharin gestured again, “that leads to the attached greenhouse. Right now it’s a mess. All the glass panes will need to be removed and replaced, the stone shored up where it’s cracking. But I imagine once I get a few plants in, it will be the most used room in the house.”
“That’s a lot of work. Right now it’s just one bed, one bath, right?”
“Correct. The master is to the left of the front door with a bath and laundry attached.”
“If you like, I know someone who can help. He’s a troll.” Flora grinned. “So he’s not the best with words, but he’ll give you a great deal. His son made the gourd fairy house, cute li’l fella, he just turned ten. I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for him.”
Looking over the decorated gourd, Tharin nodded. “If his father does half as decent work, I’m sure he’s excellent.”
“Great.” Flora smiled, suddenly self-conscious. “Well, I need to be going. Those flowers won’t sell themselves, and I’ve got a long day ahead of me.”
“Will you have a break for lunch?”
“Maybe sometime around one if things go well.”
“Pencil me in.”
“You got it.” Flora blushed, heading for the door, Tharin behind her. “Well, um, I guess, I’ll be going.”
“Before you go, I think you forgot something.”
“I did?”
“A goodbye kiss.”
Eyes wide, Flora opened her mouth just as Tharin settled his over hers, eliciting a moan of pleasure and a shot of heat from her new tattoo. He tasted like warm strawberries.
“So sweet.”
“Lovely.” She agreed in a daze, the cold unable to penetrate the flames of desire the cupid had ignited within her as she stumbled out to her car.
****
Running a hand through his hair, Tharin began to rub absently at his left wrist. Where yesterday there had been a lonely scrolled arrow, a heart now sat in the center of the shaft; pierced by Cupid’s bow.
“Well Dori, what do you think?”
Turning in a circle before sitting with a cheerful bark, Dori gave her acceptance.
“Me too,” Tharin agreed. “Now, what shall we do about it?”
Chapter 9
“A Touch of Wild Flora,” Flora sang, into the phone a week later. “How can I help you?”
“I’d like to take you out.”
“Like in public?” Flora squeaked, recognizing Tharin’s spine-tingling voice. “Why?”
“A beautiful woman deserves to be shown off. Public is the best place to do that.”
“Beautiful, huh?”
“Dazzling.”
“What did you have in mind?” Flora asked, dipping a finger into a cup of colored water. Using her fairy magic, she began to paint the line of white roses in front of her. Every year her rainbow roses
sold like hot cakes.
“That is a surprise. How about I pick you up an hour after closing?”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll see you then, sweet Flora.”
Hanging up the phone, Flora did a little victory dance.
“Wooh-hoo. Breaking down the dance floor.” Fia teased, bumping hips with Flora as she joined in.
“This girl has a date.”
“Mmmm. Sounds like things between you and Tharin are heating up.”
“Simmer on the way to boiling. The man is incredible. If you told me a week ago I would be falling head over heels in love, I would not have believed you.”
“Seems cupid’s arrow has found its mark.”
“Do you think its rushing things?” Flora wondered, her hips coming to a rest as her enthusiasm dimmed.
“I think there are things you don’t rush. A paint job, a soufflé, but love is not one of them. Every day I see people who wish they had more time. Who wished they hadn’t put off the things that really matter. Just because our life lines are long and can be utterly exhausting, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t grab the bull by the horns and ride it for all its worth.”
“You’re right. You’re so right.”
“And by bull, I mean Tharin. You should really ride him for all its worth. I bet he’ll be incredible in bed.”
“Fi!” Flora admonished, adding more color to another bloom.
“What? You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. Honey, I thought about it the first time I set eyes on him.”
“I’ve thought about it,” Flora agreed. “I’m just not sure how to go about it.”
“You take the lead. Right now I’m sure he’s waiting on you to make the real moves.”
“I can’t just…I’ve never.”
“Which is all the more reason for you to take the initiative,” Fia answered. “When’s the big date?”
“Tharin’s picking me up here at seven.”
“Great. Close early and you can hit him as soon as he walks through the door, BOOM! He’ll least expect it.”
“I’m not going to seduce him in my flower shop,” Flora scolded.
“You don’t have to seduce him. Just give him a taste of what’s coming, get him to take you to his house and do the seducing there!”
Flora rolled the idea around in her head. She hadn’t held onto her virginity this long to give it away on a spur of the moment decision. She also knew fae-society had no qualms about how freely they gave their bodies. Her dad was the Green Man after all, single-handedly trying to keep the fae population alive. But that didn’t mean she had any intention of following in his footsteps.
“You never did say where he was taking you.” Fia interrupted her train of thought.
“It’s a surprise.”
“You hate surprises.”
“He doesn’t know that.”
“Oh boy!”
****
The rest of the afternoon she and Fia played the, Where to Game, trying to guess where Tharin was taking her. While they came up with some great ideas, all Flora ended up with was an achy head and a stomach full of butterflies.
Just before dinner, Fia handed Flora the van keys, sending her home with a wink and orders to make herself seduction ready. Since Flora had never seduced a man before, she could only guess at what all needed doing. Pulling up at the shop two hours later, dressed in a black sweater, yellow jeans, and knee high boots, she hoped she had covered all her bases.
By seven, Flora’s nerves were as taut as a bowstring. “Wooza. Look at you!”
“Too much?”
“No, just right. Love the yellow pants. They’ll really pull his eyes to your business area!”
Feeling cheeky, Flora replied, “Good that’s just what I had in mind.” She came to the conclusion while getting ready that Tharin was the cupid for her. After a long talk with herself, she decided tonight would be the night she’d lose her virginity.
****
At Tharin’s knock an hour later she nearly jumped out of her skin. Unlocking the door, Flora pushed her inhibitions to the side. She took Fia’s advice and grabbed the bull by the horns, or rather, the cupid by his lapels, pulling Tharin in for a kiss.
Their tongues rubbed together in a slow dance as the fire between them built to a fevered pitch. Pressing herself as close to Tharin as possible, Flora was both thrilled and nervous to feel the bulge in his pants pressing against her stomach.
“My sweet Flora,” Tharin whispered seductively in her ear as he pressed searing kisses along her neck and into the hollow where her shoulder met. Keeping her pulled close with one hand, the second came up under her shirt, infiltrating her bra to cup her breast, running a caressing thumb across her nipple.
Inflamed and needing to get closer to him, Flora slid her hands inside his coat, her fingers searching for a way under the layers of clothes so she could press them against the skin of his taut chest. With a moan of appreciation, she found her goal. Oh, the man felt like silk covered steel. Dips and hollows in all the right places. Running her hands along his spine, up and down to where his pants hugged his hips, Flora teased them along his waist until she came to the zipper in the front. Tharin covered Flora’s hand with a chuckle.
Face in the hollow of Flora’s neck, Tharin gave her one last kiss before pulling away.
“While that was a wonderful greeting, this is not the surprise I had in mind.”
Blushing, Flora took a step back, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, sweet Flora. I enjoy a good make out session every now and then.” As if to prove his point, Tharin pressed several quick kisses to Flora’s lips. “And as much as I want to continue this, if we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.”
Arranging her scarf, Flora pulled her jacket and gloves on. “You never did tell me where we were going.” She pushed him out of the shop and locked the door behind her.
“Curious? We’ll be there in flash.” Tharin smiled, taking Flora by the hand. “Ready?”
“Don’t we need a car?”
“Who needs a car when we can phase?”
In an instant, Flora went from standing on the covered stoop of her shop, to an open air parking lot in the cold starlight.
Cars were parked all around them and lights could be seen across the way. Garbled music and warped conversations drifted over the scent of hot chocolate and hamburgers.
Wrapping his arm around Flora’s shoulders, Tharin directed her toward the pay booth.
Chapter 10
“Ice skating! You took me ice skating!” Flora grinned, clapping her hands. “Oh, I’ve been so busy this winter I haven’t had time to go. Tharin, that was perfect.” On tiptoes she placed a kiss to Tharin’s cheek. “Thank you for a wonderful time.”
It would be a night she would remember forever. The two of them gliding hand-in-hand across the ice, as if they were the only ones in the world. Drinking hot chocolate and eating hamburgers like teenagers without a care. Flora never wanted this night to end.
“I can’t remember when I’ve had so much fun,” Tharin confessed. “The last time I was on the ice must have been well over a hundred years ago. I forgot how much I enjoyed it.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. Flora enjoyed the way she fit into his side. It made her wonder, not for the first time, how well their bodies would fit together when they finally made love.
Walking back to the secluded tree in the parking lot where they had phased in, Flora reveled in the heat Tharin’s body provided, cocooned safe under his arm.
“Tharin?”
“Yes.”
“I’d like to go home with you tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
“I told you I don’t do flings. I think we can make something out of this and I’m ready to take things to the next level. I’m ready to make love to you.”
Without being told a second time, Tharin phased them to his house. In seconds, they am
bled toward the bed, laughing and kissing as they hurried to take their clothes off.
Jackets were thrown to the ground, scarves tossed carelessly into the air. Boots were kicked across the room and like putting on the brakes, the pace changed, slowing so they wouldn’t be rushed, savoring their first skin-to-skin moments.
Hands at Tharin’s waist for balance, Flora slipped her fingertips under the bunched material of his sweater, sliding it up and over his head, finally face to face with the thick muscular chest she’d dreamed of since spilling her coffee on it nearly two weeks ago. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to the place she could feel his heart pounding out of control. Inhaling his warmth and scent, she smiled as she felt him tremble under her touch.
“Highly effective in oral communication.” He joked. “Your turn,” he demanded, holding Flora at arm’s length, kissing her as her hand strayed to the hard ridge along the front of his jeans.
Working fast, Tharin pulled Flora’s shirt over her head to reveal a pair of small, firm lace-covered breasts. Using his thumbs to bring her nipples to a peak, through the thin fabric, elicited a moan from her throat. Pressing into his touch, Flora yearned for more. She needed his touch, wanted his taste, and when he began to kiss her neck, she thought she’d died and gone to paradise.
With nimble fingers, he chucked Flora’s bra at the pile of discarded clothing and just as fast, her panties followed, and those yellow pants that had taunted him all night.
“What’s this?” He paused, noticing the arrow under her breast that had begun to emit a red glow.
“Um, it showed up the night you kissed me.” Flora pointed out, taking Tharin’s wrist in her hand, pressing a kiss to it. “Kind of like yours.”
With more than a little surprise, Tharin noticed the arrow that had been giving him so many fits lately was glowing with the same shade of red as Flora’s.
“In the light of recent discoveries, I’m inclined to give the Fates a bit more leeway where my future’s concerned.”
