by Tess MacKall
Anything but beg.
He’d pleaded with Jenna to have a baby, tried to make their life together work. But nothing had interested her except parties and flying off to this place or that. No. He’d never beg a woman to love him again.
He turned off the shower and stepped out. Grabbing a towel, he looked at the chrome and white bathroom as he dried himself. A lot like his life. Sterile. Nothing in his leased condo held any meaning for him. Long ago he’d packed away the trophies from his glory days and he sure as hell hadn’t collected anything worth remembering from his life with Jenna.
Nick wanted a home. A real home. He’d imagined it ever since he’d bought the property on Jordan Lake. And for the past year that home had included Eden. He’d dreamed about them together enough for both of them. After tonight, the dream would vanish if Eden refused to put the past behind her and come to him.
He tossed the towel to the floor and strode into the bedroom, stopping short at the edge of the bed. More white and chrome. Black accents. Who the fuck can live with white carpet? A person who has nothing in their life, that’s who. Moving over to the long white dresser, he grabbed a pair of boxers and threw them on the bed.
A pale pink bag with gold writing and trim sat on the dresser next to his cell phone charger. He reached inside and brought out a small, elegant glass bottle of perfume.
Perching the bottle in the palm of his hand, he sighed and shook his head. “Nick, you’re crazy.” Oh good. Now he was talking to himself.
He removed the top of the bottle and sniffed the fragrance. Memories of Eden washed over him. He’d asked her mother what perfume she wore when they’d gone shopping for the dress. And last night, desperate, he’d bought a bottle just so he could have some small part of Eden close to him. When had he become such a sap?
He took the bottle over to the bed and sat down. Bringing it to his nose once more, he inhaled deeply. His cock throbbed. Just that scent—that small part of her—stirred him to arousal. Staring at the mirrored closet doors in front of him, he watched his cock rise as he pictured Eden sucking him.
The last night they’d been together, just three nights ago now, she’d proved herself to be more woman than Jenna ever could be. God, how he loved the way she’d teased the tip of his cock with her tongue, the way she’d swallowed every drop of his cum. Aching for release, he gripped his cock tightly and began to stroke himself.
He whispered, “That’s it, honey, suck it. Your mouth is so fucking hot. Feels so damn good.”
Falling backward onto the bed, he visualized Eden between his legs deep throating his cock. Her soot-black hair tickled his skin as her head bobbed up and down. She was so fucking sexy, so into giving him what he wanted. He could tell she wanted to suck him. Wanted to taste him the same way he wanted to taste her.
His heart slammed against his rib cage, beating faster and faster. A slow, simmering burn gathered in his balls, tightening them. His mouth opened, his breathing became ragged. He squeezed his eyes shut and pumped his cock harder, faster.
And the lines between reality and fantasy blurred even faster.
He could feel her sheathe him as she climbed on top and guided his cock inside her. Feel her hands positioned on his hips. The hot, slick glide of their flesh pushed him to his limits and he reached out to touch her just as his cock jerked. His eyes flew open and cum jetted onto his thighs. Gasping for breath, he milked his length, blowing out a long, satisfied breath.
His hand stilled and his heart rate slowed, but contentment wouldn’t come to him. Eden hadn’t really been there and he just couldn’t settle for fantasy when he’d experienced the real thing. And he knew he would never be able to love another woman.
* * * * *
Valentine’s Day had arrived, and with it a sleepy Eden entered the back door to the florist shop. Setting her tote on the workshop table, she walked through the showroom, turned the open sign around to face the street and unlocked the door. She sighed into the emptiness. She’d struggled with sleep all night and expected the day to be long and hard—doubly so because of the eight o’clock deadline that loomed in the back of her mind.
Forgetting Nick’s challenge hadn’t been possible. She’d done nothing but think about it. Even getting out of bed and making a list of why she should and shouldn’t meet him. At one point she’d found herself doodling her name as Eden Lancaster, something she hadn’t done since high school. What a horrible memory that brought back.
Without thinking, she’d lost herself in a daydream during history class and done the same damn thing. Doodled Eden Lancaster. Unfortunately, Jenna was seated across from her—not Eden’s choice—the teacher had insisted on assigned seating. Jenna saw what Eden had written and announced it to the entire class. She’d of course added that Nick would never give Eden a second look.
Eden hadn’t been able to make it through the rest of the school day and had gone home sick. And she was—heartsick and embarrassed beyond belief. When she’d returned to school the following Monday, she’d expected to hear more jokes and giggles when she walked down the hall, but oddly enough, no one said a word. Nick never mentioned it to her either and she’d always wondered why.
Thinking of the past always saddened her. She’d prided herself over the years on not looking back at that time in her life but as it turned out, she’d been stuck in the past all this time. Simply hanging on to the pain and adding the new hurts to it.
The bells over the door drew her attention. A man who appeared relieved to see her walked in.
“Thank god you’re open. Someone over at the hospital told me to check. I forgot about Valentine’s Day and my wife is going to kill me. Got any roses left?”
Eden couldn’t help but smile at the sandy-haired guy. She’d see a few just like him during the course of the day. Her mother said it never failed to happen. Some man somewhere would always forget.
“I sure do. Always order extra for you last-minute shoppers.”
Back to work. If she got lucky, maybe she’d be too busy to think of Nick. As if that would ever happen.
Chapter Ten
The bells rang off and on all day, the steady flow of customers finally tapering off about four. Eden swept up some stems and leaves and generally began tidying up. Streams of late afternoon sun blazed through the shop’s huge display windows and splashed across the workroom’s gray concrete floor. The weather had turned much colder and snow was predicted for later that evening. Eden thought about the red velvet stole Nick had bought, imagining herself wrapped in its softness. Well, it wouldn’t do much to keep the cold away, but just the idea of wearing it warmed her soul.
Nick must have thought she was like every other woman he’d dated and could be tempted by pretty things. Damn it! She’d done it again. Accused him of doing something he was no more guilty of than the man in the moon. She could make all the excuses she wanted, but the real reason she refused to meet Nick was as plain as the nose on her face.
She was scared. Scared of losing him.
Wasn’t it best to reject him before he rejected her?
There went the bells. After this customer she’d lock up and call it a night. It was close to five anyway. She’d done her duty by love, made a few bucks in the process and stayed busy enough that she hadn’t spent the day crying. She put the broom away and walked out to the showroom. The tall blonde woman turned at Eden’s “hello”.
Jenna. Nick’s Jenna.
What the hell is she doing here? Nausea gripped Eden. It was high school all over again. Eden’s gaze dropped to her dark green work smock and she wished she were wearing that gorgeous red ball gown.
Dressed in a long winter white coat belted at the waist, Jenna took a couple of steps forward. Her white spiked heels tapped on the tiled floor, white silk pants shimmering in the dazzling afternoon sun. Long, manicured nails painted hot pink caught Eden’s attention. Jenna was simply stunning.
Eden wanted to crawl into a hole and cover herself up.
Not sure
whether her presence was coincidence, Eden decided not to let on she recognized her. If it was by design—Jenna’s design—then she’d know soon enough, wouldn’t she?
“May I help you?”
Tossing her platinum-colored hair over her shoulder, Jenna said, “Possibly. A friend of mine stopped in here a few days ago and mentioned it to me. She said you’d been helpful at putting together a last-minute centerpiece for her.”
Jenna just showing up at the shop became even more suspect. The woman who turned out to be someone Nick knew may have found her way to the shop by chance, but Jenna’s appearance was no fluke. Nick must have said something to the woman about Eden before he came into the shop that day. Eden swallowed back the bile bubbling in her throat. A jittery sensation raced up her spine.
“If it’s not too intricate and I have the flowers in stock that you’d like, sure. Any color or flower you’re looking for in particular?” So far, so good. No indication that Jenna knew who Eden was.
“Pink sweetheart roses. Do you have any?” Jenna asked, flashing her bright, toothy cheerleader smile.
“A few. Maybe not enough for an entire centerpiece. How about a pink-and-white blend?”
“That would work. Do you have a standard design or may I look at a sample?” Jenna tugged off her white gloves and tucked them in her coat pocket.
Eden directed her to the table in the center of the room, which held several floral design books. She flipped through the pages of two and turned the books so Jenna could see different centerpiece styles.
“I’m not too picky. What about this one?” Jenna pointed to a low, medium-sized, cut-glass bowl design.
“I don’t have the exact vase, of course, but something very similar. Is that all right?”
“Of course. You’re a real lifesaver. I’m on my way to a cocktail party and wanted to bring a gift to the hostess. How long will it take?”
“About twenty minutes. You can run an errand if you like, but I have to warn you I’m closing in thirty minutes.”
“I guess even you have plans for the evening.”
Oh yeah, Jenna recognized her all right. That last remark had been a typical Jenna jibe. Don’t say anything. You’ll just make the situation worse than it is.
Forcing herself to move, Eden hurried to the back and opened the walk-in cooler door. Inside, she selected a mix of miniature roses and returned to the workroom. Jenna came into the room and stood a couple of feet away. Guess she didn’t see the EMPLOYEES ONLY sign.
With the flowers laid out on the table, Eden began wrapping the stems in florist tape. Jenna tapped her nails on the worktable, the heavy fragrance of her perfume clinging to the air. Glancing up from the flowers, Eden grew cold at the smug look on Jenna’s face.
“Do I make you nervous, Eden?”
“Not really, Jenna, but I’m not used to having someone stand and watch while I make an arrangement for them.”
“Look, why don’t you just toss those flowers and let’s have a nice chat.” Unbelting her coat to reveal a gold sequined top, she lifted her hand to her hip and frowned.
An icy tremble ran through Eden’s body. She stopped wrapping the stem and picked up the rest of the flowers. She walked back to the cooler and returned the roses to their containers. She hesitated inside, bracing herself for whatever Jenna had come to say.
She latched the door closed behind her and faced Jenna. “What would you like to talk about, Jenna?”
“I think we can skip the niceties. You’re meeting Nick tonight, aren’t you?”
“My plans for this evening are none of your concern.”
“When they involve my husband they are,” Jenna snapped.
“You’re divorced.”
“Nick will always be a part of my life. I’m interested in his well-being.”
“Concerned about your alimony payments?” God, why did I have to provoke her?
“You always were a smart-ass,” Jenna retorted in a raised voice.
“And I’m better at it now.”
“My financial arrangements with Nick are none of your business.”
“Exactly. And my relationship with him is none of yours.”
Jenna folded her arms across her chest. “You think you’re sitting pretty, don’t you?”
Eden remained quiet and walked into the showroom with Jenna right behind her. To Eden it felt as though a hound from hell was breathing down her neck. Once she reached the door, she turned, shoulders back and looked Jenna square in the eye.
“Leave.”
“Not so fast, Eden. Nick might be paying attention to you now, but you’ll find out who he is soon enough. Oh, he starts out smooth, but I ended up going through hell with that man. I can’t tell you the number of dinner parties I had to go to alone because he was always working.”
“God forbid the man had to work. Are you listening to yourself? You said you went through hell with him and I thought you’d say he’d hit you or cheated on you. His biggest evil is to have missed escorting you to dinner parties? Did you cook for him? Try to have a family?”
“I see he’s told you about the pregnancy issue. I didn’t marry Nick to be a house frau.”
“Why did you marry him?”
“Nick was going places, that’s why.”
“You never loved him, did you?”
“Love and marriage don’t necessarily go together, Eden. Not that you’d know anything about it. I understand you’ve never married.”
Something told Eden things were about to take an even nastier turn. “Just go, Jenna. This conversation is pointless.”
“You always wanted Nick. Even in high school. Well, looks like you’ve got him now, but do you actually think you can hold onto him? Look at yourself.”
Anger knotted in Eden’s stomach. “That’s enough, Jenna.”
“You’re not at all his type, honey.”
“Evidently you’re not his type either.”
“You’re a joke. That chubby little body of yours will get old real fast.”
That did it. She wasn’t taking any more of Jenna’s crap. “According to Nick it’s a lot better than fucking a clothes hanger! You think you’re so beautiful? Look at you. Your legs are nothing but sticks. No shape at all. Your breasts are fake and everyone knows it. A man doesn’t want to feel bone and silicone when he touches a woman. He wants a real woman with soft skin and curves. A woman who doesn’t lie and use him. Now get your skinny Barbie-doll ass out of my shop before I call the police!”
Red-faced, Jenna opened her mouth to speak, but shut it as Eden swung the door wide and gestured for her to leave. Jenna walked out onto the sidewalk and turned back to face Eden.
“I can’t wait for Nick’s friends to meet you. You’ll see how far in over your head you are then.”
Rage coiled tightly inside Eden’s gut. She placed her hands on her hips, gave them an exaggerated wiggle and shouted, “And he loves my baby-makin’ hips!”
Eden slammed the door so hard the window rattled. Locking up, she turned the closed sign to face the street and stomped into the workroom. She sat at the desk hoping to calm herself and give her shaky legs a rest. What a horrible woman. No wonder Nick had been so miserable. He’d lived all that time with a woman who’d never loved him. A woman who made no bones about it either—pure poison.
Relieved to have Jenna out of her hair, Eden blew out a long breath. She had yet to figure out why Jenna had felt it necessary to confront her. Just more leftover high-school crap, she guessed. What other explanation was there? It was obvious she regretted losing Nick and even more obvious that Nick would never take Jenna back.
Eden couldn’t imagine Nick living with that woman, dealing with her spoiled brat temper tantrums on a daily basis. He was way too serious and focused for that. Missed dinner parties? Talk about shallow. Jenna’s social butterfly ways were definitely the opposite of what Nick wanted. Any man who contented himself by driving out of the city night after night and sitting on a deck alone to appreciate
the wonders of nature was simply not cut out for the whims of a woman like Jenna. Nick was honest and laid-back. Exactly what Eden loved most about him. If he could have seen her wiggling her hips at Jenna and heard what she’d said…
She slapped her hand to her forehead. Had she really said Nick loved her “baby-makin’ hips”? Eden’s laughter rippled through the empty room. Yes, she’d said it. And it had felt damn good too. The look that had crossed Jenna’s face was one Eden would never forget. Too bad she hadn’t had a camera handy. Nick would have loved a picture of that!
He really did love her hips, didn’t he? Always kissing her tummy, playfully slapping her fleshy butt cheeks—grabbing a handful—pressing his erection against her. Constantly nuzzling her ear and telling her how much he loved her soft skin. Nick thought she was beautiful. And after facing the demon cheerleader of her past, Eden had to agree.
Eden Riley was a beautiful, desirable woman.
And she loved Nick Lancaster.
* * * * *
“Mom!” Eden slammed the door behind her, tossing her tote on the foyer table. “Mom!” she yelled again.
Her mother called from the living room, “Here, Eden. What’s wrong?”
A breathless Eden began, “I love Nick. He loves me. It’s that simple, isn’t it?”
Grinning, her mother pushed up from her chair and met Eden in the center of the room. “Thank god you’ve come to your senses.”
The two women embraced, laughter ringing through the house.
“What changed for you, Eden?”
“Guess I needed a push. A big push. Jenna showed up at the shop today.”
“Nick’s ex? Why?”
“To make trouble for Nick and me is all I can figure out. Long story. And right now I’ve got to get a shower and get dressed.” She let go of her mother and headed for the hall.
“Eden, wait.”
“What?”
“Nick called about half an hour ago.”
Why did she sound so serious? “He did? Has he changed his mind about tonight?”
