by Iris Morland
Night had fallen when Dani and I stood at the window. The view was absolutely spectacular: the city skyline in the distance, the dark shadow of Lake Union below us. I could make out a sliver of the moon in the eastern part of the sky.
“Are you happy?” I said.
Dani rested her hands on my arms that I’d wrapped around her. “Perfectly, stupidly, disgustingly happy.”
“Do you think you could be even happier?”
She tilted her head back to look at me. “Maybe? I’m a little worried now.”
When I went down on one knee, she gave me a confused look. Then understanding filled her expression when I pulled out the ring.
“Dandelion, I want to make you the happiest woman on earth,” I said. I opened the ring box, showing her the golden topaz ring inside, the same color as her namesake. “I know it’s fast and I know we hadn’t really talked about this, but—”
“Yes,” she burst out. “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll be your wife so hard you won’t know what hit you.”
She threw herself into my arms, which completely overset my balance, since I was on one knee. We tumbled to the floor and knocked over a vase Dani had just unpacked. Luckily, it didn’t break, but the sound startled Kevin, who was still napping in his box. He jumped almost as high as the ceiling and then sprinted to the bedroom to hide under the bed for the foreseeable future.
“Well, that was a disaster,” I said. I took the ring from the box and placed it on Dani’s ring finger before placing the vase back onto the table.
“But we’ve always been a disaster.” She kissed me, which just gave me a great reason to roll her under me until she was moaning my name. It usually took ten seconds, tops, to get her there.
This time it only took four.
We were lying on the rug, catching our breaths, when Dani’s phone rang. She reached for it from the coffee table, reading the text message on the screen. Her expression went from sated to utterly confused in a blink.
“What is it?” I tried to take her phone from her.
“It’s Mari. She’s in Vegas right now.” Dani showed me the message. It took me a second to understand what I’d just read.
I got married last night. His name is Liam. That’s all I know.
And in a second message:
Don’t tell Mom and Dad. They’ll kill me.
Into the cloying silence that had settled over us, I said, “Well, so much for us being the biggest disasters in the family.”
The End
Thank you for reading Petal Plucker! I hope you loved Dani and Jacob’s story.
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From The Nearness of You
Generally Harrison found that dates went two ways: either there was no chemistry and it ended without pursuing anything further, or there was chemistry and they went another date, then maybe another, before ending up in bed together. Rarely did any date stray from those two results.
Tonight was the exception. It wasn’t that there was no chemistry—there was an overabundance of chemistry. So much chemistry that he was surprised the table wasn’t vibrating from the electricity sparking between him and Sara. She kept looking up at him through her eyelashes, smiling a mysterious smile that sent him into a tailspin. Had he ever found a woman eating a salad erotic? Well, tonight he was discovering that watching Sara do just that was causing him to be crazed with need.
And they hadn’t even kissed.
Maybe it was the way her cheeks flushed when he complimented her, or the way her breasts pushed against the buttons of her blouse. Maybe it was how her slim fingers held her glass of cider, or even worse, how they traced patterns on the glass itself—patterns that Harrison wanted to feel on his skin.
He wanted her. He wanted her badly. If this night didn’t end with him at least kissing her, he’d probably explode from unabated lust.
“How’s James? Has he been practicing any basketball lately?” he asked.
Sara smiled that warm smile she had solely for her son. “He’s only asked me about twenty times when he can sign up for basketball, conveniently forgetting that I’ve told him that the season doesn’t start until later this year. But yes, he’s doing great. I can’t tell you again how much I appreciate your taking my concerns seriously. I’ve had other physicians who tended to think I was hysterical.”
She said the words with a shrug, but they made Harrison clench his fist underneath the table. What asshole had waved away her legitimate concerns about her son? Made her feel like she was overreacting when her son had suffered from cancer, one of the worst things a parent could face in regards to their child?
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad that he’s healthy. That’s the best result any physician can ask for,” he said.
“When he was sick, I imagined him growing up. Going to college, getting married, having children of his own. I thought about him being a rebellious teenager, sneaking out of the house at night to see his girlfriend. Or boyfriend.” She smiled, lost in thought. “I celebrated when he misbehaved. Weird, right? But that meant he had the energy to disobey. I prayed so many nights that I’d get the chance to see him grow up and see him do good things. And maybe a few bad, but not too many. A mother has to draw the line somewhere.”
“Considering his history, when he was diagnosed, and his prognosis now, there’s no reason he won’t grow up to be that annoying teenager.” Harrison grinned. “But maybe don’t wish for a teenager who sneaks out of the house. I did that and my mom tanned my hide when I got home. One time I was grounded for an entire month.”
She clucked her tongue. “Who would’ve thought the revered Dr. Thornton would’ve been such a naughty teenage boy?”
“Oh, you have no idea how naughty I can be.” He couldn’t stop the growl lacing those words, and when he saw her eyes widen, he felt like he could conquer the world.
She was attracted to him, that was more than apparent. If he played his cards right, they could both get some enjoyment out of this insane chemistry brimming between them.
“Harrison, how have you been?” A man shouted from across the restaurant, and Harrison watched as a very drunk Devin Yates—once a good friend, now more of a town annoyance—stumbled over to their table.
Harrison had to restrain himself from tossing Devin across the room, especially when he finally noticed Sara and exclaimed, “Sara Flannigan! Jesus Christ, seriously?” For whatever reason, he thought that was hilarious, and he started laughing so loudly that they were attracting stares.
Harrison saw Sara flush in anger. Did she even remember Devin? He vaguely remembered that they would’ve been in high school around the same time.
“Shit, I haven’t seen you in forever,” Devin continued as he stared at Sara. “How’s it going? You still up to your old tricks? Man, the stories we’d hear about you! You were a legend.”
Harrison stilled. “Devin, you’re drunk,” he said in a slow voice, venom lacing the words. “You should leave.”
“Aw, come on. You knew about Sara? She was famous. Getting with the entire football team—”
She blanched.
“Leave. Leave, now, before I m
ake you.” Harrison’s voice was low, threatening, as he stood up in front of Devin.
Devin blinked before he narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck, man? Don’t act like you don’t know. She was the town tramp—”
Devin didn’t get to finish that sentence. Harrison grabbed him by the wrist and wrenched his arm behind his back. Devin swore, but Harrison just held him harder.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, and I don’t want to know,” he hissed, anger swirling through him. “But you’re going to apologize, and then you’re going to leave before I leave your face permanently rearranged.”
Devin struggled, but he was too drunk to put up a real fight. Finally, when he realized Harrison wasn’t letting up, he said, “Fine. Sorry. You happy?”
“Look at her when you say it.”
“Sorry,” he sneered. “I didn’t know you’d claimed the slut for yourself.”
Harrison didn’t think: he reacted. He hauled Devin out the door of the Fainting Goat and, slamming him against the brick wall of the restaurant, punched him in the stomach. Devin collapsed in a heap at his feet. “Go home. You’re a disgrace.”
Harrison turned, only to run into Trent Younger. Trent glanced over Harrison’s shoulder to see Devin slumped onto the ground, moaning.
“Don’t lecture me, man,” Harrison replied in a tight voice.
“I wasn’t going to. I was going to punch him if you weren’t, but I see you did a decent job.” Trent’s mouth twisted. “He’s a piece of shit, and has been for ages. Somebody needed to punch him.”
Harrison laughed a little at that. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. He needed to check on Sara. Oh God, the look on her face. Anger took over once again, and it was only Trent’s hand on his arm that stopped him from punching Devin a second time.
“Leave it, man. Not worth having your brother arrest you. Go take care of your date.”
Entering the restaurant, Harrison didn’t see Sara at their booth. Fear rushed through him until he saw that she was surrounded by some of the patrons and waitresses near the bar. Her face was stricken and pale. Rushing toward the group, he said, “Let’s go.”
Sara didn’t argue. They walked past Devin staggering away, but Sara didn’t say anything. He escorted her to his car and, after forcing aside the anger still boiling inside him, asked, “Are you okay?”
She wiped at her eyes. “Do you think I’m okay?”
He swore. Leaning over, he touched her face. “Devin’s a piece of shit, and a drunk one at that. Don’t let what he said get to you.”
“You never knew, did you?” Her words were a whisper.
“What do you mean?”
But she was shaking her head. “I don’t want to talk about it. Take me home. Please.”
He wanted to comfort her, take her into his arms, but he put the car in drive and took her home instead.
At the front door of her small house, he couldn’t stop from pulling her into his arms for a hug. She instantly wound her arms around him, and he reveled in her closeness. In her sweet scent, her warmth.
“What did you do to Devin?” she asked.
“I punched him.”
He was expecting her to rebuke him, but she said simply, “Good.”
As she gazed up at him, her eyes shining in the low light of the streetlamps, Harrison couldn't untangle his feelings. Protectiveness, anger, desire, joy, all swirled together until only one thought was coursing through his brain: I need her.
When he cupped her face in his hands, she didn’t pull away. She tipped her head back, and that was all the permission he needed. He kissed her with an intensity he’d never felt before. She tasted like cider and mint, all sweetness and light. He brushed the remaining tears from her cheeks as the kiss only deepened. Licking inside her mouth, he poured everything he had into that one kiss.
She made a little noise in the back of her throat. God, she was gorgeous. He wanted her in every way a man could have a woman.
But then she broke the kiss. “It’s getting late,” she said, breathless.
He was already hard, straining, and the desire inside him was a veritable storm. He wanted to take her back to his house and ravish her until she was hoarse from screaming his name.
“Okay,” he replied. He set her free. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Then she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, for everything.”
He murmured in reply, “You’re welcome, Sara.”
Download The Nearness of You now!
Also by Iris Morland
Romantic comedies
Petal Plucker
War of the Roses (FREE DOWNLOAD)
Love Everlasting
including
The Youngers
Then Came You
Taking a Chance on Love
All I Want Is You
My One and Only
The Thorntons
The Nearness of You (FREE DOWNLOAD)
The Very Thought of You
If I Can’t Have You
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Someone to Watch Over Me
Till There Was You
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Heron’s Landing
Seduce Me Sweetly
Tempt Me Tenderly
Desire Me Dearly
Adore Me Ardently
About the Author
A coffee addict and cat lover, Iris Morland writes sexy and funny contemporary romances. If she's not reading or writing, she enjoys binging on Netflix shows and cooking something delicious.
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