Evernight Publishing
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2013 Evernight Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-77130-519-8
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Marie Medina
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
HIS
Strength Meets Innocence
12 Author Erotic Romance Anthology
Edited by Marie Medina
The Billionaire's Florist by Stacey Espino
The Proposal by Doris O'Connor
Seduced by the Millionaires by Shyla Colt
Slave Drive by Lila Shaw
A Whisper of Silk by London Saint James
The Mobster's Promise by Sandra Bunino
Angels Incorporated by Katalyn Sage
Owning Desire by Nikki Prince
Virgin Territory by Eve Meridian
Virgin Unbound by Persephone Jones
Firemen on the Move by Giselle Renarde
Running Mate by Jeremy Hosack
THE BILLIONAIRE’S FLORIST
Copyright © 2013
Stacey Espino
Karlee reached blindly between the manicured shrubs in search of her cell phone. The thorns from the rose bush scraped her bare arm as she pulled back. Fuck.
"Tell me why I'm doing this again?" She hoisted the oversized bags of samples back over her shoulder while balancing her phone between her chin and shoulder. Karlee continued her walk down the long, winding walkway with the mid-afternoon sun beating down on her, and she knew the humidity had done a number on her hair.
"Because you're one missed rental payment away from bankruptcy," said Stella.
"Thanks, but I was looking for something a little more inspiring."
The mansion came into view around the next bend in the path. Karlee nearly dropped her cell phone again. It was a modern day palace lifted straight from one of her childhood fairy tale books.
Stella's voice kept breaking up. The reception this far from the city was proving unreliable at best. "What's more inspiring than that? Just do what you do best, and you'll be fine."
The sheer size of the property brought her nerves and doubts to the surface. "I don't know, Stella. This job might be too much." She exhaled, questioning her decision to become the florist for such a massive wedding. The dollar signs had been too tempting to turn away when she was only a breath away from losing her flower shop. She still didn't understand why they hadn't called one of the big names in the industry. Karlee's little business wasn't even on the map, and she hadn't updated her website in too many months to count. "I never should have agreed to take it."
"Stop it. If you need extra help, you know where I am. Now woman up and make this deal happen. The next time you call me, I want to hear your good news."
"You're right. I have to do this." After saying goodbye, she stuffed her cell into her purse.
Her heels clicked on the slate tiles as she walked up the main stairs to the house. The double doors on the wrap-around porch were decorated with intricately carved glass inserts. Everything screamed money. Part of her already hated the well-to-do couple who got to live in this piece of paradise, but in actuality it was just her own jealously bubbling up. Karlee wanted to be the one to wake up like a princess every day, but Cinderella stories were fiction and didn't come true for real women like her.
She swallowed hard before tentatively pressing the doorbell encased within a brass lion's head. Within seconds one of the doors flung open, exposing a melee of commotion inside a grand foyer. It was a stark contrast from the peace and serenity of the gardens and fields surrounding the house.
Rather than a butler with the black suit and white hair she imagined, a beautiful woman with long waves of brown hair and a tight red dress stared back at her.
She was momentarily at a loss for words, feeling completely out of her element. "Hi." Back in the city she lived in the modest bachelorette above the store she rented. Designer clothing and upscale home decor were not in her vocabulary. Compared to this woman, she felt short, frumpy, and completely out of place. "I'm Karlee from the flower shop."
"Thank God! Come in."
Karlee followed her across the white marble floors. There were people everywhere—a small construction crew in the midst of removing a wall and a woman who appeared to be the wedding planner conversing with chefs, maids, and designers.
They didn't stop until they reached the rear of the home. The woman pushed open a set of French doors and stepped out onto a large open deck. There were already white tents placed out back and an elaborate arch where the vows would likely take place. She could envision green vines and white lilies entwined around the wrought iron. Her imagination was in overdrive.
"This is where it'll happen. I only get one chance to make this right, so it has to be perfect." She turned around to face Karlee. The sun highlighted her blue eyes and the delicate lines at the corners of her eyes. She'd make a beautiful bride.
"I'll do my best."
No pressure.
She smiled, taking an audible cleansing breath. "I'm sorry. My name's Elizabeth. As you can see, things are a bit crazy around here lately." After shaking hands, she pointed to the wedding planner at the end of the long hallway back beyond the open French doors. "Robert asked for you personally. Isabel's not too happy about it, but ignore her. She's all bark."
They walked around the area, getting an idea of what Elizabeth wanted for her dream wedding. Apparently Robert Black left most of the creative planning to his future bride, price not an object. Karlee mentally calculated her costs and wondered which suppliers carried the exotic flowers requested. She didn't want to overprice her services and lose the contract, but she needed to make a decent profit from such a big job. This wedding was her saving grace, and she couldn't blow it.
"Do you have a budget in mind?"
"Robert said whatever you thought was fair."
Before she could respond, two young groundskeepers approached. "Ms. Shaw, we just had an abandoned wreck towed. It's the reason the catering truck couldn't get in the second driveway."
"Perfect. Tell Isabel to show them to the extra freezers in the kitchen."
Karlee processed what the man had said. She'd parked in the second driveway and hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. Surely he wasn't referring to her SUV. It may have been a bit beat up, but it ran and was her only mode of transportation.
"What did the wreck look like?" she asked, keeping her emotions in check as she spoke. Please not my truck. Please not my truck.
"Black Explorer."
Her heart plummeted. "That's mine. You towed my truck?"
The man shrugged. "People dump stuff out here all the time. It looked like scrap."
"I'm really sorry, but you'll have to excuse me for a minute," she said to Elizabeth before rushing off around the outside of the house. Maybe they were still chaining it to the tow truck. Maybe she still had time to salvage this close-to-shit day. As she ran, one of her heels snapped off in the stone walkway, leaving her lopsided. She ignored every distraction except getting to her truck, hobbling along as fast as she could.
When she reached the end of the second driveway where she'd parked her SUV, there was nothing in sight but the gentle sway of the weeping willows. The rural roadway was clear from both directions. Even the chatter of the wild birds couldn't put a smile on h
er face now. She sat heavily on a large decorative rock and buried her face in her palms. Why can't I catch a freakin' break?
Karlee wouldn't cry. She prided herself on staying strong and persevering. After discovering her degree in creative writing was more valuable being fashioned into origami than a career, she still didn't give up. She started working at a local flower shop to pay her student loan, discovering she enjoyed the creative outlet and working with customers. After a lot of overtime, sacrifices, and plain luck, she managed to open her own little shop. It was a dream come true, but unfortunately, like for most entrepreneurs, business suffered when the economy began to crumble. People didn't have time to think of frivolous things like fresh-cut flowers and basket arrangements when there were bills to pay.
Anger began to bubble up once her pity trip wound down. Who tows a truck without asking around first? She wasn't the only one at the house. Someone needed to get on the phone and demand her truck be returned. Without transportation, there would be no flower deliveries. Without flower deliveries, there would be no business. Without a business, Karlee would be broke and homeless. These people might be stinking rich, but they couldn't be allowed to play with people's lives.
She marched back to the house and banged on the front glass doors without apology. This time she had to wait for a couple minutes before finally catching a shadow approach from the other side of the frosted glass.
"Can I help you?"
The man's voice was deep and authoritative. He wore dark suit pants and a pale blue shirt partially unbuttoned. The color flattered his black hair and tan complexion. Not to mention the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. But he was no butler. The man had a commanding presence, like he owned the world and everyone in it—including her.
"Miss?"
Karlee snapped back into reality, hoping he didn't realize she was sizing him up from head to toe. Broad shoulders, trim waist, and strong thighs. "Karlee. Karlee Jones."
"My girl from the flower shop." He smirked, just enough for her to notice. The man had evil eyes, too sexy to be holy. She squirmed on the spot, feeling the full intensity of his stare.
"You're Robert Black?"
She really hoped he wasn't the groom because she didn't want to gawk at Elizabeth's future husband with such x-rated thoughts in her head. His words still lingered in her mind because they sounded so perfect. She'd give anything to be his girl.
"I remembered you from a function I attended a few months back. I decided then I'd be using your services as soon as I had a need. You're very talented, young lady."
"Great. That's...great." As she stood there awkwardly twiddling her thumbs, she remembered the reason she'd come back to the house in the first place. "Oh...my truck. Someone towed my truck."
"That would be me, I'm afraid." He clucked his tongue. "I noticed it from my bedroom window. We can't have deliveries delayed with only days until the wedding."
"And you naturally assumed it was an abandoned wreck?"
He shrugged with an apologetic lift of an eyebrow. Her blood was boiling, but she had to keep her cool.
"We're in the middle of nowhere. I have to have my truck. Can you call the towing company before they get too far away?" The rich didn't seem to realize that real people were lucky to make it from paycheck to paycheck. She needed her damned truck.
"I hear they have very strict policies about releasing vehicles the same day. I'd be happy to drive you to the impound lot tomorrow." How could he speak so slowly and calmly when she was frantic on the inside? She swore her heart would beat right out of her chest.
Tomorrow? What would happen to her tonight? "I doubt you have a bus route way out here, so tomorrow isn't going to work for me."
"You'll stay here. I have plenty of spare rooms not being used."
He held the door open wider, encouraging her to enter the house. What choice did she have? Her best friend Stella didn't even have a car of her own, and there was no one else she could call for help. Karlee stepped back into the white marble foyer with the vaulting ceilings and Roman columns. Every beautiful detail only increased her displeasure. It was once the air-conditioning began to clear her head that she remembered what a mess she was. She immediately tried to adjust her hair and stand straight with one broken heel. Then she recalled that Robert Black might be jaw-droppingly gorgeous, but he was taken. As in getting married in two days.
"How much would a taxi cost way out here?"
"You're staying the night, Ms. Jones. That's not debatable." Her jaw dropped, but she said nothing. He took her bags and set them down against the wall. There was such an authoritative air about him. It made her pussy tingle in ways she'd never known. He scrubbed a hand across his lightly stubbled cheek and chin, assessing her like a problem to solve.
"Okay..." She imagined a man like Mr. Black got everything he wanted, when he wanted it. The mere thought aroused her. Did he want her? Stop it, Karlee! Just as she forced her inappropriate thoughts away, Elizabeth approached from the kitchen.
"There you are," she called out. "You had me so worried, Karlee."
"Sorry...my truck..."
Elizabeth briefly kissed her fiancé on the cheek and then looked at the bags stacked against the wall. If Karlee had a man like Robert Black, she wouldn't feel good about having another woman under her roof either. He was irresistible.
"I'm sure everything will get sorted. You'll help her, won't you, Robert?"
"Of course. I'll take very good care of her." Why did he seem to look into her soul when he said those little words? His fiancée was standing right there.
Once Elizabeth had walked off, Robert came closer and closer. He kept coming until she was forced to back up against the closed glass doors. Why was she being tested? The guy was a two-timing loser, yet he still had a unique magnetic pull.
"What're you doing?" she managed to squeak out.
"Hush." He reached out and tucked some of her unruly locks behind her ear. The touch sizzled right down to her marrow. "You can't imagine how good it feels to have you here. I watched you setting up the displays at my last business conference. All I could focus on was you—the color of your hair, the way you moved, the curve of your ass. I knew I had to see you again. Knew I had to have you."
What the hell? Was he for real? She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Didn't your parents tell you that you can't have everything you want? There are some things money can't buy."
"That's a lie," he said. "I wanted you, and you're here."
"Then I'm an unsuspecting victim. I came here to sell flowers, not my body."
"You're right. You'll give me that for free." He smiled, not allowing her any personal space. "Tell me there's no spark between us, and don't lie."
She kept silent.
"Sounds like fate to me," he said.
Of course she remembered Robert Black. How could she not? He’d starred in most of her bedtime fantasies ever since they first met. "It's all a coincidence."
"There are no coincidences in life, Ms. Jones. Fate isn't so fickle."
Fate? As in the two of them together? What game was he playing? Did he think she'd readily open her legs so he could have one last fling?
"Well, I don't give myself away for free, and I can't be bought, no matter how much I need this job."
"The job is yours, Ms. Jones. That's not in question. And please don't take me for a man that needs to take without permission." He leaned in close enough that his subtle cologne tickled her senses. "And I can be very patient," he whispered.
He abruptly pulled back, nodded once, and walked away from her, turning a corner and moving out of sight. She felt an odd sense of loss after he was gone. Had she actually wanted him to continue? You're sick, Karlee. Sick, sick, sick.
After collecting her thoughts, she sought out Elizabeth. If Karlee was trapped at the mansion, she might as well start planning for the wedding. And she needed a serious distraction from her unwholesome thoughts.
It was time to get to work. She'd need to know ex
act numbers and flower types so she could get everything ordered. With only two days notice, she really needed to get back to her laptop at the shop. This delay could cost her if her suppliers couldn't come through in a bind. She was a hot mess of stress and unexplainable pent-up desire. What she really needed was a big glass of wine. Maybe the whole bottle.
She found the bride-to-be talking with the wedding planner. When Elizabeth saw her approach, she excused herself and met her halfway.
"Karlee, did everything get worked out? I feel terrible about your truck."
"It'll be fine," she said, feeling guilty because Elizabeth was so nice. "Mr. Black will drive me to the impound lot first thing in the morning. You don't mind if I stay the night, do you?"
"Why would I mind?" Elizabeth smiled and touched her arm. She was so graceful, so ladylike—the exact opposite of Karlee. No wonder she had iron-clad confidence.
On her best day, Karlee was covered in soil stains and an assortment of scrapes and bruises. Running a flower shop was not a prim and proper way of living.
"I do have to meet with the dressmaker this afternoon though. The list of flowers is on the table in the upstairs hallway. I'm open to suggestions. Feel free to start planning while I'm gone."
"I'll do that."
The bride-to-be rushed off, leaving her alone. Karlee wandered around the main floor, admiring the architecture and artwork. Mr. Black had more money than he knew what to do with, while she was barely making ends meet. Of course, she'd gladly trade places with Elizabeth, so she couldn't gripe too much.
She slipped off her broken heels and padded up the winding staircase. The polished wood banister felt cool in her too-warm palm. Why were her nerves shot? An uneasy anticipation made her entire body feel hotwired. She wanted to avoid Mr. Black as much as she craved to meet up with him again. No, for the sake of her contract and her very soul, she had to keep her distance from that dark-haired temptation.
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