Always Be Mine: Sweetbriar Cove: Book Nine

by Melody Grace

  Griffin relaxed. “Let me show you from the beginning.”

  He led her through to another of the greenhouses. This one almost resembled a laboratory, with tiny cuttings of different plants, and a row of trays and jars, and even paintbrushes. “This is where the magic happens?” Lila joked.

  Griffin drew her closer for a kiss. “I mean, sure, if you want . . .” He gave a playful smile, his hands sliding lower.

  Lila laughed. “I’m serious. Tell me everything.”

  “OK.” Griffin turned back to his work bench. “Basically, you collect the pollen from one plant and use it to replace the pollen in a different one,” he pointed. “Then, when they grow the rose hips—those things that look like berries—the seeds inside should be a cross of both plants.” He showed her a row of tiny glass jars, all filled with seeds and neatly labeled. “These are the different varieties I’ve been experimenting with.”

  Lila took it all in. “So, this one,” she said, pointing to the closest jar. “Purple Rain . . .”

  Griffin chuckled. “I had a client who wanted a purple variety,” he said. “Also, they were a massive Prince fan. That one came out pretty well, here, I’ll show you.” He led her to the next greenhouse, this one with rows of pots and small plants growing, all labeled to correspond with the seed varieties she’d seen in the lab. “See, it’s coming along.” He showed her a young plant with a few buds already showing. “It took some playing around to get the color right, but this will bloom a really vivid purple.”

  “And the scent?” Lila asked, leaning in close.

  “None, sadly,” Griffin replied. “That’s the thing, you never know which characteristics will breed well together. Getting the scent to translate is one of the trickiest parts. Color is easier.”

  Lila straightened up. “I can’t believe you’ve been hiding all this away back here! You never even mentioned it.”

  Griffin gave a shrug, looking bashful. “Some people think it’s pretty dull,” he replied, and something on his face made her pause.

  “Was your ex-wife one of those people?”

  Griffin smiled, rueful. “Is it that obvious?”

  “No,” Lila reassured him. “But I know what it’s like. Justin couldn’t understand me wanting to learn how to cook,” she confided. “He kept saying we could just order in, or go out, I didn’t need to spend hours in the kitchen. He didn’t see that was the point. Experimenting, having fun . . .” She looked around again with new eyes. “This is your kitchen.”

  Griffin chuckled. “I guess so.”

  He pulled her closer, and this time, Lila melted into his arms. She kissed him, savoring the warmth of his body and the sweet scent of the roses drifting around them. The kiss deepened, turning ragged; reckless. Her blood ran hot, and by the time they came up for air, she was ready to skip dinner altogether.

  “The cake!” Lila blurted.

  Griffin paused, his hands sliding over her stomach and up underneath her sweater.

  “I baked a cake. For dessert,” she explained, flushing. “I left it in the car.”

  “Good.” Griffin kissed her again, his lips trailing a path of fire down her neck. “I plan on working up an appetite.”

  Lila’s laugh turned into a surprised gasp as his hand slipped between her legs. She gasped, flushing at the touch. He wasn’t going to do that here, was he?

  He was.

  Griffin lifted her and set her up on the workbench in front of him. “You know what I like about this place?” he asked, moving to stand between her legs as he slowly teased her skirt higher.

  Lila shook her head breathlessly.

  Griffin gave a wicked smile. “Well . . . for starters, it’s warm enough that you can pretend it’s summer all year round. No need for bulky layers,” he added, tugging Lila’s sweater up. She obediently lifted her arms and he pulled it over her head, leaving her in just a silky camisole.

  Griffin’s eyes raked over her body, and Lila’s pulse leapt.

  “What else?” she whispered, teasing.

  “Well, it’s private . . .” Griffin murmured, sliding his hands up her thighs beneath her skirt. “Nobody around to see me . . . work.”

  He leaned in, kissing across her collarbone, and lower still, dragging his tongue across her breasts through the silk until her nipples were stiff peaks.

  Lila shivered with lust, already aching for him. He parted her legs wider, watching her with a quiet smile as his thumbs grazed softly against the very apex of her thighs.

  Her breath hitched.

  Oh . . .

  Lila held his gaze, and Griffin stroked again, harder. This time she couldn’t keep from moaning out loud. She heard herself and blushed, but she couldn’t look away. This was too sexy for words. “You know what I like about this place?” she asked, tugging him closer.

  “What?”

  Griffin smirked, doing something wicked with his fingers. She gasped.

  “This seems like a very sturdy bench.”

  16

  Lila woke on a bed of clouds. At least, that’s what it felt like to her after a few months on her old, hard bed.Her new mattress had finally been delivered, and Lila was celebrating by basking in the luxury . . . with a little company, of course.

  She rolled over with a blissful sigh. “I’m never leaving,” she declared, stretching her arms wide on her soft linen sheets.

  Griffin scooped her closer. “I’m amenable to that,” he yawned, eyes still closed.

  Lila smiled beside him. It had been a week since the dinner date when he’d shown her his secret laboratory of roses, and she was still learning more about him all the time. Like the way Griffin didn’t function in the mornings until after his first cup of coffee, and how he reached for her, half asleep, in the middle of the night, not settling until she was spooned against him, tucked safely in his arms. His taste for ’70s rock records, the way he couldn’t stop himself from plucking the dead buds off plants as he passed . . .

  Day by day, she was discovering the man beside her, and Lila was loving every moment of it.

  The sound of her phone ringing came from somewhere downstairs. She groaned. Her agents weren’t taking the hint and had been leaving messages all week.

  “Leave it.” Griffin tugged her closer, but Lila reluctantly pulled away.

  “They’ll just keep calling. Anyway, I’m hungry.”

  “You made three courses for dinner!” he laughed.

  “And?” Lila grinned. She tugged on a cozy bathrobe and padded downstairs. The table was still set with their leftover plates and silverware from last night. She’d been testing out some new recipes, but they hadn’t wasted any time before moving onto dessert.

  And she didn’t mean the hazelnut torte.

  Which reminded her . . . Lila found the Tupperware container on the counter and happily lifted the lid. A night of passion, followed by cake for breakfast? At least she had some compensation for biting the bullet and finally calling her agents back.

  “Lila, where have you been?” Matt demanded, sounding anxious. “I’ve been this close to giving up on you altogether.”

  “Feel free,” Lila replied, through a mouthful of cake. The cat jumped down from the window and gave a demanding mewl, so she went to get him a saucer of milk . . . which would go perfectly with the cake, so she poured herself a glass too. “I’m here now, so what’s up?”

  “Hold on, let me conference in Mindy. Mindy?”

  Lila petted the purring cat until finally, everyone was assembled. “I talked to Dash’s people,” Matt announced excitedly. “And they definitely want to meet on his next project.”

  “You said that before,” Lila reminded him.

  “Yes, but they want to meet now. The movie’s coming together fast, and he’s already sat down with Blake and Jennifer,” Matt said. “We need to get you in before he makes his mind up.”

  “It’s not a good time for me to fly back to LA,” Lila replied, not at all regretful.

  “That’s the good ne
ws, you won’t have to!” Matt exclaimed. “Dash is on the East Coast right now, visiting family on the Cape. You can meet for coffee and discuss the role right there—but only if we set something up ASAP.”

  “We should jump on this,” Mindy piped up. “It’s the opportunity we’ve been waiting for. You’ve taken the high road, ignored all the tabloid bullshit, and now you get to prove you’re a serious actress, focused on her craft.”

  “I’m telling you, this movie has Oscars written all over it,” Matt agreed. “We haven’t had a better offer. Truth be told, we haven’t had many offers at all. So, unless you want to play some Disney starlet’s mom in her next slasher flick . . .”

  Lila exhaled. “OK, OK,” she agreed, rubbing her head. “I’ll meet with Dash. But no promises,” she added quickly. “The part may not be right for me.”

  “Then you’ll make it right!” Mindy cried, clearly relieved. “We have faith, darling. This is it, your big return to form.”

  “I’ll set it up and send you the details,” Matt agreed. “Talk soon!”

  They all hung up, and Lila lowered her cellphone, feeling torn. Even if she didn’t have to fly back to LA for the meeting, it still meant dipping her toes back into the Hollywood world.

  A world she wasn’t sure she belonged in anymore.

  But what else was she going to do? This was her career they were talking about. She’d worked long and hard to make it to where she was today. Or at least, where she’d been before her heartbreak with Justin and the runaway bride stunt, and her hibernation here in Sweetbriar Cove. But she’d always planned on returning to the spotlight one day, hadn’t she?

  Griffin strolled in, barefoot in boxers and a faded T. He scratched his stubbled jaw and yawned, and Lila had to smile. Suddenly, Hollywood seemed very far away.

  “Everything good in LA?” he asked as he made a beeline for the coffee grinder.

  “My team sure thinks so.” Lila ate another chunk of cake, admiring the view. “There might be a role for me, in a new movie . . .”

  “That’s good. Isn’t it?” Griffin raised an eyebrow.

  She paused. “Yes. No. I don’t know. They’re setting up a meeting for me with the director, so, we’ll see . . . it might be nothing,” she added quickly.

  “Do you want it to be something?” Griffin asked.

  Lila gave a rueful smile. “If I can figure out the answer to that, I might know how to feel about the whole thing. Anyway, it’s all still in the planning stages. Even if the meeting goes well, everything might fall apart before filming.”

  “So, there you go,” Griffin said with a smile. “Plenty of time to figure out how you feel. Or don’t feel,” he added, pulling her closer for a kiss.

  Lila relaxed. He was right. There were still a million different things that could happen between now and the first take of a movie scene on set. Who knew if Dash even wanted to cast her? For all she knew, this could just be her team’s enthusiasm bending the truth a little. This meeting might never materialize, and she would have been stressing for nothing.

  “You’re right,” she agreed. “Which means I’m still at a loose end today . . .”

  “Really?” Griffin gave a grin. “I could use an extra pair of hands . . .”

  He slid his around her waist, and Lila laughed. “I’m sure you could.”

  “Dirty girl,” Griffin smirked. “I meant in the garden. I’m nearly finished planting.”

  “You are?” Lila brightened. “Because I was thinking about inviting some people over for dinner, when it’s ready. Kind of an unveiling-slash-celebration.”

  “Make the calls,” Griffin said. “It’ll be good to go by the weekend.”

  She clapped her hands together. “Perfect! I was going to ask Summer and Grayson, and Mac and her boyfriend, maybe Poppy and Cooper, and Alice too . . .”

  “And am I on the guest list?” Griffin asked, breaking away to steal some of that cake.

  “If you want to be.” Lila paused. They’d kept to themselves this week, ordering in take-out and spending their nights alone, so they hadn’t yet made their debut as a couple . . . if that’s what they were now. She bit her lip and ventured. “We could host it together?”

  Griffin glanced up. “That sounds pretty official.”

  Lila gulped. “You’re right, sorry, too fast,” she blurted quickly. “I didn’t know . . . You know, this whole thing . . . I just thought that—”

  Griffin cut her off with a kiss. “Are you asking me to go steady?” he said with a teasing smile.

  Lila flushed harder. “I don’t know . . .” she said, her stomach fluttering. “Do you want to go steady?”

  “Yes,” Griffin answered simply, with a lopsided smile that took her breath away. He kissed her again, and Lila was flooded with relief—and happiness. “But no stealing my letter jacket,” he added, drawing back.

  She laughed, “What about your sweatshirt?” she asked playfully. “Because it’s pretty comfortable . . .”

  “OK, on one condition,” Griffin smiled. “You can wear it . . . with nothing else.”

  “I think I can work with that.”

  Lila’s phone buzzed with a message, and she glanced at it to find a text from her agent. “Already?” she murmured, scanning the screen. Griffin arched an eyebrow. “I have a coffee date with the director,” Lila explained, reading. “This afternoon, at the bakery.”

  So much for not stressing anytime soon. Her team really didn’t waste any time.

  “You could always blow it off,” Griffin suggested.

  She shook her head. Lila may have been away from Hollywood for a while now, but she knew her agents were right: this could be a huge opportunity for her, and she would regret it if she didn’t go hear Dash out. “I’ll go see what all the fanfare is about,” she said, trying to get back in her “audition” frame of mind. “And besides, even if the meeting is a bust, I’ll pick up something for dessert tonight. See, everybody wins!”

  * * *

  Getting ready for the meeting felt like preparing for a role all on its own. Lila knew it was just a casual coffee date, but Dash was still expecting Lila Moore to show up in all her movie star glory, to charm, and dazzle, and wow him into casting her.

  Could she be that woman anymore?

  She pushed her doubts aside and focused on styling the perfect messy bun, and that “I just woke up like this” makeup, with naturally flushed cheeks and a touch of mascara. Picking out a pair of vintage jeans and an oversized white button-down, Lila finished off the outfit with a simple leather wrap bracelet and some oversized shades.

  There.

  She checked her reflection, and saw the movie star version of herself staring back at her, just the way she’d wanted. It was basically the amped-up designer version of the outfit she’d been walking around in for weeks, but the added polish was unmistakable. It had also taken her a full hour, reminding Lila of how much time she’d spent back in Hollywood just getting ready for events and photo shoots. “Looking good” had been part of the job description; she’d always just taken it for granted, but now she found herself wondering what she could have done with the extra time.

  An hour plus a day, times her whole career . . . Then extra for red-carpet events and fashion shoots . . . Lila did the calculations as she drove over to the bakery and came up with a number so high, she had to laugh. She was still smiling at the absurdity when she walked in and found Dash sitting at a table in the back.

  “Lila, hey.” Dash got up to greet her with the double-air-kiss routine. “I’m so glad we could make this happen. You know, ever since we ran into each other, I’ve been thinking about this script idea, I really think you could be perfect.”

  Lila blinked. “Well, this is the easiest audition of my life,” she said, flashing a bright smile.

  Dash chuckled. “I’m not really the guy for formalities. Wait, have you met my wife, Ellie?” He led her over a red-headed woman who was chatting to Summer at the counter. She greeted Lila enthusiastica
lly.

  “You got married? Congratulations,” Lila told them both. “I can’t believe I didn’t read about it.”

  Ellie gave a grin. “We eloped, it was a private thing. His agents wanted to send out a press release, but I put my foot down.”

  Lila laughed. “They want to put out an announcement every time I go to the dentist,” she agreed. “Anyway, this is great news. Shouldn’t you be honeymooning, instead of planning your next movie?” she asked Dash, only half-joking.

  He grinned. “We’re going to combine the two and shoot on location in Hawaii.”

  “Smart,” Lila smiled.

  “And tax-deductible,” Ellie piped up. “Sorry, former bookkeeper here.”

  “She keeps me coming in on budget,” Dash said affectionately, giving Ellie a kiss.

  “Anyway, I won’t keep you guys from your movie talk,” Ellie said. “I just dropped by for the sticky buns.” She winked. “Have fun!”

  Ellie left, and they ordered coffee. Lila regarded Dash thoughtfully as they took their seats. “I knew there was something different about you,” she said. “You seem much more relaxed these days.”

  “Married life is good. I can’t complain.” Dash gave a casual shrug, but Lila could see he was genuinely happy.

  “I’m glad for you,” she said quietly. “We both know it’s hard to make a relationship work in Hollywood.”

  “What makes you say that?” Dash teased. “The paparazzi stalking your every move, or having your dates sell you out to the tabloids for their five minutes of fame?”

  Lila gave a wry laugh. “When you put it like that, I’m just dying to go back.”

  “You’ve moved out of town for good?” Dash looked surprised. “I didn’t know that. We’ll be shooting at least a few months there, before going on location. Plus, then there’s post-production, all the promotion . . .”

  “I know the drill,” Lila nodded, pasting on a bright smile. She wanted to impress the guy, not make him think she’d quit acting for good. “Don’t worry, if we do the project together, you can count on me to play my part. On, and off the screen.”