Boots and Roses (8 page)

He got an erection every time he thought of the morning in the flower shop. The memory of Bunny’s female musk still played havoc with his senses, even though it had been hours since he’d been with her.

She was laughing at something Lacey said when she glanced up and met his gaze. Her laughter ceased, and her eyes widened.

Cory waited, hoping it was a happy surprise for her to see him.

When a smile spread across Bunny’s face, Cory let go of the breath he’d been holding and hurried forward.

“Lacey, so good to see you.” He bent to plant a kiss on Lacey’s cheek. “How’s that brother of mine? You keeping him busy with the ranch?”

She patted his cheek and waggled her brow. “The poor man barely has time to water the horses, he’s kept so busy with…projects…in the house.” She leaned close to his ear. “More specifically, projects in the bedroom.” Lacey winked and grabbed Bunny’s arm. “I understand Bunny owns you and Jack.”

“For one date,” Bunny added quickly.

“Just one?” Lacey pouted. “You’re in for a real treat. Cory is quite the lover.”

Bunny’s brows rose, her gaze shifting to Cory as color rose in her cheeks. “Is that so?”

Lacey patted her arm. “He helped me and Nick get together in a little harmless ménage, didn’t you, sweetie?” She patted his cheek again. “Now I can’t imagine what I’d do with another man. Nick’s more than enough to keep me happy.”

Cory cringed at Lacey’s casual remark about the ménage. “That was before I met Bunny. I haven’t looked twice or touched another woman since. Where’s Nick?”

Lacey sighed. “He’s on a business trip to New York. Something about an investment he wants to make.”

“Ah yes, he told me about that. I hope he manages to clinch the deal. I’m in it for half.” Cory dared to look toward Bunny, wondering how she was taking Lacey’s little revelation. “Are you mad?”

Bunny’s brows scrunched, her color high in both cheeks. “About what?”

“That Lacey and I had a one-night stand with my brother?”

Bunny’s shoulder rose. “I really don’t own you, and like I told Jack, our past is what makes us who we are today.” Her lips tipped upward and she leaned close. “Truth is, I think it’s kind of sexy.”

Cory rubbed his chin, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I know I learned a few things from that incident with Lacey and Nick. It was quite the educational opportunity.” He held out his arm. “Care to stroll through Mrs. Sandell’s garden?”

Lacey patted Bunny’s back. “You two go on. I want to talk to Audrey and Jackson. And if you decide to leave early, that’s fine. I can hang with them.”

With the path clear for an early departure, Cory could hardly wait to get Bunny out of there. He had to pace himself to keep from jogging Bunny through the acre of garden.

After walking halfway around the garden path, Bunny paused in front of a bush full of blood-red roses. “These are lovely.”

Cory stared down at Bunny. Her dark brown hair caught the dying light from the setting sun, which brought out the red highlights and gave her a golden halo. His heart swelling against his ribs, Cory’s arm tightened against his side, trapping her hand. “Beautiful.”

Bunny glanced up and caught him staring. “You aren’t even looking at the roses.”

“No, because nothing, not even a garden full of roses holds a candle to you.”

Her cheeks pinkened, and her head ducked low. “That kind of flattery can go to a girl’s head.”

“It’s only true.” He nudged her chin with his finger, tipping it upward.

“I didn’t know you would be here tonight.” She leaned against his arm and walked on. “Did Lacey?”

Cory’s cheeks heated. “I hadn’t planned on coming until you told me you’d be here. Suffice it to say I had to beg my sweet almost-sister-in-law to secure an invite for me or I wouldn’t be here at all.”

Bunny’s eyes narrowed. “Why exactly
are
you here?”

“Because you are. I wanted to spend more time with you.”

Her frown deepened. “That’s what Jack said.”

Cory’s eyes narrowed. “Did you see him again today?” He held his breath, half-wishing Jack hadn’t had time to meet with Bunny at lunch.

She nodded with a tender smile on her face. “He was so sweet, helping me deliver flowers. I don’t know what I would have done without his assistance. Then we had…lunch in the shop.” She glanced away, her cheeks turning a deeper pink.

Had Jack scored? It was on the tip of Cory’s tongue to ask, but he bit down hard to keep from letting the words pop out. To be fair to his friend, he couldn’t begrudge him the equal opportunity to win the flower girl’s heart. He sighed. “To tell you the truth, we both have it bad for you.”

Bunny’s eyes widened. “Why?”

Cory chuckled. “Why? Because you’re you.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m just the owner of a small flower shop.”

“You’re so much more than that to us.”

“That’s silly.” She shook her head and looked away, twin flags of color riding high on her cheekbones.

Cory cupped her face in his palms and turned her to face him. “I love the way you greet everyone with a smile. You always say something nice to your customers. You go out of your way to make them happy. I know that you donated all the decorations for the Cowboy Auction…” He dragged in a deep breath and finished with, “…and you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

“Cory, you’re younger than me. You have all the firsts to experience. Your first love, your first marriage. I’m damaged goods. I’ve already been around the block with a first marriage. I don’t understand why you’d want to be with me.”

“I told you before, I might be younger, but I’ve seen a lot. As a stripper at the Ugly Stick, I’ve seen it all, good and bad. I like that you’re not flighty, that you know what you want and can make your own decisions.” He smiled. “I like that when you smile, you get little wrinkles around your eyes.” Cory smoothed a thumb across the corners of her eyes.

Bunny lifted a hand to cover the crow’s feet, suddenly self-conscious of the evidence of her aging. “Thanks for reminding me.” The fine wrinkles had made their appearance last year no matter how much moisturizer she rubbed into them.

He pulled her fingers away. “They’re beautiful—a part of you. Don’t hide them.” Cory bent to kiss the corner of her eye.

“You can be very convincing.” Her eyelids fluttering closed, Bunny leaned into the hard muscles of Cory’s chest. She no longer stood in Mrs. Sandell’s garden. She was alone with Cory, far away from the snoopy, tongue-waggers. And she wasn’t wearing panties. Her pussy clenched, and she snuggled closer, her hands circling Cory’s waist.

His kiss feathered down her cheek to claim her lips in a soul-scorching caress.

Never in her life had Bunny been as turned on by just a kiss. Her body burst into flame, her insides aching so badly she could barely breathe. The day’s temptations had stockpiled into an explosive combination of need and lust.

“Damn, Bunny. You’d think one man was enough. Everywhere I turn, you’re hanging all over another. And here in public?” Ray’s raised voice jerked Bunny out of the cocoon of longing.

Bunny would have jumped back, but Cory’s arm held her against him. He smiled down at her, the simple gesture reassuring, calming the heat in Bunny’s cheeks.

Chrissy laid a hand on her fiancé’s arm. “Ray, please, don’t make a scene.”

“Scene?” Ray snorted. “I’m not the one making a scene. These two might as well be filming a porn movie. And here in Mrs. Sandell’s backyard.”

“Please,” Chrissy begged.

“What seems to be the problem?” Mrs. Sandell, trailed by Mrs. Biedel and Mrs. Rutherford, the three head matriarchs of the Temptation Garden Club, converged on them.

Audrey, Lacey and Jackson hurried forward from across the yard.

“I’ll tell you what the problem is,” Ray said, waving a hand at Bunny and Cory. “These two are practically fornicating in front of everyone.”

Cory stiffened. “Apologize, Mr. Sinke.”

“Or what? You’ll prove me right and do it with my wife, here on the grass?”

Chrissy gasped, her face turning bright red.

Rage burned through Bunny, her heartbeat pounding through heated veins.

“She’s not your wife. You gave up that privilege two years ago.” Cory raised his clenched fist. “Now apologize to her.”

Afraid he’d throw a punch, Bunny laid a hand on his arm. “Don’t. He’s not worth it.”

“What’s the matter, Bunny? Can’t get a real man, so you’ll settle for this little boy who gets naked for money, like the whore he is?”

That was it. The final straw in a long line of slights her ex had heaped on her over the years. Before she could stop herself, she balled her fist and slammed it into Ray’s smirking face.

Ray staggered back, knocking into Chrissy and sending her flying into a blood-red rose bush.

Pain shot through Bunny’s knuckles, but she refused to show it. “That’s for being rude to my friend. And he’s more of a man than you ever were or ever will be.”

Jackson fished Chrissy out of the rose bush and set her on her feet. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Ray, look what you did.” She stared at the pricks of blood on her arms where the thorns had torn her skin. Then she glared at Ray through blue eyes awash in tears. “And I was going to look so beautiful in my wedding dress Saturday.” She covered her face and ran from the garden, sobbing.

Guilt hit Bunny like a Mack truck. No matter how she felt about Ray, Chrissy deserved better. She was just a young, naive girl suckered into Ray’s world. Bunny touched Cory’s arm. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have.” Ray rose from the ground, his face blotchy red, his lip split and bleeding. “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.”

Her heart sank to the lowest point in her belly. “Okay, then.” She glanced at Cory with a twisted smile. “I have to leave. Tell Jack the date’s off.” Then she hurried to find Lacey, leaving Cory standing in the middle of the crowd.

So much for finding love in a garden. Now Ray was riled. He’d go for the throat and put her out of business. Damn. Tomorrow, she’d have to eat crow and apologize to Ray and figure her way out of this mess.

Cory started to follow Bunny out of the garden, but Audrey caught his arm. “Let her go.”

“This is all my fault.” He shook off her hand and would have sprinted after Bunny but Jackson stepped in front of him.

“Sometimes you have to back up and really look at what’s driving a woman to understand how you can help and earn her love and respect.”

“Tell him, Jackson.” Audrey winked at her man. “What does Bunny value most?”

Cory tore his gaze off the garden gate where Bunny had disappeared and tried to focus on what Jackson and Audrey were telling him. After a moment he shook his head. “Her shop?”

Audrey nodded. “Her shop signifies her independence. It was the only thing in her life she had any kind of control over. If she loses her shop, she loses her means to support herself. She’ll be flat on her ass and dependent on others to make a living.”

“I can afford to support her.”

Jackson shook his head. “And I could afford to support Audrey, but she wouldn’t let me.”

“Right. I went into this relationship on equal footing with Jackson,” Audrey said. “I’m here because I
want
to be, not because I
have
to be. Been in that situation and never want to go back. I’m a businesswoman. I need a business to run.”

“Bunny has been supporting herself and her jerk ex-husband for so long, if you pull the shop out from under her, she’ll be devastated.”

“But you heard Ray. He’s going after her.”

“And he holds half of the deck in his hands.”

Cory frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The judge awarded him half of all of Bunny’s assets in the divorce.”

“So he owns half of her shop?” Cory shook his head. “That’s insane.”

“Texas is a common law state. Everything was split in the divorce.”

“Damn.” Cory shoved a hand through his hair. “What can I do to keep him from closing her down?”

“You and Jack are pretty good with investments.” Audrey smiled. “Put your financial acumen to work and figure it out. But don’t make it seem like the two of you want to take care of everything for her. If you’re serious about wooing Bunny, you’ll have to give her the opportunity to go into it on equal footing.”

Jackson kissed Audrey. “I couldn’t have put it better. Cory’s got a lot to think about, so we should leave him to it. Ready to go?”

She laughed and kissed him back. “Yup.” She touched Cory’s shoulder. “Bunny’s a good person. Just don’t break her heart.”

Cory stood for a long moment in the garden, his mind cranking through all that had happened. When he came up with a solution, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jack. “You at the house?”

“I am,” Jack responded. “How’d it go with Bunny?”

“Put on the coffee. We have some thinkin’ to do.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Let’s just say the courtin’ isn’t going quite as planned.”

Jack snorted. “Tell me about it.”

Cory hit End.

Chapter Six

Jack and Cory had called several times that day, each asking her to reconsider and go through with the date.

She’d turned them down every time, until she’d finished all the flower arrangements for Ray and Chrissy’s wedding. Her rebellious streak had kicked in around five o’clock. After stewing all day about Ray and his lawyer, she’d worried herself into a frazzle.

The phone rang exactly at five. At that point, she’d had enough. Enough of Ray being an ass. Enough worrying about how she’d pay the flower wholesaler if Ray called in his note. And enough celibacy to last a lifetime. If she was going to lose her business, by golly, she’d go down with one last really good orgasm.

“Bunny, it’s Jack. Would you please reconsid—”

“I’ll go,” she blurted.

“You will?” Jack chuckled. “What changed your mind?”

“Let’s just say, I’m tired of being at the mercy of everyone else. I’ll be ready at six.” She hung up before she could change her mind.

Her heart racing, she’d rushed up the stairs to her apartment, changed into a daisy-print cotton sundress and white sandals. At the last minute, she yanked her panties off and tossed them. They landed on a lampshade, and she didn’t even try to retrieve them.