Chapter Fourteen

W ith the handsome doctor's hands adjusting the glasses behind her ear, Pippa forgot all about the rain, the pineapple, and everything else. Goosebumps on her neck were the evidence of the effect Nick's touch had on her skin. She felt his dexterous fingers pushing the itchy, unruly hairs away from her cheeks and then he laid cold pieces of metal on the folds behind her ears. He was close and Pippa could feel his breath brushing against her cheeks, scented with a sweet mix of the pineapple and something else, masculine and tempting. As the warmth of his body curled against her front, notes of citrus and sandalwood and a manly soapy scent enveloped her senses and Pippa thought she could sway on a bed of sensual delight in his presence. His scent pulled her in, and she let out a sigh. With her eyes closed, she was even more attuned to his touch, the gentle but deliberate wiggling of the bridge of the glasses between her eyes.

"What do you think?" he asked, sounding hoarse all of a sudden.

Pippa opened her eyes.

At first, everything was blurred.

She blinked.

Then again.

And suddenly the colors were brighter, the edges of the leaves sharper, the droplets from the drying mist on the windows vivid, with sharp definition of light and shadow. For a moment, it appeared that she stood at the edge of a step, clear above, blurred below, but then the world came alive around her in a way that it hadn't in a long time. She pivoted, taking in the gorgeous hues of emerald green and fuchsia from the orchids. And then, she noticed the phalaenopsis' bent of the branches closer and the dark, waxy leaves further in the back. She bent down to pick a blossom, reveling in the sight of the thin, stingy petals that she hadn't been able to see before. Most of all, she reached for the petals and didn't need to fumble to find them. Everything was where she saw it. Then she noticed her little patch of sprouting Brussel sprouts. Thin white stems with adorable little round leaves, each a set of two, stood tall, as if they had goals to exceed their current height of an inch by sheer willpower.

"Oh no!" Pippa exclaimed when she noticed the bunny wiggling his nose and whiskers as he chewed. "If you eat the sprouts, then you won't have the adult plants to eat later!"

He hopped into the leaves and Pippa chuckled.

"Amazing!" she said, laughing, delighted even though she was barely able to trust her own eyes.

"It was easy, just two prisms," the doctor said.

Pippa straightened and turned to him. What she saw made her freeze.

She'd thought him handsome, a blur of wheat-colored hair and chestnut-brown eyes, a broad-shouldered form with white flashing teeth and pleasantly shaped face with high cheekbones and a firm chin, but…she hadn't seen him quite like this before.

Well, to be truthful, the first time in the patisserie, she hadn't seen him at all, and had nearly run him over. The second time, she'd seen him up close in his office. He'd been even harder to see then, mostly a delicious smelling blur with a wonderful deep voice and gentle fingers that had warmed her senses and given her chills all the same.

But now, she could see him— really see him—and her stomach flipped about inside her like a hungry butterfly in a fragrant garden.

He was easily the most impressive male specimen she'd ever seen, farsighted or not. Especially now as his handsome features were undeniable, as if emerging from the canvas of a painting. His hair, a captivating shade of dark blond, was styled in a side part with seemingly effortless finesse and the light wave of his hair was even more golden and inviting than before. It caught the light in a way that suggested sunbeams had been woven into each strand, giving it an ethereal quality that Pippa longed to touch.

Meanwhile, his eyes, dark and enigmatic, sparkled in shades of mysterious browns. They shimmered with an intensity that riveted her to the spot, holding her gaze as though whispering untold secrets. She blinked, unable to take her eyes—her new eyes, thanks to Nick's skill—off him.

Nick's features brightened as he smiled, and his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. How is it possible that he can become even more attractive? But it was true. He had a smoldering expression that radiated warmth, setting her heart ablaze. The play of his sculpted, firm lips hinted at a man who was charming and approachable, yet now he held himself at a respectable distance.

She didn't like it. He was too far away. Pippa swallowed and stepped closer. His smile brightened, and now she could see the dimples on either side of those lips and the straightness of those perfectly white teeth, gleaming with pristine brilliance. All of him gleamed with pristine brilliance. To see him for the first time was to understand the true meaning of captivation. Like looking into the sun, perhaps. She blinked.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked.

"Too far," she managed, still caught up in the shock of seeing such male perfection in her orangery. Pippa couldn't ignore the feeling of unease as she stared at him from mere inches away. Would she not have asked him to call her Pippa if she'd known how striking he was? The thought lingered in her mind, weaving its tendrils around her thoughts like ivy on a tower from which she feared she'd never escape. She had never been one to seek attention, and the sudden attention from such a striking man left her embarrassed and feeling exposed in a way that she had never experienced before.

Unsure suddenly of what to do with her hands—which wanted to reach to touch him—she reached for a wedge of pineapple.

His attentiveness, his gentle touch to adjust the spectacles—each gesture had felt like a warm embrace, wrapping around her heart, yet she couldn't fathom why he had chosen her out of all the women in London. Was it simply because he saw she needed him and his skills?

Doubt gnawed at the edges of her consciousness, whispering insidious questions that danced like shadows between the foliage. She closed her eyes for comfort for just a second, returning to the familiar world where her other senses were stronger. With one deep inhale of the damp but fragrant air, she allowed some of his scent to make it into her chest, deep down. And when she exhaled, she knew without a doubt that he'd latched on to her heart. And just so, amidst the uncertainty, a tender bud of hope began to unfurl within Pippa's soul. She used all of her courage to cast him a grateful smile. He'd made her see more clearly but, most of all, he'd made her feel more deeply than anyone ever before.

"Too far? Do you need me to…" He brought his hands back to the sides of the lenses and pushed them up. "Better?"

"No." You are too far away. Pippa suddenly detested even the air between them.

He frowned. "I cut the lenses myself; they should be just right. And this is as close as they should be to your eyes." He tilted his head as if trying to look through the lenses from her side.

Now, he was even closer. So very close.

Pippa touched the curved metal that pressed against the area just above her ear, as he gathered her hair to inspect the temple piece. The ribbon holding it in place loosened and she could feel it falling off. Her hair began to spill down her back and around her shoulders.

He seemed unaware of it, and remained focused on the glasses, leaning in and examining them without removing them. Pippa felt his delicious breath on her neck. It made all sorts of feelings and tingles to flow through her body in ways she'd never felt before. Pippa moved and her chin touched his cheek.

He stopped.

Then he stepped back, looking at her like a stunned deer. "Milady…"

Pippa lifted the wedge of pineapple to her mouth. She hadn't even realized it was still in her fingers. And she didn't know what else to do in this moment of embarrassment. She'd touched his face with hers. Oh my!

She took another bite of pineapple, and, with the tip of her tongue, licked the precious juice from the rind before she dropped the leftover on the wooden board. Nick's gaze followed her movement and the moment stretched. She licked the juice from the corner of her mouth, unable to take her eyes off him. But before she could reach for another wedge of pineapple, he laid his hand on hers. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her shoulder with his other hand. She looked down at his hand as it left her shoulder and then he reached behind her to the back of her head.

When Nick came even closer, her mind raced with questions of what she ought to do because she didn't want to withdraw. She couldn't move. Didn't want to. The closer he was, the more her heart soared.

"Pippa!" Nick whispered with a slight twitch of his brow; his gaze locked with hers. He was begging for permission, but she'd already given in when she licked a droplet of pineapple juice from her lips and focused her gaze on his. And then her breath hitched, as he closed the distance, and his tongue swished gently over her lower lip.

She opened her mouth and gasped, and he pressed his lips onto hers.

A tremor shot through her entire body as he deepened the contact. She melted, her knees unable to support her, and he caught her in his strong arms. She was overwhelmed by the intensity of his touch, the oddly pleasant suction of his mouth, and the fragrant perfection of his scent combined with the precious exotic pineapple aroma that lingered between them. Or was it perhaps just the mingling of their scents in the most amazing of kisses?