8. Chapter 8

A s soon as I got home, I opened Instagram , dying to confirm what I had suspected since Derek's name clicked in my head. I'd seen his name on the invoices and had heard his assistant call him Mr. Marten, but for some reason, it hadn't connected until now.

Scrolling through my photos until I found my Sea of Sunflowers one, I clicked on the likes. When I found the name I'd been looking for, I went to the profile and stared at the single post on the account for dmarten1 .

Strange that there was nothing else on the profile unless he was the type that only posted in stories, but there was no indication that he had a story. At least not one that I could see. I opened the photo and studied it. With the way he'd tilted his head, his face wasn't visible, but I'd been close enough to Derek now to know that with his hair color and style and the type of suit he wore, it had to be him.

What did that mean?

If he'd been searching through my profile to gain an understanding of my business before considering hiring me, the single photo he'd liked on my page had been the least business-y one there was. My mind was swirling.

Grabbing MJ, my new crocheted mascot, I sat down at my desk and tried to work out what was going on. I went to my inbox and found Harper's account, BugzLife . His name made me smile every time. Bug was the name given to him by Collin's biker friends, and Harper had adopted it proudly. I shot off a quick message and played with the yellow daisy that MJ held.

Me: I think my new client is stalking me.

A few minutes passed, and I wasn't sure if Harper was available. I was about to unsend the message in case he found it later and freaked out, but before I could, he responded.

Harper: WTF!! Are you serious?

Me: I'm not really sure. He started following me on IG, but you know…a lot of people do. But I'm almost certain I saw him at the Market. I never saw his face, but…

The more I thought about the random guy in a full suit looking completely out of place, the more I was sure it was him. It had to be .

Harper: Are you in danger? Did you report that guy? Do you need help? I may not be much use in a fight, but I can get the IEQ to back us up.

As much as I appreciated knowing that he had a queer motorcycle club on standby, I didn't think it was that kind of situation.

Me: Stand down, friend, no need to call the cavalry.

Harper: Are you sure?

Me: Yeah. I don't think he means any harm. I've met him a few times now.

Harper: I hope you're meeting him in a public space.

Me: At his office. Plenty of witnesses, don't worry, bugaboo. But you being all superhero-y is really sweet.

Harper: So what's this guy's deal?

Me: I'm not really sure. He's kind of hard to pin down.

Harper: But you think he's safe?

Me: Yeah. Pretty Sure. And I'll tell you this…

Harper: What?

Me: The man looks like sin in a suit. God, he's gorgeous.

Harper: (laughing emoji) So that's all it takes to forgive your stalker, huh? *Police officer-can you tell us anything about the suspect? *You- he's hot !

Me: Yup, pretty much. If I'm going to die, at least I'll have a good view on the way out.

Harper: SMH. I worry about you sometimes.

Me: Hey, you got a big, scary teddy bear, so who's to say I won't find one, too?

Harper: I hope you do. Just be careful.

Me: I will. Oh! Speaking of teddy bears…

With MJ by my face, I sent a selfie of the two of us.

Me: I love my bear!

Harper: (Smiling emoji) Aww cute! I'm glad you like it. I gotta go meet up with a farmer, but are you sure you're safe?

Me: Yes. I'm sure. Talk to you later.

I decided the photo of me and MJ was too cute not to share, so I put it in a post, tagging Collin's account, introducing the new mascot of Bearclaw Blossoms . I spent the next hour working on orders and occasionally checking my notifications. MJ was a hit. I got more responses to our photo than to the last few bouquet shots I'd done. Although I was sure the bots tended to favor faces, anyway. It was fine though, because putting my face out there helped remind customers I was a real person and not some faceless company. It was all part of creating that connection.

What I didn't expect, even though I'd been talking about him, was to have Derek like the picture. I'd done several posts since we'd first seen each other, but this was the only one that he'd responded to since my sunflower photo. I didn't know what it meant, but I imagined him looking at the photo of me holding a small stuffed bear and feeling compelled to like it. What did he think of it, of me? Did he see me as a ridiculous person?

I thought of his office. Even though I had managed to tone down the sharp edges with the bouquets I'd left him, it still was a far cry from anything I had. I certainly couldn't picture him with a stuffed animal. Though I could picture him slowly unbuttoning his dress shirt, and damn , that image got me hot; no plushie necessary for a sexy man like him. He commanded attention in an entirely different way.

Those thoughts were entirely inappropriate to have about someone I would be working with weekly. My self-lecture did nothing to stop the blood rushing south at the image I couldn't get out of my head. I adjusted myself and returned to work, needing the distraction to clear my head.

Luckily, it had been a busy day. Well… not luckily, not when it was a funeral that had taken my focus, but at least it kept my mind off the mysterious man. At least until I got home, where I had nothing but my plants as companions, and they weren't exactly talkative. With the quiet came the very inappropriate thoughts about my client.

I owned my business; it wasn't like there were any rules about who I could be with, but there was a level of professionalism I tried to maintain. My relationships with my customers were very important to me and it was what I had built my business on. And generally, I'd never had a problem with it. There had been plenty of men that I had found attractive, but I wasn't typically one to throw myself at someone, so it was never more than a crush or a fascination.

Derek, though. There was something about the man. The absence of social media presence was strange in this day and age. I might have done a little poke around on my break at work, while I was definitely not thinking of him. His Instagram account with the singular photo was all I could find. That was odd enough on its own, but then he wasn't my type either; all stiff and well-to-do. Realizing he had sought me out and scrolled through all of my pictures, showed up at Heartcraft, all before he placed his first order…those damn twirlies got me again. Maybe I was making more out of it than was there, but it gave me butterflies, anyway.

With pent-up energy and a curiosity I wanted to satisfy, I skipped dinner and headed straight for my room. Stripping out of everything but my briefs, I lay in bed, reclined against my headboard with my laptop beside me, and opened a porn site.

More often than not, my porn intake was of the more romantic type. I loved the buildup, the relationship, and trust you could feel between the two, the tender touches, the caressing, and the I-love-yous . It made my sappy heart happy and made the getting off feel more deserved.

Not today, though. Today, I had a specific image in my head, one that I couldn't shake, and I was desperate to see it outside of my head. I looked around, as if there would be anyone who might see me, but with my curtains closed, the only company I had was my leafy green friends. And they were judgment-free companions.

After putting what I wanted into the search, a whole list of offerings showed up, and I clicked on the first one. A man in a suit was on the phone talking when a young man walked into his office. He put his finger to his lips to indicate the boy should stay quiet. The boy nodded and came around the desk, dropping to his knees.

My hand palmed over my thickening dick through the cotton material of my briefs as the boy unbuckled the man's belt. He never stopped his phone call as his pants were unzipped and his cock pulled free. Normally, this didn't do it for me, I wanted attention, to know that I was the only thing my partner was thinking about when we were together, but I could not deny how hot he looked in his suit with his jacket open, tie hanging down, and the boy swallowing him down.

"Fuck!" I freed my own cock and stroked slowly, enraptured by the scene playing out. It cut to another scene where the man was sitting in his chair and the boy under the desk sucking him off, while he was in a meeting with other people across the desk from them. God, it was so unrealistic and nothing like what I wanted in real life. I had no desire to risk being seen or other people involved, and I would never fit under that desk, but it was fueling my current fantasy.

Pumping faster and faster at the unabashed attention the boy gave him, caught up in how sexy the man looked behind his desk, I stroked myself dry, too caught up to stop for lube. As the man let a groan slip from his lips, I imagined the sounds that Derek might make or how he would look at the height of pleasure, and it was enough to push me over the edge.

" Mmmnn ." A loud moan rolled out of me as tension uncoiled and burst free from me, covering my hand and my belly. My breath came heavy at the intensity of it, and I let my head fall back against my headboard. The moans on the video were getting obscene, and I had what I needed already, so I shut it off.

A tinge of guilt surfaced as I thought about objectifying a man I barely knew, but damn, if that wasn't the best orgasm I'd had in a while. I got caught up in a moment. That was all. It was fine. Totally fine. Everyone had fantasies, and this was harmless.

It wasn't fine. Not when I returned to Derek's office the following Monday and couldn't stop staring at his desk, especially with him sitting behind it, looking all powerful and sexy.

"Good morning, Marley. I hope you'll forgive me, but I have a crisis I need to handle for an account. You're welcome to stay as long as you need." The greeting had been brief before he sat and scowled at his computer, mumbling as he went.

"No problem at all. Do what you gotta do."

It was both good and bad to have him leave me alone while I worked. Good, because I didn't know if I could maintain eye contact right now. Bad, because every time I snuck a look at him sitting at his desk, I couldn't stop picturing his pants open beneath the surface. And that mahogany desk was practically making me drool. Since when had a piece of furniture been so sexy?

"This isn't right! Fucking hell." Derek grumbled as I pulled the old flowers from the wooden vases and placed them on my cart. They would be added to the composter I had at the shop, because even though the flowers were dead, they still had a purpose .

On my cart was also a jug of water pre-mixed with apple cider vinegar and sugar to help them last through the week, but first I needed to dump out the old water. Hating to interrupt Derek while he was clearly in the middle of something, I popped my head out to find his assistant.

"Hi, Mr. Howard, how are you?"

The man looked up at me and his eyes sparkled with interest. "Oh, me? I'm good. And please, just call me Paul. I really like what you did with the flowers in Mr. Marten's office. You've got a great eye. It's nice to see him brighten up when you come."

"He does?"

Paul wore an impish expression. "I mean, it's nice to see his office brightened up. He's been in a cave for too long."

"Thank you. I think I found a good balance for him, something that complements his style without changing it."

"I think you have, indeed," he said with a smirk.

"I didn't want to bother Derek."

"Derek?" Paul's brows arched.

"Uh, Mr. Marten. He seems rather busy. Can you tell me where I can dump the water from the vases?"

A strange look came across his face as he narrowed his eyes. "He's too busy to answer you?"

"Oh, it's fine. He's working. There's no reason that me being here to do my job should interfere with his. "

Paul tsked his tongue before putting on a smile. "If you go down the hallway to the left, there's a small kitchenette with a sink that should serve your purpose."

"Thank you, Paul. I'll be back in a few if Mr. Marten asks."

"I'll be sure to let him know." Paul winked at me. Strange reaction. Stranger still, that I'd interacted more with him than I had with Derek. Clearly, whatever fantasy I'd built up was all in my head, and simply a series of coincidences.

After pouring out the old water, rinsing the varnished wood vases, and returning to Derek's office, I was surprised to find him standing by the flowers I'd brought today; another assortment of purples and greens.

"Oh. Hi. Everything okay? I can come back another time if that would work better for you."

Derek shook his head before straightening and hooked his thumbs into his pockets. Pockets that seemed too small for much more, given how tightly they hugged his muscular thighs. I forced my gaze back up.

"No. You're fine. My assistant informed me I was being rude, so I should apologize."

I felt my cheeks pink. "Oh dear. I didn't say anything of the sort. I totally get that you're a busy man. I was simply trying not to be in the way. "

Derek reached out and touched the back of my hand, before dropping his quickly. "You could never be in the way."

His green eyes pierced through me, making my already pink cheeks warm even more. The twirlies were back in a way that made me feel as if they might lift me right off the floor. Was that how he acted with everyone? Or was this imagined thing not-so-imagined after all?

"I, um. Thank you." I desperately wanted him to touch me, to hold my hand, to swipe everything off his desk and bend me over it. Fuck ! I needed to get some air. "I'll be finished in a few minutes."

I turned away from him, needing to not look at the handsome man with his sexy stubble, short salt-and-pepper hair, and a suit that was clearly tailored to highlight every ripple of muscle. I didn't even like men with defined bodies. Not normally. I poured my solution into the vases before quickly collecting the sprigs of foliage and stems to arrange.

A hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump. "Marley?"

His husky voice did nothing to stop the way my body reacted to his nearness, a chub already threatening to make its presence known.

"Hmm? "

"Do I…make you uncomfortable?" The confidence that normally seemed to flow out of him seemed gone in that instant. His voice was small and soft.

Facing him quickly, I rushed to reassure him. Thankfully, my concern made my dick relax from the tension I felt building in this office. "No, Derek. Not at all. We're both simply trying to do our jobs in a shared space."

That made sense, I hoped .

"Right. Our jobs ."

Derek ran his hand over his hair and began pacing around the office. Unsure if he needed space for whatever was going on in his head, I decided to return my attention to the flowers, alternating the blossoms as I placed them in a vase.

"I've gone about this all wrong," Derek grumbled.

"Oh? What's that?" I held a lavender snapdragon as I looked over my shoulder. Derek's distressed expression had me closing the distance between us. "What is it? What's wrong? I know we don't know each other well, but I'm here if you need to talk."

One side of his lips tugged up quickly. "You're very sweet, Marley."

I shrugged. "Remember that whole connection thing? It's not superficial. I really do care about my clients, and that extends to you."

"As a client?"

"Of course. "

Derek rubbed his hand over his short hair, making me wish I could feel it under my fingers. "Shit! I'm sorry, Marley."

Confusion had me tilting my head. "For what, exactly?"

He sighed heavily and walked around his desk to stand behind it. The move made me think of him using it as armor. Unfortunately, it also reminded me of the video I'd watched.

"I don't even know how we got here. I want you to know that I really do admire you and your work. I like what you've done here, but if I'm totally honest, it wasn't your flowers that I was initially interested in."

My heart leapt in my chest. I didn't know where he was going with this, but hope was building in me. Hope that perhaps I had been onto something, but needed to be sure before I got too carried away. "What do you mean by that?"

"Listen, I've probably wasted too much of your time as it is. Let's just forget it."

I marched over to the desk and waved the snapdragon at him. "Sorry, but no. You can't just drop something like that and then dismiss it. Tell me what you were going to say. Please. Otherwise, I might build up something in my head that's either good or bad, but there's no way I could leave with neutral thoughts afterward."

Derek huffed out a breath before walking slowly around his desk, planting himself right in front of me. He gently reached out and took the flower from my hand and set it on his desk.

"No need to wave this about and injure the blossoms after you've gone through all this work to bring them here."

At that simple act, my heart went from leaping about to sinking into a swoon. It took everything in me to try to keep my voice steady. "Can you tell me what this is all about?"

Derek bent his head so that he met my gaze. "The truth is…I saw you at Carmen's wedding."

My belly did a flippity-flop. " Okaaaay ? I saw you, too. Saw a lot of people there."

"Well, you looked so vibrant and happy, and I couldn't get you out of my head."

I felt my eyes round at his confession. "Me?"

"Yes. You. And, well, I wanted to see you again. I thought if I did, then I could move on."

All flippity-flopping fell flat. Hearing him say if he saw me, it would end whatever fascination he had quickly planted my feet back on the ground. "What do you mean?"

"Fuck! I can't even get this part right. I mean that my interest only grew. I couldn't stand the thought of not seeing you again, so I used your business to get to you. Which saying out loud sounds even worse than I thought it would. So, I'm sorry."

Everything was topsy-turvy, my feet not sure if they should float or fall. "So…you don't like my flowers?"

"No, I do. I really do. They make my office feel lighter. I wasn't lying about that."

" Okaaay . And me?" Derek tried to look away, but I held his hand, keeping him from getting away—not when we were so close to uncovering what was happening here.

"I like you, too. You make me feel lighter, Marley."

A huge grin fought to stretch my lips wide, but before I let it loose, I needed to be sure I heard him correctly. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

Derek's lips twitched with amusement. "I like you, Marley."

I turned to hide the smile that broke free and went back to the flowers, letting the words hang between us for a moment. It was surreal hearing such a declaration from a man like Derek. I hummed as I finished one arrangement and slowly placed it on a side table before working on the other one.

"Marley?"

"Uh-huh?" I asked without looking at him, grinning like a loon to myself.

"Can you stop?"

"I'm almost done." I walked across the room to get the snapdragon off his desk to complete the second bouquet. He watched me with brows raised and his lips held open slightly. Maybe I found a little amusement in his shock and enjoyed leaving him hanging for a moment. With the last snapdragon in place, I faced him and held out my hands .

"There. What do you think?"

"Did you, uh, hear what I said?"

I bit my lip to keep from grinning. "I did."

"And? Do you have any thoughts about it? I apologize if I crossed a line."

"I wanted to finish the job I came here for…that I was hired for. It's important to me that my work is satisfactory. Are you satisfied, Derek?" I reveled in the torment in his expression. Perhaps it was cruel, but he had been the one to set this whole situation in motion, and I could play too.

"Yes. Very. They're beautiful."

I dusted off my hands in a job-done motion before placing them on my hips. "Thank you. So what are we going to do about this?"

"I, uh, don't know. I told you I admire your business— I meant that. So, if nothing else happens, I would love to keep our contract. Though, if you aren't comfortable returning, it could be someone else."

Derek's gaze fell, looking dejected. A look that didn't match his perfectly groomed appearance or his powerful suit. Okay, playtime is over .

"I mean, about us. What do you plan to do about that?"

He flicked his eyes up to mine and a mixture of hope and despair swirled behind them. "I'm not sure what you mean."

I walked across the small room, purposely accentuating my walk with an extra sashay, happily noting how his attention followed. Stopping right in front of him, I put a finger on his tie. The silky black tie with navy stripes that I wanted to wrap around my hand. "I think you should ask me out and see what happens."

He drew in a sharp breath before rolling his shoulders back and standing taller, looking very much the powerful CMO he was. "Would you like to go to dinner with me, Marley?"

I let the grin I'd been concealing from him stretch wide. "As it happens, I love dinner."

"Yeah?"

"Yup." I popped the p with emphasis, hardly believing this was actually happening, and internally high-fiving myself for my boldness.

"Alright. Good. Dinner. Friday night?" Derek adjusted his tie as if he needed something to do with his hands.

"Friday works. But I have the Heartcraft Market on Saturday, so it will be an early morning."

"Does Thursday work better?"

"Thursday is fine for me, but can you do a Thursday, with it a work night and all?"

"Every night is a work night, so it makes no difference."

That might have been concerning if I wasn't so giddy about this gorgeous man asking me out. "Okay. Let's do it. You have my number." I stepped away from him before I thought about the dark wooden desk behind him more than I already had .

"Okay."

Gathering all my supplies and loading my cart, I waved my fingers at him as I walked out. "Bye, Derek. See you soon."

As I left, my feet were fully floating; I might as well have been on a hoverboard. With as much care as I usually had for the people I encountered, every face I passed on my way out was a blur. My brain and heart were still processing what had just happened. That the incredibly handsome man was interested in me, not only interested, but we were actually going to go on a date.