back and muttered a sarcastic, “Hi, Damon. Want to come in?” as he shut the door.
When Damon reached her, he set the flowers on the counter and gently grasped her chin to turn her face, brushing the hair off her forehead so he could see her bruise.
“Damon—” she started, but he interrupted her.
“I went to the bookstore and they said you’d been hurt. Fuck, that looks painful. Are you okay? Why didn’t you call me? I know we haven’t known each other that long yet, but I thought we were friends.” He had a hurt look on his face but Penelope couldn’t decide if it was in empathy for her pain or the fact that she hadn’t thought to call him.
She reached up and rubbed his shoulder. “I’m okay, Damon. Really, I am. I was in and out of the ER within a couple of hours.” She gestured to the beautiful bouquet of flowers. “Are those for me?” At his nod, she answered, “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
She looked closer at the bouquet when she spotted a bit of gold glimmering out of the front of it. She reached over and brushed the daisies aside to reveal a beautiful golden daisy, set in amongst the real ones. It was the same size as the real daisies and the golden metal petals appeared just as delicate as real petals. She could even see the veining on the paper thin gold. “What’s this?” She caressed the incredibly delicate golden flower.
He looked embarrassed as he said, “I thought you might need an extra little something to pick you up in your bouquet.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “This isn’t one of the flowers from the Golden Garden is it?”
He shook his head ruefully. “No, I wish they looked this good. From what we’ve uncovered they’ve been crushed under tons of dirt for thousands of years and will never look like this again.” He touched the delicate petals lightly. “This is a reproduction that our artists created based upon what remains of the few flowers we’ve uncovered so far. This is what we think they looked like originally.”
“Wow, it’s exquisite.” She examined the flower. “What are these markings?” There were tiny delicate marks etched onto the flowers which at first glance looked like a part of the veining.
Damon looked at her oddly. “You’re observant, aren’t you? We haven’t uncovered all the mysteries of El Regalo and that’s one of them. We think it’s some sort of code.”
He suddenly seemed uncomfortable talking about his project, which was very odd considering it was his entire life right now. Penelope looked closer at him. Damon was wearing relaxed fit jeans and a worn t-shirt. It was the most casual she’d ever seen him looking. There was an intriguing glimpse of a tattoo peeking out of his neckline and at the bottom of the sleeve on his right arm. He didn’t look sloppy, but something about him gave a feel of exhaustion. There were dark circles under his eyes which hadn’t been there the last time she’d seen him. She frowned.
He looked from Colton to her and then down to their dinner plates. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your evening…”
“You didn’t. We just finished dinner. How are the negotiations working at the University?”
“I’m not here to talk about that.” He brushed off the inquiry way too quickly. Penelope felt a chill of worry for him.
He turned to Colton who’d been standing off to the side watching them interact silently. He nodded back to Penelope before asking Colton, “I get the idea she’s glossing over how she’s really feeling, so will you tell me? How’s she really doing?”
Colton gave a grimace. “Definitely not as well as she likes to think, but she’s doing better.” He looked critically over Penelope. “She doesn’t look like she’s at the edge of death anymore.”
“You really know how to flatter a girl, don’t you, Colt?”
He smirked at her. “Only telling it like it is, sweetheart.” But then his face got serious and he growled low at her. “If
When Damon reached her, he set the flowers on the counter and gently grasped her chin to turn her face, brushing the hair off her forehead so he could see her bruise.
“Damon—” she started, but he interrupted her.
“I went to the bookstore and they said you’d been hurt. Fuck, that looks painful. Are you okay? Why didn’t you call me? I know we haven’t known each other that long yet, but I thought we were friends.” He had a hurt look on his face but Penelope couldn’t decide if it was in empathy for her pain or the fact that she hadn’t thought to call him.
She reached up and rubbed his shoulder. “I’m okay, Damon. Really, I am. I was in and out of the ER within a couple of hours.” She gestured to the beautiful bouquet of flowers. “Are those for me?” At his nod, she answered, “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
She looked closer at the bouquet when she spotted a bit of gold glimmering out of the front of it. She reached over and brushed the daisies aside to reveal a beautiful golden daisy, set in amongst the real ones. It was the same size as the real daisies and the golden metal petals appeared just as delicate as real petals. She could even see the veining on the paper thin gold. “What’s this?” She caressed the incredibly delicate golden flower.
He looked embarrassed as he said, “I thought you might need an extra little something to pick you up in your bouquet.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “This isn’t one of the flowers from the Golden Garden is it?”
He shook his head ruefully. “No, I wish they looked this good. From what we’ve uncovered they’ve been crushed under tons of dirt for thousands of years and will never look like this again.” He touched the delicate petals lightly. “This is a reproduction that our artists created based upon what remains of the few flowers we’ve uncovered so far. This is what we think they looked like originally.”
“Wow, it’s exquisite.” She examined the flower. “What are these markings?” There were tiny delicate marks etched onto the flowers which at first glance looked like a part of the veining.
Damon looked at her oddly. “You’re observant, aren’t you? We haven’t uncovered all the mysteries of El Regalo and that’s one of them. We think it’s some sort of code.”
He suddenly seemed uncomfortable talking about his project, which was very odd considering it was his entire life right now. Penelope looked closer at him. Damon was wearing relaxed fit jeans and a worn t-shirt. It was the most casual she’d ever seen him looking. There was an intriguing glimpse of a tattoo peeking out of his neckline and at the bottom of the sleeve on his right arm. He didn’t look sloppy, but something about him gave a feel of exhaustion. There were dark circles under his eyes which hadn’t been there the last time she’d seen him. She frowned.
He looked from Colton to her and then down to their dinner plates. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your evening…”
“You didn’t. We just finished dinner. How are the negotiations working at the University?”
“I’m not here to talk about that.” He brushed off the inquiry way too quickly. Penelope felt a chill of worry for him.
He turned to Colton who’d been standing off to the side watching them interact silently. He nodded back to Penelope before asking Colton, “I get the idea she’s glossing over how she’s really feeling, so will you tell me? How’s she really doing?”
Colton gave a grimace. “Definitely not as well as she likes to think, but she’s doing better.” He looked critically over Penelope. “She doesn’t look like she’s at the edge of death anymore.”
“You really know how to flatter a girl, don’t you, Colt?”
He smirked at her. “Only telling it like it is, sweetheart.” But then his face got serious and he growled low at her. “If
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