of course.
She lifted her head and turned to face him. And blinked.
Sean was smiling at her with his hands behind his back and a look on his face that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Tiny alarm bells started to sound inside her head, and as he stepped closer she fought the sudden urge to buy something from the haberdashery stall. Buttons. Ribbons. Anything.
He had something on his mind and she knew before he opened his mouth that it would involve her stepping outside her comfort zone in a serious way.
This must be how antelopes felt before the lion pounced.
‘Sorry I spent so long on the phone. Rob had come up with a few ideas about how to make the best use of your advice,’ Sean said and then paused.
One more step and he had closed the distance between them, but before she could respond his hand whipped out from behind his back. He was holding the most enormous bunch of tulips that she had ever seen. And he was holding them out towards her.
No—make that bunch es . Lipstick-red tulips that called out to be sniffed; yellow tulips still in bud; and her favourite tulip: stripy parrot blossoms in glorious shades of white and red with splashes of orange and flame. All set off by swords of dark-green leaves with pristine, clean-cut edges.
Without a moment’s hesitation she clutched the flowers from his fingers and gathered them into her arms and up to her face.
It was spring in a bouquet.
It was heaven.
‘I thought that you might like them,’ Sean said with a smile in his voice.
She blinked up into his face, and was totally embarrassed to find that she could hardly speak through the closed sore throat that came with the tears that ran down her cheek.
‘Hey,’ he said in a voice so warm and gentle that it only made her cry more. ‘It’s okay. If you don’t like them, the flower stall has a great selection of daffodils.’
He ran his hand up and down her arm and bent lower to look into her face. His blue eyes showed such concern that she sniffed away her stupid tears and blinked a couple of times.
‘I love them. Thank you. It’s just that...’
‘Yes. Go on,’ he replied, his gaze never leaving her face.
‘This is the first time anyone has bought me flowers. Ever. And it is a bit overwhelming.’
Sean looked at her with an expression of complete bewilderment. ‘Please tell me that you are joking. Never? Not one boyfriend? Impossible.’
‘Never.’ She nodded, reached into her pocket for a tissue and blew her nose in a most unladylike fashion.
‘Well, that is totally unacceptable,’ Sean said and stood back up to his full height. ‘You’ve clearly been treated most shamefully and, as one of the many single men who would love to buy you flowers on a regular basis, I apologize for the oversight.’
Then he smiled with a smile that could have melted ice at fifty paces and which reached his eyes before he opened his mouth.
‘Perhaps we can help you to feel more appreciated. Are you doing anything this Friday evening?’
Dee reared back a little and tried to reconnect her brain. ‘No. I don’t think so. Why?’
‘Prakash and the other management graduates are meeting the hotel managers at a company dinner on Friday. Rob is flying in from New York and would love to meet you and talk tea.’
Then Sean lifted her hand that was not busy with the flowers, turned it over and ran his lips across the inside of her wrist, sending all chance of sensible thought from her brain.
‘And I...’ he kissed her wrist again, his hot breath tingling on the tiny hairs on the back of her hand, his gaze never leaving her face ‘...would love you to be my date for the evening.’
He folded her fingers into her palm but held her hand tight against his coat, forcing her to look into those blue eyes.
And she fell in and drowned.
‘Say yes, Dee. You know that you want to. It’s going to be a very special night.’
Words were impossible. But somehow she managed a quick nod.
That was
She lifted her head and turned to face him. And blinked.
Sean was smiling at her with his hands behind his back and a look on his face that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Tiny alarm bells started to sound inside her head, and as he stepped closer she fought the sudden urge to buy something from the haberdashery stall. Buttons. Ribbons. Anything.
He had something on his mind and she knew before he opened his mouth that it would involve her stepping outside her comfort zone in a serious way.
This must be how antelopes felt before the lion pounced.
‘Sorry I spent so long on the phone. Rob had come up with a few ideas about how to make the best use of your advice,’ Sean said and then paused.
One more step and he had closed the distance between them, but before she could respond his hand whipped out from behind his back. He was holding the most enormous bunch of tulips that she had ever seen. And he was holding them out towards her.
No—make that bunch es . Lipstick-red tulips that called out to be sniffed; yellow tulips still in bud; and her favourite tulip: stripy parrot blossoms in glorious shades of white and red with splashes of orange and flame. All set off by swords of dark-green leaves with pristine, clean-cut edges.
Without a moment’s hesitation she clutched the flowers from his fingers and gathered them into her arms and up to her face.
It was spring in a bouquet.
It was heaven.
‘I thought that you might like them,’ Sean said with a smile in his voice.
She blinked up into his face, and was totally embarrassed to find that she could hardly speak through the closed sore throat that came with the tears that ran down her cheek.
‘Hey,’ he said in a voice so warm and gentle that it only made her cry more. ‘It’s okay. If you don’t like them, the flower stall has a great selection of daffodils.’
He ran his hand up and down her arm and bent lower to look into her face. His blue eyes showed such concern that she sniffed away her stupid tears and blinked a couple of times.
‘I love them. Thank you. It’s just that...’
‘Yes. Go on,’ he replied, his gaze never leaving her face.
‘This is the first time anyone has bought me flowers. Ever. And it is a bit overwhelming.’
Sean looked at her with an expression of complete bewilderment. ‘Please tell me that you are joking. Never? Not one boyfriend? Impossible.’
‘Never.’ She nodded, reached into her pocket for a tissue and blew her nose in a most unladylike fashion.
‘Well, that is totally unacceptable,’ Sean said and stood back up to his full height. ‘You’ve clearly been treated most shamefully and, as one of the many single men who would love to buy you flowers on a regular basis, I apologize for the oversight.’
Then he smiled with a smile that could have melted ice at fifty paces and which reached his eyes before he opened his mouth.
‘Perhaps we can help you to feel more appreciated. Are you doing anything this Friday evening?’
Dee reared back a little and tried to reconnect her brain. ‘No. I don’t think so. Why?’
‘Prakash and the other management graduates are meeting the hotel managers at a company dinner on Friday. Rob is flying in from New York and would love to meet you and talk tea.’
Then Sean lifted her hand that was not busy with the flowers, turned it over and ran his lips across the inside of her wrist, sending all chance of sensible thought from her brain.
‘And I...’ he kissed her wrist again, his hot breath tingling on the tiny hairs on the back of her hand, his gaze never leaving her face ‘...would love you to be my date for the evening.’
He folded her fingers into her palm but held her hand tight against his coat, forcing her to look into those blue eyes.
And she fell in and drowned.
‘Say yes, Dee. You know that you want to. It’s going to be a very special night.’
Words were impossible. But somehow she managed a quick nod.
That was
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