Page 20 of Luna

“Good morning.” Halos approached me from the back of the greenhouse. His black hair shone in the sunlight. It was messy, barely touching his ears, and his tanned skin looked darker against his t-shirt.

“Morning.” I smiled, and I realized it was the first time I’d had a real smile on my face in weeks. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“I kept showing up, so they offered me a paycheck.” Halos smiled, showing a dimple on one side of his cheek.

“I guess I’m just a stalker then,” I said, and froze. I couldn’t seem to make myself make casual conversation. My stomach twisted, and it felt like static took up residence in my brain, making thoughts and words extra hard.

“You already have a good job,” Halos laughed. “Otherwise, Brenda and Carl would snatch you up in a heartbeat.”

“Good, good.” I tried to summon another smile, but my nerves were prickling, making me feel on edge again. I wanted to throw myself into his arms and let him hold me. Tell me everything was going to be okay.

The thought terrified me. I had already let down my guard for a wild weekend, and now…I shut that line of thought down.

“We got some lilacs in stock.” Halos gestured at the third building, where they sorted new stock. “You can have first dibs.”

Plants. I had to throw myself into my plants. “Yes, please.”

I followed Halos to the third building. I tried not to stare at his tight butt or notice how he filled out his beaten-up jeans so well, but I had to acknowledge I was fighting a losing battle.

He held the door open, and I went into the employees’ only section. It was laid out like an indoor greenhouse as well, only less tidy. Bags of soil, mulch, and random stacks of pots lined one wall, and the rest of the space had long tables covered with plants.

“We loaded them over here.” Halos showed me towards the back, near the row of offices. “We also got some more lavender in, in case Ember needs more.”

I forced myself to laugh. As I drew in my next breath, I could tell that Halos had spent a lot of time here, recently, because his herbal scent filled the space along with the comforting scents of earth, flowers, and green things. I sucked in a breath, almost making myself lightheaded.

“Are you alright?” Halos stopped at a table filled with small lilac bushes. “You’re pale.”

“I’ve been under the weather.” The lie fell uneasily from my lips.

The urge to burrow into his chest and let him hold me got stronger. I took in a small, slow breath, breathing shallowly, but the impact of his scent only grew more potent.

“Can I help?” He cocked his head. “You’re still renovating the northside flower beds, right?”

“Yes,” I said, barely a whisper. He was tall, taller than me by a whole head and I sucked in another hit of his scent. Two steps forward, and I could be touching him.

“Did you bring your plans?” He looked at my brown satchel and gestured at the office to the side. “We could go over them.”

I was already nodding before he finished his sentence. That was exactly what I wanted, to talk about plants with this quiet alpha who didn’t make my omega senses want to run and hide. Actually, I really wanted to touch him, but this was the next best thing.

“Alright,” Halos brightened up. “Come on.”

He opened the door and gestured inside the office at a worn but comfortable-looking chair, an ancient computer, beaten up desk, and a round table that looked brand new.

“Don’t mind the furniture.”

“No point having really nice things when you’re usually covered in dirt, is there?” I laughed and took a seat at the round table. I’d planned projects out before with Brenda or Carl, but this was the first time I’d had any alone time with Halos that wasn’t a stolen moment while he was working.

“Exactly.” Halos went over to where a microwave sat on top of a small fridge. “Hot tea? Water? Soda?”

“Hot tea?” I sniffed the air, something tantalizing making my mouth water. It smelled like…Italian food. Something hearty and heavy.

“Chamomile, citrus and mint, or English breakfast?”

“Mint,” I said quickly, thinking about how his spearmint scent calmed me. “Citrus and mint please.”

“Honey or sugar?”

“Honey please.” I laughed. “You’re well prepared.”

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