Page 149 of Bloom

Hunter hums as he touches every inch of my skin he can possibly reach, from the calves on either side of him to the slopes of my shoulders to the inner crease of my thighs where his touch makes me squirm.

My breath hitches as he slowly leans forward until our lips barely brush, bestowing the chastest of kisses. It’s a cruel tease, an infuriating taster of what’s to come, but when I try to speed up the process, a hand on my sternum gently pushes me away.

I make a disappointed, desperate noise that surprises us both, that makes him laugh. “Caroline,” he croons my name, a tease in itself. “Can I take you on a date?”

I offer to meet him at the ranch, but Hunter insists on picking me up. Through a text, he reminds me that he’s a gentleman, and a gentleman collects his lady from her front door.

I’m not sure a gentleman tellshis ladynot to wear panties, but hey, what do I know? It’s not like I have much room to talk; a real lady wouldn’t be waiting panty-less for her gentleman to arrive.

I hear his truck rumbling outside five minutes before he said he’d arrive, and I rush downstairs, but allow him the courtesy of knocking. When he does, I wrench the door open impatiently only to abruptly freeze.

He’s got a cowboy hat on. A chocolate brown Stetson that he tips in acknowledgement, his matching button-up shirt straining as his bicep bulges with the movement. Tucked into his jeans, it shows off the curve of his belly, but it’s the belt buckle that steals my attention, one that looks shiny and new, one with a floralfreaking design etched on the metal. My gaze drops to clean boots, rises to the neckline of his shirt left unbuttoned enough to expose dark chest hair, and I find myself thinking I could die right now and be perfectly fine with this, with Hunter, being the last thing I ever saw.

There’s an equal amount of intense perusal on his behalf, eyes aflame, and it makes the several hours I spent critiquing every item in my wardrobe before settling on a white mini dress, embroidered with white-and-green flowers, seem worth it. I picked it out all by myself too—I asked for Lux’s help, but she was busy.

Running his tongue over his teeth, Hunter lifts a hand, wiggling a finger in a circular movement. Blushing, I oblige and do a little spin, showing off the sheer tulle fabric that ties in a bow at the middle of my back, and I wonder if it’s the sheer expanse of my skin on show or the obvious lack of a bra that makes him curse. “You fuckin’ kiddin’ me, honey?”

Joining my hands together behind my back, I rock back and forth on the soles of my brown, Western-style boots. “Do I look okay?”

Hunter blinks. He laughs incredulously, and then he’s on me, proving howokayhe thinks I look with a kiss way too indecent for the very public doorstep of a store on Main Street.

He nips my bottom lip as he pulls away, growling something about deserving a prize for his incredible self control, and, with a real gentlemanly hand on my ass, he escorts me to his truck. I smile like a dopey, lovestruck fool when he helps me into the passenger seat, kissing my knuckles before closing the door, leaning in the open window to kiss me once more.

“You’re so fuckin’ beautiful, Caroline,” he murmurs against my mouth.

Before he can retreat, I lock my hands around his neck. “You’re beautiful too, you know.”

If I didn’t know any better, I’d call his smileshy. “You think?”

Our foreheads brush as I nod.

His lips graze my cheek. “Thanks, honey.”

In the back of my mind, I make a mental note to tell him that more. A whole lot before I leave, and especially after I’m gone. He should hear it—he should know it. Plus, I like the red dusting the apples of his cheeks too much not to coax it out more often.

As he climbs in the driver’s side, I don’t ask where we’re going. I figure he wouldn’t tell me anyway, and it doesn’t take long to recognize the route to Serenity. A questioning frown earns me nothing, so I sit back and enjoy the drive I won’t get to embark on all that many more times. Or I try to, at least; it’s a little hard to concentrate when you’re dying of anticipation.

That shifts to confusion, though, as I squint at the sunset-painted horizon. “What’re we doing here?”

Hunter just squeezes my thigh, looking almostnervousas he parks outside the building that once sheltered us from a sudden downpour, the place where this,we, really started. He taps my thigh before exiting the truck, jogging around the hood to open my door.

The last wildflower blooms of the season tickle my calves as I approach the old structure that looks a hell of a lot less imposing when strung up with tiny, twinkling lights. I glance at Hunter, my lips parted in a silent request for an explanation, and he gives me one in the form of a hand on my lower back guiding me inside Hell.

Except it isn’t Hell. Not the Hell I know, anyway. The towering amalgamation of wood rot, dust, and neglect has undergone a drastic renovation, cleared out of most of its broken, dilapidated interior. Instead of dirt particles, music floats through the air, curling around me in greeting. More lights hang between the rafters, helping the setting sun illuminate a scene I can’t quite believe I’m seeing.

Flowers. Everywhere.Everywhereeverywhere, so many kinds, stuffed in every nook and cranny, coating the ground like a quilt, threaded through the gaps in the walls, and I laugh at the sight—the ridiculous,wonderfulsight. And in the middle of it all lies a picnic blanket, a woven basket sitting on top of it, a beautiful bouquet of orange daisies and red roses on top of that.

Awestruck, I turn in a slow circle, taking it in with blurry eyes before coming to a stop facing Hunter.

Ridiculous, wonderful Hunter.

Hands cup my cheeks, a thumb swiping away a tear that manages to sneak past my defenses. “Don’t worry. Got rid of the critters.”

I choke on a watery laugh. “You did all this?”

“I had help.” A half-smile, aknowingsmile, lifts his lips. “You’ve got so many people who love you, Line.”

Arms wrapping tightly around his waist, I bury another sniveling warble in his chest, whispering my gratitude.

---