Page 10 of Cursed Luck
The woman was feisty, and his dick seemed to enjoy her spirited side. He sucked in a breath and pulled back his shoulders, hoping her gaze did not lower to the obvious bulge in his pants.
Mia sighed. “Sorry, not a lot of people understand this business.”
“A love for roses, tulips, and hydrangeas won’t pay the bill, so I’m glad to hear you went on to study more. Can you tell me how many customers you average in a week?” he asked, shifting the topic to something they would both be more comfortable with.
Her spine straightened. “Roughly fifty or so.”
His hand paused, inches away from a houseplant. “That’s it?” Horror had to have been written across his face. “How are you still in business?”
Mia slammed her watering can on a wooden shelf. “Hey, no need to be an ass!”
Edward studied her a second. A few more curls escaped her ponytail, framing her face. Her pouty lips were set in a hard line, and fire shone in her eyes. She looked magnificent yet insulted by his words.
He turned in a circle, taking in the shop. “Your products are well taken care of. Do you get them from overseas or locally?”
She chuckled, and her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Where do you think?”
His brows knit as he thought deeply. “You mean…”
“Follow me,” she said before adding softly, “You big ogre.”
He chuckled and she looked at him over her shoulder before rolling her eyes. Mia did not offer him an apology for the insult, and he found her more endearing for it. He let his eyes lower to her bottom, watching her hips sway with each step.
“While I could conjure most of my stock, doing it often would not only drain me but, more importantly, take away the joy I get from working in here,” she stated before turning to face him.
They stood in the middle of a large room with various pots and lights around the room. Some held dirt, and others, flowers or plants. Mia moved to one side and scooped a handful of soil before allowing it to slip through her fingers. Something green sprouted in the center, and he watched in awe as it grew before his eyes.
“I think I shall name this one in your honor,” she stated with amusement. “The average floral shop has to ship in nearly eighty percent of their flowers, and considering most of them die twelve to fifteen days after the customer purchases them, this business is tough to say the least. My magical ability and being able to grow my product helps cut costs.”
“Which is great, but you need more people coming through your door,” he said, pointing in the direction they came. “In order to deemthisshop a success.”
“What do you consider success,Mr. Broderick?Is it using kindness and compassion to help a widow choose a floral arrangement to send off her husband of forty years? Or having a bank account padded with so much money you can’t spend it in a lifetime? Because if it’s the latter, thanks but no thanks. You can see yourself out.”
He wanted to kiss her. Her saucy mouth tempted him like no other woman’s had. The hairs on his body stood erect, electricity flowing through him as she pulled him into her orbit. It was maddening and strange but not so much he did not want to explore it. It was too bad he imagined she would make him sit on the cactus she had named in his honor before allowing his tongue to explore her pretty mouth.
“WhatIdefine success to be doesn’t matter,Ms. Hemlock.” His magic flowed around him, and he allowed it to take hold. “For you, I’d define it as a steady stream of repeat customers, people you come to care about and help you not only pay for the expenses of your business but allow you to live comfortably. Success would be for the public to know your shop was the best place to go for their floral needs.”
Her mouth fell open as she stared at him. He thought back on his words and held back a satisfied smile. He had been telling people what their definition of success was for years, but it was the first time he had found real amusement from it.
Growing up, he had questioned what he could do. He could never find a way to explain it or even understand it. Over the years, he figured out the best thing he could do when he sensed the warmth and tingle come over him was to release the reins.
“How’d you know that?” she blurted. “I mean, the words are nearly identical to what I was thinking. Are you a damn mind reader? Is that what your powers are? I can feel your magic.” She paused and looked around before continuing. “I don’t see any signs of your magic, so is that your thing? Mind reading?”
His head cocked to the side as he took her in. Her agitated state was different than her annoyed or even sassy one. She almost exuded fear over the possibility he could read her mind.
“No, I’m not reading your mind. Why, would it be such a bad thing if I was?” he asked, curious to hear her answer.
Mia shook her head. “Reading someone’s mind is intrusive and an invasion of privacy.”
His siblings and their mates came to mind, and he nodded. “I can’t argue with you there. What do you think about telepathic connections between mates?”
“Telepathic connections between mates? That’s not a thing… Is it?”
He chuckled as he forced himself to study the rose bushes lining the wall. “It is. Ask Brandy, Serena, or any of my mated siblings for that matter. Wait, don’t ask Junior or James because they don’t have that with their wives. Although Debbie and Andrea really wouldn’t need that.” He said the latter more to himself than her.
Mia moved around behind him. “Why would some but not others?”
He shrugged and faced her. She was only a couple of feet away. He smelled flowers and earthy tones, but whether they were from Mia or the room, he wasn’t sure. “Honestly, I’ve never asked.”
