Page 12 of Cursed Luck
“I was just working on a peony arrangement when you came in. Must be fate. Excuse me a moment.”
She hurried around Edward, ignoring how his hand slipped free of her waist and grazed the curve of her bottom. The distance gave her time to cool her confused libido.
Mia grabbed a handful of soil and sprinkled it over the pot. A peony plant grew as she gathered a few other flowers to create an arrangement she could shove down the wanton woman’s throat. She paused at the thought and groaned. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Mia,” she mumbled to herself.
Edward wasn’t hers, nor did she even want him. So what if her body lit up like a Christmas tree around him. He was arrogant, a trait she despised in people.
Not wanting to take too long, she gave the plant a push and with nearly a snap of her fingers, the arrangement was in hand. It was not that she didn’t want to leave Edward with Penny. No, she did not want him, she mentally repeated. She just wanted Penny out.
Mia washed her hands of the dirt and grabbed the vase.
If she failed to get this account, it would turn into more fodder for Edward. She appreciated Brandy wanting to help by offering her brother’s expertise, but it was not worth her sanity.
She wiped her hand down her apron and sucked in a cleansing breath before hurrying out of the room. “Sorry, I wanted to make sure it looked just right,” she announced.
Edward stepped away from Penny, her gaze on his face as he turned toward Mia. “Didn’t I tell you she’s brilliant?”
Penny cradled two bouquets in her arms and looked at the peony arrangement. “Wow! You weren’t kidding!”
“Thank you,” Mia said, carefully taking them in. “If there’s something you don’t like, I can adjust it for the shower.”
“No! I love it. I’ll take fifteen of those in that size and one in a larger arrangement,” Penny demanded. “I’ll need them by next week. Also, please prepare these in vases so I can take them with me today.”
Mia forced a polite smile. “It would be my pleasure. I have a box we can set them in so you can carry them all.”
“Or,” Penny said, turning her fluttering eyes toward Edward. “Maybe you can be a gentleman and help me carry them to my car?”
Edward smiled. “It would be my pleasure.”
Mia turned on her heels and set the peonies on the counter, then gave her hands a slight shake. She wanted to slap the man in his arrogant, flirty, mouth but couldn’t do it with a witness. “Here, let me,” she said and stretched out her arms.
She took the flowers to the table behind her and grabbed one of the vases. Focusing on the job at hand became more difficult as she tuned into Penny flirting with Edward. The bastard did not exactly encourage her, but then again, he was not putting out any vibes to discourage her either.
It was then she realized she did not know if the man was even single. She knew little about him, past who his family was. What power he wielded even eluded her. Peering back as she jammed freshly trimmed stems into a vase, she wondered if he had some form of charm on his side. He definitely had it in spades at the moment.
Mia thought back to their first encounter at Serena and Ethan’s wedding. He was odd, awkward even. This version of Edward didn’t lack any confidence. With an easy and kind smile, he could talk any woman out of their panties.
She shook her head and walked the vases to the nearby sink.
“Well, if you think she’s going to love those, maybe she’d consider using Mia’s Flowers for the venue,” he said, stopping Mia in the middle of wiping the vase.
“Mmm… They really do smell amazing. Maybe you’re right. I’ll call her when I leave,” Penny said.
Mia stared at them through the mirror above the sink. Edward caught her eyes and winked before saying, “That’s a great idea. I’d hate for Mia to be booked.”
The man was a damn genius. There was no way in hell she would tell him, but it was true. She had not done a wedding in… way too long. It would require hiring an extra hand for the project, but it would be well worth it.
“All set,” Mia announced and placed the two vases on the counter. Thankfully, it did not take long to ring up the woman and set a pickup date for the bridal shower arrangements. She watched Edward cart off the box filled with flowers to Penny’s car without a glance back.
In the silence of the shop, Mia took a moment to absorb the rejuvenating energy her plants offered. They soothed her after the woman’s personality had taken so much energy from her space. When she felt better, she cleaned her mess by the sink before returning to watering her plants.
The door chimed, and she sensed the pull to him again. He was magnetic, something within him calling her to him. Her traitorous body perked up as butterflies swarmed her stomach.
“Andthatis how you do business,” he announced.
“Should I shove my tongue down their throat too, or is handing out my personal number enough?” she asked without a thought.
Edward’s chuckle was deep and colorful. “That would surely bring you some business, but I think you can manage without either.”
