With a bouquet of colorful flowers in one hand, I raised my other to knock. I stepped back, letting out a slow exhale.
Within seconds, Juliette pulled open the door, the sweet smell of vanilla and daisies immediately overcoming me. I’d never get tired of that.
“Hey, I’m almost ready!” She waved me in. “Just need to grab my bag and get my shoes on.”
“No rush at all,” I assured her, my eyes slowly taking her in. “You look absolutely breathtaking.” My hand that wasn’t holding the flowers flexed, desperately wanting to touch her, to pull her into my arms. Her brown hair was curled, and she was wearing a red sundress that was fitted to her lean frame. The top of the dress was some corset style, pushing up her round breasts, and cinched in at the curve of her waist, flaring out ever so slightly. The bottom of the dress hit below her knee. Her eyeshadow was done, mascara coated her long lashes, and her lips were a glossy pink.
Fuck.This was going to be a long night.
Her face immediately lit up at the compliment, and she twirled. “It’s the dress I bought with your card at The Main Stitch with Lily. Thank you for doing that, by the way.” She came up to me, reaching up to run her fingers along my stubbled jaw. “You look so very handsome.”
“Thank you, sweetheart,” I murmured, smiling at her compliment. “And you’re welcome for the dress. I like spoiling you.”
Her soft touch along my jaw nearly distracted me. All I could think about was pulling her into my arms, kissing her, slowly peeling that dress she looked so good in off her body. I cleared my throat. Patience—we’d get there.
“These are for you.” I lifted the bouquet. “I wasn’t sure about your favorite color or favorite flowers, but I asked the florist in town to put something together.” The bouquet had pink roses and various colorful wildflowers. Pinks, blues, oranges, and yellows. It was lively, bright, and beautiful—just like the woman in front of me. “The flowers reminded me of you.”
She looked up at me, a gentle smile on her face. “Wes, that’s so sweet. Thank you. I love them.” She took the flowers out of my hand and brought them up to her nose. She closed her eyes and inhaled the floral scent. “I love all types of flowers. I don’t think I have a favorite. As for my favorite color…pink. I’m a simple girl,” she said with a laugh.
Juliette moved to the kitchen, putting the flowers in water. She then sat on the couch to slide on her heels. “What’s your favorite color?” she asked.
The corner of my lip tipped up. “I’ve found myself really liking green this summer.”
She nodded with a smile, looking up at me with her bright green eyes, likely not realizing the reason behind my new favorite color.
“And yellow, red, pink.”
She tilted her head to the side, looking down at her dress and then playfully narrowing her eyes at me as she stood. Her heels clicked against the wooden floorboards. “Red because of my dress?”
Once she was close enough, I set my hands on her waist, a gasp leaving her as I pulled her closer. “Green because of your eyes. Yellow because of that goddamn bikini you were tanning in. Red because of your dress tonight. Pink because of your lips—and because you love it.” I watched the thin column of her throat bob as she swallowed, her lips parting ever so slightly. I loved making her speechless.
“So,” she said breathlessly, “is this your favorite dress, then?”
My grip on her waist tightened, the soft fabric bunching underneath my fingers. Her cheeks immediately flushed pink, and I could feel her nipples pebble through the thin fabric, which meant no bra. Again. Was this woman trying to kill me? “It’s one of my favorites, yeah.”
Juliette leaned forward, pressing her lips softly to my neck, kissing up to my jaw. She smiled against my skin. “One of them? Which one is your favorite, then?”
“The yellow one. With the thin straps that tie into bows.”
She paused, pulling away enough to look up at me. Her forehead creased ever so slightly. “I know which one you’re talking about but…when did I wear it?”
“Dinner at my parents’ house in June.”
Recollection dawned on her. “Oh, right! Wait, but that was the start of summer. We weren’t—well, you didn’t like me back then. You noticed the dress I was wearing?”
“Baby, I noticed everything about you that night—and every night in between. You’re impossible to look away from.” I reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I can’t get enough of you.”
She looked up at me, and we stayed like that for a moment. Just looking into each other’s eyes like we had all the time in the world.
The corner of my lip tipped up as soon as I noticed her gaze start to shift to my mouth.
She tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth, looking back up at me but this time with hooded eyes. “Maybe we should?—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” I interrupted with a chuckle. “Because I don’t have enough self-control to say no to you, and I’m taking you on this damn date.”
“But your note…”
“Patience, sweetheart. We’ll get there.”
