“Force me to do your event and you’ll find out,” I said breathily.
His chuckle danced along my skin. Warm and sensual, it held a promise. “How do I convince you to take this job? A promise of wealth? Prestige? A favor perhaps, saved for a rainy day?” His thumb brushed across my lips, lighting all my nerve endings on fire. “Tell me, and I will make it so.”
Why didn’t it feel like we were talking about flowers anymore? “I want for nothing.”
“Liar,” he whispered. “I sense something lying in wait deep inside you. Like an eye cracking open after a long period of rest. What awakens within you, little Floromancer?”
I tugged my chin out of his hand and changed the subject. “Simone forgot her plants.”
He took my arm when I turned to get the box. “Leave it. I will get it for her.”
“A Lord carrying an underling’s things?”
“She is not an underling, Evie. Nor is Garrett.”
“A friend then?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Family,” Caelan said.
“A Shifter Lord claims family not of his blood?”
“We are not like the other regions. You think me a brute. I see it in your eyes. Is this why you won’t allow me to hire you?”
“I am not attracted to power, Lord.”
“Caelan.”
I held up my hand. “Absolutely not.” A crack of laughter escaped me. “That right there is what I mean.” I pointed at him and wiggled my finger in a circle. “You attempt to disarm me through warm familiarity. If I call you by your first name, I will feel special,included. More biddable.”
Caelan’s eyes crinkled at the edges before he let out a delighted laugh. “Biddable is the last word I’d use to describe you.” He stepped closer, invading my personal space once more. “Tell me what I must do to secure your time and effort. It is only flowers, Evie.”
We both knew it wasn’t, but I felt myself caving. “You’ll pay triple my fees and the cost of supplies.”
“Done.” Zero hesitation.
Dammit, Evie. Know when to reach for the stars.
“You’ll provide a truck and send a representative to pick up the arrangement when I’m finished. I’ll allot one employee to set up your displays, and you will pay whomever I choose double overtime.”
“Done.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “With a caveat.”
“You aren’t in the best bargaining position here, Lord.”
Caelan’s eyes glittered. This bastard was having a grand time. “You’ll create one showpiece for the center of my table. I’ll provide exact measurements when I return to the Keep but expect it to be at least two feet wide by four feet long. It should be a showcase of your talents, both mundane and magical.”
I blinked. “You want a magical centerpiece.”
“I do.”
“It’s—I can’t. It’s against the law. You know this.” Joy Springs had quite a lot of flexibility when it came to practicing magic around humans because most dismissed what they were seeing as sleight of hand or trickery rather than the real thing. But if I created a floral centerpiece showcasing my Floromancy, everyone would realize it was real.
“Yes, if humans were there to witness it. This is a gathering solely for Joy Springs paranormals which means it is allowed.”
I stared at him for a beat. On one hand, I loved the idea. Floromancers were one of the most dismissed types of mages. But on the other hand, my Floromancy was different from others, probably due to my demi-god heritage. My eyes narrowed. “A centerpiece that size is going to be astronomical.”
Caelan shrugged. “I’m paying the cost.”
“What kind of magic?”