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crooked smile. Think you can help me out?
Claire s comical grin made Brian s heart knock against his ribs. Roses& I think you need roses. I m
sure you would enjoy the smell of lavender, too. Should we take a walk out back and you can decide for
yourself?
Claire straightened. That sounds great. Would it be too much trouble if I held onto your arm? It just
makes things easier for me, rather than try to follow the sound of your voice.
Brian quickly swiped his sweating palm across the front of his jeans, took her hand, and tucked it into
the crook of his left arm so she wouldn t feel the scars on the right. At your service, Mrs. Holliday.
Miss Holliday. Claire would even be better.
All right, Claire, let s go play with the plants.
Chapter Four
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Larry tried to keep one eye on Brian and Claire, and the other on Rosebud s hand as the little sprite ran
her fingers across the front of his chest again. Hey!Hey, Rosey . He grabbed her hand and stopped it
from slipping inside his tights. They re leaving!
Rosebud swayed against his quaking body. Who?
Claire and Brian!They re heading down the aisle.
She closed her eyes, swayed closer, and breathed in Larry s cologne. Hmmmm& that s good.
He reached up, clasped her gloved wrists with both hands, and forced the little wanton to step away.
Snap out of it. We ve got to follow them. Do you even remember that we re on a mission here?
Oooo, yeah& I m on a mission, all right. I m on a mission to get fucked silly!
Larry wheezed, nearly choked on his tongue when he turned her to face the door,then took one slender
arm in his grasp. Okay, missy, that s about enough. We ve got to follow them. There are only a few
days left until Valentine s Day and our mission is to get those two together. Now, you re either going to
keep your hands off and listen to me, or I m going to take you home and do this myself.
Rosebud glanced over her shoulder, batted her long eyelashes, and winked. I love a take-charge man.
Okeydokey , I promise to be good but only until we get back to my place. Then, I can t promise
anything.
Holy shit! I gotta get hold of Cupid and find out how long the arrows work.Until then& He would have
to put up with hiding his erection from Rosey s wandering eyes and fingers.
* * * * *
Brian s skin was warm to the touch. As they walked through the sunshine to another greenhouse, Claire
could feel the slight bunching of a well-muscled arm as it flexed slightly with each step. She swallowed
and wondered what it would be like to touch the rest of his body. Her eyes widened with shock behind
the dark glasses at the mere thought. He d probably laugh his ass off thinking I m some kind of poor
little blind girl who s never been with a man&
Brian s head swam with the scent of her light perfume. He pushed aside the urge to lean close to her
body for a sweeter sniff and concentrated instead on how well Claire moved beside him, though he was
the one leading them through the maze of tables. Every step she took exuded confidence even though her
hand rested lightly in the crook of his arm.
We must be near the roses.
His eyes swung in her direction. You ve got a pretty good nose.
Claire grinned. I depend on my other senses to see for me. I hope this doesn t sound too forward, but
I love the scent of your cologne. It s even better than the roses. You wouldn t by any chance have any
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plants with the same fragrance?
A chuckle burst from Brian s mouth. Not just a forced laugh to make a customer feel at ease, but a real
laugh for the first time in a long time. Thanks for the compliment, but I can t think of one flower that
would help you out.
Well, then, you ll just have to come and sit in my backyard. Claire gasped inwardly, wondering why
she had just spouted the uncharacteristic response.
Dead silence for the second time that day.
I m& I m sorry, Brian, if I made you feel uncomfortable just now. I don t know where that came from.
My mom has always said I speak before I think.
Brian stared at the soft curve of her cheek, wondering whatClaire s skin would feel like beneath his
fingertips. Don t apologize. In fact, I just had a great idea. I have a proposition for you. I d like to offer
my services to help you plant your garden if you don t have anyone else in mind. If you re serious about
something that looks great, then I m your man. A twinge of instant sadness rippled through his mind.
Well, something other than a great-looking man& The fact didn t discourage him, though. For the
first time in years, Brian was able to be himself in a woman s presence, feeling secure in the fact the she
couldn t see the horrifying disfigurement on his face.
Claire stopped beside him and tilted her head. Honestly? You d really do that?
Sure, why not? I love to dig around in the dirt. It would be fun and give me something other to do than
maintenance and shop setup. Hewaited, hoping like hell that Claire s other senses wouldn t pick up the
rapid beating of his heart.
Claire s lips widened to a radiant smile. I think I like the sound of that. I was already wondering how I
was going to keep everything straight. Are you sure you have the time?
Of course.I have a great staff Who are going to kill me when I leave during the busiest week of
the year. Brian gently clasped her elbow and led Claire forward. Okay, let s get some teamwork going
here. You do the sniffing and I ll do the visual. Sound like a deal?
Claire s smile widened further.
* * * * *
Larry observed Rosebud from the corner of his eye. The petite sprite absolutely would not pay attention
to Claire and Brian s conversation as the couple selected one plant after another. An entire hour had
passed and Larry was the only one gathering information. Brian offered to go to Claire s. The plan was
falling into place and he and Rosey weren t even trying!
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