Page 14 of Bidding on the Orc Outcast (Sweet Monster Treats)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
V arek aggressively pruned a wayward branch, his movements sharp with frustration. The peaceful atmosphere of his greenhouse brought him no comfort today. Steam rose from the heated stones he’d placed between the plants, carrying the mingled scents of herbs and flowers, but even that couldn’t soothe his troubled thoughts.
His shears snipped with more force than necessary. A leaf fluttered to the ground.
“Stupid,” he muttered, and the word echoed in the glass-enclosed space.
Flora had come to visit him earlier but he’d refused to answer the door and eventually she’d given up.
“You’re making a mistake, boy,” she snapped before she left.
Was he making a mistake? The memory of Posy’s smile flashed through his mind. The way she’d fit against him when he’d put his arm around her. How her eyes had sparkled in the firelight…
He dropped his pruning shears with a clatter. This was exactly what he’d been trying not to think about. He picked up his watering can instead, focusing on the routine task of checking soil moisture. But each plant reminded him of her. The tiny white flowers like the ones he’d given her. The lavender she’d suggested would make wonderful candles. The mint that had made her eyes light up when she’d crushed a leaf between her fingers.
A shadow fell across the greenhouse door and he tensed, ready for another confrontation with Flora. But it wasn’t Flora’s form outlined by the sun. It was Posy. He froze, his watering can dangling from one hand.
She raised her fist and knocked briskly on the greenhouse door.
He moved to the door, his heart hammering. He could pretend he wasn’t home, avoid the conversation that would no doubt be awkward and painful. But he found himself reaching for the door handle anyway.
Fuck. She was even more beautiful than he remembered, her cheeks flushed pink from the cold, but his heart ached at the wariness in her eyes.
“I thought you might be here. I came to discuss a business proposition,” she said briskly as she entered, but her fingers twisted the strap of her purse. “About the candles. My window display needs something, and I thought-”
“I made some.” The words slipped out before he could stop them, and the tips of his ears burned. “Samples. To test.”
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
He nodded, not trusting his voice. He’d spent the past two nights experimenting with different combinations, telling himself it was just to keep busy. Not because he’d wanted an excuse to see her again.
“Wait here.”
He ducked into his workshop and grabbed the box of candles he’d made. Each one carefully crafted with different scent combinations - lavender and cedar, wild mint and sage, winter pine and citrus.
When he returned, she was examining a hanging basket of trailing vines, sunlight catching the gold in her hair. Now that he knew how soft it felt, he wanted to bury his fingers in it even more.
Instead he set the box on the potting bench. “These are the samples. They’re just rough attempts.”
She peered into the box, her face lighting up.
“They’re beautiful.” She lifted one to her nose and inhaled. “And they smell amazing.”
Despite his determination to maintain his distance, her praise filled him with pride. She picked up another candle, turning it in her hands.
“The containers - are these old jars and tins?”
“Found objects. Things people discarded.” Like him.
“Perfect for a thrift shop. We could price them reasonably. Split the profits.”
Business. Focus on business. He could handle that. Maybe.
“That sounds fair.”
“Great. I’ll take them to the shop now.”
She reached for the box, but his hand shot out, covering hers. Her skin felt like silk beneath his rough palm, and he quickly yanked his hand back. “I’ll carry them.”
“You don’t have to-”
“They’re heavy.” He picked up the box, careful not to crush the delicate glass containers. The thought of going into town made his stomach clench, but he couldn’t let her struggle with the weight.
She bounced on her toes. “Perfect. I can arrange them right away.”
The path into town felt like a gauntlet. His shoulders tensed with each step closer to Main Street, but her presence beside him created a buffer against his rising anxiety. She chattered about possible display arrangements, her enthusiasm infectious.
“The vintage tins will look amazing with my collection of old cameras,” she said. “And those blue glass ones would be perfect near the window to catch the light.”
He glanced down at her animated face. A stray curl had escaped her scarf, dancing in the winter breeze. His fingers twitched with the urge to tuck it back.
“What do you think?” She looked up at him expectantly.
He cleared his throat. “You’d know better than me.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. These are your creations.” She gestured at the box. “You should have a say in how they’re displayed.”
The warmth in her voice made his chest tight. No one had valued his opinion in… he couldn’t remember how long.
He carried the box into the shop and carefully set it on the counter. The shop’s warmth wrapped around him, a delightful combination of vivid colors and faded fabrics, objects ranging from precious to merely charming. Her sweet scent filled the place, just as it had filled her apartment before their disastrous date.
He quickly tried to redirect his thoughts, watching her sort through the candles. Her fingers traced the glass, leaving trails of heat in his chest as he imagined her touching him the same way. She arranged the candles around the shop, looking at him for approval with each display.
When she was done, she turned to him. The question burned in his throat.
“Was this-” His voice came out rough. He cleared it and tried again. “Was this the only reason you came to see me?”
She stilled, one hand resting on the counter. Her pulse fluttered at her throat as she turned to face him.
“No.” The word fell soft between them and he closed the distance between them.
His hand found her waist, drawing her closer. She tipped her face up, eyes dark and wanting. The last thread of his resistance snapped.
He bent down and captured her mouth with his. Her lips parted on a sigh, fingers curling into his shirt. The kiss deepened, desperate and hungry. She tasted like coffee and possibility.
His other hand tangled in her hair, cradling the back of her head. She pressed closer, fitting perfectly against him. A growl rumbled in his chest as she nipped lightly at his lower lip. The teasing gesture fanned the flames building inside him and his hand slid up from her waist to cup a perfect breast. Her taut nipple stabbed his palm as she gasped into his mouth. The kiss deepened, claiming, demanding. He needed her like air.
The shop bell chimed, and he instantly released her, his heart hammering. A customer stood frozen in the doorway - Mrs. Chen from the herb shop. Her eyes darted between them before she backed out, the bell chiming again as the door closed.
The warm bubble that had enveloped him burst, reality crashing back. What had he been thinking? The whole town would know by nightfall.
“I should go.” He took a step back, but she caught his wrist.
“Wait-” Her lips were still flushed from their kiss, hair mussed where his fingers had tangled in it. “Please don’t run away again.”
The scent of her skin pulled at him. His thumb brushed her cheek before he could stop himself. She leaned into his touch, eyes fluttering closed.
“You don’t understand what you’re getting into.” His voice came out rough. “The things people will say-”
“I don’t care what they say.” She moved closer, and his resolve wavered. “I… care about you.”
Fuck. When was the last time anyone had said that to him? His arms wrapped around her of their own accord, drawing her against his chest. She fit there like she belonged.
But then the memory of Sebastian’s sneering face flashed through his mind. The whispers would start. The stares. The judgment. They’d make her an outcast too.
He couldn’t do that to her. She deserved better than a life in the shadows with him.
He forced himself to release her.
“This was a mistake.” The words tasted like ashes. “I can’t-”
He backed toward the door, desperate to escape before he changed his mind. The warmth of her kiss still lingered on his lips, making it hard to think straight.
She planted her hands on her hips, brown eyes flashing. “No. You don’t get to do this again.”
His hand froze on the doorknob. The determination in her voice caught him off guard.
“You can’t kiss me like that and then run away. Either you want this or you don’t.” She took a step closer. “But you need to make up your mind, Varek. Because I’m not going to keep chasing after you every time you get scared.”
The word “scared” hit a nerve, and he tensed. “I’m not-”
“Yes, you are.” She crossed her arms. “And I get it. But I’m standing right here telling you I want to be with you, and you keep finding excuses to push me away.”
His chest tightened. The truth in her words stripped away his defenses, leaving him raw and exposed. She saw right through him, through all the walls he’d built.
“Mrs. Chen will tell everyone,” he muttered, grasping at straws.
“So let her.” Her expression softened. “I told you before - I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”
The certainty in her voice made something crack inside him. How could she be so sure when he was drowning in doubt?