Page 107 of Dangerous Men

Some florists buy their roses from growers who prioritize beauty over scent—preferring the picturesque look of a rose in full bloom to one that has the distinctive smell. But to me there’s something special about the smell of a rose.

And this one? Wherever Ash bought it from, it smellsperfect.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Ash adds, watching me. He raises his phone, wriggling it at me. “May I?”

I wave him off, laughing, but Ashton quickly snaps a photo of me.

“Look at you!” he says, grinning. He pulls me close again, showing me the photo on his phone screen. And, I suppose, I look nice. My smile is genuine, and the rose is stunning.

I look like a woman in love.

Blushing, I look away from the image of my face on the screen, twirling the stem absentmindedly between my fingers.

“Ouch!”I suck a sharp breath through my teeth, almost dropping the flower.

A thorn. I stare down at the bright red droplet of blood forming on the pad of my thumb. The stem is covered in them.

“Don’t they normally remove the thorns before they sellthem?” I ask Ash. I stick the wound in my mouth, sucking away the blood.

“Yeah, sometimes,” Ash says with a shrug, sounding unconcerned. “I guess they forgot with this one.”

“I guess,” I say, unsure. I handle the rose more cautiously now, careful of all those tiny barbs.

“It’s a weird practice, don’t you think?” Ash comments, scratching the back of his head and watching me a little too closely. “Taking off the thorns, I mean. Maybe it’s just me, but…”

“But?” I press.

“I don’t know. Maybe the danger is part of what makes them so beautiful.” He grins. “Maybe to really appreciate them, you need to endure a little pain. Don’t you think?”

I laugh, rolling my eyes at him.

“That’s certainly poetic,” I tell him.

His answering smile is contagious, and despite the pain in my thumb, I can’t help but smile back at him.

“Well, you sure are in a good mood, aren’t you?” I tease.

“Of course I am,” he says. “Because I’m going to ask you on a date. And you’re going to say yes.”

“Oh, I am, am I?” I say, a playful lilt to my voice.

He nods enthusiastically. “You are. It’s destiny. We’re meant to be.”

I laugh, giving him a little shove to push him back from me. There’s no world where I’m strong enough to move him, but he steps back anyway, giving me space.

“And what sort of date did you have in mind?”

“Lunch? Tomorrow?” He’s so excited, I almost say yes without thinking. But…

Crap.

I shake my head sadly, watching his smile wilt.

“Sorry, Ash, my friends are hosting this stupid event tomorrow.” I sigh. “They literallyjustcalled to invite me.”

Ash’s waning smile turns into a frown. “They just called? To invite you to an event that’s happening tomorrow? That’s a bit short notice, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, things have been a bit…strained,” I tell him. I let him follow me to the front of the store, where Jade is making a latte. I grab an empty mug from the counter and set my rose inside. The stem has so many thorns, it’s a miracle I only pricked myself once. “I’m trying to fix things with them. Which is why Ireallydo need to go.”