Even so, my mouth drops as I stare back at him.
揂s a matter of fact, I know someone who could use them,?I say. He doesn抰 make any move to give them back and I fold my arms. 揕incoln Burns, if you give my flowers to another woman, I抣l cut your balls off and bury them under Eliza抯 floor.?
He throws back his head and lets out a barking laugh.
揌ell of a way to treat your friends, much less your boss. Why not your floorboards, Nevermore? Or is having my balls up in your business too much for you??The way he smirks almost skins me alive.
Holy shit. This man. This conversation.
All things that should not be happening.
揑t抯 logistics, you freak. Eliza抯 also my neighbor. I don抰 live on the first floor, so burying it under my floor wouldn抰 quite work棓
揝o you抎 rather have your bestie driven nuts by my balls haunting her? Didn抰 the man in Poe抯 story start hearing the dead guy抯 heart? I wonder what sound my jewels would make if you followed through on your little threat.?He looks at me grimly and steps forward, fully invading my space. 揑 think they抎 be shouting Nevermore all the damn time.?
I try to give my best dead-eyed nod, but I can抰 help laughing.
This is so dumb. Though I抦 impressed he paid attention to something besides making money and growling at people long enough to remember 揟he Tell-Tale Heart.?
揟hat抯...creepily well thought out. And also incredibly stupid. Have you ever chopped people up before, Lincoln??I wonder out loud.
揘ope. Never had to think like a lunatic until your crazy ass showed up. Must be rubbing off.?His lip curls slightly as he looks at me, unmistakable desire heating his eyes.
揗eh. I抳e never had a boss steal my personal property before either, but here we are.?
揘ot stealing, Dakota. I抦 delivering it to the homeless. There, I found you a good cause and saved you some work.?
I抦 about to scream.
How can anyone be such an insufferable dill weed and also Mr. Generosity all at once?
揧ou sure? I doubt Wyatt eats hydrangeas,?I tease.
His brows furrow and his eyes go incandescent.
Sweet Jesus.
Before Burns, I never knew a man could send you to heaven or hell with a single look.
揑 know I抦 right,?he says roughly. 揝ome loser bought you flowers you don抰 like. Also, it抯 not Wyatt I have in mind.?
揙h? So now you抮e trying to seduce some poor homeless lady with flowers? Dude. Why don抰 you start with a hot cup of tea? I抦 sure that抎 get you laid a lot faster.?
He smiles darkly.
揝ome women are old-fashioned. They don抰 date before a man抯 given them a real gesture. And for the record, you抮e the one who brought up getting laid. Fuck, you make me sound like some comic book villain.?
揥ell, when you look the part棓
揚oe, if I didn抰 know better, I might think you抮e just jealous. You抳e got the most eligible man in Seattle running after you all damn day right now. Why ruin a good thing, right??
Does he hear himself? I could punch him. Seriously.
揙h, please. I could care less if you抮e sending flowers to Vladimir Putin. Just as long as they抮e not mine anymore. Have at them, I guess.?
It comes out pretty harsh. He gives me a hangdog look that melts me right down.
揧ou said they were for charity, Nevermore. I抦 being charitable.?
揟hey were for me to donate. Not have my boss steal the show,?I say sharply.
揂re Anna and Cheryl still giving you a hard time??he says, giving the flowers a small shake.揑 told her multiple times to back off. If she isn抰 listening棓
揑t抯 okay,?I say quickly, not wanting to cause any real trouble for Anna. 揘ice way to change the subject when you don抰 have a comeback, though. You did that with Wyatt too.?
揧ou didn抰 answer my question.?He glowers. 揂re they pushing? I抦 serious when I say nobody here has a right to keep clawing at you when I抳e already vetoed the idea.?
揘o,?I huff out. 揃ut I抦 sure you need people here with a little backbone. I mean, you put up with plenty from me, so why not Anna??
I try to smile sweetly to distract him and fail.
揧ou抮e such a shit liar,?he grumbles, shaking his head.
揊unny, because I haven抰 lied to you. Anna hit me up again, yeah, but I can hold my own. I don抰 need teacher to step in,?I say, my tongue flicking between my lips.
It抯 kinda involuntary. I don抰 mean to razz him. But I guess it does something because he turns abruptly, clutching the flowers to his chest.
揕incoln? Wait up, I didn抰 mean to棓
揑 heard the whole thing,?he says, glancing over his shoulder. 揑 saw Anna and Cheryl in front of your desk before I came over here, both of them giggling like eighth-grade girls. They even gave you crap about the flowers. With some attitudes around here, I do need to play teacher.?
Eep. We抮e back to scary-hot Lincoln. The Viking Lord in a suit look that turns my tongue to stone.
揑t抯 honestly no big deal,?I whisper, pleading with my eyes. 揚lease let it go. Don抰 say anything to Anna and Cheryl. They抮e good people, even if they抮e a little extra sometimes...?
He stares back at me for a long, heady moment.
揇oes that mean you like working here then??he asks gently.
After a long second, I nod. Sincerely.
揥e抮e the island of misfit toys, right? I belong here. I hope so, anyway.?
I wonder how he抣l take that, but he smiles.
He gives me an honest freaking smile that抯 about as rare and gorgeous on him as a sunny day in a Seattle November. God.
揗e too, Nevermore. Thanks for the reminder. This place feels like home for good reason.?With that cryptic comment, he stomps off to his office with my bouquet swinging from his hand.
Overgrown bear. I still never know if I抦 getting the short-fused grizzly or the oversized teddy.
But with the flowers out of sight and out of mind, I realize sometime later that I must feel better.
I go back to sorting contracts and printouts, trying not to dwell on how much raw power Lincoln Burns has over my emotions.
After six o抍lock, Lincoln comes out of his office with my bouquet in one hand and his laptop bag in the other. He glances over at me.
揋ood night, Nevermore.?
I look up, shooting him a look.
揝eriously? You really won抰 tell me who you抮e giving my flowers to??
揟hey抮e donations, aren抰 they? I told you, they have a home. Unless, of course, they aren抰 really for charity and you want to tell me who sent them.?His gaze hardens.
I glare back with arctic defiance.
揟hey抮e for charity. The rest is none of your business.?
If he抯 fazed by my challenge, he doesn抰 show it. He just turns his back and starts walking.
Ugh.
For some unholy reason, curiosity eats at me like a dog with a bone.
I want to know who he抯 giving my flowers to. So as soon as he gets in the elevator, I decide to do something stupid.
I get up and run for the elevator, squeezing into a corner before I mash the button just in case he抯 still lingering in the lobby.
Nope. I get to the first floor just in time to see him outside, climbing into the company car as he says a few words to Louis.
I抦 too late.
There抯 no way I抣l catch up with him on two wheels.
But when I see a flash of yellow driving by, I just can抰 help myself. I throw myself outside and gesture for the cab.
Water splashes my shins as the taxi swerves to the curb, spraying the afternoon rain puddles before stopping.
Awesome. Now that I抦 drenched, I guess I抦 committed.
I climb into the back seat and look around.
Lincoln is two cars ahead of us now, wedged between a sleek sports car and a service van for a cable company.
I point in front of us. 揊ollow that town car, please.?
The guy in the front seat laughs and looks back at me in the mirror. 揓ust like the movies, huh? As long as you抮e not expecting me to break any traffic laws...?
揥hatever. No. Just follow them!?
I sit back, remembering to breathe. The driver抯 reaction reminds me how crazy this is.