Outrage on her behalf joined sympathy and he squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry, Toni. How long did you tough it out?”

She slipped her fingers from his and again picked up her wineglass. Her hand shook slightly. Obviously the memories still distressed her. “A year and a half.”

He nodded, impressed. “I give you a lot of credit for hanging in that long.”

She looked at him over the rim of her glass. “You don’t think I’m a quitter?”

“Hell, no. Given the impossible circumstances, I think you did the right thing. What became of your sexual-harassment suit?”

“I dropped it. Once I quit, I didn’t want anything to do with any of it. I packed up my things and moved back home to Santa Barbara.”

“And that’s why you don’t like firefighters,” he murmured. “Now I get it. But, Toni, you know we’re not all like that. If I’d been at that station, I would have had your back.”

She shot him a clearly skeptical look. “You wouldn’t have gone along with the crowd?”

Her question hit him like a slap. “No. Not my style. Never has been.” He leaned forward and fixed his gaze on hers. “As much as I’m sympathetic to what happened to you-and believe me, I think it sucks-you’re making assumptions about me based on the bad behavior of people I don’t even know. I’ve been a firefighter for seven years and during that time I’ve worked with some great people and some real jerks. Here’s a news flash-there are great people and real jerks in every profession.” He cocked a single brow. “Probably even in the flower business.”

She blinked. Then narrowed her eyes and studied him for a long moment. He strongly sensed he was about to pass or fail some test he hadn’t studied for, so he remained silent under her regard and wished he knew what she was thinking. Finally, a sheepish expression crossed her face. “You’re right, of course. I don’t know you. You might be a prince among men-”

“My mother will tell you I am,” he broke in.

“No doubt. But it’s her job to think so. My mother would say the same about my three brothers and all of them are pains in the butt.”

“And as their sister, it’s your job to think so.”

“Touché,” she said with a quick laugh, then sobered. “I…I didn’t mean to insult you. I’m afraid that given my experiences, I cast a dubious eye on everyone in your profession.”

“Understandable-I’d feel the same way. But I’m not one of those guys. So I’m asking you not to feel that way about me. At least until you get to know me better. Then if you think I’m an asshole, well, okay.” He smiled and held out his hand. “Deal?”

Her gaze shifted down to his hand then back to his face. He could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. Could tell that she was fighting her desire to stay away from anything that had to do with firefighters, and what he hoped was desire for him. Or at least a desire to give him a chance.

Finally she extended her hand. “Deal.”

His fingers wrapped around hers and a combination of relief and anticipation raced through him. Instead of shaking her hand, he brought it to his mouth and pressed his lips against the back of her fingers. Her breath caught slightly at the gesture-definitely a good sign.

“I’ll have you know it took some effort for me to put aside my prejudices and make that deal,” he said. “I’ve had some very difficult dealings with florists. Most recently today.”

She nodded. “I don’t doubt it. Florists can be notoriously hard to deal with.”

“Lucky for me I like a challenge.”

Encouraged by the fact that she didn’t pull her hand away, he lightly brushed his fingers against hers, exploring their softness. Her hands were small but capable-looking, which they’d have to be for her to have passed the grueling firefighter tests. Clearly, on top of having an incredible shape, she was in good physical condition.

“So, continue your story,” he urged, scooting closer. He snagged her other hand and slowly played with her fingers. “How did you get from returning home to Santa Barbara to owning a flower shop fifty miles away in Santa Rey?”

“My family owns the largest nursery in Santa Barbara, so I grew up learning the business.”

Damn, she had the softest hands he’d ever touched. He slowly traced the length of each of her fingers with his fingertips. “You didn’t want to work at your family’s place?”

“I did. But after a few years I wanted to be my own boss. Create something that was mine. Plus, I needed to put some distance between myself and my loving but smothering family.” She looked down at their touching hands then back at him. “That’s, um, really distracting.”

He brushed the pad of his thumb over the velvety skin of her inner wrist. “Distracting in a good way?”

“Distracting in an I-can’t-remember-what-we-were-talking-about way.”

“That’s a good way. You were telling me how much you like me.”

Amusement glittered in her eyes. “Was I?”

“Yup. And you were about to tell me how it’s possible that a gorgeous, intelligent woman like you isn’t taken.”

“What makes you think I’m intelligent?”

“I’m a very good judge of character.” He smiled. “Besides, the fact that you accepted my invitation proves it.”

She rolled her eyes, but then smiled. “You know I didn’t want to.”

He turned one of her hands over and lightly traced the lines on her palm. “Yeah, I got that. I’m hoping you’re not sorry.”

“Not yet. But the night’s still young.” Her eyes seemed to darken. “That feels really…hmm…nice.”

The smoky tone of her voice had him shifting in his chair. Damn. Just her voice turned him on. What would happen if she touched him? Stupid question. He knew damn well what would happen. He’d go up in flames.

She slowly spread her fingers wider, a gesture that shouldn’t have struck him as sexy as it did. But then, he found everything about her sexy and had since minute one.

“So, why aren’t you taken?” he asked, continuing to caress her fingers.

“Actually, I am-by my business. It requires all my time and attention. Now, and for the foreseeable future.”

Obviously a not-very-subtle warning that she didn’t have time for him. A warning he was determined to ignore, and convince her to ignore, as well. “Okay, I’ll rephrase. How is it possible that an intelligent woman who looks like you, who smells as good as you do, whose skin is as soft as yours, doesn’t have a boyfriend?”

“After I discovered my last boyfriend required a dictionary, I gave him the heave-ho and haven’t felt inclined to replace him.”

“Dictionary?”

“Yes. He didn’t know the definition of some pretty basic words. Like honesty. And integrity.” She leaned a bit closer and lowered her voice as if imparting a great secret. “He thought monogamy was a type of wood.”

Brad could only shake his head. “What kind of idiot would cheat on you?”

She flashed him a smile, one which raised his temperature several degrees. “Compliment noted-thank you.”

“Compliment sincerely given-you’re welcome. How long ago since you heaved him?”

“Six months. What about you? How is it possible that an intelligent man who looks like you doesn’t have a girlfriend?”

“Sadly, my last girlfriend couldn’t even spell monogamy, let alone mistake it for a type of wood. Like you, I gave her the heave-ho and haven’t felt inclined to replace her.”

“Not to repeat your words verbatim, but what kind of idiot would cheat on you?”

“Not to repeat your words verbatim, but compliment noted-thank you. I’m lucky I came out of it as unscathed as I did. I wasn’t heartbroken. Just royally pissed off. I’d considered the guy a friend.”

She winced. “Ouch. At least my dirtbag ex didn’t cheat with anyone I knew…” Her words trailed off and her gaze dipped to the table where he was lightly massaging her fingers, one at a time.

“That feels…ahhhh…incredible, especially after putting together dozens of arrangements today.” When she looked at him again, her eyes were half-closed. She made a low, sexy sound of approval that had him shifting against the swelling going on behind his pants’ zipper.

“So why haven’t you replaced your girlfriend?” she asked. “Obviously you don’t lack opportunity. Firefighters attract women like bees to honey, and this town and Ocean Harbor Beach are both littered with young, gorgeous women, who wear bikinis most of the time. You can’t walk two feet without bumping into a dozen of them.”

“Exactly. And after a while, they became…interchangeable. They can’t seem to talk about anything other than clothes, their drama-filled lives, their girlfriends and former boyfriends and celebrities. I think the operative word you used is young. When I was in my twenties, that was fine, but since hitting thirty…my tastes have changed. So I guess it’s actually more accurate to say that I hadn’t met anyone in a long time who really interested me.” He lifted her hand and with his gaze steady on hers, pressed a kiss against the warm palm he’d been caressing. “Until three months ago. When I walked into Blooming Pails.”

5

TONI WATCHED heat flare in Brad’s eyes as he pressed another kiss against her palm, liquefying her insides. Whoa. His mouth felt reeeally good against her skin. And looked reeeally good there, too. And…oh, God, had he just touched her palm with his tongue?

Oooh, yes. He had. Mama mia. Good thing she was sitting down, because that single tongue flick left her legs feeling like melted wax. It left her spine feeling that way, too. So much so that she’d like to lie down. With Brad. Right now.

He brushed his lips against her inner wrist and she actually felt her eyes glaze over. When the hell had that little bit of skin become so sensitive? And who had run the electric circuit from her wrist straight to her nipples-which were now hard and aching? Clearly her six-months-long sexless state had screwed up her internal wiring.