“I don’t have any lovers.”
“Liar! I make all those stupid bouquets you send them every week,” she yells in my face, and she sounds like a fierce little kitten.
“Dove, I have no idea what you are talking about.” I’m genuinely shocked.
“I made one the other day for Miss Barton. The same woman who sent you flowers today.”
“I didn’t send her flowers,” I growl. “I can’t stand that fucking woman. She was a client of mine. I don’t touch clients.” She looks at me in confusion. I’m just as confused, but I’m sure that’s not what my face is showing. I’m pissed that she thinks I’m some manwhore. That couldn’t be further from the truth. “There is only you. I haven’t noticed women in years. Fucking years. Not until I watched you walk into that coffee shop. Then you were all I noticed anymore. I can’t focus on anything but you.”
I let go of her wrists and pull out my cell phone. I hit Katie’s number, then hit speaker.
“Sir.” Katie answers the phone. “Did you find her?”
“Yes. I found her.” My eyes are locked with Dove’s. “The flowers that were dropped.”
“I cleaned them up and the card was from Mrs. Barton. The note was, well…” She trails off.
“Tell me.”
She reads it and I curse. Dove’s eyes drop from mine. “Can you tell me why Dove says the flower shop she works for has been sending flowers out from me to different women?”
“One second, sir.” The line goes quiet.
“I never touched that woman,” I tell Dove again, and she meets my eyes. “You’re the only woman I will ever want. Never doubt that. You belong to me.”
Her mouth parts as if she’s about to say something, but Katie comes back on the line.
“Well, I guess Carrie has been sending them out after each one of your cases close.”
“She’s fired,” I say instantly.
“Beau!” Dove gasps at me. “Don’t be so mean. Just tell the poor girl to stop.”
I think about it for a moment. “Is that what you want me to do, sunshine?” I ask her.
She nods.
“You heard her, Katie. Tell her to knock it off.”
“Consider it done,” Katie says, and I end the call knowing that it’s as good as done. I’m sure Katie is going to issue an ass chewing of her own to Carrie.
Dove bites her lip and I know she’s fighting a smile.
“Want to know why there aren’t other women?” I ask her, and she nods.
“My father goes through wives like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve almost lost count of them. On top of being a divorce lawyer.” I shake my head. “I might be jaded. I haven’t had a great role model for marriage or love.”
“You never want to get married or fall in love?” Her bottom lips puffs out. I know how precious and innocent my girl is. She believes in knights in shining armor, and in this moment I know I’m going to give her that the best I can.
“Oh, we’re getting married. And as for falling in love, I’m already there.” Her eyes brim with tears. “I can’t live without you, Dove. You’re my sunshine. You’re the breath of air I need, and I can’t go back to how I’ve been living since before I met you. Not now that I’ve had a taste.”
“I read about you on the subway.”
I growl at the reminder of her alone on the subway. It was the longest hour of my fucking life.
“They said mean things about you. Things I’ve never seen. That you were cold and calculating. Though, today, I’ve seen hints of that.”
“I am those things, but I never want to be cold with you. It came out today when I thought you were trying to get away from me. I can’t control myself.”
“I kinda like that I make you lose control,” she says, her eyes softening.
“I won’t lie to you, Dove. I am calculating. It’s why I’m so good at my job. You’ve seen part of it already with John.”
“Who is he?”
“Your security.”
“Mine?”
“Yeah, yours. I’ve had him on you from the moment I saw you.” I watch her face, waiting for a reaction, but she only smiles, so I go on.
“I bought your building and the flower shop.” She looks shocked at this confession. “I keep that terrible coffee shop open just for you.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “I only get coffee from there to see you. I only went in that first day because I’d forgot mine. After that I went in hopes to run into you.”
“Since we are admitting everything, Dove, I’m going to warn you. There is something about you that drives me over the edge. I’m going to be demanding of your attention. Your time. Everything. I need you. All of you.”
“I want to be yours,” she whispers and touches my face. “I’m in love with you, too.”