Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
Arden was sweet, sexy, and he smelled so good. That really shouldn’t be a deciding factor, but when the man had gathered me close to hurry us inside the conservatory, I caught a whiff of his cologne. Or maybe aftershave. Or it was the natural pheromones the man exuded. Whatever. I just wanted to turn in his arms, bury my nose in the crook of his neck, and never leave.
But that was all nonsense.
This was a non-date.
A reverse interview.
We were supposed to be listing all the reasons we were unsuitable for dating.
Except Arden had admitted to liking one of my big weaknesses in the world. I loved losing hours binge-watching my favorite animes. Was it too much to hope that he liked Asian BL dramas as well?
Nope. I couldn’t ask.
I wasn’t looking to date. There was no time in my life. Everything was fine how it was now. I had work and my hobbies. Dating and a boyfriend would mean less me time when I wasn’t working.
However, a boyfriend would put sex into my life again. That was something I was significantly short on.
Arden stepped closer, and I didn’t back away. I couldn’t. Yes, we’d just met, but I wanted to know what it was like to kiss those lips. He was checking so many damn boxes for me without realizing it. Life couldn’t be so cruel as to make him a terrible kisser. No, he had to be the best kisser in the world, and I needed to experience it.
The little desert had become silent. Even the wind had stopped flinging bits of debris at the surrounding windows. We were lost in our own world. Just his breath and mine picking up. His hand landed on my shoulder, squeezing and drawing me in. I went willingly, tipping my head up, offering my lips like a sacrifice on the altar of the BL gods who knew I needed to get laid so fucking bad.
A woman’s high-pitched cackle cut through the quiet, jerking me away from Arden. A nervous giggle tumbled from my lips, and I leaned to my left, looking around him. Two couples were entering the desert room with some kids in tow.
Yeah, time to move on.
“Whoops,” I said with a laugh, while wincing at my inescapable awkwardness. “Umm…what’s the next room?”
Arden’s grin returned with an extra twinkle in his mismatched eyes, as if he were smothering his own chuckle. “The orchid room is through that door.” He released my shoulder and pointed at the clear door just ahead of us. Beyond the glass was a small, lush, green room filled with delicate blossoms.
I hurried on, trying to put some distance between us and the people who were working their way through the desert behind us. Humidity and thick warmth greeted us as we stepped inside, along with the soft trickle of water from a fountain hidden behind all the dense green foliage. After fishing my phone from my pocket, I snapped countless images of the different orchids. I’d always been a fan of this ethereal blossom, but I’d never buy one for myself. They were finicky plants, and I sucked at remembering to water anything. It would break my heart if I killed something so lovely.
“Kaylan?”
I turned my head toward Arden and found the man was holding up his phone as if he were using the camera feature. Specifically, he was taking my picture.
“Really? Why?”
“Because you’re adorable,” Arden answered without hesitation as he lowered his phone. “I doubt you even realize it, but you’ve been cooing and whispering to the flowers as you take their pictures. Telling them how pretty they are. I needed something to remember this moment.”
And now my face was on fire, from the tips of my ears to the base of my throat. I hadn’t known I was doing that.
A scoff left me, and I spun around. “Whatever. They’re beautiful. I’ve never seen some of these species.”
“Do you grow orchids?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I’d never be able to keep one alive. I just like them.” As I led the way out of the tiny room to the next one, Arden caught the collar of my sport coat, stopping me.
“You miss that one?”
Turning to gaze at where he pointed, I found a cascade of tiny blood-red and white blossoms on what appeared to be a crooked vine. That one was definitely new to me. After shooting Arden a repressive look that did absolutely nothing, I took a few pictures of the orchids while managing to not talk to them.
The next room felt bright and airy compared to the orchid exhibit. I didn’t even bother to put my phone away. These needed to be photographed as well. Other people milled about the larger room, talking softly and admiring the plants.
“I believe it’s your turn,” Arden prodded while I admired a ficus someone had trained to resemble a grove of trees in a miniature forest. A forest that was already older than me. I didn’t need to ask what he meant. Since we couldn’t sneak a private kiss, we returned to our original game.