Chapter 29 The Second Time I Brought Him Flowers
David gripped the steering wheel and glanced at her. “What’s up? You’re so flushed.”
“Just the heater.” Emma smiled and touched her burning cheeks.
When they arrived at David’s house, she sent Liam her location.
“Ms. Thompson!” She spotted Ava Thompson coming out to greet them.
“You’re here! Emma!” Ava was on the heavier side, and her coat clearly showed her protruding belly.
They shared a warm hug.
David stood nearby with his hands in his pockets, gazing at Emma.
“The witch hazel in the backyard is in full bloom! Pick as much as you like. I won’t have to clean up the fallen blossoms.” Ava took Emma’s hand and led her inside.
“Alright!”
Soon after, Claire and Mia arrived.
They gathered around the living room table for cheese fondue.
After dinner.
“Let me help you.” David offered.
“No, I’ll trim these flowers myself.” Emma declined, tightening her grip on the shears.
Wearing a hat, she busied herself in the snow. Her gloved hands held the shears as she pruned the witch hazel in the backyard.
Ava, who was guiding her from the sidelines, insisted that she cut ten more branches.
David stood nearby, quietly watching her.
…
Claire drove Mia home.
David insisted on giving Emma a ride. Unable to refuse, she slid into his car.
“You love red tulips best, right?” He remarked, glancing at the witch hazel bouquet she held.
“Yeah, I loved them.”
At the hotel entrance, Emma hurriedly said goodbye to him, dreading the possibility of being seen by Liam.
David said little and drove away.
Watching his car disappear into the distance, Emma finally exhaled.
She clutched the bouquet tightly and turned toward the hotel.
“Honey.” Liam had appeared at the hotel entrance.
His eyes reflected starlight, seeming to swallow her whole.
Her breath caught, and her chest rose slightly.
How should I address him? Honey? Or Liam?
“Why did you come down?” she asked.
“To pick you up.” His gaze fell on the bouquet she held, wrapped in paper.
“…” She didn’t know how to begin.
“He’s my teacher’s son. I had dinner at his place. We went to the same school growing up. I think of him as an older brother.” She explained, watching the man change his shoes.
“Mm.” He brought her the slippers and helped her put them on.
“Weren’t you angry? Why didn’t you say anything?” She asked.
“I’m not angry.”
“Why did you call me ‘honey’? That clearly was…” She stopped mid-sentence.
He approached, and the sense of pressure intensified.
“Stay away from other men, or we’ll go public with our relationship.” He warned the invisible pressure nearly took her breath away.
“I understand.” She soothed him. “Don’t be angry. I brought you flowers.”
His usually deep eyes suddenly brightened.
She shoved the flowers into his arms and turned to run back to her room.
He stood there, stunned. This was the second time she had given him flowers.
A faint smile touched his lips as he carried the bouquet toward the living room.
After her shower, she slipped into her dry pajamas, then stepped out, one hand pressed to her neck with a soft hiss of pain.
“What’s up?” Liam paused, stopped arranging the flowers, and looked up at her.
“I got cut by a branch while picking flowers. Where’s the hotel first-aid kit?” She rummaged through the cabinets.
“Sit there.” He tilted his chin toward the sofa.
She obediently walked to the sofa. Exhausted, she flopped down and draped her legs over the armrest. She picked up her phone and saw unread messages in the group chat.
She tapped on one to see a screenshot Claire had sent.
It was a status update from Liam.
The photo showed a close-up of witch hazel. Emma glanced at the flowers beside her, then read his caption: “So beautiful.”
Kennedy: \[Your husband seems really happy.\]
Emma: \[I just sent him flowers.\]
Mia: “ \[You’re amazing! Emma. He’s completely under your spell!\]
Emma: \[No way…\]
As she was typing, Liam walked over.
“Where are you hurt?” Liam asked, holding a bottle of iodine solution.
“I can handle it myself.” Emma hurriedly rose, but he beat her to it. He sat beside her, trapping her between the sofa and himself.
Instantly, the warmth at her side intensified, and a burning sensation quickly spread throughout her body.
Even through two layers of fabric, she could feel the heat radiating from his body and it was intense.
She swallowed hard and shifted inward slightly. He moved closer, seeing her gesture as an invitation.
“Lie down,” he ordered.
She instinctively reclined, turning her head toward him and exposing her graceful neck.
Liam gently lifted her collar to examine the wound, his fingers brushing her skin. An electric shock-like sensation shot through her, sending a wave of tingling numbness across her body.
She tensed, her fingers clenching tightly as she gripped her clothes.
“The flowers are beautiful. I like them very much,” he said.
“Mhm.” The word barely left her lips when a cool sensation brushed her collarbone.
With one hand, he undid the top three buttons of her blouse and slid the collar down her shoulder, revealing black straps and the faint outline of her breasts.
He paused, his gaze lingering on her pale skin as his eyes deepened.
“Maybe I should do it myself,” she murmured.
Liam chuckled, sensing her unease. “Your husband isn’t a beast. Relax.”
He refocused, uncorked the iodine bottle, and carefully disinfected the area with a cotton swab.
“I got scratched while grabbing lunch,” she explained, breaking the silence.
“Yeah, I know,” he replied.
The wound was quickly treated, but he didn’t get up. Setting the iodine aside, he remained seated and began trimming the witch hazel branches.
But she was still pinned against the sofa by him.
Trapped, she took a photo from her angle and sent it to the group chat.
Emma: \[Help me away! Any ideas?\]
Mia: \[Those solid arm muscles, that broad chest—Emma, you’re so lucky!\]
Claire: \[Don’t leave. Stay right there.\]
Kennedy: \[How do I pray for a husband this rich and handsome?\]
Claire: \[I think he might just want to spend more time with you.\]
Her words snapped Emma out of it.