Jackson’s voice dropped low. “Then you’d better look convincing.”
Her lips parted in surprise, but before she could respond, he leaned in and kissed her.
It was supposed to be for show again—quick, harmless—but the moment their lips met, the world tilted even more than last time.
Zoe’s mouth was soft and warm, a faint taste of honey and citrus lingering. She gave a quiet, startled sigh, then melted against him, her fingers clutching the front of his shirt like she’d been holding herself back for years.
Jackson’s pulse roared in his ears. He hadn’t planned to go further, hadn’t expected the jolt that shot through him, orthe way his body seemed to recognize hers instantly. The kiss deepened without thought. The slow, inevitable slide of lips and breath and something far too real to fake.
His hand found her waist; he felt the heat of her through the soft cotton of her dress. She made a sound. It was barely audible, more breath than voice, and it nearly undid him.
Every instinct screamed to pull her closer, to taste more, to see how far this spark would go before it burned them both.
He broke the kiss first, just barely, his forehead brushing hers. Her breath hit his lips, shaky and uneven, matching his own. Neither of them moved.
The door creaked open.
“Hi, Mrs. Hawthorne,” Zoe said quickly, stepping back, but not fast enough to hide the flush on her cheeks.
Beth smiled knowingly. “Well, you two certainly look happy.”
Jackson cleared his throat, pretending to busy himself with the desk. “Hey, Mom. We were just talking about the greenhouse expansion.”
“Is that what they’re calling it now?” Beth teased.
Zoe laughed, a little too high-pitched. “Definitely all business.”
Beth’s grin said she didn’t believe either of them for a second.
“I’m making honey chicken and asparagus for dinner. Will you join us?” Beth asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I can’t today,” Zoe said too quickly, and Jackson couldn’t blame her after the kiss they’d just shared. Everything felt different, and yet the same, and completely unsettled.
“I left Mrs. Bishop watching the shop, and I still have to finish up some paperwork. Jackson and I are trying to get funding for our Local Blooms project.” She turned to him, rallying. “We should probably work on our presentation soon, right? I want to be ready for Eleanor Davenport.”
“Just let me know when,” he said, his voice still rough from that kiss.
“Perfect. I’ll talk to you later then.” Zoe shuffled forward awkwardly, then leaned up to kiss his cheek, just as she might if they were really dating. Jackson ignored the heat that flared at her touch, the softness of her lips against his stubble, the sweet scent of her perfume.
He gave her hip a gentle squeeze as she moved past him, then watched her hug his mom goodbye and wave as she slipped out the door.
“Well, you two do make an adorable couple. I’d say the Spring Fling King and Queen is clearly in the bag,” Beth said with a wink.
Jackson chuckled, but Beth’s words lodged somewhere deeper than he wanted to admit. Because the way Zoe’s kiss had branded him, the way his hand still tingled from her hip…he already felt like a king.
THIRTEEN
ZOE
Monday, March 10th
Sweet snapdragons, Zoe was in trouble.
It was the kind of trouble that made her forget how to drive. Or think straight. Or breathe.
The rain picked up, from a drizzle to a steady downpour as the afternoon slipped away. Her wipers thudded rhythmically against her windshield and maple trees blurred past as she made her way down the narrow back road from the Hawthorne farm. Normally, the twenty-minute drive home soothed her. There was never any traffic, just the hum of the engine and the familiar bend in the road.
Today, it barely registered.
