Ben growled something that had his woman giggling. Coming back on a moment later, he muttered, “I gotta go. Pen will call you later with the details. Adios, green boy,” and promptly hung up. But not before I heard things, disturbing things. Things I’d have been better off never having heard. Shuddering, I pressed End call and put the phone back in its cradle.
Frowning, I gave the pretty bloom another long, measuring look. It began to grow right before my eyes, blooming, blossoming, leaves bursting, until vines were curling up the metal shelf stand I’d put the pot on, more flowers blossoming from them. Before long, a beautiful array of flowers, that fragrant scent sending me nearly choking, instantly hard as a rock as it thickened in the air. Shit, I inhaled deeply, then swayed where I stood.
My cock began to ache so bad I had to lean against the wall. My hand went to my cock, cupping it. The head was swollen and aching. Closing my eyes, ignoring how fucking weird it was, I inhaled a breath so deep I shuddered from it and came right there in my pants. I came so hard my legs buckled and I dropped. My knees slammed the floor hard, but I was already convulsing with pleasure. A full body shudder overwhelmed me.
Once the worst of it was over, I rolled to my back, ignoring the enormous wet spot on my pants. I was half shifted, green and vined, my cock inhuman looking. I looked ridiculous. I was too dumb on blowing my top like that to care.
Chapter 6
Aster
It had been several days since his text asking to meet me for coffee or tea. Had I put him off? Did he think I wasn’t interested? No, that’s silly. How could he not know who I was to him? Who he was to me?
Shaking my head, I got back to work.
We had a large order coming in today and one ready for pick up. Ben had promised me he’d be bringing Pen and the boys around this time. The Cyclops’ little family made me smile. They were nothing but nice to me. I’d known Ben for years. I’d never been happier to hear he’d found his one. It was a joyous occasion.
The small box I had with a little something for the boys sat in my office, waiting for them. Giles and Julien, or Gil and Jules, were rambunctious little brunettes, with their father’s eye and their mother’s hair. Gil was all about dinosaurs and Jules loved robots. The precocious four, almost five year olds had me nearly wrapped around their little fingers. I was their Plant Lady Abster, as Gil had a speech impediment and that’s what he’d ended up calling me, and it stuck, and I loved it.
I heard that first little sweet singsong around a quarter to four, then the pitter patter of tiny, sneakered feet as they came scrambling up the walk.
“Well, hello, boys!” I called out to them congenially, smiling when they caught sight of me, grinning like little loons, and almost tripped each other fighting to reach me first.
“No running!” Ben barked, his boys instantly widening their single brown eyes rimmed in red to slow to a more sedate shove-walk. I took in the show, laughing.
“And here she comes,” Pen joked, “waddling her way up, bringing up the rear.” Ben came up behind her, grinning, and bent. Pen squeaked, then slapped at her husband’s wide shoulder. Ben grinned, bending his tall frame once more to plant one on his wife, then escorted her the rest of the way up to us.
One little clinger-on on each leg, I moaned and groaned as if they were heavy, walking the small crate with their goodies to their mother.
Pen beamed as I dutifully handed their loot over to her. “You are too darn sweet, Aster. You spoil them, you know.”
“So long as you let me,” I quipped. “I don’t have any little ones hanging around. It’s nice to be able to spoil someone’s babes, you know?”
Pen nodded and sighed heavily. “I’m so sorry it didn’t work out.” A grimace stole over her face. “Hearing Ben tell it, I honestly thought it was a good fit.”
Confused, I stilled my horsing around with the boys. “What do you mean?”
“Well… ah. You know, with you and Greniv?” She looked uncomfortable to even have to say it.
“Gren and I are going for coffee or tea. He asked me,” I leaned in to divulge in a hushed whisper.
“I-” Pen blinked her pretty grey eyes. “You are?”
“Yes,” I replied succinctly. Short, sweet, to the point, nothing giving away how damn happy I was other than the fact my hair was still a wild shade of deep lavender.
“But I thought,” she started to say, her words trailing off as Ben coughed and nudged her.
“Hey, that’s great, Ast. I’m glad plant boy is coming around.” The couple exchanged a look I didn’t understand, and then Ben kissed his little wife and went to settle his account.
“I wanna come too, Daddy!” Jules called, unhooking his little body from my leg to stumble off after his father.
Ben held out his hand, waiting, his large mitt of a hand carefully engulfing his son’s tiny one. The little boy chattered up at his father and began swinging their joined hands back and forth.
“Me, too!” Gil cried out. Instead of his brother’s sweet approach, he went scrambling after them. Ben turned at the last moment and caught Gil up, chucking him into the air to catch him. Pen sucked in a sharp breath in worry, but Gil burst out cackling like a little hyena. Wrapping his arms around his daddy’s thick neck, he pressed his cheek to his Daddy’s and simply hugged his head. Jules’ constant chatter never eased up as they disappeared around the corner.
“I’m sorry,” Pen spluttered, when Ben was out of sight. “I didn’t know, I-”
“Didn’t know what?” My eyebrows arched.
