I laughed, the sound bright and free in the flower-filled alcove.
"Your billions can't buy everything, then?"
"Apparently not." He swirled his wine, a mock-serious expression settling on his face. "I did look into naming a star after you, but it felt tacky."
"Very tacky," I agreed. "I'd have expected at least a constellation."
"Noted for next time."
"Next time?" I raised an eyebrow. "You're planning to fill more restaurants with flowers?"
"Only if you keep giving me reasons to celebrate." His eyes glinted in the candlelight. "At this rate, I'll have to buy out a florist permanently. Keep them on retainer."
"That seems excessive."
"You deserve excessive." He said it simply, like it was a fact. Like the sky was blue and water was wet and Emma Sinclair deserved thousands of flowers on a week night.
I shook my head, giggling. "You're ridiculous."
"You like it."
"I tolerate it."
"Liar." He set his glass down and leaned forward, elbows on the table, that familiar intensity creeping into his expression. "I saw your face when you walked around that corner."
Heat crept up my neck.
"Fine," I admitted. "It's... effective."
"Effective." He repeated the word flatly. "I transform a room into a garden, and I geteffective."
"Would you preferadequate?"
"I'd preferbreathtaking. Extraordinary.The most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.Maybe even a blow job beneath the table."
I threw my head back and laughed. "That was my plan for earlier."
"You've got to be kidding me," he said, jaw going slack.
"Nope. I was ready to tie my hair backand—"
"That fucking dick from Singapore," he snapped.
I giggled, taking another sip of my wine.
He chuckled, leaning back in his chair.
"For the record," I said, biting back a grin. "This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me."
"Is it?"
"You know it is."
I gestured at the cascading roses, the candles, the petals scattered across the floor.
"This is... I don't even have words. No one has ever—" I stopped, the emotion sneaking up on me despite my best efforts. "No one has ever gone to this much trouble for me before."
"Then everyone else was a fool," he said simply.
