She swiped under her eyes nervously, endearingly. It was true, she had a little makeup flecked under her eyes, but I’d already thumbed away what she’d have been worried about but for the bit of smoke under her lashes. The rain had washed the rest away, leaving her fresh-faced and gorgeous, maybe more so than I’d ever seen her.

Maybe it was because I’d witnessed her vulnerable, her hair unkempt and natural, the gentle smudge of black under her eyes throwing the pale of her irises into high relief. Those eyes, so big and gray, were all-encompassing, unavoidable. Undeniable.

“You’re beautiful,” I said without hesitation.

Her laugh was small and self-deprecating, her hands twisting her hair again, this time into a knot that almost immediately slipped loose. She sighed, stuffing the last of her shirt into her skirt.

“Leave it down.” In two steps, I was in front of her, smoothing the remnants of the knot, slipping my hands into her hair to shake it loose. “I like it like this.”

Her palm rested on my chest, her chin rising to meet my gaze. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

“Hey, don’t get me wrong—I’m a big fan of you all trussed up, your hair all shiny and your suit all white. I’ve just been wanting to undo you, to see you like this.”

A pause, her eyes bright and searching. “And did I disappoint?”

“Never,” I whispered against her lips before taking them. I kissed her too long, long enough that I contemplated unwrapping her, undoing her again.

When I ended the kiss, she sighed longingly enough to set a smile on my face.

“Tomorrow night seems a long way away,” she said, her fingers twiddling the collar of my shirt.

“I’ll see you in the afternoon. And if you want, I can hang around for the event. I’ll bring a real shirt with me and everything.”

“Wear a tie, and I’ll let you tie me up with it.”

“Can I get that in writing?” I made the old joke with a pulse in my pants that once again had me considering the ways I might keep her here with me.

But she laughed with a flash of bright teeth and a streak of genuine joy. “Tell me where to sign.”

“Right here.” I tapped my lips, and she obliged with a kiss.

When she released me, she glanced up at the leaded glass panes of the greenhouse roof. “It stopped raining.”

“Good. You won’t get pneumonia. Can I walk you home?”

Another happy sigh. “No, I think I’ll enjoy a minute alone before I see Ivy. Are you … are you okay if I tell her? About us?”

“Sure, so long as she doesn’t get all nosy about us.”

“I can’t promise that,” she said on a laugh, followed by a pause. “What should I tell her we are?”