Free High Maintenance by Lia Fairchild

bakery of the beautiful Alexia.”
    Her insides buzzed at the sound of her given name being spoken from his lips.
    For the next half hour they drank, laughed, and talked, all the while having a separate conversation in their exchanging glances. Lexy told Tate about reapplying for the loan by herself and how she didn’t have much of a chance on it coming through. Tate shared his own stress about the flower shop’s slow business since his relocation.
    “Hey,” he said, when Lexy grew quiet. “We’re both in the flower business. Get it? Flower and flour?”
    Wow, he’s adorably corny sometimes . She held her glass to toast his pun. “Yeah. To the flour business.” She washed it down with another long swig of water and announced, “I have to pee.”
    “Well, congratulations. Here, take the candle.” He handed her the one jarred candle left, as the other had burned out minutes ago.
    The liquor and darkness conspired to lighten her head. She wobbled a bit as she stood. “No, you keep the candle. That way I can find you on the way back.” She took a few steps with her hand along the wall, realizing now that she probably should have stopped before the last shot. “Besides, this is good training in case I ever go blind.”
    “Good thinking,” Tate called before she turned the corner.
    Lexy snickered as she sat on the toilet with the door open, wondering if Tate could hear her. “Oh, my God, Tate. I just remembered something,” she yelled.
    “You’re out of toilet paper?” he yelled back.
    “No!” She finished and pulled her skirt back over her. “Meet me in the bedroom!”
    “You don’t have to tell me twice!”
    She cautiously made her way to her bedroom, climbed across the bed, and reached over to the nightstand. Tate entered, stopping in the doorway. “It’s okay, come get on the bed,” she said giddily. “This is really cool and it runs on batteries.”
    “Uh…are you sure you need me, then?”
    “Don’t be silly. Bring the candle over here so I can see.”
    He came over and sat on the edge of the bed, set the candle on the nightstand. “What is that?”
    Lexy set the black machine on the bed. She messed with a few buttons, causing the sound of crickets, then thunder, then waves, to emit from the box.
    “Oh, it’s a sound machine,” Tate said.
    “That’s not all. Lie down.” Another switch and a beam of light shot straight up to the ceiling, spraying stars above their head.
    “Now that’s freaking cool.”
    “It helps me sleep,” she said, lying down next to him.
    They stayed that way, staring up at the makeshift sky, listening to the sound of waves, lying side by side. After a few moments, Tate took hold of Lexy’s hand. She let him lace his fingers with hers, filling her with both comfort and want.
    “Does that happen a lot…the trouble sleeping?” he said.
    “Yeah, my brain gets to spinning, and I just can’t turn it off.”
    “You worry too much, that’s why.”
    “Probably.”
    “You want to stay in control of everything.”
    “Maybe.”
    “I bet Julian lets you be in control in the bedroom, just so you’ll feel like you’re in control. When really he’s always the one in control.”
    Lexy fought against the gasp in her chest. “What makes you think that?” she said, trying to control the quiver in her voice.
    “I don’t think. I know.” He released her hand, turned on his side to face her.
    Lexy did the same. “What do you know?”
    He ran his hand along the raised bumps on her arm, continued past her shoulder and stopped on the nape of her neck. “I know guys like Julian. And I know you, Lexy.” He leaned in until his lips were only a breath away. “You fight so hard to be independent, but right now what you want…what you need, is a man who’ll take charge just so you can let go.” He touched his lips to hers, brushing them with a feather light kiss. “Let go, Kitten,” he whispered against her warm mouth.
    Oh, damn . Lexy’s breath caught as a