Free Here With You by Kate Perry Page A

told us you were friends with Griffin Chase. Valentine's going to kill you when she finds out. "
    " Grif and I aren't friends anymore. We lost touch ages ago. I never expected to see him again."
    "But he kissed you."
    " Yes ." She leaned forward, speaking quickly. "I don't understand that. He shows up out
     of nowhere, kisses me, and then doesn't try it again."
    "Are you upset because he kissed you, or because he hasn't kissed you again?"
    She pursed her lips. "Both."
    Marley nodded. "I would be, too."
    "But he's just going to leave, so it's better that he doesn't, isn't it?"
    "There's no chance he'd stay?"
    "Music is his life. He may not feel it right now, but performing is what makes him
     happy."
    "I read he ended a tour a few months ago ."
    She nodded. "He's burnt out. He needs to finish his next album and he wants me to
     help him remember his passion for music. He thinks I'm some sort of muse."
    "How far are you willing to go to inspire him?" Marley held her hand up. "Before you
     get into all the reasons why you shouldn't get involved in him, let me play devil's
     advocate. You obviously like him. Why not play with him? You know the boundaries.
     You can protect yourself."
    Could she? "What if he doesn't want to go that far?"
    "Please. He can have any woman in the world, but he's here with you." Marley frowned.
     "Don't you want to kiss him again?"
    "Yes," she said instantly, without thought.
    "There you go."
    "Excuse me," a voice said from behind her.
    Nicole turned around.
    The woman from Back to the Fuchsia stood behind her with an armful of white tulips
     and a beleaguered expression. "I stopped by Romantic Notions to deliver these. It
     was closed, but then I saw you in the window, so like a creepy stalker I thought I'd
     accost you here."
    "You're the sweetest stalker ever." Nicole took the bouquet. "There's no card."
    "They're from your guy." The woman rolled her eyes. "Kooky celebrities."
    She frowned at the flowers, knowing instantly who the florist meant. "Grif isn't my
     guy."
    "Funny, since he wants flowers delivered to you every other day." She held her hand out. "Since you're just down the street, I'll deliver them
     myself, so I might as well introduce myself. Julie."
    "Nicole, and I don't want flowers every other day."
    "I know. Kooky celebrities." The woman gave her a crooked smile. "They have their
     own ideas. See you in a couple ."
    Nicole watched Julie leave. Then she turned around and stared at the flowers in her
     hand.
    "You're going to need a whole bunch of vases , " Marley said, sounding smug.
    "It seems so."
    "And a couple boxes of condoms, because no guy sends flowers to a girl he doesn't
     want."
    She frowned at the tulips. They were her favorite.
    "Just do it." Her friend sat back, looking eager. " You'll always wonder, and what do you have to lose? "
    "I don't know. My heart?"
    "No way. You're much too sensible to let it go that far."
    Was she? She touched a flower petal and wondered if she'd passed sensible when she
     let Grif back into her life.
     
     
     
    Half an hour later when she returned to Romantic Notions, the door was unlocked. Knowing
     she'd locked it, it could only mean Olivia, her boss and the owner, stopped by to
     check in. Eager, Nicole went inside.
    Olivia stood at the counter, looking over the books, her baby boy squirming on her
     shoulder. Her hair was clipped back, a dark trail down her back. She wore dark jeans,
     a red top, and the most contented expression Nicole had ever seen. She looked up as
     the door chimed and smiled. "Nicole, you're a goddess."
    "And I didn't even return with a latte for you." She hugged her boss, careful of the
     baby. "I didn't realize you were coming in today."
    "Parker and I needed to get out of the house." She smiled softly at her son, running
     a hand over his head. "He's an adventurer, like his dad."
    "May I?" She set the tulips on the counter and held out her hands.
    "He's feeling especially rambunctious today," Olivia said as she