“Oh, then we’re getting food.”
He presses his hand to his chest. “A girl after my heart.”
Shit. Am I?
I am.
I want Owen Adler’s heart.
Chapter Eighteen
Owen
* * *
I always heard of crazy cat people, but apparently there are also crazy plant people.
And my girlfriend is one.
“So, I have like six different pothos, all different and so damn beautiful. Then I have all these awesome snake plants, but this one is my favorite. His name is Tom.”
Yes, she names them.
“And then these are all my figs.”
“Figs?” I ask, my brows up in my hairline as I take in her jungle—er, I mean bedroom. She has a cool space, but it’s basically a bed and plants. I don’t even know where she keeps her clothes. “What is a fig? Like a cookie?”
She laughs as she goes to the part of the room where these huge leaves take up most of the wall. “No, fiddle-leaf figs. They have to be on the west wall with medium light.”
I blink. “How does a plant know if it’s on the west wall?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. But they know and didn’t grow until I put them here. My bed used to be here.”
Yeah, this is all completely normal.
“And these are my Monsteras. This is Rachel, this is Monica, and then this one will be Phoebe!” She happily puts the one I got her beside the other two and then starts to wipe down its leaves. Her eyes are bright, her grin is unstoppable, and she is even bouncing when she walks.
Now, this is all a bit crazy to me, but then I remind myself that I name every stick I have. I add a little six and even the name on the tape at the top of each stick. My left skate is Herb, while my right is Bob. And hell, if I were guaranteed to score every game, I’d put my sticks on the left side of the area. So, I would never judge her for her cute little obsession, for the main reason that it makes her happy.
Deliriously happy.
I’m sort of jealous of the plants for all the attention they’re getting.
I come up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist, and she leans into me as she wipes the leaves. “Can I help?”
“Yes!” she gushes, pointing to the fridge. “There is water in there. Can you grab it?”
“You chill the plant water?”
“Oh yes. They like it.”
I hold in my laughter as I kiss the back of her head and walk over to the fridge. I follow her directions—and there are a ton—before I start to water her crew. “You need more room.”
She’s now wiping down the fig leaves. “Yeah, I think I’m gonna get a two-bedroom. If I get paid what I was told when I started, then I’ll be able to afford it without my parents’ help. That is, if I get hired.”
She says the second part really low, but I hear her. “If? I thought it was a given.”
Angie nods. “As did I.”
“What changed?”
She shrugs. “I have no damn clue. I don’t know if it’s because I confronted London about Leroy or what, but she told the doctor you and I are dating. Though when I pointed out that you weren’t a patient, I didn’t get let go like they were implying.”
“You’re kidding,” I say, gawking at her. “That’s bullshit.”
“I know,” she agrees. “Then she said we’d cross that bridge later, when I asked what would happen if you wanted to be a patient.”
“Fuck them. I’ll go somewhere else if I need to.”
She looks over at me. “It’s good for the program, though. We need all the data, and if you need help, I know Dr. Tembalt is incredible. I would want him for you.”
“Sure, but I’m not going to be the reason you lose your job. You love it.”
She gives me a small smile. “I hope it won’t come to that. She is just mad right now. Hopefully, everything evens out.”
“I don’t understand why she’s still mad.”
“I don’t either,” she says, going to another plant. “But it’s fine. I’ve got my plants, and I’ve got you.”
I wink at her. “You got that right, sugar.” She makes a face, and I just grin at her, ignoring how silly it was to call her sugar. It just rolled off my tongue, though, and I like it. “So, is there a plant you’re missing that you really want?”
Her whole body gets excited. She does a little jump that makes her breasts do a dance for me as her ass jiggles in all the right places. Her eyes are bright, and her grin is so wide, I don’t know how her face isn’t hurting. “God, yes. I want them all,” she gushes, smiling at her plants. “But my newest obsession is a Monstera Albo Variegata. Gah, it’s gorgeous, but oh-so expensive.” She tucks her wipe into her pocket and comes over to me with her phone. She shows me a picture of basically the same plant I got her, but this one has white streaks on it. “It’s insanely awesome. I want it so bad. But then, I also want a pink princess philodendron, but I can’t ever find it. Plus, it’s expensive too. Maybe when I get my real job. But right now, I get secondhand plants. Well, that is until my brand-new one you got me,” she says, kissing my cheek. “Which I love!”
I wrap my arm around her waist and hold her close. “I’m glad. I knew you’d love it. Dart was talking mad shit, though, about the price and all.”
She rolls her eyes all dramatically. “Yeah, plants can be pricey.” She stops mid-step. “And don’t go buying me those plants I showed you. You already bought me one.”
Too bad. I already memorized everything she said, and I will be on a mission. I love how happy she is. “Sure.”
She eyes me. “Owen, come on. You’ve done enough the last couple days. I’m not used to it.”
I shrug. “Get used to it,” I inform her. “I’m a giver.”
“A giver?” she asks as I pull her into my arms. “What in the world is a giver?”
“I like to make people happy. I like the way it makes me feel. And since I like making you happy, I will shower you with gifts, and you will accept because it makes me happy.”
She holds my gaze as I cup her sweet ass in my palms. “Please don’t get me those plants. They’re so expensive, and I’ll feel like I owe you something.”
I shake my head. “You don’t. Or won’t. Just be you.”
Her eyes darken. “That’s sweet.”
“It’s my truth.”
She moves toward me. “So…is the giver thing only outside of the bedroom?”
My eyes dance with hers. “Not at all. Actually, it would make my day to make you come.”
I pull her in closer and capture her mouth with ease. Her body turns into mine as I hold her as close as I can. I love the feel of her lips, the taste of her. Jesus, she’s unbelievable. I walk her back to her bed and sit to bring her down onto my lap. We part only for a second when she straddles me, cupping my jaw as she continues to kiss me. I feel the heat coming off her in waves, and I’m dying inside. She feels so good. I slide my hands up her thighs to her ass and then up into her shirt. Her skin is soft and warm as I hold her, kneading my fingers into her. She scoots down my legs, pressing those beautiful breasts into my chest, and I groan softly against her mouth. I’m pretty sure I stay hard around this girl, but when she starts to rock her center against me, I’m a goner. I flip us over, covering her body with mine as I deepen the kiss, pressing myself between her legs. She pulls away, gasping for breath, and I kiss down her chin to her neck, licking and nibbling at her warm skin as she runs her fingers into my hair, knocking my hat off. I take hold of the hem of her shirt, but her hands cover mine as soon as I get the fabric in my fingers.