"Petals"
Lounging peacefully on her plush sofa, a book held firmly in her grasp, Sally felt truly at ease. Her eyes skimmed over each page, taking in every word, the room filled with nothing but the sound of pages turning. Her hair was worn in a messy bun she threw together in the span of two seconds, and she wore comfortable clothing: a plain, white T-shirt and baggy jogging pants.
So wrapped up in the novel she was reading, she failed to hear the sound of someone knocking on her door. Startled, she quickly marked her place, putting her book down as she hurried to open her door, curious as to who could be visiting her. Bare feet tip-tapping across the floor, Sally gripped the golden doorknob and twisted. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her.
Shadow was standing on the welcome mat in front of her door, dressed to the nines. He wore a black tuxedo, a black bowtie, and black dress shoes; his attire looked nice, and it did nothing to hide his lean, well-developed physique from her greedy gaze. The outfit looked expensive, and he was wearing the hell out of it too. In his hand was a large bouquet of gorgeous flowers.
She was staring still, and she knew she should say something already, but it was hard to talk when she was rendered virtually speechless. Her gaze traveled up until she was looking at his face, and he was staring right back at her, crimson eyes intense with a knowing smirk on his handsome face. Flustered, her cheeks hot, Sally stubbornly averted her gaze and ignored his husky chuckles.
"What's the fancy outfit, Shadow?" Sally asked when she finally managed to find her voice, surprised at how steady it sounded. She dared to glance at him once more, and she felt her cheeks heat up even more at the fact that was openly checking her out, noticing how his gaze lingered on certain areas of her anatomy.
"I'm here to take you out," Shadow answered, his voice both calm and confident. Sally damn near fell over, unsure if she actually heard him correctly, although that would explain the fancy get up and flowers. Frowning, she eyed him critically, unwilling to get her hopes up.
"Oh, are you really now?" Shadow stepped closer to her, and she couldn't help but move backwards until her back was pressed against her front door, which was odd, considering she didn't remember closing it shut. He was all up in her personal space, his muscled chest brushing against hers, his wondrous scent teasing her nose. She felt tingles run down her spine, her heart beating a million times each second.
Their faces were close, their foreheads touching, his eyes never leaving her.
"Yes, really. Well, that is if you'll have me." His gaze softened, and suddenly he looked vulnerable. Sally was surprised; did that mean he liked her too? It stood to reason. Why else would he go out of his way to do this for her? Smiling softly, hope blooming like a meadow of flowers in her chest, she cupped his cheek with her hand, gently guiding him so that he was facing her once more.
"Well, since you went through all the trouble of doing this, I'd love to go out with you. Just give me a few minutes to get ready." And when he smiled, a true, genuine smile, Sally feared her heart would beat right out of her chest.