章 71: Roses and Romantics

** Harper **

Eli was giving her a rose, and he wanted to tuck it into her hair for her …

Could this moment be real?

Harper could only nod in a sheer daze. She saw him smile as he stood from his chair and came to kneel beside her. Gently, he parted the strands of her braid and tucked the flower into the side.

Harper held her breath, not trusting herself to not say or do something stupid out of reflective instinct. He was leaning so close now, his fingers lightly brushing over her temple, his breath warm against her nape. Oh God knew how it made her itch to turn round and hug him, to squeeze him tight and kiss the air out of his lungs. Even though she knew they weren't dating, even though she knew that this was only a friendly rose and that he had only given it to her because he was acting like a proper gentleman, it still made her feel so blissfully happy.

And it still made her grin like a silly girl head over heels in love.