Read Online Where the Lotus Flowers Grow by Mk Schiller - Free Book Online

anyway. It’s not much, but it’s a tiny miracle. At least it is to me. They are the most special flowers in the entire universe. Did you know that?”
    I raised my hands. “I did not. Tell me, Mary, why do they hold such a prestigious place?”
    “The Buddhists believe they are a symbol of purity. I do, too.”
    “Purity?”
    “They grow in darkness and muck, in the dirtiest places possible, but when they emerge from the water, they are clean and pure. They symbolize resurrection, because even in darkness, there is light.”
    “That’s a sweet sentiment, but you aren’t convincing me.”
    She crossed her arms. “You’re such a bully.”
    I held back my laughter, but I couldn’t suppress my smile. How did she manage to look so damn beautiful when she was angry? “We’re progressing from ‘sir,’ but I don’t really care for the term ‘bully.’ Can we negotiate something in between?”
    She swiped a wisp of hair from her forehead. “Everyone who works here loves that flower. Not just me. It brings them some small joy to walk past every day. Even Prabhat likes it, and he never likes anything.”
    “Mary, I don’t want to take anything away from anybody, but you can’t call me a bully because I want to remove a dilapidated old fountain that is a haven for mosquitoes.”
    She sighed, staring out the window. At the very spot where I first saw her at the same damn fountain we were arguing about. “Every morning, I lay out candles around the perimeter. I make sure they stay lit throughout the day. It keeps the mosquitoes away.”
    “I see.”
    “I remove any litter. I can’t do anything about the stones, though.”
    “I’ll have the flower relocated.”
    “You’ll kill it.”
    “If it survived once, I’m sure—”
    “It’s strong, but delicate. You can’t change the habitat without destroying it.”
    “Then we’ll plant a new one. Okay?”
    “Don’t you think it’s special how one seed hung on? How it beat all the odds?”
    I think you’re special, Mary. That’s what I think.
    “I’ll take it under advisement. Can we move on now?”
    Her shoulders slumped with defeat. “Yes, sir.”
    Fuck it. If fixing a stupid fountain made her happy, then I’d do it. I moved to her. Her spine straightened. I placed a hand on each of her shoulders. Her breathing changed. The pale moon cast her face in a soft glow. I inhaled her scent…spiced vanilla and citrus. God, I wanted to run my nose against her Audrey Hepburnesque neck. “Okay, Mary. We won’t get rid of it.”
    “Don’t do it just because I want you to. Do it for the right reasons.”
    “What other bloody reason do I have? You think I believe in resurrection and purity? Trust me, neither of those concepts are high on my list. But it means something to you, so in turn, it means something to me. That…that is the right reason as far as I’m concerned.”
    “Why am I the right reason?”
    I didn’t have an answer. Hell, I couldn’t even make sense of it myself. “You just are.”
    She fingered her cross. I almost wondered if she’d hold it out toward me to repel my sinful thoughts. I pulled my hands back. As quick as an autumn wind, she changed directions.
    “It’s your birthday tomorrow, isn’t it?”
    “How did you know?”
    “Prabhat is throwing you a party.” She clamped her hand over her. “Shit. It’s a surprise party.”
    Although I hated the idea, I chuckled at hearing her swear.
    “Don’t laugh. It’s not funny. I just ruined it.”
    I pulled out a chair for her. She eyed it warily.
    “Please sit. Our supper will get cold.”
    “You’re treating this romantically.”
    “Romantic? You have no idea what romance is. It’s certainly not your coming to my room, all cloak and dagger, with a room service cart. This is just a business dinner.”
    My words must have done more harm than good because she looked hurt.
    “Do you often have business dinners with maids?”
    “Stop.”
    “Stop what?”
    “Stop making this