I had. Though it stung a bit. A stunning arrangement of Japanese irises, purple of course, was clustered with flat sea holly and wine-red dahlias. “Just reminds me of Mom.”
Adrian squeezed my hand and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “We’re not meeting the boys for another ten minutes. Told you we were early. Want to go in?”
I started to shake my head, but then realized I did, somewhat desperately. “Sure.” I had a love-hate relationship with that shop. For obvious reasons. It was probably a dumb idea to go in at that moment, especially considering already being emotional from Jasper that morning. We were on our way to a double date. But I couldn’t turn down the temptation.
As in most of the shops, a pleasant chime sounded as we walked in. I stopped short after a couple of steps, instantly transported twenty-five years into the past. The smell of flowers, that vast assortment making an aroma unmatched in any other setting, combined with the hum of refrigeration units and the nearly overwhelming splashes of color and texture from the virtual rainforest filling the space.
While not the first time I’d experienced the sensation walking into Lavender Petals, it was most definitely the strongest.
It was like she was there. If I just kept walking through the maze of flowers, I’d turn a corner and find her making an arrangement at the counter, Jasper just visible behind her through a doorway reading a book on a beanbag.
“Harrison!” The cheerful voice cut through my memory and brought me back to the moment before tears had a chance to form or Adrian noticed. Sapphire emerged from the flowers. She pulled me into a tight motherly hug, her short poufy gray-black hair feathering across my cheek. “It’s been too long, darling. We missed you when we ate with Jasper last week.”
At her embrace and her words, I didn’t even attempt to speak. I hugged her back, allowing myself a moment longer to let the past and present mingle and feel my mother’s arms borrow Sapphire’s to hold me.
She patted my cheek as she released me and then turned to Adrian. “And Mr. Rivera. Haven’t run into you for a while. How are you? I don’t get to see you very often, but Mabel fills me in on the gossip every so often when you deliver to her.”
Adrian gave her a hug, though it was much quicker than the one we’d shared. “Everything is great. Better than, actually.” He beamed over at me, his face so handsome and happy, glistening with a bit of pride, before he looked at Sapphire. “We’re actually on our way to go see your wife. We’re meeting Micah and Connor for dinner in a few minutes. We just thought we’d drop in and say hello.”
“Glad you did.” She looked at me, her dark eyes narrowing. “I’m surprised at you.” She patted my stomach. “There’s not much on Mabel’s menu that you allow yourself to eat, if I remember. Every time we cook for you, we always keep in mind your Hollywood diet.”
“Oh, I’m not an underwear model anymore. Time to enjoy life. You gotta have fried chicken and meatloaf every now and then.” I smiled at her.
Following Sapphire’s example, Adrian also reached out and patted my stomach, though his touch lingered a heartbeat longer. “Plus, he’s working it all off on the farm. Nothing to worry about.”
That wasn’t necessarily true. Though probably no one else would notice it, except for my publicist. Despite the hard work in the field, adjusting to Adrian’s diet had added some weight. It seemed we had different metabolisms, despite me being larger. “Mabel’s always told me I needed to break down and try her chicken, said it would change my life.”
That time Sapphire patted her own stomach, which wasn’t round by any means, but wasn’t waifish either. “I think that’s one of the things we’ve argued most about through our relationship. That woman could eat like she was at a church potluck every day of her life and not put on a pound. I’m not so lucky.” She smiled at me again. I thought I saw concern in her gaze. Probably my own imagination—residual from Jasper that morning. “It really is wonderful to see you boys. Glad you stopped in.”
Adrian motioned back toward the window. “Well, Harrison actually saw an arrangement I think he’s interested in.”
I shook my head, a weird sense of panic arriving out of the blue. “No. I was just admiring, and I wanted to stop in and see you. It’s been a while.”
Adrian shot me a look but didn’t contradict.
“That means the world, sweetheart.” She gave me another hug, this one just a touch longer, and again I thought I could feel her worry. If so, it didn’t show when she stepped back. “Well, you two have a great time with those Bryant boys. I’m sure Mabel will be happy having such a stunning group of men to flirt with.”
Adrian offered her one of his charming winks. “We’ll do our best not to steal her away.”
She gave an exaggerated shrug. “As long as you don’t convince her to quit making me coconut cream pie, everything else is fair game.”
Chuckling, we left the shop and walked to Mabel’s. Adrian paused at the door, casting an unusual look my way. “You okay? Something seems… off.”
Shit. Going into Lavender Petals had been a mistake. Whatever. I’d be able to shake it off by the time we ordered drinks. “Yeah. I’m great.” I snagged his hand again and opened the door, cutting the conversation short. “Now, let’s have this fried chicken everyone raves about.”
The concern left his face and he grinned as he walked through the door. “And meatloaf. We’re ordering both, so we can split. Going to do it right.”
I was going to be a billion pounds by the time dinner was over. I followed him inside and saw Connor and Micah waiting for us at a table by the window.
Eighteen
Adrian
Our relationship hadn’t started out easy. My suppressed attraction to Harrison while he was engaged to another man. Our kiss in the bathroom on his wedding day. Sex tape, the brief but intense public scrutiny. That hadn’t been easy. But it had been brief.
If I’d learned anything from Alex’s journals, it was that a relationship filled with fire and passion not only took you to the highest heights but dragged you to the very depths of the ocean. Life with Harrison was quite literally the stuff of dreams. And nearly as sudden. One day I’d been on my own, and the next, he was by my side, living life with me. Working together on the farm, sometimes at the Green Violin, cooking meals together in the evening, watching TV, making love, and him falling asleep at my side every night. There were no more dramas, no more glitches, and that wasn’t what studying Alex’s life had prepared me for.
There had been some costs. Though Harrison hadn’t offered details, it was clear his and Jasper’s relationship was tense. That was true with my parents as well. But that would pass. Though we’d yet to hang out with my parents, we’d shared several meals with Andre, Amelia, and Bethany. Not such a huge price to pay for the pleasure we’d found. Not enough of a price to make me think we’d get off scot-free.
But as July gave way to August, I was beginning to trust it, trust us. Maybe life really could be that easy. Did there always have to be two sides to a coin? Maybe Harrison and I had accidentally picked up one of those trick ones where both sides were heads. The lucky ones.
Every so often I’d think of Andre and Meghan. Their relationship had been like this. At least from the outside looking in. Always easy, always pleasant. Until it ended in heartbreak all too soon.
I hoped that wasn’t the other side of our coin. But that thought was rare. And only came at the darkest hours of the night while Harrison dreamed beside me, his breathing a soft and soothing presence.
We had a special goodbye breakfast for Moses that morning, sending him off to art school in Minneapolis. The entire Kelly and Bryant clans had been there. I wished they’d give my family lessons. There was no tension or hint of judgment as they welcomed us into their fold.
“I’m gonna miss that kid. He really grew on me these past several weeks.” Harrison proved we were on the same wavelength as we worked, and he wiped at his brow, his muscles flexing. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, al
ready clinging to him with sweat.
Harrison’s body had changed in the weeks since working on the farm. He was no less muscular, but they were different somehow. More like my own. I would never say anything because I knew how self-conscious he was about it, but his waist was a little thicker lately. I found him just as sexy. He was still in tip-top shape and ready to step in front of a camera to model underwear if he wanted. Well, except that he now sported a farmers’ tan. That probably wasn’t the look the underwear designers were going for.
Suddenly, I realized he was staring at me with lifted brows.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I was just saying I didn’t even know they had degrees in comic art.” He grinned, his white teeth flashing brighter behind the dark stubble he now wore. “You were a million miles away.”
“I wasn’t, actually.” I moved to him, careful to step over the row of squash between us, and laid my hand on his arm, marveling both at the thick ropes of muscle and how I still couldn’t seem to get enough of watching him, touching him. “I may not have been listening, per se, but I most definitely was not a million miles away. I was wholly and completely focused on this body.”
He chuckled softly, sounding pleased. “We can disappear to the glasshouse for a little bit again. That way I can focus on your body.”
Though I had no idea how it could possibly want more, considering the time it had spent buried in Harrison between breakfast and coming to the farm, my cock twitched at the suggestion. “I like that idea. Plus, now that the new field is ready to go, we can talk about what we should do with that thing. I still don’t know why you and Micah are so in love with it.”
“Really?” Harrison angled so our bodies lined up, and he gripped my hips, pulling me to him, letting me know he was having the exact same reaction as I was. “Considering we sneak off there every other day or so, I would think the place would’ve grown on you by now.”
“When you put it that way, I suppose it has.” I moved my hands down his back and over his ass, squeezing the firm globes beneath the denim. I changed my mind. Farmers’ tan or not, he was most definitely ready for an underwear shoot. “That still doesn’t explain why Micah likes it, but if that’s what you want to use it for, that’s all I need to know. We can set it up like a sex playhouse. A sling, some whips and chains, one of those sex bench thingies.”
He leaned back slightly, though our hips pressed together as he grinned. “Sex bench thingies?”
I shrugged. “I might’ve been a complete tramp before we met, but I wasn’t a dominatrix.” I ground into him. “As bossy as you are during sex, maybe that’s more your thing. I can put you in charge of ordering supplies.”
Harrison snorted out a laugh and shoved me away playfully. “Shut up.”
It wasn’t all that bad of an idea, now that I thought about it. I gestured with my head across the fields in the direction of the glasshouse. “Wanna?”
“Have I ever said no?”
He most definitely had not. “I’ll go get the truck.”
The lust in his eyes flickered just for a moment, losing out to his self-consciousness, then it was back. Though his limp was better, a specialist had confirmed that his fall at the wedding had done a little more permanent damage, but further surgery didn’t guarantee any improvement, could even make it worse. No matter how many times I’d told him I found his limp sexy and manly, he didn’t believe me. I’d keep telling him; luckily, it wasn’t a line. Somehow, with that picture-perfect body, it really did make him sexier.
“Once we get this field planted, we’re going to have to be a lot more careful about using this place. Especially if we set it up as a sex playhouse.” I stopped the truck and slid it into Park a few yards away.
Harrison seemed to consider. “Why don’t we just plant corn? It’s tall enough.”
“Spoken like the farmer you are.” I threw open my door. “Now, quit thinking about crops and get your ass out of the truck and into that shack so I can fuck it.”
“I thought you said I was the bossy one at sex.” Though he laughed, it was dark with lust and brought my erection back to life.
We were nearly to the door of the glasshouse when Harrison’s phone rang. He pulled it out to check it and then cursed before giving me an apologetic grimace. “Sorry. It’s Angela. It’s been a few weeks since she’s called. She’s been extremely patient with me. Do you mind?”
“Nah. Of course not. The extra time will just give me more opportunity to figure out what other bossy things I might want to suggest while we’re in there.”
“You do that.” He hit Accept, cutting off the ring and took a few steps away. “Hey, Angela.”
Giving him space, I pushed open the still-broken door and walked in, leaving it swinging open. Though we had taken to using the place every so often for sex, other than bringing a couple of blankets and leaving a bottle of lube and some condoms, we hadn’t done anything with the place yet. Harrison hadn’t suggested it, and I think I was too worried that if we changed it, something would shift with us. But with the field done and ready for crops, it was time. Besides, even if we fixed it up to either be decorative or as some productive part of the farm, it didn’t mean we couldn’t still use it whenever and however we wanted.
I leaned against the doorframe as I inspected the space. Replacing all the cracked and broken glass alone would be a small fortune. But though it needed to be cleared off, the times we’d been in there during thunderstorms showed that the roof was in good shape. No leaks. I hadn’t mentioned it to Harrison, or Micah, but I was trying to figure out if maybe I could make it a space for Harrison. Maybe grow flowers instead of produce. He hadn’t talked about her a ton, but the times he mentioned his mom, he always spoke about flowers, as well. So, maybe.
“I’m not trying to disappoint or take advantage of you.” Harrison’s voice rose, pulling my attention. He didn’t sound angry, just frustrated.
There was a pause as he listened, and I considered trying to get farther away so I wouldn’t hear. But that seemed silly, and rather pointless, considering all the cracked glass. It wasn’t like I could close the door and block out the sound.
“I am grateful for you, Angela. Believe me. You’re the best thing that ever happened to my career, but I told you, I’m not coming back. I don’t want to do a show. You’ve gotta quit waiting. You can take other clients. You don’t have to focus on me. You shouldn’t be waiting for me. I’ve settled into my new life. On a farm. Do you really think they’d go for a pitch about a gay guy on a farm?” A moment passed then a loud angry laugh burst from Harrison. “My God, Angela. I was kidding. Of course I’m not serious about a show on the farm. And we both know the network wouldn’t go for that.”
Another pause.
He started to pace, his form wavering as he moved in front of the old glass. “Then they’re insane. Nobody in America wants to watch me work on a farm. The thing would be canceled in its third week.”
There was another pause as Angela replied, and I didn’t need to hear her to know what she said. And though I didn’t want to do the show, I agreed with her. America would most definitely want to watch Harrison Getty on a farm. Or anywhere else. God knew I enjoyed it enough. If I wasn’t watching it in person, I’d have the TV on to that show and never switch the channel.
Harrison stopped pacing when he reached the door and bent so he rested his head on my shoulder for support as he kept the phone to his ear. “I really am sorry, Angela. I know I owe you everything.” Anger had left, and he just sounded guilty. “I’ll see if I can think of something. Maybe a special interview, just to give the public an update of what my life is like now, but that’s it. A one-hour special.”
Though I could hear her voice now, I still couldn’t make out the words.
He cut her off. “No. Absolutely not. I’m sorry. I just meant me. I would come into the studio or something like that. I’m not having camera crews on the farm. That is not something Adrian wants, and it’s not anyth
ing I want either. Think about it, okay? I can do a wrap-up thing whenever you want. But that’s it. And of course, if anybody wants a reference I—”
It sounded like she interrupted him that time, and he gave another long sigh.
“Sorry. I gotta go. Let me know if you change your mind.” He straightened. “Yeah. We’re good. Promise. Love you too.”
As he slipped the phone back into his pocket, he glanced at me, and any thoughts of sex vanished. It looked like the weight of the world had crashed down on him.
I threw my arms around him and pulled him close. “Come here.”
He allowed himself to be moved, and we stood in the doorway, our weight supported on the metal frame, my arms around Harrison. He rested his forehead on mine, closed his eyes, and slipped his thumbs in the belt loops of my jeans.
After a few minutes, he let out a shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”
I started to shake my head, but then realized it would disturb him. “You have no reason to be sorry to me.” I decided to push my luck. “Or to Angela, for that matter.”
“I don’t think that’s true, Adrian. You don’t know what it was like.” He lifted his forehead off mine. “I wouldn’t have survived that first sex tape scandal without her. Being outed that way…. I thought my career was over. I knew my relationship with my father was bad, but I thought I’d lost everything.” He let go of my belt loops and leaned against the other side of the doorframe and gripped my hand. “When she called the day after, to introduce herself, she laid out this whole plan. How to use that sex tape, how to use the coming out. Not only to save my football career but to shoot me to stardom. It’s because of her I got sponsors, modeling contracts. She made being outed the best thing for me, at least financially and career-wise. I don’t think I would’ve survived it, the shame of it, without her.”
The Glasshouse (Lavender Shores Book 6) Page 18