Flowers for the Gardener

by Sharon Maria Bidwell

  Gaze wandering over the landscape, Rich chewed on his lower lip. Who was he kidding? True, he chose to escape the house for a much-needed break, but as he wandered the paths, he hoped for a glimpse of brown hair. Ethan must be around somewhere.

  Would it always be like this? Rich doomed to step out in the garden, plagued with immediate thoughts of the gardener?

  Speaking of…he caught a flash of denim and picked up his pace.

  Not until he took a few steps did he register a change in his emotions. Lips curled into…not a smile, but the beginnings of one. His step developed a bounce. The weight he carried inside him these days lessened. The experience came as close to happiness as he remembered feeling for some time, even before his father’s death. This was as light-hearted as he’d felt in months.

  He came up behind the gardener while the other man crouched, harvesting what appeared to be greens and tossing them into a crate.

  “Are those…?” Rich nodded to the vegetables in the wooden box.

  “Cabbage. Winter variety.” Ethan cut another free. He focused on his work until he put one of the plants in the container and, after what struck Rich as some kind of poignant hesitation, Ethan gave him a look bordering on suspicion. Gaze flicking up and away, one side of his face twitching, Ethan’s whole expression appeared guarded. “Not a great crop. Your mother doesn’t let us devote much time to the vegetable plot.”

  A long-standing grievance underlined Ethan’s words and made Rich take a proper look around. For the acreage, the vegetable section was rather pitiful.

  “She ain’t interested in this part of the garden,” Ethan added, sounding sorrowful and apologetic as if what Rich’s mother liked or disliked were his fault.

  “We may as well be truthful. She doesn’t care for any of it.” He stopped short of adding, for his mother, the amount of land they owned presented a status symbol. Ruby wanted the grounds because the upkeep required staff, which reflected a certain social standing. The one benefit came in providing work for others and paying them a decent salary. “I dug out your father’s plans. They’re good. I’m sorry she refused.”

  “My father’s…what?” Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

  “The…diagrams.” Rich blinked. “You didn’t know?”

  “No. What plans?”

  “Oh…” Should he lie? Would Ethan be annoyed with Rich’s mother? If it were the case, why should Rich keep protecting her when she so often neglected to stand by him or Sapphire? “He gave her some layouts to reorganise the paths and a few other things to make the garden more interesting.” Rich bit back the temptation to say the design would make maintenance easier and be a direct help to Ethan and his father to attend to the property. Neither was it the right time to say none of it might matter. “I can try to make her reconsider.”

  “Don’t bother.” The words came out clipped, tone soft, but Ethan made fists with his hands, and his lips thinned. “Really. Don’t.”

  With his good mood deflating, Rich gestured behind him back along the path. Better to change the subject than to say sorry when the apology would so clearly be unwelcome. “I saw the shrub with the pink buds. What is it? Do you know?”

  Frown still in place, but muscles in his face jumping, Ethan asked, “Near the bend?”

  “Yes. That’s the one.”

  “Evergreen Viburnum. Variety is Gwenllian. Over winter it’ll develop blue-black berries. Sometimes it has buds, flowers, and berries all at once. Grows to about three metres. Did you come out for a gardening lesson?”

  “N-No.”

  A vein appeared to bulge at the side of Ethan’s temple and no way could Rich mistake the irritability in his tone. So much for changing the topic. What did he say wrong this time? Though…maybe Ethan took the abrupt swap as a dismissal of his father’s work, but Ethan had said to forget it. The man’s mood could not be more different from when they parted the other day. If Rich hadn’t remembered the time, Ethan might have kissed him forever. The gardener’s habit of blowing hot and cold added to Rich’s woes…far from easing them as he hoped.

  Well…he wanted an excellent reason for resisting the man’s advances and he couldn’t ask for better. So why the disappointment?

  Self-doubt reared but the way Ethan glared allowed little time for self-examination. Should he ask what was wrong?

  “Why—” The question broke off as fast as it had begun, Rich distracted by the sight of a younger man walking along an adjacent footpath, carrying several gardening implements. The stranger didn’t take his gaze from the trail and didn’t as much as glance in their direction, but Rich experienced a strange sense of the world around him both narrowing and elongating. What if the young man overheard? Had he said anything to hint at what happened between them the other day?

  Cabbages. The name of a shrub. Garden plans. Nothing about sex or emotions. He was safe. “Who’s that?” He nodded to the newcomer.

  “Dan, the part-time gardener.”

  “Part…?”

  Something resembling impatience made Ethan snap. “There’s a lot of work, so what’s so surprising?”

  “Yes. Yes.” Of course but his mother seldom hired additional staff, part-time or otherwise. So like the woman not to keep him informed, though true, he should check the current list of employees who visited the estate, but Ethan didn’t need to be so antagonistic.

  “I shouldn’t waste time talking to you.” Gaze set into the distance, Ethan pulled gloves from his back pocket and slipped them on. “Will that be all?”

  “All?” What happened here?

  Brown eyes stared at him. “Are we finished with business?” Every word to fall from Ethan’s mouth made Rich prickle with the need to apologise, but he’d sooner be damned.

  Ethan’s gaze narrowed. “Besides, talking isn’t what you want.” Those full lips twitched into a lopsided smirk. “I didn’t take a lunch break. Guess I can spare a few minutes. Unless you’re scared of someone seeing.”

  “Seeing?”

  “You. Going up to the staff house.” Ethan stared in the direction the young man walked. Playing mind reader again? Did Ethan sense Rich’s pathetic fear of being overheard, of discovery?

  A sense of shame rose up. Rich glared at the ground, eyes gritty, stomach hardening. If he spoke, he feared his voice might crack.

  “No one in there. We’d have the place to ourselves.”

  Bad idea. Enticing. Not that sex stood out foremost in his mind. Still…with such a clear offer…how to refuse?

  “I’ll go up first. You’ll be able to come through the front door and, if we’re fast, leave the same way, too.” A wink backed up the suggestion and, with a last look over, Ethan set off, not waiting for an answer.

  Several seconds passed while Rich watched Ethan saunter off down the path, removing the gloves so recently donned as he went, before, with a glance around, Rich tucked his hands into his pockets. Head down, he followed at a sedate distance.

  Chapter 9

  Cold air permeated the house during the time the door stood wide, awaiting Richard’s arrival. So much for thinking Richard better be on his heels, and not because of the utility bills, though the heating kicked in. Horny as hell, Ethan paced, his bad mood fuelling his desire.

  Bitch! Rejecting his father’s input without proper consideration. What else should he expect from a woman who didn’t care about growing things? So many years of service and she treated them like they were beggars, and even some of those deserved better treatment than the scraps the likes of Ruby Gardener would deem to throw at them. Fucking bitch!

  Ethan moved to kick the furniture, muscles bunched, teeth gritted, arms folded hugging himself and not because of the chill creeping in. What was he doing screwing around with a member of the Gardener household? Richard, though…he wasn’t the same as his mother. The man spoke of being trapped, of loathing his life, and he suggested another attempt to push the plans through.

  As much as there wasn’t any point, the temptation pecked at every tender s
pot inside him. Might be worth it for the look on her face to have his father’s proposal put into practice.

  Or did Richard just talk? Saying what he believed Ethan wanted to hear?

  Didn’t matter.

  Resisting the urge to glance at the door, Ethan marched to his room, pausing to tug off his work boots. Richard better be on his way.

  As he stripped, Ethan grew more agitated, discarding garments as though they abraded him. At last, the sound he longed for—the front door closing, its familiar decisive click echoing through the living room with suggestive promise. Better be Richard or else someone was about to receive an eyeful.

  He met Richard by the door, dragged the man inside. Kicked the door shut. The first of his kisses landed on purpose to one side of Richard’s mouth, pressing hard. A small shiver and shake went through the other man, but he offered no resistance to Ethan’s tugging at his jacket’s zip. As soon as the garment opened, Ethan used it to roll down over the man’s shoulders, pinning his upper arms. He thrust one leg between Richard’s and rubbed his naked thigh against an undeniable erection straining to break free from the man’s trousers. Ethan planted his mouth on Richard’s neck, sucked and bit.

  A little too hard. Richard flinched, but instead of pushing him off as Ethan expected, Richard moaned, head going back, and body jerking. Ethan pulled on his skin, and rolled his hips, in some manner staking a claim, before he managed enough self-will to pull back.

  “Bed.”

  For a few seconds he didn’t think Richard would obey, but as the man blinked, swayed, and found his feet, pushing away from the wall, he appeared to rise out of a daze. Fumbled attempts to shuck several items of clothing at once might have been amusing if Ethan didn’t fight his own frustration. At last Richard reached the bed, but with nothing more than his jacket and one boot gone, and his shirt half undone.

  Clean boots. Despite the lust riding him, the sight earned a roll of Ethan’s eyes. Another reminder of the two, he was the one who toiled for a living.

  Not the time for such introspection. Not with Richard’s skin flushed, his eyes shining, sneaking glimpses of Ethan’s body. Open lust filled Richard’s gaze, and stirred his uncoordinated movements, made the man act intoxicated. If Ethan’s ego required a boost, he’d have gladly spent time feeling flattered. A modicum of pity existed in his heart somewhere for he helped, jerking Richard toward him and pitching the man down on the bed where he bounced on the mattress.

  The second boot bonked against the floor as it fell off, but Ethan focused on the shirt, yanking it out of Richard’s trousers, and shoving it up to the man’s neck. He attacked Richard’s bare chest, Richard shuddering as Ethan flicked the two hard and raised nubs ripe for licking.

  Once again, they hurried, desire taking control. Richard, on the bed, expression slack and gaze clouded, made Ethan long to take his time. Shame his body clung to other ideas, made his hands shake as he fought to concentrate on ridding Richard of the rest of his clothing. At least Richard responded, raising his hips, and fumbling with clothes Ethan hadn’t yet reached. Ethan swore his hands shook almost as much as Richard’s by the time they got the shirt over Richard’s head, and peeled his trousers down to his ankles. Underpants came down with them, but he tried his best not to look until he tugged off those along with Richard’s socks. One glance and he might erupt. Memory might make him come anyway, so he wasted no time, moving up the bed, covering Richard’s body with his, one hand catching two over-heated cocks and pumping both.

  A sharp gasp came from Richard as he bucked and arched, hips rolling, to break free of Ethan’s grasp or thrust into the grip, didn’t matter which. Richard, beautiful in his passion, lost, blind, mindless. Too easy to tell when Richard was preoccupied, too busy thinking, unwanted thoughts riding him harder than Ethan did so far. If he were able to stop his boss from…hell…From contemplating everything wrong with the world, for all Ethan knew then he would do so. The troubled expression appealed, though, made Richard appear boyish and vulnerable, but wore thin when real anxiety set in. Maybe Richard came to Ethan for a similar reason—to lose his concerns in sensation. Hard to decide whether to be pleased or worried if true. The idea of coming together to seek escape caused him pain. Would be better if Richard wanted him, but in what reality was it likely to happen?

  Ethan’s mind raced, his sardonic self overtaking lingering lust. Ironic his thoughts betrayed him when moments before he wanted to end Richard’s brooding. Ethan envied Richard’s ability to slip away into sex, longed to join him on whatever heavenly plateau the man transcended.

  Spoilt little rich boy running out of the big house for some fun with the gardener. As cynical as Ethan was at times, he longed to laugh. He didn’t have enough energy to do so, speeding to the verge, aided by rock hard flesh sliding like silk along an equally solid length. Softer skin brushed beneath, testicles bunching in a far gentler caress. The boss appeared content to lie back and to have Ethan edge them both to climax. Not what Ethan wanted. Time to change tactics.

  Took the work of a moment to slide down the bed, to bury his nose in Richard Gardener’s crotch where he inhaled warmth and musk, and the scent of arousal. Without losing a beat, he sucked in a heavy testicle, savouring every sensation, every taste—the rough texture of hair on his tongue, the barely-there flavour of heated skin. A quick search for the smooth spot, brought a flat, frictionless, lustrous zone to his mouth. The focused attention made Richard jerk so, although Ethan in no way hurt Richard, out of mercy he moved on, paying the second testicle as much concentration as the first.

  Though Ethan enjoyed this, a little reciprocation wouldn’t go amiss. Ethan shifted position, directed one of Richard’s hands to his dick. Took a short pause but awareness broke through the haze, fingers curling, tightening, bringing Ethan’s need tortuously alive. Instead of the anticipated hard, fast pump, Richard performed a long, slow stroke, striking Ethan a physical and emotional blow.

  Like he cares.

  No.

  Accident. Coincidence. Must be. No way did Richard know he affected Ethan in any imperceptible way.

  Intentional or not, the action made Ethan tremble. Made him cling to the aberrant idea every action from Richard was a mere attempt to obtain a reciprocal reaction. No other reason explained why Richard Gardener handled him with such tenderness.

  Best not to worry. Ethan chose to lose himself in sex, in a no better and more mindless an activity than sucking cock. Should Ethan ask Richard if he were clean? The wealthy bloke would no doubt take the question as an insult. Cursing the need to use condoms, Ethan erred on the side of common sense. Too risky to assume, though easy to imagine Richard having sex wrapped head to toe in cling film.

  The decision not to ask went through his mind, resulting in his keeping quiet, stretching for and fumbling about on the top of the chest of drawers. For the first time he thanked the universe for the lack of space in the room, which meant the piece of furniture stood close by. To grab what he needed took less than thirty-seconds. Another thirty saw Richard gloved-up.

  Horrible taste, but fuck, how good to let go, to give himself over to a purely sexual act, to fight for air, to concentrate on bobbing his head and making Richard Gardener moan, groan, and writhe under him. Superb.

  Muscles bunched and tensed. The grip on Ethan’s dick intensified, giving him a tight hold in which to thrust as he gulped around a hard length. Beneath him the other man shook, quivering. For Ethan, everything tightened, the rhythm he set allowing no breathing space.

  Thank goodness the windows and doors were shut and no one else was home in the house, for Richard came with a thunderous shout. Mouth filling with warmth through the expanding condom might be about the most disgusting and erotic thing Ethan ever experienced. The roll of his hips overcame him, the action involuntary.

  No doubt without meaning to, Richard squeezed, and the pleasure-pain shot through Ethan’s sex, took him to the precipice. He had enough time to pull back for fear he might bite the other man, be
fore his world shattered, cracked, and flashed white with his climax.

  * * * *

  Are you ever gonna shift?” Though Ethan didn’t mean to make the question sound accusing it came out that way. Hard to believe he needed to get back to work, but the young bloke, Dan, must be searching for him.

  Nah. Dan would slow down if Ethan didn’t keep him in check, maybe causing more work when the point to his being here was to make the job easier. Funny. He struggled to care. The strange, thick, and horrid flavour in his mouth was the real and urgent reason to move. He could murder a drink.

  “I s-sh-should, I s-suppose.”

  Well, if Richard didn’t sound drunk…A smile was all Ethan managed, inebriated from sexual satisfaction and general well-being and contentment, as he lay with his head on Richard’s thigh. The man’s spent cock laid limpid and no less enticing, inches away from his mouth.

  Still, this struck him as too like afterglow. Too intimate when he and Richard’s friendship should be about sex. Jabbed by sudden unease, Ethan concentrated on trying to move. Besides, he still needed a drink. Odd his limbs fought his every attempt.

  He was forgetting something. Oh yeah. The condom. He wrapped it in tissue and let fly into the waste bin. Check. Next he should wipe away any splashes of semen on the bedcovers. More tissues followed the first into the bin as he wiped off his dick and a wet patch on the sheet. Done with all that, he stumbled to his feet. Richard’s eyes were closed, Ethan oddly glad no one witnessed his clumsy attempts to ease his way back to normal.

  He snagged Richard’s garments and tossed them over. “Dress.” Gratitude swept in when the man obeyed without argument, despite groaning. One word of protest and Ethan quite possibly would be unable to resist crawling back into bed. He longed to pull the covers over them both and go to sleep. Too risky and too painful a temptation to experience the intimacy of sleeping next to his boss.