Bradley Kim is just trying to make the time without his boyfriend Lance go by faster when he takes on an additional article for his small town newspaper. But the moment he meets Shay Wilton, amateur beekeeper, it's definitely not the honey that catches his eye.<br><br>Bradley is lonely, and Shay is everything Lance is not -- passionate, fun, and kind -- and soon Bradley's interview becomes something more intimate as Shay gives him a hands-on experience with the honey extraction.<br><br>Turning down Shay's advances shouldn't be so difficult, but Bradley won't let temptation lead him to cheating. Too bad Lance doesn't have similar scruples, and after a fiery revelation, Bradley finds himself suddenly single, with nothing standing between him and a certain beekeeper who might just be sweeter than honey.

Sweeter Than Honey

“You don’t have to do that,” said Lance. “I’m not a kid. I can get myself home.”


“It’s not about that,” said Bradley.


But Lance’s voice grew firmer. “Don’t bother. It’s a lot of time out of your day. I have to go now—being told I’m late again.”


“Love you,” said Bradley, but he didn’t know if it got through. The call had ended.


He pulled his phone from his ear, pocketed it, and stared at the river for a time. Lance had never been an overly affectionate person, but his calls had gotten increasingly short over the days; his temper, too. Bradley knew him to get this way when he was stressed—and he imagined this trip was stressful—but it wore on him. Usually even when he was grumpy Lance would go out with him, have sex, eat a meal with Bradley. There was no opportunity for him to do that while overseas, which was probably where the heightened tension was coming from. Still, it ruined Bradley’s mood. Even the sounds of people enjoying the farmers’ market didn’t seem to touch him.


Chapter 8