A warm-hearted rich man's son, Richard Gardener needs to overcome three obstacles: find a way the family business can run without him, help his mother cope with grief, and stop butting heads -- and other parts of his anatomy -- with the gardener.<br><br>Ethan Fields has worked for the Gardener family for many years. He’s struggling with debt and the desire to leave, and has loved Richard far longer than the man would believe. Ethan can cope with most things, but his anger with Richard’s mother won’t fade. Until that and his feelings for Richard are resolved, he feels trapped and, alas, the idea that sex will get Richard out of his system isn’t working.<br><br>To make the situation worse, both men assume too much and don’t say the right words, and Ethan’s offer of ‘just sex’ grows more complicated by the day. Can Richard and Ethan stop getting their wires crossed before their paths diverge?

Flowers for the Gardener

Ethan hesitated before shaking his head. Belatedly, he remembered he drove here, already a little over the limit. Self-reproach now toyed with him. “Bring coffee and another with the dessert menu when I finish it.”


He needed to sober up, walk around for a couple of hours, and drink coffee and water. No way could he cope with the loss of his driving licence and, worse, he would never forgive himself if he caused an accident.


An image of Ruby Gardener rose up. Her lips pinched, and her stare disapproving. Old cow. He was young, free, single, off work, and away from the premises. The old bat didn’t have a say in what he did on the weekends even if he and his folks had, for so long, lived in the staff house. Grown up in it. In the servant’s quarters.


Shit. No wonder Rich regarded him like his body was up for sale, took it as another part of his labour. Ethan toiled with his hands and put his back into it so why not his mouth, cock, and arse, too?


Chapter 35