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

“I made a boy give me one. Told him if he didn’t I’d squeeze his testicles, and not in a nice way.”


To his surprise, she flushed a little as she picked at a stray strand of cotton hanging from a button lowdown. He opened his mouth to say, “Don’t pull,” too late. The button came away and Sapphire aimed it at the wastepaper basket. She got the bull’s eye from the other side of the room. The fastening would vanish, Saffie would either ditch the shirt, or wear it until too many buttons came off, or Rosie noticed and put on all new ones without being asked. For once, Sapphire annoyed him.


“I feel kind of bad for threatening the poor boy. I was younger then.”


Unable to recall ever seeing her with a love bite, Rich wanted to ask her when and how young. A teen mostlikely. Her most rebellious years. Sapphire’s insurrection made his acts of defiance akin to faking a tummy ache.


Chapter 37