Ro cocked his head to the side, like he was consulting his internal calendar. “I just came to drop off some seedlings today for your garden and I have to get back. But you can visit the demonstration garden any time, even if I’m not there. And I know that the Chief wants to meet you so maybe…”
“Ooh! Please!” The more Declan got to know Ro, the more he was convinced he just needed a little nudge. “Invite him over for dinner for me. It could be like a double date.”
Ro rolled his eyes. Instead of the regret that used to show in his face, now he was just exasperated with Declan. Maybe he was getting used to the idea. “I don’t think so. But I’ll bring him over. Come help me with these boxes.”
They got the other two boxes of seedlings unloaded, and Ro had tucked in a couple boxes of blueberries, too.
Declan munched on a couple while Ro pointed out each of the plants. “It’s too late in the season to plant anything except greens and brassicas. But you’ve got kale, spinach, chard, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi here. Here are some peas and beans,” he indicated some plastic bags with tiny green balls, “which are better off if you just start them in the soil.”
“Oh, amazing.” Declan’s new plan for Day 6 was going to be getting these into the dirt.
They wandered back around the side of the truck, when Ro’s eyes traveled up and down Declan’s body, taking in his teeny tiny shorts, and then reading his t-shirt. It was one of Declan’s favorites: “I didn’t choose to be gay. I just got lucky.”
He seemed to read it twice, looked down, and then read it again. “I like your shirt,” he finally managed. “And your skin’s all glowy. Your shorts are very… small, though.”
“I know...” Declan made it an innuendo. The shorts didn’t hide anything about what he’d just been up to. “Geir can’t keep his eyes off me.”
“Really? He likes that?” Ro seemed surprised by things like this every time.
“Yeah, I mean, look at me.” He giggled, then raised his shirt. He was positively covered with small round marks and scrapes.
The larger man’s eyes grew round. “Wow.” He looked impressed and maybe a tad jealous. “Did that hurt?”
Declan winked. “Only in the best way.” He was proud of his marks and thought it would be healthy for Ro to realize it, too.
Ro reached out a hand and gently touched one particularly impressive bruise across Declan’s ribs. “So, you really liked it? Like, it feels good?”
Declan pretended to swoon. “God, it was so hot. It feels amazing.”
He ran his own hands down his ribs, shivering at the memory. Maybe if he gave Ro a little inspiration he’d go home and get things figured out with Tier.
Declan linked his arm through Ro’s, which was a little awkward with the height difference, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him. Ro could easily give Geir a run for his money in the height category, which just made his burgeoning submissive tendencies more adorable.
If Tier didn’t think Ro was hot, he was really missing out.
Declan led Ro to the porch and settled onto the bench. “Let me tell you all about it. Then you have to tell me what you made for Tier today and what he said.”
They chatted until Ro really, really had to leave, with a few parting words about the seedlings.
Declan skipped off to find Geir.
Chapter 22
Geir
Geir watched Declan’s pert little ass as he raced up the hill and disappeared into the trees. He had no idea why Declan felt the need to race up the hill to see someone who would likely be there all afternoon, but there were a lot of things he didn’t understand about Declan.
The first one was why he’d gotten so tense when Geir asked him about his art. He was always going on about his plans and what he wanted to do, but now he seemed hesitant and stressed whenever the subject came up. Geir couldn’t figure out whether he wanted to sell his art or not.
Personally, he didn’t care either way. If Declan made money from it or just filled the cabin with endless canvasses, it was all the same to him. He just wanted Declan to be happy.
Or maybe this was one of those things where he was supposed to take charge? Declan had been very clear about what their roles were supposed to be in the bedroom—or in the lake and over the kitchen table and on sunny rocks, as it were. But was he supposed to be stepping in more with other decisions?
Sometimes Geir didn’t even know the right words to ask.
The only thing that he knew Declan wanted was to go into the city. He missed restaurants and bars and dancing.
Geir wanted to give all of that to him, but to be honest, he was a little scared. What if Declan saw all that the city had to offer and didn’t want to come back home with him? What if, even worse, he decided to return to New York?
He knew that he couldn’t offer Declan the flashy, fast-paced life he’d had before, and he’d been worrying more with each passing week that he wouldn’t be enough for him. Declan was energy and joy and sunlight, and Geir… he felt his age pressing down on him like the pressure of the abyss. What did his isolated cabin and slow-moving brain have to offer such an adventurous soul?
Geir knew they’d eventually end up going to the city, but he wanted Declan to get settled in just a little bit more. He wanted Declan to love the land by the lake just as much as he did.
He slowly strode up the hill, following the murmur of voices.
He stopped short when he caught sight of them. Declan was lifting up his shirt and swaying his hips seductively. Ro was ogling him with shy but devouring eyes.
Declan giggled, the pitch of it ringing out even though his words didn’t carry, and the gigantic shifter tucked his head into his shoulder in pleased embarrassment.
Then Declan looped their arms together and pulled him down behind the truck.
Geir just stood there, stunned. His whole body was poised to strike, just on the edge of a shift. He wanted to bash through the truck, tear them apart, and destroy the man who’d touched his mate.
But he held himself back. Because Ro hadn’t just touched Declan. Declan had touched Ro back.
Declan had raised his shirt and swayed his hips. Declan had led him behind the truck, to do whatever they were doing where Geir couldn’t see.
Geir knew exactly how impulsive and seductive Declan could be.
He could imagine them together, Declan climbing Ro’s heavy frame and tossing off clothes behind him. Despite those skin-tight clothes, he could be naked in seconds.
Declan’s promises to Geir clearly hadn’t meant what he thought they did. Maybe it had all just been pretty words, said in the heat of the moment.
Declan had told Geir that he wanted a Daddy, but apparently that was just a sex thing. Maybe Rohahen was better at it.
Declan had even told him during that first week that they were just pretending to have a relationship. He just hadn’t listened.
His brain told him that he should go and talk about it. See if there was an explanation.
But his body told him to move. To escape and evade until he could come back stronger.
Geir turned back the way he’d come, walking, and then running, until he reached the lake. He threw off his clothes, jumped from the dock, and shifted before he even hit the water.