15. Chapter Fourteen #2
I’m glad he took the pictures. Even though that was illegal.
I’m grateful he cared enough to get me out of that toxic relationship.
Only now could I admit that Leroy hadn’t been treating me all that well.
And, because of my low self-esteem, I hadn’t thought to demand more.
Hell, I hadn’t demanded monogamy because I’d understood that to be a given.
More fool me.
“I said is that all the houses ? Are you okay?” Christian had parked us on the side of the road and was gazing at me.
“I’m sorry. ”
His brow furrowed. “For what? I’m happy to drive you around so you’ll know what the houses—”
“I’m sorry I got mad about you taking the photos.”
“Ah.” He nodded slowly. “Know that I didn’t want to. I honestly felt I had no other choice.”
“How did you know?” That point had been niggling at me for a while.
“One day you told me he was working, but I saw his car in the parking lot of your building. I swear I wasn’t snooping.
I’d gone out to buy ice cream treats for everyone in the office and on my way back, I spotted Leroy’s car.
” He rubbed his face. “I risked the ice cream melting, but I parked and went to your apartment. Remember you gave me the spare key?”
“You didn’t go in.” My chest seized.
“Nope. But I used the building key to get me to your place and then I knocked really loudly.”
“Oh.” This didn’t sound like the mild-mannered Christian I knew. “And?”
“He shouted to just leave the parcel.”
“What parcel?”
“That was my thought. I knocked again and said something about having left my phone at your place and needing it.”
“You’d never—”
“Yeah, but you think he’d know that? He always looked down on me.”
That stung…because I hadn’t realized.
“He opened the door in his jeans—unzipped—and said he didn’t have a clue, hadn’t seen it, now wasn’t a good time, and could I come back later? ”
“Oh.” I stared out the windshield. I had a vaguely uneasy feeling we might be watched. And that I was a Black man in a nice SUV. Having Christian at the wheel alleviated some of my concern—but not all of it. “Maybe we can head back?”
“Sure.” He started the SUV and pulled back onto the road.
“How’d you know he wasn’t alone?”
Christian wrinkled his nose. “He reeked of sex. I mean, I think he’d taken a bath in cum.”
I burst out laughing—totally inappropriate, but there it was. “I thought you’d said you’ve never had sex.”
“I haven’t.” He sniffed indignantly. “But even I know what cum smells like. He just…sweaty sex.”
“Sweaty sex can be good.”
“Not when you’re cheating on your clueless partner.” He made a left turn onto the main road that would take us back to Foggy Basin.
“ Clueless partner… ”
“Oh God, Noah, that sounds so bad.” He winced, all while keeping his eyes on the road.
“You’ve always been a straight shooter, Christian. You call it like it is. I should’ve trusted you. Should’ve listened to you.” Maybe trusted myself as well, but that time had come and gone.
“I tried to tell you that night, but you wouldn’t listen. I did quite a few ice cream runs over the next two weeks. When I saw him at home during the day again…I took a chance.”
“You climbed a tree and took photographs illegally.” I said the words dryly, but—now with more than three weeks of that knowledge under my belt—I wasn’t so upset.
More worried that he’d done something so risky just to show me what a creepoid Leroy was.
We did not agree to an open relationship, and I sure as shit hadn’t known he was fucking other men in our bed while I’d been at work.
“You could’ve gotten hurt. You could’ve gotten arrested. ”
“Sure. But you honestly think Leroy would have pressed charges? Had those photos admitted into evidence? I had an entire bird-watching story made up—but I never needed to use it.”
I sighed. “If not for that, we’d still be back there. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been, so I can’t say I regret what you did.”
Slowly, the corners of his mouth turned up. He really did have the most beautiful smile. “I’m glad to hear that. Truly.”
The next few miles passed in silence as we gazed over the farmers’ fields.
I could guess at crops, but I certainly couldn’t identify them in the blur as we sped by.
The abundance of healthy food wasn’t lost on me—Christian brought home my favorites from the grocery store all the time.
Employee discount . I wasn’t certain if that was a thing—I didn’t know his boss well enough—but I was the happy recipient.
And felt guilty at those who didn’t have enough to eat.
Who couldn’t afford the good stuff. “Do you think we should start our own garden?”
“Huh?” He chanced a quick glance my way before refocusing on the road. “What are you talking about?”
“There’s that raised flower bed in the back—the one that’s almost impossible for dogs to jump up on. What if we tried planting some fruits and vegetables?”
“I don’t see why not. Maybe figure out what’s there now? I can’t remember what’s in bloom. I mean, do we want to pull up pretty flowers to plant healthy food?”
“That’s a weird question.”
“Yes, but they’re not our flower beds to pull up.”
I snapped my fingers. “Right. Fair point. ”
“But we can see if there’s another patch of earth where we can plant. We’d have to put up a good fence—not just to keep the dogs out, but the rabbits as well.”
“We don’t have rabbits.”
“Nope. Well, not domesticated ones. I spotted a pair near the back of the property line the other day when I was walking Stormy and the pups. Stormy didn’t react, but your two barked their little heads off. I have to say, the rabbits didn’t look all that intimidated.”
“Probably because they can outrun our little demons.” If I make him take ownership too, then it won’t be as easy to leave me…right?
Manipulative as hell, but I was getting desperate. “Watch your speed—don’t want to get a ticket from Sheriff West.”
“That’s true.” He eased off the gas a little. “I can run the dogs out. What are your plans for this evening?”
“Well…” An idea popped into my head that wouldn’t be suppressed. “I’ll surprise you.”
He grinned. “Sure. I can’t wait.”