Chapter 18
Tex
I lifted a thirty-pound bag of potting soil. Before me, three trays awaited seedling transplants.
“I’m heading out,” Helena called.
I lowered the bag of soil with a grunt. “What about the overnight packaging jobs?”
“You’re the employee of the month. You figure it out.”
She gave me a jaunty little wave and left out the back entrance.
I sighed. Apparently, she hadn’t loved Ken’s speech about how much she could learn from me.
I couldn’t really blame her. This was only my third shift.
Still, it wasn’t like she was trying to impress Ken.
She’d put more effort into flirting with me.
When that didn’t go anywhere, she’d lost interest in talking to me at all.
Which was fine by me. I’d rather keep my head down and get my work done, anyway.
The night went by pretty quickly. I finished potting the seedlings and packaged the produce orders for shipment. Just as I was wrapping up for the night, my phone rang.
To my surprise, it was Dad. I hadn’t heard from him since our argument in Riverton.
Concern flashed through me. It was awfully late for a chat.
“Hey, Dad. Is everything okay?”
“No, dammit.” His words slurred, telling me he’d been drinking. The noise of the bar in the background confirmed my suspicion. “Jus’ heard you’re stabbin’ me in the back a’gin.”
“What? No, I’m—”
“A greenhouse, Jed? Really? You sure know how to shove it to your ol’ man.”
“It was the job Redemption Road found for me, and I’m good at it. I’ve always liked growing things.”
That was the wrong choice of words. Dad broke into a caustic laugh.
“You sure have. You grew yourself right into prison. Are you doing that shit again?”
“No! You know why I did that. I was trying to create another revenue stream for our business.”
Dad laughed some more. “Rev’nue stream. Tha’s good!”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. I didn’t want to retread old ground.
“Did you need something, Dad, or did you just call to bust my balls?”
“Bustin’ your balls is fun!” He guffawed. “But no. I called ’cause you can do me a favor.”
Uh-oh. That never boded well.
I checked the control gauges by the door, turned out the lights, and punched in the security code. When I stepped outside, the brisk air was disorienting after the humid, controlled climate of the greenhouse. A single security light shone over my pickup in the parking lot. I started toward it.
“What’s the favor?”
“You must get an employee discount over there, right? I need the friends and family rate.”
“I don’t know if I do. It didn’t come up in the job interview.”
“Well, you oughta! Ask that boss of yours. I’ve got some big jobs, and I could use a cost break. I’m not a big enough operation to get bulk discounts. I can’t afford to expand without a business partner.”
I opened my truck door and climbed in, a heavy weight in my chest. “How bad is it, Dad?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is the business struggling? Chasity said you were still picking up landscaping jobs.”
This was the same pattern our greenhouse had taken. It wasn’t profitable enough, but Dad kept pushing on, anyway. He’d put on the front that everything was great, made promises to customers he couldn’t deliver, and then took shortcuts trying to save face.
“Naw, business is great! Business is so great that the only problem is I have too much business for one man. You should be here, Jed, but you’re not.”
Hollywood and Ruby were asleep at home, waiting for me. I’d promised to stay.
“I can’t be there. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, you’re always fucking sorry. Just get me the discount. It’s the least fucking thing you can do.”
Click.
He’d ended the call.
I let out a breath. I’d try to get Dad the discount. I owed him that much. I couldn’t offer anything else, though. Not without going back on my word to Hollywood.
My stomach turned over at the thought. No. I couldn’t do that. Maybe that made me a bad son, too. Maybe I should put Dad’s happiness first. Maybe I really did ruin everything…
By the time I got home, I was a bundle of tension. I vibrated with it, my skin too tight to hold in the storm inside.
I couldn’t take that to bed with Hollywood. I’d only wake him. So I got a beer from the fridge and drained it. I was on my third when Hollywood came out of the bedroom in only a pair of boxer briefs, sleepy-eyed but alert. “Hey, you okay?”
I turned to answer, but my throat closed up. His forehead creased with concern, and he hurried across the room.
He wrapped his arms around me.
“Don’t,” I croaked.
I didn’t want to give in to the spiral Dad’s call was trying to unleash.
The memory of every time I’d disappointed him.
The night I’d fumbled the ball and lost the playoffs as a sophomore in high school.
The hospital stay after I’d torn my ACL doing stupid shit and lost my scholarship.
The day I was arrested and he didn’t even look surprised.
He only shook his head and told me I really could never stop fucking up.
“What’s wrong?” Hollywood asked, his voice gentle. “Is it—”
I slammed down my beer and kissed him. I couldn’t answer his questions. I’d just go to a dark place, and I didn’t want to take him there with me.
Holly didn’t question my rough kiss, just opened his mouth to my tongue. I pushed in, needing to take charge of him, needing control. I tangled my fingers in his hair and walked him back toward the bedroom.
“I want to fuck you,” I rasped into his ear. “Can I do that? Can I have your ass?”
He shivered. “Yeah.”
“Are you sure?” I bit at his lips. “I can’t be gentle right now.”
He pushed me back to look into my eyes. “I don’t know what’s got you worked up tonight, but it’s okay. I don’t need gentle, Tex. I just need you.”
Gratitude crashed through me. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Sure you do,” he said teasingly. “Especially since I want you, too.”
We made it to the bedroom and stumbled in. I shoved his underwear over his hips, and he shimmied to make them fall while unfastening my jeans. I kicked off my shoes and jeans while Holly unbuttoned my shirt, fumbling and muttering under his breath.
“Fuck it.” He yanked both sides of my shirt apart, sending buttons flying.
I laughed. “Someone’s eager.”
“Aren’t you?” he asked, a challenging look in his eye.
“Fuck yeah.” I pushed him down onto the bed, my shirt still clinging to my shoulders.
“Hurry,” he said.
“Want this?” I jerked down my underwear to bare my thick, aching cock.
Hollywood licked his lips, looking wrecked before I’d even gotten started. “I want it bad, Tex. You have no idea.”
I finished stripping and climbed into the bed, lowering myself over him, our skin hot as it pressed together. Hollywood sighed, eyes closing, his long eyelashes soft against his angular cheeks. His beauty made my breath catch.
After spending every day with him, I almost didn’t notice what a striking man he was. Almost. His hair was thick and silky, his cheekbones sharp but masculine. But it was his full, lush lips that did me in. No man should have such a tempting mouth.
I claimed his lips, savoring the feel of them beneath mine as our cocks slid between our bodies. Pleasure sparked as Hollywood writhed under me, hips bucking up, cock kissing mine. It was almost enough, but I needed more.
Ugly, rotting roots filled me. They needed to be cut out. I didn’t know how to do that, so I’d bury myself in the sweetness of Holly instead.
“I want to be inside you,” I muttered, sliding my hand under this thigh to trace his crack. He gasped and let his legs fall open. I brushed my thumb over the furled entrance of his core, and it twitched in response. God. Blood rushed south, making me even harder and more lightheaded.
My fingers trembled. “Can you get yourself ready? I don’t trust myself not to hurt you.”
Hollywood sat up and took my trembling hand in his. “Hey, are you sure you’re ready for this? We don’t have to do it.”
“I’m ready. Don’t I look fucking ready?” I wrapped a hand around my aching cock and stroked from root to tip.
Hollywood’s eyes darkened as he watched. “Okay.” He twisted to open his bedside table and withdraw lube and a condom. He tossed the rubber toward me and opened the lube to slick his fingers.
“We can go bare after we get tested if you want.”
I nodded wordlessly. The thought of sliding into him without any barriers was hot. If I hadn’t run off three months ago, we could have that right now. Just one more way I’d fucked things up.
Holly reached between his legs, his expression tightening for a moment as he penetrated himself.
I pushed his legs apart and up, suddenly needing to see.
His fingers, shiny with lube, pushed inside, stretching his rim.
He slid them out, then back in, then stretched them apart a little.
I grasped each cheek, spreading them so I could see every detail.
“God,” he muttered. “You don’t have to look so closely.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I challenged. “It’s hot.”
He added a third finger, giving himself a few thrusts, then slowly added a fourth finger.
“Damn. Four?”
“Well, you said you didn’t want to be gentle,” he said. “This way, you can slam right into me.”
My pulse jumped in my cock. I liked that idea. Hollywood really was the best.
He worked four fingers into his ass, straining and wincing. I almost told him to stop. But gradually his expression eased, cock firming back up. When he bore down with a wanton moan, I rolled on the condom.
“Okay, my turn.”
He slid his fingers out, tossed me the lube, and I slicked up. Nerves reignited as I got into position between his legs and Hollywood stuffed a pillow under his lower back to tilt up his hips.
“I’m pretty good at this part,” I said. “At least with women.”
He looked at me from heavy-lidded eyes. “You’ll be good at it with me, too. Take me, Tex. Be as rough as you want.”
Lust flared, and I surged forward. We both cried out as I plunged deep, his loosened hole accepting me without a fight.