Adathan was standing in front of the florist shop, admiring the display. He reached for a rose and gently ran his thumb across the petals, leaning in to inhale its scent. He closed his eyes and smiled.
William let out a painful chuckle of relief. Adathan had just stopped to smell the roses. He should have known.
He took a few deep breaths, resisting the urge to run to Adathan and pull him close—to escort him the rest of the way. Instead, he turned around and headed back home, letting Adathan enjoy the moment.
He returned to his apartment and collapsed onto his sofa, his heart still pounding. His mind kept conjuring alarming images, but he chased them away, focusing instead on the serene look on Adathan’s face as he’d admired the flowers. William’s gaze found the bouquet on the counter, and he smiled.
It didn’t take long for the doorbell to ring. William took one last calming breath and jogged down the stairs to greet him directly at the front door.
“Hey,” he said, his heart warming at the bright smile on Adathan’s face. He made sure to sound relaxed as he said, “Had a good time?”
Adathan nodded and gave him a hug. “I did. Oliver is a wonderful friend. I’m glad I met him.”
“He is.” William smiled, stroking Adathan’s back tenderly. There was no better feeling in the world than seeing his two favorite people getting along. And knowing they were both safe. “Did you beat him at Scrabble again?”
Adathan chuckled as he pulled away. “No, we didn’t play this time. We watched a documentary about the beach, and Biscuit slept on my lap the entire time.”
“Biscuit knows all the best spots,” William said as they climbed the stairs. “Learn anything new about the beach?”
“Mm-hmm. They said that it can take centuries for a beach to form. And that sand feels like a hundred tiny caresses between your toes, but on a very hot day, it can burn your feet.”
“Accurate. I take it you’ve never been to the beach before?”
Adathan shook his head. “I haven’t.”
“We’ll have to remedy that.” William wasn’t a fan of exposing his half-naked body in crowded places, but he suspected people would be too busy ogling Adathan to even notice him. And William would be too happy seeing Adathan happy to care.
Adathan gasped as they walked in, heading straight to the bouquet. “For me?” He brought his hand to his heart. “It is sublime, thank you, William.”
“Not as sublime as you,” William said, cringing at how corny he’d sounded.
If Adathan found the compliment ridiculous, nothing in his body language showed it. His fingers curled over his chest, his smile softening sheepishly as he stepped up to William. He rose onto his toes and met William’s eyes, inching his face forward slowly as if giving him time to say no.
As if.
William rested his palm on the small of Adathan’s back and closed the distance between their lips. God, he’d missed those lips.
God, he’d missed this man.
He hoped his new job would hold his attention better than his old one. William felt a brain meltdown coming just thinking about doing a full day of data entry while Adathan awaited his return at home.
Adathan pulled away, the affection in his eyes threatening to make William’s heart explode. “May I arrange them?”
“Of course,” William said, even though he had no idea what that meant.
Adathan gave him a soft kiss, and William couldn’t keep the big dumb smile off his face as he watched him head back to the bouquet.
Adathan took a beer mug from the cabinet and filled it halfway with water—right, William had forgotten to buy a vase. He stirred some sugar and a few drops of bleach into it, which seemed odd, but William assumed he knew what he was doing.
Adathan untied the ribbons and removed the wrapping paper. He meticulously inspected each flower, cut the stems at an angle, and removed the lowest leaves before placing them into the mug. He worked with remarkable grace, his slender fingers showing no sign of his so-called inadequate fine motor skills. Not that William believed Eden Serviteurs’ assessment, but every time Adathan proved them wrong felt like a victory against society itself.
Adathan folded the wrapping paper artistically before securing it around the mug with the ribbons, turning the makeshift vase into a deliberate-looking piece. It had been a nice bouquet before, but now it was a gorgeous work of art.
“Wow. You could work as a florist.”
“You think so?” Adathan said, his smile not quite reaching his eyes as he placed the flower arrangement on the table.
William sighed internally. Ten minutes in, and he’d already said something stupid. Of course Adathan would assume he was pressuring him into getting a job. It was one of the first things William had told him at the hotel...
