Hilliard heaved a sigh. “I do. But not with that recipe though. Something else.”
Monty laughed. “What would we use then?”
Hilliard gave it due thought, his hands rubbing up and down Monty’s sides. “I’ll bet a chocolate mousse would be effective.”
Now it was Monty’s turn to moan. “Hell yes. Maybe on the way home, we should stop and get?—”
“Uh-uh. Not tonight. We’ll be home far too late.”
Monty pouted.
Hilliard kissed the tip of his nose. “That’ll teach you to go around teasing people.”
Monty relented. They let Henrietta out of the car and walked her around until the sun started to set. When they got back in together, Henrietta curled up at Monty’s feet and promptly went to sleep. Monty climbed onto Hilliard’s lap and began to kiss him.
“They’ll be back soon,” Hilliard warned.
“I’m not so sure. They might be doing this somewhere else.”
Hilliard grabbed Monty’s hips and Monty deepened the kiss, his mind already working toward the logistics of how much they could do—or how much he’d be allowed to do—in Hilliard’s precious Cadillac. Then a boom sounded above them and Monty shouted in surprise.
“What the devil!”
Hilliard laughed and kissed him again. “Fireworks!”
Monty grumbled and moved back to his seat. “Killjoy, more like.”
“Looks like we came back just in time for the show,” Cal said, as he and Jesse strode out of the woods, hand-conspicuously-in-hand.
Another crack echoed across the sky.
Monty grinned and leaned back in his seat. “Join us if you’d like. We can make room for two more.”
Hilliard crooked an eyebrow at him.
“What?” Monty asked sweetly as Cal and Jesse got back into the car. “I’m being friendly!”
Hilliard rolled his eyes and Monty laughed. “I’ll be good,” he promised.
“You’d better,” Hilliard said, his voice low enough that only Monty could hear. “Or I’ll change my mind about that mousse.”
“You wouldn’t!”
Hilliard only smirked.
Monty’s heart warmed as he leaned back against his friend. Hilliard’s arm came around his shoulders and Monty settled comfortably under his embrace. He could still hardly believe it was real, that he got to have Hilliard Burke as a friend and as a lover. It seemed impossible to have both Hilliard’s strong and gentle reassurance, his wisdom and advice, and his care, while also getting his banter, his kisses, and his breathy moans. As the fireworks boomed overhead, Monty nestled closer, feeling safe and loved and, for the first time in a very long time, content.
Chapter 22
Hilliard
When Director Chen wrapped filming early on Friday, Hilliard was even more excited to get home than he usually was. Despite warning Monty against it, they’d been razzing one another mercilessly for nearly two days, finding any opportunity to flirt and tease when nobody on set was watching. It wasn’t that they were hiding their newfound more-than-friendship, but it was exhilarating to have something private between them, if only for a moment, before their news inevitably broke across every magazine stand in town. This was the topic of choice as they walked to the parking lot together.
“I don’t know,” Monty said as he fell into the passenger side of the Cadillac, Henrietta already claiming her place on his lap. “Maybe we should reach out to Joan and give her the exclusive.”
“I’m sure she would be thrilled.” Hilliard didn’t try very hard to cover up his dubious tone as he put the car in gear. There were worse options, to be certain, but the idea still made him wary.
Monty went on. “You know, if we don’t say something, the reporters will just come up with a story of their own.”
