Hoaley Ill-Manored by Declan Sands Read Free Book Online Page A

silence for a long moment.
    Finally Dirk said, “This is a real gem,
Adam. I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished.”
    Adam frowned. “I think I just realized what
a huge responsibility I’ve taken on here. This place needs to be
recreated carefully, lovingly. It’s going to take a lot more money
than I’ve budgeted.”
    Dirk touched Adam’s face. “I know you’ll do
a wonderful job, Ads. You always do.”
    Adam stepped away from Dirk’s magnetic
touch. “You promised not to contact me again.”
    “Nope. I promised not to call. I came as
soon as I could get away.”
    “How’d you find me? No…never mind. I know
how. Peter told you didn’t he?”
    “Don’t be mad at him, Ads. I tortured him
until he gave the information up.”
    “Let me guess, you offered him a weekend in
Las Vegas for two?”
    “Don’t underestimate the loyalty of your
employees, Ads. He held out for four days and two shows.”
    Adam swore softly. He started walking, not
knowing where he was going, but suddenly too restless to stand
still. “You wasted a trip. I’ve told you before, Dirk, I can’t deal
with the stress and worry anymore.”
    Dirk grabbed his arm as Adam reached for the
handle to one of the veranda doors. “There’s a very simple
solution, Ads.”
    Adam shook off Dirk’s touch again and
wrenched the door open, nearly diving through the doorway. Panic
sluiced through him. He didn’t think he could stand the pain of
another break up.
    “Adam, for god’s sake, will you just stop
and listen for a minute?”
    Adam whipped around, pushing his face into
Dirk’s. “No! Because there is no solution, simple or otherwise. You
just don’t have it in you to be faithful…monogamous…whatever you
want to call it. And I can’t be anything else. We’re not
compatible, Dirk. We never were. I’m just getting too old to fight
it.” Adam stalked across the slate tiles of the veranda and down
the steps, heading across the rough cut expanse of grass toward the
lake.
    Dirk fell in beside him and they covered the
distance to the lake in silence. As they approached the gazebo Mike
the swan did his whole, “Halt! Who goes there!” shtick, spreading
his wings and bobbing his elegant head in a patently aggressive
manner. But when they ignored him he gave up and returned to
pecking at the grass along the water’s edge.
    Adam stepped into the gazebo and dropped
onto the bench, feeling suddenly numb. Dirk leaned against the
frame and looked at Adam, his expression tight with emotion. The
silence between them was uncomfortable but Adam didn’t want to be
the one to break it so he stared at his shoes and waited.
    “You could trust me.”
    The words were spoken in a pain-filled
whisper that cut through Adam like a knife. He closed his eyes and
held his breath, waiting for the pain to stop slicing his heart to
ribbons. “It sounds so easy doesn’t it?”
    “It does, Ads. Because it is. I know you
think I’ve been catting around in California. I’ve told you I
haven’t. I never would. Because I love you. All you have to do is
trust me enough to believe that.”
    Adam’s laugh was bitter. “Is that all?”
    Dirk finally moved inside to sit beside
Adam. The heat of his muscular thigh drove right into Adam, making
his own muscles clench in response. Dirk’s wonderful scent engulfed
him. Their shoulders touched. Adam’s cock filled, inspired by
Dirk’s overwhelming presence. He finally gave in to the need to
soften and let his head lower to Dirk’s broad, hard shoulder. “I
think I hate you a little bit right now, but I’m glad you’re
here.”
    Dirk wrapped an arm around Adam’s shoulders
and drew him in, kissing his temple in a soft, lingering touch.
“That’s a good place to start, Ads. Let’s not promise each other
anything right now. No pressure. Let’s just take it a day at a time
and see if we can get you to understand, once and for all, that I’m
in this for the long haul with you. ”
    Adam sighed, his