He tried sitting by the pond, watching a game in the outdoor bar, sitting on the patio, reading in the library…lying in bed. He admitted he missed his boys, he missed their wives, he missed his grandson, and he missed Rowan.
He packed up early that morning and headed back to town. He’d barely spoken to Rowan since she’d left. She’d been busy working and had spent hours at the furniture store yesterdayand still had one more item to find this morning. Angela thought it was a great idea to share a room, which meant they’d mostly texted. Hugh grinned as he pulled into the hotel’s parking garage—some of their text strands had gotten hot.
Are you asleep?
No.
Angela’s asleep. I’m in bed, but I can’t sleep.
Is it work related?
No.
What then?
Before I tell you, I wondered if when you snooped in my bedroom, if you actually looked in my nightstand drawer.
Why?
Did you?
No. Tell me what I would have seen.
There are two things.
#1?
I didn’t just buy Rave sex toys from that party last year.
Christ. #2?
I have an entire book of charcoal and pencil drawings.
Of?
You. You and me with the family. You and me having sex in every position I’ve ever read about.
Did you get off to the pictures?
Yes.
Fuck me.
I want to.
Jesus.
When we have sex the first time, I was wondering if we would be so crazy to do it that we wouldn’t doany...before stuff. I’ve dreamed of taking you in my mouth.
For fuck’s sake, Row. I’ve literally been hard for days and then you say something like that...
Still, I wondered about it. If I tell you a secret, one that even my sisters don’t know, will you promise not to tell?
Of course.
I’m not a virgin. My sisters were you know. I had sex once in college. In the back of a truck at a party. A totally disgusting cliché, I know. Anyway, alcohol had been involved and I was barely keeping myself together after my parents died. It hurt and it was awful in case you’re wondering. Completely cured me of wanting a repeat. I pretty much ignored all men after that. Until you, of course.
I’m not a virgin either. So, we have that in common. I’ll give you a secret of mine. I’ve told two women in my life, who weren’t my mother, that I loved them. I lied to the first.
