“If you ever decide that waiting isn’t what you want anymore, you’ll cut me loose with no regrets and live the happiest life you can. You owe me nothing. That off-ramp is always there.”
“I won’t need it.”
“Well, it’s there all the same. Because it will never be me who walks away.”
Zeller looped his arms around Valentin’s neck and sank down next to him. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
They embraced, on their knees in the garden, rubbing their noses into each other’s necks.
“Will you kiss me?” Zeller asked.
Valentin leaned down.
Zeller relished his first taste of the alpha’s velvety soft lips, and the buzzing sensation beneath his skin told him he was exactly where he needed to be.
They kissed, mouths closed, as Valentin ran his hands up and down Zeller’s back. He stopped short of his ass, but Zeller registered his body’s desire to be touched there. He ached to join intimately with the alpha of his heart.
But he could wait. He would wait. Seven years was nothing when the love of his life lay at the end.
Against the seam of his lips, he felt the touch of Valentin’s tongue. He opened instinctively and the alpha invaded his mouth. Between the smoky sage, the kiss, and the firm grip on his shoulders, Zeller’s senses were on fire. He wanted to melt into his alpha. The feelings intensified until Valentin pulled back, panting.
“Wow,” Zeller breathed out.
Valentin grinned shyly. “I don’t think we should do much kissing,” he said, looking down at the tents in their shorts. “It’s probably better if we aren’t alone together too often either. So your parents don’t catch on.”
Zeller considered it. “We shouldn’t tell them. Not yet. They’d be sure to fire you.”
“Agreed.” Valentin rose, stretching an arm out to him.
“But maybe once they’ve known you longer, they'll be open to me bringing it up. You’re a hard worker. And Antoni likes you.”
“Even so, I’ll start looking for a new job. Something with growth potential. If I’m more your equal, they’ll be likelier to accept it.”
Zeller nodded. He would love Valentin under any circumstances, but his parents would certainly prefer an alpha with a more established career. “I’ll miss you around the estate, but it’s the right call.”
Valentin kissed Zeller on the nose before leading him over to the zinnia beds at the edge of the garden. “I know your fathers are partial to the roses and the calla lilies, but these remind me of you.”
“The zinnias?”
“All the flowers, really, but mostly them. There are so many different types, but they’re all colorful and bright. Just like you have so many sides—sweet, mischievous, inquisitive, thoughtful, opinionated, kind—but at the heart of everything is your vibrancy.”
Zeller stepped into Valentin’s arms. “That’s how you see me?”
Rather than answer, Valentin continued, “The zinnias attract more butterflies than the other flowers…You make me feel like that, like I’m being drawn to something perfect and unique. I’m not distracted by all the other flowers in the garden.”
“You never get distracted? Ever? Even when the other flowers are very beautiful? And…available?”
“Ever since I saw the zinnias, I haven’t looked at another flower. And I won’t.”
“Thank you,” Zeller murmured.
“Can I tell you something else?”
Zeller smiled and buried his face in Valentin’s shirt. “Don’t stop now.”
“I’m glad I have Decoy. When I leave the estate and he’s waiting for me at home, it’s like a little piece of you is there too.”
