“It’s finished,” Ryan said to himself as he stood on the patio Monday evening, looking around the landscaped back yard. It was late, almost seven-thirty. The sun was going down, its final rays playing over the plants, highlighting the wild array of colors.
Suddenly, silently, Merrick came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Ryan’s waist. “You did a magnificent job,” he whispered, his breath tickling Ryan’s ear. One hand slid down, brushing over the closure of Ryan’s jeans.
“What are you doing?” Ryan gasped, afraid and yet aroused at the same instant.
“Seducing you,” Merrick replied, gently nipping the lobe of Ryan’s ear. “You created such beauty out of nothing, I want to thank you in the best way I know how.”
Ryan swallowed hard. “You don’t have to…” That was all he managed to say
