Christiane France Once Upon A Secret

NCE

PON A

ECRET

…Travis set one of the cans on the ground beside Luke and sat

down next to him. “Finished measuring already?”

“No, I’m thinking.”
“About?”
“That great big hole. It’s far too large for a lily pond, so the first

thing I’ll need to do is hire a bulldozer to fill it in and also level the
ground. I can’t do anything until that’s been done.”

Travis popped the tab on his can and took a sip. “And when that’s

finished?”

“I’ll make a start on the patio. I’ll need you to select the tiles you

want and you’ll have to let me know your preferences when it comes
to things like columns and statues. I can bring you some catalogues, or
you can check them out yourself on the Net.”

“Sounds good. And I checked the cost estimates you left on the

table. I know they’re rough and subject to change, but they seem very
reasonable to me.”

Luke looked at him and grinned. “So, do we have a deal?”
“Sure do. Shake on it?” Travis held out a hand.
Instead of taking his hand, Luke hesitated. The grin disappeared

and his expression turned serious, giving Travis the feeling Luke was
about to put an end to the tension between them by saying something
he didn’t want to hear. Like making it clear this was business and
nothing more.

But then a faint smile softened Luke’s features, and he said, “Why

don’t we kiss on it instead? It’s what we both want, right?”

If Luke had wanted to surprise Travis, he’d succeeded…

LSO

HRISTIANE

RANCE

The Club At Cool Harbor

The Cop And The Drifter

Double Delicious

Fast Forward

French Twist

The Gallery On Main Street

I’m Sorry

The Impossible Dream

Independence Day I & II

It Happened In Las Vegas

It Takes Three

Les Hommes, Vols. 1 & II

Like A Moth To The Flame

Oh, George

On Days Like These

Paris Heat

Reincarnation

Some Place Only We Know

Strangers In The Night

A Taste Of Honey

This Time For Keeps

Wishing On The Moon

ONCE UPON

A SECRET

CHRISTIANE FRANCE

MBER

UILL

RESS

, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

NCE

PON

ECRET

MBER

UILL

RESS

OOK

This book is a work of fiction.

All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the

author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales,

or events is entirely coincidental.

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

No portion of this book may be transmitted or

reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in

writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief

excerpts used for the purposes of review.

ISBN 978-1-61124-016-0

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

For Roy and The Boys.

And a big thank you to Carolina for her help

with koi and California garden plants.

ONCE UPON A SECRET

ONCE UPON A SECRET

Luke Fiorelli watched Travis Barrington III across the

makeshift desk in the construction site office, fascinated by the
movement of the man’s nicely manicured hands as they sifted
through the contents of a file. He swallowed hard, desperate to
deny the shiver of awareness that heated his blood and sent his
thoughts skittering in directions they had no business going.

He’d first met Travis a couple of months ago, at Barrington

Properties’ corporate headquarters in downtown Rock Bay. Travis
had personally taken delivery of Luke’s last-minute bid to
landscape the grounds at what was to be the jewel in the
Barrington crown, a new hotel on the coast a few miles north of
town. Luke had hoped his bid would be successful, but he’d long
ago learned not to expect miracles. Competition was stiff for plum

ONCE UPON A SECRET

commercial jobs like this and there were dozens of landscaping
companies more experienced and better known than Fiorelli
Exteriors.

However, in the split second it had taken for that envelope to

change hands, something had passed between himself and Travis,
and Luke had known for an absolute fact that the job would be his.
He couldn’t explain how he’d known; he just had. Maybe it was
what the experts labeled a moment, a flash of precognition that
sometimes happened, or good old-fashioned e.s.p. Whatever it
was, less than a week later, Travis had called to confirm Luke had
indeed submitted the winning bid.

It had happened, it was over, but the incident still continued to

bother Luke. He didn’t have moments or suffer from ESP. Even so,
something must have triggered the sudden feeling of knowing the
future, and he didn’t have much to choose from. There had been
the initial, brief but all-encompassing eye contact with Travis that
made Luke feel as if he’d been swallowed whole. Then the zap of
electricity traveling up his arm as their fingers touched when
Travis took possession of the package. Then again, maybe it had
just been one of those weird, inexplicable things that happen but
defy all rational explanation.

Whatever it was, from then on, any time Luke ran into Travis,

he started feeling wary and off balance, like he was walking on
eggs, or balancing on the edge of a cliff. And it didn’t help in
between those times he couldn’t quit thinking about the man or
having ridiculous dreams where the two of them were locked
together in a passionate embrace.

Travis was handsome, rich, a real player by all accounts, and

totally out of Luke’s league. The last person on earth Luke would
want to hook up with, yet his fingers itched to touch his skin, to get

ONCE UPON A SECRET

naked with him. He wanted to run his fingers through the man’s
long black hair and kiss his wide mouth. He wanted to taste him
and—

Just then, Travis looked up, a faintly troubled look on his

handsome face, giving Luke the craziest urge to just walk around
the desk and solve whatever was bothering him with a reassuring
hug. However, while Travis made no secret of the fact he was gay
and proud of it, Luke was not. Hell, there were times when Luke
wasn’t even sure what he was. Although that wasn’t exactly true.
He’d done enough messing around, first in high school and later in
college, to be very sure.

Problem was, he’d grown up in a family with strong

conservative values and strait-laced views on just about
everything. He didn’t need to hear his dad’s views on
homosexuality to know the way he and his friends thought. It was
something decent people didn’t talk about, so telling his parents
had been totally out of the question. As a result, Luke’s almost
non-existent sex life was, of necessity, restricted to DIY and
weekend trips out of town to somewhere like L.A., Vegas, or San
Francisco.

If his secret ever got out… Luke shuddered inwardly at the

very thought. His dad would kill him. Guaranteed.

Just then, Sam, old man Barrington’s personal assistant, came

into the room and sat down in the one and only spare chair. “I hear
you have a problem. Anything I can do?”

Travis drew in a deep breath and settled back in his chair. “The

interior designer Dad had on board has gone bust. And now, to add
to my problems, the new guy I was planning on replacing him with
is being a total pain. I don’t know if he’s suffering from major
delusions of grandeur or what, but he’s demanding top dollar plus

ONCE UPON A SECRET

complete artistic freedom up front. I mean, as if anyone would be
crazy enough to give a designer carte blanche. I really like his
style, but… ”

He sighed and banged his fist on the desk. “My job is supposed

to be keeping the hotel chain up and running at a profit, not
building the damn things. Come on, guys, please, help me out here.
What would you do?”

“Your dad would tell him to get over himself, and so would I,”

Sam advised bluntly. “This guy’s probably heard about Mr.
Barrington’s health problems, about you having to take over at the
last minute, and about the other designer going broke. Sounds to
me like he’s taking advantage.”

“You think?” Travis said, frowning.
“I’d bet money on it,” Sam replied. “The construction is all but

complete, and you’re in a bind. Plus rumors get around. This new
guy probably figures he has you by the balls.”

Travis shrugged and pushed the file to one side as he turned

toward Luke. “It’s possible, I suppose. What do you think, Luke?”

Luke was more interested in having Travis make a few last-

minute decisions about the landscaping and getting the hell out of
here than he was in interior design, fabric swatches or paint chips.
He wanted the answers he needed now, so he could finish the job
and move on to the next one. He did not want to dick around here
indefinitely, fueling his head with thoughts of Travis that would
keep him awake nights and result in penalty days, which would
end up costing Fiorelli Exteriors big bucks.

Even so, no matter how hard he tried, he could not ignore the

way he felt when Travis looked at him like this with those big,
dark, puppy-dog eyes. He felt empowered; he felt like he could fly;
like he could be or do anything. Travis had only to ask. And right

ONCE UPON A SECRET

now, Travis was asking.

“I agree with Sam. The guy’s trying it on for size. In your

place, I’d give someone else a call, then sit back and wait to see
what happens. If this guy listens to all the rumors making the
rounds, then he’s bound to hear about it.”

“Really?” Travis smiled, an intensely intimate smile that made

Luke catch his breath, then freeze as Travis moved a hand slowly
toward him. The next thing Luke knew, the smile had vanished and
the hand was withdrawn, but for one crazy second there Luke felt
as if his heart stopped beating. Had Travis just made a pass or
what? He tried imagining the two of them naked—his dick in
Travis’s mouth, and Travis sucking hard and squeezing his balls at
the same time. He quickly filled his lungs with air. The pictures in
his mind were a whole lot too vivid, and he already had a big
enough hard-on he was having trouble trying to hide.

“You really think so, or you’re just assuming?” Travis said as if

the sudden movement of his hand had been nothing out of the
ordinary. Maybe for him it had been nothing.

At this particular moment, Luke was having trouble seeing

straight. Anything approaching sane, rational thought was out of
the question. Nevertheless, by sheer force of effort, he managed to
cover up what he was sure would be obvious to a blind person with
an offhand shrug. He wanted to get away from Travis ASAP and
back to what he did best, designing gardens and bringing them to
life. “All I know for sure is that word about anything gets around
real fast in a small town like Rock Bay. Somehow, everyone
manages to know about everybody else’s business almost before it
happens. And people always love bragging to the competition,
even if it’s only dropping a heavy hint. So, yeah, I think it’s worth
a try.”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

“And if it doesn’t get back to this guy?”
“Then you either throw all the names you have in a hat and

pick one, or you take a design course and do it yourself. What do I
know? I’m just the gardener. Sorry, but that’s my best suggestion.”

From the raised eyebrows and surprised look on Travis’s face,

Luke knew he’d come across as bitchy and rude, but that had been
his intention. His balls ached like they’d been kicked. If Travis
even suspected he was gay—never mind interested—Luke needed
to knock those suspicions on the head right now. Stamp them out,
kill the dangerous little fuckers stone cold dead before they took
their first breath because if they were allowed to take serious hold,
Luke could kiss his nice quiet life a permanent goodbye.

He filled his lungs with air and let it out slowly. It felt like the

walls were closing in on him. He really did need to get out of here,
fast. “Sorry to change the subject, but I just dropped by to ask if
you’ve made a decision about having a gray and green garden at
the back of the property. We also need to figure out something to
fill the vacant spot beyond the pool that wasn’t included in my
original bid. The last time we spoke, you seemed to like my idea of
having a rock garden and an ornamental pond with koi. Oh, yeah,
and you said something about putting miniature palm trees around
the front entrance. A lot of stuff I can get right away, but if you
decide on anything too exotic, I may have to order and that can
take time.”

“Umm…” Travis frowned and stroked his upper lip with the tip

of his tongue, pushing Luke’s blood pressure up a few more
degrees. “I’m sorry, Luke. Too many things to think about and too
little time to do them in. As you’ve probably gathered, I’m
floundering around here, pinch-hitting for my father and not doing
a very good job of it.” He checked his watch. “Losing our designer

ONCE UPON A SECRET

at the last minute like this is huge. I know opening day’s still a way
off, but if I don’t get the problem solved now, we’ll never be ready
in time and that’s not even an option. So…would it be possible for
you to come back later? Say, in a couple of hours from now? By
then, I promise, I’ll give you all the answers you need. Deal?”

“Well…” Luke hesitated. While he couldn’t go ahead with the

job until he’d finalized these last few things with Travis, today was
Friday. In a little over two hours from now the men would all be
gone, leaving the site deserted. If he could be certain it wasn’t
wishful thinking and Travis had made a pass a moment ago, he’d
say no and disappear rather than tempt fate. The fact he wasn’t
sure of anything was both intriguing and scary. “I guess, but it’ll
have to be quick. I have somewhere else I need to be around then.”

“Another job?”
“No.”
“Ah.” Travis gave him a knowing smile. “A hot date, huh?”
Luke kept his expression blank. If he was really lucky, Sam

would still be here, and he wouldn’t have to face Travis alone.
“No. Friday night dinner with my parents.” It wasn’t exactly a lie.
Earlier in the day, his dad had said his mom was making
cannelloni and if he didn’t have plans he should come over before
she gave it all away.

“I see.” Travis appeared faintly amused, as if he knew Luke

had tossed out the first excuse he’d come up with. “In that case, I’ll
try not to make you too late.”

* * *

There was nothing more Luke could do until he’d talked to

Travis, so he parked his truck in the shadiest spot he could find at

ONCE UPON A SECRET

the side of the building and booted up his laptop. For the next two
hours, he managed to keep his mind off Travis and on work by
tweaking a few details on the rock garden he was still in the
process of designing. The rocks were no problem because he had
all he needed in stock at the yard at the back of his business
premises. As for the plants, he could use baby tears and ice plant,
plus some miniature cacti, along with a few of the other usual rock
garden standards.

On his last visit here, he’d suggested adding an ornamental

pool full of koi, and Travis had seemed to like the idea. Now, he’d
come up with the idea of spanning the pool with a small footbridge
so guests could observe the beauty of the fish darting back and
forth in the water.

Later, once the rock garden was finished and the bridge

completed, he’d fill any remaining bare spots in the surrounding
area with a selection of shade trees, azaleas and Dutch Iris. Then,
all that would be left to do after that would be to put in a few
wooden benches or some other type of seating and make it a spot
where the hotel guests could go to sit and relax. Or, maybe, it
would become an after-dark spot for lovers to hold hands and
dream, and perhaps even make out a little.

Luke turned off the computer and closed his eyes, trying to

imagine what it would feel like to sit in a public place like that,
holding hands with someone he loved and not giving a shit if
anyone saw them. There had never been anyone special like that in
his life, and while he often wished there was, he knew it would
never happen unless and until he did something about it.

He’d thought more than once about coming out. He’d even

imagined the freedom of meeting other gay guys, men like Travis
and, instead of telling them they were mistaken when they made a

ONCE UPON A SECRET

move on him, being open and honest about his sexuality.

The thing that had stopped him was thinking how hurt and

embarrassed his family would be and how they’d react. His dad
would go ballistic and his mom would cry, and his two sisters
would embark on a cooking marathon in the belief that plenty of
good home-cooked food cured everything. Whether any of them
would ever talk to him again was something he didn’t know and
didn’t want to think about.

He opened his eyes and stared at the strip of greeny-blue ocean

he could see in the distance. He loved his parents and his sisters,
but he needed to get away from them, somewhere he could live his
life in peace and quiet without having his every move observed
and commented on. He’d talked about buying a place of his own
for the longest time, and the time for talking was done. The lease
on the apartment he rented near his parents’ home would soon be
up, and he’d be thirty-two on his next birthday. Two good reasons
for him to move out of the old neighborhood and find a place
where he wouldn’t be tripping over family and friends every five
minutes the way he was now. A place where he could be himself
and let whatever happened happen.

Luke knew for sure the move wouldn’t be easy. There would

be a slew of questions as to why and a few hurt feelings, too, but
nothing he couldn’t deal with provided he kept his cool. And
finding what he wanted shouldn’t be difficult. There was a new
condo complex aimed at singles he’d thought sounded interesting.
It was close to the center of town and the bars and clubs that made
up Rock Bay’s nightlife. Or he could rent another apartment
somewhere while he looked around.

Even better, what about the house with the For Sale notice he

passed every time he came out this way? It was on the coast

ONCE UPON A SECRET

highway, roughly halfway between where he was now and the
town of Rock Bay, and far enough from its nearest neighbor to
give him all the privacy he could ask for.

The plan was to put distance between himself and his family

and friends, yet still remain within easy reach of his business
premises, and that house might well be the answer. In Luke’s
estimation it was no more than twenty years old, tops, and from the
outside it appeared to be in good shape. In fact, he’d stop by on his
way home and make a note of the Realtor’s phone number, then
give him a call.

A sudden scurry of activity in the parking lot alerted Luke to

the fact his two-hour wait was over. It was just gone four o’clock
and within minutes the only people left on site would be himself,
Travis, and probably Sam, too, since his SUV was still there.
However, as Luke stepped down from his truck, laptop in hand,
Sam came out and signaled that it was now okay for Luke to go in.
Instead of going back inside, though, Sam got into his vehicle and
took off down the highway along with everyone else.

Damn! Tipping his Stetson forward to shade his eyes, Luke felt

his confidence dip as he made for what would eventually be the
main hotel entrance. Coming out in his own time and on his own
terms was one thing. Having a face-to-face meeting at a deserted
construction site with a player like Travis, a man to whom he felt a
deep and what he suspected was a mutual sexual attraction, made
him nervous. Rather like the time one of his friends dared him to
dive off the top board at the pool, knowing he was scared because
he’d never done it before. He didn’t want to just close his eyes and
jump now either, yet he couldn’t see a way out without losing face.

The fingers of Luke’s free hand closed around the cell phone

tucked in the back pocket of his jeans. He could always chicken

ONCE UPON A SECRET

out by calling Travis and saying he had an emergency elsewhere,
although if he pulled a dumb stunt like that, he wouldn’t get the
answers he needed. Anyway, he had to go see Travis now because
this was business. As long as he kept his mind on the job and off
Travis’s slim hips and tight butt, he’d be fine.

But suppose Travis makes a move on me, then what?
Luke hesitated just inside the building, sucked in a deep breath,

and told himself to stop being a jerk and get real. If it happened, so
what? It wouldn’t be the first time another guy had hit on him, or
the first time he’d told them to get lost. He’d met lots of good-
looking, charismatic gay guys like Travis. Guys who were so damn
confident of their appeal they tried it on with everyone just for the
hell of it, and that included the cat, the dog and anyone else they
thought they could charm. Travis wasn’t interested in Luke
Fiorelli, landscaper, as anything more than a casual fuck, and since
Luke wasn’t interested in being used, he intended to keep that
thought at the forefront of his mind.

The one good thing about the meeting was he could drop the

pretence temporarily and be his real self for a change. He wanted
Travis, and he was pretty sure Travis damn well knew it, but no
way was Luke about to drop his pants and cave like some wet-
behind-the-ears kid. Okay, so he wasn’t a player who knew all the
rules, but this game was as old as time and he could always make
up his own set of rules as he went along.

The office door was standing a little ajar. Luke pushed it all the

way open with the toe of his boot and sauntered straight in. “You
ready to see me now?”

“Sure.” Travis looked up from the papers he was reading and

smiled. “I thought maybe you’d changed your mind and taken off
along with everyone else.”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

Luke set his laptop on the corner of the desk, switched it on and

sat down in the nearest chair. “Can’t say it didn’t cross my mind,
but the sooner I get these details settled, the sooner I can quit
bothering you and finish the job.”

Travis stretched, showing off his pecs to advantage through the

thin fabric of his body-hugging shirt, then he relaxed with a sigh
and leaned back in his chair. “Maybe I like being bothered,” he
said with a smile. “Especially at the end of a busy day. Feel like a
beer? I believe there are a few cold ones in that fridge over there.”

“No, thanks.” Although Luke pretended not to have noticed the

sexy stretch he just knew had been deliberate, he felt his
confidence about handling Travis start to slip just a teeny wee bit.
The man was a pro and clever, too. First, put the victim at ease and
then pounce. Well, Travis could forget about the pouncing part
because Luke didn’t intend to hang around one second longer than
necessary. “This won’t take more than a few minutes. I just need
your okay on the salvias for the grey and green garden, and your
go-ahead on the rock garden, and the ornamental fishpond.”

“The one you want to fill with koi?”
“Right. I’d also like to span the pond with a small footbridge

the way they do in Japan. And if we add some seating—I figure
wooden benches would be best—it will be a nice restful spot for
the guests to hang out and relax.” Luke turned the laptop around so
Travis could see his mock-up of what the area would look like
once the job was finished. “Here. What do you think?”

Travis leaned forward, frowning as he studied what was on the

monitor. “It looks really good. Older guests are often interested in
an outdoor alternative to the beach and this would work just fine.
The only thing is the koi.”

“What’s wrong with them?”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

“The price for starters. I checked them out on the Net and those

babies run around twenty-five hundred bucks apiece. Half a dozen
would be about fifteen grand. What if they died or got stolen?
We’d need to take out special insurance. Maybe even hire a
security guard.” He gave a soft groan and shook his head. “Isn’t
there something cheaper? Maybe a few of those things you see the
kids carrying home from the store in plastic bags?”

Luke shook his head. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t even suggest

anything that impractical or pricey. What you found was a site
specializing in exotic breeds and hybrids aimed at the collectors.
What we want are just the regular, everyday koi. The smallest
usually start at under five dollars apiece and go up from there,
depending on size.”

“So we could fill the pond for less than a hundred bucks?”
“Even less than that. Ten or a dozen will be more than enough

for a pool of this size, otherwise we risk overcrowding.”

“What about filters and cleaning and any necessary equipment?

I understand koi need a certain amount of care.”

“That’s all part of the deal. The guy I buy the ponds from

supplies everything that’s needed. He’ll even service the pond and
restock it whenever necessary on a regular basis if that’s what the
customer wants. He’s reliable and reasonable, so it would be
money well spent.”

“Restock it? How long does a koi live?”
“Around twenty-five to thirty-five years is the average from

what I’ve been told. Some have been known to live for much
longer. But if one of them got sick or injured, or maybe even died,
Rocky would take care of it. He’s actually a collector himself. He
has some of the most magnificent specimens I’ve ever seen, and he
fusses over them like they’re his babies.”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

“I’ll take your word for it.” Travis smiled, showing a wealth of

pearly white teeth and just the tiniest glimpse of pink tongue that
sent Luke’s temperature soaring and made his jeans feel
uncomfortably tight.

To add to the torture, Travis did a repeat performance of the

sexy stretch, and pushed his chair back just far enough for Luke to
see the tight fit of his pants and the bump at the juncture of his
thighs. Suddenly, Luke couldn’t breathe. He felt hot,
claustrophobic, as if he was about to pass out. He tried quickly
breathing in and out, a trick he’d learned from a friend who used it
to stop himself from hyperventilating. Too bad he didn’t have
whatever it took to stop all this waffling, worrying and scaring
himself with what ifs and maybes right now. Just step out of the
closet this very minute, get it on with Travis and drive the constant
wanting out of his system.

Except, Luke had a nasty suspicion if he did something stupid

like that, come Monday, everyone at the site would know what had
happened and they’d be laughing their heads off behind his back.
A lot of them lived in Luke’s neighborhood, so then the story
would get back to his dad. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, he
could almost guarantee the wanting would get a hundred times
worse.

Travis frowned as he turned the laptop back toward Luke.

“You feeling okay? You looked a little pale there for a second.
Something you ate, maybe?”

Luke shrugged in an attempt to pass off both the moment and

the question. “I’m fine, but I haven’t had anything to eat since
breakfast and that was around five-thirty this morning.”

“In that case, I won’t keep you.” Travis reached across the desk

and patted Luke’s hand in what Luke assumed was supposed to be

ONCE UPON A SECRET

a friendly fashion, but the brief contact felt like anything but. It felt
as if he’d just been branded. He snuck a quick look at the back of
his hand, half-expecting to see a sign that read, Personal Property
of Travis Barrington III.

“You have my approval to all your suggestions, and I’ll email

you to that effect,” Travis continued. “So you’re now free to go
ahead with everything, including the pool and the koi. Just leave
me a number for the fish guy, and I’ll have either Sam or my
secretary organize his visits. Now, is there anything else?”

“Not that I can think of.” Luke turned off the laptop and closed

the lid. “But if I do think of anything, I can always give you a
call.”

As he stood up and made for the exit, he felt Travis fall in right

behind him.

“You and I should go for a drink sometime soon,” Travis said

as he followed Luke out the door. “Get to know each other a little
better.”

Luke stopped and turned around. “Why would we want to do

that?”

Travis looked a tad taken aback by Luke’s bluntness, but it

didn’t stop him from going where he obviously intended to go.
“Why wouldn’t we? I suspect we have quite a few things in
common.”

“We do? Like what for instance?”
“For one thing, we’re both gay. I know you don’t advertise

your preferences, and I respect that. But I’m right, yes?”

Luke was tempted to say no, that Travis was mistaken, but the

lie stuck on his tongue. No more lying; no more pretending he
wasn’t who he knew himself to be. “I guess. But that’s about all
we have in common. We don’t exactly move in the same circles. I

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live in Little Italy, and you probably live in one of those big
mansions on the hill.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t live on the hill, and

neither do my parents. I have a place near the beach a few miles
north of here. It was once owned by a couple of zoned-out rock
stars who, so the story goes, completely neglected the place and
walked away when the roof started leaking. It hadn’t been lived in
for quite a while, so I got it for a song, and now I’m in the process
of fixing it up in my spare time.”

“That so? And where do your parents live, in a trailer park?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Luke wished he could
disappear. He had no reason to go making smartass remarks like
that.

“Very funny,” Travis said, looking amused, “but I guess I

asked for that. I don’t imagine there are too many rich men’s kids
who actually enjoy buying a fixer-upper and doing the work
themselves.”

“You’ve done it before?”
“Just once. I flipped it to buy what I have now. As for my

parents, they recently sold their home in Rock Bay and moved to
Arizona. My father has severe arthritis, and his doctors told him he
would find getting around less difficult in the drier climate.”

“So, no mansions, huh?”
“No, at least not recently. My father’s family once owned a

mansion in San Francisco, a huge, ugly monstrosity on Nob Hill.
After my grandfather died, my grandmother decided it was too big
and too much work, so she sold it and moved into an apartment.”

“Your father’s retired?”
“No, he’s still very much in control, but because of the arthritis,

I’m his man on the ground, at least for now.”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

“He pulls the strings, and you do the work?”
“That’s one way of putting it.” A faint flush of color swept up

Travis’s neck and settled in his cheeks. “It’s my job to make sure
everything goes well here, no glitches or holdups, and that we open
on time.”

With the change of subject, Luke allowed himself to relax a

tad. “And what happens if you screw up?”

Travis gave a mock shudder. “It doesn’t even bear thinking

about. He’d probably have me shredding papers and making
coffee. Anyway, I should let you go or you’ll be in trouble with
your parents for being late for dinner. See you on Monday. In the
meantime, please, think about having that drink with me sometime
soon, okay? I suspect we have a whole lot more in common than
you realize.”

“We’ll see.”
“And, Luke…”
“Yes?”
“Don’t worry. Your secret’s quite safe with me.”
Travis went back inside the building, and Luke headed for his

truck. Safe? As in, so long as you come play with me and do
whatever I want, I won’t tell anyone you’re gay? Or as in, been
there done that, so I know what it’s like, and I won’t make it any
harder for you than it has to be?

The need for food that Luke had used as an excuse a few

minutes ago was very real, and the thought of his mom’s
cannelloni topped with cream sauce and grated Parmesan cheese
was making him salivate. He usually had dinner with his parents
about once a week, and tonight could be the perfect opportunity to
casually mention the house he’d seen for sale on the coast
highway. He wanted to get them used to the idea he might be

ONCE UPON A SECRET

moving out of the neighborhood. He also knew it had to be done
slowly. Especially after the huge fuss they’d made when he’d
moved out of their house into his own apartment. They’d both
pretended to understand he was an adult and, as such, needed a
place of his own, but that hadn’t stopped the pair of them behaving
like a pair of abandoned kittens. Unless he was super careful, the
mere mention he was even considering putting real distance
between them, and they’d be inventing reasons why he should stay
put.

* * *

After calling the security company to let them know he was

leaving for the day, Travis tossed a few papers he still needed to go
over into his briefcase and disconnected his laptop. There were two
security guards on site at all times, plus one of their people
dropped by every few hours at nights and on weekends. With the
project nearing completion, there wasn’t much in the way of spare
materials lying around waiting to get stolen. Nevertheless, Travis
wasn’t about to take even the smallest chance. Certainly not after
what one of the suppliers had told him about bathroom fixtures and
kitchen units being ripped out of a new retirement complex before
the first owner moved in. If anything like that happened here,
Travis didn’t have to wonder what his father might say and do.
First, he’d hit the roof, big time, and regardless of who or what was
at fault, he’d hold Travis personally responsible for the loss.
Whether or not Travis would still have a job was anyone’s guess.

As he drove out of the site and turned left along the coast

highway toward home, Travis found himself thinking about Luke
and wishing he were just another worker at the site rather than the

ONCE UPON A SECRET

boss’s son. Something had happened between the two of them the
day they first met at Barrington’s head office. One of those strange
chemical reactions that sometimes happen between total
strangers—a feeling of instant liking and trust that, if given the
opportunity, could be a solid base to build on. If Travis had been
someone other than who he was, maybe, with a little
encouragement, he could have made it happen.

At this very moment, they could be relaxing on the beach with

a drink. Or making love under the shower, or…

He pressed a hand hard against his cock and told himself to quit

with the wishful thinking. From what little he knew about Luke,
like himself, Luke came from a family with old-fashioned values
and who saw everything in black and white. Apart from the socio-
economic thing, which Luke obviously saw as an impassable
barrier, there was only one real difference between them. Travis
was out after making a public stand when his parents tried to marry
him off to the daughter of a friend. Whereas Luke seemed hell bent
on remaining in the closet, permanently, rather than make the
effort to come out.

When Travis first said no to the marriage idea, his father had

tried to sweet talk him into marrying the girl just long enough to
produce an heir, following which he could do whatever he pleased.
However, Travis had refused to use anyone in such a dreadful way.
After suggesting headlines that read, “Barrington Heir Dumps
Wife After Delivering Child,” might call the child’s parentage into
question and would be a great deal more difficult to live down
than, “Barrington Heir Claims To Be Gay,” the subject was
immediately dropped. Even so, Travis knew the chances of his
father ever forgiving him for his failure to produce offspring were
pretty much zero. The old man had even gone so far as to tell him

ONCE UPON A SECRET

everyone was entitled to one mistake, and that Travis had made
his. There would be no second chances.

No second chances at what, his father hadn’t bothered to

explain, and Travis hadn’t bothered to ask. His father had always
played the hard man, both in business and at home, and Travis had
long ago learned to neither anticipate nor speculate as to what he
might or might not do in any given situation. He loved and
respected his parents, but he knew he was a disappointment to
them, and he’d long ago accepted that.

Putting on the indicator light, he checked the rearview mirror

and slowed to make the turn into his driveway. Travis’s
grandfather had built the first Barrington hotel and, as his father’s
only child and sole heir to the bulk of the Barrington fortune, it had
always been a given that Travis would work for the company and
eventually assume control.

However, Travis wasn’t his grandfather or his father and while

he was content to go along with the plan for now, he couldn’t
envision himself doing it forever. He wanted a life, one that didn’t
include being consumed by the need to constantly build bigger and
better hotels. He even had a thought how he could accomplish it
and one day soon he intended to try and sell his father on his idea.

For now, though, he wanted to forget about everything except

the fact it was Friday night and the weekend lay ahead. He had no
specific plans, but a little action was definitely called for. First, he
wanted to check out the new roadhouse that had recently opened. If
that was a bust, he’d pack an overnight bag and drive north to San
Francisco.

Since he would be going out later, rather than put his vehicle in

the garage, Travis parked in front of his new home and got out.
The utilities had all been turned back on, but the house was so

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basic inside it was barely habitable, and he was literally camping
out in one of the downstairs rooms. A huge amount of work
needed to be done, both inside and out, and Travis knew he should
be making a start on that rather than waste time clubbing.

As he started to waver, another brilliant idea dropped into his

head out of nowhere. He smacked the heel of his hand against his
forehead and wondered why he hadn’t thought of it before. If the
stars were correctly aligned and Fate was on his side, he just might
be able to do it all.

* * *

As Luke left the job site and drove back toward Rock Bay, he

remembered to stop at the house with the For Sale sign he’d seen
on the way up. The blinds on the front windows were all closed,
but after making a note of the real estate agent’s phone number, he
went around the house and peeked through the windows in back.

From what Luke could see, it was everything he wanted—three

bedrooms, a big, eat-in kitchen, and a large living room area plus a
paved patio with plenty of room for chairs, a table and a barbeque.
The trim outside was shabby and in need of repainting, and
probably the inside needed a little work, too. An empty plastic
bucket had been left by the back door. Luke turned it over and sat
down.

The back yard was all grass with lots of bare patches, but there

were several nice shade trees. He narrowed his eyes and
concentrated on the empty space. It wasn’t large enough for a pool,
but that wasn’t a biggie with the beach just a few steps away. He
didn’t want to get into anything too high maintenance like a
fishpond or fancy flowerbeds that would need constant attention.

ONCE UPON A SECRET

However, what he could do was extend the flagstone paving to
eliminate the grass and put in a rock garden.

He pulled out his cell and tapped in the Realtor’s number.
After a short conversation, he closed the phone and returned it

to his pocket. The owner wanted a quick sale, making the asking
price well within his means, and the Realtor would be happy to
meet with Luke at ten the next morning to show him through.

A sudden rumbling in his stomach reminded Luke he really did

need to eat. He checked his watch. His parents would have finished
dinner by now. Even so, he’d give his mom a quick call, lay claim
to any leftovers, and get her used to the idea of him moving by just
casually mentioning the neat house he’d seen.

However, before he could key in his parents’ number, the

phone rang.

“Fiorelli Exteriors. Luke speaking.”
“Hi, Luke. It’s me, Travis.”
“You changed your mind about the koi?”
“The what? Oh, right, those red and white fish. No, this is

something else entirely. Another job, and I’m wondering if we
could meet sometime this evening to discuss it.”

Luke had a nasty feeling this was a trick, something Travis had

thought up to force him into having that drink. Still, if it involved
work, what the hell? He wouldn’t be able to afford the house if he
started turning down leads, even if there was more on offer than
just the actual job. “What time and where?”

“Are you still at your parents’ place? I don’t want to interrupt

anything.”

“No, I never made it there. I kinda got waylaid.”
“Oh, I see. Well, in that case, I’m sorry—”
“Not that kind of waylaid,” Luke interrupted a trifle sharply,

ONCE UPON A SECRET

wishing there was some excitement in his life, instead of it always
being so fucking dull and boring. At one time, he’d thought having
a second, secret life no one else knew about would be both exciting
and satisfying. The reality of it was anything but. “I saw this house
for sale and decided to take a look.”

“You’re thinking about buying?”
“Possibly. Now, if you’ll just give me a time and a place, I can

be on my way.”

“Do you know Pineapple Jack’s?”
“You mean that old biker hangout about a mile or so north of

the new hotel? You want to meet there? I thought the cops closed it
down.”

“They did. It recently reopened under new management as

Dusty’s Roadhouse. I’ll be waiting at the bar.”

“Is that where the job is?”
“No. First I want to tell you about the job and then, if you’re

interested, we can go and take a look.”

“You can’t tell me about it over the phone?”
“I’d rather we did it in person.”
Right, I just bet you would. You’re like a damn dog with a bone

that doesn’t know when to let go.

Just talking to Travis was doing Luke’s head in. His balls

ached, and he didn’t dare think about the effect a couple of drinks
might have on his inhibitions. “Look, Travis, I don’t want there to
be any misunderstandings here. If this is a game just to get me to
have a drink with you…”

“No games, Luke. I swear this is about a job, a very real and a

very big job, and I’d like you to take a look at it. Work at the hotel
is all but finished, so I thought you’d be interested.”

“I am.” Luke gave in with a sigh. Provided he kept their

ONCE UPON A SECRET

meeting short, no drifting off topic into dangerous areas, order a
soda on the grounds he didn’t believe in drinking and driving, and
he’d be fine. “And I’m not that far away, so I’ll see you shortly.”

* * *

Despite all the hoopla, Dusty’s Roadhouse turned out to be

maybe one step up from a truck stop on the interstate. The same
basic cheap furniture, bar food, beer, and half a dozen customers
who were undoubtedly on their way to someplace more interesting.

Travis drank a little of the coffee he’d ordered and tried to

concentrate on a poker game being played on the widescreen TV
behind the bar. He knew Luke was nervous about them meeting
like this, and so was he. They were sexually attracted to one
another in a way Travis knew neither of them had been able to
dismiss. The wanting was there at the back of his mind every
second of the day, and he knew, just by Luke’s hostile behavior
each and every time they crossed paths, Luke was dealing with the
same problem. In fact, if it weren’t for Luke’s crazy middle-class
prejudices and his apparent need to hide his sexuality, Travis was
quite certain they’d have done something about it long before now.

Probably within hours of that first mind-bending meeting at

Barrington’s offices in Rock Bay when the receptionist was away
from her desk and he’d happened to be passing through. A two-
second meeting that had left Travis feeling stunned and, to this
day, still unable to understand exactly what had happened. He
remembered Luke handing him a brown envelope containing his
bid to landscape the hotel grounds. They’d made brief eye contact,
and he’d felt a quick zap of something as their hands touched when
he took delivery of the envelope. A flash of sexual awareness for

ONCE UPON A SECRET

want of a better explanation, but basically that had been it.

Since then, Luke’s efforts to make sure nothing further

happened between them had been every bit as strong as Travis’s
determination to find a way to make sure it did, and it was making
the situation even worse. Every time they met, they circled one
another like a pair of wary tomcats, each waiting for the other to
pounce, and the stress was driving Travis nuts.

Commonsense told him to just give up and walk away, except

he had a feeling this was one time a little patience could pay big
dividends. He liked Luke a lot. He came across as honest and
straightforward. He also had the cutest grin that turned Travis’s
mind to mush and gave him the wickedest thoughts whenever it
was turned in his direction. If he could just get Luke to relax long
enough to realize the two of them had a lot in common, and he
wasn’t out to use and toss him aside the way Luke obviously
thought, maybe Luke would quit being so hostile.

Travis took another sip of his coffee and decided he should

have known better than to order it in the first place. The muddy-
brown liquid he’d been given was half cold and tasted bitter from
sitting too long in the pot. He added more sugar, took another sip
and put the cup down. He knew Luke was a hardhead and
convincing him of anything wasn’t going to be easy. He’d have to
take things slowly, and he’d need every bit of patience he
possessed. Getting Luke to trust him would be the first and biggest
step and also the hardest. If he was successful and was able to get
Luke to lighten up a little, anything was possible. Perhaps the two
of them could then move past all the dancing around and, at the
very least, become friends. Whether or not the friendship would
develop into something deeper was anyone’s guess.

A movement to Travis’s right caught his attention, along with

ONCE UPON A SECRET

the soapy scent of freshly washed hands. He turned to look, his
nerves quickly tightening, as Luke pushed back his battered old
Stetson and slid onto the next stool.

“Thanks for coming. You want something to drink while we

talk?”

Luke grabbed a handful of peanuts from a nearby dish, tossed a

few into his mouth and inclined his head toward Travis’s cup.
“That any good?”

“No. Tastes like hell. I can ask the barman to make us a fresh

pot if you like.”

“Nah. Too much bother. I’ll just have a cola.”
“Sounds good, and I need something to eat. You should have

something, too, since you missed dinner?”

A look of exasperation crossed Luke’s face, but instead of

making a comment about Travis not being his mother and this was
supposed to be a business meeting not a dinner date, he sighed and
reached for the menu. “Gotta eat sometime, so it might as well be
now, I guess.”

After giving the barman an order for two cheeseburgers with

the works plus fries, they took their drinks to a table.

Luke took off his Stetson and dropped it on a nearby chair.

Lifting a work-roughened hand, he yawned and shoved his fingers
through his mop of black curls, sending a shiver of need sliding
over Travis’s skin. He wanted to reach out and smooth—

“So, what’s this job you want to talk to me about?”
“It’s the house I just bought.”
Luke’s lips tightened, his body tensed and, for a moment,

Travis thought he was going to get up and walk out. Thankfully,
Luke stayed put, so he continued, “I know you think this is some
kind of come-on or set-up, but I promise it’s not, okay?”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

Luke shrugged. “If you say so.”
“I do say so.” Travis hesitated. This was turning out to be even

worse than he’d anticipated and unless he did something fast…
“But before we get into the real reason I asked to meet with you,
why don’t we just start with a few basic facts and go from there?”

“What facts are those?”
“We’re both gay, and we’re attracted to one another. And

please, Luke, don’t try to deny it because we both know it’s true.
Right?”

“Okay, so it’s true. So what? You think I should go around

shouting, ‘Hey, guess what world, I’m gay and I’ve got the hots for
old Travis here.’”

“Of course not. If you want to spend your entire life in the

closet, then that’s your choice and your business. But instead of
making such a big deal about my family’s money and their social
standing, and trying to convince yourself I’m just another rich guy
out to use you and toss you aside, why can’t you treat me the same
way you’d treat any other guy who catches your attention.”

Luke’s lips twisted in reluctant smile. “But you’re not just any

other guy, are you?”

“Of course, I am. I’m not my father, and I’m not the person you

seem determined to paint me. I’m me. I’m exactly what you see.”

“Right. And what I see is the son of a very rich man.”
Travis experienced a quick surge of angry frustration. “Then

maybe you should take a second look from an entirely different
angle?”

“And what angle is that?”
“You and my father are both business owners; I’m just a

salaried employee.”

“My business is peanuts compared to his.”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

“So what? There’s nothing to stop you from becoming the

number one landscaper in the state if that’s what you want.”

Luke laughed and shook his head. “You never give up, do

you?”

As his frustration receded, Travis smiled and allowed himself

to relax a little. “Sorry, it runs in the family. Just so you know, my
grandfather was an immigrant, too. No money, but big dreams
when he came to this country. His name was Ivan Baranowski and
he was a bricklayer who worked hard and made a ton of money.
He eventually met and married a woman from a wealthy family
and changed his name to Barrington.”

“The good old American dream come true, huh?” Luke said.

He took a sip of his drink, appearing a little less tense than when
he’d first arrived, and Travis let go a small sigh of relief. “It’s what
this country is supposed to be all about.”

A waitress came by with their food, asked if there was anything

else they wanted, then took off.

Travis reached for the bottle of ketchup and added some to his

fries. “What about your father?” he asked. “What does he do?”

“My dad was born here. He has his own business, which he

started with his father, making furniture.”

“What kind of furniture?”
“The kind you rich folks buy.” Travis ignored the barb, and

Luke continued, “It’s all one-of-a-kind, hand-carved specialty
pieces. They started off small, just the two of them, and now he has
about a dozen employees.”

“You weren’t interested in making furniture?”
“Not a chance.” Luke put down his fork and grinned. “Much to

my parents’ disappointment, of course, but hey, that’s the way it
goes. Dad is content to continue in his father’s footsteps. I want to

ONCE UPON A SECRET

make my own.”

“I feel the same about bigger and better hotels. I hate all that

stainless steel and endless acres of tinted glass. I’d much rather buy
a piece of rundown property and turn it into something special.”

“You’re kidding?” Luke looked surprised. “Does your old man

know that?”

“Not yet.” Travis took another bite of his surprisingly good

burger, chewed it slowly and then swallowed. “I’ll have to tell him
one of these days. Maybe I’ll do it after the new hotel is up and
running.”

“So what do you need me to do?” Luke asked as he finished the

last of his fries and pushed the empty plate to one side.

“Well, this property I’ve bought was once owned by a couple

of rock stars who never quite made it in showbiz. It’s big, half a
dozen bedrooms, but it’s little more than a shell because the money
ran out before it was finished and the grounds, which are quite
extensive, have never been touched. Other than a swimming pool
they started, but never finished. I have a few ideas I’d like to
explore, so it promises to be a big job. I thought you might be
interested.”

Luke’s dark eyes suddenly lit up. “I’ll have to take a look

before I commit to anything, but the bigger, more important jobs I
do, the better it looks on my resume.”

“I hoped you’d say that.” Travis beckoned the waitress and

handed her a credit card. “Shall we go take a look before the sun
goes down?”

Another warm grin spread across Luke’s face and wrapped

itself firmly around Travis’s heart. “Just lead the way.”

* * *

ONCE UPON A SECRET

Whatever Luke had been expecting, he could barely believe his

eyes as he parked his truck behind Travis’s vehicle on the rough
ground surrounding a two-story French manor house. It glowed
like molten gold in the rays of the setting sun and was, in Luke’s
opinion, far and away the most beautiful house he’d ever seen. He
couldn’t tell without actually checking whether it was built from
real stone blocks, or if the effect had been more economically
achieved with some type of cladding. Whatever the construction,
he was surprised it hadn’t been snapped up long ago and turned
into a B&B, or even a private residence. Although, being on the
landward side of the highway and completely hidden behind a line
of scrub and a slight dip in the terrain, probably not too many
people, including himself, even knew it was here.

As Luke got out of his truck, Travis joined him. “So…what do

you think?”

“It’s fabulous,” Luke said softly. “I can’t believe it’s just been

left here to molder away.”

“Me either. And it’s pure luck I found it,” Travis admitted.

“The Realtor I called said he had nothing to show me except this
one place no one wanted because it had never been finished. He
said the house was little more than a shell and the grounds were
untouched, and it would take considerable time and expense to
make it habitable. The previous owners had just walked away
when the bank foreclosed. The bank, of course, held the title, but
they were willing to let it go for pretty much whatever they could
get, so I decided to take a look.”

“And fell in love at first sight?”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“Yeah, me, too.” Luke felt Travis place a hand on his shoulder.

The touch was light, tentative almost, but Luke resisted the urge to

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pull away. He knew the reasons he’d given Travis for not getting
involved were just excuses. The same kind of nonsensical excuses
he’d been giving himself for years. Such as saying he was worried
what his dad might say or think when he was ninety-nine percent
sure his dad already knew. Why else would he have told Luke’s
mother to “quit bothering the boy” the last time she’d asked why
he didn’t go find himself a nice girl. Especially when that last time
had been a couple of years ago, and she’d never even hinted at it
since. As for using Travis’s wealthy family as an excuse, Luke
knew that was just downright nuts.

The pressure on his shoulder increased slightly, and he caught a

whiff of body heat along with the faint scent of either soap or
aftershave. Travis’s nearness felt good, making him want to lean
back and feel their bodies touching.

“Want to see the inside?”
“Sure.”
“Just don’t expect too much,” Travis warned as he inserted a

key in the lock on the front door. “One bathroom is semi-finished,
meaning there’s a working shower and a toilet, but they never got
around to connecting the fixtures in the other bathrooms, and the
kitchen is a total shambles. I’ve had a stove and refrigerator
hooked up, but the cabinets haven’t been installed. They’re all in
bits in the original packing cases.”

“At least the windows look to be okay,” Luke said as he

followed Travis inside.

“They are now, but most of them here on the first floor were

broken,” Travis replied, “so I had to have them fixed right away.
The walls have been plastered and given what looks to be one coat
of paint, but they’re in one helluva mess. Food, notes in marker
pen, and who knows what else all over them. I tried scrubbing off a

ONCE UPON A SECRET

bit of the writing, but it was useless. Once I’ve cleaned off the
worst, I’ll have to use the very best undercoat I can find.”

“At least the flooring has been laid,” Luke remarked, bending

down to check if the tile was real or synthetic.

“Yes, thank God. That tile was imported from Italy and, I’m

told, a special craftsman was hired to lay it here in the foyer, along
the main hallway, the kitchen and also in each of the four
bathrooms. All the other rooms have good quality wood flooring,
but the previous owners didn’t take proper care of it and now it’s a
mess everywhere you look. Dings, dents, spills, and some parts so
badly damaged they’ll have to be replaced.

“There’s also a major problem with the roof at the back

southwest corner. I don’t know if it’s a fault in the original
construction or what happened, but water pours in every time it
rains and the bedroom below is a total mess.”

“That’s not something you’re planning to fix yourself, is it?”

Luke wondered aloud.

“No way. The guy who built the place is long gone, so I spoke

to the main contractor we’re using for the hotel and he put me in
touch with a roofer he knows. The guy came and checked it out,
and said he’ll have it fixed sometime within the next week. There’s
no rain in the immediate forecast, but he’s covered it with a tarp
just in case.”

“In the meantime, you’re living here?”
“If you can call it living. I have most of my stuff crammed into

a couple of the downstairs rooms, while I’m camping out in
another. It’s inconvenient in many ways, but a good incentive for
me to get started on making it habitable. I figure the kitchen first
and then one of the bedrooms. With the rest, I can just take my
time. Now, I’d like to show you the outside before it gets too

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dark.”

The huge plot of land the house stood on was, as Travis had

warned, uneven, never before cultivated ground, covered with
coarse grass, weeds and bushes. Depending on what Travis had in
mind, Luke knew the first thing to be done would be to remove the
present growth and level it. After that, with a little imagination and
a lot of hard work, the property could be transformed into
something truly spectacular.

“This was the start of a swimming pool,” Travis said, pointing

to a good-sized hole, several feet deep, behind which stood two
huge mounds of earth. “Fortunately, they never got beyond this
point, and they didn’t get rid of the dirt they took out, so it’s a
simple matter of filling it in again.”

“You don’t want a pool?”
“Not my thing.” Travis shrugged. “But if I did, it wouldn’t be

here. I’d have it inside the house. If I want to swim in the great
outdoors, all I have to do is walk across the highway where I have
miles of beautiful beach and the Pacific Ocean.”

“So what do you want to do out here? You want lawns, trees,

flowers, what?”

“How about an Italian garden?”
“A what?” Luke stared at Travis, wondering if knew what he

was asking for. “You mean one of those fancy, stylized designs
complete with lawns, box hedges, plane trees, and flowers that
look more plastic than real?”

“No, quite the opposite, in fact.” Travis hesitated, appearing a

little unsure. “At least, I think that’s what it’s called. I saw it on the
Net when I was checking out ideas for the hotel gardens. There
were small areas of green with rustic garden furniture, mostly
wrought iron, flowers and shrubs all growing together. Paved

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pathways with arches, trailing vines wrapped around columns, a
pergola or two, and I believe there was also a small waterfall and a
reflecting pool. Trees, too, of course.”

“Well, you certainly have room for all that.” Luke narrowed his

eyes and rocked back and forth on the heels of his boots, trying to
visualize what Travis had in mind for what he guesstimated to be
close to two acres. “Sure you want something that ambitious? It
would take a lot of man hours, and it won’t come cheap.”

“It’s exactly what I want, and I realize it will probably take

considerable amounts of both time and money,” Travis said. “But
I’m fine with all that because in my opinion a special house like
this deserves to be surrounded by an elegant garden. At least the
house will be special once I quit procrastinating and start getting
the interior kicked into shape. What I don’t want is anything
formal, and no swimming pool, barbeque, or any of the usual
backyard trappings everyone else has.

“So, what do you say? Can you do it? It’s not like a

commercial job, so it doesn’t have to be done quickly, no deadline
or anything. I want it to look natural, like it’s been here forever,
and while I’m no expert, I figure that will take time. Perhaps you
could work on it in between your other jobs.”

The mainstay of Luke’s business was landscaping commercial

properties. He’d done a few private gardens, but nothing this big or
this ambitious, and his fingers itched to get started. “I’d love to do
it. And it definitely can’t be rushed if you want to achieve that
‘been here forever’ look. The ground has never been cultivated, so
we’d have start close to the house and then gradually move
outward, a piece at a time. Give me a few days to think about it
and come up with some detailed plans and a rough cost estimate,
then I’ll call you. How’s that?”

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“Sounds good to me. Take all the time you need.”
As they turned back toward the house, Luke asked, “What

happens when it’s all finished? You plan on selling it?”

Travis seemed surprised by the question. “Absolutely not, no

way. Not a chance. This is my dream house, Luke. My private
paradise, if you like. I know it’s kinda big for just one person, and
it will definitely take time to get everything done the way I have in
mind, but eventually I’ll hire a live-in housekeeper, and I can get a
cat and a dog for company.”

“And a few chickens for their eggs?” Luke teased. “Maybe a

cow, too, for milk.”

Travis smiled. “Bad idea. Dogs love to chase chickens, and I

wouldn’t have the first clue what to do with a cow.”

“You could try milking it,” Luke suggested, straight-faced.
Travis laughed. “Very funny, but I think I’ll pass.”
When they got to Luke’s truck, Travis said, “Would you like to

come in for a beer or something before you leave?”

Luke hesitated. In spite of his reluctance to meet with Travis,

he’d enjoyed their time together, and that made Travis’s offer to
extend the visit more than a little tempting. Much as he wanted to
accept, Luke was painfully aware he’d come a very long way in
one short day. So far and so fast his head was still spinning, and he
knew better than to go and spoil things by trying to make up for a
lifetime of self-denial in the space of a few hours.

If he went back into that house with Travis right now, a drink

would be the absolute furthest thing from both their minds, and he
just wasn’t ready for that. He needed a little time and space before
doing anything like that. Enough to completely let go of all his
hang-ups and get his head straight, and be one hundred percent
certain he was ready to step out into the light. “Rain check?”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

“Of course. Let me know when you have something to show

me, and we’ll get together to discuss it. As I said, no rush.”

* * *

Over the next week, in between work, thinking about Travis

and constantly wondering if he could actually go through with his
decision to stop hiding the fact he was gay, Luke worked on a plan
for Travis’s Italian garden. If something did develop between the
two of them, he wanted it to be out there for the whole world to
see. He was through sneaking around. In the evenings, Luke spent
most of his time online, researching different garden designs and
styles. He also went to the local library and studied a bunch of
books that had pictures and plans of famous European gardens,
both past and present.

The plot of land where the house was located was considerably

deeper than it was wide, and that gave Luke what he thought was a
rather neat idea. By the end of the second week, he had a draft
outline ready to go and a rough estimate prepared. He’d also
viewed the house he was interested in acquiring for himself, made
an offer that was accepted two days later, and even found time to
tell his parents about it. To his surprise, they hadn’t kicked up a
fuss or made him feel as if he was betraying the family by moving
out of the neighborhood. As it was, they couldn’t have been more
accepting. His father said it was high time Luke settled down, and
his mother said she’d need to buy more freezer containers,
otherwise living that far away from home Luke would likely starve
to death.

In those two weeks, Luke had only seen Travis once and that

was from a distance while Luke was putting the finishing touches

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on the fishpond and rock garden at the hotel. Travis hadn’t called
to see how he was doing with the plans for his garden, or for any
other reason, and Luke appreciated his silence. However, now that
his proposal was finished, and despite the fact he still felt nervous
and unsure about going public, Luke knew he couldn’t put off
meeting with Travis indefinitely.

He waited until he’d finished work for the day before keying in

the number of Travis’s cell. Although he half-expected his call to
go to voice mail, Travis came on the line after the first ring. “Hi,
Luke. I thought perhaps you’d changed your mind.”

“About your garden? No. You said to take my time, so that’s

what I’ve been doing.”

“You have something to show me?”
“I have an outline. Nothing’s set in stone, so anything you

don’t like can easily be changed.”

“When do you want to come over?”
Luke hesitated, his pulse rate increasing as he tapped his

fingers against the steering wheel of his truck. “Whenever.
Whenever you can spare the time that is.”

“I’m at the house, so how about now?”
Now? Travis sounded as tense and jumpy as what Luke had

been feeling all day just knowing he had to make this call. He was
also hot, sweaty and still wearing his grubby work clothes. On top
of that, his stomach was grumbling from a combination of tangled
nerves and lack of food. “I can be there in about an hour, if that’s
okay.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

* * *

ONCE UPON A SECRET

Travis closed his cell and slid it back into his pocket. His hands

were shaking and the palms were wet. What in hell was wrong
with him? He never got worked up like this over anyone. He’d a
few short-lived affairs, but he’d always been a take ’em or leave
’em kind of guy, never wanting to commit to anything long term or
thinking about anything beyond the sex. However, after two weeks
of almost no sleep and a few too many occasions when he’d had to
resort to DIY, he was a wreck, horny as hell and jumpy as a cat in
heat.

He took several deep breaths, releasing each one slowly, in an

effort to calm down. He’d known Luke needed time, and he’d told
him to take as much as he needed. Even so, Travis hadn’t expected
him to take this long. He also hadn’t expected the wait would
cause him this kind of mental torture, each day seeming longer
than the last, and every time the phone rang, he’d been quite sure it
was Luke, calling to say he’d changed his mind about the garden.

So what if he had? There were dozens of other landscapers who

could do just as good a job and maybe even better. But Travis
didn’t want them, he wanted Luke, and he didn’t give a rat’s ass
about the garden. Well, he did, but… If Luke changed his mind
about the wretched garden, it would mean he’d changed his mind
about him, too, and Travis couldn’t bear the thought of that
happening.

The truth was he wanted Luke so damn bad he was scared of

blowing things by pushing him in directions he wasn’t ready for, or
just plain didn’t want to go. If he did mess up, Travis knew he’d
never get a second chance.

He took a bottle of whiskey from the kitchen cupboard with the

intention of pouring a small shot to get his nerves under control,
but then he changed his mind and put it back. He had an hour to

ONCE UPON A SECRET

get in shape. Half an hour on the treadmill, then a hot shower
followed by a minute or two under the cold spray should do the
trick. If not, and Luke gave him any funny looks, he’d just have to
plead overwork, or say it was something he’d eaten, or… He’d
think of something.

By the time Luke finally arrived, a little over an hour later,

Travis had himself under control, at least on the outside. His
insides were still behaving like a flock of frenetic butterflies.

“So, what do you have for me?” he asked as he led the way to

the kitchen, currently the only room where he could entertain
visitors. Since Luke’s last visit, he’d given the tile floor a good
cleaning, and he’d unearthed his kitchen table and chairs and set
them up.

“As I said, it’s only a rough outline,” Luke warned as he

unrolled the plans he’d brought and spread them out on the table.
“Do you have something I can use to hold this down?”

Travis handed him a couple of cans of soup, a heavy glass vase,

and the bottle of whisky. “These do?”

Once Luke had anchored his drawing flat, he invited Travis to

take a look.

Travis stepped closer, determined to close his mind to both

Luke’s scent and proximity, at least for now. “What am I looking
at?”

“A couple of ideas for now. I should have taken a few

measurements, which I’ll need to do before I can finalize anything.
But from what I remember, the plot is oblong-shaped, more deep
than wide, so instead of a central pathway bordered by columns
and trailing vines which would draw attention to that aspect, I’ve
come up with two possibilities.

“The first would be very informal and require minimum

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upkeep: an extended patio area bounded by columns connected by
arches along the widest edge, and beyond that there would be
winding pathways, a wild flower meadow, sitting areas with
maybe a small statue or two, and perhaps a waterfall rather than a
pool. If, sometime in the future, you decide to go the self-sufficient
route, you would have room at the far end for a walled vegetable
patch, complete with espaliered fruit trees.”

Travis rested a hand on Luke’s shoulder and leaned in a little

closer. He felt Luke’s muscles tense slightly, but he made no
attempt to shrug Travis off. “And the second idea?”

“Well…” Luke turned his head slightly.
With the smell of Luke’s heat invading his senses, and their

mouths mere inches apart, Travis remained motionless, unable to
breathe. For a split second, he thought Luke might move in even
closer, but after what seemed a lifetime, the moment passed and
Luke returned his attention to his plans.

“I know you said you didn’t want anything too formal, but this

design would have a more tamed look. There would be a central
courtyard with a fountain and seating, low box hedges dividing the
flower beds, and because of the width versus depth thing, the
pathway would encircle the property rather than go straight down
the middle.”

“Which idea do you think would work best?” Travis asked.
“Well…I think the first one would give you the look you’re

aiming for. It’s relaxed and romantic, and it goes perfectly with the
style of the house and, for me, that’s a big consideration. Also, the
minimum upkeep aspect is a huge advantage. A couple of weeds
and a few dead flowers would blend in rather than stand out.”

“Whereas your other idea sounds more like the gardens of a

medieval castle and, as such, would require the attention of a

ONCE UPON A SECRET

gardener, correct?”

“It doesn’t need to be that stiff or stylized, but it would require

more attention. If there are aspects you particularly like, such as
the fountain say, I could probably incorporate them into my first
idea.”

“No. I love the first one exactly the way you describe it.” He

gave Luke’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “It sounds very restful and
romantic. The perfect spot to relax with a glass of wine after a busy
day.”

“Yeah, it does,” Luke agreed softly. “In fact, if you’ve got a

couple of cold beers and something to sit on, we could fire up our
imaginations and give it a trial run. Try to project what it’ll look
like when it’s done.”

Although surprised by Luke’s suggestion, Travis knew enough

not to question it. “There’s an empty packing case out there where
I sometimes sit to drink my morning coffee. Will that do?”

“Sure. And I can start taking some of the measurements I’ll

need while you rustle up the beer.”

When Travis came out of the house with two frosty cans of

lager, he found Luke sitting on the packing case, elbows on his
knees, and his chin resting on his clasped hands.

He set one of the cans on the ground beside Luke and sat down

next to him. “Finished measuring already?”

“No, I’m thinking.”
“About?”
“That great big hole. It’s far too large for a lily pond, so the

first thing I’ll need to do is hire a bulldozer to fill it in and also
level the ground. I can’t do anything until that’s been done.”

Travis popped the tab on his can and took a sip. “And when

that’s finished?”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

“I’ll make a start on the patio. I’ll need you to select the tiles

you want and you’ll have to let me know your preferences when it
comes to things like columns and statues. I can bring you some
catalogues, or you can check them out yourself on the Net.”

“Sounds good. And I checked the cost estimates you left on the

table. I know they’re rough and subject to change, but they seem
very reasonable to me.”

Luke looked at him and grinned. “So, do we have a deal?”
“Sure do. Shake on it?” Travis held out a hand.
Instead of taking his hand, Luke hesitated. The grin

disappeared and his expression turned serious, giving Travis the
feeling Luke was about to put an end to the tension between them
by saying something he didn’t want to hear. Like making it clear
this was business and nothing more.

But then a faint smile softened Luke’s features, and he said,

“Why don’t we kiss on it instead? It’s what we both want, right?”

If Luke had wanted to surprise Travis, he’d succeeded. Kissing

Luke had been his number one fantasy for weeks. Even so, it took
Travis a couple of seconds to convince himself he was not
imagining things, and that Luke had actually spoken the words
aloud.

“You really want me to kiss you?” Travis asked, feeling his

body react at the thought.

“Unless you have some kind of objection.”
Travis rubbed the pad of his thumb over Luke’s so very

kissable lips. “There’s no easy way of me asking this, but—“

“Is this the first time for me?” Luke parted his lips, and Travis

felt the insistent glide of Luke’s tongue against his thumb. “No.”

Travis replaced his thumb with his mouth, and as he gently

brushed his lips against Luke’s, every nerve in his body sprang to

ONCE UPON A SECRET

life. “I can’t believe this is happening,” he murmured, aware of the
slight quiver to his voice as he put his arms around Luke and drew
him close. “I’ve wanted it to happen. I’ve wanted it for weeks, and
I can’t tell you how much, but I was beginning to think it never
would. Why…”

Suddenly, Travis didn’t care why, only that it was. Luke was in

his arms, Luke’s tongue was seeking entry into his mouth, and it
was Luke’s hands that were urgently stroking his cock. He was so
hard and so ready, he desperately wanted release, but first, he
wanted to feel the hot, wet silk of Luke’s tongue and lips take
possession of his aching shaft and draw it into his mouth. Only
then did he want Luke to suck and tease and slowly push him over
the edge.

“Stand up,” Luke whispered. “Your pants are in my way.”
Excited by the way Luke was taking the lead, Travis did as he

asked and the next thing he knew his track pants were down
around his ankles and Luke was sliding a condom over Travis’
erection.

“Spread your legs a little,” Luke instructed.
“So you have done this before,” Travis said, wishing Luke

would just get on with it. The ache in his cock was nothing
compared to the pain in his balls. He was so hard, so tight, he
ready to burst.

“A time or two,” Luke agreed as he reached between Travis’s

legs and added to the agony by squeezing his balls.

Travis held his breath, wondering what in hell Luke was

waiting for. But then Luke turned him around and he felt Luke’s
fingers exploring his crack, spreading his ass cheeks and inserting
what felt like a wet finger into his hole.

After a moment, Luke straightened and wrapped his arms

ONCE UPON A SECRET

around Travis from behind.

“I want to fuck you,” Luke said quietly. “Will you let me do

that?”

Travis was so damn hot and so wound up he was ready to agree

to just about anything. “We’d better go inside.”

Luke laughed softly and kissed Travis’s shoulder as he ran a

finger along the underside of Travis’s prick. “Why? The sun’s
gone and it’s almost dark in case you haven’t noticed. So, unless
you have nosy neighbors wearing night vision glasses, we’re fine
right here.”

“You think?” Travis swallowed convulsively and drew in a

long, shaky breath. He’d never done it anywhere other than in a
locked room or a place where he had a reasonable expectation of
privacy. But the fear of getting caught, no matter how unlikely,
added an unexpected thrill Travis had never experienced before,
and he intended to enjoy it to the maximum.

Luke’s hands and mouth were everywhere, exciting and all

consuming. One minute, they were stroking Travis’ chest and
squeezing his nipples while his teeth were nipping at his neck; the
next his tongue was licking its way slowly down his back.

By the time Luke told him to bend over and he felt the tip of

Luke’s tongue teasing his hole, Travis was on fire. His heart was
thudding against his ribs as Luke pushed one finger inside, and by
the time he’d added a second and loosened the muscle sufficiently
to allow entry, he was having trouble with his breathing.

If Luke didn’t hurry up… He heard the faint sound of

something tearing and the crinkle of a package being opened, and
then Luke’s hand was against his mouth. “The condom’s lubed,”
Luke said. “But you’d better give me some spit, just in case.”

“I can’t believe you came all prepared. Were you planning for

ONCE UPON A SECRET

this to happen?”

Luke spread his butt cheeks wide, and Travis felt the pressure

of Luke’s cock seeking entry. “I didn’t plan it exactly. I just
figured I was getting a bit old for secrets, and it had to happen
between us sooner or later. Anyway, who really cares these days?”

“I care,” Travis said, loving the delicious slide of Luke’s cock

as it filled him completely and then withdrew.

As Luke pushed in again, his hands took possession of Travis’s

engorged shaft, slowly upping the speed of his strokes until
suddenly he paused, and Travis knew he had them both perched on
a very precarious edge. The pause lasted less than a second before
Luke’s sweat-soaked body was slamming into him again and
again, and they were falling down the other side of the mountain
into the longest, most incredible moment of release Travis had ever
known.

“Holy fucking shit!” Travis exclaimed as he collapsed on the

ground and rolled over onto his back. “I guess this really wasn’t a
first for you.”

Luke lay down beside him and ran his forefinger over Travis’s

lips. “No. My first time was in high school.”

“Why the long wait to come out?”
“Because…” Luke sighed.
“Because you figured your family would disown you?”
“That’s what I tried to tell myself, and that’s why I didn’t

advertise and why I restricted my sex life to trips out of town,”
Luke admitted. “Although I have the feeling my dad’s always
known.”

“Better to be disowned than what my father wanted me to do.”
“What was that? Get married so you could give him

grandkids?”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

Travis turned his head toward Luke. “How did you know that?”
“I didn’t. I just know some people can’t handle the reality,

especially if it involves an only child. In my case, I have sisters, so
the grandchild issue is well taken care of.”

“So where do we go from here?” Travis asked. “I mean was

tonight just a one-off, or what?”

“It’s whatever we want it to be.”
“How about the start of something good? We can do stuff

together. Have dinner, go to a show and then later…” Travis
closed his eyes and smiled.

“Come back here and fuck each other’s brains out?”
Travis chuckled. “Now that part I really like the sound of.”
“Me, too,” Luke agreed. “Hey, what happened to the beer you

brought out?”

It was too dark to see the two cans of beer, but Travis struggled

to his feet, pulled up his pants and tried a little unsuccessful
fumbling around on the ground. “I have no idea, so I suggest we go
in the house and find ourselves fresh ones.”

“Nah, it’s getting late,” Luke said as he got to his feet. “Time I

went home anyway.”

“Do you have to?”
“No.”
“In that case, why don’t you stay?”
“Stay where? All you have is a tiny sleeping bag and one easy

chair.”

“There’s a motel down the road a ways.”
“And at my place, I have a very comfortable double bed. We

can go there.”

“But…”
Luke wrapped his arms around Travis and held him tight. “I’m

ONCE UPON A SECRET

tired of secrets and worrying about someone finding out I’m gay.
I’m finished with all that. If anyone doesn’t like what we’re doing,
then it’s too damn bad. They’ll just have to suck it up.”

* * *

Over the next couple of months Luke’s life changed drastically.

All for the better as far as Luke was concerned. He and Travis
were a couple now, even though they didn’t exactly live together,
but that was a decision they’d shelved temporarily until Luke
figured out a way of telling his family. In the meantime, the two of
them went out shopping, to restaurants and the movies, or just for
walks on the beach, and somewhat to Luke’s surprise, no one paid
them the slightest bit of attention.

In that time, Luke had completed the purchase of his new house

and moved in, and he’d made a good start on Travis’s Italian
garden. The ground had been leveled and the big hole filled in. In
addition, the area designated for the patio was now covered with
the most gorgeous imported, and unbelievably expensive,
flagstones Travis had decided he had to have, even if it meant
putting some of his other house related projects on hold
temporarily. Now, the next big step was to put up the columns and
the archways, and since none of Luke’s current employees were
qualified to do that, he’d arranged for specialized help.

The previous evening, he’d attended the opening of the

Barrington Group’s new Rock Bay Hotel as Travis’s guest. He’d
felt a little weird all dressed up like a penguin and being introduced
to the town’s movers and shakers, but he’d wanted to do Travis
proud and the night had turned out to be a whole lot more fun than
he’d expected.

ONCE UPON A SECRET

Early this morning, Luke had dropped by his parents’ house,

and his mom had given him a funny look when she’d pointed out a
picture in the local paper—the one of him and Travis, arms around
one another, taken at last night’s opening. He’d felt a little
uncomfortable for a moment, wondering if she expected him to
spell things out. Then the moment passed without him saying
anything, and all she’d said was that Luke looked great in a tux and
that was the end of that.

He’d also met Travis’s parents last night when they arrived for

a quick, overnight visit to attend the opening. Travis had already
told them about his new house and after the party, Travis said
they’d asked to see it before returning to Arizona.

Travis had introduced Luke to his parents as both the person

responsible for landscaping the hotel grounds and also as his very
good friend. They’d both been relaxed and friendly toward him—
no undercurrents Luke could detect—so he was content to be at the
house working on the Italian garden when Travis brought them
over for the tour.

After showing his parents the inside of the house, Travis

brought them outside and explained what was planned for the
balance of the currently empty stretch of bare earth.

“It sounds wonderful, son,” Travis’s father said, smiling and

looking every inch the proud papa. “I’m so proud of you for taking
on a project of this size single-handedly, and I’m looking forward
to seeing it when it’s all finished. But I’m not really surprised
you’d enjoy doing this kind of thing. You take after your
grandfather in so many ways, and transforming a neglected wreck
into a jewel was exactly the kind of thing he always loved to do.
After all, it’s how the first Barrington Hotel came into existence.
He took a broken down old building no one wanted and performed

ONCE UPON A SECRET

a miracle that’s still admired and remarked upon even to this day.”

“I’m not doing it completely single-handed,” Travis said,

returning his father’s smile. “I have Luke here to help me. He
doesn’t know it yet, but on rainy days when he can’t work outside,
I’m going to get him started on painting the walls.”

Luke stood up and brushed the dirt from the knees of his jeans.

“Oh, yeah. I thought the plan for rainy days was for you to do the
painting and for me to sit and watch.”

Travis had offered to drive his parents back to the airport, and

as they were about to leave, Travis’s mom turned to Luke and
offered him her hand along with a friendly smile. “I’m so glad to
have met you, Luke. And I’m so happy my son has found himself
such a wonderful friend,” she said quietly. “His father and I are
both very much old school, so there are things we may tend to be a
little slow in accepting. But we’re both hoping the next time Travis
pays us a visit you’ll come, too. Promise?”

Later in the day when Travis returned to the house, he appeared

to be more than a little preoccupied. However, he’d brought with
him what he knew to be Luke’s favorite take-out pizza for their
supper, and Luke took it as a good sign. Whatever was bothering
Travis, Luke knew he’d spit it up sooner or later.

After eating most of his share of the pizza in silence, Travis

finally said that, after a lengthy discussion, he and his father had
agreed on their respective, albeit temporary, roles in the company.
For now, his father would become chairman of the board, and
Travis would be named president and take care of the company’s
day-to-day business. If a change occurred in his father’s physical
condition, which wasn’t likely, they would revisit the subject.
Also, if they decided to go ahead with plans to build one more
hotel, which wasn’t something they intended doing right now even

ONCE UPON A SECRET

though they owned suitable property farther south, Travis would
hire a project manager to handle all the details.

“If and when you do build another property, will I get the

landscaping contract?” Luke asked jokingly in an attempt to
lighten Travis’s serious mood.

“Before any final decision is made, I hope my father will either

sell the damn company, or convince my cousin, Leo, to take over
its management,” Travis said bluntly. “I know it’s a family thing.
Unfortunately, building hotels is not mine.”

“Does your dad know how you feel?” Luke knew Travis wasn’t

crazy about modern high-tech buildings or high-powered business,
but this was his heritage they were talking about. “Meaning, what
are the chances of either of those things happening?”

“He knows, but the chances of Dad selling out are pretty much

zero. Leo is his sister Amy’s son. Leo is clever and very capable,
but the multi-national he was employed with made changes he
didn’t like, so he quit. At the moment he’s on sabbatical,
wandering the world, trying to decide what he wants to do next.
When he comes home, which is supposed to be sometime soon,
Dad has promised to have a chat with him.”

“And if Leo refuses?”
“Then we’ll need to have a rethink. My grandfather was

brought up in the old country where the oldest son always inherits.
This is why ownership of the company was left to my Dad with the
proviso that fifty percent of the profits go to his sister. If Leo says
yes, I’d like to see the company split into two divisions—one for
the hotels headed up by Leo, and a second for me to buy up
neglected buildings and turn them into something special.” He
reached out and squeezed Luke’s hand. “If it happens, you’ll be
doing the landscaping for sure.”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

“Have you discussed the idea with your dad?”
“Not yet. I wanted him to see this place first. Show him what

I’m capable of doing before I make my proposal.”

“You want some coffee?” Luke asked as he gathered up the

dirty dishes and cutlery and stacked them in the kitchen sink.

“Sure. Why not?”
Luke had just put water and coffee grounds in the pot and

switched it on, when Travis wrapped his arms around him from
behind and began to nuzzle Luke’s neck. “But you know what I
want a whole lot more than coffee?”

“No idea. What could you possibly want a whole lot more than

coffee?” Luke teased, taking a deep breath as he felt Travis’s
arousal pressing against his butt and his own cock responding. “A
chocolate cookie, maybe?”

“Maybe later.” Travis began to lick Luke’s ears, sending

shivers running down Luke’s back as he undid the fastenings of his
jeans and pushed them down, over Luke’s hips. His fingers stroked
lightly over Luke’s belly, up and over his chest, then down to the
juncture of Luke’s legs where he grasped Luke’s dick and caressed
the tip with the pad of his thumb. “Right now, lover, all I want is
you. Just turn around, okay?”

As Luke turned, Travis dropped to his knees and took Luke

into his mouth. Travis sucked him gently at first, his fingers
alternately stroking his erection and fondling his balls until Luke
groaned and begged him to hurry it up.

Grasping Luke’s ass cheeks in both hands. Travis quickly drew

him all the way in. The sucking grew harder, more insistent, and
then Luke felt Travis move a finger down his crack and push
against his hole.

Luke’s legs were shaking with the need to come, and he knew

ONCE UPON A SECRET

was on the verge of exploding. However, as Travis suddenly
released him, he realized what Travis really wanted. Travis wanted
to fuck him, and Luke wanted that, too.

“Give me a second to find the condoms and the lube,” Travis

said hoarsely, pushing himself upright and leaving the kitchen.

Luke barely had time to step out of his jeans before Travis was

back, telling Luke to bend over and squirting enough lube into his
hole to permit easy entry.

They were both on fire, desperate to come, but, as always,

Travis refused to rush. He mounted Luke slow and easy, holding
them both back by grasping Luke’s cock firmly at the base until
he’d established a steady rhythm. Then, loosening his grasp, Travis
began to stroke him and ride him hard until there was no holding
back for either of them. Luke felt Travis tense and his cock spasm,
and then it was Luke’s turn to shoot his own load.

Even though they were both satisfied, Travis continued to hold

Luke and stroke him, and while Travis wasn’t big on expressing
his feelings, Luke knew how deeply he cared. Speaking for
himself, he couldn’t imagine life without Travis. Travis had
become his lover and his friend, and pretty much Luke’s whole
world…in fact, thinking how much they’d become their own little
family unit gave Luke a brilliant idea. What if…

A little while later as he was making a fresh pot of coffee, Luke

said casually, “It’s Thanksgiving next week. Do you have any
special plans?”

“Not since my parents moved to Arizona. Why? Should we buy

ourselves a turkey and make cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie?”

“Actually, I have a better idea, but for now it’s a secret.”
“I hate secrets. You want to make a picnic on the beach? Fly to

Vegas for the Thanksgiving weekend? Paris? London? What?”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

Leaving the coffee to percolate, Luke went over to where

Travis was sitting and buried his head in Travis’s lap. “I’m not
telling you because it’ll spoil the surprise. You’ll just have to wait
and find out.”

“I don’t much like surprises either. Will I like it?”
“You might. Then again, maybe not.”
Over the next few days, Travis did everything possible to make

Luke tell him what they would be doing for the holidays, but Luke
simply smiled and kept his mouth firmly closed.

Thanksgiving morning dawned clear and sunny, and Luke,

who’d stayed at his own house that night, called Travis right after
breakfast. After telling Travis to dress as if they were going to a
nice restaurant, he said he’d be there to pick him up within the
hour.

“We’re going to a restaurant?” Travis sounded disappointed.
Luke chuckled. “You’ll see.”
Travis was ready and waiting when Luke got to his house.
“Come on,” Travis pleaded. “The suspense is killing me.

Surely you can tell me now.”

Luke waited until Travis opened the passenger door of his truck

and got in. “Like I said, it’s a surprise.”

“Oh, yeah. Well, I, too, have a surprise,” Travis confided as

Luke turned onto the highway and headed back toward Rock Bay.
“And I’ll tell you mine if you’ll tell me yours.”

“Not a chance.” Luke tapped the seatbelt. “Put that on, then sit

back and enjoy the ride. We’ll be there shortly.”

As they approached the downtown area, Luke knew Travis was

still sure they were going to a restaurant, but he said nothing as he
just continued on.

Suddenly, Travis said, “I know where we are. This is Little

ONCE UPON A SECRET

Italy, right?”

Luke drew into the curb and parked outside his parents’ home.

“We have a tradition in my family,” he said quietly. “Everyone
comes home for Thanksgiving dinner, no excuses accepted, and
we’re all supposed to bring a friend.”

Travis looked worried. “You sure your parents will be okay

with you bringing me?”

“My parents love me, and I love them,” Luke stated simply.

“But now you’re a big part of my life. It’s time for you to get to
know them and for them to get to know you. Think you can handle
that?”

“If they can, I guess I can.” Travis reached for Luke’s hand and

squeezed it hard. “To tell the truth, though, I’m a lot scared.”

“Me, too,” Luke said. “So let’s go do it now.”

* * *

Later that night, as he and Travis sat out on the patio at Luke’s

house, drinking a cold beer, Luke was still inwardly marveling at
how well the day had gone.

His sisters and their husbands had seemed a trifle stiff at first,

but they’d soon warmed up, and Luke’s Dad had welcomed Travis
like he was another son. As for his mom, well that had been a
classic case of love at first sight. The moment his mom said she
still had the cranberry sauce to make and Travis started yammering
on about how he made his, the two of them had disappeared into
the kitchen together and that was the last Luke had seen of either
one of them until dinner was served.

“You have a great family,” Travis said. “I really enjoyed the

day.”

ONCE UPON A SECRET

“So did I,” Luke admitted. “For a secret surprise, it went even

better than I hoped. By the way what about your secret? The one
you mentioned this morning when I picked you up.”

“Secret? Oh, right, I almost forgot. Well… My dad called me

first thing this morning to wish me Happy Holidays and showered
me with a whole bunch of surprises.”

“He wants to take back control of the company?”
“No way. Leo got back a couple of days ago and called him to

see if there were any vacancies at Barrington’s. Dad told him yes,
there were a couple of them, but he needed to talk to me first.
Anyway, long story short. Dad had himself a nice think about the
situation and came up with what he thinks is a fabulous idea.”

“And?”
“Dad has always believed Barrington’s should have been

willed to him and his sister equally. So, to redress what he
considers is a gross injustice, he’s wondering if, rather than selling
out and dividing the proceeds, which he admits would break his
heart, what did I think about the company opening a separate
division to continue grandfather’s legacy of breathing new life into
old buildings. Leo would be in charge of the hotel business, and it
would be up to me to start up the new division and turn it into a
profitable operation.”

“Of course, you said yes?”
“Absolutely. I’ve often wondered if my dad was psychic; now I

have proof.” He paused, giving Luke a considering look. “There’s
also something you and I need to discuss.”

“And that is?”
“We’ve met each other’s parents, so we no longer have to

sneak around or pretend, and that makes maintaining two houses
totally unnecessary. Either we live here in your house and turn the

ONCE UPON A SECRET

manor house into a B&B, or we rent or sell this one and live at the
manor house ourselves. What do you think?”

“I thought you said the manor house was your dream house.

Your private paradise.”

“It is, but we have to be practical.”
“Not with dreams we don’t.” Luke slipped an arm around

Travis’s shoulders and pulled him close. “We’ll live in paradise,
and I’ll call the Realtor first thing Monday morning. Deal?”

“Just like that?”
“Exactly like that.”
Travis ran his hand down the front Luke’s pants, laughing

softly when he got the reaction he expected. “In that case, you’ve
got yourself a deal, lover.”

HRISTIANE

RANCE

Christiane truly believes that love makes the world go round, so
she likes stories with both happy and bittersweet endings.
Christiane has been writing romance for the past twenty years and
lives near Niagara Falls with her husband and The Boys—two
black and white Persian cats.

* * *

Don’t miss The Club At Cool Harbor

by Christiane France,

available at AmberAllure.com!

A year ago, all private investigator Gabe Muller needed to
complete his perfect life was the perfect man. Then he met fellow
P.I., Raz Reynolds, the man of his dreams. The attraction was
mutual, and they made a date for dinner at Raz’s house. When
Gabe arrived, he found Raz on the patio having sex with another
man. Although literally caught with his pants down, Raz tried to
explain that things weren’t at all the way they looked, but Gabe
wasn’t buying it. Hurt and disillusioned, he cut off all contact with
Raz.

Now, the security firm for which Gabe works is hired by the owner
of Le Club, the new all gay males’ resort at Cool Harbor, to stop
the leak of highly sensitive, personal information about members’

leisure-time activities. Posing as a waiter, Gabe arrives to
investigate and immediately runs into Raz, also there undercover.
Although Gabe is working for the owner and Raz for one of the
club members, their goal is the same. For this reason, Gabe
suggests they temporarily put personal differences aside and share
information.

For Raz, it’s the perfect opportunity to try to convince Gabe what
he thought he saw a year earlier wasn’t at all what it seemed.
When Gabe learns the truth, will he believe Raz, forgive him, and
give the man another chance?

MBER

UILL

RESS

, LLC

OLD

TANDARD IN

UBLISHING

UALITY

OOKS

OTH

RINT AND

LECTRONIC

ORMATS

CTION

DVENTURE

USPENSE

HRILLER

CIENCE

ICTION

ARK

ANTASY

AINSTREAM

OMANCE

ORROR

ROTICA

ANTASY

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ISTORICAL

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AVE

www.AmberQuill.com

www.AmberHeat.com

www.AmberAllure.com

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