Page 42 of The Northern Lights in His Eyes

William gasped softly, his eyes round and huge, like he never expected Garvin to say those words, and maybe he was right, because Garvin never anticipated that he’d use them again, but it was true.

“Then you left, and I got a good dose of just how much you had worked your way into my life. Everyone asked about you, Sasha moped, and I wanted to go to bed and not get up. The entire world seemed to have shifted, and I didn’t even realize it until you were gone. I don’t want that to happen again.”

“Then what do you want?” William asked. He swallowed hard but said nothing more.

“What I want doesn’t matter. It’s what you want that counts.”

William smiled and reached across the table, taking Garvin’s hand. “It’s what we both want.” He lightly rubbed his thumb over the backs of Garvin’s fingers. “I have some commitments over the next few months, but after that there isn’t a great deal. And I think I’m okay with that.”

“I see.”

William shook his head. “No, I don’t think you do. I’m going to finish my commitments and then find something else to do with my life.” He grinned. “I was thinking I could become… a lumberjack or something. I can’t just sit on my hands and do nothing. But I can figure that out.”

“Then what’s stopping you?” Garvin asked, every nerve hyperaware of William’s touch. “Wait, it’s me?”

William rolled his eyes. “The thing is that you say how I make you feel, but you haven’t done anything about it.”

Garvin’s skin tingled from head to toe. Could it be that simple? “Would you move to Alaska and live with me? I know that you would need to travel and stuff, but would you make my little cabin your home… our home?” There, he’d put out there what he wanted. It felt like he had taken a huge leap when all he’d really done was ask for what his heart desired.

William grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”

He shook his head. “But what are you going to do about the deals you do have?”

“I’ll finish some of them out while I close up the apartment in LA. My lease is up in a few months. A lot of the stuff there is things I’ve had for a while, so I’ll just sell them and ship up the few things that are really important, like my grandfather’s desk and some decorative things. I don’t need all that much.”

“I was thinking we could expand the one side of the cabin to add an office that could also be a guest room.” It was time Garvin reconnected with his friends and had a place for them to stay. Also, since it was going to be more than just him, they would need some workspace. He leaned over the table. “So is that a yes?”

William nodded. “It is, yes.” He squeezed Garvin’s hand and then released it to pick up his fork. “Finish your lunch. I have something to show you.” He checked his phone. “And we have just enough time to eat and get there.”

GARVIN WASN’T sure what to expect an hour later as they walked into the Orangerie. Honestly, he was expecting a garden of some sort, maybe a glass house filled with tropical plants. Well, it was a garden of sorts, but a garden of impressionist images that took his breath away: Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir. But it was the elliptical rooms of Monet’s Water Lilies that truly transported him. He stood in the center of one room and slowly turned. It was as if he were spending a year in the water garden, the light and color shifting as he turned.

“This is one of my favorite places anywhere,” William said softly from next to him. “And to think Monet was nearly blind when he painted these. I like to think of this as the garden of his memories.” William took his hand, and Garvin slowly turned toward him. “I used to stand here and wonder what it would feel like to see this with someone else… someone I loved.” He squeezed Garvin’s fingers before lightly running his fingers down his cheek. They shared a long moment. The gallery, buzzing with people, seemed to quiet, and it was just the two of them. Garvin liked that idea and wished this moment could last forever.

Garvin leaned closer, but William gently shook his head. Still holding hands, they wandered through the rest of the gallery, returning to the water lilies once more before leaving, strolling through the Tuileries as the shadows cast by the trees began to lengthen.

It was under the shade of one of those huge trees that spread its branches wide that William tugged Garvin off the path and onto the grass. “It was too public in there,” William said as he stood right in front of Garvin.

“I see,” Garvin said as William kissed him gently but deeply.

“I do love you,” William whispered. “And I want to try to build a life together. But… you have to promise me one thing.”

Garvin raised his eyebrows. “What?” he breathed, wondering what was up now.

“That you’ll do your best to keep me warm during the long winter,” William said softly.

Drawing close once again, Garvin pressed his lips to William’s. “That’s something I’ll gladly do for a very long time.”

Chapter 18

WILLIAM STOOD backstage as the designer and one of his assistants fussed over the jacket coat. “It’s just not right,” the assistant said, frustration in her voice. It was a show for a modern line of formal wear, and the designs were interesting, kicking the black tuxedo up a notch or two with small splashes of color and a highly tailored fit.

“He’s too big in the middle,” the designer said, and William looked down and glared at him. He had spent years with designers, assistants, casting agents, and God knows who else commenting on his body. Normally it washed right over him.

“No, I’m not. You’re trying to stuff me into a coat that is a size too small. My detailed measurements were sent over well ahead of time because I was copied on them.” He fixed the designer with a glare before stepping away. “Maybe try that jacket right over there.” He pointed, and the assistant raced over.

“Sorry,” she said, slipping off the jacket William wore and helping him into the new one, which fit like a glove. “That’s perfect.”

The designer stepped back. “It really is.” He smiled, his eyes softening. Then he nodded slightly, which William took as a silent apology. William did the same and smiled as well.

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