Page 67 of Leather and Longing
Paul let out a grateful sigh. “Yes. Iwasgoing to ask.”
“That’s not a problem. I’ll give you my credit card.”
Paul grinned. “Ooh. I like the sound of that,” he joked.
Adam snickered. “Before you decide to go on a spending spree, please remember my sister is in charge of my accounts. She gets to see all the statements. So unless you want to explain to her why I appear to have purchased the entire contents of an online sex shop, think again.” That grin was all kinds of sexy.
“Aw, damn it.” Paul feigned disappointment. “Seriously though, am I okay to make purchases?”
“Sure. Be aware it has a limit of ten thousand pounds, and if I’m not happy with a purchase,you’rethe one who’ll be paying it off.” Adam leaned forward. “You have an idea of what you’re looking for, don’t you?”
It was Paul’s turn to grin. “I have a list.”
Adam caught his breath, his lips parted. He held himself still. Finally, he spoke. “Good luck.”
Paul hadn’t missed the air of hopefulness that clung to Adam. It was a feeling he understood all too well. There was a fluttering in Paul’s belly, too.
I hope this pays off.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Adam openedthe French doors that led from the library onto the veranda, drinking in the salty sea air. He recalled the railing that had run around it when he’d last seen the house, and edged his way forward. Sure enough, there was a wooden railing at waist height, its grain smooth and worn. He leaned on it tentatively, testing to make sure it was safe. A slight creak, nothing more. Adam leaned more heavily, listening to the seagulls soaring above his head, their shrieks loud and raucous. Below him was the ever-constant sound of the sea. Adam let it roll over him, filling his senses, comforting him, taking his attention away from whatever it was Paul was doing.
He listened to his watch. Paul had been in the office for about two hours, and apart from emerging to make coffee, Adam hadn’t heard a peep out of him. Not that the house had been silent. In the last half hour Adam swore he’d heard another voice coming from the office, mechanical in nature.
He tapped his fingers on the railing, straining to hear any extraneous sounds, but there was nothing.
Damn it, how much longer is he going to be?
In spite of his mood of heightened anticipation, Adam had to smile. He’d always been an impatient bastard.
He held his breath when the door to the office opened.
Finally.
Adam came back into the library and closed the French doors behind him. “Well?”
Paul chuckled. “If you sit down, I’ll share my morning’s findings. But first, I need something to eat.”
“Then we’ll sit in the kitchen,” Adam groused. “You can talk and eat at the same time.” He walked through the room and into the kitchen, confident enough to feel his way with his hands instead of the cane. He sat at the table, fingers laced in front of him. “So, talk to me. How much money have you spent, for one thing?”
The fridge opened. “Cold meat and salad for lunch?”
Adam could hear the smile in Paul’s voice.
He growled. “Never mind lunch. I want to know what you’ve discovered.” His stomach rumbled and Adam glanced downward. “Andyoucan shut up for a start.”
Paul was laughing at him, the little shit.
“Okay, I spent four hundred dollars on some software. That equates to about three hundred pounds.” There followed the sound of chopping, as if it was a perfectly reasonable amount.
“Bloody hell!” Adam exclaimed. “What does it do? For that price I’d expect it to make the dinner, do the dishes and send me off to bed with a mug of hot chocolate.” He snorted. “And blow me while I drink it.”
Paul guffawed. “It’s amazing. I’ve downloaded it onto the PC and your laptop. It helps you browse the net, listen to music, print, read print books and e-books, reads aloud what’s on your computer screen, helps you do word processing…” Paul came to a halt and resumed chopping.
“That sounds fantastic,” Adam admitted, a longing swelling inside him. The inability to access technology had been one of his chief regrets. His tutor at Torquay had wanted to guide himthrough what options were available, but Adam had shut him out. Now he was ready to move on.
Now hewantedto move on.
