Does that hurt?It’s been six months since Jiron was rescued from the rebels hunting King Renato Aratorre, yet while his body has healed from the torture, he fears his mind broken. The mental scars run deeper than any surface wound, taking from him the only thing that ever mattered: his ability to protect his king.

But then there’s also Wyatt, the vivacious young gardener with the infectiously broad smile. The boy is sunshine and temptation wrapped up in one adorable package, and he promises a different life that Jiron might have been tempted to accept…had he not known that Wyatt would never want someone like him.

Careful, little one. Wyatt’s patience has run out.

If the gentle, sombre giant of a man refuses to take the hint that he’s interested in climbing him like a tree, then he’s going to have to make his intentions even more obvious. Wyatt is determined to prove to Jiron that he has worth beyond that of a guard and help him drive the shadows away…but his own past might just catch up with them first.

-A Guard and a Gardener is a side-character novella set after the events of the main Riehse Eshan series and contains a gay romance in a fantasy world. Recommended for adults only; reader discretion is advised.

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