Chapter 10

TEN

As the rosy fingers of dawn stretched across the sky, Jackson awoke with a start, the remnants of his vivid dream still clinging to him like dew on a spider"s web. Barrett"s lips on his, his body touching the prince"s. The dream had spiraled out of control and now Jackson wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and return to those dreams.

He pushed the memories aside, knowing he had work to do. The farm wouldn"t tend to itself, and Jackson knew that Barrett didn"t want to stay.

A quick summary to his aunt had her storming off to report abduction to the police and then the evening had turned … normal.

Barrett was able to give Jackson a rough idea of where his kingdom was, and Jackson knew that he could take the prince, Thorne and Lark home.

Even if he didn"t want Barrett to go.

Their act was over.

The fastest fake fiancé in the history of the scheme. Now, Barrett had to make good on his end of the deal before Jackson would take him home.

Jackson rose from his bed and dressed in his well-worn overalls and boots, the fabric worn soft against his skin. They"d have a lot of fields to tend to today, and having had to let go of the hands, Jackson would have to return to harvest the crops quickly.

Moving through the hall, he stopped before Barrett"s room and knocked as quietly as he could. Within seconds, the door swung inward, revealing Barrett awake and dressed in Jackson"s clothing.

The sight of Barrett in the faded green flannel and slightly baggy jeans sent Jackson"s mind spinning down an entirely incorrect path.

I could get used to seeing him here.Jackson sighed. But he doesn"t want to stay and I can"t keep him from a family he hasn"t seen in over a decade.

"Morning, sleepyhead," he greeted Barrett with a wink. I hope you"re okay with being up early."

"Good morning, Jackson," Barrett responded, a slight blush tinting his chiseled cheeks. "I think I owe you at least an early morning after all you"ve done." He glanced down the hall. "If we"re being honest, I couldn"t sleep."

Jackson considered telling Barrett he was there if the prince wanted to talk, but he held back. They weren"t dating. They had used each other to do what they needed most.

"Alright, we"ve got work to do," he said, grabbing his worn-out Stetson off the couch behind Barrett. "Ready to make my dead lands grow?"

Barrett smiled, his eyes glinting with mischief. "It"d be my pleasure, Jackson," he said, following Jackson down the stairs.

"You"re certain your magic will work? Even on dead land?"

Barrett"s chuckle was more sensual than he likely knew. "My magic needed a real meal and rest. You supplied both. Growing is what I do." His hand set gently down on Jackson"s shoulder. "I promise."

"We"ll have to dig around the shit dirt first, get it out of the way and hopefully what you grow doesn"t die without proper soil."

Jackson moved as he always did for morning chores - though the animals would have to wait a little longer. Barrett followed beside him at an easy pace. So at ease here and yet still not belonging.

Jackson handed Barrett a shovel off the railing and pointed at the farthest plot. "We"ll start farthest out. Give us something to be thankful for as we get closer back to the house."

"Aye, aye." Barrett gave a mock salute and a small wink. "But I won"t need this." He set the shovel back down. "Come along then, let me show you magic."

As they reached the first plot of land, Jackson watched in awe as Barrett took the shovel and knelt beside it. He lowered his head, eyes closing, and began to whisper under his breath. The dirt around him seemed to tremble just slightly before the soil rose from the ground, sifting through his fingers like sand. As he dug deeper, it seemed that he was communicating with something beneath their feet. Barrett"s face softened, becoming almost peaceful and serene.

Suddenly, giant sprouts popped out of the rich black dirt between his fingers. Each one was perfectly formed and glowing slightly. Barrett grinned at Jackson, "These will do nicely. Carrots, yes?"

"My gosh," Jackson moved forward and set his hands in the dense green top that had appeared by actual magic. His fingers twisted before he pulled, tugging with all his strength as a carrot as long as his forearm sprang from the ground. "This is amazing."

"Told you so. I"m good at making things grow."

Jackson"s mouth went dry as the simple comment became sensual for some reason.

"Umm yes. Come on, there are more fields to tend to and then we have to get you home."

Jackson moved, damn near running toward the wheat field, knowing that if Barrett could make even have the field grow, his livelihood would be saved.

As before, Barrett caught up to Jackson and leaned down nearer the dry and empty soil with dead seeds laying inside.

Barrett"s magic started taking effect damn near instantly they grew quickly and steadily until they were towering green stalks reaching towards the sky with broad leaves rustling in a non-existent breeze. They towered higher than any crop Jackson had ever seen before; he could barely reach their lowest branches without standing on tiptoe.

The miraculous transformation didn"t stop there. Jackson and Barrett spent hours moving from field to field, and even stopping in areas that held no seeds at all.

Each plant began producing fruits and vegetables at an unnatural speed and size. Before Jackson knew it, his farm was unrecognizable from the barren wasteland he"d left a few weeks ago to try to save.

There were tomatoes bigger than watermelons. Cucumbers as long as baseball bats, and corn that seemed to stretch nearly to the clouds which would certainly draw attention. All of which looked ripe for harvesting.

They worked side by side until every inch of land was filled with these magical crops swaying gently in the nonexistent wind currents high up in the sky island realm.

Jackson sighed in relief and wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. He couldn"t believe it. The farm was going to be saved, all thanks to Barrett"s magic and that magical beanstalk that had sprouted from the ground. The sky was painted with hues of orange and pink as the sun began its descent, casting a warm glow over the flora and fauna surrounding them.

"You did it," Jackson"s voice cracked as he looked at what was now a viable farm once more. "Can you do this with everything? Make it as big as you want?"

"I did," Barrett breathed, looking around with awe in his gaze as well. "Not everything. Things from my realm will grow larger than yours."

They stood there for a moment longer, basking in their shared victory. Suddenly, Jackson didn"t care if they"d only been playing roles, he needed to find out for himself.

Jackson couldn"t resist any longer and lunged forward, closing the distance between them with a swift movement. He pressed his lips against Barrett"s, devouring him hungrily as he let out an audible moan. The desire that had been building inside him since their first encounter was finally being released, mixing pleasure with relief in a delicious rush.

Barrett"s arms wrapped around Jackson"s waist, pulling him closer as he let out an audible moan. The sound only fueled Jackson"s desire as he deepened the kiss, exploring every inch of Barrett"s mouth with his tongue.

All thoughts of their fake relationship vanished from Jackson"s mind as he let himself get lost in the moment. The desire that had been building inside him since their first encounter was finally being released, mixing pleasure with relief in a delicious rush.

They broke apart for air, both panting heavily as their foreheads rested against each other. Jackson couldn"t believe what had just happened. He had never felt such intense chemistry with anyone before.

Barrett brushed his fingers along Jackson"s cheekbone, sending shivers down his spine. "I"ve wanted to do that since I first saw you," he admitted breathlessly. "For real and not just to distract the giant."

"Me too," Jackson confessed, unable to keep the smile off his face.

They stayed there for a few more moments, lost in each other"s gazes until the sun began to dip below the horizon and reality came crashing back in.

"We should probably head back," Barrett said reluctantly, breaking the silence between them.

"Yeah," Jackson agreed with a sigh. As much as he wanted to stay there with Barrett forever, they both knew it wasn"t possible.

They made their way back to the farmhouse hand in hand, not bothering to hide their affection anymore. After everything that had happened that day, they both knew they couldn"t go back to pretending nothing had changed between them.

"Go wake Lark and Thorne. I"ll tend to the animals, and then we can get on the road. Her falcon won"t like it, but as long as he stays calm, we"ll be fine. It"ll be a long drive, but I can grow another beanstalk close enough to your kingdom."

I think.

The wind howled as they drove down the winding road, the old truck swaying and creaking as it navigated the twists and turns. The farm had disappeared behind them hours ago, replaced by a blur of trees and buildings flashing past like memories.

The engine rumbled beneath them as Jackson drove through small towns and wide-open spaces dotted with farmland.

They were moving faster than Jackson had ever gone before, and his heart pounded with excitement mixed with nervous anticipation.

He was going to a hotel to illegally plant a giant beanstalk seed, pray that water from a can worked, and then say goodbye to the most interesting person he"d ever met.

Nothing to it, Jackson thought bitterly.

As they traveled closer to the motel in Colorado, Jackson couldn"t help but wonder about what lay ahead - not just the portal to another realm but also the adventures and risks that came with it. His hands tightened on the worn leather of his steering wheel as they passed under an oak tree so large it blocked out the sun for an entire stretch of highway.

The clouds loomed larger now, calling to him like a siren song. He glanced over at Barrett, who leaned against his seat with a small smile on his lips. He seemed so at ease in the truck despite never having been in one before.

In the backseat, Lark sat with her forehead resting against the cool glass window, lost in thought. Her trusty friend still sat perched on her shoulder, feathers fluffed in a comfortable sleep.

Even Thorne was at ease, having fallen asleep at least two hours ago.

Everyone in the truck was at peace - except Jackson.

Jackson"s body was a damn live wire. It was electrified tension waiting to burst after his kiss with Barrett hours earlier.

As dusk settled over the area, Jackson pulled the truck into a small mountainside motel. It looked like something that had seen many days.

The red roof had tons missing shingles, and the white paint on the building peeled back in too many places, revealing prior layers of paint.

"We"re here." He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out the seed bag. "We need to plant this. But, Barrett?"

"Hmm?"

"Any shot your magic is too depleted to have this bean grow without waiting overnight?"

If Barrett thought the request had anything to do with spending more time together, he didn"t let on.

"Honestly? Not a chance. This will have to be all-natural."

Jackson nodded but bit his tongue before saying something stupid.

"Why don"t you let us plant those?" Lark queried as she opened her door.

"Yeah, you two have been at it since dawn. Go get some sleep." Thorne added when he jumped out of the truck. "Just pass that seed here."

For a split second, Jackson worried the duo might steal the seeds, but they"d been through too much in just a few weeks to not trust each other.

Reluctantly, he handed over the brown suede patch, slammed his truck door shut, and headed toward the front door.