Page 9 of Snowed In

Magnus hummed. “Maybe longer.” He pushed to his feet and steadied himself on Adam’s shoulders. “Is that really so bad?”

Adam couldn’t help his laugh. “No. Trust me, I could think of worse ways to spend a week trapped by a snowstorm.”

“Like in the company of stuffy university professors who think they know better than everyone?”

Adam laughed again. “Exactly. I mean, I don’t know why you hate them so much, but?—”

“It was men like them that nearly cost me my career,” Magnus said sharply, then he softened and let go, taking a step back. “Sorry.”

“No. What do you mean?” Adam pressed.

Magnus’s jaw went tight, and he turned his face away. “I don’t want to ruin what will be a good night with my bitterness. Go set up your blankets and find us a Star War.”

Adam grinned helplessly, even though he wanted to know who had hurt Magnus—just a name so he might find them later and make them pay. But he could save that for another time. There was the promise right now of good food and a reason to stay close to the man he was very quickly falling for.

Chapter Four

Magnus

It didn’t take long for Magnus to finish dinner, but he took more time than he needed in order to compose himself. The afternoon had been domestic in ways that he hadn’t expected. In ways he never thought he could want.

He wasn’t a blushing virgin, but he’d never wanted like this before. His partners in the past had been secondary to his studies and his work. Now, he found himself wishing the thick, heavy winter would last for months, keeping Adam with him.

That was absurd, of course. It was unrealistic and unfair. He and Adam lived very separate lives, and while their jobs had them orbiting each other from time to time, it wasn’t more than that. How could he ask Adam to accommodate him?

And wouldhebe willing if Adam asked him the same thing?

But he was pretty damn sure the other man wanted him. In the store, Adam had stayed in close, guiding his hands when he didn’t need it—and Magnus had happily let him just to make sure his touch lingered. Now, he was waiting for him in the living room with a warm blanket and even warmer arms, and Magnus felt like he was going to tremble right out of his skin.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he nearly lost his orientation as he made his way into the living room and had to pause in the middle of the room and swallow his pride to ask, “Can you help me find you?”

The tray he was holding with both bowls shifted and he forced his arms to stiffen.

“Here,” Adam said. Magnus heard him rising, heard his socked feet padding across the floor. Then there was a touch on his elbow that urged him to rotate forty-five degrees.

Ah. Okay. He knew where he was now. “Thank you. That doesn’t happen often. Only when I’m distracted.”

“What were you thinking about?”

You. He said nothing as he found the table with the edge of his foot, then set the tray down. “What side are you on?”

“Left,” Adam told him. There was tension in his voice—worry, maybe, that he’d crossed a line.

Magnus hadn’t meant to make him feel that way. “I was thinking about you.”

“I—oh.” Adam’s words were breathy and soft. “Thank you for doing this.”

Magnus snorted as he sat down and felt for the edge of the blanket. It was already warm, and it was very thick and very soft. He scraped his nails along the rougher side. “It didn’t take very much effort at all. Even you can put everything into a dish and bake it.”

“Yes,” Adam said, and the tone in his voice told Magnus he was rolling his eyes. Magnus didn’t actually know what that meant, but he knew what it sounded like when someone did it, and he had a feeling the expression was full of exasperation and maybe a little affection. “I didn’t mean dinner. Well, I meant dinner. But I also meant all of this. Taking me in and not making me feel like a huge burden being all up in your space.”

Magnus jolted with shock because the sincerity in Adam’s words was so profound. Who had made him feel this way in his life? Who thought he was a burden? “I like having you in myspace. I would never want you to feel anything other than welcome.”

“Oh,” Adam said again. “Thank you.”

Magnus knew this was something that would need to be unpacked, but right now, he wanted food, the comfort of touch, and to listen to Adam tell him all about the film he didn’t give two shits about watching.

“Dig in,” he said. “Isn’t that what the Americans say?”

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