Page 8 of Glory Troll

“I’ll be right behind you. I need to talk to the manager real quick. My shower head is leaking.” I came up with an excuse on the spot.

Decks nodded. “Night, Bo. See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, night,” the Raven added. The rest mumbled their goodnights, and I waited until they had disappeared, before I strode over to him. He hadn’t moved a muscle, but had kept watching me.

“Good evening, Ollie. Can I have a quick word?” My face spread into a wide smile that I stood no chance of stopping.

“Sure.” He fought harder.Don’t worry, älskling, I’ll get a smile for my collection. Give me a few minutes.

“Did you have a good evening?”

“Is that what you want to talk to me about?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, and giving me a half smile.Not good enough.

I hummed, taking half a step nearer, and enjoyed seeing his face tilt up at me and a little shiver travelling through him. “There’s nothing I don’t want to talk to you about.”

“The shower head,” he squeaked.

“It’s leaking, and it’s making itreallyhardfor me to sleep,” I told him silkily.

He swallowed, his exposed throat bobbing.Gods, you are making this exceptionally hard, Mr Bright.

“Maybe I should have a look at it.” He swallowed. “Tomorrow.”

I pressed my lips together, but it was no good. Grinning down at him, I gave him a feral look, with my exposed fangs on display. “Oh, you can have a look at my leaking head whenever you like,Ollie.” I chuckled. This was too much fun, and the flush on his cheeks and his fluttering eyelids told me he enjoyed it, too.

“Are we still talking about your shower, Mr Persson?”

“Mm, don’t get me started on my shower and what I would like to…discuss with you in this regard.” His tongue coming out to trail over his bottom lip made my eyes zoom in on his mouth.

Gods…I needed to lean in only a little and I could…

“Not here,” he breathed. “Although if you keep talking like that, I’ll crack and will let you kiss me.”

“Well, if that’s all it takes for you to let me kiss you, I’ll start flirting even more.” Ollie gave me a tormented look that made me grin wider, and, reluctantly, it seemed, he joined in.

There we go. That’s my good boy.

Digging out my keys, I half turned. “I suggest we discuss the shower another day, but I have Sunday off. How about we explore the first point of interest together?”

His eyes met mine, something unreadable in them. “Let’s leave at ten.”

Five

Ollie

We are the most idiotic people on the entire planet.

It was hard to see us as anything else when I picked Bo up from the bus stop down the road from Lone Fox on the following Sunday, so nobody would see us getting into a car together.

“Sorry for this,” I told him for the fifth time, still cringing with embarrassment at our stupid ruse.

“It was both our idea, Oliver. Please stop apologising,” Bo told me in a gentle voice. “Thank you for doing this,” he added. “Spending the day with me.”

“Of course. I’m sure you will like Port Cillean. It’s a beautiful seaside town.”

“I will like it,” he said, still in that gentle voice. “You could take me to a…what’s the word…dump?”

“Yeah, a dump,” I snorted.

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