Page 26 of Warrior's Cross

“I hit an ice sheet,” Julian said right away. “The car was pretty much done for the night after that.”

Cameron cocked his head and looked Julian up and down, not seeing any injuries. “Are you okay?” he asked as worry flared.

“I’m not hurt,” Julian assured him quickly. “I may be sore tomorrow,” he added as he pointed to his chest and rubbed it. “Safety belt,” he explained.

Still concerned, Cameron nodded toward the bathroom. “There’s towels in the basket if you want to shower. You must be freezing. It’s like ten degrees outside even without the wind.”

Julian nodded and watched Cameron with a curious expression.

“Do you mind?” he asked seriously. “I can call for a ride and go.”

“Of course I don’t mind!” Cameron said in surprise. “I wouldn’t turn you out soaking wet.” He pointed at the bathroom. “Go,” he said firmly.

Julian’s lips twitched in amusement, and he nodded obediently as he began to loosen his tie. “Yes, sir,” he drawled in a soft, low voice.

Cameron raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, watching in interest. Every time they spoke, a little more of Julian’s personality seemed to creep forth. It was anything but cold and foreboding. There was actually humor buried under there somewhere.

Julian removed his coat as Cameron watched, hanging it carefully on the coatrack beside the door. He turned and considered Cameron’s gaze. “Did you want to help me?” he asked in amusement.

Reaching out to touch Julian’s hand, Cameron could tell he was nearly frozen. “If that’s what it takes to thaw you out,” he said frankly. “I’m surprised you’re not blue. Get moving. I’ll try to find you something dry to wear.”

“Thank you,” Julian murmured before turning and heading for the bedroom, undressing as he went.

Cameron followed along behind, taking the wet clothes as Julian pulled them off. Once in the bedroom, he slung them over a chair and went digging in his dresser. It would be a neat trick to find anything to fit Julian, but Cameron thought he had a couple oversized pairs of sweatpants and T-shirts that might work. For all that Julian was tall and broad-shouldered, he was very trim through the middle.

Cameron couldn’t dry Julian’s clothes for him; it was all high-class, dry-clean-only stuff. He cringed as he looked at the expensive labels. He couldn’t afford to breathe the air in those stores. Not many people could.

Julian made short work of showering, apparently just getting reasonably warm. He re-entered the bedroom with a towel around his waist, but water still ran down his chest and shoulders in thin streams.

Cameron glanced up from where he knelt in front of the fireplace beside the bed, having set it to burning. He stood and gestured to the clothes spread out on the foot of the bed beforewalking over with a frown. “If you don’t dry off, you’ll be right back where you started,” he scolded.

Julian smiled. “At least I’ll already be out of the wet clothes.” He licked his lips as he looked at Cameron fondly. “You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?”

Cameron narrowed his eyes. “What makes you ask that?”

“Because you’re a little less... twitchy,” Julian pointed out with a cock of his head.

The huff that was Cameron’s reply didn’t do anything to counter Julian’s statement. Neither did Cameron reaching out to yank the towel from the other man’s hips and tossing it over his head to roughly dry his dripping hair. Julian grunted in surprise and lowered his head obligingly. Cameron continued rubbing until he thought Julian’s hair might be sufficiently dry, and then he pulled the towel away and slid his hand into the damp hair to check. Julian watched him from under lowered lashes, his dark eyes shining.

Appeased, Cameron took the towel and dried Julian’s neck, shoulders, and chest before stepping back and pointing at the clothes expectantly.

Julian gave him an amused smile.

“I might have had some wine,” Cameron said reluctantly.

“No kidding.” Julian laughed.

Cameron turned up his nose. “Fine then,” he said, letting the towel drape around Julian’s neck and shifting his weight to step back.

Julian snagged him and pulled him closer, kissing him with a small snicker. “I quite like you like this.”

Smiling again, Cameron curled his arm around Julian’s neck.

“Don’t do it often,” he admitted. “Usually working.” He ran his lips along Julian’s jaw and down the side of his neck, humming softly as he breathed in the other man’s scent.

“How much have you had?” Julian asked in interest.

Cameron flushed and hid his face in the crook of Julian’s neck. His answer was muffled in warm skin.

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