Page 14 of Basilisk

Chapter Eight

Clive

Pike Place was certainly famous and did have a lot of tourists, but Clive had always enjoyed it. Well, he’d wanted to. Because it attracted so many people, he’d always spotted those who weren’t…well, people. And it didn’t help that the first street performer they came upon today had horns. Huge ones that curled up out of his forehead to brush a small flag on a pole on the building behind him. He didn’t seem threatening, maybe because he was singing and strumming a Carpenters’ song.

How could anything be scary when singing “Close to You”?

Still, years of avoidance had Clive skirting far around the musician while inwardly cursing himself for being so weak. Having Bain beside him helped set him at ease, though. He did stare, but since all the people gathered around the performer to enjoy the music were also staring, he didn’t feel he stood out.

Clive was surprised the guitarist was already playing; they had arrived at the market so early only the Starbucks and a bakery were open. He glanced at Bain nervously. “Did you want to get coffee from Starbucks?” He was still feeling awkward about that morning. Had Bain noticed how turned on he’d been?Just the reminder of how he’d reacted watching Bain wipe the floor with that assassin had his dick so hard it had hurt.

Bain shrugged. “I can wait for this other café to open.”

“You don’t like Starbucks?”

“It’s not that. I like them fine. It’s just this other place has an amazing cinnamon blend.”

“So you come here a lot?” Clive moved around a slow-moving couple on the sidewalk. There weren’t a lot of tourists or city people there yet, but that would change within the hour. Soon, the streets would be noisy and full of lines feeding into the more popular stores.

“I actually do. There’s a restaurant with salmon chowder and fantastic salmon mac and cheese.”

Clive snorted in amusement. “Big salmon fan?”

“The biggest. I like it fresh, dried, in dishes or alone, but I especially love it in the mac and cheese here. Of course, that particular place makes their own cheese. It’s so creamy, the pasta fills you up fast.”

“I know that one. We can go there later. I haven’t tried it with salmon, but I’m more than willing. I love salmon, too. I plan to pick some up from the fish market before we leave. I make a great lemon herb and dill sauce for it.”

Bain’s stomach growled loudly; he laughed and patted it. “I think my belly heard you. I love a good lemony sauce with fish.”

“I’ll make it tonight, then. I have everything else I need.” Clive felt like skipping. He was just so happy to be out and to feel safe. For some time, he’d been fed up with all the fear, but he had been so bogged down by his inability to change his ways, to let his life get even a little out of order. It was a vicious cycle with walls of steel he hadn’t been able to break through. To be out like this, without a schedule in mind, should have had him cowering at his first sight of that horned man with the guitar, but instead he was moving on. Enjoying this unexpected outing witha stunning man others stared at. Some were even doing double takes.

He got it. Bain stood out. Couldn’t blend even if he tried because he looked like he should be playing an elf inLord of the Rings. Albeit one who wore overly bright colors. Today, his hair was in a high ponytail that swished along his back as he walked, and though he’d said he came here a lot, he looked around like everything was new.

But he also stayed highly alert, watching for any danger, a sort of fierce concentration on his angular features at all times. It was so damn hot Clive started to get hard again. He had to do multiplication tables in his head to keep it from getting worse.

When Bain spoke, he realized Bain had said his name twice to get his attention.

“How about some chocolate croissants from the bakery?”

“Oh, yes.” Clive grinned and headed that way; he knew exactly what Bain was talking about.

Once they’d purchased their treats, they walked along the sidewalk again. The market began to fill with people. Bain stopped to grin and rub his hand on the head of one of the bronze pigs, and he even emptied his pockets of cash and change for the donation. The croissants were perfectly flaky with just the right amount of chocolate to delight Clive’s taste buds.

As it got closer to lunch, the whole area filled with the best smells. Meat-filled pastries, flowers, and sweets from the different shops. The sun came out, and Clive led Bain to the observation deck so they could look out at the harbor. Clive stood with his hand on the rail and lifted his face to the sun, loving the warmth on his skin. When he lowered his face slightly and looked at Bain, it was to see the taller man’s head tilted his way. The glasses hid his eyes, but Clive knew Bain was gazing at him. Something passed between them, almost like an invisiblethread had wound around Clive’s heart then reached out to touch Bain.

Flustered, Clive cleared his throat and looked at the water instead. A wonderful breeze swept his curls off his face. Conversations flowed around them but nobody was crowding their space. He took a deep breath of the cool air and held it in his lungs before exhaling. He didn’t want to cower before whatever was happening between them, because something was. Nobody had ever looked at Clive like that. He was afraid to hope but couldn’t seem to stop it. “How long have you worked for Protective Solutions?”

“Ten years. The owner, Xavier, is my best friend and actually wanted me to run the business with him, but I said no.”

He looked back at Bain and lifted an eyebrow. “Why?”

Bain shrugged. “I prefer to do the actual protection, don’t enjoy the constant paperwork, and am not the type to be still at a computer all day.”

“Yet you’re often still while watching clients, right?”

“Of course. But I get to read, and there’s a lot of patrolling, so I get to stay on the move at times. Often we mix it up and have more than one of us on a job. That leaves one to walk around outside. I really enjoy it. It makes me feel good to help people.” Bain turned and leaned against the rail, crossing his legs at the ankles. His silvery hair fairly sparkled in the sunlight. “What made you pick accounting?”

“I love numbers. Numbers never let you down, and there’s an order to them that appeals to me. I’m sure you noticed I’m kind of a neat freak.”

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