Page 5 of Refraction

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Holy shit,listen to that. That was the most beautiful thing Calvin had heard all week. That was the sound of a man ready to have some fun.

And if they got soaked to the skin and freezing cold while they were at it? Well, Calvin would just have to show the Texan some of his New York style hospitality—bring him home and warm him up.

He stopped running, bent over, and scooped up some snow. It wasn’t packing as well as he wanted it to, so when he threw it, it kind of disintegrated against Tucker’s shoulder rather than giving him that more satisfying snowballthonk.

The powder did make a nice picture, though, highlighting the stubble on Tucker’s square jaw, the near-black eyelashes framing blue-blue eyes.

He was caught up in the pretty just long enough to make himself a target for someone behind him. He whirled around, scooping up snow as he went, only to discover his assailant stood about two feet high and couldn’t have been more than five.

“Ugh!” He put a hand to his chest. “You got me!”

The kid giggled at him. Calvin chucked his snowball at the kid’s dad.

A snowball hit him right in the asscheek, and he whirled around, catching a second one in the shoulder.

Damn. Tucker was quick on the draw. And a good shot. He rubbed the sting out of his ass. “Where the hell does a Texan learn to throw a snowball?” He gathered up another double handful and pressed it together.

“Twenty-one years pitching in league baseball, honey.”

“And here I thought I would have the home-field advantage. Twenty-one years?” Calvin tried to do the math, but there was a reason he’d nearly flunked out of high school. Math was hard.

“Yes, sir.” Another snowball pegged him.

“Jesus!” Calvin laughed and tossed his snowball. It hit Tucker in the hip. But there was no keeping up with this guy, and every one of his slush balls was being answered by at least one solid hit.

A good one got him square in the chest. “Ugh! You are so buying me dinner!”

“I would love to.” Oh, that was sure, sweet as sugar, and sexy as hell.

“Really?” Calvin didn’t know what angel sent this cowboy into his life this afternoon, but he was grateful. He met all kinds of people in his line of work, from every corner of the country—from all over the world, even. At this point in his career, he could talk to just about anyone about anything. But this was New York. No one ever had time for coffee; everyone always had somewhere to be.

A snowball fight in Bryant Park was almost a fantasy.

So whoever had dropped this crazy-sexy-talented horror painter on him had obviously been looking out for him. Sure, Tucker would do his thing and then go back to Texas, or wherever, in a couple of days, but they were the same couple of days he had free before his next shoot, so that worked just fine.

“Absolutely. I’d love to take you out.” Tucker grinned at him, the look somehow sweet and sly at the same time.

Calvin closed the distance between them slowly. “Now, taking meoutisn’t dinner. That’s another thing altogether. Where do you want to go? I mean, what kind of place? What are you into?”

“I like to eat, honey. I like trying new things, learning new things.” Tucker didn’t look away from him, but Calvin got this wicked smile. “I ain’t scairt.”

“I should hope not, with what you’re painting.” Calvin’s tastes were… eclectic. In everything. He had a boyfriend once who called him “mercurial.” The asshole had meant that as an insult; Calvin considered it a compliment. “I can get us in some trouble later if you like. After I find you something to eat.”

“Us. I want to share something yummy with you.”

“All right, us. But it will still be mostly you. I have to watch my girlish figure.” And he’d already eaten today. “Are you cold enough to want to get warm yet?”

“I am. Lead the way.” Tucker wrapped one arm around him, just for a second. “So do you really have to starve yourself? That’s not, like, a myth.”

“Do I look like I’m starving?” He leaned back a little, already missing the strength in that arm. “I work out.”Hm. His place or Tucker’s hotel?“Where are you staying? Is it close? You need to change?”

“I took a taxi here, honey. I haven’t the foggiest idea.”

He laughed. “Roomie and I are decent housekeepers. Plus, I’m close to where you’re taking me to dinner.” He threaded his arm through Tucker’s and gave him a tug toward the subway. “This is our line.”

Tucker flinched. “I’m not so sure about this whole underground thing….”

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