Page 29 of Elemental Love
Dominic pulled it close. He had no idea what to say, and even if he did, his teeth were chattering too hard.
“I believe I told you to take off your underwear.”
God he was bossy in the most appealing way. He stood there, hands on hips, waiting expectantly to be obeyed. Dominic guessed that if he didn’t do as he’d been told, Evrain would feel obliged to help. Dominic was in too delicate a state to deal with Evrain’s hands on his body so he slid his trunks down then stepped out of them, clutching the towel around himself defensively.
Evrain took the second towel and began to rub Dominic’s limbs roughly, generating heat through the friction.
“Now’s not the time to be shy, and besides, I know you have all the same parts I do. You weren’t so reserved that day back at the diner. I need to get your circulation going, you must be virtually hypothermic. What the hell did you think you were doing out there?”
“I’m sorry,” Dominic apologized through chattering teeth. “I just needed a bit of time to think.”
“And you had to do that in the cold and rain? Idiot!” Evrain scolded.
Dominic hung his head and shook miserably—there wasn’t much he could say and he didn’t have the strength to defend himself. Evrain was right, he shouldn’t have stayed outside so long, but surely he was due a bit of credit after all the revelations that had been dumped on him? Revelations he still wasn’t sure he believed.
“I’m going to put you to bed so you warm through properly,” Evrain said. “You’ll have to stay here tonight. Do you think you can manage the stairs?”
Dominic’s head was spinning, he couldn’t articulate a sensible response so he kept his mouth shut. Evrain no doubt took the lack of an answer for agreement and manhandled him up the narrow staircase. If it hadn’t been for Evrain propping him up from behind, Dominic thought he might have taken a tumble back down the stairs. He was so cold that even the hearthrug seemed like an attractive prospect. If he did fall, he could just curl up there in front of the fire.
The guest room turned out to be a far preferable option. Small but cozy, the double bed was covered in a heavy patchwork quilt. Evrain pulled it back and gestured in the direction of the bed.
“It’s probably a bit dusty but the sheets are clean. Get in before you freeze to death. I’m going to see if I can find a hot water bottle. Grandmother didn’t believe in electric blankets.”
He turned away, and Dominic dropped his towel to climb under the covers. As he snuggled beneath the sheets, he realized that Evrain was staring into the dressing-table mirror. A mirror that would have given him a perfect view of Dominic’s bare ass as he scrambled into bed. Evrain grinned, then winked, confirming that he’d enjoyed the view. Dominic hid his head beneath the covers and groaned.
Evrain left the bedroom door open a crack. He crossed the landing to the bathroom where he rummaged in the cupboard under the sink, letting out a small cry of victory when he discovered an ancient rubber bottle. He checked the stopper and there was no sign that the seal was perished. It would do the job. He took the bottle down to the kitchen where he could warm up a pan of water on the stove. A quick twist of his fingers had it bubbling away merrily in no time. Evrain filled the bottle, tested the stopper by giving the bottle a good shake, then took it back upstairs only to find that Dominic had already fallen asleep.
With all the worry lines smoothed from his face, Dominic appeared much younger. There were only six months betweenthem but Evrain felt that he’d aged significantly since his twenty-first birthday. The knowledge of his heritage had come with a heavy weight of responsibility. He lifted the bed covers just enough to shove the hot water bottle into position near Dominic’s feet then made sure that they were pulled up enough to cover his bare shoulders. Dominic’s damp hair was curling a little at the ends and his lips were slightly parted, his breathing steady. As Evrain watched over the younger man, he felt incredibly protective. It would be so easy to lift the covers and have a really good look at Dominic’s naked body. If the promise of that ass he’d glimpsed in the mirror was anything to go by, he knew he wouldn’t be disappointed. He couldn’t do it, though. He wanted Dominic to be fully aware of what was going on when Evrain did eventually get to touch again.
Reluctantly, Evrain left Dominic sleeping. He investigated the cabin, poking into all the cupboards, checking on supplies. As a child he’d often thought that the cabin was a kind of TARDIS, bigger on the inside than it seemed from the outside. Knowing what he did now about his grandmother, there was probably a goodDoctor Whoplotline in there somewhere. He could picture Agatha and the Doctor having polite conversation over herbal tea and cookies. Evrain sniggered as he explored and wondered if Dominic was a sci-fi fan.
He didn’t venture into the attic for fear of disturbing Dominic’s rest, but he did decide to turn the third bedroom into an office. Tomorrow he would bring a few things from home and set up his workstation. Hopefully Dominic could be persuaded to loan both his truck and his muscles to help with the removal process.
Evrain found clean sheets and blankets in the linen cupboard. He wiped off the layer of dust on the furniture in the master bedroom, then made up the bed. Much as he would have enjoyed a snuggle session with Dominic, he wouldn’t presume thatDominic would be prepared to take the next step just yet, if ever. He still had to come to terms with the whole warlock thing and that might take a while.
Evrain turned on the central heating and gave the bathroom a quick wipe-over. Four weeks’ worth of dust lay over everything but it didn’t take long to clean up. Aggie had a glorious, claw-footed tub that he couldn’t wait to try out. A soak in the bath would have to wait for a while, though—there was a bit more exploration to complete first.
Downstairs was one huge open-plan space and would take a bit more effort to clean. That could wait. He investigated the freezer, which proved to be well stocked, and extracted a plastic tub of frozen stew to heat on the stove. For tonight, they could manage with what was at the cabin. There were plenty of tins in the cupboards and one night without fresh produce wouldn’t kill them.
It was seven o’clock when Evrain detected the sounds of stirring from upstairs. Dominic had slept for about three hours. Evrain loaded up a tray with bowls of stew, a couple of forks and mugs of tea. Fresh bread to go with the stew would have been nice. He wondered if Dominic knew how to bake. He headed for the guest room. He pushed open the door with his ass and reversed into the room, then rotated and almost dropped the tray. Dominic was sitting up in bed, bare-chested, hair tousled from sleep, blue eyes blinking in confusion. To Evrain he looked young, vulnerable and incredibly desirable. Evrain’s heart beat just a little faster as he was rewarded with a shy, tentative smile. He bent to put the tray on the edge of the bed, then held out one of the bowls and a fork to Dominic.
“This is stew. It’s not poisoned. Eye of newt and tongue of bat were not involved in its construction, at least I don’t think so—I got it out of the freezer. So eat it while it’s hot.”
Dominic took the bowl and obediently spooned some of the savory dish into his mouth.
“It’s great. Thank you, I’m starving.”
Evrain grunted. “It’s early evening—you didn’t get lunch.” He placed the mugs of tea on the bedside table, careful to put them on a mat to avoid marking the wood. He shifted the tray onto the floor, then made himself comfortable at the end of the bed. He began to eat his own meal and took the opportunity to steal another glance at Dominic. Dark red hair flickered copper in the light of the one small lamp and Dominic’s eyes seemed to gleam from within, like sapphires. The beginnings of stubble shadowed his jaw and upper lip, and Evrain wondered what it would feel like grazing his own sensitive skin. Dominic had a sharp, aquiline nose and a tiny birthmark, shaped like a star, high on one cheekbone.
Suddenly he realized that Dominic was staring right back at him.
“I can see a lot of Aggie in you, she must have been a great beauty in her youth,” Dominic said. He ducked his head as if realizing that he had unintentionally complimented Evrain as well as his grandmother.
“Thank you. So you can see past what I am, Dominic. Just a man, not a monster?”
Dominic’s lashes fluttered. He took another spoonful of stew, chewed then swallowed. “I see a mystery. A man, but something else, something I don’t understand.”
Evrain put his bowl down. He grasped Dominic’s wrist in a firm grip. “You don’t have to be afraid of me. I promise.”
