Page 10 of Ink & Snow
Didn’t we? He was a grown man. I wasn’t sure why he needed a mother who kept that close an eye on him, but Amory flushed and looked at me.
“I live with my mom and stepdad. It was temporary after Korea. I mean, it is temporary. I’ve just been really busy. Apartment hunting takes time, you know.”
I felt the irrational need to comfort Amory and wrap him in a blanket. Ideally, he’d be naked underneath the blanket, but first things first.
“Oh, I don’t judge,” I told him. “It’s nice to have family.” Not even a fucking lie, though you had to be selective about which of them you allowed into your life. Into your head.
Amory nodded, still looking extremely self-conscious about the whole thing. Dr. Ben stood. “Ready?”
“I think I’ll walk, actually. Get some fresh air.” Amory got to his feet as well, and so I followed suit.
“I’ll walk with you,” I said before the fucking doctor could ruin my plans for the night any further. “I’d never forgive myself if you slipped.”
Dr. Ben didn’t look happy, but who fucking cared. Amory smiled at me. “I can show you a few things on the way, give you the lay of the land.”
“That would be fabulous.”
Dr. Ben sighed heavily. Hemorrhoids. I hoped he was getting hemorrhoids for Christmas.
Dr. Ben had driven past us in his pickup truck, glaring, going barely above walking speed. Once the doctor had finally found the gas pedal, Amory fell in step next to me, looking like some weird pixie with that stupid fucking pink pom pom hat. I pulled the zipper of my coat up as high as it would go, and Amory noticed.
“You really should go and see the triplets if that’s the only winter jacket you own,” he said. “It’s going to get colder.”
A snowflake landed on the lashes of his right eye, underlining his point.
“So I’ve been told.”
Amory looked at the park to our left. The carolers had gone, but the tall fir still shimmered in the artificial light illuminating its branches. He pointed the messed-up hand he’d not managed to fit into his glove across at the park. “We Hikin’ Love Itis just across the Village Green. Simply go straight, and you can’t miss it.”
“It’s going on my list for tomorrow,” I told him, and because I liked risking things sometimes, I took his bandaged hand. “Huh. Your fingers are getting really cold. Want to warm that hand in my pocket, Amory?”
With the cold and the snow and the trickling light from the streetlamps, I couldn’t really tell, but fucking hell, he looked blushing shy.
“I have pockets too.”
“I’ll warm this one for you.” I peeled my own glove off.
I saw his jaw work. After a few moments, he let me guide his hand into my pocket, which I did, carefully.
“You were flirting earlier, weren’t you?” he asked. “I’m not good at noticing. I’m demisexual, you know. And, uh, not super experienced.” He looked at me, eyes going wide. “I mean, I apologize if I misread anything and overshared or—”
Well, that was an explanation. It was actually sort of a relief, proving I hadn’t lost my touch.
“I was flirting,” I told him. “And had plans to ask whether you were down to fuck, but I’m guessing you’d have had to let me down.”
“Uh…”
There was that vulnerability again, and once more, I wanted to go find a blanket I could wrap him in.
“You’re really cute. You can afford letting people down, Amory.”
The look he gave me after that was getting me so very much aroused, even in this fucking weather on these fucking icy sidewalks that could kill us both at any moment.
“Thanks. You sure?”
“About you being cute or that you can afford to be picky?”
“Maybe both?”
