Phin hadn’t taken in much beyond the good-looking comment.
“Then eat me.” Maric bit his lip. “Well, you might be a cannibal, but just kill me first before you dismember me, okay?” He looked down at his empty bowl. “Tell me this isn’t your Aunt Maud.”
“I don’t have an Aunt Maud.”
“Not now you don’t.”
Phin laughed. “You’re quite safe.”
“I’m almost disappointed. I don’t mind being snacked on, though not if it means I’d lose blood. Bad word.” Maric whined. “That would be going a bit too far. At the first spot of red, I’d freak out before I really needed to freak out, if you know what I mean.”
Phin couldn’t meet his gaze. Yeah, I do know what you mean and yet I have no fucking idea.
“Do you like being a vet?”
Phin welcomed the change of direction. “Yes, I do. Most of the time. What do you do?”
“Logistics. Transporting goods to customers. Making them happy. Seasonal job. Only once a year. But a big build up.”
Phin was a little slow to get it, then laughed. “You’re a bit young for Santa Claus.”
“I’m eighty-seven. I look good for my age. Don’t you think?”
“Yes.” Why did that come out choked? And why was Maric smiling? “I’ll get you some bedding.”
“I’m sorry to put you to so much trouble,” Maric said.
The wind howled and snow battered the window. Phin had never seen it as bad as this.
“Maybe I should ask you if you’re a murderer, cannibal, vampire, demon, werewolf or a gargoyle,” Phin muttered.
“You’re quite safe. I’m something else.” Maric laughed.
Oh God.
Three
When Phin carried blankets and a pillow into the sitting room and dropped them on the couch, Maric felt a surge of disappointment, even though it was crazy to hope Phin might ask him to share his bed.
“Thanks,” Maric said.
And really, did I want him to share his bed? Is that what I’m supposed to do? Maric had been sure he was in the wrong place, but Phin’s cottage was the first house they’d come to. He’d assumed Olan would leave him vaguely near where he was supposed to be. Though Phin wasn’t the young child he’d expected. Maric sighed. Making assumptions was dangerous. Plus, he wouldn’t have put it past Olan to make life as difficult as possible, leave Maric uncertain, then ensure he failed. Maric’s confidence took a nosedive.
“Sure you don’t have a headache or feel dizzy?” Phin asked.
“No.”
“Vision okay?”
“Yes. I can see you and your identical twin quite clearly. He’s better looking than you.”
“Right.” Phin laughed.
“I’ve got a toothbrush in my sack, but do you have a towel I could borrow?”
“Use the pale grey one.”
“Could I have a shower?”
“Go ahead.”
“Would you like one with me?” Oh damn, that thought had slipped into speech. But there were no rules about how he achieved his goal, so he could do what he liked on the journey. And if Phin wasn’t the one he was looking for, it didn’t matter anyway, did it?
Phin paused on his way out of the room. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said without turning round.
Maric couldn’t help himself. “Can I have one with you?”
He was pretty sure Phin was laughing as he walked away. He hoped he was. Maric’s hip was aching and he had a bit of a headache, but he wasn’t going to tell Phin. The guy would worry and insist on taking him to a hospital, even though the weather was terrible. Anyway, Maric would feel better soon. He always healed quickly.
When he heard Phin close the door of his room, Maric took his small toilet bag from his sack along with jeans, socks and a T-shirt and went into the bathroom. He cleaned his teeth and stared into the mirror. The cut wasn’t too bad. It could have been worse. If there’d been a lot of…red stuff, he’d have completely flipped out. Don’t think about it.
Maric grabbed the pale grey towel and dropped it by the shower. He hadn’t locked the door, but he didn’t think Phin would appear. Pity, though Maric hadn’t given up. Uncomplicated sex would be lovely. Complicated sex might be lovely too, though he needed to find out where he was supposed to be.
Maric thought about that. What if this was where he was supposed to be? Phin might not be young but how could Maric even consider he wasn’t the one? No Christmas? A sad guy? Snowed in? Olan wouldn’t have dared defy their father by leaving him nowhere near his destination, but he’d done enough to piss Maric off and get him knocked down. And if somehow Olan had engineered him into the wrong place, and Phin wasn’t the one, well, Maric could still make Phin’s life better. Maybe mine too.
He sighed. He was getting way ahead of himself.
The hot shower revived him. Suddenly, he was brimming with ideas on how to impress Phin. Some of them would have to wait until it was light, but not all. He dressed and went into the kitchen. How angry would the guy be when he found out Maric had been rummaging through his larder? He hoped for not angry at all, once Phin had seen what he’d done.
Christmas wasn’t over yet, and he’d prove it.
It was three in the morning before Maric crawled onto the couch and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. The log burner had long lost its heat and the central heating had gone off so he kept his clothes on. This couch had to be the most uncomfortable thing he’d ever lain on and he’d lain on a lot of uncomfortable things, including a stable floor. Why the hell was this couch so lumpy? When he’d sat on it, it had seemed fine.
Maric tossed and turned, squirming around, trying to warm himself up and failing. Cold and uncomfortable? That seemed…almost deliberate. He thought of Phin a room away, lying in a lovely warm bed, and smiled. He couldn’t afford not to take chances offered. Time was ticking. Before he could change his mind, he stripped off, pushed to his feet and padded to Phin’s bedroom.
Phin hadn’t closed the door fully. Was that an invitation? Or more likely that he didn’t trust him and wanted to listen out for Maric disappearing with his belongings. I’m not a bad person. Maric crept over to the bed. It was king-sized. Phin wouldn’t even notice if he was in it with him. And when he did notice, they could check their compatibility. Maric slipped under the covers and held in his groan of pleasure at the comfort and warmth. He could feel Phin’s heat and let out a quiet sigh as he arched towards him, then froze in case he’d woken him up. But Phin didn’t move.
With a bit of luck, they’d wake up wrapped around each other.
“What the fucking hell!”
Maric jerked awake at Phin’s exclamation. Phin was sitting upright at the edge of the bed, staring at him in wide-eyed shock.
“That isn’t the reaction I’d hoped for,” Maric said. “Have you never woken up next to a guy before?”
“Not one I hadn’t invited into my bed.”
“You’ve obviously never tried to sleep on that couch. It’s lumpy and I was cold, and I kept thinking you must have put a pea under the cushions.”