Page 74 of Stubborn as a Shadow

“You don’t have to?—”

I grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders before guiding him to sit by the fire. I tucked another blanket around his bare legs and feet. Then I grabbed the bucket and a few more pots from the cupboard before going back outside for more snow. Because while I was at it, I could at least give him clean water too, right?

The fire was still blazing from the logs I’d added this morning. I placed the snow-filled containers close to the flames, then sat back to wait for the snow to melt. Neither of us spoke while I poked and stirred the snow.

It took time, but it wasn’t like we had anything else to do.

And if Morgan wanted to bathe, he was going to have the best fucking bath I could give him.

Eventually the snow melted. I poured the various containers into the largest bucket, then I tested the temperature. Still too cold. So, we waited some more.

I watched the water and tested it with a level of care and attention I usually only reserved for creating my geocache projects. My favorite geocache creations were multi-stage puzzles. I combined math problems, ciphers, and, in afew instances, I’d even included musical clues. Then there was hiding the caches themselves. You needed to put them places where they weren’t easily seen. That all took care and planning. And when it worked, it was brilliant.

Melting snow for Morgan really didn’t require the same level of attention. I knew that and yet…

The intensity with which I wanted to get this right was overwhelming.

“It’s ready,” I said quietly when the water was finally hot enough. I didn’t look at Morgan as he moved close to me, shedding the quilts I’d given him.

He didn’t speak as he sat with his back to me in front of the fire. The golden light of the flames flickered over his smooth, flawless skin. I stirred the cloth through the steaming water and pretended my hand wasn’t trembling.

I held my breath as I touched the cloth to Morgan’s shoulder, moving along the same rounded slope that’d intrigued me earlier. He shivered under my hand.

“Are you cold?” My question was barely audible above the crackling of the logs in the fireplace.

He shook his head.

“No. It…” He sounded breathless. “It feels nice.”

Emboldened by his words, I swept the cloth across to his other shoulder. Little rivulets of water rolled down his skin, as if tempting me to chase them with my tongue. His skin was so soft. So smooth. So unblemished.

I washed his back with deliberate care, from his slender neck to the shallow dips on his lower back. I’d heard someone call them dimples of Apollo once, but I’d never thought about them…

Until now.

Now I wanted to trace them with my fingers… followed by my lips.

I soaked the cloth again. My hand still wasn’t steady.

Morgan glanced over his shoulder at me. It made me wonder what he’d look like glancing over his shoulder at me as I took him from behind. Our gazes locked, and his face flushed a pretty pink. Was he imagining the same thing?

“Are you finished?” His voice was husky.

“No…” I whispered. “I don’t think I’ll ever be finished with you.”

He turned toward me as I reached for him.

My wet fingers slid across his skin as I cupped his neck and gently tugged him closer. Our lips met, and this time I didn’t hold back. I couldn’t. Not anymore.

29

YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY DO ME

MORGAN

Last night, our first kiss had caught me by surprise. So I’d foolishly thought I’d be prepared for my second. I’d been excited to take heaps of mental notes and catalogue everything.

Spoiler: That wasn’t what happened.