Page 77 of Sin Deep
Oliver looked at his hands and nodded. “I should go home. Huh? I’m…in the way. And tired.” Oliver stood carefully. “I’ll get dressed.”
He glanced at Winter, not sure about this plan. Something was wrong. He could tell. He didn’t know what it was or how to hope or anything, but he was smart enough to see a friend was hurting.
“Oliver. Go take a nap.” Winter pointed to the bedroom.
“I can nap at home.”
“Boy.” Winter’s head tilted, but that was all he said.
“Yes, Sir. On…the bed?”
“Of course.”
Oliver nodded and slunk back into the bedroom.
“All right, petit. You wanted him to stay, he’s staying.” Winter switched to the couch with him and patted his good leg. “You’re worried?”
“Aren’t you? Doesn’t he seem…off?” Was this just normal? He didn’t think so. He’d been living with Ollie for months. This wasn’t normal. He wasn’t silly.
“Well, he needs his Dom. I didn’t ask, but perhaps something happened there, or perhaps Raymond simply wasn’t available. Oliver isn’t very good at asking for help when he needs it—I’m not sure he understands himself that well yet. Not like you do. You seem to have a handle on what you need. We’ll let him sleep for a bit, hm?”
“We will.” Him? A handle on things? Go team him because he felt a little like a poser.
“This has been an eventful weekend so far, hm? Should we go to the club tonight for a drink, or stay in?”
“Can we decide in an hour or two? It has been…busy. Surprisingly busy.” And he was thinking about a lot of shit.
“Of course. I didn’t know if you were feeling one way or the other.” Winter sat with him and sipped his coffee and seemed perfectly happy just to hold him and be still and quiet.
It worked for him, because his brain was spinning, and the outer ease helped, a lot.
Winter’s music was still playing softly in the background, and that was all the sound there was until Winter suddenly asked him, “If you hadn’t come to New York, where would you have gone?”
“I thought about New Orleans and San Francisco both, but Jackson was the one I called, and it was kismet. He needed someone to rent, I needed out, and out I came.” He’d been so lost, so fucking sad, and he needed family. It didn’t have to be his mom, but he needed folks.
“Funny how things happen.” Winter nuzzled his ear.
“Isn’t it? I came here to find you.” He didn’t doubt that at all.
Winter nodded. “I still can’t believe you just walked right over to my table. You’re so brave.”
“I had to. You were too beautiful not to.” Winter was still the finest man he’d ever seen.
Winter shook his head, but he saw the shy smile. His lover was pleased.
“Seriously. I thought it was worth a shot. And it was. You were.” He was a dork, but he was willing to put himself out there.
“The makeup thing was a little bit of a test, you know. I decided I had nothing to lose. I’d feel bad about it, but it all went so well; the real joke was on me. You were shockingly beautiful. Are beautiful.”
“I was… I felt so different. Like someone fancy.” And sexual and fine.
“I’m so glad you like it. It’s one of my favorite things. It’s sexy and sensual, it has a fantasy feel, and that you enjoy it is a real turn on. You looked good in the full makeup, but the eyes are enough…more than enough, really.”
“No one has ever thought my eyes were pretty before you.” He had brown eyes. He wanted blue or green.
“They’re endless. Deep. Rich, enticing pools I’d like to dive into.” Winter’s lips brushed his ear as he spoke.
“Oh.” His lips parted and he sighed, because suddenly he was awake, alive. Right there with Winter.
