Page 31 of Snow Storm

Claude shook his head with a grin. “No, chéri. Go sit. Take a few breaths.” He lifted his hand away from Harley’s waist and brushed a curled knuckle over his cheek. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Those simple, common words sounded like a vow, and Harley was pretty sure his ex had never looked at him the way Claude was looking at him now. His throat was hot. He wanted to rise up onto his toes and kiss the man.

Instead, he backed out of Claude’s grasp and then headed into the living room. He could hear heavy footsteps on the tile as Claude moved into the kitchen, and when everything went quiet, Harley did a once around the room.

It was a simple place with wood floors that felt warm under his socked feet, walls that were painted a café au lait color that made the place feel cozy, and the furniture all matched the earthy theme.

He’d half expected it to be full of deer heads and cowboy stuff—not that Claude had given him those kinds of vibes. But something about him screamed mountain man, and the only thing Claude was really missing was the thick beard and the Southern accent. Though he did like the French better.

God, he’d make an amazing book character, which was maybe a really fucked-up thing to think. But he also had a feeling Claude might not mind being an inspiration in a love story.

He made a mental note to jot that idea down in his writing notepad as he collapsed on the couch. There was no coffee table, so he stretched his feet out in front of him and rubbed them together. His father used to call him a little cricket because his legs were never still. It was soothing, and he lost himself to the rhythm of it and didn’t notice when Claude appeared.

“Are you nervous?”

Harley’s whole body froze, and it took him a second to speak. “Yes.”

Claude grinned. He was using a walker—a much sleeker contraption than the one Harley’s abuela had used right before she passed. Hers had been a huge metal contraption with tennis balls on the feet. It always made the loudest clicking sound that had come to define her.

Claude’s was nothing like that. It was silent, and the metal was a dark black with a metallic sheen and thin handles. He leaned heavily on it as he walked across the room, and Harley noticed he’d taken off his boots. His feet were large, and they dragged just a little on the floor with each step.

Following Harley’s gaze, Claude let out a little sigh as he set the walker to the side and sat down. “My old physical therapist called me a walking paraplegic. That’s not an official term, but it’s the best way to explain it.”

Harley flushed. “I wasn’t going to ask.”

Claude used his hands to help him shift a little closer. “I know you weren’t. But it’s better that you know because it’ll be different with me than with most of the men you’ve been with. I don’t have the same function as someone without a spinal injury.”

Harley didn’t want to admit he didn’t exactly have a wide range of experiences with men. He’d dated a couple of guys before his ex, and Darren was never super enthused about sleeping with him. Their sex life had been more like a chore than something either of them had wanted, and he could count on one hand how many times they’d slept together in the past year.

“May I ask what happened? I won’t be offended if you don’t want to talk about it,” Harley added quickly.

Claude gave him a small, careful smile. “I know you won’t. And I don’t mind. The accident didn’t derail my life the waysomething like this might have done to someone else. I wasn’t very active, so I didn’t lose any of my hobbies or anything like that.” Claude took a breath, and though he said it wasn’t hard for him, Harley could tell the story wasn’t easy to relive. “My ex-wife asked me to go on a hike with her for my birthday one year. I was hesitant about it—like I said, I was not very active, but it was a nice day out, so I agreed. I was unprepared for how difficult it was, and we were very high in elevation. I got dizzy, and I fell. It wasn’t very far, but my body hit a couple of boulders in just the right way. My hips were shattered, and several of my vertebrae were broken. The pressure of the break damaged my spinal cord.”

Harley sucked in a breath. “Oh my God. You could have died.”

Claude nodded. “I was able to catch a very large tree branch though, and I hadn’t fallen too far for paramedics to reach me. I spent several months not able to move my legs at all, but eventually, I was able to walk again. I’ll never run a marathon, but I’d never aspired to do that anyway. And while I can probably go on a small hike, it’s not my most favorite activity after that.”

Harley let out a sharp laugh before slapping his hand over his mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. That’s not funny.”

Claude gently pulled his hand down and kept his fingers tight around Harley’s wrist. “I was trying to make you laugh. I love the sound of it.”

Harley flushed. “Thank you. Um. But you don’t need to flatter me if you don’t want to. I promise you, I’m a sure thing.”

A strange expression flittered across Claude’s face—one Harley didn’t recognize. He went still all over, then slowly lifted his hand. Harley’s breath caught in his chest as tender fingers brushed a few locks of hair off his forehead. Claude trailed themdown the side of his cheek, tracing his jawline, ghosting down the side of his neck where his pulse was pounding.

“I—um.”

Claude’s lips rose in the corners with a hint of a smile. “It’s okay to make me work for it. You deserve to have your love and attention earned.”

Love. Harley felt like he’d been gut punched. He knew he didn’t meanlovelove. Notinlove. That wasn’t possible after just a few hours. But hearing the word from Claude’s lips made him wonder, just for a moment, what it would be like to have this man. For Claude to be his entirely—heart, body, mind, and soul.

Everything about him was intense. Powerful. Unforgiving, but in the best way. He could ruin Harley, and all Harley would want to do was thank him and ask for more.

He licked his lips. “I don’t know what to say.”

Claude chuckled softly. “You don’t have to say anything. I just want you to stop apologizing for being yourself. I asked you here because I like you.”

Claude used his free hand to help himself shift a little closer. Their thighs were pressed together now, and Harley swore his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. How did a single touch do that? He wasn’t a virgin. He might not have been adventurous in his past, but he’d fucked people he’d just met before.

---