Page 7 of No Man's Land

“Let’s have a drink,” Winchester said, taking Josef’s hat and coat and hanging them on the back of the door. He himself was only in shirtsleeves, sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms dusted with dark hair. His collar was unbuttoned too, and he padded over to the mantelpiece in his socked feet.

Josef bent to untie his heavy boots, enjoying the feel of the luscious carpet beneath his toes. “This is fancy,” he said as he stood up. “All the officers stay in places this nice, do they?”

“No, this is a private arrangement.” Winchester had his back to him, pouring a drink into two short glasses. “Do you like brandy? I hope so because it’s all I have.”

“Brandy’s fine,” Josef said, taking the glass as Winchester turned to hand it to him. The room was gently lit by two gas lamps, and the soft light gave Winchester’s skin an appealing golden glow. He was altogether very appealing—for a toff. Josef lifted his glass. “What shall we drink to, Captain?”

Winchester smiled and touched his glass to Josef’s. “To secrets worth keeping,” he said.

They both drank, the brandy a warm sensation in Josef’s chest and belly. “Do you live here?” he said, taking one of the chairs by the fire. “Or just entertain?”

Winchester took the other, rolling his glass between his hands. “Neither. I’m…passing through.”

“Ah.” He tried not to let the flare of disappointment show. Even if Winchester had been stationed here, it was unlikely this would be repeated; they both understood this was a one-night affair. “Where to next, then?”

“London, for a while. Probably. Then…wherever I’m needed.”

“For your work with the Intelligence Corps?” Josef asked innocently.

“My work…?” Winchester chuckled. “Well, if Ididwork for the Intelligence Corps, I would hardly tell you.”

Josef mimicked making a note. “Captain Winchester neither confirmed nor denied the rumour…”

“Captain Winchester has something more interesting in mind.” He set aside his glass and leaned forward in his chair, laying a hand on Josef’s thigh. “What do you say?”

The sudden heaviness between his legs was answer enough, but he said, “Tell me your name, first. I won’t fuck ‘Captain Winchester’.”

A considering silence, then, “It’s Alex.”

“Alex.” He liked the shape of it on his tongue, soft and easy. “I’m Josef. Some people call me Joe.”

“Josef.” Winchester lifted a hand and touched his jaw, running fingertips over his skin. “You’re very beautiful, Josef Shepel. My God, but your lips are lush. And those eyes. I’ve never seen eyes so dark. Soft and dark, like a doe.”

“Then you should visit Spitalfields more often,” he said, alarmed by how breathless he sounded. “You’ll find loads of eyes like mine around there.”

Winchester—Alex—smiled, threading his fingers into Josef’s curls, cradling the back of his head. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the moment we met.”

“Really? We met among the dead.”

“Do you ever shut up?”

“No, I—”

Alex kissed him, gentle but unyielding, fingers tugging at his hair with tingling pleasure. And Josef kissed him back, rising to the challenge as he always did. God, but Alex tasted tantalizing—tobacco and brandy, a hint of menthol toothpaste. And he kissed well, with vigour and intent. Josef enjoyed a man who knew what he wanted. A strong arm slipped around Josef’s waist and pulled him close, hard against Alex’s firm body. For a moment, Josef feared for the safety of his camera, crushed as it was between their chests, and he pulled back a little.

“All right?” Alex asked, so close now that Josef could see flecks of green and grey amid the dark blue of his eyes.

“It’s getting a little…restricting in the uniform.”

Alex’s lips twitched. “It is, rather, isn’t it?” Then his expression grew darker, more intent, and he leaned in to nuzzle Josef’s neck above the collar of his tunic. “Christ, I want to bloody ravish you.”

Josef laughed—and then gasped as Alex’s lips and tongue did something extraordinary to his ear. “Christ! Be my guest.”

“I shall, but first...” Alex let go, sitting back on his heels, breathing quickly. “Get into bed.”

“Is that an order, Captain?”

“I wouldn’t bloody dare.”

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