Page 27 of A Winter Crush
His fingers teased Wareth’s furry chest. He nuzzled Wareth’s coarse curls, loving the feel of the fuzz against his smooth skin. He’d never had a lover with so much body hair. Oreads didn’t grow much. It was a novelty, and he liked it. As he inhaled deeply, Wareth’s earthy, musky scent filled his nostrils.
Wareth’s hand caressed the skin just above his arse. “You awake?”
Ori considered pretending he wasn’t, worried it would mean he would need to get up and leave, but finally, he nodded.
“Was the…was the sex all right?”
Surprised, Ori glanced up at Wareth’s face. He had a vague memory of Wareth asking earlier. “Was it all right?” It shocked Ori that Wareth would have to ask.
But when he looked into Wareth’s eyes, he saw a vulnerability there that took Ori aback.
“It was more than all right. It was the best sex I’ve had in my life.” He kissed the spot next to Wareth’s nipple. “It was amazing.”
Almost tentatively, Wareth smiled. He rested his hand on Ori’s head, his fingers stroking Ori’s hair. Smiling, Ori wriggled, trying to get closer to Wareth, as if that was somehow possible.
Wareth chuckled. “You wriggle a lot. In your sleep too.”
“Sorry,” Ori said.
“It’s no problem. It’s like you’re a cat trying to find the perfect spot.”
Ori laughed.
“Hungry?”
Ori was hungry. But if he said yes, they’d have to get up and leave this cosy cocoon. His stomach gurgled.
“That answers that question.” Wareth squeezed Ori’s arse and threw the blankets off. He disentangled from Ori and sat up.
With a sigh, Ori followed.
Wareth grabbed his pants and pulled them on, then went out into the other room. Ori followed, although didn’t bother getting dressed. Wareth gave him a once-over, his gaze lingering, and Ori knew he’d made the right decision.
Wareth banged around in the cupboard, looking for food. “I got bread.” Wareth tapped his knuckles against the loaf. “Sorry. It’s a little old but still edible. I’ve got a bit of dried sausage and fish. I usually have dinner at Sariah’s or with my parents. Other times, I eat at the village store. The owners there always serve something hot and cheap for dinner.”
Wareth placed the bread, butter, sausage, and fish on the table. Ori reached for the fish, pulled off a bit, and popped the smoky, salty meat into his mouth.
Wareth placed two plates, a jug filled with water, and two mugs on the table. “Sorry. I wasn’t prepared. Maybe I should cook something.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Not that I’m much of a cook. Or have much to cook.”
Ori shook his head as he chewed. “It’s fine. Oreads don’t tend to cook much. This is perfect fare for hosting an oread for dinner.” He smiled, and Wareth’s shoulders relaxed.
Wareth sat across from him and cut up the bread, putting some butter and sausage on his. They ate in silence. Ori couldn’t tell if the silence was awkward or not, since Wareth was usually silent. Ori couldn’t tell if Wareth liked Ori in his house or wanted him to leave.
Ori grabbed a slice of bread and copied Wareth, slathering it with butter and putting bits of sausage on top. Maybe Wareth was as uncertain as he was. Maybe it was best if Ori was just upfront and told Wareth what he wanted. Then let Wareth decide.
“I want to do that again,” Ori blurted. “Have sex,” he clarified.
Wareth paused mid-chew.
“I enjoyed it,” Ori said. “And if you don’t want to do it again, that’s fine. We can just go back to working together for the next couple of weeks until Winter Solstice. But if you want, because I want, we can keep doing that.”
Wareth placed his piece of bread on the plate in front of him. His brows drew down in thought. He stared at the half-eaten piece of bread as if it had all the answers.
Ori bounced his leg, waiting for Wareth’s response. He knew Wareth took his time, always thinking before speaking. Many people might think that to be a positive trait, but right now Ori was desperate for an answer.
Finally, Wareth nodded. He raised his eyes to meet Ori’s. “I’d like to do it again,” he said in his deep, gravelly voice. “If that’s what you want.”
Ori was going to point out that he’d already said he wanted to, but the tentativeness in Wareth’s voice made him hold his tongue. “That’s what I want.”
