Page 9 of A Winter Crush
“The heart wants what it wants.” Sinoe nodded. “I wish you well. I hope you capture his heart.”
“I don’t think there is much hope of that.”
“Why do you say that?” Sinoe said, voice gentle.
“He’s not interested. I promised his assistant I would give this to her,” he said, pointing at the ellfish, “but it was just a ploy to see him again. But I don’t think he likes me much.”
“I’m sorry,” Sinoe said. “I know how painful unrequited love is. Perhaps he just needs more time.”
“Perhaps. I’ll go to the village today and give his assistant the fish, and I’ll try to talk to him again, but if nothing comes of it…if he still doesn’t want to see me…” He shrugged. “I’ll have to let it go. I don’t want to bother him. I don’t want to be a nuisance.”
“I hope he sees your worth.” Sinoe paused. “But even if he doesn’t, you are a wonderful oread, Ori. And I’m sure you will find someone who will care for you as you deserve.”
Ori nodded, throat feeling tight. They continued in silence through the trees for several minutes.
“You said you saw the potter in the forest,” Ori said. “What was he doing?”
“Digging up clay. I say hello. He nods.” Sinoe stared up at the cloudy sky. “He’s been doing it for years. I remember when I was still young, he used to do it with someone else. A man. I think they were together.”
“Why do you think that?”
Sinoe glanced at him. “One time, I saw them. Their shovels lay on the ground, and they lay naked on top of each other.”
“What did you do?” Ori asked. He felt a stab of jealousy to think of Wareth with someone.
“Just kept walking.” He chuckled. “They were too busy to notice my presence.”
“But it was a man?”
Sinoe nodded.
At least Ori knew that Wareth liked men. He knew that unlike oreads, humans weren’t as open to these things. “Are they still together?”
“I doubt it. In recent years, I haven’t seen them together. Now the potter is always alone when he is in the forest.” He paused. “Actually, I haven’t seen the other man in many years.”
They continued for several minutes, Ori processing this new information. A white fox ran across their path, glancing at them before darting into some shrubs dusted with snow.
“I continue on this way, but I wish you luck with your potter,” Sinoe said.
Ori would need all the luck he could get. “You too, with your human, I mean.”
“He is not my human,” Sinoe said.
“Maybe soon he will be?”
Sinoe smiled but didn’t answer. They parted ways. After several minutes, the pottery came into view through the trees. Clenching and unclenching his hands, Ori let out a breath and approached the door. He opened it and stepped inside. The heat in the studio surprised him, much warmer than yesterday.
And the heat meant that today, Wareth didn’t wear a shirt, revealing thick curly hair over his broad chest. Ori’s mouth salivated. Wareth’s wide brown nipples peeked through the dark hair. As Wareth worked, a drop of sweat dripped down his neck and into the nest of hair on his chest.
Ori wanted to lick the drop, chase it down, run his teeth along the man’s torso, and bite his nipples. Taste him. Ori’s cock thickened as he stared at the man.
Ori had never particularly enjoyed casual sex. He’d never had the time, with his brother, and honestly, unlike some other oreads, he’d always wanted something secure. Constant. But in that instance, he knew if all he could get was sex from this man, he would take it, even if he wanted more.
“Morning, Wareth,” Ori said, voice a little breathless.
Wareth’s shoulders tensed. He glanced up and scanned Ori’s body, eyes widening at Ori’s groin. His loincloth didn’t hide his half-hard cock.
Wareth inhaled sharply and looked down at his clay. He stayed completely still as if frozen in shock. Or disgust.
