Finn had winked at him. And offered to read a romance novel with him. He’d called himbaby—twice!
In a daze, Jaime picked up a few paperbacks that looked interesting, and took them to the front, smiling at the cashier who gave him a funny look. Was he one of those book snobs who turned their nose up at romances? Jaime ignored it until Finn stepped up to the counter with him.
“Jared, good to see you. This is Jaime.” He was hovering close behind again, the warmth of his chest nearly touching Jaime’s back, teasing him. It was an effort not to lean further into him—he ached to feel Finn pressed up against him fully.
Jared merely nodded, dense white hair falling into his face as he did so. Actually, the man was sort of covered in white hair, his forearms thick with it. He almost seemed reassured at Finn’s introduction, features softening as he bagged up Jaime’s books. Odd. Jaime finished paying and noted that Finn had grabbed a couple of thrillers for himself.
After the bookshop, they walked a little ways until Finn turned them into another store. This one seemed to be some combination of a hardware store, grocery store, and aknickknack stand, selling everything from ice-melt, cereal, and little handmade wooden figurines.
“Do you know that guy? Jared?” Jaime asked as they perused the aisles, unable to shake the odd feeling the interaction had given him.
It was like Finn had needed to make it known that they were there together. Not like,togethertogether, even though the thought of Finn being territorial made him flush and his cock chub up, but more like he was vouching for Jaime’s good intentions.
“Not really, not very well. He’s been around Silver Rapids for a long time, longer than I have. You know how small towns can be, people don’t like strangers.”
The tense moment from earlier when Finn had crowded Jaime up against the truck had dissipated a little, but not entirely. There was still something charged between them—something that had stirred awake during their shared meal at Andi’s, and Jaime couldn’t shake the feeling.
While their conversation never veered into the heady place it had in that adorable little booth over truly the best food of Jaime’s life, it was still more open than it had been in the past few days. Jaime wasn’t so afraid to reveal things about himself, and Finn seemed at ease knowing Jaime’s distance had been out of respect for the miscommunication over Silas, and not out of a desire to be distant from him.
You’re not now, nor have you ever been, a burden.
I want more with you, if that’s what you want.
The real version of you, the one sitting in front of me. Please don’t diminish that.
Jaime had been in a year’s worth of therapy working through his feelings of self-loathing and unworthiness, and he still had a long way to go. One conversation with a man he had a crush on wasn’t going to fix that.
But it sure fucking helped.
Parts of him whispered that Finn didn’t mean it; that he just needed to wait until Jaime had another bout of anxiety, or someone came to hurt him and he needed Finn to protect him, and then Finn would see how much of a burden he really was.
But there was a lightness in him that wasn’t there before today, and it helped as he used the exercises he’d learned in therapy to set those thoughts aside. To rationalize that they weren’t real; it was just his own self-loathing and doubt at work.
Finn had only ever been honest with him—had only ever helped him, been kind to him, and pulled him back into himself. Not because he needed Finn to fix him, but because sometimes you needed someone you could count on, who saw you from the outside, and who could support you as you healed yourself.
Someone to tell you that you’re worth healing.
Fuck, that was deep. How long had they known each other? In reality, only a few days. But they had been circling each other for weeks last year, and Finn hadn’t ever fully left Jaime’s thoughts. It seemed to be the same for Finn.
Finn grabbed a few items that he said he needed for the house, some caulking and a sander to patch up some of the work from the security tech install. As they paid and walked back to the truck together, idly chatting, Jaime had the fleeting thought thatthiswas what he wanted.
How beautiful would it be, to spend his days running errands and finishing up domestic chores with a man who thought he was strong, and beautiful, and worth fighting for?
He wanted to find out.
Their drive homewas uneventful and quiet, but in the comforting way of two people who enjoyed being in one another’s company. When they pulled into Jaime’s driveway, Finn cut the engine and they sat there, listening to each other breathe.
Finn’s profile was beautiful in the afternoon light, and when he turned toward Jaime that crease between his eyebrows relaxed, eyes going soft. Jaime couldn’t help but glance down at his mouth again, couldn’t help but imagine what Finn’s lips would feel like on his.
Would Finn lead the kiss? Guide Jaime through it with soft dominance and a demanding tongue, like that tone of voice he sometimes used would suggest? Or, would he melt under Jaime’s touch?
Slowly, Jaime leaned toward Finn over the armrest and opened his mouth to say something—maybe to thank him for getting him out of the house today, or maybe to beg him to push Jaime into the back seat and take him right there in the goddamn truck cab—but Finn’s eyes caught on something over his shoulder, and Jaime’s words died in his throat at the look that came over his face.
Finn’s lips pulled back almost like a snarl, and soil-brown eyes turned dark and molten, flickering in anger. Whipping his head around to see what Finn was looking at, he saw two men casually walking toward their vehicle, having circled around from behind his cabin.
“Call Silas.”
Jaime didn’t even recognize Finn’s voice, rough and thick with anger. He handed Jaime his phone without taking his eyes off the two approaching men.
