Deacon seemed to find that funny.
I put the spray and swabs between us and met his eyes. “Can I touch your hand?”
I didn’t want to just grab him, especially knowing he had issues with touch and consent. Being prepared was key.
Deacon’s smile faltered, his eyes serious, and he gave a single nod.
So, holding his fingers with one hand, I sprayed the cotton swab and then his puncture marks, then I lightly dabbed his skin before applying a bandage. It only took a second, but when I was finished, I kept my fingers on his, and he didn’t move away either.
He was watching me though, and this time it was me who couldn’t look at him. My heart was strumming and I was almost too scared to breathe. “Is this okay?” I asked quietly.
He gave another nod and whispered, “Yes.”
Then he turned his hand over, and I kept mine still. Our palms were almost touching, our fingers almost entwined.
And my heart was almost bursting.
He skimmed his hand over mine, our palms, our fingers, then traced his fingertips across my skin. He was watching his movements, as if he were both fascinated and scared.
“Do you like it?” I whispered.
He nodded. “Yes. Do you like it?”
“Yes.”
Then his fingers slipped through mine and he held them. Warm, gentle, soft.
Perfect.
He pulled his hand back and he let out a quiet laugh.
I was so freaking happy. And yes, I was definitely falling in love with him. “Thank you,” I murmured. “For coming into the store earlier, for coming here for dinner. For being you.”
His eyes met mine then. “Me?”
I could still feel the ghost of his touch on my hand. “Yes, you.”
Just then, the wind howled outside and we both turned to the window. “Hmm,” he said. “I should get home before it really starts coming down.”
“Good idea.” As much as I didn’t want him to leave, I’d rather he not drive in a blizzard. “I’ll take this little one,” I said, taking Merry. I put him in the crate with his now-behaving brother and walked Deacon to the door.
He pulled on his boots and coat, found his beanie in his pocket, and put it on too. “So,” I said. “About our Christmas gifts...”
“I think I know now what to get you.”
“But we didn’t set any parameters,” I said.
“Have you not any ideas for mine?”
The truth was, I’d ordered him something already, but now it didn’t feel right.
I made a face. “Well, I thought I knew what I was going to get you, but now I’m not sure. I’ve never had to buy a boyfriend a Christmas gift before, so...”
He grinned at the word boyfriend. “Okay. Parameters are a spending limit of forty dollars. This will eliminate oneof us outdoing the other and making it uncomfortable between us.”
“Great idea. I love that. Look at you making awesome executive decisions.”
He laughed before he put his hand on the doorknob and stopped. “Are you going to the Christmas light festival on Christmas Eve when they close the street off. It’s a lot of fun.” Then he shrugged. “I’ve always gone with my parents. I’ve never had someone else to go with, so...”
