Evan could go fuck himself.
Wasn’t Felixallowedto have a nice weekend? He wantedwineand romance movies and good food and expensive sheets! Even if he spent the entire time wallowing, he was atleastgoing to get his money’s worth, for fuck’s sake!
“I don’t suppose you have a wine list or anything?” he huffed out, his voice still a little shaky.
“Ah, oh, er, not yet, but I have a few bottles in the back! Sorry, I’m still a work in progress—I mean the inn. Theinnis a work in progress.” Aspen muttered, his pale, almond skin flushing deeply as he pecked at the keys, pulling up the reservation on his desktop.
“Oh.”
Aspen tried not to feel hurt by the disappointment in the other man’s voice.
“Well that’s ok I guess. Is there a restaurant or something nearby? I don’t want to be a nuissance…”
Aspen’s eyes shot up from the keyboard he was busy mangling with his claws. His brows drew together in confusion. “You want to leave? I have rabbit cooking! And snacks! I could make you something if you are hungry. Are you hungry?”
He paused, noting Felix’s taken-aback expression, then shook himself physically and took in a deep breath.
“Ah, forgive me, I…have not been around people today. I have forgotten how to behave.” He gave a small, apologetic smile to Felix. “You know how this is.”
Felix’s brows drew together in further consternation, “Ah, no, actually. I live in the city. And I work in a hospital. I’m around people all the time. Too much, really.”
“I see.” Aspen sighed, ears and tail tip twitching. He’d made an assumption. It was a good reminder that not all shifters were the same. That they would all have different needs when they came to the inn. “Well…”
He turned his attention back to the keyboard, finally getting it to bring up the screen he wanted.User-friendly, my ass! The printer made a whirring sound nearby.
“…there is a decent pub open late in Jericho, though the kitchen may be closed by the time you get there.” He set the paperwork & a pen on the counter, neatly avoiding the gouges from Felix’s claws. “Though truly, I do not mind feeding you. I was serious about the rabbit. Or if you are vegetarian, I have options…?”
Felix snorted, “Notvegetarian.”
He scribbled his signature on the page, shoving it back without looking. He didn’t really care about the price or whatever it was he was signing for. This was all going on his credit card anyway, and after what had just happened with Evan,hedeserveda treat. He looked shyly back at the other shifter, feeling suddenly extremely self-conscious about everything.
“I’m really sorry for the hassle,” he mumbled. “Am I your only customer?”
LAYING WOOD
“No, no, not like that!” Strong hands caught the shaft of the axe handle before Felix could swing it. Aspen stepped close, controlling the tool with ease and precision as he brought it gently down to rest against the log. His scent and body curled themselves around Felix as he finished with a little chuckle. “You’ll hurt yourself.” His mouth rested near Felix’s ear. “And we wouldn’t want that…would we?”
Felix hadn’t realized he’d stopped breathing until he was gasping for air. He tried to cover his inability to breathe like a normal person with a little laugh, only the movement of his laugh made him realizejust how closetheir bodies had become. The strength of Aspen’s body pressed in on him and Felix found himself tingling head-to-toe with awareness of the other man’s muscles.
“Ummm, ah, n-nooo, we wouldn’t?” he answered with a little squeak at the end.
The barely-there rumble in Aspen’s chest grew, the vibration of it against Felix’s back making his eyes flutter shut in pleasure.He found himself leaning back, wanting more contact. His hands had gone completely limp on the axe handle. Aspen’s strong grip had become the only thing keeping it upright. And maybe, Felix suspected, the only thing keepinghimupright, as well. His insides were puddling at an alarming rate.
Aspen’s voice spoke near his ear again, instructing him in the do’s and don’ts of axe safety, but Felix heard none of it. He was so distracted by the feel & scent of the other cat rubbing up against him that he almost missed it when the were-leopard paused and asked him, “Ready?”
“Ah, er, y-you’ll make sure I do it right, won’t you?”
Aspen chuckled again, and Felix cursed the layers of scarf and hat currently between the two of them. He wanted to feel those lipson his skin. He blinked, flushing heavily. Felix shook himself mentally, trying to maintain his sanity.
Holy furballs, this guy was magnetic!
“I’ve got you,” Aspen assured him, just before lifting the axewithFelix, their bodies moving together in a smooth, arching swing that ended in a satisfyingWHUNK!
The axe bit into the wood they were splitting, and if Felix didn’t know any better, he’d have guessed that a verydifferentkind of wood was pressed up against his backside.Damn this gigantic winter coat!How was he supposed to tell if the hot guy actually had the hots for him or not?!
Aspen chose that moment to slide away, his face giving no indication one way or the other as to the state ofhisemotions, and his coat thoroughly hiding any potential evidence. Felix envied the were-leopard’s ability to keep his own council so well. He was also glad, suddenly, of his own oversized coat, which he hoped was hiding at leastsomeof the scent of his arousal.
“Did you want to try on your own?” Aspen held out the axe, an amused glint in his eye as he watched Felix attempting to compose himself. Being pressed up against the other man had been….a true test of Aspen’s own self control. He was quite ready to rip off Felix’s winter gear and bend him over what remained of this log.
