“I’m good.”
Seth scooped up my plate too and carried them to the sink.
“Let me wash up,” I offered. “You cooked.”
“Hah. I pushed buttons.”
I glanced at the microwave. “Wow, it’s only seven-thirty. Feels way later.”
“Busy day, and it got dark early with the storm.” Seth set the washed dishes in the drain rack and checked his phone again. “Cool, got one bar. Let’s try the boss.”
Mr. Bowen must’ve answered, because Seth said, “Hey, boss. Ebony had her calf. Nice big heifer. But we’re getting dumped with snow, half a foot and not stopping… No, that’s the thing. They were up at Mama’s when it got heavy, and they’re not back. My phone’s cutting out, so if you could call them and tell them to sit tight up there till it’s safe… Sure, I have Austin and we’ll manage the— Hello? Boss?” He stopped and eyed his screen. “Crap. Gone again. Well, hopefully he’ll get hold of Davis and Colby. Selbyville has the tower, so likely they’re doing better than me.”
“I hope so.” I remembered letting Tilly drift off the road behind the trees, wondering if anyone would ever see me there, thought about some of the steep slopes and turns, and how they would come up out of nowhere in the blinding snow. “God, I hope.” I glanced away, blinking.
“Hey.” Seth set down his phone and stepped close, his hand landing warm on my shoulder. “They’ll be fine. Davis has made it through a hell of a lot of snowstorms.”
“Colby seems a bit reckless, though.”
“Davis can handle him. I promise, they’re fine.”
I turned and his face was right there, his hazel eyes more gold than green in the kitchen lights, his lips parted as he tried to convince me. Like I couldn’t see the shadow of worry on his face. A good man, anxious for his friends, doing everything he could to help me.
In the next moment, his gaze dropped to my mouth and he took a short breath. He met my eyes again, his pupils dilated, and his whole body went still. Instinct took over from my brain, and I kissed him.
For a moment, his mouth softened under mine. He slid his hand from my shoulder to cup the back of my neck, opening his lips for a deeper kiss. Then he reared back and stumbled over his chair, grabbing the back for balance. “Uh. What was that?”
Did I really kiss Seth?The faint taste of his mouth lingered on my tongue. The urge to deny and pretend it never happened was strong, but I gathered my nerve. “A kiss. Maybe you’ve heard of them.”
“Why? I don’t… You don’t…” His sputtering gave me courage.
“I do, though not lately. Seems like you said you do, too.” I hesitated, cold pooling in my belly. “If you really didn’t want me to, I’m sorry. Seriously, I didn’t mean to touch you when I wasn’t welcome.” Being trapped here together by the snow wasn’t a bonus if I was the guy who couldn’t keep his mouth to himself. “Sorry! I’ll, um, go.” I looked at the door. The barn was always an option.
“No, wait.” Seth straightened and shook his head. “Don’t go anywhere. You weren’t wrong, not completely. It’s not that I didn’t want to kiss you. Just… you’re young.”
“I’m eighteen. Old enough to vote, and sign a contract, and join the military to get my head blown off. That makes me oldenough for—” I cut off the wordsexat the last moment and substituted, “kissing.”
“I’m thirty-three,” Seth countered. “I could be your father.”
“No, you couldn’t. Yuck. Don’t even go there.”
“I’m older, anyhow, and a lot more experienced. I’m not going to take advantage of you.”
“Right. You won’t. Because you can’t take advantage of the guy who says yes. That kiss was yes, in case you were wondering.” I held my breath.
“You don’t even know what you’re saying yes to.”
“I’m not a virgin.” If you counted blow jobs, which I totally did. “Listen. I’ll be gone in a week, right? Mr. Bowen said so. No room for a permanent hand.”
“I guess.” Seth hesitated. “He won’t send you away if you’re not safe to go.”
I waved a hand with a casualness I didn’t feel. “With a week’s pay in my pocket, I can figure it out. So this, whatever we have, whatever we do, is temporary. No strings, no weight, just a couple of guys who turn each other on.” I dared to move closer again, running a hand down my chest to my waistband. I had no idea where this confidence was coming from, but I rode it like a wave. “Idoturn you on, right?”
“You’d turn on any gay man who wasn’t blind,” he muttered. “But it’s been a long time.”
I wondered if he meant since Miguel. Surely a guy like Seth had found other chances in the last few years, but asking could derail us. I didn’t want him thinking about Miguel. “How about we try a kiss again? See what happens from there?”
Seth didn’t say yes or no, just licked his lips.
