Winter Hearts Read Online Free Page B

air singed his nostrils. The top of one ear above the quilt as he lay on his side was freezing, but under the covers he was as warm as toast. It took a minute to realize that at some point during the night he had turned over and moved so close to Sam that his belly was pressed to Sam’s back, and his arm was thrown over the young the man’s side, holding him close. No wonder he was so warm.
    Oh God! Please let him be asleep.
    As carefully as possible he lifted his arm off Sam’s warm body and rolled away from him. Relieved he had not disturbed him, he looked up at the frosted logs of the ceiling.
    “Good morning, Luke.” Sam rolled over onto his other side to face him—and smiled.
    Shit! “I must’ve thought you were my last lady friend,” he mumbled.
    “I don’t look like a lady or smell like one.” Sam grinned. “In fact I think I probably smell pretty bad after days with no bath. I didn’t have time at the Volga Hotel. I wanted to get moving and get here.”
    His heart pounding from embarrassment or maybe excitement, Luke got out of bed. “Go and roll around in the snow if you want to smell pretty.” Sam pulled the quilt back around him, snuggling down. He looked so damn sweet with his long hair all tousled from sleep, with Grandma’s quilt wrapped around him. Luke looked at him for a moment longer than he should have, and all the while Sam stared back at him.
    He’s got to go.
    Luke pulled on his shirt and trousers and put on his boots as quickly as possible. He opened the stove door, stoked up the embers from the night before, tossed in more coal, and closed it again so the coal would catch. At the sink he pumped water to wash his face—“Shit, that’s cold!”—then scrubbed his teeth with tooth powder.
    He refused to look at Sam, whom he heard getting out of bed. “My turn, Luke.” In his dark blue flannels with the top unbuttoned and hanging from the waist, Sam washed his face and splashed water under his arms. “You’re right. That’s as cold as ice.”
    From his pack Sam took his toothbrush and a pot of toothpaste to brush his teeth. Luke tried to occupy himself about the house, but there was nothing in particular to do except wait for the stove to heat up. He just didn’t want eye contact with Sam while he was half-naked.
    “Do you have more coal?” Sam asked.
    “In the stable.”
    “I’ll fetch some when I’m dressed,” he offered.
    “You’ll cook. I’ll do the chores,” Luke told him.
    “Yes, sir.”
    Sam’s tone felt like a poke in the chest. Luke turned to face him, but his annoyance stuck in his throat at the sight of Sam’s smooth, hairless chest, his tiny pink nipples puckered tight by the frigid air. Swallowing hard, he said, “While you’re in my house, I’m the boss.”
    Sam held Luke’s gaze for a minute, and then the corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile. “No worries, boss.”
    “Don’t get sassy with me. There’re two hotels in town, and you can stay at either one of them.”
    Sam dropped his gaze. “I’d rather stay here,” he said quietly.
    “Then get dressed before you freeze.”
    Luke turned his attention to the stove. His cock was as rigid as the poker he used to stoke the coals. As soon as the fire was blazing, he crossed the small room without looking at Sam, pulled on his coat and hat, and grabbed the coal bucket as he headed out the door. The clothesline led him to the stable in the whirling wind and snow. Inside he breathed a sigh of relief just to be away from Sam for a while.
    Grabbing the pitchfork, he said out loud, “I can’t do this!” The horses and the cow turned to look at him. “Either that boy is a tease, or he just has no damn clue how handsome he is. He flirts every time he looks at me.” With angry movements he pitched a bale of hay at each of the animals. “I’ll tell him when I get back to the house. He’s got to go. I’d rather starve until spring than risk what might happen if I make the mistake of touching