Chapter 13

Craig was growing increasingly exasperated.“He likes you.And I know you like him.If you asked him to stay,made him feel welcome,I know he wouldn’t leave.”Andy stood there not saying anything.“Come on.Go and tell him he has to stay.Then you can see to my hand.”

“Well,I—”

There was nothing for it,Craig had to play his trump card.“You’d never forgive yourself if he had an accident trying to drive in this lot.”Craig swept his injured hand over the landscape,blanketed as it was in white.

Andy seemed to snap out of his indecision.Moving past Craig,he headed for the house,looking determined.Craig breathed a sigh of relief.

Once inside,Craig followed his uncle into the spare room,his hand beginning to throb with theincrease in temperature.

“You shouldn’t go.Not with the roads like they are,”Andy said,finding Luke in the spare room.

“My friends back in London,who I’m staying with,they’ll be getting worried.”

“Well,give them another ring to tell them about the snow,”Craig put in.

“I’m sure if I drive carefully I’ll be all right.And I do need to get back.”

“No,Luke,it isn’t safe.Look,I’m sorry,”Andy sat on the edge of the bed.Luke looked at him,as did Craig.“I do want you to stay.It’s just—”Andy ran a hand through his hair.

“Please stay,Luke.Honest!Uncle Andy wants you to,don’t you?”Craig turned his best pleading expression on his uncle.

Sighing,Andy cracked a smile.“What he said.I’m sorry I’ve been a grouch.I’m just not used to people,and—”

“He really likes you,Luke.Tell him,Uncle Andy.”

Andy blushed.“I—”

Luke waited,a look of indecision and hope on his face.

Andy continued.“I don’t know why you’d want to hang around with a snotty teenager and an old gimped up ex-soldier,but—”

“Craig’s not snotty and you’re not old or gimped up.”Luke was firm in his words.

“Yeah,”Craig added.

“This is awkward.”Andy turned to Craig.“Look,go and get the first aid box out.I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Aw,I want to stay and watch you two kiss and make up.”

“Bugger off.”But Andy was smiling.

****

Breaking the silence that had fallen after Craig’s departure,Luke said,“If it’s really all right,I will stay.But just for another night.”

Looking up,Andy smiled.Before he knew what had happened,Luke had bent down and kissed him on the cheek,his scarred and disfigured cheek.Andy reached up to touch the spot and looked at Luke in surprise.

“You’re not gimped up.You’re one of the most genuine,honest and real people I know.”

“Thanks.”Andy dropped his gaze.He couldn’t look at the beautiful man any longer,lest his feelings be communicated.

“I’ve seen,and yes,slept with a lot of men.Most of them had awesome bodies,model good looks,the whole nine yards.But most were shallow and vain.When you got past the surface,there was nothing else.You’re…well,you’re not like that.”

“No,I’m ugly,disfigured.”

“No,Andy,no.Please don’t say that.”Luke reached out and cupped his face.“You’re real,you’re good,decent,kind.If I’d have been stranded in the snow with most of the people I know,they wouldn’t have offered me a place to stay.Well,if they did,they’d want to fuck meas payment.”

Andy winced.

“See,you’re not like that.”

Andy was finding it more and more difficult to remain impassive.Previously he’d not had the opportunity to look at Luke at such close range for an extended period.The man’s skin was flawless.His long,pale blond eyelashes,the high cheekbones,the brilliant white teeth framed by full red lips.Andy couldn’t stop staring.

“Can I kiss you again?”Luke’s voice was low,husky.

Andy’s cock sprang to life.He shifted in place but couldn’t break away from Luke’s intense gaze.He gave the briefest of nods.They moved closer.Their lips touched.Luke felt like heaven.Luke’s face,which Andy realised he was now holding,was baby smooth and so soft.

A noise downstairs caused them to break apart.Andy thought it was probably for the best.Luke was awakening strong feelings inside him that he knew Luke wouldn’t or couldn’t reciprocate.

Andy’s thoughts were interrupted by Craig shouting up the stairs,“Uncle Andy,Tom and Paddy are here.They said the snowplough has just gone through.”

“Shit,”Luke said.

“You can still stay.Please.”

Luke hesitated for a moment,then nodded in agreement.

Andy couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.“We best go down and be sociable.Tom and Paddy areokay.They’re a gay couple who live in the village.”Andy stood up,almost reached for Luke’s hand before thinking better of it,and walked out of the spare room and down the stairs,Luke following.

“John was telling us that the milk tanker couldn’t come and he…Oh.My God!”Tom exclaimed as he saw Luke.“You’re—”

Craig and Luke looked at each other and burst out laughing.Andy stared at the pair,then at Tomand Paddy.“What?”

“Oh,nothing,”Craig said,finally settling down.“Luke,this is Tom and Paddy.Uh,guys,this is…well,you know who it is.”Craig started laughing again.

4

Things were going well up until Paddy brought up the DVD that they’d loaned Andy just after their visit to Manchester.

The room fell deathly quiet.Tom and Paddy looked expectant,Craig was smirking,and Luke had an unreadable expression on his face.Andy just wanted the floor to swallow him up.

Seemingly unaware of the suddenly tense atmosphere,Paddy added,“It’s that one where you were an American cowboy.We really wanted to get the one you made with Petrov Gallant.You know,the one where he rimmed you,but it was out of—”

“Paddy!”Andy jerked his head in Craig’s direction.

The teenager was leaning forward in his chair,his mouth open.His expression was equal parts shock and excitement.

“Sorry,Craig,Andy.I got carried away.”

“Anyone want a cup of tea?”Andy stood up.He just had to get out of there.

“Coffee for me,please,”Luke said.

“Tea for Paddy and me,”Tom said.

“I’ll have tea,too,please,”Craig said.

Andy escaped gratefully into the kitchen,shooting a look at the sideboard,the top drawer of which contained Luke’s DVD.

****

He was about to carry in the tray of cups when Luke came into the kitchen.“Need a hand?”

“Uh,thanks.Look,I’m sorry about…well,earlier.Tom and Paddy,I swear they don’t know when to shut up sometimes.They,uh,gave me one of your DVD’s after we met in Manchester and—”

Luke smiled,“Not one of my better performances.I couldn’t keep the American accent going.”

Andy felt relieved that Luke wasn’t upset.“No,but you were still really good in it.I mean—”He felt his face heat up.

“Thanks,but you don’t need to be embarrassed.I’m a porn actor.It’s what I do and I’m glad you liked my performance.”

“Yeah,but I…well,I don’t want you to think that I watch porn all the time and get,uh…I’mnot like that,I don’t want you to think I’m creepy or…oh,hell!”Andy wanted to flee to thepig shed or somewhere.

“Oh,mate,no!”

Luke moved toward Andy,who,after a moment’s hesitation,put his arms around Luke and pulled him in even closer.

Luke was talking.“I don’t think bad of you,not at all.Like I said upstairs,you’ve been really kind,putting me up and looking after me.”

“Oh,pardon me for interrupting,”Tom said,startling Andy,who sprang from Luke and,in the process,knocked into the kitchen table.