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“Oh.” Percy’s face went red again, embarrassed this time. “That was a joke. I didn’t mean any harm. I’m sorry if I?—”
Albie patted Percy’s upper arm, warm, gentle but firm. “It’s fine. And I’m happy to hand over the cooking. I hate it. I’m not any good at it, and my time’d be better spent doing just about anything else. I’m sure Des and Robert would agree.”
“I can do a damper, but I don’t know about anything else. I mean, I could try. If you’re giving me an order, I’ll do whatever you say. If I poison everyone, I’d like it to be clear on the record that I said I wasn’t any good at it.”
Albie laughed. “You’ll be fine. How about we see about it when we get back from taking the cattle to market?”
Percy gave a nod. “Okay.” Then he remembered. “Now, about some reading lessons...”
Albie gave his shoulder a squeeze this time, the warmth of it sending a jolt through Percy’s core. “Leave it for tonight. We’ve got an early start tomorrow. It can wait until we get back.”
Percy stared up at him, lost to his brown eyes, to the smile tugging at his lips. And Albie stared straight back at him, his lips parted. They were so close...
Then Albie took a step back and cleared his throat. “You should go,” he said, his voice sounding strained. “Get some sleep before Des and Robert keep you awake all night.”
“I can help you clean up,” he said, taking a tray from the table.
“I said leave it,” Albie shot back. He took the tray from Percy. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Percy knew he’d crossed a line. He knew he shouldn’t have been caught staring at Albie that way. He shouldn’t have reacted that way.
But Hell be damned, Percy was attracted to him. A man, no less, as he’d always known he was attracted to men. But Albie, his boss. Albie who had shown him great kindness, who had given him a job and a place to live.
Albie who had warm hands and stars in his eyes, whose smile made Percy’s knees weak.
He left with barely a nod, his mouth dry and his heart heavy.
Sleep didn’t come again that night either, though this time it had nothing to do with the snoring.
Chapter Seven
Albie barely slept a wink.
His thoughts filled with a certain blond man. His smile, his deep blue eyes. The way he’d tended to the burn on Albie’s wrist, the way he’d looked up at him, leaning in closer, slow-blinking and dreamy.
The way he’d blushed.
Albie had always known he’d never found attraction in the female form. Not that he’d had many to choose from, but the way the men talked about women and the way he’d seen Williams and Fitzgerald be with their wives—handsy and amorous—Albie had never had that inclination.
But when it came to men...
As a teen, he’d spent many days by himself in the scrub, daydreaming about his first kiss, his first time. And he tried to picture beautiful women. He tried to plant that seed in his head.
But the form kept morphing into a man.
Hard angles, rough hands, and as he got older, he imagined cocks and wet mouths, muscled backs, and a small, firm backside...
Now he imagined it was Percy.
And the way he’d looked at him, twice tonight, it didn’t take much imagining.
How he’d looked up at him, blinking those pretty blue eyes, and licking his pink lips, leaning in as if he were drawn to Albie in the same way Albie was drawn to him.
He couldn’t be though, right?
Albie knew what the church said, what the law said, about such matters. He knew such lusts should accompany shame and guilt.
But he couldn’t make himself feel those things.
