3. Dominic

***trigger warning for mention of homophobic attack***

The orange and yellow light of the fire danced along the wall beside the hearth. The moon was beginning its ascent across the dark sky, casting its silvery light on the land outside my home. From the safe warmth of the house, I could appreciate the chilly beauty of the growing night. The damp in the grass and trees was slowly freezing, sparkling in the moonlight, creating a mimicry of the starlit sky above.

Looking out at the landscape, I was reminded of the stories my grandmother used to tell me on similar nights when I was a boy. On those nights, her patient voice would weave tales of creatures that weren’t quite human. Of the faeries and imps who would steal children in the night, or lure grown men to their deaths by mimicking the voices of humans.

As a child, I’d believed the stories, and heeded her warnings. Belief had waned with age, and practicality had taken its place. I no longer believed a circle of mushrooms meant to stay away, or that I had to leave a bowl of milk out in order to stay safe. Even so, as I watched the beautiful yet surreal landscape, I understood how people could believe in magic, both dangerous and wonderful.

A set of hurried knocks brought me out of my reverie with a snap. Frowning, I set my mug of coffee on the table beside the window. I hadn’t heard the approach of anyone’s vehicle and wasn’t expecting any visitors. For a moment, I contemplated grabbing the rifle or shotgun I kept but brushed the thought away. I was miles from any trouble, and I knew wildlife didn’t knock on doors like their lives depended on it.

Sighing, I wound my way through the small house, unconsciously running my hand along the furniture as I went. It was my dream that one day the house would be filled with furniture I’d made by hand, but so far that dream was only half realized. Every time I turned around, there was something else demanding my attention. The house and the land had been in a bad state when I had bought it, and after half a dozen years, it seemed I was still trying to patch a hole or seal a window.

I swung the door open, stuttering when I saw who stood on the other side. The handful of hours since I’d seen Cielo had apparently been a trial for him. He was still as colorful as ever, but the verve he’d carried before was gone. His blanched hair was wilting around his face and his clothes were smudged with dirt and what appeared to be ash. The man looked downright pitiful and I couldn’t help the pang of sympathy that shot through me.

“Hi,” he managed around chattering teeth.

Raising my brow, I stepped back from the door to let him in. I smirked when he all but dashed into the house to soak up the warmth. It was then that I became aware of a pungent smell hanging around him. It smelled like the guy had been rolling around in burnt plastic before he made the journey to my house.

“I guess you’re learning what I meant about it getting cold,” I said.

He nodded vehemently. “I’m sorry. I saw you drive in this direction after you dropped me off, so I figured you lived out this way. When I saw the sign for an apple orchard, I knew it had to be yours, since you… your truck smelled like apples.”

I hadn’t missed the sudden change in wording and felt my gut tighten. It was absurd for me to be aroused by Cielo’s attention to my scent. I knew it was partly because of how small and helpless he looked as he gazed up at me plaintively. Again, I was struck by how surreal he looked, just like the moonlit night. Yet, just like the night, he drew me to him, offering both danger and pleasure.

Shaking the thought away, I grunted. “Well, you found me. What can I do for you?”

He winced. “Is there… a chance you might let me crash on your couch or something? It’s way too cold out there.”

“What happened to your tent and heater?”

“I couldn’t get the tent put up right and I was scared to keep trying when it got dark. There were all these noises, so I just left it barely built and tried to huddle up in it. I guess I wasn’t paying attention when I set the heater in there, because it caught the tent on fire. Now the whole thing is burnt, and I can’t use it… and the heater smells like burning plastic.”

Cielo’s big dark eyes were a direct contrast to the pale skin and bleached hair. They peered up at me desperately, hoping I would take pity on him. Despite my initial dislike of the man’s attitude and origins, I wouldn’t have said no to him. Not only was I raised better than that, I wouldn’t have been able to stomach myself if I turned a helpless stranger out into the cold. But with Cielo’s big eyes gazing at me, I felt both the pang of sympathy and a streak of desire run through me. It was asking for trouble, letting him stay, but I couldn’t see any other option where I could live with myself.

Sighing, I gestured toward the living room. “Go warm yourself up by the fire.”

Cielo’s dark eyes lit up with relief and excitement as he darted out of the hall and toward where the light of the fire could be seen. Sighing, I closed the door the last inch he had left it open before walking back into the living room. When I entered the cozy room, he was already sat close to the fire. My instinct to chide him for getting so close was forgotten the moment I saw him shiver and lean even closer.

As I settled myself down in my favorite chair, I watched Cielo carefully. Some of the fae quality about the man had disappeared now he was in front of the fire rather than in the dark or draped in moonlight. His pale skin was lit with the flickering light of the flame, and his eyes were closed in pleasure as he soaked up the much-needed warmth. I was glad I could get him out of the cold, but I didn’t like the renewed twinge in my chest or the pull in my gut as I watched him.

I had seen firsthand what could happen to people in Hilsbury if it was ever discovered they were gay. Edward Hogan, born and raised in Hilsbury, was by all accounts a hardworking and honest person, and kind to boot. That hadn’t stopped how people eyed the openly gay man’s bakery with barely disguised distaste. I had even seen a few cross to the other sidewalk, away from the downtown bakery so as to not have to walk in front of it.

Years ago, it had been even worse. I had been witness to Edward’s torment and struggles. It had been over ten years since I’d stumbled on him being jumped by a group of teenagers fresh out of high school. They were graduates who were still riding the high from being free from school for good, and had gained a little extra courage from a bottle. Their drunken foray had ended with attempting to beat scrawny but kind Edward Hogan one night, and I had put a stop to it.

In a fit of the sort of justice I should’ve expected, I was the one who’d been thrown in jail, while the teens had been let off scot-free. The fine I’d received had hurt, but the reactions of some of the town afterward hurt even more. A few had avoided me after that, or shot me dirty looks. One particular moment I remembered clearly, was when I attempted to help Mrs. Mathis across the street, only for her to snatch her thin arm back and cross the street while making the sign of the cross.

I had refused to feel guilty for preventing an innocent man from being put in the hospital, or worse. Most people either didn’t care about what I’d done or were willing to forgive me for the ‘transgression.’ I’d even been told by a well-meaning clerk at the market that while helping Edward had been ‘noble’ it was a little ‘misguided’ as well. I supposed my willingness to help someone in physical danger was the only reason I’d been spared worse treatment.

If simply saving a man who’d been in trouble had earned me the ire of a few people, and the backhanded sympathy of others, I couldn’t imagine what would happen if my own secret was revealed. At the time, I’d been in talks with the local realtor to discuss buying up the orchard and the surrounding property. I remembered the jolt of fear I’d felt when the man had made a passing comment about my night in jail and the reason why. It was only a comment, but I hadn’t missed the underlying message; if I continued to toe that line, I would find myself on the outside.

Cielo turned to me, smiling. “Thank you. I probably would have frozen out there if it wasn’t for you.”

I snorted. “You definitely would have frozen, and it’s not even the coldest it can get. You should see the winters.”

“I can only imagine. Before I moved to New York, I never knew what cold really meant. Cold where I come from still meant two digits, the positive kind,” he added.

“Where are you from?”

“Florida.”

It was hard to imagine the pale man somehow surviving in the heat and humidity of the Floridian climate. I imagined it took either a great deal of sunblock or careful rationing of his time outside with how fair-skinned Cielo was. Either that or his pale skin spent a lot of time suffering.

I smiled. “That’s quite the change.”

“I wanted to get away, and New York offered that.”

I couldn’t say I understood. I’d known Hilsbury and the surrounding area my whole life and had no plans on ever leaving it. There was no need for me to ever leave, with everything I’d known and built keeping me here.

As I watched Cielo enjoy the fire, I found myself wondering if maybe I could have done better by myself to leave. By staying in Hilsbury, I’d locked myself in a situation where I was happy with just about every aspect of my life, except the romantic side. If we were anywhere but at my home, a short drive from Hilsbury, I would be tempted to do far more than simply enjoy the sight of Cielo.

I only allowed myself the occasional trip to Portland in order to satisfy my desire for another man’s company. It was far enough away that I didn’t have to worry about accidentally running into someone from Hilsbury or the surrounding area. There, even if it was for a night or the rare weekend, I could be myself a little more. Having someone like Cielo in my home was too great a temptation, and it was making me more uncomfortable with every passing second.

Cielo’s cheeks burned with color once again. “I mean it though, thank you. I guess I wasn’t made to rough it in the woods, freezing my ass off by myself in a tent I couldn’t make without instructions.”

“What happened to the instructions?”

“They got ruined, so I only had half of them.”

“And you couldn’t manage to put the tent together with part of the instructions?”

“It was the important part!”

I smirked. “The part that told you to put the poles through the whole of the tent and not set it on fire?”

His smile flickered. “Something like that.”

Sensing I might have hit a sensitive spot somehow, I swerved back to the original point. “I wasn’t going to let you freeze.”

“If there’s any way I can repay you for this, I’ll do it.”

A joke I could see being taken the wrong way rested on the tip of my tongue. I drew it back, refusing to make even a playful sexual comment. The last thing I needed was to find out Cielo wasn’t anywhere near as gay as I thought he was. Worse, I didn’t want to confirm my suspicions and have him read too much into the comment.

He grinned. “If you need a warm body to keep you company tonight, I could see myself being willing to give you that.”

It wasn’t just that he seemed to have read my mind, it was the wash of temptation passing through me that sent the color flying to my cheeks. In one moment, I was brutally aware of the way his tight jeans hugged his body. The sheer size difference between us became less of a temptation, and instead a full-fledged fantasy. I could easily wrap my work worn hands around his little waist and picking him up to manhandle him would be simple.

Recovering myself, I snapped. “None of that in this house, or you’ll be right back out in the cold, hospitality or not.”

Cielo hesitated, and to my dismay I watched a calculating expression cross over his face. My heart thudded as I tried to hold his steely gaze, not wanting to let the slightest weakness or doubt enter my face. I’d already been caught off-guard by his offer, and my momentary temptation had caught his attention. The joke I had thought about making had been made by him, and it was quickly feeling like a genuine offer.

He reached out, laying his hand on my forearm. “You sure about that?”

His fingers were cold, but I swore they threatened to burn a hole in my skin. Desire filled me and it took every part of my willpower to not grab the man up and push him onto the rug. It would be so easy to take Cielo up on his offer, to rip our clothes off and fuck him through the floor. I could feel myself growing hard, filling my jeans and making them uncomfortable.

It would be easy, but dangerous as well.

The thought snapped me back to reality and I jerked my arm free of Cielo’s hand. Before he could react, I had hold of his thin coat and jerked him to his feet. He yelped in surprise as he was dragged, stumbling across the living room and into the hall once again. I took hold of the front door and wrenched it open, letting the bitter cold of the night fill the hall.

I shoved him outside, keeping my grip on his coat. “Excuse me?”

He tried to shrink back from the cold, cringing. “Please, I’m sorry! No more of that in your house, no more! Please, I don’t want to sleep in the cold, I’ll freeze, or get eaten by a bear or something!”

I drew him back into the house roughly, slamming the door behind him before crossing the hall. I didn’t look over my shoulder as Cielo waited by the door, trying to catch his breath again. I would’ve never locked him out in what would have been his certain death, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. What I needed, was to ensure he would behave himself and never tempt me like that again.

When he returned, he was looking at his feet. “I really am sorry, I thought…”

“Wrong,” I finished for him.

He took a deep breath. “I thought wrong.”

“Good, I’m glad we got that settled. Another thing we need to get settled is how you’re going to earn your keep.”

He looked up, startled. “Earn?”

I grinned. “Oh, you’re definitely staying here tonight, and I’m going to feed you come morning. And if you want, you can even stay here a little bit until your friends show up and you figure out what to do after that. But you’re going to do some work around here to earn your keep.”

He chewed his lip. “Never worked in an orchard before.”

“Done any real work before?”

“You sound like my father.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll get you a pillow and blanket so you can crash on the couch. Get some sleep because we’ll be up bright and early to get started. We’ll make a trip into town to pick you up something to wear while you work.”

“I have clothes.”

I snorted, digging through the linen closet. “You’re not going to want to work out in the orchard in your fancy clothes, trust me. We’ll get you something sturdy, for now, get your scrawny ass to sleep.”

I shoved the bedding at Cielo with a pointed look. To his credit, he managed to look completely serious as he nodded, retreating to the couch. I took the opportunity to leave him to his own devices and thoughts. I supposed I should be concerned about leaving a stranger alone in my house unsupervised, but I honestly thought he was no threat to my wellbeing or my few possessions. No, the greatest threat I thought Cielo presented was the temptation to break one of my firmest rules for how I lived my life. The worst he could do would be to slip into my room and tempt me even further on a whim.

Even so, I left my door open a crack just in case he needed help, or so I told myself as I nestled down to sleep.