The Stars Over Bittergate Bay

Chapter 28

28

B y the time Jonas had put away his trowel and washed up, Sidney had the radio on in the kitchen and the wine poured. He was humming along to the music, a dish towel over his shoulder, as he pointed Jonas toward a bag of carrots and grater that were sitting on the counter.

“What are we making?” Jonas asked, unbagging the produce.

“Chicken cacciatore,” Sidney said without looking up from the pan on the stove. “And carrot cake.”

“Why carrot cake?”

“Because I’m indulging your sweet tooth.” Sidney swept past Jonas toward the fridge, but not before dragging his hand over the small of Jonas’s back in a perfectly casual display of affection that Jonas had never encountered before. Jonas wanted more.

Sidney made affection seem easy. Maybe it was easy. It was certainly fun. The music, the lightness of Sidney’s hands on Jonas’s waist and on his arms. Every time Sidney touched him, Jonas’s heart skipped a beat.

The conversation in the garden reminded Jonas that Sidney really seemed like he could take anything in stride. He’d pulled Jonas out of his sullenness and into the bright warmth of the kitchen with little more than an unflappable attitude. A small voice in the back of his head said, ‘he’s good for you,’ and Jonas tried to ignore it. What did that even mean? But as Sidney made the most delicious smelling supper the garden cottage had ever seen, Jonas had to admit, at least to himself, that Sidney was good. Good for him, very probably. Even though Jonas had little to offer in return.

Dinner went off without a hitch, and their conversation stayed firmly in the celestial realm for the length of it. Sidney was going to stargaze that night, which, of course he was. It was why he was there in the first place. But it did bring a thought to Jonas’s mind.

“I wonder…” Jonas began. His cheeks were flushed, his gaze dropped to the last of his third, possibly fourth, glass of wine. “Would you have an interest in using my telescope for an extended study of the star clusters that pass over the bay? You could use it as the basis for your dissertation, if you decide to keep investigating the influence of the celestial realms here on earth.” He glanced up, a little surprised to see Sidney’s smile widen over the rim of his wine glass.

“You’re offering me your telescope?”

“Well,” Jonas stammered, afraid the critical suggestion had been overlooked. “Not just the telescope.”

“Of course.”

“To study the stars here, where the thin place between the worlds is?—”

“You’re asking me to stay here?” Sidney’s cheeks pinked. Maybe he was drunk. Jonas wasn’t drunk. Was he drunk?

“To stay, I mean… It doesn’t have to be here. Elmmond House is perfectly?—”

“For how long?” Sidney asked. He was still beaming, and Jonas couldn’t help but shrug and smile in return.

“As long as you like.”

Sidney leaned back in his chair and picked up his wine glass. He looked so content, so pleased, and Jonas was thrilled he’d had some small part in making Sidney feel that way.

“We should probably talk about this again when you’re sober.”

“I’m not drunk.”

“I think you might be.”

“Well, then you ought to take advantage,” Jonas teased. There was a line of tension in it that he hadn’t meant to put there. But it was at his own expense. And it was alright. It really was. Sidney wasn’t going to hurt him. Somewhere along the last day or so, Jonas had finally managed to square that in his mind. Still smiling, Sidney shook his head and got to his feet.

“We’ll talk about it again later.”

“Alright,” Jonas said. And then Sidney was beside him, grabbing up his plate, kissing him on the cheek.

“I need to go check the telescope and get my supplies together. I’ll be back down in a few minutes to ice the cake. Do not eat it until I’ve iced it.” Jonas nodded obediently and Sidney left, his footsteps echoing down from the floor above. Jonas put away the leftovers, and then went into the library to avoid the temptation of the carrot cake, where he promptly fell asleep in the armchair by the window.

Several hours later, he woke up. It was properly night, and through the library window he could see the stars glittering in the deep black sky. There was only the slightest pulse of a headache behind his eyes. He needed a glass of water, an aspirin and a slice of the cake he could still smell sitting in the kitchen.

The cool water from the fridge went miles toward clearing his head. Jonas ate his cake in silence, trying to puzzle through what on earth he was doing with Sidney Quince. It was stupid to deny the way he felt. He’d invited Sidney to stay with him for God’s sake. And if Sidney said yes, maybe Jonas could figure out how to explain. How to apologize for not telling Sidney that he was a demon sooner. Time would be a good thing. It would help.

Jonas made his way upstairs, where he could better hear the wind whipping violently over the roof. But, of course, the very first thing Jonas saw as he stepped into his room was the rapidly flickering light from Sidney’s oil lamp, Sidney’s silhouette hunched over the wrought iron table. Sidney was wild, and Jonas’s heart beat a little faster at the sight of him.

When Jonas pulled open the balcony door, the cold took the air from his lungs in a gasp.

“Good Lord, Sidney. Come inside!”

“I’m nearly done.” Sidney’s teeth were chattering.

“You’re nearly a popsicle, Quince!”

“I’m f-f-fine.”

“If you’re not inside in three minutes, I’ll bring you inside myself,” Jonas said and closed the door.

He spent the next three minutes lighting a fire. Warmth was the objective, not romantic ambience. He couldn’t help it if his room looked more inviting in the firelight. Jonas was just the last bastion of good sense between Sidney and his goal of getting hypothermia.

When the room had reached a comfortable temperature, Jonas steeled himself and went back outside. The minute the door opened, Sidney began to protest.

“It’s not been three minutes.”

“Likely closer to five.” Jonas stepped behind Sidney, reaching around him to close the notebook. Sidney smacked his hand and Jonas smacked Sidney’s ass.

It wasn’t intentional. Reactive would have been a more accurate word. In the same moment that Jonas tried to apologize, Sidney looked over his shoulder with a suggestively arched eyebrow and a heavily lidded gaze. Jonas swallowed, apology dying on his tongue.

“A compelling argument.”

“You’re being irritating,” Jonas managed an arch tone. Sidney turned, grabbing his things up from the table, purposefully rubbing his ass against Jonas’s crotch. Two could play at that game.

Jonas let his palm settle on Sidney’s right hip. Sidney shifted into the touch, pushing back ever so slightly. Invitation. Encouragement. Jonas couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran down his spine.

“It’s far too cold out here for that, Quince.”

“Is that your only objection?” Sidney murmured. If he listened for it, Jonas could hear sounds of music, laughter, on the wind, down from Elmmond House. The thought of having Sidney up here on the balcony, in view of anyone with a light and a mind to look their way, was intoxicating.

Jonas leaned forward, letting his weight pin Sidney briefly to the edge of the table. When Sidney leaned back against his chest, Jonas couldn’t stifle a satisfied hum of approval.

“I don’t mind if you don’t.” Jonas said truthfully. Sidney tilted his head back, and Jonas bent forward to kiss him. Sidney’s lips were frozen. “Too bad you won’t make it until the warmer months when we actually could. At this rate, you’ll freeze to death on my balcony before April.”

“I thought you offered to take me inside and warm me up.”

“I did no such thing,” Jonas chuckled. Sidney’s mouth curled into a smile.

“But you will, won’t you?”

“If you like.” Jonas couldn’t stop himself. Should have. But Sidney kissed him then, ground against him, and Jonas pulled Sidney back against his chest and steered him inside.