Page 102 of When Ben Loved Tim

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I’m shoveling snow on a Sunday morning when a sports car pulls up, the black exterior a stark contrast to a world freshly draped in a sparkling white gown. I watch as the car parks directly in front of my house instead of continuing halfway around the block like it used to. The breath catches in my throat when Tim steps out. He’s even more beautiful in the snow, his silver eyes like ice but with none of the chill. I feel my blood rushing when he fixes his gaze on me. He’s wearing a gray jacket with wool lining. I’m not surprised that it’s hanging open. I swear he never gets cold. I’m tempted to throw off my gloves so I can slide my bare hands beneath his sweater to feel the warmth of his skin.

“Hey,” Tim says with an upward nod. He’s grinning in a way that I’ve come to recognize.

“Hey yourself,” I reply. “Did church get you in the mood again?”

“It’s all the talk of sinning,” Tim says. “Wanna mess around?”

“I’m a little busy here,” I say, wiggling the snow shovel.

“Oh right.” Tim surveys what little progress I’ve made. Then he reaches for the shovel. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! Why not?”

I hand him the shovel and retreat to the front stoop. I watch him as he works, surprised by how much has changed. Not only is his car parked right outside my house. Now he’s in my driveway, making short work of the snow. Anyone could pass by and recognize that he’s here. Which is exceedingly unlikely, so I’m not worried about it personally. That he’s not either gives me hope.

We’ve found our way back to a good place. Tim kept his promise. He showed up in my physics class before it began the next day and apologized to Danny right in front of everyone. And went a step further. “If my friends ever mess with you when I’m not there, just let me know. I’ll take care of it.”I wish he would have stuck around to see Danny’s reaction. After looking confused, a big goofy grin had filled his face.

I’m not completely over what happened. It definitely shook my faith in Tim. The gesture would have been more meaningful had he apologized on his own, without me insisting that he do so. But at the very least, it’s proof that he cares enough about me to stick his neck out. And he’s continued to do so, up to this moment. I watch him clear the sidewalk and stick the shovel in a snow drift with a satisfied smirk. Then he saunters over to me.

“Are you busy now?” he asks.

“I’m about to be,” I say, leading him inside and upstairs to my room.

“That was a good workout,” Tim says while shrugging off his jacket.

“Oh yeah?” I ask innocently.

“Uh-huh,” Tim says. “Got my muscles all pumped up.”

The words alone make my cock swell, but when he takes off his sweater and flexes a bicep, I’m rock hard.

“Wanna feel?”

“It’s a start,” I reply before running my palm over the steaming hot curve of his arm.

He’s searching my eyes, but there’s something more than lust in his gaze. “Valentine’s Day is coming up,” he says.

“Isn’t that my line?” I tease, since I keep asking him what we’re going to do.

“Not anymore,” he says with a grin. “My parents are going out of town.”

“Really?” I’m unable to hide my excitement. As much as I want him to have a nice supportive family, our relationship is at its best when we’re on our own.

“Yup!” he says, matching my happy expression. “I thought we’d make a night of it. I wanna paint you. For real this time. What do you think?”

“Sounds romantic,” I say, batting my eyelashes at him, “I love the idea.”

“Cool.” His eyes move over me. “I also want to paint you now, Jackson Pollock style.”

I shake my head, not understanding.

“He’s the paint splatter guy,” Tim says helpfully.

“Oh.” I squint at him. “Huh?”