Love Is Always Write Volume 4
shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. It's just me. Sorry to scare you like that."
Bob forced himself to relax. He took in Jory's clothing in surprise. The black jacket was gone, revealing a short-sleeved blue T-shirt. Bob stared.
Jory frowned after a moment and looked down. "What?"
Bob shook himself. "You must be freezing. Where's your coat?" In truth, Jory wore the shirt like a supermodel. It gathered in all the right places, showing off the mouth-watering V shape of his torso and fit like a glove around Jory's shoulders and chest. Two small bumps gave evidence of the cold; Jory's nipples were hard. Bob swallowed and dragged his eyes upward, willing himself not to look at the studded white belt just visible beneath the hem of the shirt, wrapped around Jory's slender hips. Bob had long known he was gay; he just hadn't realized he had a type . Until now.
"Yeah, one of them grabbed me. I had to make like an eel and ditch my jacket to get away." Jory's eyes narrowed. "You didn't go back to your place, did you?"
Bob shook his head. "I went to a friend's. Borrowed this jacket and scarf while I was there. It's too cold to be walking around dressed like that." He indicated Jory's lack of warm attire.
Jory rubbed his hands up and down his arms in the universal gesture of trying to get warm. He smiled, and Bob noted that his teeth were brilliantly white and perfectly shaped. He also had a dimple on one side.
"Want to go inside where it's warmer?" Bob jerked his head at the large wooden building that jutted out over the water. It had once been a warehouse, built in the days of railroad transportation but had been converted into a tourist trap filled with kitschy shops and assorted eateries.
"Yeah." Jory turned and headed for the interior. When the heavy door closed behind them, the silence was almost as welcome as the warmth. The old building was solid and the sounds of seagulls cawing, tourists chattering, and the gusting howl of the cold wind were effectively blocked.
Boards creaked beneath Jory's feet as he walked down the long hallway past a store selling novelty shot glasses and seashell-adorned knickknacks. He paused outside a bread shop and looked at Bob. "Hey, where is Mariah?"
Bob shrugged. "At my friend Alyssa's. It's where I picked up this coat and—"
"You took her to Alyssa's? Shit! Come on!" To Bob's surprise, Jory bolted for the door and pushed back out into the cold.
Bob ran after him and caught him at the curb. "Wait! What's the problem?" He was about to ask if Jory knew Alyssa, but then kicked himself. Of course he knew Alyssa. She had lived in the same building for two years. For all Bob knew, she and Jory might have had dinner together three times a week.
Jory's eyes scanned the passing cars. Traffic was fairly light for a Saturday, probably because of the cold weather, but people would flock to the docks later, regardless. Jory did not bother to walk to the nearest crosswalk; he simply started into the street.
Bob swiveled his head, panicked, and searched for bicycle cops. He did not need a jaywalking ticket. No black and yellow clad policemen were visible, so Bob jogged after Jory, who had reached the other side and cut through some ornamental shrubs to the parking lot on the other side.
"They'll go to her place next," Jory said when Bob caught up.
"They? You mean the guys with the guns ?"
"That couldn't have been a real gun. Charles was just messing around, getting into character. It's stupid, yeah, but he's always had a thing for military games and stuff."
"Charles? Games? What are you talking about?" Bob reached out and snagged Jory's elbow. His skin was cold. "When are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?"
Jory stopped and pushed his dark hair out of his eyes before looking at Bob steadily. One strand fell back and caught on Jory's long eyelashes. His eyes were the color of dark chocolate and his features had a slightly Asian cast. Takara, Bob remembered, so there must have been Japanese in his ancestry.
"Look, it's just a game, but the stakes are kind of high. I probably should have asked if you wanted to play before involving you, but…."
Bob goggled at him. "A game? You're saying that people breaking down my door and chasing us all over town is a game ?"
Jory winced. "Sorry about your door. I'll pay to fix it. Charles is…. Well, he's a bit stupid and gets carried away. Hopefully the other guys stopped him before he actually broke in, since it is a felony, but…. Anyway,
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