Chapter 37
“It’s okay,” Ellis murmured. He rubbed Bryn’s foot and took off a dress sock before moving on to the other shoe.
A fresh wave of fire flooded Bryn. His cheeks burned. He was not only embarrassed but strangely sort of ashamed. He wasn’t sure he’d ever been as nice to anybody as Ellis was being to him. And maybe it was the booze, the sick, or the exhaustion, but it was fascinating to watch Ellis work. He took off Bryn’s other shoe and sock, putting the socks neatly into each shoe. Then Ellis helped Bryn out of his coat, hanging it on a nearby chair back. The tie was slower, and Ellis never glanced at Bryn as he deftly undid the knot and pulled the fabric out of the collar with a low swish. Ellis’s breath was coming faster and through his nose, and though it was difficult to tell with the pants and the kneeling, Bryn thought Ellis was hard. By the time Ellis started unbuttoning Bryn’s shirt, Bryn was too. He caught Ellis’s wrist, swallowing on a dry throat.