4. Colt

That evening, after Colt took advantage of the baths at the inn, he came back to their room to count the money he had. He planned to look at the wares in the town square tomorrow and wanted to know how much he'd be able to afford.

He and Owen would need more than just food. They'd need winter coats, possibly better boots, and a tent. Colt sighed as he looked down at the coins divided up on the table, from half coppers to full coppers to half silvers and fulls.

This isn't enough to rent more than a week anywhere.

How was he going to get him and Owen through the country in the bleak winter with how little he had? When it was just him, he only relied on himself. It was easy to hunt for himself. If he went hungry some nights, he'd bear it until he got paid for the odd jobs he did, or he'd win money at cards.

But now he had someone else to feed. He'd never felt the urge to take care of someone as strongly as he did with Owen. The man had bewitched him, and he was falling harder every day for that dimpled smile, those rosy cheeks, and his sweet laugh.

They had to have money to get by, and the only way Colt knew how to gain it fast was by playing cards. He hadn't gambled since he left Harrow Grove, and since he'd met Owen, he hadn't had a desire to play for coin, which was a strange thing he couldn't understand himself.

Ivormor was home to a famous brothel and gambling house. The Crimson Petal was known for miles. Though he'd never been to it, he'd heard rumors about more dangerous games being played on the second level. He wouldn't go that far.

I'll only play a few rounds of a game.

Moving away from the table, he looked in a smudged mirror on the wall and brushed his hair over with a dingy, cracked hairbrush, then dabbed a bit of his perfume on his neck. It was running low, and he wouldn't be buying anymore once it ran out. But it always seemed to draw Owen close to his neck. He'd have to use it sparingly.

When the door opened, he glanced over as Owen came inside wearing a clean button-up shirt. His hair was still damp, the wet strands clinging to his neck, and his face was much cleaner now.

Colt's heart picked up. "You look good."

"So do you." Owen smiled.

"Want my brush?" Colt held it out to him, and Owen took it and brushed through his dark-chocolate tresses.

"Looks like it's going to be a soggy night," Owen said, putting the brush down once he was done. "I wonder if Gilda and Brom found anything at all in the market with all this rain." He looked down at the table, then his brow wrinkled. "Are you going over expenses?"

"Yeah." Colt placed his hands in his pockets. "We're gonna need some more coin or we're not gonna make it through winter."

"Oh." Owen counted the piles of coins. "Could you whittle and sell some of your figurines?"

Colt's lips twitched up, and he looked away, holding back a smile. "No one here cares about that. I have some experience playing cards, though. The brothel in town has some games. I could play and win us some money."

Owen's brows popped up. "Oh."

Colt folded his arms against his chest and cocked his head. "Does it bother you?"

"No," Owen said, too quickly. "I've just never been to a brothel before. I mean, I saw men, and even women, go to one in Torke before. I was always curious but… well, I don't think I'd ever pay someone for intimacy."

"If you got lonely enough?"

"I'm not sure." Owen eyed him, and they both laughed softly.

"Come here," Colt said, smiling crookedly as he nodded Owen over to the bed, where they both sat together. Colt unrolled the map of Avathon they'd taken from the library and held it out. Looking down at all the regions, he found Pitchvale on the map and pointed at it. "Pitchvale isn't far from here. It shouldn't take us long to get there."

Owen leaned against him, craning his head over to look at the map. "And if we can't find Thomas, we'll need to figure out for sure where we're going. If he can't help us with the Silent Road, we'll have to make our own way."

"Right, if that happens, we should stick to the east coast and go south. The Legion's presence is mostly near the heart of Avathon, especially in Luthien."

"Then that"s what we"ll do." Owen's voice lowered, and then he leaned over and kissed Colt's neck gently, and the sensation sent thrilling goosebumps throughout Colt's body. When he felt Owen kiss there again, he closed his eyes and let out a breath.

"Colt," Owen whispered against him.

"Hm?" Colt hummed, opening his eyes.

"How are you still… not married?"

The question made Colt's brows pop up, and he looked over at Owen in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Laughing, Owen took Colt's hand and said, "Well, you're twenty-seven. You've never wanted to find someone and settle?"

When those big brown eyes gazed up at him, looking full of questions, Colt hesitated. The thought had never crossed Colt's mind before, mostly because he'd always felt too worthless to be anything more to someone than a quick fuck. He wasn't about to tell Owen how many people he'd rolled around with. He didn't even know himself. He'd find someone just to get a lay, only to leave them the same night. But now?

He squeezed Owen's hand gently. "I admit I've been a little lonely, but I've never just… had someone I wanted to stick around, like I do you."

Owen raised an eyebrow. "So have you ever been intimate with someone?"

"Yes, but not in a few years." Clearing his throat, Colt asked, "And you?"

When Owen's face reddened, Colt bit back a smile. "I've only kissed a few people. That's all. Perhaps… you could teach me a few things?"

The flutter in Colt's heart connected with his mind, and without thinking, he tucked a strand of Owen's hair behind his ear and moved in to kiss him.

Owen fell into it easily, tilting his head up slightly and to the side, welcoming Colt into his mouth. How many times had they kissed now? Two or three? Perhaps more than that. Each time, the fire in Colt's stomach grew more, radiating through his body and down to that place he knew would get him in trouble as long as they were both alone in this room, now clean and well-fed and rested.

Colt loved holding this man, loved the feel of his soft clothes, the taste of his skin as he broke away and ran his lips along his neck. What had Owen washed with? Lavender? Colt's lashes fluttered closed as he sucked a piece of skin just below Owen's ear lobe.

When Owen gasped, Colt hesitated, but Owen didn't push him away and instead held him tighter, gripping the fabric around his waist. Owen's fingers were delectably slender and long, but also coarse. He wanted to bring them to his mouth…

Right now, gently sucking the skin at his neck would do, as Owen let him, but soon those hands were squeezing his arms, and that fire was taking over all his senses.

"Colt," Owen breathed, breaking away.

Colt looked up as Owen puffed out a few hot breaths. What a sight his pink cheeks were, with his collar opened and a red mark below his ear. "Sorry. Did that hurt?"

"No." Owen blinked at him. "I just… can't keep my hands off you, and we're not exactly the only two sleeping in this room."

"Well, I mean, it's just us now." He tilted his head. "I could lock the door."

"Oh." Owen glanced away, seeming unsure.

Colt cleared his throat and straightened. "But we can go ahead and leave for the brothel if you want."

"Right." Owen nodded, and then their eyes met.

That pull between them was back in an instant, the heated desire so strong that Colt could feel it, tugging in his chest, spreading throughout his entire being.

Suddenly Owen grabbed Colt's shirt and yanked him down on top of him on the bed, and Colt immediately held Owen as he did before, and their lips found each other's once again.

His hands tangled in Owen's dark tendrils, knotting them once more as the heat encircled them. How could he go to any brothel and think about money when he could have this instead? He would live the rest of his days on the streets if it meant he could warm Owen in his arms at night, holding him close as he did now and kissing him with an intoxicating passion that he could never have imagined the first time he laid eyes on him in Emberton.

I didn't want to admit it then, but gods, he's beautiful.

Breaking free from Owen's mouth, Colt planted wet kisses along his jaw and nuzzled his face into the crook of Owen's neck, which made him giggle.

"I love the way you feel," Colt muttered. He flicked his tongue out against Owen's skin. "I love the way you taste. Mm, how you smell."

When Colt inhaled his lavender fresh skin, Owen laughed and pushed him up, until they both looked at each other, red faced and puffing. There was yearning in those dark eyes, even lust.

"What do you want me to teach you?" Colt asked, smiling crookedly.

Biting his lip, Owen smiled and said, "I—"

The sound of approaching footsteps outside their door must have frightened Owen, because he suddenly pushed Colt away so hard, he grunted and hit the floor. Baffled, he blinked up at Owen, wide-eyed, just as the door opened.

Brom and Gilda came inside, both of them arguing over something.

Colt straightened his shirt and got to his knees while Owen jumped up and pretended to make up the bed.

Fuck it all to hell.

He growled inwardly as he got to his feet and made his way over to the table, where he scooped his coins aggressively into his pouch.

"Let me make one thing very clear, Brom," Gilda started, "I am never, under any circumstances, going to pretend to be your wife. Do you understand?"

Brom raised his arms before plopping them to his sides. "Then what am I to be to you while we're out and about? Your brother?"

"It's better than being your wife." Gilda sighed and glanced at Owen, then Colt. "Are you two going somewhere?"

"Yep, the brothel." Colt rushed to the door and grabbed his and Owen's cloaks.

"Don't tell me you're going, too," Gilda mumbled at Owen.

Owen nodded. "Colt wants to try to win money at the card games there. You want to come?"

"I'm not stepping foot in a whorehouse," Gilda said, her voice firm.

Brom chuckled. "Oh, why not? Some men prefer women who don't mind such things."

"And some women prefer men who do mind such things." Her face pulled into a sneer.

"Alright, just you and me, then, Owen. Unless Brom wants to come too," Colt said.

"No, I think I'll get a bite to eat downstairs and call it an early night." He gave a smug smile.

Colt nodded, and Owen followed behind him. Once they came outside, Colt was grateful for the cool drizzle. After what had just happened, he needed something to ground him.

Rather than think about Owen, who walked quietly beside him now, he shifted his focus to winning them money to continue keeping them warm, safe, and fed.