to shake off the touch. Being in the presence of this human confused him.
Craig smiled and let go of Alun to put the tray on the counter. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Alun almost laughed out loud at the idea that such a virile, commanding man should act like a kitchen slut. No, that wasn’t right. No one here called anyone that slur for cooking and cleaning. It was hard to stifle the way he’d been forced to think and talk, even of his own derogation. But Emil cooked, and he was a fierce warrior. Somehow, though, the idea of Craig putting on an apron and helping him ice buns seemed inappropriate. Alun would much rather serve him—and not because he felt he had to. He wanted to, which was just one more confusing thing to ponder.
Turning away, he said, “No, thank you. There’s nothing much to it.” The timer for the second batch went off in another oven. The kitchen had an astounding four to use. He hurried to put the buns in his hands onto the first tray, in order to fetch the newly-finished ones. He put their tray next to the ones he’d previously baked, careful not to look at Craig. The man was too much of a distraction.
“Would you like some coffee?” The question came to him in a flash and he was pleased that he’d thought to start a pot for the early risers.
“Sounds wonderful. I can get it. Thanks.”
“No, let me.” His boldness made his cheeks heat. “You’re a guest, like.”
Craig moved to lean against the kitchen’s island. “If it’s no trouble…”
“None at all,” he was quick to assure the man and went to fill a mug. “How do you take it?” Although he’d never been permitted to have any at the castle, he’d learned that coffee was a personal drink with lots of choices about how it could be altered, not so different from tea.
“Black is fine. No sugar, either. I’m a simple guy,” Craig added with another grin.
Uncomfortable with so much pleasantry being thrown in his direction, Alun busied himself with picking up the carafe. “Well, that’s easy.” He was also perversely disappointed that he couldn’t do more to make the man happy. “Here you are.”
As he passed the mug over, the backs of his fingers brushed those of Craig’s. The brief touch caused a little spark of awareness and he was surprised by the warmth. He’d grown used to being touched by cold beings.
“Thanks.” Once again, Craig gave him a broad smile that reached his eyes. It seemed to be the man’s default expression. He was almost like Annika in that respect—naturally joyful. Except this was an adult, not a child, and even with the misery he must see every day, he’d still not lost that appealing quality. It made for a nice change from the grimness that now pervaded the home, a small oasis that lifted Alun’s spirits—not that Alun dared do more than glance in his direction.
“I could use a hit of caffeine,” Val said from across the dining counter on the other side of the kitchen.
Alun startled at the sudden request. “Yes, of course.” He started to turn away from Craig, but the man caught him gently by the arm and kept him in place.
“Get your own damn coffee, Mr. T. Alun’s not your slave.” Craig winked and took a sip of his own drink.
Unsure of what to say or how to react, Alun fell back on his usual passiveness, allowing Craig to hold him, even as he fretted over Val being forced to get his own coffee. The grip around his arm loosened and morphed into a kind of stroking, a reassurance without words. Alun stopped worrying about Val and began to wonder how he would find the strength to move away from this unexpected attention. He searched for some hint of menace or even demand, and finding none, he decided to leave it to Craig to decide what would happen next.
Doing so wasn’t new to him. He’d never been in control of his life, going from a dutiful son who had left his beloved schoolroom to head for the mines, to an enslaved whore for an alien monster. This, however, was the first time in which he felt no resentment. He trusted this man to have his best interests in mind, although the why of it eluded him. After all that he’d been through, this kind of assertive behavior should scare him to death.