North Pole City Tales 02 - The Heart of Frost (3 page)

“Got carried away, did we?” Noel asked, appearing beside them with a wicked grin.

“A little,” Jack replied, clearing his throat and putting a hand up to the crowd in acknowledgment of his boldness. Everyone returned to their dancing until a toy soldier nervously approached Jack.

“Forgive me, your Highness, but his majesty wishes an audience with you.”

“Record time as usual,” Jack muttered before turning to Rudy and delivering a sweet kiss. “I’m afraid this one will take a while. I’ll see you at home.”

Rudy nodded, grabbing Jack’s face before he could walk away and kissing him with all the love and passion he possessed. The flash from a photographer’s camera told him it was time to part, and he reluctantly pulled back, though he still held on to his lover’s face. Rudy’s voice was quiet when he spoke. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

With a sweet smile, Jack turned and walked away, his head held high and shoulders square, every inch the imposing prince. Rudy hoped Jack wasn’t in too much trouble with his father after that display. No longer feeling much like celebrating, Rudy said his good-byes to his friends and went home to wait for Jack.

Chapter Three

M
IDNIGHT
. T
HEY
should have still been dancing and getting merry on peppermint juleps. Jack’s shoulders felt stiff, and his back ached from the insurmountable amount of time he had spent standing there while his father blustered enough wind to cause a cold front. Why couldn’t his father understand what he felt for Rudy? Had he forgotten what it was like to be in love already? Pushing those thoughts aside, he handed his heavy black overcoat to his doorman and went off in search of the one enchanted creature who made him feel most alive and happy.

The intoxicating waft of cinnamon floating through the pine-scented air called to Jack. When Rudy had been living in his apartment at the Rein Dear estate, Jack had spent most of his time there, preferring to share Rudy’s cozy bed rather than sleep in his own expansive, empty one. It was only a few months ago that he had managed the courage to ask Rudy to live with him in his ice palace, not out of some pompous desire to impress Rudy or live in more luxurious surroundings, but because Jack couldn’t ignore his duties, and most of his business was conducted from the east wing of the house. The fact Rudy had fallen in love with Jack’s library had helped make the decision easier.

Jack’s boots echoed on the silver-and-white marble tiles as he walked down the arched hallways decorated in pale-blue-and-white splendor. He loved this little game of hide-and-seek Rudy played with him. Well, Rudy wasn’t really hiding from him, but Jack never knew in which of the many rooms he would find his love, or what state of undress he would find him in. Tonight appeared to be his lucky night, as Rudy was neither in the bedroom, music room, nor library, which meant there was only one other place his fiery young lover could be.

As he had hoped, he found Rudy inside the extravagant bathroom, which was also intricately decorated in pale blue and white. Silver accents adorned the columns and faucets of the large, polished marble tub shimmering in the warm glow of the silver-accented wall sconces. Across the room, a roaring fire kept the place from becoming too uncomfortable for his cold-blooded elf. Speaking of his sweetheart….

What a glorious sight. Jack couldn’t help but linger in the doorway, watching his lover lounging on the blue tufted-velvet davenport, the sides of his bright-red paisley robe having slipped precariously open to reveal his bare, tanned leg. He had a book in his hand, and another small stack of them lay on the floor beside him. His hair was roguishly tousled, and his bottom lip was caught between his teeth. The room smelled of cinnamon and spices, and the record player on the small table in the corner played soft Christmas melodies.

Rudy let out a wistful sigh. “If only I had my own handsome prince to sweep me off my feet.”

With a chuckle, Jack walked into the room.

“Oh, wait. I do.” Rudy snapped the book shut and turned his head in Jack’s direction. “Hello, handsome prince.” He sat up and moved over so Jack could take a seat beside him. Soon as Jack was seated, he slipped his arms around Rudy and leaned in for a kiss.

“Hello, sweetheart.”

“How did it go?” Rudy wrapped his arms around Jack, his chin coming to rest on Jack’s shoulder. His expression must have said it all because Rudy’s arms tightened around him. “That well, huh?”

“Apparently frivolity at parties is to be added to the list of activities which are beneath me. His arrogance seems to have no limit. I swear if it wasn’t for Kringle, my father would believe he had given life to Christmas himself.”

“He really is overbearing, isn’t he?” Rudy brushed his fingers through Jack’s hair, soothing him.

“Nothing new.” Jack pulled him close so he could plant a kiss on his temple. “What would’ve become of me without you?”

“Enough of those thoughts,” Rudy said, motioning toward the tub. “I prepared a nice hot bath for us.”

“You waited for me?”

“Of course. What fun is a bath without you?” Rudy slipped off the other end of the davenport and walked around to Jack’s side. With a sexy little smile, he got down on his knees and took hold of Jack’s boot, pulling it off, then the other. He made his way up Jack’s body, removing his uniform piece by piece and laying it neatly on the tufted velvet until Jack was down to his breeches and white undershirt. A shiver went through Jack as Rudy’s hands slid up his torso, feeling his way up as he removed the soft shirt. Once Jack was bare to his waist, Rudy took hold of his hand and pulled him to his feet.

“You were amazing tonight. Handsome, enchanting, graceful. You should have seen Vixen’s face. He was insanely jealous.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He said if he had known about you, he would have crawled into your bed long ago.”

Rudy was teasing him, but the thought of giving Rudy up for the brash and uninhibited Vixen had Jack shuddering. “He wouldn’t have gotten anything but a frozen backside, if he was lucky.”

“Oh?” Rudy released Jack and walked over to the end of the colossal marble tub. “But he’s very handsome.”

“All flash, no substance.”

“Affectionate.”

“You’re being too kind. We both know he’s a floozy.”

Rudy laughed. “Are you saying you wouldn’t have considered it? Even for a quick romp in the snow?”

“I’d rather freeze my baubles off,” he grumbled, his gaze fixed on Rudy’s face before it moved to those long, slender fingers resting on the sash of his robe.

“Jack, please, I’m very fond of your baubles.”

It wasn’t his own baubles he was concerned about at the moment. He stood mesmerized as Rudy turned away from him and his robe cascaded to the floor, revealing all that sun-kissed skin and sensual physique. Working on planes might be a labor of love for Rudy, but all that laboring had the most astounding effect on his lover’s body. The well-defined muscles in Rudy’s back moved and shifted as he stretched, undoubtedly more for Jack’s benefit than any real need for it. Jack’s gaze raked down the curve of Rudy’s spine to his perfectly rounded backside. It was true, Jack could appreciate the beauty of a Sugarplum fairy, but nothing could compare to the beautiful grace of his lover. Just the thought of feeling Rudy’s bare skin against his had him terribly hard.

“Plan on joining me?” Rudy asked, stepping into the tub.

Jack didn’t wait to be asked twice. He removed what was left of his clothes before carefully making his way into the tub after Rudy. The tub was big enough for the both of them and then some. It was also deep enough for them to stand, and offered seating at the ends should they wish to sit. Jack allowed Rudy to turn him, and he let out a low groan as Rudy began to wash his hair, long fingers gently kneading and working away his tension.

“You’re too good to me,” Jack mumbled, closing his eyes and enjoying his lover’s care.

“No such thing. I only want to make you happy.”

“You do. Every single day.” Jack turned to face Rudy, the love and desire in his heart almost overwhelming. With a kiss to his cheek, Rudy rinsed Jack’s hair, his fingers caressing Jack’s jawline on the way down.

“And you make me happy.” Rudy closed the distance between them, his lips close to Jack’s ear. “Tell me what you need.”

Jack swallowed hard, the heat spreading through his body enough to melt glaciers. “You know what I want.”

Rudy pulled back and kissed his lips softly before gently turning him. He wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist under the water, and urged him toward the end of the tub until Jack reached the marble seat beneath the water’s surface. There he stopped, his breath growing ragged in anticipation, his erection painfully hard as Rudy pressed himself against him from behind, kisses raining on his shoulder, his neck, up under his ear to send the most delicious shiver through him.

“Please, Rudy.”

“Anything you wish.”

Most would think him weak, surrendering himself so completely to the younger elf, but Jack didn’t see it as weakness. It was about strength, about offering trust wholeheartedly to his lover, a trust he would never allow anyone else. As much as he loved to feel himself inside Rudy, it couldn’t compare to the reckless abandonment he felt when Rudy entered him, when he felt Rudy buried inside. At that moment, there was nothing but the two of them. Jack could forget who and what he was. There was only the overpowering love and adoration Rudy felt for him. He was safe in Rudy’s arms. Slowly he was entered, and a steady rhythm followed.

Jack closed his eyes, allowing himself to be swept away by the pleasure Rudy brought him, by the feel of his lover’s firm body pressed against his back, hands roaming, touching his cool skin with warmth, Rudy’s soft breath against his ear.

“Harder. Please.”

With a tender kiss to Jack’s shoulder, Rudy obliged, snapping his hips against Jack’s backside, burying himself as deep as he could before drawing nearly completely out, then driving himself back in, over and over, their panting breaths mingled.

“Jack….” Rudy grunted in warning, his movements growing erratic with his impending climax.

“Yes. Gods, yes,” Jack growled, taking himself in hand as Rudy gripped him tight and with a low groan drove himself deep inside Jack, spilling himself, the feel of Rudy’s release enough to send Jack over the edge. He gritted his teeth as his muscles pulled; his body tensed while his own release barreled into him. Once spent, he doubled over on the marble seat, Rudy folded over his back. A content sigh escaped his lover and Jack smiled.

They remained locked together for a few more heartbeats before Jack gave Rudy a gentle pat on his flank beneath the cooling water’s surface.

Rudy pulled out with a soft moan, his skin beautifully flushed when Jack turned to draw him into his embrace. He kissed him tenderly, relishing Rudy’s taste, the faint yet wonderful scent of cinnamon he had grown accustomed to filling his senses.

Rudy was everything enchanting about Christmas. He was hot cocoa before a warm fire while the snow fell outside, the cold North wind blustering, and a million dazzling white lights flickering against a night sky.

“Take me to bed, Jack,” Rudy said quietly, his head coming to rest against Jack’s chest.

With a kiss to the top of his head, Jack led Rudy out of the tub. He dried them both off and dressed them in their robes, Rudy in his signature crimson red and Jack in his usual black. They would change into their pajama bottoms in the bedroom, which really was more a courtesy for the servants who came to bring them breakfast in the morning than anything else.

In no time at all, Jack had them both in the luxurious, four-poster canopy bed under furry blankets, the room cool enough for the mounds of soft fleece and fur, but warm enough not to chill his lover. Jack smiled at Rudy’s contented sigh as he snuggled up to Jack’s side, his arm flung across Jack’s chest. He ran his hands through Rudy’s amazing hair and chuckled.

“What?” Rudy murmured sleepily.

“Your head looks like it’s ablaze.”

“It always looks like it’s ablaze.”

“I know,” Jack replied, mesmerized by the rich red hues. The quiet sounds of Rudy’s breathing told Jack his lover was already fast asleep. Carefully, Jack rolled onto his side to face Rudy, studying his beautiful face, his long dark lashes, dark-red eyebrows, smooth jaw, plump lips, everything a stark contrast to his own features. How could two enchanted beings so different from each other fit so well together? Jack was rumbling thunder, an untamable blizzard of piercing ice and blinding snow with a penetrating gaze that frightened most who faced him, whereas Rudy was charm and light, a calming summer breeze, dancing candlelight, and all that was good and pure. He was kind and generous, always smiling, always ready to offer a helping hand to anyone who needed it.

As sleep came for him, Jack’s thoughts were on Rudy and how he couldn’t imagine his life without him, how empty and cold it had been before the elf in his arms had set him free. At times he wished he could remember what had come before that day so long ago when Rudy had captured his heart, but then he put those thoughts aside. What mattered was that he had Rudy in his life now, and he had no intention of changing that. Not if he had any say in it.

So many thought him fearless, but they had no idea. They were unaware of the dread he carried with him every day, the voice in his head reminding him of the destruction he was capable of, the harm he had once caused but couldn’t recall. Every night, when he lay down, he could hear the voice calling to him, telling him what he really was and would become if he lost himself once more. When he felt as though he couldn’t take one more thought, he pulled Rudy tight against him, and all at once a deep peace fell across his soul. It would be all right. Everything would be all right. As long as Rudy was safely at his side, all would be well.

Chapter Four

T
HREE
WEEKS
.
To think, only three weeks from now all those years of hard work, of sleepless nights, of hours upon hours of investigations, were going to finally pay off. Justice would be served and the Mouse King would be off their snowy streets for good. With Christmas a few weeks away, it would truly be a great time for celebration.