Season's Greetings (8 page)

Tobias.

He’d attended the very first Christmas party that Les had arranged, the very first ever Winter and Sons Christmas party. Thirty years ago today, in this very room, after the last of the employees had left with their white Christmas bonus envelope in hand, Les had caught himself a Christmas elf under the mistletoe and kissed Tobias.

And in that moment, with that kiss, Tobias became a little less mythical, and Les became a little less human. They exchanged more than passion as parts of their souls became intertwined. So many years later, Tobias couldn’t explain how their clothes had disappeared, he couldn’t quite remember the order in which caresses had been exchanged, but he’d never forget the feeling of having Les inside him for the first time.

At last the cleaning crew trotted out, white envelopes clutched in their gloved hands, faces beaming with joy. Les strolled over to the tree and knelt to turn off the twinkling lights.

“Come out. I know you’re here.” Les’s voice rang with mirth.

Laughing, Tobias leapt from the tree, shedding his disguise and embracing his lover. “How did you know?”

Les smiled down at him, older yes, than when he’d seen him last, but happier, too. “I didn’t just see you. I felt you; I’ve always felt you, here.” He took Tobias’s hand in his and pressed it over his beating heart.

Tobias savored that throbbing beat, closed his eyes and soaked in the presence of his beloved. Les’s heart was full of life, intelligence, joy, love. Tobias filled his heart with all the things a man needed to thrive, and even in his exile, Les had built the spark into a conflagration that would consume them both. His eyes were still closed when the rhythm of the heartbeat sped, when Les captured his lips in a firm kiss.

He kept them closed when he parted his lips, when Les swept his tongue inside, when heat melted away the vestiges of uncertainty and replaced them with passion. Tobias opened his heart and mind and melted into Les’s embrace, reveling in the touch and scent of the man he loved.

When Les pulled away to press his lips to the smooth skin of Tobias’s jaw, Tobias moaned softly. “I missed you, my love.”

“Missed you, so much.” Les licked along his jaw, up to the fine delicate shell of his ear, a searing path of sensation setting Tobias atremble as his cock stirred to life. Les bit the fragile earlobe, breathed hotly across the delicate hairs, then sucked. Tobias shuddered and arched, bringing their groins together.

“Oh, yes. Toby, I need you now.”

He was all for that. The answer to his question was almost certain, so he could delay. “I need, too, Les.” Their hands were rough, clumsy, and the shedding of garments was no graceful thing, but Tobias felt only pleasure at every careless touch from Les’s hands, at every accidental contact that stripped them both of their clothes.

And when he was at last stretched out naked, breathing heavily, across the long break room table, he could finally take a moment to study Les’s thin body. He’d aged, it was true, but his form was still very similar to the young man that Tobias had last seen him as. Fine muscles, taut abdomen, sparse white chest hair arrowing down in a tiny sparkling trail to a fine cock, long and thick above plump, tight balls.

Pale and lovely with a faint rosy hue, Les’s cock glistened with droplets of pre-cum, and Tobias whimpered, spreading his thighs and beckoning his love forward. “Come to me, Les.”

And then he was there, in the place that had ached for him in the long years apart, rubbing the tiny opening with spit slick fingers before pushing slowly in. Catching a tight breath, Tobias forced himself to relax, to remember the hot pleasure of this act that would follow the sting of pain.

Les stilled, staring down at him in wonder and Tobias nodded. He focused his attention and bore down, facilitating the inward slide of his lover’s prick. When Les tugged him close, and wrapped his thighs around his waist, Tobias felt him full and deep and shuddered anew.

They remained thus wrapped about each other, gazing into one another’s eyes for long moments, and Tobias didn’t need the magic of his people to feel the things that flowed between them were more than bodily passion and desire.

When Les’s hand closed over Tobias’s prick, stroked him from root to tip and back, spreading the slick fluid that seeped from his tip, he groaned. Each gentle thrust sent him flying higher, each stroke of Les’s fist pushed him further, until he couldn’t hold back the explosion of sensation any longer.

His body tensed, clenching around Les’s prick as he froze in place, heat pooling then rushing outward as orgasm overcame him. Les shuddered, jerked, and his insides were bathed in warmth that soothed the faint burn of possession.

Les recovered himself, raised him up, and held him in a tight embrace as their breathing slowed to normal again.

It was time. Time to ask the question again, the one he’d been yanked away from Les before he could get his answer to thirty years before. “Will you come to the North Pole with me, Les, and be mine for all eternity?”

Nodding solemnly, Les replied, “I will. But you should know”—a troubled frown crossed his lover’s face—”humans don’t live for all eternity, Tobias. I see you here today, looking as young and fit as when we last met, twelve years ago, and you have to know that I’m fifty-two years old, Tobias. I’m not young anymore. We can have thirty years or so together. It’s a long time, and I’ll treasure every moment, but it’s not going to be eternity.”

Tobias chuckled. “Do you think I’ve wasted my years away? I’ve spent my time well, petitioning on your behalf. Santa is agreed that if you come to the North Pole with me, of your own free will, he will extend to you the rights and privileges that are mine by birth. If you accept his collar, you will be granted life everlasting, as long as you remain in service to his cause.”

Les tilted his head to the side, studied Tobias with those bright blue eyes. “You didn’t mention that before. I’m not sure I understand you.”

“You would be mine, my mate, and together we would work for Santa.”

“Listening to the children in shopping malls?”

“You would likely start there, yes. I’ll have a different assignment, but the point is that we will be together, and for most of the year, there is very little to do but love one another.”

“It’s enough, isn’t it? Loving one another?”

“It’s everything.”

THE END

Wearing His Ring

Prompt provided by Jambrea Jones…

Detective…hot springs hotel…popcorn garland

“How much to get out of my son’s life?” Jared Tillman-Wyatt the third’s nasty offer brought a smile to Grant Hammond’s lips even three days after it had been made.

“I wish I’d seen his face.” JT poured champagne from the bottle in the ice bucket into the two plastic wine glasses the spa clerk had provided. His straight nose wrinkled a little in distaste at the sulfury fumes that enveloped them, creating fog on the glass.

“I wish you had too, baby. His lips twisted up into this little knot, and his eyes narrowed. I thought fire would come out his ears when I told him I’d leave for free if he could get you to ask me to go.” Grant studied his lover’s clean shaven, too soft face, marveling at the turn of fate that had brought them together. “I don’t want to talk about the asshole anymore, JT.”

Wicked light sparked in clear blue eyes. With the two wine glasses raised above the water, JT slid across the smooth marble bench, sending waves of warm mineral water sloshing over Grant, who accepted a glass and stole a kiss.

JT nipped his lower lip in return and pulled back, sinking lower in the soothing water with a sigh. “Me neither. This is so awesome…except for the smell, I mean.”

Chuckling, Grant leaned back against the rough natural stone that formed the little pool. The mineral spring that fed the private pools ran underground, and the rental cabin owners had carefully crafted a bathing room attached to each cabin with glass walls and natural finishes to create the impression of being outside, while keeping their guests out of the snow and cold. “The smell is what makes the experience legitimate. You could get a cheap imitation without leaving town. This is much better.”

“I’ll bet he regrets hiring you to spy on me now…”

Grant sipped his champagne then grimaced as the bubbles tickled his nose. He’d have preferred a shot of whiskey or a bit of brandy, but JT was all about the bubbles, and Grant…well, he’d come to realize that he was all about making JT happy. Drinking champagne in a secluded hot springs resort was a small price to pay for knowing he owned his lover’s heart. He set his own glass down on the ledge and slid his arm around JT’s shoulders. JT snuggled against him willingly, melting into his side like he was meant to be there. From the moment they’d met, JT had felt right to him. Being with JT made his heart whole. Tearing up Jesse Tillman-Wyatt’s check and sprinkling it over his head in the middle of a country club banquet had been an especially satisfying way of proving how much.

This, being here, relaxing and watching the sun set through the steam blurred windows seemed just about the perfect way to spend the Christmas holiday. “Thanks for inviting me up here, JT. You were right. It’s a gorgeous place to spend Christmas.”

“I know. All the snow and pretty outdoorsy stuff out there…and us in here warm and cozy but still able to enjoy it all.”

“And best of all, no sanctimonious assholes looking down on us because we choose to work for a living.” He couldn’t keep the broad grin off his face. As good as it felt for him to tear up that check and tell the man off, it had to have felt even better for JT to fling the man’s “allowance” back in his face.

“Yeah. About that.” JT glanced to the side and a flicker of unease rippled through Grant.

“JT? You told him to keep his money, right?”

JT set his wine glass down and climbed out of the pool. He picked up and put on one of the thick white terry cloth robes the hotel provided and held the other out to Grant. Grant obligingly left the mineral bath and toweled himself off.

Without speaking, JT wandered away, into the main room of the cabin. Grant cast a longing glance toward the queen-size bed, but followed JT to an open cardboard box near the fire. “JT?”

Not meeting his gaze, JT scooped a strand of fluffy white stuff from the box and began draping it around the three foot tall tree that stood on a small corner table. “The thing is, Grant. I know you love being a detective, and it’s a sexy and meaningful job. I don’t love working at the bank.”

Grant peered into the box, sniffing. “Is that popcorn?”

“Yeah. Popcorn garland is a time-honored holiday tradition.”

“It is? But…do they really use movie theater butter flavored popcorn for that?”

Snorting, JT continued draping the strand. “You have no idea what I went through for this. That’s it then? You have nothing to say about me working?”

Grant embraced his lover. “I make less than half what you make at the bank, JT. You know that. If you don’t want to work, don’t work. But you should know that I can’t support you in the style you’re accustomed to.”

JT relaxed back into him, clasping their hands together. “I know. And I know you think I can’t make it without the money, but I can. Not that we’ll have to. You do know that the reason my father wanted to pay you to get out of my life is because when we get married the money is all mine and he can’t dole it out anymore, right?”

“Er…no. I didn’t know that.” Trailing his lips over the still damp skin of JT’s neck and shoulder, Grant tugged open the belt of the fluffy robe. He shrugged off his own robe, then pushed JT’s robe until both of them pooled on the floor at their feet.

JT twirled in his arms and threw himself at Grant, bringing their bodies flush. “You mean you tore up that check thinking we’d live in abject poverty on your salary? That is so romantic!”

Capturing JT’s lips in a kiss, Grant was tempted to allow his lover to keep that rosy view. Finally, he broke away, breathing heavily. Honesty was the best policy. “Well, to be honest, baby, I figured we’d combine my wages and yours and live a damn good life. I didn’t know you didn’t want to work, did I?”

“You don’t mind, though, do you?”

It was hard to mind anything when JT’s clever hands were roaming across Grant’s body, stroking sensitive nerve endings to tingling life before moving on to another patch of skin, another set of needy nerves. “No. I don’t mind.” He slid one hand down the bumpy column of JT’s spine, cupped his firm buttock, and lifted JT against him to rub their cocks together again. “I love you, JT.” The hoarse sound of his own voice startled him.

JT’s fingers linked behind Grant’s neck, and he pulled him down for another kiss. Tongues tangled in an erotic tease that stole Grant’s breath and sent his blood surging. Gently, he pushed JT down until the two of them lay entwined on the bathrobes, kissing desperately as desire built from want to need.

JT tore his mouth away and stared at Grant with pleading blue eyes. “Will you…” His voice trailed off, and he turned his head, arching his neck.

Grant shuddered. JT was perfect for him. His cravings were an exact match for Grant’s own idiosyncrasies. “Oh yes,” he murmured, tracing a single finger over the tiny red marks of his teeth in JT’s supple skin. JT shivered at his touch, his cock jerked between them, and Grant moaned. “Mmm.” He pressed another kiss to JT’s plump lower lip, dragged his mouth down over the faint stubble that grew on his lover’s chin. Savoring the tingle, he gently kissed those tiny tooth marks, the marks of his possession, his claim.

Grant licked the spot, then sucked it lightly before kissing it again. JT whimpered, clutching his head to hold him in place as his breath rushed hot and fast across the damp mark. “Now, please, Grant.”

“Not yet, baby.” Grant smoothed his hands along JT’s thin rib cage, stroked his taut muscles. JT shifted, spreading his thighs and Grant settled easily between them, his cock gliding in a silky caress along JT’s erection.

His teeth sank into his lower lip and he counted backward from ten to one in his head. He wanted to come with JT clenching around him, to tip his lover over the edge with his possession. JT rocked impatiently, whimpering incoherent pleas for satisfaction.