Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Gabe

T he day after Christmas, we can finally see out the windows. The wind last night pushed the powdery snow all over the place and it looks like we’re truly in a winter wonderland. Everything is covered in snow. The trees look like they’re white fir trees—like the fake shit you buy at stores. The snow on the ground is perfect and undisturbed.

I’m staring out the window as soon as I wake up. This is the first morning I don’t wake up with Edries a few feet away. He’s still wrapped around me, tucking me in his arms and holding me like I’m the most important thing in his life.

As much as I have to piss right now, I will not change this moment. The fire is low but still burning. The perfect vision of Christmas outside. A man who wants me, holding me as I wake up. I want to remember this for the rest of my life. A perfect instance that might never be again.

It’s not long before Edries presses a kiss to the back of my shoulder. Maybe it’s how bright the outside world is glaring into our window with the muted sunlight made brighter as it reflects off the crisp white snow. It’s probably early .

“Morning, gorgeous,” Edries says, his voice low and husky with sleep.

I sigh, a smile refusing to leave my lips. “Morning,” I murmur.

“The sun’s out, isn’t it?”

I grin. “Not exactly, but I think we’ve been dug out of the storm,” I answer.

“The light burns my eyes.”

Laughing, I roll in his arms. His mouth finds mine and I close my eyes. We stay like that. Not really kissing, but keeping our mouths against each other while we wrap tightly.

However, it isn’t long before I’m going to piss myself if I don’t get up. With a huff, I pull away. “Really have to pee,” I say. “I’ll be right back.”

He hums, his eyes still closed.

I make it quick. It’s the first morning I feel chilly, which makes me look at the fire. Okay, when I thought it was still burning, I meant a little more than this. There are just coals left and they’re dying out.

“Edries?”

“Mmm?”

“The fire is almost out.” The idea of freezing to death makes my voice higher than normal. No wonder I’m fucking cold this morning.

He yawns as he rolls onto his back, where he stays for a minute before getting up. I watch, transfixed, as his naked ass comes toward me. He’s just… beautiful. A big bear, but not all grizzly. Oh! Maybe a dad bear bod! Oh, yes, I like that a lot.

Even more, I love to watch as he removes the cage and arranges more wood inside on the metal rack. Okay, so I don’t know fireplace terminology. I’ve never had one that wasn’t electric. He does everything with such confident purpose that I’m spellbound as I watch. It’s not long before he has the fire big again and pushing heat into the room.

He gets to his feet, rubbing the dirt from his knees, and turns to me. Yep, I’m still staring. A grin spreads across his face. “Like what you see?” he teases .

I clear my throat. “I don’t remember checking the box for a naked fire tender when I paid for the room. It must have been an upgrade I missed, or I’d have had you doing it that way the whole time.”

Edries laughs. His hand on my waist drags me to his chest. This time, when our mouths crash together, it’s in a breathy morning kiss. Morning breath and all. I don’t even care.

“I’m going to check on the other fire.”

“I’m getting in the shower. Join me when you’re done?”

“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

God, the way my heart flutters! With a big grin, I turn away from him and head for the bathroom. I flick on the water and then brush my teeth while it heats. I’m all clean by the time Edries joins me, but I don’t mind focusing on him at all. I’ve yet to suck that plump dick, after all.

But when I go to reach for him, Edries grasps my hands in his and pulls me to his chest again. Our mouths lock and I lose myself in what is nearly underwater kissing for several minutes until I inhale water and start coughing.

“Don’t want me to suck you?” I ask once I catch my breath.

Edries pauses, studying my face. His head tilts to the side. “This is going to sound weird, but in all our sex talk, I guess I didn’t mention one thing. I really don’t care for getting my dick sucked.”

“Oh!” I say, surprised. “I’ve heard of people like you. You’re a rare dragon.”

He laughs. “I’ve not heard that one before.”

“No pressure,” I say, my gaze dropping to his semi hard dick. Yep, my mouth is still salivating, but I would never force someone into something they’re not interested in.

Edries pulls my face up. “Eyes up here, buddy.” I grin. “I’ll let you another time. Who knows, maybe I’ll like it with a guy.”

“Well, we do tend to know what we like, but honestly, if you don’t like it, then we won’t do it. It’s not a huge deal, Edries.”

His lips press briefly against mine as he reaches behind me to shut off the water. “Another time. I’m curious to see if I like it better with you. But I’m really not interested in that right now. You want to bend over, that’s another story.”

I grin and am about to say yes, but my ass reminds me it still needs a break. So I sigh. His thumb brushes softly across my cheekbone. “I truly love being inside you,” he murmurs and I’m about to change my mind with the way he’s looking at me. “But you need to know that I’m not just… in this for sex. You know that, right?”

Be still my heart. I nod. Because I’m feeling choked up and don’t want to sound like a pansy, I just nod, hoping he can read in my eyes that I definitely feel the same way. The way he’s looking at me is so soft. So goddamn sweet and swoony. My knees shake.

“Good. It was never about sex. Just so you know.”

I nod again.

Following him out of the shower, I’m feeling breathless in a very different way. Not like we’ve been making out like kids or because I nearly drowned while making out, since we had water pouring over our faces while doing so. But there’s something else burning brightly inside of me.

It’s not arousal. I’m confident it’s not heartburn either. It’s something that leaves me unbalanced. Hopeful. Terrified.

I dress in the new pajamas and leave the bedroom to find Edries already pulling things out of the fridge. He looks at me, pauses, and grins. Then I turn around to show him that the flap in the back didn’t come with buttons and it just hangs open. He laughs loudly, his hand gripping my ass cheek.

“You can’t be wearing that all day!”

I shrug, leaving that up for debate.

We cook breakfast together. Edries’ hand finds its way to my ass many more times than is strictly necessary, but I don’t complain at all. When we’re done, I drag him to my brown paper parcels and make him choose another. I kind of wish I could spend all my days like this—my activities determined by a surprise package.

He chooses a strangely wrapped one that suggests it’s a weird size and the wrapping procedure was hard won. I watch as he tears through the paper and hands me the clear plastic container that leaves him looking confused.

“It’s a snowman building kit,” I say, grinning. My gaze focuses outside. “Want to build a snowman?”

His smile spreads across his face. “Absolutely.”

I didn’t bring ski gear exactly but I have several pairs of sweats that I layer, boots, a thick jacket, and I dig out the set of super soft and probably expensive mittens and hat from the pile of presents we opened yesterday.

Edries doesn’t fit in my sweats and he doesn’t have snow pants, so I make him put on two layers of his slacks, which makes him give me a very dubious look. We’ll warm up after. Thankfully, the rest of his outdoor clothing is more in line with what’s necessary.

The snow is fluffy and doesn’t easily stick together, but we spend more time laughing and tossing snow at each other than we do building the snowman, anyway. It’s a little lopsided and armless since we couldn’t find any sticks. The scarf and hat and nose from the kit are a little small, so our guy is far out of proportion. Something I can’t stop giggling about.

We make snow angels and dig a tunnel where we lay and stare up at the cloudy sky for a while until Edries can’t hide the chattering of his teeth any longer.

Then we make our way through the hilly snowscape to the cabin, stomp off on the porch, and peel our layers off right inside the door. I laugh when we step into the living room because our off kilter snowman is smack in the middle of the view.

Edries wraps around me. His skin is chilly and I need to get him warm. But for just a minute, we stare outside at the perfect winter morning we spent together in the cold, crisp air.

I turn and kiss him, leading him to the fire, where I wrap one of the freshly laundered blankets around him. “Be right back,” I say, smacking another kiss on his lips.

In the kitchen, I prepare him some hot cocoa and bring him a mug. Just as I hand it to him, a ringing fills the air. It startles me and I’m thankful I’d already handed him the hot beverage or he might have ended up wearing it.

It takes me a minute to find the source. I forgot about the damn phone.

Picking it up, I say, “Hello?”

“Mr. Zanderman?” the man on the other end asks.

“Yes.”

“This is Dennis with the front desk. There’s been a break between storms, and I have crews currently digging a path toward you. We’ll be able to reach you within the hour to bring you or Mr. Franklin to another room within the small window between storms. We’re still so terribly sorry about the mix-up and any inconvenience it caused you.”

My heart drops and I can’t speak. I can’t take a breath. Tears sting my eyes and I just stand there, unsure what to do or say.

“What’s wrong?” Edries asks.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I look at him. Edries sets the mug on the mantle and comes toward me. Probably reacting to the distress on my face that I can’t seem to get under control. I don’t want this to end yet. I’m not ready.

“The desk says that they’ll be able to reach us in an hour and can bring one of us to a separate room now,” I say. At least I think I get the words out.

Edries takes the phone from me. “Hello? Thank you for keeping our situation in mind, but that won’t be necessary.”

My eyes go wide as I stare. My heart races for a different reason.

Edries meets my eyes. “Yes, I’m completely sure,” he insists. Pause. “Thank you.” He hangs up, and I still can’t move.

“I might have just taken the liberty of making that decision for us,” he says.

I nod mutely.

“Is that okay?”

Licking my lips, my hands tremble. “Yes,” I whisper .

Edries grips my hips and pulls me to him. He brings the blanket around my shoulders and presses his lips to mine.

“Gabe, I’m going to be honest. I want this. I want you. I know it’s only been a few days, but this is exactly what I’ve been wanting my entire life. I’ve never imagined fitting with someone so perfectly—our wants and needs, our dreams and goals and personalities. Please tell me you feel it too.”

I close my eyes as his words wash over me. That feeling in my gut that’s been expanding? I recognize it now, but I’m still not ready to name it. “Yes,” I whisper. “But… it’s so soon. We just met.”

His arms tighten. “Believe it or not, I’ve lived the very best days of my entire adult life right here with you. I’ve shared everything that I’ve kept to myself. I’ve bared my insecurities and wounds. And you still look at me like I’ve hung the stars, Gabe. I want this every day. To wake up with you in my arms every morning. I want to spend my days making you smile and go to sleep every night listening to you breathe.”

Fuck, I can’t breathe right now! His lips brush mine softly.

“I want the things we talked about last night, Gabe,” he murmurs against my mouth, stealing my breath for his own. “I want the quiet wedding in the mountains and the house on the farm and the kids running around. Then I want to grow old with someone. I want it all, and I want that someone to be you.”

“We’re either making the best decision or the very worst decision of our lives,” I whisper.

“Look at me,” he murmurs. I force my eyes open and stare into his. “I’ve already made the worst choices in my life. So I know that you’re the best decision. I know, without a doubt.”

Everything that I’ve refused to name agrees with him. I smile and try not to let it be too watery. “Me too. I want all that.”

He smiles, kissing me right there next to the stupid phone that nearly tore my heart out.

“Just think, if I hadn’t paid for this room with the add-on feature of a fire keeper, we might never have met,” I murmur .

Edries huffs. “I guess I wasn’t paying for solitude when I paid for this room. I paid for the backdrop to the best mistake to ever happen to me.”

“Maybe it wasn’t a mistake,” I say. “Maybe it was Santa.”

He laughs. “I don’t care what or who’s to blame, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“We still have a lot of days to change your mind.”

Edries shakes his head minutely, his forehead against mine. Our eyes locked, though too close to truly see each other. “No,” he says quietly. “The only thing that’s going to happen over the next several days is me falling further in love with you every single day.”

Okay, that’s it. A tear escapes down my cheek. “I want that,” I whisper.

“You already have it.”