That was all Noah needed.
He leaned in without hesitation now, as if gravity was finally, blessedly allowed to do what it wanted. Noah kissed him, his tongue parting Eli’s lips. Eli’s soft moan encouraged him to deepen the kiss, and Noah cupped the back of his neck.
“Are you cold?” he whispered against Eli’s mouth.
“Not anymore,” Eli murmured. “Not with you.”
Heat between them rose slow and steady, filling the small space like a heartbeat.
Eli’s fingers brushed Noah’s jaw. “If we stay here, I’m not going to want to stop.” His voice trembled.
Noah’s breath caught in his throat, desire shooting through him so sharply he had to brace a hand on the arm of the couch.
“Then let’s go. My house. Right now, before I lose the ability to think straight.”
Eli pushed out a breathless laugh. “Too late.”
They bundled into their coats, Noah’s hands shaking, not from cold, but from adrenaline and want. He grabbed Eli’s scarf and wrapped it around him, his fingers lingering at Eli’s neck.
“Stay close,” he murmured.
Eli stared at him, his expression filled with so much tenderness it almost wrecked Noah. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Noah kissed him again, a fleeting brush of lips, and then they stepped into the snow which had thankfully eased up a little. There was evidence of recent efforts by the town’s snowplow. Noah’s heart pounded, and he pulled Eli close.
“I’ll go first. You follow in my footsteps.”
Eli smiled. “And if you fall, I’ll pick you up.”
The first thing Noah did when they got through the front door was to hurry into the living room to light a fire.
“Can I do anything?”
He glanced over his shoulder at Eli, standing in the doorway, removing his coat. “The kitchen is straight ahead. There’s hot chocolate in the cabinet, and?—”
“I think I can manage. You keep doing what you’re doing.” He grinned. “Although it might take me a while. The gloves are staying on.”
Noah chuckled. “I’ll have this roaring in no time.” He reached into the basket next to the hearth for the logs he’d placed there the day before, thankful he’d taken the time to chop wood and bring it in from the log store. Within minutes, flames licked at the wood, and the sound of crackling filled the air.
He took the blankets from the couch and spread them on the rug in front of the fire, then added the cushions. By the time Eli appeared with two steaming mugs, warmth had already begun to creep through the room.
Eli joined him, sitting cross-legged on the blankets, his hands wrapped around the mug.
Noah laughed. “We must be crazy to even think about coming here in this weather.”
Eli stared into the fire, the light playing over his face. “Oh, I don’t know. This is definitely a bonus.” He stilled. “But if Iamstaying, I’d better let Aileen know.” He glanced at Noah, as if for confirmation.
Noah leaned in and pressed his lips to Eli’s, loving the soft sigh that escaped them. “I want you to stay,” he murmured.
Eli smiled. “Only if we can sleep in front of the fire. I always wanted to do that when I was a kid.”
“There’s plenty of wood to keep it going all night long.” The thought lent itself to other ideas that sent heat racing through Noah, but he tamped them down.
He doesn’t want to rush, remember?Noah was more than happy to go at Eli’s pace.
They sat facing each other, drinking hot chocolate
“Tell me something you haven’t told anyone in a while,” Noah said between sips.
