He just wanted to be alone with him again.
Cree seemed to change his mind then, leading him from the theater room back up the stairs, through a series of hallways Jordan had yet to explore. The house was bigger than any five star resort Jordan had stayed in on family vacations. He could probably explore for six months andnot see every room in the mansion.
The house shifted around them, noise fading with each turn. Until they exited into a giant glass room filled with plants.
There was a name for rooms like this.
A…solarium.
What were they going to do out there?
He didn’t ask questions. He just let Cree lead, secure in the knowledge that he was safe with him. That whatever Cree was doing, it was intentional. Thought through. For him.
He led him deeper and deeper into the glass space, the snow-covered panes glowing faintly from outside lights, turning the storm into something hushed and distant. The world beyond the glass felt unreal, muted, like they’d stepped into a pocket outside of time.
At the very back corner of the glass enclosure was another, well, not a room exactly, but a secret hiding spot. They were everywhere. And this one felt like it had been waiting for them.
A built-in nook, partially concealed by tall plants and trailing vines, lined with a cushion the size of a full-size bed, thick, plush pillows and piles of blankets. While the solarium was sky-high, this glass room was small—small enough that they had to crawl to reach the back.
They practically fell into the space, the cushion beneath them settling around their bodies cradling them like the space was made just for them. Somewhere nearby, a hidden vent breathed warm air into the space, keeping the cold at bay. There was a foot tall lip around the space, spilling with books.
Oh, it was a reading nook, meant for someone to get cozy under a pile of blankets and read while looking up atthe world outside. The space felt intentionally tucked away, like it wasn’t meant to be stumbled upon. Like it had been built for quiet.
“This is…crazy,” Jordan whispered, afraid to talk normally.
The place felt too…sacred. Like screaming in a church.
“Another of Thomas’s secret spaces for the kids. They hide down here and read or play games,” Cree said, gesturing to the board games tucked in the far corner. His voice was softer here, like the room demanded it. “But I come down here sometimes to read when we’re staying here for longer than a night.”
Cree rolled onto his back, turning his head towards him.
Jordan’s nerves shot through the roof as he did his best to not look in his direction. The cushions dipped with every movement, their proximity suddenly impossible to ignore. “Wh-what are we gonna do?”
Cree’s gaze met his, studying him for a moment before saying, “We’re gonna watch a movie. Remember?”
“How?” Jordan asked, glancing around. “Is there a hidden tv in here too?”
He wouldn’t put it past Thomas.
Cree slipped his phone from his pocket, shaking it. “Like this.”
“Oh, right.”
Jordan gave a stilted nod, watching as Cree pulled up the movie on one of the apps. Once it was cued up, he used the suction cups on the back of his phone to stick it to the glass above their heads. He hit play, then laid back on the pile of pillows once more.
Jordan stayed where he was, stock still, unsure what he was supposed to do next.
Cree seemed to sense his unease.
“Come here,” he said quietly, opening his arm so Jordan could lay there.
His breath caught.
He wanted him to lay on him. On his arm anyway. Close. Closer than they already were anyway.
Cree wanted to…cuddle. Or maybe it was just the most convenient way for both of them to see the screen. Either way, the invitation felt deliberate. Personal.
Jordan laid down before he could overthink it any more than he already was, Cree’s bicep just behind his head. He could feel the solid warmth of him immediately, the slow expansion and contraction of his ribs as he breathed.
