Chapter Eight
SeeingNicholasinhisbed was a dream come true. They were together, even if it was for only one magical night. He smiled at the ceiling, then raised himself on an elbow and studied Nicholas’ sleeping face, wanting to make the most of having him so near. With his dark hair, tanned skin, and permanent scuff, he was basically Micah’s opposite—a ruggedly handsome man with a strong jaw that told of his confident personality.
The white sheet bunched at his hips, exposing Nicholas’ abs and chest as he lay on his back. Micah couldn’t resist and gently placed his hand over Nicholas’ heart. The skin was warm, his breathing deep and regular. Micah noticed a slight bruise near his nipple, and his lips tipped up at the memory of sucking it there the night before. He leaned forward and gently kissed the traumatized skin before pulling back and looking at Nicholas’ face again. Dark eyelashes fluttered and Nicholas’ eyes opened. He grinned as their gazes met.
“Good morning,” Micah said, flushing at being caught staring.
“Good morning.” Nicholas’s voice was husky, carrying the remnants of sleep.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Like a baby.” Nicholas stretched, arms wide, before surprising the hell out of Micah and wrapping him in a hug. Before he knew it, he was on his back with Nicholas leaning over him. “Thank you for last night. I had an amazing time.”
Micah knew his face was red. “I’m the one who should be thanking you. That was… that was…” Damn, it had been so good he couldn’t even put it into words.
“The best Christmas present ever?” He planted a kiss on Micah.
Micah laughed. “Yes. The best.”
“I wish we could stay here all day,” Nicholas said, then sighed and flopped back against the pillows. “I couldn’t think of anything better. Snuggling up in bed, watching a Christmas movie—”
“You’d watch a Christmas movie?” Micah asked, sitting up.
“If I’m watching it with you. And doubly so if it means we could spend all day in bed.”
Micah’s heart fluttered, but he gave himself a mental shake. He shouldn’t read too much into Nicholas’ words. He pasted on a smile. “Any movie watching will have to wait. We have children to keep happy.”
Nicholas groaned and threw back the sheet before getting to his feet. Micah nearly groaned himself at the sight of his naked body.
“Can we take a raincheck?” Nicholas asked, pulling on a pair of briefs he plucked from the floor.
“You seriously want a raincheck to watch a Christmas movie?”
Nicholas smiled as he came around the bed. He took Micah’s hands. “In case you didn’t get the message last night, let me make it clear—I’m really into you. I can’t promise anything right now—I don’t know what I’m going to do about my work, or when I’ll be in a position to move closer, but I’d like to see where this goes. Maybe you don’t feel the same way, and that’s cool, but if you do, then I’m all in. I think we could have something special.”
Micah couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He’d always dreamed about it, but never thought it was a real possibility. Him and Nicholas when Nicholas could have anyone he wanted? Micah realized he was staring and had yet to answer when Nicholas raised a brow. “Yes, I mean, I want to see where this goes, too.”
“Good.” Nicholas flashed a broad smile. “Dinner tonight, then?”
Micah nodded. “I’d like that.”
It didn’t take Nicholas long to gather his things—basically the clothes he’d discarded on the floor the night before. He pocketed his keys and phone, then kissed Micah at the door. “I’ll see you at work.”
Micah was still grinning when he arrived at the mall. It was only a few days until Christmas and he knew they’d be busy, but it would be worth it. Worth it to see the joy on the kids’ faces and worth it to spend time with Nicholas.
But work isn’t the only excuse to see him now.Micah warmed at the thought. He hummed under his breath as he unlocked the equipment closet and retrieved the things he’d need for the day’s work, but his happiness dimmed as he donned the silly elf costume.Oh well, only a few more days.
Back out at the Workshop counter, he plugged in the laptop and started it up. Santa wouldn’t arrive for another twenty minutes or so which gave him plenty of time to email out the last lot of photos from yesterday’s session. Micah opened the spreadsheet that contained details of the photos and then the folder where all the digital images were backed up. He noticed a folder he hadn’t seen before.Twinkling Elf.
A quick double click and he was staring at tiny thumbnails of twenty or so photos. He clicked on the first one, taken aback at the sight. There he was crouched down, talking to a sullen-looking boy. The boy’s back was to the camera so you couldn’t see his face, but Micah could picture the scowl. He remembered the kid because he’d been one of the most challenging children of the day, and he’d been elated when he’d finally broken the ice. The next photo was a closeup of Micah and his own beaming smile. That one was followed by a photo of him holding hands with a little girl. Nicholas had honed in on the hands, the girl’s tiny one in Micah’s larger hand. He quickly clicked through the next few photos, all of him. In one he was making a funny face, looking cross-eyed at the pom pom from his hat that drooped across his face. In another, a full body shot taken from a distance, he was looking pensive. He wondered when Nicholas had caught that one and what he’d been thinking to put such an expression on his face? Probably that I was looking stupid in my leggings.
“Ah, I see you found my stash.”
He jumped at Nicholas’ words. “Jeez, you’ve got to stop sneaking up on me,” he said.
“Sorry. Here’s a coffee. Forgive me?”
“Thanks.” Micah took the large cup and took a sip, then indicated the laptop. “What are these?”
