Page 25

I collapsed onto the bed, and he settled in next to me. “That was,” he said eventually, but didn’t finish the thought.

“Yeah.”

Nico’s blue eyes were bright in the dim light. “I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t that.”

“Was it better or worse?” I asked, though his expression already told me the answer.

“More than I could’ve imagined.” Nico settled with his head on my chest, and one arm draped across my ribs. “It may have been quick, but it was also incredible.”

I laughed, the sound rumbling through both of us. “Just wait until we get to do it in the bed we’re building.”

“Is that an invitation?”

“That’s a promise.” I tightened my arms around him. “Stay tonight?”

Once again he shifted so he could look at me. “I’d like that. Though I should probably set an alarm. I’ve got things to do with both⁠—”

I silenced him with a kiss. “It’ll be an early morning for both of us. I’ve got a team meeting and a workout to do. Let’s shower and then we can get comfortable.”

He nodded and we rolled off the bed, headed for the bathroom.

In two days, it would be Christmas Eve. And somehow we’d gone from strangers to this.

Eight

Nico

I ran the last coat of finish onto Mrs. Whitfield’s rocking chair, and my hands still weren’t as steady as they should’ve been.

That was all on Jake.

He’d been gone two hours, out the door to morning skate on time despite my best effort to keep him in the shower with me. Neither of us had wanted to move when his alarm rang at seven.

Instead of focusing on my task, I kept coming back to the feel of Jake’s body. The ripples of muscle. The way he’d arched up when I gave his nipples even the slightest attention. The mouthful his thick cock had been.

I wanted to explore him, and everything he liked, over and over again.

And waking up in Jake’s bed... our bed? Was it too soon to call it our bed? I had the sense that I was exactly where I belonged.

This morning, before I came out to the shop, I couldn’t resist wearing the same jersey I’d had on yesterday. This time I had a fresh, long-sleeved tee on under it.

When Jake returned, I was working on the Andersons’ side table assembly. Each tenon seated with a soft knock of a mallet. It’d be ready for pickup tomorrow too.

I was cleaning up when the workshop door opened and he leaned in, letting me only see his hat-covered head.

“I’m making brunch! Pancakes. Fifteen minutes.”

He was gone before I could say anything. Smiling, I finished tidying things up so neither of us would have to come back to a mess.

The tree in the corner sparkled, now fully decorated. Jake had gotten his boxes down from the attic a few days ago. It held colored lights and a mismatched crowd of ornaments. Some looked old enough to be his childhood ones. A lot were hockey-themed.

When I got to the kitchen, I found him in his standard at-home attire in a Blizzard sweatshirt with pushed-up sleeves and sweatpants. He was at the stove, pouring batter into a skillet.

I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind and pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

“Hey.” He leaned back into me. He sounded as content as I felt. “How’d it go out there?” He jutted his head toward the workshop.

“Good. The things that go out tomorrow are ready.” I nuzzled against his neck. “Even though someone kept me awake last night.”