Page 21 of Christmas for Keeps

“Yesterday, you pointed out that I’m smaller than you, which meant you could dig through the snow faster than me.Today, speed is not a consideration. I want to go out there with you, so… two shovels?”

“Aren’t you sore from the accident? Airbags and seatbelts can be brutal.”

“I promise to take it easy, but I want to help.”

I raised my hands in surrender. “Yes, I’ve got two shovels. Do you have anything to wear?”

He scoffed. “I came here for a winter vacation, remember? I brought snow pants and boots, not to mention a down parka. Good enough?”

Knowing when I was beat, I stood and held out a hand. “Come on then, snowman. Let’s get it done.”

We took our time clearing the porch, telling dad jokes and laughing like they were hilarious. The digging was more difficult when we got to the yard. I had to remind Connor to be careful about where he dumped the discarded snow so it didn’t cause problems later. It was higher than his knees, which meant he had to shovel ahead of himself so he could move.

More than an hour had passed by the time we reached the driveway and cleared it. While we examined our handiwork, he showed me a beautiful smile. “Remember when we made snow angels that last winter in Syracuse?”

“Sure, I do. Want to make some now?”

He took off, waddling through the snow like a toddler and flopping back into a drift with a delighted “whee.”

“Careful, there,” I yelled. “You don’t want to break anything.”

“Come on, big guy. I’m waiting.”

I was soon lying in the snow beside him, and we had to work to get our arms and legs moving. When I was about to suggest we get up and see how the angels looked, he bounced a snowball off my stomach.

“What the fuck?”

He laughed, and my heart skipped a beat when I turned my head. His cheeks were crimson from the cold. His blue knit cap had snow all over it, and tufts of damp hair were sticking out from under. With his head back, still laughing, he was far too cute not to mess with. I quickly formed a snowball and tossed it at him.

“Whoa, big guy. Watch what you’re doing.” Faster than I could believe, he lobbed another ball over at me.

“How did you—”

He cut me off with another direct hit, then got to his feet. Several snowballs were on the ground beside him, ones he’d obviously made while I tried to make a snow angel.

“So that’s the game we’re playing!” I struggled to my feet.

Shrieks of laughter alternated with trash talk while we lurched around having a good, old-fashioned snowball fight. After he accidentally hit my cheek with one, he had to be punished. “That’s it,” I called out, “I’m coming for you.”

Rather than try to get away, he cackled as I staggered through the snow with surprising speed. I launched myself at him, and we both went down, him on his back and me on top of him. When I looked at his face, my heart warmed.Oh my God. His cap had slipped to the side, showing more of his sandy hair. His blue eyes were fixed on mine, and our laughter quickly died. Brushing snow from his cheek, I smiled. “Con?”

He licked his lips.

Oh, hell yes. You don’t have to ask me twice.Lowering my head, I kissed him. His lips were a little rough from the cold, but they were warm. When he prodded gently, I opened for him, then moaned while our tongues slid together. He held my head with gloved hands, and I let him lead. I was eager to see what he had in mind.

He moaned, and I deepened the kiss. My dick sprang to life, and I shifted my hips. I couldn’t feel his cock through our two pairs of snow pants, but when he moaned and pushed against me, it was clear he was excited too.

Soon, he broke the kiss.

“Con, I—”

“Yeah, I know.”

He was smiling, but I had to say it. “We should talk.”

“I told you we would. This was a sweet snow kiss between boyfriends emeritus, but remember it when we talk, okay?”

What the fuck is that supposed to mean?Remember it so we can do it again? Remember it because it’s the last one you’ll ever get? Sighing, I got to my feet and held out a hand to help him up. It had started snowing again, and we needed to go indoors before we got frostbite.

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