Page 31 of Christmas for Keeps

Zach dropped his arms and growled. “You’d better not mean that.”

I turned and pushed up on my toes, and Zach didn’t disappoint. Hugging me close, he teased me with little pecks before sneaking his tongue into my mouth. When we finally broke for air, I played with the drawstrings on his hoodie. “For the record, you are the only guy I want, and I wouldn’t touch Emory with a ten-foot pole.”

“Glad to hear that.” He nuzzled my throat and cupped my dick through my pajama pants. “I want you too.”

I couldn’t hold in a smirk. “Then we’d better eat. I need some strength for what’s coming.”

“Oh, we’ll both be coming.” He tweaked my nose and asked, “What are you making? It smells amazing.”

“Frittata. I remember how much you like them, and I found some sausage and veggies in the fridge. Was it okay to use them?”

“Oh, ba-by! Yeah! Let’s eat.”

“It needs another few minutes. Go set the table?”

“Shit.” He pulled a face. “I had other plans for the table.”

My cheeks tingled. “You mean like that time at your folks’ house?”

“Hey, they were out of town, and I wanted to show my baby how much I loved him. Now, I want to bend you over my table.”

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.Don’t get your hopes too high. You’re seeing how it goes, remember?“That would be fantastic. You can bend me over any time.”Apparently, I have no filters this morning.

Grinning, he ghosted a finger across my lips. “I’ll take you up on that. But for now, I’m hungry, so I’ll go set the table.”

I sang “Jingle Bells” while I went back to the toast. Spending time with Zach was filling holes in my heart that had been there so long I’d accepted them as a permanent ache. What would happen with us wasn’t certain, but I was hoping for the best. We’d had a deep connection from the day we met that quickly developed into something profound. That’s why it hurt so much when we let it go—whenIlet it go. Zach was taking responsibility for his role in what happened, but I understood why he’d stopped calling. I was lucky he was willing to forgive me and see if we could move on.

Will it work? How’s he feeling so far? Are we living a fantasy that will end as soon as the snow melts?

The unexpected doubt was like a glass of ice water on my spirits. Had we missed each other so much that the forced proximity was making us imagine things that weren’t real? Once the euphoria wore off, would we regret what we’d said and done? Would we leave each other hurting worse than ever?

The timer buzzed, and I took the finished frittata to the dining room. We ate in silence until Zach asked, “Are you okay? You were singing, but now you’re quiet.”

I drank some juice. “Busy eating, that’s all.”

“Just wanted to make sure.” He’d finished his half of the frittata, so he ate some toast and watched me while he chewed.

Don’t leave it there. You can’t build anything genuine on half-truths.Taking a deep breath, I said, “I have a question.”

“I thought you had something on your mind. What is it?”

I set my fork down and looked into his eyes. “How are you feeling about things so far? About seeing if we can get our relationship back? I know it hasn’t been long, but—”

“You know the sex shook my world, right?”

My stomach clenched. Hadn’t he said earlier that we were more than sex? “It shook mine too, but…” I ran a finger around the rim of my juice glass. When Zach said nothing, I went on. “We’ve always been great at sex, but what are you really feeling about us? About maybe getting back together?”

We were sitting side by side, and he nudged my foot with his. “I feel terrific. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever known, and you do it for me in every way. I feel like…”

I gave it a moment, but when he didn’t say more, I tapped his hand. “Whatdo you feel like?”

“If we both try, this will work, Con. I feel like my life was lost but suddenly found its way home. I know that sounds corny, but it’s true.”

“It isn’t corny, but there are things to consider, and we need to be sure we get them out there early. Is there…” I swallowed hard. “It’s been four years, and you must have seen other guys. Is there anyone else you’ll have to consider in all this?”

He chewed his lips, obviously collecting his thoughts. Finally, he said, “I thought I said this, but maybe not. I’ve been overwhelmed the last couple of days, so who knows what I’ve told you and what I’ve only thought?”

Shit, thereissomeone.“Tell me.”

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