Page 63 of Christmas for Keeps

“It reminded me of how much I love you.”

He glanced up, then back at the gift. Tracing it with his fingers, he asked, “It’s Celtic, right?”

“Yes. It’s called a Trinity Knot, the symbol of unconditional love. This one is made from brass, and the symbols etched into it say, ‘Past, Present, and Future.’”

“Zach, it’s…” His eyes glistened with emotion as he gazed into mine. “It’s amazing. Thank you.”

“You don’t ever have to wonder how I feel about you. If you get confused, just look at the Knot.”

That earned me another heart-stopping kiss. Afterward, Con said, “I have something for you too.”

“When did you—”

“Sh! I’ll be right back.” He darted to the bedroom and returned with a package wrapped in blue paper. “Happy Hanukkah. I hope you like it.”

As impatient as he had been, I ripped off the paper while he sat down beside me. “Oh, wow.” I blinked fast, taking in the gorgeous plaque. An artist in front of an easel was studying his work, holding his head at an angle that made me wonder if he liked what he’d done or not. “I love this!” After studying it another moment, I looked at Con. “I know exactly how he’s feeling. Where did you get this?”

“At Liz’s shop. When I saw it, I wondered if you’d posed for the artist. It looks a lot like you, and I’ve seen you standing like that, wearing that expression, a hundred times. It’s how…”

I traced a finger over his hand. “It’s what, Con?”

“How I remembered you so many times while we were apart. I always loved watching you work.”

“Oh, baby. We’re together again, forever now. This is Christmas for keeps.”

He sighed contentedly as I took him in my arms and held on to the most precious person in my life. I thanked my lucky stars that he ran into my SUV because I would have never known he was there if he hadn’t. And how fortunate I was that, once upon a time, he went to a fraternity party. I’d been smitten from the get-go. Con had brought me back to life this week, and I was determined to enjoy every moment of our future. Hopefully, we had decades to go.

CHAPTER22

Zach

December 30

“God,how do you make me come so hard every time?” Con kissed me, then lifted himself off my cock and lay beside me.

I chuckled. “Enjoyed your morning ride, I take it?”

“Like you couldn’t tell.” He snuggled close, resting his head on my shoulder. “You seemed to have a great time too. Don’t know when you’ve yelled so loud.”

“Hey.” I brushed my lips against his. “I think your screams of ecstasy are still bouncing around the house.”

“No doubt.” After a few beats, he laughed. “Screams of ecstasy? Who says that?”

“Anybody who heard you this morning.”

“That would be you.” He kissed my throat and traced a finger up the length of my softening cock. “Want to hear it again?”

“Sensitive,” I hissed, taking his hand and moving it to my belly. “Give me some time to recover. Get a good breakfast in me, and we can stay in bed the rest of the day.”

“That’s a plan I’m holding you to, Mr. Harris. After I go to the bathroom, I’ll make bacon and eggs to give you some energy. Meet me in the kitchen in ten minutes.” He made me yelp with another playful tug at my dick, then jumped out of bed and ran.

Following breakfast, we finished our coffee in the great room, watching birds play in the snow outside. We were on the sofa, and after Con drained his mug, he set it on the side table and smirked. “I thought we were spending the day in bed, Mr. Big Talker.”

“We will, don’t worry.” I put my cup beside his and then sat back, pulling him with me and draping an arm around his shoulders. “I want to talk first.”

We’d relaxed over the five days since Christmas and enjoyed becoming comfortable with each other again. What we still hadn’t done was talk about the future. “Can I run something by you?”

“Sure.”

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