Page 2 of A Kiss For The Holidays

I chuckle at his expression, guessing he doesn’t know what that means. “He looks after and studies trees at the national gardens. He’s actually a professor too. He is very smart and one day I want to be just like him.”

His expression clears and he nods. “That’s so cool! My dad is a lawyer, but I don’t want to be like him, he has an office and sits in it all… day… long.” Dalton draws out the last three words while rolling his eyes, then shoots to his feet, catching me by surprise. I’m having trouble keeping up with his movements as he jumps around like a grasshopper. I have a feeling that being Dalton’s friend is going to take a lot of energy.

“I have an idea!” He looks down at me and I shield my eyes from the sun that’s shining over his shoulder. “I will run home and get a ball, while you move those logs over there.” He points to some cut-up logs that the council leave in the park for people to use as benches and I want to laugh that he thinks my lean, little arms could move them. “Then we can play football. Penalty shoot out!” His excitement erupts from him, like lava from a volcano, and even though I don’t like sports, I want to make my new friend happy.

“I will get the ball,” I say, still looking up at Dalton. “You build a goal, but let’s make a deal.” Dalton spins on his heels, his eyes bright and sparkling with joy as he nods. “For every ball I get in the goal, you have to read two facts about trees.”

Dalton presses his lips together firmly until they’re little white lines on his face, then slowly they tip up at the sides. “Deal.”

With my book in hand, I stand, dust off my trousers, and start heading home. I get to the pathway when he bounces back over to me and taps me on the shoulder. “Hey wait,” he starts. “You never told me your name.”

I give him an awkward wave as I walk backwards towards home. “I’m Asher, Asher Ryan.”

“I’m Dalton, Dalton McKenzie.”

Laughing, I walk briskly to my house. I think life is going to be very different from now on; for the first time in my life, I have my very own best friend.

Chapter 1

Asher

12 years later

“Asher Napoleon Ryan! Where the fuck are you? It's time to go.” I roll my eyes as a deep voice calls out and my bedroom door flies open. My eyes tip up from the book on my lap and crash into the baby blues of my best friend as he stands smiling at the threshold of my room in our house share.

“Not my name, Dalt, and why are you shouting?” Closing the book, I have just enough time to move it before he flies onto the bed and crushes me into the mattress. He hugs me and I slap his back, trying to catch my breath while the big lump just laughs.

“Can't…breathe,” I mumble before he rolls off me and kisses my forehead.

“Missed you,” he says, and I stand from my bed and stretch, the thin fabric of my cardigan riding up as I do. I shiver as cold air hits the sliver of naked skin.

“Why, where'd you go?”

My super clingy best friend kicks off his shoes and rests his head on my pillow. “Indoor cricket with the guys. I came to invite you, but you were out.”

“I had a meet up with my study group. You were gone for maybe three hours, not enough time to miss me.”

“It's plenty of time. Now hurry up and get ready, we need to leave.” Dalton closes his eyes and covers them with his arm.

I open my mouth in mock horror - knowing he can’t see me - then look down at what I have on. A red polo shirt and blue jeans. I think I look perfectly fine for a house party, but my best friend apparently doesn’t agree. “I am ready.”

Dalton moves his arm and turns onto his side, eyes scrutinising me. My cheeks start to heat at his careful assessment of my body and I clear my throat, turn around and head into the small bathroom attached to the room I rent in this five bed house. Dalton and I share it with three other guys from our university. One is studying to be an arborist, like me - we also take the same extra credit course in nephology together - and the other two are his friends. We all have very different schedules so don't run into each other all that often and, because his dad signed the lease for us, Dalton let me pick the only en suite.

“It’s a Christmas party, Ash, you’re meant to look festive,” he calls out and I take in my outfit in the bathroom mirror. I sort my hair and brush my teeth, before returning to the room. Sure enough, now that he’s unzipped his coat, I see that Dalton is wearing a Christmas jumper and a belt made of tinsel through the waistband of his jeans.

“I’m wearing red, and I have Christmas socks and underwear on.” I didn’t mean for that last bit to come out, and the blush I had managed to fight off earlier starts inching up my neck. The heat rises to my cheeks and ears as Dalton smirks then climbs off the bed and removes the tinsel from his belt loops. “Plan on showing someone those undies tonight?”

“No!” I huff out and Dalton chuckles, throwing the tinsel at me.

“Didn’t think so. Now wrap this around you and let’s go.” I do as he says, hanging the gold tinsel loosely over my shoulders and neck like an oversized necklace and then frown at the decoration before pulling my coat over the top. Dalton comes up behind me, wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me into a backwards hug. His scent, like Christmas and a tropical beach rolled into one, invades my senses and my heart trips over itself - the same way it always does every time he touches me.

“You look great, Ash. Very festive.” He squeezes me tightly, presses his lips to the top of my head and then releases me. I take a second to breathe and will the part of my body which gets over-excited at Dalton's close proximity to calm the fuck down before following behind him.

It took less than a week into our friendship for Dalton’s affectionate side to show. At the time, it was mostly him wrapping his arm over my shoulder or pulling me around by the hand. But as we’ve grown, his affection has started to show in other ways. He hugs me, kisses my head, rubs my back and sits with half his body draped over mine despite being so much larger than me, always findingsome or other way to touch me. All in a purely platonic, best friend kind of way.

I like it, obviously I do; I know he does it because he loves me. The problem is that while I love him in return in the same way, I am also hopelesslyinlove with him.

People are spilling out of the party house and onto the lawn, despite the freezing December temperature but with the booze flowing and the music beating loud enough to feel in your bones, no one seems to mind the cold. Most are wearing hats or some other Christmas accessory on their heads and I spot a few people wearing elf shoes too.

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