by RJ Scott
I guess I have a small idea why since the talk at the ocean.
“You mean I should be cooing about them more when we’re back at the office?” Gideon’s nose crinkled as he eyed Kevin and the children. “I think you’d have a harder time handling them than me with your fancy office, furniture, suits, the way you alphabetize your vinyl collection.”
“I don’t—” Gideon interjected.
Rowan slid sideways, resting against Gideon’s shoulder. Gideon tensed for a moment then relaxed. Rowan smiled, purposely brushed the side of his hand against Gideon’s leg. “Actually, in some ways you’re not wrong. I mean kids are messy, noisy, ridiculous at times. But it’s different when they’re family, isn’t it? I love them.” He leaned in closer. “Plus, Uncle Rowan can wind them up, fill them with sugar, then hand them back at the end of the day. Win-win.”
Gideon nodded. “I see.” He moved his fingers, gently sliding them between Rowan’s.
Warm.
“Uncle Rowan.” Clara was running back toward them. The card hat dangling at her side as she clutched the elastic.
“Whoa,” he said, scooping her up before she bumped into Gideon’s leg. “Remember Gideon hurt his knee.”
Clara arched her neck, her head ending up in Gideon’s lap right next to Deon’s head as she squirmed. “Because of Bear?”
“That’s right.” Rowan held his hand above her face like a claw, wiggling his fingers. “So be careful.” He tickled her neck, and she squealed and wriggled in his arms.
Deon lifted his head, howled along with Clara’s lively sounds, and Clara sunk lower into the space between Rowan’s knees and kicked out her tiny foot catching Ava’s arm.
Ava yelped.
“Oops.” Rowan grabbed hold of Clara’s feet and turned to find Ava looking pissed. “Sorry.”
With a sigh, Ava picked up her phone from where it had been knocked from her hands and had fallen into her lap. She glanced at the screen, and then at Clara, before putting her cell on the arm of the couch with an expression that said she was done with whoever she’d been talking to. “I want in on some tickle action too.” She knocked her shoulder to Rowan’s as she went for Clara’s stomach.
Clara let out a high-pitched scream, and Rowan winced.
So loud.
She flipped over, half-laughing, half-grumbling as she slid to her knees on the floor. Deon jumped down with her, his tail wagging so hard it was causing a breeze. She caught her breath, tugged her skirt down over her woolen tights, and got up onto unsteady feet. “Daddy.” Clara ran at Kevin, jumping up his back and circling her arms around his neck. She glanced back at them.
Deon followed behind, sniffing at Dog who was curled up at Kevin’s side, before sitting down beside her.
“You know Clara’ll be back wanting you to do it again before long,” Rowan said.
Ava tutted. “I know.”
“Row, row, row your boat…” Rowan teased.
“Ugh, shut it. My arms ache thinking about it.”
“Huh?” Gideon said.
Rowan chuckled. “She was playing with Clara this one time. Was it last year? Anyway, whenever it was, they were rowing their boat. Clara was on Ava’s knees and Ava pulled her back and forth and back and forth.” He motioned his hand. “And well, I can’t even remember how long they were at it.”
Ava punched his arm. “And you just sat there laughing.”
“I’d already learned my lesson with Phoebe. Do you know how many times in a row I watched Frozen?” He met her eyes. “Four. Four times.”
She pressed her lips together, failed to suppress her smirk. “Let it—”
He clamped his hand over her mouth. “Don’t you dare.”
She mumbled into his palm though it sounded as if she was just making noise rather than particular words. Her cheeks plumped as something warm and wet pushed against his hand.
“Eww,” Rowan said and pulled his hand back. “You actually licked me.” He flapped his hand around and then wiped it on the shoulder of her hoodie. “Gross.”
Ava stuck out her tongue then picked up her phone. The family interlude was over, and she was back to frowning.
Rowan sighed. “Anyway.” He bent over, picked up the paper hat Clara had left on the floor, then leaned into Gideon, and looked up to meet his gaze. His eyes were bright, though his brow was creased, an expression he had worn several times over the last couple of days. It was as if Rowan and his messy, extended family confused him.
“How is your knee?” Rowan asked. He turned the hat in his hand before putting it on, positioning it at an angle to one side.
Gideon gently rubbed above his knee. “The bruises are still there. Obvs.” He chuckled. “But the swelling has gone down so I’m sure it’ll be fine now.”
“That’s good.” He rested his head on Gideon’s shoulder and patted Gideon’s chest.
“Tired?”
“A bit. My family wears me out.” He turned his face slightly so that his lips were pressed to the top of Gideon’s arm above the material of his sweater.
“But you like it, don’t you?” Gideon placed his hand over Rowan’s.
Rowan blinked, cast his gaze over his home and the people in it. “Yep.”
I wouldn’t change it for the world.
“Give me a hand for a minute.”
Rowan raised an eyebrow, Kevin was standing over him, looking serious. “What with?”
“In the kitchen.”
“Really?”
Kevin rolled his eyes, grabbed Rowan by the wrist, and tugged on his arm. “Just come help me.”
“Okay, okay.” He let Kevin help him off the couch. “You need anything while I’m up?” he asked Gideon.
“Not right now.” Gideon held a half-full glass of beer in his hand.
Rowan followed Kevin through to the kitchen. It was just the two of them. “So, what do you need me for?”
Kevin put his hands on his hips and with a straight face asked, “Are you drunk?”
“Am I…?” Rowan scratched the back of his neck. He’d had a couple of beers, a glass of wine he’d managed to steal from the bottle Ava had been nursing all night. He might be relaxed, happy, but definitely not drunk. “No. Ava on the other hand…” He met Kevin’s eyes.
Why does he look so serious?
“Did I do something?” Rowan tapped his chin, trying to think of what had happened over the last few hours. The birthday celebration had turned into the more common Christmas Eve family fun and games. “Pretty sure I didn’t declare Santa a fake this year.”
Kevin’s eyes widened. “This year? The kids, you didn’t—”
Rowan gripped Kevin’s shoulder before he spiraled into fatherly despair. “Joke. It’s a joke.” He shrugged. “If it’s about my performance during charades. I just suck at it, drunk or not.”
With a sigh, Kevin shook his head. “Can we be serious for a moment?”
“Okay.” Rowan leaned back against the kitchen counter. Laughter echoed through from the other room.
Was Gideon okay in there? The children would be heading to bed shortly, leaving the adults to prepare for tomorrow.
“Is it okay that you’re…” Kevin waved his hand in front of him.
Rowan tilted his head. “I’m what?”
“…getting all touchy-feely with him? Is that okay? He’s your boss, isn’t he?”
With Gideon? Ah. I was? Rowan chewed on his thumbnail.
“Have you no self-awareness?”
“Well, are you saying I shouldn’t get touchy-feely with him?” His heart clenched at the thought of Kevin or anybody telling him otherwise. The reaction surprised him.
“That’s not what I’m saying, or why I’m saying anything.” Kevin stepped closer. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You like to please people. I think we both know that, and well…”
Rowan stared Kevin’s feet. “Ah, the stockings,” he said.
&nbs
p; “Please don’t say it out loud again.” Kevin shook his head.
“We were kids,” he tried to dismiss the incident. He thought back to when Kevin had found him that time. It was before he had come out to the rest of the family. Back then, Kevin’s only concern had been him, had he been okay. Maybe it had shown on his face he hadn’t been, despite having agreed to go along with the other boy’s fetish.
That boy had asked, so I did it, I wore the stockings and let him bind my hands with his school tie. I’d wanted him to like me. I didn’t want to be thrown away.
When Rowan raised his head, Kevin was looking at him. His expression radiated his usual gentle strength.
Kevin smiled. “Hey. What’s with the face?”
Rowan touched his cheek, wondering what kind of face he was pulling. “I don’t know.”
“If it’s something you’ve decided on your own then there’s not a problem and I say go for it.” Kevin smiled. “I just felt I needed to ask for my own peace of mind. I know the others will say I’m being too nosy, and you’re not exactly my little brother anymore, but…”
“Thanks,” Rowan said. “Yes, Gideon’s my boss, but whatever happens, it’ll be because I want it to. He would never take advantage. He’s not like that.”
Kevin nodded. “I guess I worried over nothing. If it’s what you want, I’m glad.” He snorted a soft laugh. “You’ve changed a little, you know?”
“I have?”
“Yeah, I think so. Seems you’re able to do things for yourself now, not just for those around you.” He pressed his lips together. “I’m only realizing it now, but I think maybe you changed a while ago.” He squeezed Rowan’s shoulder. “It suits you.” He took a deep breath. “Right, I need to go and help wrangle the kids to bed.”
“Sure.”
Kevin left the kitchen.
I’ve changed? Had he really? Wanting to change had been the reason he had taken the job at Bryant & Waites in the first place. He smiled to himself. Just as Kevin hadn’t realized, maybe he hadn’t himself. He actually had been moving forward all this time.
“Man, it’s so cold,” Rowan said in a hushed voice and stomped his feet on the snowy ground. He glanced back at the house aware of the people already asleep. Kevin and his family had headed for their cabin a few hours ago, while Sarah’s two were in one of the rooms upstairs.
“Three minutes,” Gideon said and slipped his cell phone into his coat.
“To what?”
“Christmas.”
“Ugh, seriously? When did it get so late? Sorry about that.” Rowan stretched his neck from side to side.
Gideon bumped his elbow to Rowan’s. “I had fun.”
“You sure? Probably not how you imagined celebrating your birthday this year.”
Gideon chuckled. “Actually, it was better.”
“Really?”
“Really. I haven’t had a good birthday in a very long time. Not really.”
Rowan linked his arm in Gideon’s. He wanted to hear more, but he also didn’t. It was enough to know Gideon had enjoyed himself amidst the chaos called Rowan’s family. They walked in a comfortable silence back to the cabin, and he shelved the questions he had for a later time.
“Gideon,” Rowan said when they stepped inside.
“Yeah?” Gideon closed the door and turned to face Rowan. “What—” His words were cut off as Rowan grabbed his face and pulled him into a long kiss.
Ah, warm.
Rowan moved his mouth, gently brushing Gideon’s lips with his tongue. He breathed in through his nose and eventually parted. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”
What I want. He thought back to his conversation with Kevin.
“Yeah?”
“How about you?” He grinned at Gideon’s surprised expression. “I know we’ve not had a chance to talk about it properly, so if you regret earlier, we can chalk it up to this being nothing more than a Christmas kiss. We can say I was filled with Christmas spirit—”
Gideon clamped his hand over Rowan’s mouth. “Stop talking.” He lowered his hand, leaving Rowan expectant, and he wasn’t disappointed when Gideon grabbed the front of his coat, pulled him close, and kissed him firmly.
They stood together, Gideon’s back to the door, one hand holding Rowan in place, the other lifting the bottom of Rowan’s jacket, seeking entry beneath the numerous layers to squeeze the flesh of his hip.
They kissed for a long time. Rowan pressed one hand to Gideon’s chest and with his other, he threaded his fingers through the back of Gideon’s hair.
This is what I want.
The kiss went on, heat flushing his body.
Too hot. Too many layers.
“Say, Gideon?” he said when they finally parted.
“What?” Gideon asked, catching his breath. His eyes were glazed, and he almost looked as desperate as Rowan felt for the two of them to connect.
Rowan hugged his neck, pressed his mouth to Gideon’s ear, and whispered, “How’s the knee?”
Twelve
Gideon
“The knee’s good,” Gideon lied and slipped his hand under Rowan’s sweater and the T-shirt underneath to find skin. Rowan hissed at the touch, and Gideon immediately moved his hand, only for Rowan to grip it hard and put it back in the exact same place.
“Cold hands but more,” Rowan demanded and wrapped his hands around Gideon’s neck, and a rush of desire consumed Gideon. He’d spent so long looking at Rowan, wondering about him and stopping himself from going anywhere near Rowan, and now they were here, and it blew his mind. With exaggerated care he unwrapped Rowan’s hands from his neck and stepped back a little so there was space between them. They stared at each other in a weirdly erotic face-off. Rowan’s tongue darted out to taste their kisses, his lips shiny. He very deliberately moved his hands down his body then unzipped his jeans at the same time as toeing off his boots. With the denim loose, the length of his hard cock was visible under the material of his jersey shorts, and Gideon couldn’t take his eyes off what was on offer.
“I’m not making you do this,” he blurted.
“No,” Rowan murmured. “You’re not.” He slipped a hand under the band and pushed the denim and jersey down so that it rested on his thighs. His T-shirt shifted and covered the prize, but he slipped the jacket off his shoulders and then pulled the T-shirt up and over his head. That was Gideon’s first look at his efficient PA unwrapped and standing right there. “You’re wearing too many clothes.”
Gideon took another step back, his left calf meeting one of the single beds. This moment was pivotal. It wasn’t just sex, but it might be destroying his working relationship with Rowan.
“What about when we get back?”
Rowan shrugged and circled his cock with his hand, giving it a couple of gentle tugs, and bit his lip. Fuck, it was like Rowan was giving his own personal porn show. Gideon had never seen anything so beautiful as Rowan leaning back against the wall, slipping his hands around his cock, and every so often running his thumb over the head then thrusting into curled fingers, and all the goddamn time he was nibbling on his lip.
Jesus.
“We should talk,” Gideon said, when, in reality, the last thing he wanted to do was talk at all. As far as he could see he had two options, step forward toward Rowan or call an end to this.
Rowan slid a hand up his body, touching a cinnamon nipple on his dark hair covered chest, pulling it and gently twisting it. The noise he let out, a soft sigh, and the way his other hand was moving on his cock sent sparks of fire through every one of Gideon’s nerves. He was so hard that he either locked himself in the bathroom or accepted the invitation in Rowan’s hooded gaze.
It was all too much.
“I want you,” Gideon said. “Just to make things clear, so we’re not…doing…”
“I want you,” Rowan agreed and twisted his hand on his cock again.
“What if it’s wrong?”
Rowan tilted his head in thought. “What if it isn
’t?”
Gideon was burning up, the temptation right in front of him, Rowan waiting for him to do anything, and he wanted to move. I have to move.
“You’re so sexy.” As soon as the words left Gideon’s mouth, he moved, two strides, and he had an armful of Rowan. In a smooth move, he shoved the denim and jersey lower and helped Rowan until he was completely naked. Gideon was on his knees, which hurt like a bitch, but he wasn’t going to lose this moment. “Can I?” he asked for permission, his hands flat on Rowan’s thighs. Rowan’s cock right there within reach.
“How about we take this to the bed, and you get out of your clothes?” Rowan sounded concerned, and the last thing that Gideon wanted was Rowan to fret over the knee, or the floor, or the heat in the room, or the light, or any freaking thing.
“Nuh-uh,” Gideon managed, tracing his hands to Rowan’s ass, gripping and tugging him forward. He pressed kisses to Rowan’s thigh then to the other moving his way closer to the intended target. His first taste of Rowan was heaven. The weight of his cock on Gideon’s tongue was the most erotic thing he’d ever felt. He teased the head with his lips and tongue, nibbling his way around and then swallowing the tip until his lips met Rowan’s hand. He spent the longest time kneading Rowan’s ass and sucking on the tip of his cock until the moment Rowan moved his hand, and then it was game on.
He put his own hand on Rowan’s cock and abruptly lost the ability to stand upright.
“Bed…” Rowan pleaded, and Gideon was up for that as long as he got more time to suck and lick every inch of his beauty. He released his hold on Rowan and gave his new lover’s cock one last suck before scrambling to stand, wincing at his knee but ignoring it. Shoving at his clothes, pulling, throwing, not caring where any of it landed until he could join Rowan on the bed, stopping halfway and heading for the one thing he wanted right now. Rowan’s cock in his mouth. Gideon sucked him down. Rowan groaned. And only when Rowan gripped his hair and tugged him up did he move, sliding up Rowan’s body to half cover him and then easing between his spread legs.