Reed,
As if you’d really use your white elephant gift. As you said, I’ll make much better use of it than you ever will. Maybe, if you don’t hate me after this, I’ll use it to cook us dinner.
I noticed you looking at this when you were at my apartment for dinner, and while I originally had something else in mind, I figured this would be the perfect way to end your week of presents.
Merry Christmas,
Troy
I flipped the card over and saw the printed picture on the front—the gifts that’d been placed on my desk—all placed together on his kitchen counter. The scene was festive, with the various animals surrounding the Christmas tree, and even the little elf candy dispenser looked appropriate as Santa’s helper. Flipping the card back over, I read the words again, and that’s when it hit me.
I dropped the card on the coffee table, and with trembling hands, I pulled the paper out of the bag before digging inside the bag to grasp what was in there. It was heavy, and when I pulled it out, I was holding the snow globe from Troy’s apartment. I stared in wonder at the trees inside the water-filled globe as I slowly tipped it over to allow the snow to fall. Then, my eyes took in the wintery scene as the snow landed on the child that was staring at the Christmas tree.
The tears I’d been holding back while Troy was there finally broke free as I continued to shake the globe over and over again. And finally, when a gut-wrenching sob tore from my chest, I did the only thing I could think of. Without giving a damn what time it was, I sat the globe on my table, snatched up my keys, and raced to my car. As if driving on autopilot, I quickly crossed the busy street, and nearly forgot to turn off my ignition after I parked very crookedly in the snow-covered lot. I shut my car door with a loud slam, nearly busted my ass running up the sidewalk to the building, and almost fell as I pulled the heavy door open. Then, after making a mad-dash up the stairs, with my breath coming in shallow pants, my palms sweating profusely, and my heart nearly pounding out of my chest, I pounded on the door.
A few seconds later, I heard the lock twist, and the door pulled open, allowing me to stare into the blue, confused, and very nervous eyes I’d come to like more than a little.
“You…it was you,” I gasped as I tried to suck in air.
Damn, I was out of shape.
“It was me,” was all Troy said.
Chapter 13
It’s not lovely weather, but I do want to take a sleigh ride together, with Troy—and only Troy.
“Why?” I asked.
Troy had ushered me inside his apartment and shut the door behind me. I was standing in the center of his overly decorated living room, trying to make heads or tails over what I’d just found out.
Troy clasped his hands together and stared down as he spoke. His voice was so quiet I had to step closer to hear him.
“I decided to do something after I noticed how much you hated the holidays last year. As Christmas got closer, you got…sadder, and I thought it’d be a fun way to cheer you up. At first, I was just going to leave the candy cane, but when I noticed you threw it in the trash, I figured I’d try something else.”
“But you didn’t stop,” I pointed out.
Troy shook his head. “I had planned on it, but when you kept the first gift, it gave me a bit of hope that maybe you enjoyed them. Plus, it was fun playing your Secret Santa. I was going to tell, but when you said you weren’t too worried about it, I debated whether I should or not.”
“Why?”
“Because we were getting closer, and I was scared of what your reaction would be. I think of you as a friend, and I value that friendship we’ve built, so I don’t want to lose it. But you needed to know the truth, damn the consequences. You needed to know that someone—that I—care about you. I wanted to brighten this dark time for you and try to put a smile on your face to replace the scowl you usually wear. I saw you, Reed. Even when you were trying your hardest to avoid everyone and remain invisible…I saw you. And I wanted you to know someone was out there thinking of you during a time that you hated the most, and that you weren’t alone.”
“You saw me?” I asked in a whisper.
Troy nodded. “I saw you. I still see you. And Reed? You’re not alone anymore.”
I didn’t know what to say in response to Troy’s vehemently spoken words. Instead, I rushed over and pulled him close to me. His lips crushed into mine in a bruising kiss, and I wasted no time using my tongue to pry his lips open before sweeping it inside to taste him. Of course, he tasted like everything Christmas represented—spices and peppermint—but for once, I didn’t mind. In fact, I deepened the kiss to get a better taste. Because those scents no longer meant only Christmas to me, they also represented Troy.
We stood in the center of his living room, letting our mouths and tongues get fully acquainted with each other before I finally had to let him go—albeit reluctantly. My pants were getting too tight, and he was already exhausted after an extremely long day. My memories and the entire day had put me through the wringer, so I knew we both needed to regroup and hash things out in the morning when we weren’t charged by our emotions.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?” I told him as I stepped away. His hair was mussed, his eyes blown, and his lips were swollen from the fervent kiss we’d just shared. Just looking at him that way, knowing I caused the blissed-out expression on his face made me want to pull him back into my arms and do it again. It took every ounce of strength I possessed to take a step back to put some much-needed space between us. “Thank you for my present. For all my presents.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you in the break room.”
I left his apartment with my mind reeling, and as I crawled into bed that night, I realized it was the first Christmas night I didn’t go to sleep with a heavy heart. Instead, it was filled with anticipation and a bit of nervousness. While I was anxious to see Troy in the morning, I was worried if a good night’s sleep would have him singing a different Christmas carol, or if I’d get another taste of his peppermints.
“Good morning, Mr. Lassiter. Would you like a candy cane?” Jed asked from his perch in the guard box.
My impulse reaction was to deny the piece of candy, but something Troy had said to me in the past changed my mind. “Sure. Did you have a nice Christmas?” I asked.
Jed looked at me in surprise, as if he expected me to say no and drive away. And considering that’s what I typically did, I couldn’t blame him.
“I did. I went to visit my missus in the home, and we spent the day watching old movies together.”
“The home?” I asked as I took the candy cane he handed me.
“Yes. My wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago, and when her memory started to rapidly decline, I had no choice but to put her in a nursing home. This job helps cover the rest of what insurance doesn’t.” Jed’s voice broke a little as he stared around the snowy parking lot. “She loved Christmas, and every year before that terrible disease took over, we’d dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus at the mall. Her favorite part was handing out the candy canes to the children. I know it’s silly, but doing this kind of helps keep that memory alive.”
Holy shit. Now I felt like the universe’s biggest asshole. No wonder he kept handing out the candy canes! They meant so much to his wife, and my rude ass kept denying them. Now I wanted to take the entire bag of candy canes from him and hand them out myself. How could I have been such a heartless jerk? Sure, I didn’t know the reason why he handed them out, but I could’ve at least taken them when he offered. Fuck. Fuck. Double fuck!
“It’s not silly at all. I am so sorry to hear about your wife. Please, let me know if there is anything I can do to help,” I said, making sure my voice sounded sincere, even though I was screaming inside.
“Thank you, Mr. Lassiter. I hope you had a nice Christmas?”
“It was…unexpected.” Unexpected was the only adequate word to describe how my Christmas had turned out.
I bid
Jed a good day and then continued through the gate to the parking lot. Of course, I was the only car in the lot, for which I was thankful for. Not because I felt like dealing with my annoying coworkers, but because I needed time to gather my nerves. What was going to happen with mine and Troy’s friendship now that we’d kissed? Would there be more kisses in our future, or did Troy realize I was a lost cause and decide my pathetic life wasn’t worth the hassle?
It took a few minutes for me to gather the courage to get out of my car and head to the break room where I could begin my coffee. Troy knew I’d be in the break room first thing in the morning, so that’s where I needed to be—if he decided to come find me. Which, I hope he did. I busied myself filling the coffee machine with water, filling the filter with grounds, and flipping the switch so it could brew. The coffee had just started to drip into the carafe when I heard the door open—and shut—to the break room.
“Good morning,” Troy said behind me.
I slowly turned around, not sure what to think of his casual tone of voice. “Morning.” I arched my eyebrow at him, trying to remain nonchalant as I waited for him to make his next move.
“Is that it?” he asked as he took a step toward me.
“Is what it?”
“Is that all you have to say to me? ‘Morning’?” he dropped his tone to mock my deep voice.
“Good morning?” I amended as I cocked my head to the side.
“Not yet…but it will be.” He took another step closer to me at the same time I walked toward him.
“Oh yeah?” I took the bait he cast out. “How so?”
“Easy. By doing this.” Wrapping his arms around my shoulders, he gripped my neck to pull my head down toward his.
We met with no resistance as I eagerly kissed him back. He hadn’t changed his mind. He wanted me as much as I wanted him, and that notion had my heart bursting with hope after years of being burdened with pain.
“We’re at work,” I whispered against his lips.
“Fuck work,” he growled before attacking my mouth again.
But the voices in the hallway had us jumping apart. If I found them annoying before, now I found them very fucking irritating. But their interruption was needed before Troy and I got carried away with ourselves.
“Coffee. I need lots of coffee right now,” I muttered as I stumbled back over to the coffee pot.
Troy crowded up behind me. “Just so you know, Reed, that was my way of telling you I hadn’t changed my mind. I want us to explore whatever this is between us—if that’s what you want, too.”
I turned around so fast I almost cracked Troy in the face with my coffee mug. “Of course, I want this. I want you, in any way you’ll have me. I’ve come to care about you during the time we’ve spent together.”
“Good. Because I care about you, too, and I’m very stingy, so I want all of you.”
“Even though we’ll have to talk about this later, just know you have me.”
While I wanted to seal our words with a kiss, the break room door opened, so I was forced to turn around and fix my coffee.
“Morning, fellas,” my coworker, Donis, grumbled. “Why are you so chipper this morning, Lassiter? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile before. Fuck, you actually have teeth.”
Rather than get offended, I actually laughed. “Because Santa gave me a reason to smile this year. Have a good day.”
Taking my coffee mug, I gave Troy a wink as I left the break room to head toward my desk. When I arrived, I had to smile when I saw Santa had left me a final gift on my keyboard. That time, I didn’t have to guess who left it—it was from Troy. A tiny snow globe with one single Christmas tree in the center with only two ornaments on it. I had no idea how he was able to find it so fast, and I didn’t want to question his Christmas magic. But I knew it symbolized a new beginning, not only for me, but for us, and I couldn’t wait for this day to be over so we could talk about things and figure them out. And as I placed the snow globe next to my other gifts, I realized I wasn’t ready for the holiday to be over. Not when I was finally under its spell.
I quickly powered on my computer and donned my headset as my eyes roamed over my Christmas gifts. And as I clicked on the icon to load the program I needed, Troy walked past my cubicle, and that’s when I realized it wasn’t the magic of Christmas after all. It was my auburn-haired coworker who noticed my loneliness and decided to spread some Christmas cheer. And at that moment, when he gave me a wide smile and a wink before continuing on his way, I was glad I wasn’t able to remain invisible. Troy saw me, and I never wanted him to stop. Not when we had plenty more Christmases to spend together.
Epilogue
Something, something be forgot…I don’t know the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne, so happy fucking new year!
I clenched my sheets into my tight fists as Troy pounded in and out of my body with a punishing pace. He’d started slow, saying he wanted to cherish this moment—our first time together—but after edging me until I could no longer take it anymore, I challenged him to give it all he had. And boy, did my man deliver.
“I’m so fucking close,” I gasped as Troy bent my legs back until my knees were practically touching my ears.
“Come for me, baby,” Troy said raggedly before leaning down to bite my thigh.
He pistoned his hips in rapid succession, hitting my sweet spot just right, and I had to fight to stave off my orgasm. I wasn’t ready—not yet. I wanted to drag it out as long as possible, so I could continue to feel Troy deep inside me. But it was no use. As he buried his cock balls-deep inside me, he slowed down as he dragged it back out, sliding against my prostate the entire time—and that was all it took.
“Fuck!” I yelled as my cock erupted, covering my chest and abdomen with my cum.
Troy dropped my legs so he could lean down and press his lips against mine. He swallowed my moans as my ass clenched around his dick, and then I felt his entire body shudder as he emptied his own load into the condom.
“Why did you make me wait?” Troy rasped as he collapsed on top of me.
“It was only a week,” I murmured sleepily. “I wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into.”
Troy reared his head back and stared at me with a wicked grin on his face. “Your ass. I was getting into your ass.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”
“I know what you mean, but I think I’ve shown you plenty of times that you have nothing to worry about. We’ve spent nearly every single day together, shared meals, and I even helped you study for an upcoming test. I’m in this for the long-haul with you, Reed. So, please, stop worrying.”
“I’m not worried. Not anymore.”
“Good. Now let’s get cleaned up. I’m starting to stick to you.”
“While I could make a snarky comment about you being stuck to me, I have to agree with getting cleaned up. This stuff holds better than glue.”
After prying apart, Troy and I went to the bathroom, where we took a quick shower together. As we washed our bodies and hair, I thought back to the last few days. We had spent nearly every moment we could together, to the point we shared rides to and from work. But I still had the inner fear that Troy would eventually wake up and realize he’d make a terrible mistake with taking a chance on me. So far, he hadn’t, and I knew I needed to stop waiting for it to happen. Just because I’d already lost everyone I’d ever cared about didn’t mean I was going to lose him.
Once we were dried off and dressed, I went to the kitchen to grab some snacks while Troy found us something to watch.
“Hey,” Troy called out from where he was channel surfing in my living room, “it’s almost midnight. Let’s watch the ball drop.”
“Sounds good,” I told him, though I didn’t understand the fun of watching a giant ball drop around millions of people. But if he wanted to watch a ball, then we’d watch a ball.
I carried the drinks I’d poured and a bag of chips into the living room and
sat on the couch beside Troy. He instantly snuggled into me, and we watched the live concert before the hosts on the television began the countdown.
“Happy New Year, Reed,” Troy said from beside me.
Nine.
Eight.
“Happy New Year, Troy. Thanks for seeing me and making this a holiday I’ll never forget.”
Five.
Four.
“The best is yet to come, baby. Just wait.”
One.
Happy new year!
As the crowds rejoiced on the screen. Kisses were shared as some people were singing a song I never understood, and a fireworks show was lighting up my television. But Troy and I didn’t pay it any attention as we made our own fireworks as our lips pressed tightly against each other’s. While we ended our old year with a bang, we were beginning our new one wrapped up in each other. It was thanks to him and a crazy idea to be my secret Santa that I was actually looking forward to next Christmas, and maybe I’d get over my fear of nutcrackers and eat a candy cane or two. But let’s not press our luck.
The End
Read the Whole Series!
If you loved this book, make sure to read the entire A Snow Globe Christmas series for hours of MM holiday reading pleasure. All books can be read as stand alones and are connected only through a shared premise.
Order or preorder now on Amazon or read in KU:
Book 1: A Very Terry Christmas by Jacki James (November 18)
Bite Me, Santa Page 7