by C. L. Miles
That deep, sexy voice sent tendrils of heat and desire flowing through Aaron’s body, and his cock twitched slightly. He looked up to meet Craig’s eyes, and the passionate heat reflecting back at him made him lean forward to kiss Craig, and as he did so, he slid his tongue into Craig’s mouth.
“Easy there, tiger.” Craig broke them apart, breathing heavy. “You keep kissing me like that, and we’re going to be arrested for indecent behavior.”
Aaron tilted his head back and laughed. “I promise to behave myself… for now.”
“You don’t have to behave too much.” Craig gave Aaron a lust-filled stare before he hurried over to the woman standing inside the rental booth.
After Craig paid for their toboggan tickets, they huffed their way to the top of the hill.
There weren’t as many people there as Aaron expected. A group of teenagers hung off to the left, chatting with each other, and a father with his young daughter were getting ready to make a go of it. As the father gave a push to get the toboggan moving down the hill, the little girl let out a squeal of laugher, her delight making Aaron laugh along with her.
He turned to find Craig with an endearing smile on his face.
“What?” Aaron asked.
“It’s nothing.” Craig brushed a gloved-covered finger along Aaron’s cheek. “I just love to hear you laugh. I….” He paused and then cleared his throat. “You ready to give this a try?”
“Yes. Let’s do this.” Aaron was excited now, and he let his enthusiasm show in his voice.
Craig went over to the racks holding the different-sized toboggans and came back with one that had room enough for two. He placed the toboggan on the snow and motioned Aaron over.
“I’ll hold it while you get on.” Crouching down, Craig held on to the back end while Aaron sat down and slid his feet into the rounded part at the front. The toboggan shifted forward slightly while Craig got on behind him, so he put his hands down on the snow to steady them.
A second later Craig’s legs slid against his, and he wrapped those strong arms around Aaron’s waist. The heat from Craig’s body surrounded him and caused a shiver of need to flow through him. He wanted them wrapped together in an entirely different place, like in his bed, totally naked.
“Cold?” Craig asked, giving him a squeeze.
“Nope. Not at all.” Aaron slowly ran his hands along Craig from the top of his knees and down along his shins. “Let’s just say I see your reason for wanting to do this. You wrapped around me is not a bad thing… at all.”
“There will be time for that later.” Craig chuckled near his ear, and from that suggestive sound, he seemed to know exactly where Aaron’s thoughts had wandered. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Here we go!”
Aaron held tightly on to Craig’s legs as the toboggan moved. A second later they were sliding forward, their sled going faster and faster down the hill. As the wind and snow whipped by Aaron’s face, he whooped with laughter, and he could hear Craig doing the same from behind him.
When the toboggan slowed to a halt at the bottom of the hill, Aaron continued to chuckle as he shifted around to face Craig. “That was so much fun!”
“Told you!” Craig grinned at him, a happy twinkle in his gorgeous blue eyes. “Want to do it again?”
“God yes!” Aaron scrambled to his feet and gave Craig a helpful hand up.
They went up and down the hill for another fifteen minutes before calling it quits. The cold and wet had finally seeped into their clothes, making them feel chilled.
“Let’s buy some hot chocolate and warm up in one of the lean-tos for a few minutes,” Craig said.
“Sounds great.”
After putting the toboggan back on the assigned rack at the bottom of the hill, they walked over to the hot-chocolate stand.
With the steaming sweet drinks in hand, they stepped into one of the vacant lean-tos, the three-sided structure giving them plenty of protection from the snow.
As the heater above their heads warmed his body, Aaron sighed in contentment, took a sip of his hot chocolate, and slid closer to Craig. “Thanks for this evening. It was a lot of fun.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” Craig slid an arm across Aaron’s shoulders, pulled him closer, and kissed him along his temple.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, watching the snow outside their shelter being tossed and whipped around by the wind.
“The wind is picking up again,” Aaron said. “We should get going.” Tipping his cup back, he swallowed the last bit of his drink and waited as Craig did the same. He took Craig’s cup from him and then pitched both containers into the trash bin. As he moved to get up, Craig stopped him with a hand on his knee.
When Craig didn’t do anything except look at him, Aaron frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“No, no, everything is fine. Perfect, actually. There’s something I want to ask you.”
“Sure, what is it?”
Craig slid closer to Aaron on the wooden bench and slipped a hand around the back of Aaron’s neck, holding him gently. “I’d like you to come to my place tonight.”
Aaron’s eyes went big. “Really?”
“Yes.” Craig smiled.
“I’d love to.” Aaron bounced a little where he sat, his heart skipping a beat. In the nine months they’d been dating, they’d always gone to Aaron’s apartment to hang out, so he knew having Craig invite him into his home was a big deal. Aaron thought of it as another step forward in their relationship and another way of Craig showing he trusted Aaron more.
“Great,” Craig said, his voice quiet. He leaned forward, taking a long kiss, lips lingering as he moved them over Aaron’s. “Let’s go home.”
When they stepped out of the lean-to, the wind was howling, violently whipping the snow around and causing the branches on the trees to creak and moan.
“Wow, it’s getting worse,” Aaron said. “I hope we don’t lose power.”
“There’s a gas fireplace in my condo. That’ll keep us warm if the power does go out.” Craig took his hand and quickly made their way toward the front of the park. “I don’t live far.”
“That’s good because I wouldn’t want to walk for too long in this.” Aaron tugged his hat down lower to cover his ears and ducked his head into the wind.
CRAIG WASN’T kidding when he said he lived close by. They had only walked for about five minutes when Craig rushed them across the street and up to a large red-brick-and-limestone building. It was ten stories high, had tall glass windows along the ground-floor wall, and there was a large brass plate declaring it as the Wentworth, built in 1925.
About ten years back, the entire waterfront area was part of a revitalization project, and the magnificent old buildings, such as the one Craig was lucky enough to be in, were restored back to their true grandeur.
Craig pulled open the tall intricately carved wooden door, with its stained-glass inserts, and ushered Aaron inside. The warmth felt wonderful on his cold skin, and he stamped the snow from his boots before moving farther into the room.
The lobby was breathtaking. Like something in a five-star hotel.
Two shiny black pillars towered and stretched up to meet the fifteen-foot-high ceiling. They separated the pedestrian area of the lobby and the seating area, the latter filled with comfortable-looking sofas and armchairs. On the far side of the lounge sat a large stone fireplace with flames dancing cheerfully in its hearth, and to the right, decorated in red and gold, an eight-foot-tall Christmas tree twinkled with white lights.
Black-and-white Italian marble covered the expanse of the floor, all the walls were encased in antique dark-wood paneling, and an enormous sparkling chandelier hung over a mahogany staircase.
To the right sat a large black marble-topped wooden desk, the same style as a hotel’s front desk, and standing behind it was a large muscular man, his body encased in a uniform that indicated he was a security guard. The man was watching the
m closely, an amused grin on his face, appearing not the least bit concerned with their appearance.
As Aaron stood with his mouth practically hanging open, Craig stepped close to him and said quietly, “Everything okay?”
“Uh… yeah.” Aaron looked around again. “This is…. There are no words.”
“Incredible, isn’t it? When I first came to see a condo here, I was as amazed as you are. It’s wonderful that when they restored the building, they were able to save most of the original woodwork, marble, and fixtures.”
“It’s astounding.”
“You ready to go upstairs?” Craig asked.
Aaron answered with a nod.
As they approached the front desk, the man behind it greeted Craig. “Good evening, Mr. Delaney.”
Craig stopped and addressed him with a friendly smile. “Hi, Freddie.”
“Looks like it’s getting real nasty out there,” Freddie said with a glance out the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“It certainly is. I think we got inside just in time.” Craig slid a hand across Aaron’s shoulders and drew him against his side. “Freddie, I’d like to introduce you to someone very special. This is Aaron Cordell… my boyfriend.”
“Oh!” Freddie hurried around to the front of the desk, his smile getting bigger. He took Aaron’s hand in both of his and gave it a shake. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”
The delight on Freddie’s face made Aaron grin. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
As Freddie moved to the other side of the desk, Craig explained, “Freddie is the head of security in this building. He does a terrific job keeping us all safe.”
At Craig’s words, Freddie beamed with pride. “Thank you, Mr. Delaney. That means a lot.”
“Just stating the truth.” Craig turned his attention to Aaron. “There is also a concierge, who is a miracle worker.”
“Yes, Maggie Stuart,” Freddie supplied. “You need anything, anything at all, she can get it for you.”
“Wow, that’s great,” Aaron said, wondering what it must be like to live in such a luxurious place. It was completely different to the old slightly run-down building where Aaron lived.
“Since you’ll be coming here more often”—Craig grinned at Aaron—“I’ll give you Maggie Stuart’s private number.”
Aaron’s heart gave a little jolt of delight hearing Craig wanted him in his home more than this one time.
“Well, we should get going.” Placing a hand at the small of Aaron’s back, Craig guided him away from the lobby. “Night, Freddie.”
With a salute, Freddie said, “You boys have a good night.”
“Thanks. You too.” Aaron gave a wave back.
They walked along the wide hallway to where the elevators were. The chrome doors had been polished so well that Aaron could see himself reflected back.
“Freddie seems like a nice guy,” Aaron said.
“He’s a great guy. He’s been here since the building was renovated.” Craig pushed the button. A minute later there was a chime, and the elevator’s door slid open, welcoming them inside its cozy space.
“I can’t wait to see your condo.” Aaron bet it was just as luxurious as the lobby and reflected much of Craig’s taste.
“I hope you’ll like it.”
Aaron chuckled. “After seeing the lobby, I’m pretty sure that won’t be a problem.”
THEY CHATTED easily as the elevator carried them upward, and in no time at all, it deposited them onto the tenth floor. Aaron followed Craig a short distance down the hall, the burgundy-and-gold carpet muffling their footsteps. When they stopped in front of a dark, wood-paneled door, Craig pulled out a set of keys and slid one into the brass lock. With a twist of his wrist, the lock gave way, and Craig pushed open the door.
“Come on in,” Craig said, motioning Aaron inside.
Aaron was absolutely right. Craig’s condo was just as beautiful as the lobby, the space large and open. During the renovations, walls must have been taken down in order to make the space one continuous flow from kitchen to dining area to living room. The difference here compared to the lobby was the furniture in the spaces matched Craig’s preference to the contemporary style.
After removing all his winter wear, Aaron walked a little farther into the room and looked around. “Craig… this is stunning.”
Polished dark oak floors flowed through all three rooms, joining the spaces together. The kitchen was a chef’s dream, filled with shiny stainless-steel appliances, wood cabinets, and gleaming black granite countertops.
The dining room had a large blue-and-beige patterned area rug with a glassed-top rectangular table surrounded by black leather-and-chrome chairs.
And the living room, located on the far left, had a coffered ceiling. One wall, painted a soft blue, boasted a slate fireplace with a large wide-screen television mounted above it. The furniture mimicked the same glass-and-chrome style as the dining room, and a huge black sectional sofa took up a major part of the space.
And in one corner near the windows, a Christmas tree with multicolored lights had been set up, its base surrounded by numerous presents.
With all the dark wood and furniture, one would think it would have made the space seem dark, but it was the exact opposite. The recessed lights in the twelve-foot ceilings were mounted in strategic areas to cast perfect lighting throughout the condo, and in the daylight hours, Aaron was sure bright sunlight spilled into the room through the floor-to-ceiling windows and doors that ran the length of the living and dining rooms.
Large hands slid onto Aaron’s shoulders and then down to wrap around his waist. “You like it?” Craig asked.
“Yes. It suits you perfectly.” Aaron twisted around in Craig’s embrace until he was facing him. “But you know what? I like you more.”
Craig snickered. “Good to know.” He briefly touched his lips to Aaron’s. “I’m glad you like it here. I want you to feel comfortable in my home.”
When their lips met again, Craig took Aaron’s mouth in a long, deep kiss, making Aaron groan when their tongues slid together. Just as things started to heat up, they were interrupted by a buzzer going off in the kitchen. Aaron pulled back and raised an eyebrow at Craig.
“That’s our dinner. I made it earlier, then put it in the oven and set the timer so it would be heated for us when we got back.”
“Craig? Wait a sec.” Aaron stopped Craig by placing a hand on his arm. “I can now see you want me here, that you planned this night for me to be here with you. I guess… I guess I’m having a hard time understanding why, in all the months we’ve been together, that this is the first time you brought me here.”
“I know you have a lot of questions, and I’m going to explain everything. But I’d like to eat first, and after dinner, we can snuggle on the sofa together and talk.” Craig met Aaron’s eyes. “Is that okay?”
“You promise you’ll tell me everything? I know you’ve been holding back about something, and I think it’s time I know what it is.”
“Yes, I agree. And I promise I’ll be honest with you.”
“Okay.” Aaron tugged Craig down for one more kiss and then followed him into the kitchen.
Craig put on a pair of mitts and pulled a casserole dish full of bubbling food out of the oven.
As he set it on the counter, Aaron inhaled deeply. “That smells so good.”
Craig smiled at him. “It’s one of my mom’s recipes. Beef and broccoli casserole. I hope you’re hungry.” Just then Aaron’s stomach let out a loud rumble, making them both laugh. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“I am starved.” Aaron rubbed his hands together enthusiastically.
“Let me guess—” Craig took two plates from inside one of the upper cabinets. “—you skipped lunch.”
“I hadn’t intended to, but a shipment of books came in right before lunch. And… well, you know how excited I get over new books….”
“You lost track of time,” Craig finished for him.
; “Yup.” Aaron grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.
“Goofball.” Craig ruffled Aaron’s hair. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I can think of a lot of things.”
Craig stopped what he was doing, lifting his gaze to meet Aaron’s. “We can definitely explore those things after we eat.” After sliding open a drawer, Craig pulled out some cutlery and a large spoon. “Let’s fill our plates, then eat in the dining room.”
“Sounds great.”
Craig did the serving and added a healthy amount of the cheesy meat and veggie goodness to both their plates, the savory aroma making Aaron’s mouth water. They carried everything over to the dining area and sat facing each other across the table.
“Would you like some red wine?” Craig asked. “I just bought a bottle of Château Lafleur that I would love to share with you.”
“Sure.” Aaron slid out a chair and sat down. “I’d love to try it.”
Craig was a wine connoisseur, and Aaron knew how much he enjoyed a glass of wine, especially red. When they were at Aaron’s apartment, they often shared a bottle Craig brought over from his collection.
“Great! Why don’t you light the candles?”
As Aaron picked up the lighter and held it to the three candles in the center of the table, Craig went over to the buffet and opened a door that concealed a wine fridge. After choosing a bottle, he took out two crystal wine goblets along with a corkscrew, and then placed everything on the table.
Craig poured them both a glass, but before sitting down, he picked up a small remote, pushed a button, and immediately the soft sound of Christmas music filled the condo. Another push of a button, and the lights dimmed, casting the large space in a warm glow.
“This is romantic.” Aaron smiled at Craig when he took his seat.
“I want everything to be perfect.”
“It always is when I’m with you.” When their eyes met, a sizzle of heat passed between them.
“I….” Craig seemed to hesitate; he suddenly cleared his throat and then lifted his wine glass. “To us.”