by C. L. Miles
Aaron leaned into Craig once again and rested his head on his lover’s shoulder. “Tell me about Grace.”
“She’s a remarkable kid. She’s sweet and funny, way too perceptive for someone her age, and she questions everything. She loves to draw and paint, and she’s extremely intelligent, and she loves to hang out in the kitchen to help me cook.”
Aaron glanced at him. “Sounds like she takes after you.”
“I think she does.” Craig beamed. “Except for the art; I couldn’t draw to save my life. She inherited that talent from Shelly. Oh! And she loves to read.”
“Oh wow. Then it looks like we have something in common. I have all kinds of children’s books at the shop,” Aaron said excitedly. “Maybe we could even read some together… if that’s something she’d want to do with me.”
“Sweetheart.” Craig met Aaron’s eyes directly. “One of Grace’s favorite things to do is sit together on the sofa and read.”
“Really? That’s great. I can already think of a few books I could bring her.”
Craig offered a lopsided grin. “She’s going to be able to charm you into doing pretty much anything, isn’t she?”
“Uh, yeah.” Aaron grinned. “Don’t doubt that for a second.”
“You know.” Craig’s smile turned soft. “It’s going to be an amazing Christmas.”
“I think so too.”
The brush of Craig’s soft lips along Aaron’s cheek and neck, spread warmth from his heart through his entire body.
Aaron took Craig’s face in his hands and kissed him.
EARLY CHRISTMAS morning Craig woke Aaron with a kiss that soon turned heated. Their lovemaking was slow and unhurried as they took the time to enjoy each other’s body. Afterward Aaron lay wrapped in Craig’s arms, warmth, happiness, and contentment flowing through him.
Craig tightened his hold on Aaron’s waist and sighed. “We should get up.”
“Hmm,” Aaron responded. His body was so wonderfully relaxed he didn’t want to move.
“Hey!” Craig gave Aaron a little jiggle. “Don’t fall asleep on me.”
“I’m not. Just enjoying the moment.”
Craig shifted onto an elbow and smiled down at Aaron. “I love having you here… and I don’t mean only in my bed.”
“And I love being here,” Aaron replied, smiling softly. “I’m so glad we found each other.”
“So am I,” Craig replied, and they shared a kiss.
The feelings Craig invoked in Aaron were so huge he had a hard time finding the words to express them. And suddenly he was sure what to do. He didn’t need time to think about moving in with Craig. He knew in his heart this was exactly where he was meant to be.
“I want to move in with you now.” Aaron’s heart did a little excited leap.
“What?” Craig’s eyes widened.
“You heard me.” Aaron grinned.
“You don’t want to think about it first?”
Aaron thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with an answer as to why he shouldn’t move in. “Honestly I don’t need more time. Living in this place and spending a lifetime loving you feels pretty damn right.”
When Craig didn’t answer right away, a little niggle of insecurity wormed its way into Aaron’s mind, making him think maybe Craig had changed his mind.
“I’m sorry,” Aaron said. “If you’ve changed your—”
“Hell no! I mean, yes. I mean—” Craig let out a frustrated growl, and then burst out laughing. “What I mean is, yes, I want you here. The sooner, the better!”
Pouncing on Craig, Aaron brought their lips together, giving him a long kiss.
“Merry Christmas to me,” Craig said, happiness clear in his voice. “This is one Christmas present I will not be returning.”
Aaron smiled. “Good because I come with a ‘cannot return’ policy.”
“That means I’ve got you for life.”
“Damn straight.”
Pulling Aaron close, Craig wrapped his arms around him. “Thank you.”
“Thank you. For loving me and trusting in me.”
They held one another for a few more seconds; then Craig moved them apart and looked at the clock on the bedside table.
“Okay, now we definitely have to get out of bed.” Craig pushed the covers aside and got up. “Grace is going to be here in twenty minutes.”
“Will they be able to get here with all the snow?” Aaron asked.
“Won’t be a problem. They live in the building next door.”
“Well, that’s convenient.”
“It certainly is.” Craig tugged Aaron to his feet and led him into the bathroom.
After they showered and quickly dressed, they made their way into the kitchen in search of coffee. Once it was ready, Craig handed Aaron a steaming cup, and they stood side by side, sipping on the hot liquid.
When there was a knock on the door, Aaron startled slightly but calmed as soon as Craig slid a hand along his back. “It’s going to be fine.”
“I know. I’m just a little nervous.”
Craig placed his coffee cup on the counter and moved toward the door. “I told Freddie to send them up when they got here.”
Aaron had about two more seconds of feeling nervous before a little girl’s squeal of delight rang throughout the room.
“Daddy!” Grace jumped up, and Craig caught her easily.
“Hi, sweet pea!” Craig kissed her nose and twirled her around. “Did Santa bring you lots of presents?”
“He did!” As she chattered excitedly about her presents, Craig stepped farther into the condo, motioning Shelly inside.
And that was when Grace noticed Aaron standing in the kitchen.
She frowned a little and wiggled until Craig put her down. Once she was on her feet, she walked over to Aaron and looked him up and down.
“Hello,” Grace said.
When Aaron met her gaze, he couldn’t miss the intelligence shining in the blue eyes that were so much like her father’s.
“Hello,” Aaron said back with a smile.
She put her hands on her hips and demanded, “Who are you?”
He crouched down to Grace’s level. “My name is Aaron.”
“Oh! My mommies and daddy told me about you. You’re Daddy’s new boyfriend.”
Aaron nodded. “I am.”
“Do you love him?” Grace watched him closely.
“Yes.” Aaron covered his chest with his hand. “With all my heart.”
Tilting her head, she narrowed her eyes. “Will you leave like Shawn did?”
“No, honey.” Aaron knew how important his answer was, so he put as much conviction into his voice as he could. “I promise, I don’t ever plan on leaving your daddy. He makes me very happy.”
Grace studied him for a second, then nodded and simply said, “Okay.” She came a little closer and very gently patted Aaron’s cheek. “I like you.” Then she bounced off to where the presents were spread out under the Christmas tree.
Feeling a little unsteady, Aaron stood and leaned back against the counter, releasing a long breath. “Whoa, I never thought being grilled by an eight-year-old could be so nerve-wracking.” He glanced at Craig and Shelly. “You know, she’ll make one hell of a lawyer when she grows up.”
Shelly giggled. “We say that all the time. I’m Shelly, by the way.” She held out her hand. “Craig’s talked about you so much. It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”
After they shook, Aaron glanced at Craig before addressing Shelly. “I have to say, you and Grace were a bit of a shock.”
“I can imagine,” Shelly said, “but I’m glad he finally told you.”
“So am I. And I understand now why he waited,” Aaron replied sincerely. “I’m excited to get to know Grace…. You and Amanda as well.”
“We’re looking forward to getting to know you better too.” Shelly glanced between them. “Are you guys coming to Christmas dinner?”
“We were going to have dinner here,”
Craig replied.
“No, Daddy.” Grace came back to Craig’s side and looked up at him with pleading eyes. “You and Aaron have to come.”
“I don’t know, Gracie. We already made plans,” Craig said, somehow immune to the look Grace was giving him.
When she turned a beseeching gaze on Aaron, he knew he was in trouble. He’d only known her for ten minutes, and already she had him wrapped around her little finger.
“It’s okay, Craig,” Aaron assured. “I would love to have dinner with your family.”
“Yay!” Grace did a happy dance around the three of them.
“Great!” Shelly grinned. “If the storm doesn’t let up and we can’t get to Ma and Pa’s, then the five of us will do something at our place.”
“Sounds good,” Craig said.
“I’ll see you all later.” Shelly gave Grace a hug. “Bye, pumpkin.”
“Bye, Mommy.” After giving Shelly a quick kiss to her cheek, she hurried off toward the living room again.
Once Shelly left, Craig turned to Aaron and asked quietly, “You sure you don’t mind?”
Aaron touched Craig’s arm. “Not at all.”
“Thank you.” Craig kissed him softly.
“You’re welcome.”
They found Grace crouched over one of the presents, studying it intently, gently stroking the silky fabric of the big bow with her little finger.
“She’s like you,” Craig whispered to Aaron. “Loves the wrapping as much as the gift.”
“You’re joking?”
Craig gave him a warm smile but looked at him intently. “Not at all.”
“Is it present time now?” Grace interrupted.
Turning his attention to his daughter, Craig grinned. “You bet it is.”
“Okay, Daddy, you pick the first one.” She scrambled onto the chair next to the fireplace and sat back, waiting patiently.
Craig made a show out of deciding which gift to choose, making Aaron and Grace laugh. As he handed her a present, he said, “Guess what…. Aaron owns a bookstore.”
Grace’s eyes went big, and she sent Aaron a look full of adoration. “You do?”
“Yes. It’s called Page Turners.”
Placing the unwrapped gift on the arm of the chair, Grace slid off the cushion and rushed over to Aaron. “You like books?”
“I love books,” Aaron replied.
“Me too!” she exclaimed happily, jumping up and down. “Wait here, Aaron. I’ll be right back.”
“What about opening your Christmas presents?” Craig called after her.
“Later,” she replied as she skipped out of the room. “Reading first.”
“Wow, be still my heart.” Aaron pressed the back of his hand to his forehead and pretended to feel faint. “A child who would rather read than open gifts. How the heck did you manage that one?”
Craig chuckled. “I told you she loves reading.”
A few minutes later, Grace came back with an armload of books and carefully placed them on the coffee table. Then she came over to Aaron, took his hand, and tugged him to the sofa.
“Will you read a story with me?” Grace asked Aaron.
“Absolutely.” Aaron sat down, and when she joined him and rested against his side, he felt himself fall a little more in love with her.
“You too, Daddy.”
“All right.” Craig settled on the other side of Grace, laid his arm along the back of the sofa, and rested his hand on Aaron’s shoulder.
When Aaron accepted the book Grace wanted him to read, he looked at her and wondered how he could have ever been upset when he first learned about her. She was an amazing little girl who, in such a short amount of time, already meant so much to him. He could picture the three of them together like this in future scenarios: not only reading, but riding bikes, playing in the park, or even attempting to help Craig cook.
Suddenly a strong current of emotions flowed through Aaron. They were so profound he thought he might burst with happiness.
Raising his head, he met Craig’s eyes, and seeing the warm, tender emotions shining back at him, Aaron had no doubt Craig was feeling the same.
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” Craig said, his voice soft. With a loving smile, he gently squeezed Aaron’s shoulder and brushed his thumb along Aaron’s cheek.
“Merry Christmas.” Aaron grinned brightly.
A year ago Aaron never imagined he would be here, in a relationship, being loved and cherished by a wonderful, trustworthy man and filled with the excitement of being part of a family once again.
He finally had a place where he belonged.
C.L. MILES has lived in the suburbs surrounding the City of Montreal, Canada, her entire life. Currently, she resides in a quiet town about an hour outside the city where she enjoys gardening and swimming in the summer and hibernating in the winter. She shares her home with her wonderful husband who supports her in everything she does, no matter how crazy it may be. She loves a variety of music and is an avid reader of many different genres. If you don’t find her writing, she usually has her nose buried in a book or is hanging out with her laptop, blogging or chatting with online friends.
C.L. began writing slash fiction in 2001, but only after much encouragement from a good friend. It didn’t take long before she realized how much she enjoyed creating her own stories. At the beginning of 2010, she decided to try her hand at m/m romance writing and fell head-over-heels in love with it. A seed was firmly planted, and a dream of becoming a published author took flight. She never thought writing that first story all those years ago would lead her to where she is today. Dreams really can come true!
Visit C.L. Miles:
Blog: clmiles.livejournal.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clmiles111
Email: [email protected]
By C.L. Miles
Christmas Grace
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Christmas Grace
© 2017 C.L. Miles.
Cover Art
© 2017 Brooke Albrecht.
http://brookealbrechtstudio.com
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
Digital ISBN: 978-1-64080-300-8
Published December 2017
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America
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