Home for Christmas

by Sarah Hadley Brook

  “When I first met you the other night, I probably came on strong. I tend to flirt. It’s just who I am.” He looked at Joe. “Especially when the guy is as sexy as you.”

  Joe nearly choked on air.

  Kris chuckled again, then sobered. “But I wasn’t kidding about not settling for second place. Or being someone’s rebound fuck. I’m not looking for that. I’m thinking we pretend the last few days never happened and you work through your feelings about Danny. We have to spend the next couple of weeks together, so we may as well try to be friends. I know we’ve already said this, but we both seem to have a problem keeping our hands to ourselves. But this time, let’s try to respect some boundaries, okay?”

  Joe nodded, but stayed quiet. What could he say? Everything Kris had stated sounded logical. They shouldn’t dive into anything right now. And he could be friends with Kris. He wanted more, but was willing to hold back. Maybe without all these intense feelings churning around inside, he could focus on processing all that he’d learned about Danny, then be ready to move forward.

  They stayed quiet the rest of the drive, both lost in thought. Joe turned up the music as he headed toward the shopping mall to meet Gavin.

  When he pulled into the parking lot, he nodded toward the movie theater entrance.

  “We’re seeing a movie?”

  “Not sure. Gavin just said to meet him here. I think he wanted to do some shopping.”

  “I need to get something for Uncle Michael and Karen, so that sounds perfect.”

  They parked and headed toward the entrance. As soon as they entered the mall, Joe saw Gavin perusing sunglasses at a kiosk and pointed him out to Kris.

  Kris’s breath caught, making Joe grimace. He’d forgotten how most people reacted to Gavin when they first met him.

  Gavin dressed in tight shirts and jeans that clearly showed off his ripped body. Add on the chiseled jaw, deep brown eyes, straight nose, dark stubble, and chestnut hair that feathered across his forehead, and he was a walking wet dream.

  Gavin must have felt eyes on him because he turned and grinned. “Hey!”

  “Hi,” Joe said with a quick hug. “This is my friend Kris.”

  Kris stuck out his hand. “Hi,” he said, his voice reverent, as if in awe of Gavin.

  Fuck. Introducing these two had not been one of Joe’s smartest moves.

  Friends, Joe. Kris and I are only friends.

  Gavin held onto Kris’s hand and tugged him forward. “Where did Joe find you?” he asked, his gaze roaming Kris’s body.

  Kris blushed. “I’m spending Christmas break at his house.”

  “Oh.” Gavin dropped his hand and looked disappointed.

  Joe grinned. That was more like it.

  “Yeah, my uncle married his mom last month.”

  Gavin’s eyes flashed. “So you two aren’t dating?”

  Kris gave Joe a sidelong glance and shook his head.

  “Great!”

  Joe had a feeling he would hate the next few hours. His stomach roiled as he watched Gavin throw his arm around Kris’s shoulders and grin.

  “Want to do some shopping?”

  Kris nodded. “Sound great.” He glanced at Joe, his eyes wide.

  Yeah, maybe Joe should’ve warned him. Although Kris was pretty talented at flirting, Gavin was a master. Joe fell into line behind them. He was definitely hating this day.

  They spent the next three hours hitting the shops, eating greasy fries at the food court, and checking out the newest video games at the gaming store.

  Joe tried to enjoy himself, but every time Gavin touched Kris, Joe glowered. And Gavin touched Kris a lot. More than necessary.

  By the time they’d circled the mall, he was ready to go.

  “You okay, man?” Gavin asked.

  “Fine,” he said, his voice clipped.

  “Whoa…what the hell’s up your ass?”

  Joe glanced at Kris, who chewed his lower lip. “Nothing. Just tired.”

  Gavin’s eyes narrowed and he looked at Kris. Joe could almost see the lightbulb appear above his head when his friend put it all together.

  “Fuck,” he whispered into Joe’s ear. “You should have told me, man.”

  Joe shrugged. “Nothing to tell. We’re just friends.”

  “Right. Okay.” Gavin turned to Kris. “It looks like Joe’s wanting to head home. But it was really nice meeting you.”

  Joe’s stomach churned as the two exchanged phone numbers. He certainly couldn’t have stopped Gavin from asking, but Kris had been the one to suggest it. Yeah, the day had gone to hell.

  They walked outside and headed to their cars.

  “Why are you acting like this?” Kris asked.

  “Like what?” Joe asked, keeping his voice level.

  “Like an ass,” Kris retorted as they reached Joe’s Acura.

  “What the fuck?”

  Kris didn’t flinch, but stepped closer. “You were an ass the entire time.”

  “He was all over you,” Joe exploded. “Couldn’t keep his fucking hands off you!”

  “So? He was just flirty.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “He was nice, but he’s not my type. But still, you were an ass. And he’s your friend.”

  All Joe heard was that Gavin wasn’t Kris’s type. Instinctively, he reached for Kris but caught himself, letting his hand drop to his side. Kris rounded the car and got in the passenger seat. He was already buckled in before Joe had even opened his door.

  He rolled his hands into fists and took a deep breath. He was acting like a jealous lover and had absolutely no claim to Kris. He finally climbed into the car and they drove home. Neither spoke as Kris looked through his shopping bags. He’d found a really pretty bracelet for Karen and had also purchased a couple pairs of jeans for himself.

  Joe pulled into the drive and sighed as he turned off the engine. “You’re right. I owe you an apology. And Gavin. I’ll give him a call.”

  Kris smiled. “Thank you. Now let’s get inside and hide this present before Karen finds it.” He shook his head. “She’s the biggest snoop ever.”

  Joe smiled back. “I have the perfect place. My nightstand. She wouldn’t even think to look in my room, right?”

  “Perfect!”

  * * * *

  Over the next few days, they spent a lot of time together. It was nice. Fun, really. They got along well, even though they rooted for rival football teams. But even debating the games, or trash-talking each other’s teams, proved fun. So many times Joe wanted to take Kris’s hand, but stopped himself. He wouldn’t cross Kris’s boundary.

  Danny barely registered on his mind anymore, but Kris filled his thoughts, and it became a daily struggle to keep his thoughts platonic.

  But at night, he often found himself stroking his cock, fantasizing about Kris. Occasionally he called out his name and worried he’d been too loud. By the time Christmas Eve morning arrived, Joe was pretty sure he was falling head over heels for Kris. It was thrilling to him. Every day he learned something new about Kris and the next day he still wanted to learn more.

  Falling for Kris had been sweet agony. He ached to touch him, yet knew he shouldn’t. He couldn’t help but want him, though. He certainly felt attraction and lust, but also something else. He yearned to just be with him. Hear him talk. Get his opinion on something. Anything.

  Sometimes he thought he caught Kris staring at him, but he assumed he was imagining things. All this time, Kris hadn’t said anything more about their kisses, or their discussion to be “just friends.”

  “Boys,” his mom called from the kitchen, “I need a few things from the store. I’ll text you boys the list.”

  It was just after noon and they were in the living room watching a movie. They looked at each other and sighed. The day before Christmas. The store would be packed. But they both got up from the couch.

  “You sure you want to go?” he asked Kris. “It’s going to be a madhouse.”

  “Yeah. I want to go.” A blush
spread across his cheeks.

  Heat spread through Joe and his dick thickened and pressed against the zipper of his jeans.

  * * * *

  Armed with his mother’s list of more than a “few things,” they drove to the store, then spent a good fifteen minutes looking for a parking space.

  “I’m surprised the store’s still open,” Kris said as they made their way through the slushy parking lot. The sun had melted the little bit of snow that had fallen over the last two days, creating a huge mess. The sky looked ready to shower them with more flakes, though. The temperature was supposed to drop pretty drastically overnight and stay low for a few days.

  His mom had wanted to make sure they had enough supplies, and from the looks of the chaos inside the store, the rest of the town had had the same idea.

  “Hey, how about we divide this up and try to get it taken care of quickly?”

  Kris agreed and they each concentrated on part of the list and agreed to meet at the checkout lanes.

  Despite the store being crammed with people, they finished up in a reasonable amount of time. Joe took advantage of a few minutes without Kris and found something to give him for Christmas, a travel mug with his favorite team’s logo. He also grabbed a gift card for Karen.

  When they met up, Kris helped Joe load their items on the checkout counter. “Hang on, I need to grab something for Karen.”

  Joe assumed Kris needed a gift bag or a card, since he’d already purchased the bracelet for her. “Sure. I’ll meet you at the car.”

  * * * *

  Twenty minutes later, they arrived home. Michael met them outside and helped carry in the bags. “Glad you guys are back. The weatherman expects almost blizzard conditions sometime after midnight.”

  As they entered the kitchen, the smell of pumpkin pie filled the room. His mom turned and smiled. “Hi, honey. You got a phone call earlier.”

  Joe set down the bags and furrowed his brow. All of his friends used his cell. “On the landline? Who was it?”

  She waved her hands in the air. “I was so busy with the pie, I forgot to ask him. I told him you’d be home soon, so I assume he’ll call back.”

  Joe shrugged. “Have no idea who would call me on the home phone.”

  After they helped put away the groceries and listened to his mom’s stern warning not to touch the pie, Joe and Kris decided to finish the movie they’d been watching earlier.

  Just as they settled in on the couch, the doorbell rang.

  “Can you get that?” his mom called.

  Joe rose from couch, making his way to the front door. When he opened it, he gasped.

  Danny stood on the porch, a huge smile on his face, holding a huge potted poinsettia.

  Chapter 9

  “W-what the…?” Joe said, dumbfounded.

  Danny stepped closer. “Hi, baby.”

  Baby. That shook Joe out of his thoughts. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Danny flinched, but quickly recovered. “I wanted to surprise you.”

  “Well, you did.” Joe set his jaw and folded his arms over his chest.

  “Can I come in? It’s really cold out here.”

  His stomach in knots, Joe’s anger roared through him. Silently, he stepped back, pulling the door wider and gesturing for Danny to enter.

  Danny stepped inside and glanced around. “I tried to call, but you were out.”

  Joe stayed silent, waiting for an explanation.

  “I brought this for your family,” Danny said, holding up the poinsettia.

  Joe placed it on the entryway table. “Thank you,” he said, his voice tense. And still he waited.

  “I, uh, need to talk to you. I texted days ago, but you never answered.” He crinkled his brow. “Did you get it?”

  “Why are you here?” Joe asked again.

  “Like I said, I need to talk to you.”

  “Shouldn’t you still be on your honeymoon?”

  “Can we talk somewhere in private?” Danny asked, ignoring Joe’s question.

  “Not in my house.” Why had his ex come so far on Christmas Eve to see him?

  “How about a drive?”

  Joe’s stomach clenched at the idea of being in a car with Danny, yet just weeks ago he would’ve loved to hear those words. Perhaps this would be good, though. He could get some closure over how Danny had dumped him.

  “I’ll meet you outside. I’ll grab my coat.”

  Danny grinned like the Cheshire Cat and hurried out the door.

  Joe walked into the living room. One look at Kris’s pale face and Joe knew he had overheard the conversation. He’d have to explain later.

  “Can you tell my mom I’m heading out for a few minutes?”

  Kris wouldn’t make eye contact, but nodded.

  Joe grabbed his coat from the recliner and slipped it on. He stared at Kris for a moment, but couldn’t think of anything to say. He turned and made his way outside, then climbed into the passenger seat of Danny’s car.

  Danny tried to kiss him, but Joe leaned into his door, out of his reach. “What the fuck?”

  “I missed you.” Danny reached to stroke Joe’s hair.

  “Stop.” Joe pushed him away. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.”

  “No, no. We need to talk.”

  “Then talk,” Joe said, irritation prickling at him.

  Danny pulled out of the drive and headed down the street. “Where to?”

  Joe shrugged. He didn’t really care, but he didn’t want to go too far. “There’s a park a couple of blocks down. We could sit in the parking lot.”

  Other than Joe directing him to the location, neither man spoke until Danny pulled into the empty lot and parked.

  “I guess you’re surprised to see me,” Danny began.

  “You could say that.”

  “When I saw you on campus, I realized how much I missed you. Jamie is so young and immature.” He shifted in his seat to face Joe and gave him a smile. “I was wrong to break up with you.”

  Joe chuckled. “Break up with me? You dumped me. It was quick and dirty and I never heard from you again. I believe you said you weren’t ready for a relationship?”

  Danny sighed. “I was wrong. I think that I…loved you so much it scared me.”

  Joe stared at him incredulously. Where the hell did he come up with that line? “You loved me so much you were looking for a threesome?”

  Danny grimaced. “I only asked a few guys.”

  Joe gaped. There had been others besides Kris? “And how many of them ended up in your bed anyway?”

  “I was stupid, I admit it. But I was careful. I used protection.”

  Joe’s jaw nearly fell to the floor. “And that makes cheating okay?”

  Danny’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t cheating. We never talked ‘exclusivity.’”

  “Isn’t that what dating is about?”

  “It doesn’t have to be. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I thought we could start seeing each other again, but take things slow.” He patted Joe’s thigh.

  Joe’s eyes narrowed. Something didn’t make sense. Weeks ago, Danny had been all over Jamie and looked happy. “Oh, my God. Jamie left you, didn’t he? Did he catch you cheating on him?”

  Danny pressed his lips together in a thin line, all the answer Joe needed. It made sense now. The man couldn’t handle rejection and needed to feel superior—and someone he’d dumped crawling back to him would be good for his ego.

  The weight of Joe’s worries lifted. He was completely over Danny. Now, he felt only disgust. Kris’s face flashed in his mind and he smiled.

  Danny mistook that smile and cupped Joe’s face. “Baby.”

  Joe’s skin crawled at the endearment. “I’m not your baby. Not anymore.” He pushed away Danny’s hand. “You’re lonely and you thought I’d come back to you, but Danny, what we had was never love. It was…” He shrugged. “It was me idolizing you and not seeing you for who you really are—a player. A cheater. A user.”r />
  Danny pulled back as if he’d been slapped. He snarled and his eyes flashed anger. “I knew leaving you was the right thing to do. You’re just an immature child who doesn’t know a good thing when he sees it.”

  Joe actually smiled at that. He did know a good thing when he saw it, and he hoped that “good thing” was still willing to give him a chance when he got home.

  * * * *

  A short time later when Danny dropped him off, Joe didn’t say anything. He climbed out of the car and walked inside without looking back. He left his past behind him, but hoped he’d find his future in the living room.

  He did. But Kris wouldn’t look at him. Now that he was home, he had no idea what to say. “I was thinking of driving to the Plaza and seeing the lights. Want to come?”

  Kris studied him a moment. “It’s not dark yet. Doesn’t it need to be dark to see the lights?”

  “Not really, but it’ll be darker by the time we get there. We could grab something to eat first.”

  “Okay.” He rose and grabbed his coat.

  “Mom,” he called toward the kitchen, assuming his mom still slaved away over holiday food preparation, “Kris and I are going out.”

  “What? No way!” She hurried into the room and glared at her son. “It’s going to snow tonight! A blizzard, they said on the news. And it’s Christmas Eve.”

  Joe gave her a quick hug. “I’m just going to show Kris the Plaza lights and then we’ll be back.” He laughed at the look she shot him. “The snow isn’t supposed to start until later tonight or after midnight anyway.”

  “Fine,” she huffed, giving in. “But be careful.”

  Joe promised as he pulled open the door and waved Kris ahead.

  With the drop in temperature in the past few hours, the car took a few minutes to warm up.

  “What do you want to eat? There probably aren’t a lot of places open today.”

  Kris shrugged. “McDonald’s is usually open.”

  “True. Let’s check it out.” He headed toward the fast food restaurant. “Mind if I put on some Christmas music? I’m feeling festive,” he added with a smile.

  “Sure.”

  Joe flipped on the radio and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” poured out of the speakers. He grinned. “This was my favorite song as a child.”