by Moone, Ruby
“Oh, Lawrence,” he whispered. “Yes. Yes, to everything. I want nothing more than to be a partner in your life. For all of your life. The shop…that is…” Christy sighed. “Just perfect. Thank you.”
Lawrence eventually managed to breathe.
“Good.” He nodded. “Good.”
They looked at each other for a long moment. Lawrence was the first to smile, then Christy laughed, damply.
“But when did you have this done? We’ve only…” He gestured awkwardly between them. “Since last night.”
Lawrence felt his cheeks heat. He ran a hand around the back of his neck. “I…ah…had it done a little while ago. I decided I wanted to offer you a partnership in the business, but I was fooling myself. What I wanted was to have you in my life. I pretended for a long time that I only admired you in a platonic way.” He laughed and shrugged uncomfortably. “Stupid, really.”
Christy kissed him, shutting him up. “Not stupid. Romantic. You really wanted me, all this time?”
Lawrence rolled his eyes, then nodded. “Love you,” he added awkwardly.
“Love you too,” Christy whispered against his lips.
“We should eat,” Lawrence murmured.
“We should…oh…” Christy pulled away, and Lawrence wanted to pull him back.
“What?”
Christy looked awkward. “Well, I, erm, I rather promised that we would go to Mrs. Anderton’s and celebrate Christmas with her.”
“Mrs. Anderton?” That took Lawrence by surprise.
“Well, she and my mother got on famously, and she offered her a bed…” Christy grimaced. “We have no idea where March is, but he will turn up eventually. In the meantime, at least I could rest easy with my mother safe for the night. I said we would join them for Christmas lunch.” Christy scrunched up his face. “Sorry.”
Lawrence laughed. “Well, it is perhaps as well as we have very little to be festive with here.” He got up and poured two cups of tea, holding one out to Christy. He stood up and took it. Lawrence held his up out and clinked it gently to Christy’s.
“Merry Christmas, Mr. Shaw,” he said, solemnly.
“Merry Christmas, Mr. Fenton,” Christy said, equally solemnly.
“Here’s to Fenton and Shaw, Purveyors of Fine Books,” Christy said and Lawrence raised his cup again. They sipped their tea, and Lawrence picked up a piece of rather wilted looking mistletoe from the mantel.
“It started with this,” he said, waving it in Christy’s direction. Christy laughed when he recognised the piece of mistletoe that he had used to kiss Lawrence with.
“I still can’t believe I kissed you. I hadn’t intended to, it just…happened.”
“Well, I’m glad it did because it was the mistletoe kiss that made me realise how much I wanted you. Not just as a friend and business partners, but how much I loved you and wanted you. I had to own up to myself about my feelings. That was hard.”
He took Christy’s teacup, and put it down with his own, then held up the mistletoe over Christy’s head and kissed him softly.
“Mmmm,” Christy murmured into the kiss and deepened it.
“I’ve was thinking,” Christy said when it ended. “We’ve made love in here, in the bed…” Christy pulled back and looked up at him.
“Mm hmm,” Lawrence said and pressed against him. Christy could feel his arousal.
“The shop. We haven’t done it in the shop yet.”
“That is because there are no curtains,” Lawrence said, taking Christy’s bottom lip between his teeth then letting go. “We would shock the neighbours.” Lawrence spent some time kissing him until they were both breathless again.
“I could always fashion a blanket to cover the window,” Lawrence said after a moment, and the glint in Christy’s eye that made Lawrence’s heart beat even faster.
“Good,” Christy whispered, holding his gaze. Because I want you to bend me over the desk, pull down my breeches, and take me. Hard.”
Lawrence choked. “I had no idea mistletoe kisses held such power,” he whispered into his ear.
Christy looked up. His eyes were filled with love and laughter. “Well, now you know.”
Lawrence smiled back and allowed everything in his heart to show.
“Let’s find a blanket,” he whispered.
THE END
ABOUT RUBY MOONE
Ruby lives in Lancashire in the northwest of England. All through school she was told that she would never get anywhere if she didn’t stop daydreaming. Eventually it occurred to her to write down the daydreams, and voilà! The beautiful men in her head came to life.
Ruby writes historical and contemporary gay romance but has a definite weakness for handsome men in billowing white shirts, breeches, and cravats. Oh, and she loves tea. Lots of tea.
For more information, visit rubymoone.com.
ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC
JMS Books LLC is a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance, erotic romance, and young adult fiction. Visit jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!