Christmas in Cedarwood Read online

  “Sure.” He knew damn well Ashley didn’t believe him, but Colt was still in the picture and on the tree. The love was there, even if it had been buried. He had two surprises left to show Ashley just how much he cared. He’d do whatever he had to, to prove their family was exactly what he wanted. Ashley was the man he needed, and he wasn’t about to let go.

  Chapter Eight

  Two days until Christmas…

  Ashley turned off the lamp in the living room and sank onto the arm of the couch. The rainbow of color from the twinkle lights on the Christmas tree as well as the string of bulbs around the picture window warmed the room. He blew out a long breath and listened to the silence in the house. He didn’t mind Wyatt going to his grandmother’s for the night, but not knowing the next surprise bothered him. At least he had the dogs there for amusement. Too bad they were both asleep.

  He’d made a decision. He wasn’t just a parent or a teacher. He was also Colt’s lover. His partner. They’d started this relationship and made a family. The last piece was marriage. They’d done the harder parts—finding each other and making a life together. Marriage wouldn’t be easy, but why put off what he truly wanted—to be a whole family with Colt? To be more than just lovers—to be full partners? Yeah, he wanted to be married.

  He noticed the headlights and the car turning into the driveway. Colt was home. Instead of running to the door, Ashley listened for the rumble of the engine to stop. Once he heard the garage door opener stop clunking, he left the couch. Ashley hadn’t reached the kitchen when Colt plunked his keys on the counter. The noise made Ashley jump. The dogs left Wyatt’s bed and bounded down the stairs. They barked and danced on the tile floor.

  “Hi, guys,” Colt said. “Someone’s happy to see me.” He sighed. “I’m glad someone is.”

  “Rough day?” Ashley called. Should he have poured wine? They didn’t have many childless nights although sometimes he considered the dogs another pair of kids. At least he could drink in front of the dogs.

  “It’s been interesting.” Colt rounded the corner. He kicked off his shoes and plopped onto the couch. He tugged Ashley onto his lap. “I did interviews for two server positions and officially let Shelby know she’d moved up to manager and would get her raise after Christmas. She told me to go home. The diner hasn’t burned down, so I’m okay.” He petted Ashley’s hair at the base of his skull. “I’m still working on relinquishing some control, but I made a start.” He rested his forehead against Ashley’s. “Now I’m home and I can breathe. I love you.”

  “I know you do.” Ashley left Colt’s lap long enough to shift positions and straddle his thighs. “You’re stressed.”

  “I’ve got a lot on my plate.”

  “Like?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer, but tough. He needed to stop being so selfish.

  “Ash.”

  “I want to know. You’re always hearing me grumble about the goings-on at the school, with the staff and Wyatt.” He rubbed Colt’s shoulders. The man was so tense, but not in a good way. He wasn’t hard, despite Ashley rubbing on his groin. Usually just having Ashley on his lap aroused him. “Come on.”

  “Ash, I appreciate the offer, but I want to focus on you.” Colt patted Ashley’s hip. “I’ve got a surprise planned. I’m tired as hell, but I want to do this.”

  “But you can’t do that until you de-stress.” He tipped his head. “Well?”

  “Jesus.” Colt pinched the bridge of his nose. “Between the fryer, the staff changes and my not letting go, I’m losing my mind. I’m worried…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

  “What?” Ashley’s heart hammered. He wasn’t sure what to expect. “Talk to me.”

  Colt didn’t speak right away. He groaned a couple of times and wouldn’t meet Ashley’s gaze. “I’m worried I’m losing you. Our dinner conversation didn’t feel like it was enough.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “Damn it. I know how you feel. You’re neglected. We never really talk, and I’m never home. I’m afraid you’ll find someone else. My Christmas spirit is at an all-time low. I want to celebrate, but…yeah.”

  “Colt.” He wasn’t sure what to say. Colt had heard him and understood. He also wasn’t happy.

  “See? You’re speechless.”

  “I used your name,” Ashley said. “I’m just shocked.”

  “Yeah, but you’re not trying to appease me.”

  Ashley sighed but didn’t pull away. Time to speak from the heart.

  Colt raked his nails over Ashley’s thighs. “The explosion two nights ago wasn’t unexpected, but it surprised me. I thought we were strong, but I get it. You…”

  He placed his finger over Colt’s mouth, silencing him. “Okay. We need to be honest. I knew what I was getting into when we started this. You’re a businessman. You’re devoted and you should be. I’m devoted to the school and also to Wyatt. But we’re more than those labels. You’re not just that businessman, and I’m not just Wyatt’s dad or just a teacher. We’re a family and you and I are lovers. We’re partners and now we have to figure out how to balance it all.”

  Colt sighed but said nothing.

  “We haven’t done that. We bought the house and started a life together, but we didn’t sort ourselves out,” Ashley said.

  “I know.”

  “But this is Christmas.” He toyed with the wrinkles in Colt’s shirt. “You and I have to decide what we want to do after the holidays.”

  “Ash.” Colt scrubbed his palms over his face. “I’m not sure.”

  “Well, I am.” He moved Colt’s hands. He couldn’t imagine not having Colt in his life. He needed the man who not only made him whole, but bolstered him. “Christmas is the time to come together. It’s the time for love, caring and honesty. We should embrace all of that. So…my present to you is my honesty.” Along with a few other things, but he’d worry about those on Christmas Day.

  “I’m not sure I can handle the truth,” Colt whispered.

  “You can.” He cupped Colt’s jaw. “Colt, I didn’t make those ornaments just for the sake of filling balls or because they looked pretty. I love you. Wyatt loves you. I’ve been angry with you because I don’t like having to share you so much. I’m jealous of the diner, yeah. But I’ve looked at everything from my perspective and not yours. Love means compromising and doing little things for your mate. You’re juggling a ton, but I’m not getting rid of you. Not a chance.” He blew out a ragged breath. Admitting all that freed him. The weight on his shoulders evaporated. Colt knew how he felt once and for all.

  “Ash—are you serious?”

  “Yeah,” Ashley said. “I’ve been worried for all the wrong reasons. Yes, we did this—getting together and starting a life—out of order, but we are doing this. I wasn’t going to fall in love. Wasn’t going to date. Then I met you. Who knew that my kid trying to scarf down a hot dog would lead me to love?”

  “You did tell him not to eat the whole thing in one bite.” Colt half-smiled. “I still laugh when I think about it.”

  “You know he would’ve.”

  “I know.”

  Ashley brushed his thumb across Colt’s bottom lip. “See…you were the one guy I never saw coming. Then I fell for you, despite telling myself I wouldn’t.” He didn’t regret a moment of their time together.

  “Do you wish it had gone differently? Us?” Colt asked.

  “No.” He scooted closer and ground his crotch against Colt’s. “I regret being afraid and not telling you how I truly feel. Wyatt didn’t like you right away, but I did. I fell pretty fast. It’s crazy. I’m at the edge of something new. I see forever with you and I like the view.”

  “Ash?” Colt’s voice cracked. “Are you sure?”

  Were those tears in Colt’s eyes? Sure looked that way. “I freaked out the other day because I wasn’t sure I could do this, but after your three surprises, I realized there’s nothing to it. We’ve got each other and a lot of determination. We can do this. We’ve got Christmas magic.”

  �
�We do?” Tears slid down Colt’s cheeks. “But what about what we can’t control?”

  “We wing it. You got the Christmas magic started, and I believe you have at least one more surprise coming. We’ll work on helping you out at the diner so you can be home more. I won’t complain as much. We’ll get through this.”

  “Okay.” Colt wiped his face with the back of his hand. “I had two surprises left, but right now the one for today seems kind of lame.”

  “What was it?” Colt wasn’t a lame kind of man. If he had a surprise, then it would no doubt be awesome.

  “Sex?” Colt grinned. “Making love to the man I love.” He snorted. “That sounded corny.”

  “Why can’t we?” He wanted to fuck all night long. Hell, that sounded like the best Christmas present ever.

  “Have sex?” Colt crooked his brow. “Is that what you meant?”

  “Uh-huh.” He didn’t see any reason they shouldn’t.

  “I didn’t think you’d want to.” Colt’s cock hardened beneath his khakis. He groaned. “I do.”

  Why in the hell wouldn’t he want to fuck? “I’ve got a handsome man in my arms and Christmas magic. How can I ignore that?” He nuzzled Colt’s neck. “I’m ready.” More than ready. He’d combust in seconds if he wasn’t careful.

  “We don’t have snow.”

  What did snow have to do with anything? “We have a white bedspread and I might have strung Christmas lights around the bedroom.” He’d tried to make the space festive.

  “You didn’t.” Colt’s eyes flashed. “Ash?”

  “I did.” He’d even sprayed pine scent on a towel he’d placed on the dresser. If they were going to have Christmas sex, then he wanted everything to be perfect. “I didn’t go so far as to use glitter. I didn’t want glitter stuck to my ass.”

  “Glitter.” Colt laughed and threaded his arms around Ashley. “You trumped my surprise. It was supposed to be lots of sex and no worrying about being quiet. At least I got us a night alone.” He grinned. “I like it.”

  “I do too.”

  “We need to go upstairs.” Colt massaged Ashley’s ass.

  “Why?” Ashley shrugged. “We don’t have to. There isn’t anyone else home to interrupt.”

  “I’m not partial to sex on the couch,” Colt said. Although them being alone was a plus.

  “Oh, but in the bathroom is fine?” Ashley’s eyebrows rose. He scrambled off Colt’s lap.

  “I’m not going to entertain family in the restroom,” he said. “But I do have to talk to your family, and I don’t want to think about fucking you in the same place.”

  “True.” Ashley rolled his shoulders. “Last one upstairs has to fuck me.” He fumbled up the stairs and out of sight.

  “Of course.” Colt darted up the steps to their bedroom. When he reached the doorway, he stopped short. Ashley had strung Christmas lights around the perimeter of the room and left the tinsel on the dresser. He’d placed a ceramic tree in the corner of the room on a wooden plant stand. A rainbow of color danced around the space. “Wow.”

  “I thought you might like that.” Ashley whipped his shirt over his head. His hair stood on end. “Call it a stroke of Christmas magic.”

  “I love it.” He unbuttoned his shirt. “Strip the rest of the way.”

  “Bossy.” Ashley unzipped. His jeans didn’t budge until he pushed the denim and his boxer briefs down his thighs.

  “You know I’m bossy.” He shoved his pants and boxer shorts down, but the garments tangled around his ankles. He tripped and collided with the bed.

  “Suave.” Ashley finished removing his clothes. He’d even dropped his outfit into the hamper. “I won the race to get naked.”

  “You did and your prize is my dick in your ass.” He freed himself of his clothing, then crawled onto the bed. He settled on his back. “Come here. Naughty Santa has a surprise for you.” As of right now he was flying blind with his surprise. Sex was number one on the list…but he hadn’t added anything else. Now he had to.

  “No tinsel? Wrapping paper?” Ashley tipped his head. “No plan, eh?”

  “Sixty-nine. I want to lick you.”

  Ashley shivered. “Yes.” He scrambled onto Colt’s body. He stuck his ass in Colt’s face and planted his knees on either side of Colt’s head.

  “Damn,” Colt whispered. He grasped his lover’s rear and massaged his flesh. “Have I ever told you how much I love your ass?” He flicked his tongue across Ashley’s balls, then pressed the pad of his finger against the rosette of Ashley’s butt.

  “I wanted this.” Ashley nuzzled Colt’s dick, then plunged his mouth down on Colt and engulfed him. Within seconds, he’d created a steady rhythm, pumping his head.

  Colt dug his fingers into Ashley’s thigh and parted his ass cheeks with his thumbs. He flicked his tongue across Ashley’s hole. Ashley wriggled and flexed. He hummed on Colt’s cock. Power and desire radiated through Colt. He loved being the center of Ashley’s attention and loved him even more. “Yes.” He swatted Ashley’s ass, leaving a bright red handprint. “Damn, that’s pretty.”

  Ashley groaned but continued sucking on Colt. His hair tickled Colt’s thighs.

  Colt focused on his lover. He speared his tongue into Ashley’s hole. He wanted to remind his man just how good it would be when he finally got his dick in there. Ashley pushed his ass cheeks apart with his fingers. Such a beautiful sight, the puckered skin… He could look at Ashley forever. He breathed in Ashley’s scent, then nibbled on Ashley’s inner thigh.

  “Whoa.” Ashley resumed licking Colt, but he’d tensed.

  Each groan and moan turned Colt on. He liked getting Ashley to the edge. The love in his heart swelled, and his nerve endings buzzed. He pulled back and swatted Ashley’s rump again.

  Ashley withdrew. “Holy shit.” He arched his back. “That was…”

  “Good?” He swatted Ashley twice more.

  “Yes.” Ashley writhed on Colt. He traced his tongue along Colt’s shaft, then leaned forward and buried his nose in Colt’s balls. He sucked one into his mouth.

  Colt tensed. He loved Ashley’s mouth on him. “Yes.” Ashley had so much power… He could reduce Colt to one-word sentences.

  Ashley slid his finger between Colt’s ass cheeks and toyed with Colt’s hole. He sucked hard on his lover’s cock.

  Colt shivered and stopped tonguing Ashley’s ass. Too many sensations washed over him. He whimpered. He was supposed to be focusing on Ashley and making his evening merry and bright. Instead Ashley had him so close to coming apart that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold the orgasm in long enough to switch positions.

  Ashley scraped his teeth along the underside of Colt’s dick. He wrapped his fingers around Colt’s shaft, then pressed his thumb against the blunt head.

  “Jesus.” Colt swatted Ashley’s ass hard. “Up.” He couldn’t stand holding back any longer.

  “We’re already up.” Ashley nibbled on the side of Colt’s erection. “Feels good too.”

  “Yeah.” He pressed his tongue against Ashley’s hole once more. “But I want this to last.”

  Ashley grunted. “We’ve got all night. Let’s use it.”

  “Yes.” He wriggled beneath Ashley until his lover moved.

  Ashley tumbled onto the mattress and laughed. “Won’t be long, will it?” He settled on his back and tugged his knees to his chest. “I’m ready.”

  Colt left the bed long enough to retrieve the lube, then pinned Ashley to the mattress. “Better.” He folded Ashley in half. Seeing Ashley so wanton and open spurred him on. “What a view. All mine.”

  “Of course.” Ashley held on to his shins. “Always.”

  Good. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and sucked Ashley’s dick into his mouth. He reached between Ashley’s legs and pinched his nipple. He tweaked the tight bud.

  “Oh wow.” Ashley wiggled. “If you keep that up, I’m going to come apart.”

  “I want you to.” He switched his attention to the other nipp
le and tugged in time with the bob of his head. He caught Ashley’s gaze. He loved the look of desire in Ashley’s eyes. Colt fondled Ashley’s balls and drew another whimper from Ashley.

  “Colt.” Ashley’s foot bounced. “It’s so hot… I can’t breathe.”

  Colt increased his speed. He slid his finger into Ashley’s hole, pushing against the tight ring of muscle until he breached his lover.

  Both of Ashley’s feet bounced. Ashley squirmed. “Colt.”

  He couldn’t answer with his mouth happily full. He curled his finger in Ashley and massaged his prostate. No relenting until he had Ashley on fire and languid.

  “Colt.” Ashley let go of his legs. He slid his hands into Colt’s hair and pulled. “Shit.” He jammed his dick into Colt’s mouth.

  Hot cum slid down Colt’s throat. Ashley continued to writhe as the orgasm washed over him. Colt bobbed his head again. He didn’t want to miss a thing and cleaned Ashley up. He withdrew his finger, then sat back on his heels.

  “Colt.” Ashley sagged on the bed. “Holy moly, I’m worn out.”

  “Oh, you are? I’m just getting started.” Colt stood. He wiped his hands on the shirt he’d abandoned on the floor, then dried his face with the back of his palm. “I believe your ass is mine.”

  “It is.”

  Colt popped the lid on the lube, then drenched his dick in the clear fluid. “Since it’s Christmas, I wanted you to come first.” He stroked himself, then tugged Ashley to the edge of the bed. “Now, it’s my turn.” He lined his cock up with Ashley’s hole and pushed.

  Ashley gasped. “I loved it.” He closed his eyes. “I’m all gooey.”

  “Not yet.” Colt pushed to the hilt and paused. He loved being one with Ashley. Being this way felt like coming home. As if his soul was joined with Ashley’s and they were one being.

  “Yes.” Ashley tucked his legs to his chest again.

  Colt dragged a deep breath into his lungs and blew it out slowly. He gathered all his energy and focused on Ashley. Nothing holding them back. No one there to interrupt. He pumped his hips, pushing in as far as he could before pulling most of the way out again. He built up a steady rhythm. His balls ached and his nerve endings tingled.