A Touch of Christmas Magic (Peppermint Hollow #2)

13. Kai

CHAPTER 13

KAI

“Oh. My. God.” Emory squealed as he led the group into our kitchen the next day. Throwing his arms around me, he danced me around the room. “You told him?”

Ivy, Trevor, and Blake smirked and slapped Colby on the back.

“Told me what?” Colby asked, an attempt at a scowl on his gorgeous face. “What’s going on? Kai?”

Emory froze.

The other three’s eyes went wide.

I shrugged and Colby crossed his arms over his chest, the only sound in the room was Elsie’s babble as she reached pudgy little hands for Magic as he sat next to her highchair.

Emory’s eyes went back and forth between Colby and me, and he pursed his lips. “Nope. I’m not buying it. Something definitely changed between the two of you.”

Ivy draped his arms over Emory’s shoulders. “Still looks like a lot of pent-up sexual tension to me, Em.”

Emory shook his head. “No. I mean, yes. That’s still there but look at them. They’re different.” He turned to Trevor and Blake. “You guys see it, right?”

My cheeks burned and I thought of what Colby and I had gotten up to in the shower before bed, and again this morning when we’d gotten handsy before Elsie woke up.

“Sorry,” Blake said with a grin. “You two definitely look guilty.”

Emory shoved his glasses up his nose. “Please,” he begged, his palms pressed together, “please tell me you put each other out of your misery and admitted you’re madly in love.”

All four men stared at us. I wanted to scream from the rooftops that Colby and I had finally pulled our heads from our asses and took things to the more than friends stage, but I didn’t want to overstep if Colby wasn’t ready.

I’d never known him to worry about what anyone thought of him, and he’d taken my bisexuality in stride—been my biggest supporter, actually—but it wasn’t my place to out him if he wasn’t ready.

Colby huffed a chuckle and threw an arm over my shoulder. “When we were eighteen, we made a deal that if we were single at thirty, we’d give in and give us a shot since everyone already thought we were together anyway.” He kissed my cheek. “And I might have finally grown the balls to tell him I love him.”

Emory whooped so loud that Magic barked, and Elsie cried.

“Way to go, Em, make the baby cry,” Ivy teased.

Emory rushed to pick Elsie up, singing and dancing her around the kitchen, dodging Magic as he shoved his nose into Emory’s leg, his tail whacking everything in sight. When Elsie giggled through her tears, Emory kissed her head and handed her over to Ivy.

The dark, inked-up, broody man looked as if he’d been handed a bomb with a ten-second timer. But Elsie patted his face, blew a raspberry, and squirmed until she could see the dog again.

“Want me to take her?” Colby asked.

Ivy blushed but bounced Elsie a bit. When she giggled, he shook his head. “She’s fine.”

Colby, Trevor, and Ivy headed outside a bit later—Elsie had finally grown tired of blowing raspberries at Ivy—to grill veggies and burgers for lunch.

Blake made his way between the kitchen and the patio like a kid who couldn’t stand to be left out of either conversation.

Emory hugged me again as we set the table. “I’m so happy for you. Tell me all the details.”

I filled him in on my confession to Elsie caught on the baby monitor.

Emory covered his mouth in glee.

“Then he grabbed my hand and told me he loved me,” I said. “I told him I loved him too. He was like, ‘No, I love you. I liked calling you my husband at the hospital.’”

Emory’s glasses almost fell from the tip of his nose in his excitement, but he shoved them back in place. “What?! His husband?”

So, I had to tell that story too.

By the time the guys came in with lunch, Emory’s eyes were sparkling and he bounced with energy.

“Damn, you let him get into the sugar?” Ivy asked, hauling Emory against his chest, the younger man’s back pressed to Ivy’s front.

Emory sighed, tipping his head back for a kiss. “Kai was just telling me a love story and it’s got me all up in my feels.”

Colby hooked an arm around my waist and yanked me close. “Better be our love story or I might have to get jealous,” he murmured against my ear before kissing my cheek.

Emory sighed again. “Oh my god, aren’t they the sweetest?”

Ivy cleared his throat. Blake chuckled. Trevor pretended to gag.

We bustled around the kitchen, filling plates, pouring wine, getting Elsie’s lunch ready, and giving each other a hard time like friends and family do.

God, I loved it.

I had fabulous parents.

My best friend—boyfriend? Was that what we were now?—was amazing.

But having a group of friends I thought of as family was something I’d been missing in my life.

A knock on the door silenced our chatter. I headed toward the door as the rest of the crew settled at the dining room table.

Francis stood in the cold, light snowflakes pelting him. “I don’t want to intrude,” he started.

I swung the door open. “Get in here before you freeze. We’re just now eating, can you stay?” The older man could be a total drama queen, and he was sure to spread any bit of gossip from one end of Peppermint Hollow to another, but my heart seemed unable to be anything but fond of him.

“I shouldn’t,” he hedged.

“Please, stay. Everyone’s here and there’s plenty of food.” I guided him toward the dining room. “Look who I found.”

Magic came to inspect the new arrival, and all the guys welcomed Francis to the table. When I returned from the kitchen with a plate full of food and a glass of wine, Francis thanked me profusely. “I’m so sorry to show up empty-handed. How rude of me. I just wanted to pop in to let you know I’ll be gone for a bit, visiting my great niece in Wyoming.”

I took my seat next to Colby. “That sounds like a nice trip. What part of Wyoming?” I took a sip of my wine, just trying to make friendly small talk.

Francis started to answer, but when he caught sight of Colby’s hand moving to my thigh, he froze. “Forget Wyoming. Does this mean what I think it means?”

My cheeks were on fire, but I nodded. “Gonna give it a go.”

Colby kissed my cheek and bumped his shoulder into mine.

Francis held a hand to his neck and shook his head. “This is the most lovely news. Truly a Christmas wish come true.”

“Your story about Sammy stuck with me,” Colby said. “Didn’t want to find myself regretting anything years from now.”

Francis wiped a tear. “I love that. Knowing our heartache brought about something good, makes it a little easier to bear.”

By the time we’d cleaned up the kitchen and said our goodbyes, Elsie was more than ready for her nap. She cried when Magic left, but a quick diaper change and a bottle calmed her quickly, and she went down easily.

“We could nap while she does,” Colby whispered in my ear. “Couple blankets on the floor in the spare room, play around for a bit, snuggle up until she wakes up. We’ve got company coming tonight, better rest up.”

Which was how we found ourselves scurrying to spread out blankets in the guest room, rushing through a quick shower in the hall bathroom, and giggling like horny teens as we toppled to the floor on our makeshift pallet.

Warm, naked bodies, exploring hands, lips and tongues savoring.

Colby broke away. “I used to hate when you’d talk about sex with people you dated?—”

I snorted. “Same.”

“But god,” he murmured into my neck, nuzzling the sensitive skin under my jaw. “I wish I’d paid attention. I want to know everything about what you like.”

I shook my head. “We’ll learn each other together. What do you want to know?”

“Do you like to top or bottom?” Colby’s cheeks burned pink, but the flare of desire in his eyes sent a shiver of anticipation through me.

“I’m vers. Truly.” I ran my hand up and down Colby’s back. Would I ever get used to the fact I could touch him the way I’d longed to for so many years? “I’ve had great sex with people who bottomed for me, people who topped me, it just depends on the vibe and what all parties want.”

“ All parties?” Colby asked, eyes wide. “You never told me about threesomes.”

I shrugged. “Never had any. Not against them, just not really for me. Bisexuality—when it’s not being erased or labeled as can’t make up your mind —seems to be seen as greedy and wanting multiple partners. Again, not against anyone who wants that, but it’s just not me. If I were to have ever gotten involved with two or more people, I would have wanted it to be an actual relationship, not just sex, and I didn’t see myself ever being able to commit to anything.” My chest fluttered. “I was kinda hung up on this guy…”

Colby smiled. “Hmmm, that whole hang up thing is probably why my two attempted relationships didn’t work out.”

I cocked a brow and smirked.

He buried his head in my shoulder. “That and the fact they were both addicts with more issues than lifeboats on the Titanic.”

“There weren’t that many lifeboats on the Titanic; that was part of the problem.”

“Oh my god, shut up. My point is that I couldn’t make anything work with anyone else because of what I felt for you.” He rolled his eyes. “And some other reasons, but those are crappy and I’d rather focus on you.”

Leaning in, I gripped his chin and kissed him. The taste of him on my lips was my new favorite flavor. “What about what you like?” Bringing us back to the original topic when we finally broke apart. “You like butt stuff?” I kept the words teasing like I would have if we were still in our just friends era.

Colby swallowed and his gaze bore into mine. “I’ve played around a bit.”

Fuck.

I hadn’t expected that.

“Did you like it?” My husky words scraped out like a prayer.

He shrugged. “Like you said, depends on the vibe and that wasn’t it back then.” He rocked his hips into me. “But this is different; I want to do it all.”

It was my turn to swallow thickly. “What’s all ?”

“I’m not against kinky stuff, just not my go-to usually. But I want to do everything with you. Stuff I’ve done, stuff I haven’t done.”

“Like…” I pressed. I wanted everything with Colby too, but I wanted us to be on the same page.

“Blow jobs, rimming, fingers, anal to start with.” He nibbled on my collarbone. “Toys? Cuffs? Really, anything. I’m so fuckin’ turned on right now, I can’t even think of other shit.”

“Sounding? Fisting?” I offered.

Colby’s eyes went wide. “Okay, maybe not that. I’m not judging anyone who is into it, but it’s a bit much for me. Scat, blood, that kind of stuff is probably out—but with you, I’d never say never.”

Holy fuck.

“Is that the type of stuff you like?” Colby hedged.

I laughed. “No. If you were expecting any of that, I’ll be a very vanilla disappointment.”

Colby shook his head and chuckled. “Damn, I was thinking I did a shit job of listening when you talked about sex if you were into that.” He sucked gently on my neck. “We’ve got over a decade to make up for, we’ll be plenty busy. Vanilla or not.”

“So, do you think you’re top-only?”

He ran a thumb over my nipple. When I moaned, he dipped to suck the tight bud between his lips, swirling his tongue over it and blowing softly. I shivered and whimpered, rolling my hips in search of friction.

“No, I don’t think I’m top-only. At least not with you.”

My world whited out.

I cleared my throat. “You want to bottom?”

Colby nodded. “I want to fuck you so bad, but I want to know what it feels like to have a dick sliding into my ass, so I want to bottom first.” He kissed me, biting my bottom lip softly, sucking the stinging flesh until I gripped his ass. “And when I’m fucking you, I want to feel your cum dripping from my ass.”

Holy.

Fucking.

Shit.

I thrust my hips hard, bringing our cocks together. “Fuck, Cole, I wanna taste you.”

“Can I go first?” Colby asked.

“Really? You wanna suck me off?” I was horny as hell, but I pulled back enough to study his face. “For real?”

Colby nodded. “I want to do it. Been wanting to do it. But I may be really bad, so I’d rather go first and not have to follow some stellar cock-sucker extraordinaire.”

Laughing, I buried my face in his shoulder. “I’m not gonna turn down the chance to see my dick between your lips—been dreaming of that for over ten years—but I promise you anything that involves your mouth anywhere near my balls will forever be fucking fantastic.”

“Does sex bring out your alliterative side?” Colby teased, his hand trailing down my chest, fingers brushing over the path of hair from my midsection to my dick.

“Shut up and get busy. We’re on the clock.”

Eyes bright, Colby brought his lips to mine. “So fucking sexy.” His whispered words pulled a whimper from me and I rocked my hips into his. “Can you stand against the wall?”

My eyeballs were seriously going to fall out of their sockets if he kept dropping bombs on me. “For real?”

Colby shrugged. “It’s just how I pictured it and want to do it that way the first time.”

I stood and pressed my back against the cool wood door, spreading my legs. “You been picturing anything else?”

“Blowing you like this, fucking you bent over the couch—maybe on the kitchen counter—sixty-nine with two dicks sounds fun, bunch of different positions, in the shower…” Colby listed each item as he knee-walked over to kneel in front of me.

“Fuck, I’m gonna die, but at least I’ll do it knowing my dreams came true.” My head thunked against the door as Colby nuzzled my lower abdomen, pressing kisses along the sensitive skin. When his hand came up to cup my balls and he swirled his tongue around my cock head, I fought to stay upright.

As much as I wanted to close my eyes and sink into the sensation of his warm, wet mouth around my dick, I couldn’t pass up the chance to watch the man of my dreams swallow me down.

Glancing down, my entire world fizzled into meltdown mode. A mixture of absolute perfection swirled with everything I’d ever known coming to a crashing halt. The scene before me was a dream come true, but also the most surreal experience of my entire life.

Colby.

On his knees.

Hands on my hips, fingers digging into my ass, thumbs feathering over my hip bones.

Colby.

Licking his lips.

Looking up at me with those big blue eyes—determination overtaking any unsureness.

He took me between his lips, the smooth heat of his mouth pulling a whimper from me. My hands frantically grasped for something, anything to hold onto as an inferno washed over me.

Lust.

Longing.

But more than anything love .

Love for this man I’d known my entire life.

Love for Colby as my soulmate and best friend, Elsie’s daddy, and the man I planned to spend the rest of my life with.

“Oh my god,” I whispered. With my shoulders pressed to the door, my neck craned to watch, I slowly rocked my hips. Colby let me set a gentle rhythm, big eyes staring up at me, his hands alternating between caressing and gripping my thighs and ass. Reminding myself he was new to sucking cock, I feathered my hand over his soft blond locks.

Fiery desire lit Colby’s eyes and his moan vibrated around my dick. Message received loud and clear. Fisting his hair, I increased the speed of my thrusts. He moaned again, gliding his hands from my ass, around and up to my chest. The strong grip of his hands on my pecs went straight to my balls, and the brush of his thumbs over my nipples nearly sent me over the edge.

“Fuck.” I grunted and fucked his mouth harder. “Colby, I’m close,” I warned.

The pure proud satisfaction in his eyes was one hundred percent Colby. He’d faced a challenge with desire and determination and conquered it. He gripped my ass again and teased a finger between my ass cheeks, barely brushing over my hole.

“Fuck,” I mumbled again. “Fuck, so close. Pull off if you don’t want it.”

Colby shook his head, my spit-slick cock slipping in and out of his mouth.

Unable to hold back any longer, I gave one final thrust and exploded.

For a cock-sucking novice, Colby handled my load surprisingly well. The bit that dribbled down his chin did crazy things to me, but he wiped his mouth and scrambled to the blanket before I could kneel in front of him and kiss my cum from his lips.

Colby fisted his cock and hissed. “Fuck, Kai. I want you to suck me off so bad, but I’m about to fucking blow. Fuuuuck…”

“Do you remember our eighth-grade literature teacher?”

Colby’s eyes flew open. “What?”

I shrugged. “Just thought it might help. Remember how she wore those super low-cut shirts that showed her cleavage? Would have been hot as hell, but she was like ninety and had the worst smoker’s breath.” I chuckled, getting into the memory. “Oh god, her lips were so puckered, and she wore that bright red lipstick.”

“Fuck, man,” Colby grumbled. “Major boner killer.”

I waggled my brows. “Yeah, but now I get to suck you off and finger fuck you before you nut.”

“Well-played,” Colby said with a sigh, throwing an arm over his eyes. “But now I’m thinking of Mrs. Pettee and it’s killing the vibe.”

I dropped down onto the blanket and stretched next to him. Capturing his lips, savoring the mix of our flavors, I kissed him long and slow. “You won’t be thinking about anything except coming down my throat pretty soon.”

Colby grunted, wrapping me in his arms and kissing me within an inch of my life. “Suck me,” he murmured against my lips.

For the millionth time since Colby told me he loved me, my brain short-circuited trying to comprehend the words. The situation. Attempting to understand that it was all real. The man I’d loved since I was five, the man I’d wanted something more with before I could even fathom what more might be, was kissing me.

Holding me.

Asking me to blow him.

It wasn’t a dream.

Wasn’t one of my decades-long fantasies.

He loved me back.

Pressing kisses to his jaw, his neck, his collarbone, I paused long enough to nip and suck on his nipples. The roll of Colby’s hips combined with the hiss of pleasure meant we’d definitely be revisiting that erogenous zone.

Nuzzling the blond hair on his abdomen, trailing my lips over his naval, I made my way to my prize. Don’t get me wrong, I’d marry the man tomorrow even if he said he never wanted to have sex, but knowing he wanted me as much as I wanted him—as evident by his leaking cock and the way he chanted my name like a prayer—was enough to have me drooling in anticipation of tasting him.

I knew his scent. Knew what he smelled like when he was sweaty from working out. Would recognize the clean rush of his soap after a shower anywhere. Had secretly breathed him in during a thousand different hugs and wrestling matches.

But burying my nose in the neatly trimmed thatch of hair at the base of his cock held something new. Soap, sweat, and the very essence of Colby tickled my senses. Groaning, drawing in a deep breath, wanting to savor his scent forever, I cupped his balls.

Colby swore and arched. “Please, Kai.” His plea echoed through the room.

Wanting to have some fun before he lost it, I swirled my tongue over his slit, moaning at the flavor of his precum, and took his hard cock between my lips. Bobbing my head up and down, relishing his taste on my tongue, the mix of grunts and whimpers escaping his lips, and the heavy thickness of his length, I nudged his legs apart.

“You want my finger?” Pulling off his cock just long enough to whisper the words and slick my finger with spit.

Colby moaned.

“Words, Cole. Do you want my finger in your ass?”

“Fuck, yeah. Kai, fuck. Please.”

“Let me get some lube?—”

“No, just give it to me. I want you in me when I come.”

Fire exploded in my veins.

“Spread your legs. Roll toward me.”

Colby followed directions beautifully.

“Put this leg over me,” I coaxed, caressing my hand over his top leg.

The new position kept me right at cock-level and opened Colby up to my touch. Adding extra spit to my finger, I took his cock back between my lips and pressed the spit-slick digit between his ass cheeks. Smearing spit over his hole, I hollowed out my cheeks as I sucked him deep.

I wanted to prop Colby’s ass up and feast on him until he was a wet, sloppy mess. But his balls were so tight, I knew he wouldn’t last.

We had time.

Instead, I tapped gently against his pucker and pressed in slightly.

Colby moaned and rocked his hips.

Gathering more spit, I slicked his hole again and pressed in deeper.

“Fuck, Kai. I want to feel you inside me. Wanna blow down your throat while you finger my ass.”

His words had me moving too quickly, pressing too deep, savoring his cry of ecstasy too much when my finger slipped past his tight ring of muscle. “Shit. Sorry. Too much?” I started to withdraw my finger, but Colby clutched his ass around me.

“No, it’s good. Give me another and make me come.”

Maneuvering somewhat awkwardly, I brushed a kiss over his balls and spat at the juncture of his hole and my finger. With the extra moisture, I worked a second finger into him and returned to sucking his dick. I wasn’t going super deep into his ass—not without lube and not when he’d said he wanted to bottom before he topped me, no need to risk hurting him—but the sensation of having slick fingers in his ass and a warm, wet mouth around his cock was enough to have Colby writhing against me. His leg tightened around my shoulders, and he thrust his hips back and forth between my fingers and my mouth.

I reached up and pinched a nipple with my free hand, teasing over the hard nub before slapping my hand over his pec and gripping hard.

Colby grunted, fisted my hair, buried his cock in my throat, and exploded. The taste of his cum filled my mouth, pumping over my tongue, flowing down my throat. I hummed around his pulsing cock as the orgasm washed over him, my fingers held firmly by the tight ring of his ass.

When he shuddered, whimpering as he rolled slightly away, I had one terrifying moment of fear. Would he regret what we’d done? Had I pushed too far?

Before the worries could take root, Colby grabbed my arm and yanked me on top of him, face-to-face. With both hands buried in my hair, he pulled me into a long, slow, deliciously nasty kiss. Our tongues, still slick and tasting of each other’s cum, plunged deep, savoring and offering promises of what was yet to come.

“Was that okay?” I asked. “You’re good? It wasn’t too much?”

Colby nodded, pressing our foreheads together. “Sex with women is great, not gonna say it’s not. But holy fuck, sex with your best friend? Ten out of fucking ten.”

I chuckled. “Not sure all best friends can say that.” I kissed his nose. “But I would give the same review.”

We came down from our high as we snuggled close, dozing off and on in our post-orgasmic bliss.

Elsie’s cries broke through the silence and we both groaned.

I loved every second of life with Colby and Elsie, but a guy could use a nap after fucking around with the man of his dreams. Real sex was a lot more exhausting than getting off in your fantasies.

But our daughter wasn’t going to wait.

Christmas was just around the corner—Emory had a countdown going in the group text and a chain of paper rings hanging from a doorway at the Old Christmas House just in case any of us forgot—and we’d invited our parents over for brunch.

“We’re going to tell them, right?” I asked. “If you’re not ready, we can wait.”

Colby shook his head as we cuddled on the couch while Elsie cooed and batted at a toy. “No, I want to tell them. Hell, my dad was the one giving me shit the other day for not being honest and giving us a chance. He’ll be thrilled.”

We’d spent the last several days since declaring our love for each other making very creative use of Elsie’s nap time, heading to the guest room once she was down for the night, and conserving water with shared showers every morning and evening.

Between the two of us and everything we wanted to do to each other, we never ran out of ideas and easily fell asleep every night thoroughly sexed and knowing we were loved.

Blow jobs, rimming, and fingering, combined with cuddles, caresses, and kisses had allowed us to learn each other’s bodies. We’d shared our fantasies, discussed the best ways to prepare for anal activities—Colby adorably took this learning very seriously and wanted to do it just right—and taken a quick road trip after lunch one day to get tested at a nearby clinic in a bigger town.

When we finally had time to devote to a whole night with no worries about bottles and diapers, I had every intention of spending hours upon hours making love with Colby. With negative tests—I hadn’t realized just how concerned Colby had been until tears shone in his eyes as he read his results—we’d opted to go without condoms.

With brunch ready and just waiting for our guests to arrive, Colby and I spent several quiet moments making out on the couch. Stopping every now and then to peek at Elsie, committing the image of her big eyes sparkling in the glittering lights of the Christmas tree, we savored each other, our home, and our family.

Ten minutes before we expected our guests, Colby groaned. “We need to get her diaper changed and nicer clothes on.”

I snorted. “Yeah, better get her dressed up so she can puke, smear food, or shit all over her nice outfit.”

Colby laughed and caught me in a headlock. The wrestling turned into kissing. Which turned into me on my back, legs spread wide, groaning as Colby rocked his dick against mine. What? We had several years to make up for.

The doorbell rang.

“Fuck,” Colby muttered against my lips. “I can’t open the door with a boner.”

“Well, looks like we’re doing just that.” I slapped his ass and pushed him off the couch.

We both adjusted our traitorous dicks; secrets, laughter, and fire glowing in our eyes. Colby grabbed Elsie and swung her up in the air, her baby giggles filling the room, and we made our way to the door.

A wash of gratefulness blanketed me, heavy and warm like the scent of cinnamon and pine wrapping around our home. Mom, Dad, Tom, and Allison stood on the front stoop, grinning ear-to-ear, ready to drop absolutely everything and spend time with Elsie. All because Tom and Colby had been given a second chance, my parents loved my best friend as if he were their own, and we’d been blessed with great families—even if the beginning had been rough for Colby.

As with every time I thought of Colby’s shitty childhood with his mom, I wanted to ease the pain of his past, but I also knew Colby was the man I loved despite what he’d gone through. His past had made him who he was, and I wouldn’t change that. Sure, I’d rather he didn’t have the demons his mom left him with, but I loved him exactly the way he was.

Mom swooped in and took Elsie as the whole group kicked off their shoes and made their way to the living room.

“She needs a diaper change,” Colby said. “And we didn’t get her into nicer clothes yet.” He dipped his head sheepishly, cheeks pinking.

My dick threatened to get back in the game at the thought of what had kept us from changing Elsie’s clothes, and I cleared my throat to cover up the smile.

Several things happened at once.

Mom gasped, turned to Allison, and they both squealed.

Dad chuckled and rolled his eyes.

Tom mumbled, “About damn time,” and slapped Dad on the back.

“Uhhh…” I said.

The four of them schooled their features, Elsie the only one still making silly noises. “Sorry,” Mom said, biting back a smile. “Did you boys want to tell us something?”

I narrowed my eyes.

Colby cocked his head.

“How can you tell?” I asked when I realized they all knew something was up between Colby and me.

They all laughed.

“Well,” Tom started. “I was a bit late to the game, but I saw it even back in high school. When I met Allison, she immediately thought you two were together. I brought it up to Eric…” He trailed off, gesturing toward my dad.

Dad shrugged. “Your mom and I have had a bet going since you boys were about sixteen.”

“What?” I croaked. “What kind of bet?”

Mom bounced Elsie on her hip. “About when you’d finally get together. Your dad thought it would be sooner. I knew just how oblivious guys can be sometimes, so I went with later. We let Tom and Allison in on it years ago.”

Colby’s eyes went wide. “Is that why you brought it up the other day? Is your guess coming soon?”

Tom blushed. “No, I was with Lacy as far as timing. I thought you’d come home after Florida and Mandy. Allison was the one who said you guys would probably need a push if anything was ever going to happen.”

Allison beamed and did a little wiggle dance. “I like winning but seeing you two finally together is the best part.”

“Unbelievable,” Colby muttered.

“Maybe could have let us in on things years ago.” Pouting wasn’t very becoming, but it felt right for a situation when your entire family is in on a secret and leaves you out.

“Years ago wouldn’t have been the right timing,” Mom said with a shrug. “We didn’t keep it from you to hurt you.”

“Just like Tom had to go through some shit to get to this point in his life,” Dad said, giving his friend a gentle, understanding look, “and your mom and I went through years of infertility before having you.” He slapped me on the back. “Sometimes, we don’t understand the timing of things—think we know a lot better and can move things along a lot faster—but a lot of times, things work out best in the end.”

Allison snuggled into Tom’s side. “And then we look back on the struggles and realize every moment was getting us ready to be the people we are now.”

Tom cleared his throat. “Sorry for pushing the other day. I probably should have left things well enough alone, but I lost patience watching you two get starry-eyed over each other with your heads up your asses.”

Colby coughed. “Well, this has been touching, but I’m starving.”

Elsie got a diaper change and a comfy outfit.

We ate and laughed over brunch.

Elsie got another diaper change and a new outfit because she spit peas all over the first one.

Then six grown-ass adults sat around the living room oohing and ahhing over Elsie as she rolled, rocked on her hands and knees, kicked her feet, batted at toys, chewed on everything she could get her hands on, and squealed adorably. Outside observers would have thought we’d never seen a baby before.

But come on, this particular baby was above and beyond.

For real.

“Have you given any thought to setting up the baby’s room?” Mom hedged while Dad pretended to eat Elsie’s belly.

“We like having her close by,” Colby said.

“Babies need to have their own space,” Mom said gently. “And you have that monitor. You’d hear every little peep.”

I shrugged. “We’ve been talking about getting the guest room and Elsie’s room set up. But we’re not in any hurry, we’ll do it when it feels right.”

Colby gave my shoulder an appreciative bump. “Maybe once we get her a room of her own, she can start napping in there to get used to it before moving to overnights.”

“That’s a great plan,” Allison said.

Mom clapped her hands together. “Oh! I just had the best idea!”

I narrowed my eyes. “What?”

“Your dad and I will stay here tonight so Elsie is comfortable in her own space. You boys take a night away—parents need to take care of themselves so they can be at their best for their children.”

I didn’t hate the idea, but I glanced at Colby. He’d never been away from his daughter.

He scowled and pursed his lips. “I don’t know…”

“You can call any time,” Mom went on. “I hate to say it, but she likely won’t even know you’re gone. She’s not gotten to that clingy stage just yet. You can leave us with a mile-long list of directions.”

“Baby steps,” Allison interjected, “but we’ll offer a second night. She’ll have the best time with her grandparents. We all did survive raising children.”

Tom cleared his throat and looked sheepish. “Second time’s a charm.”

I leaned into Colby. “What do you say?”

He shrugged. “I feel guilty leaving her…” he hedged. “But you’re right, she’s not at a stage where she knows we’re even gone yet.”

“And when she does get to that stage,” Mom interrupted, “you’ll still need to take care of yourselves. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” She waved her hands in a shooing motion. “Go, go on. Look at that cute little rental just beyond the highway. If they’re booked, there’s that adorable little motel the next town over; they always decorate so nice for Christmas.”

Colby and I moved to the couch and pulled out his laptop while the others played with Elsie. Within two minutes, we’d found the rental Mom talked about. The pictures indicated the home would be decked out for the holidays at this time of the year.

“That reminds me of the Winter Ball. Senior year.” I pointed at a tree in the living room decorated in peppermint swirls and candy canes.

“It’s not booked,” Colby said, biting his lip.

I wondered if he was as anxious to get a whole night alone as I was. “It’s your call, I’m good either way.”

“They have a deal for buy one night, get the next night half off.” Colby turned those big blue eyes my way. “Let’s do it.”

“Yeah?”

“Our parents will be here the whole time.” He nodded toward the four adults on the floor pretending not to strain to hear our conversation. “She adores them. Two whole days and nights, just us.”

My heart nearly thumped out of my chest, and I tried to smother a smile. “Let’s do it.”

We packed quickly, knowing we’d likely be in bed most of the little getaway, and headed toward the door. Colby’s anxiety showed in his eyes, but he gave my hand a squeeze once he wrote down directions for bottles, bath, and bedtime. We bombarded our parents with last-minute suggestions and reminders until my mom patted me on the cheek. “We’ve got this. You can call every hour if you’re not too busy. Enjoy your time away. We’ll take pictures and video.”

“Oh my god, what if she starts crawling while we’re gone?” Colby asked.

Mom shook her head. “She’s trying, but she’s not close yet. If it looks like she’s going to, we’ll record it. Promise.”

Colby took a deep breath and nodded.

Elsie gave sloppy kisses and returned to the peek-a-boo game she and my dad were playing as she ate a snack in her highchair.

“Glad she’s so concerned,” Colby muttered.

Allison hugged us both. “She’ll be making you feel guilty with crocodile tears when you leave soon enough. Enjoy this.”

And then we were out the door and piling into Colby’s truck. As we pulled out of the driveway, I pointed toward the Old Christmas House. The guys were walking out the door. “Pull over so we can let them know what’s up.”

Colby maneuvered the truck down the little street between our homes.

Emory pushed his glasses up his nose and hauled himself up on the running board as Ivy chuckled. “You are such a child.”

Emory smiled. “What? It’s fun, and this truck is sexy.”

Trevor shook his head and Blake grinned.

“We’re heading to my parents’ place for early Christmas. What about you?” Emory asked.

“Our parents are staying with Elsie,” I said.

Emory’s eyes grew wide. “Where are you going?”

Colby cleared his throat, and I knew his cheeks would be on fire if I looked his way.

“Taking a couple nights away. We’ll be back in time for our Christmas lunch.”

“Ohhhh my god, that’s so romantic,” Emory crooned. “Ivy, isn’t that romantic?”

Ivy wrapped an arm around Emory’s waist. “Sure, babe. Tonight, I’ll let you tell me all about Christmas magic while you feed me peppermint stick ice cream.”

Emory’s eyes glowed. “Awwww, that’s so sweet.”

“See? I can be romantic,” Ivy grumped.

Blake leaned over to whisper something in Trevor’s ear and Trevor rolled his eyes. “Just wait for it…” he muttered.

Ivy smirked. “And after that, we’ll see about me feeding you a different kind of stick.”

Trevor punched Ivy’s shoulder while we all laughed at Ivy’s terrible innuendo. Emory was the only one whose eyes bore into his boyfriend, a pretty flush painting his cheeks as he bit his lip.

I had a feeling Emory would be holding Ivy to their little romantic evening later.

We said goodbye and headed toward our getaway location just outside of town beyond the highway.

“This is cute,” I said as we unloaded.

The home reminded me of a gingerbread house, not so much in the color scheme—and no candy on the roof—but in the general shape and design. The owners had decorated with precision-perfect big white lights, hanging red icicles, and wreaths donned with huge red bows. The whole look was understated and absolutely gorgeous.

As if reading my mind, Colby whistled as he took in the home.

“Next year, we should hire those guys Emory uses and do the outside of the house. Maybe something like this, or go a bit more over the top? I’m not talking Griswold level, but don’t want to look lame next to the Old Christmas House,” Colby said, hefting his bag onto his shoulder as he pulled up the entry code on his phone. “Elsie will be old enough to really like the lights next year.”

Next year.

My gooey heart sighed.

This was it.

If I had a notebook, I’d be doodling hearts and flowers around our names.

Colby Burke loves Kai Jackson

Kai David and Colby Garrison

Kai loves Colby

CoJack forever

We were doing this. We were a thing.

My brain tried to argue. “No, remember, we had to accept the fact that Colby would always just be our best friend and nothing else could come from it. And we were fine with that. We worked really hard to finally believe that.”

But my heart jumped up and down screaming. “Nooooo, this is real. It’s happening! We love Colby and he loves us!”

I shook my head to clear away the ridiculousness. “Yeah, next year. Definitely.”

“You okay?” Colby asked.

I threw an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close, kissing his head. “Yeah, a thousand percent. Just sometimes get caught up in the fact that nothing has changed even though everything has changed.”

He studied me and grinned. “Yeah, I get that.”

Once inside, we both froze to take in the beauty before us.

The white tree was even more gorgeous in person than the picture we’d seen. It glittered, covered in white and red lights, adorned in red and white peppermints and candy canes, crystal icicles, and tiny bits of red tinsel.

“It really is just like at the Winter Ball,” Colby said. “I mean, without the mascot plastered all over it.”

We both laughed thinking of the Peppermint Hollow Pines mascot—an adorable pine tree making a mean face—decorating every spare inch of the school.

“That dance was…” Colby let his words fade.

Tossing our bags to the ground in the corner, I stood next to him. “What?”

He shook his head. “We all went in a big group.” He was quiet for a bit. “I was just figuring out I liked you more than friends—scared to death you’d figure it out and get…mad? Upset? I wanted to ask you to dance—it would have been fine. Everyone pretty much accepted you, and they knew we were attached at the hip. Everyone was dancing with everyone else.” He shook his head. “What if I’d asked you to dance? The whole trajectory of our lives could have changed.”

I snaked an arm around his waist and pressed into his side. “I wanted to dance with you too. I remember purposely dancing with everyone but you in hopes no one would see how badly I wanted it to be you.” Leaning my head against his, I said, “Why did you think I’d be mad or upset?”

Colby was quiet for several beats. “I didn’t want to play into stereotypes. Like if I told you I liked you would it make you think I assumed you liked me just because you were bi?” He shrugged. “It made more sense in my head back then.”

I kissed his temple. “I get it. I was highly aware of the cliché bi guy falling for his straight best friend and didn’t want to be the poster child—but there I was, falling headfirst, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.”

“I’m sorry we missed so much time,” Colby murmured. “Feels like it was my fault.”

“Nope, no more of that from either of us. We were lucky enough to keep each other as best friends while we lived and learned. Maybe we didn’t get together in this new way until now, but we’ve been together—hearts, minds, souls—since we were five. This is just an added bonus.” I cupped his face and brushed a kiss over his lips. “And I plan to enjoy every single second of it.”

“And if we figure out we’re better together without the sex?” Colby scowled.

“Have you been present during the blow jobs of late?” I asked with a cocked brow.

Colby snorted. “Yeah, okay. We’re pretty fire in the bedroom too.”

“Damn straight.”

He frowned. “I guess I’m not, huh?”

“What?”

“Straight. I guess I’m not.”

I peppered kisses to his cheeks and eyelids and forehead. “You are whatever feels right to you. There are a million labels—one might work. Or maybe none of them. All that matters is that you know you’re loved.”

Colby smiled. “Labels really don’t matter to me right now. As long as we agree we’re spending the rest of our lives together, I’m good.”

“Forever.”

The kiss was long and slow. The scent of peppermint on the air as the cozy little home wrapped us up in its holiday warmth. When we broke apart, Colby’s eyes burned bright.

“Bedroom?”

We did a little exploration of the house on our way to the bedroom. The whole place was movie-set cute, but the bedroom was almost as impressive as the living room. While Christmas trees adorned nearly every room in the house, the one in the living room was the biggest and most festive. But the one in the bedroom was the prettiest.

Could a Christmas tree be romantic?

The lights were soft pinks and purples. The hues of the lights shone lightly on the pastel pink and purple snowflakes, and pink and purple ribbons snaked through the branches with just the right touch of understated pink and purple feathers.

It could have been gaudy and way over the top.

Instead, the tree stood next to the bedroom fireplace, glowing softly as if to spread its love around the room.

“I want to take more time later, after dinner and showers,” Colby said as he dropped both our bags onto the loveseat. “Get a fire going,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my neck. “Spend the whole night making love with you.”

My heart was done. Game over. This man had owned me from day one. Might as well just scoop the heart goo from my chest and hand it to him.

Colby must have felt my shiver because he chuckled. “Good with that?”

I nodded. “So good.” Spreading my hands against his lower back, I reveled in his warmth. Gliding up his torso, savoring the broad strength of his back, his shoulders, I buried my face in his neck. “I love you so fucking much.”

Colby tipped my head, catching my mouth in a kiss that seared my soul. His hands tangled in my hair, the slick heat of his tongue filling my mouth, his body pressed against mine. “We can skip dinner,” he panted when we broke apart.

I shook my head. “No, I want to go out. With you. But we can get off first.”

We wore our standard jeans. Colby had on a flannel over a white t-shirt. I’d opted for a soft sweater. We’d already lost our boots at the door, so stripping to our boxer briefs took very little time at all.

Pushing Colby to the monstrous king-sized bed, I shucked my underwear and gestured for him to do the same. Once we were both naked, I crawled on top of him, straddling his waist, rocking my hips over his hard cock.

“Fuck, I wanna watch you ride me,” Colby said, eyes flaming hot with desire.

Nearly breaking my neck, I scrambled from the bed, grabbed the lube from my bag, and pumped a small amount into my palm before tossing the bottle in the general vicinity of the bedside table and returning to my previous position.

I smeared my ass crack with lube, coated Colby’s cock, and slicked my dick with the leftovers.

“Wait, I wanna…” Colby’s protest died when I shushed him.

Shifting over his lower abdomen until his hard length nestled between my ass cheeks, I rolled my hips. The heat of his cock pressed against me combined with Colby’s grunt of pleasure almost undid me right there.

When he gripped my hips, fingertips digging into me, my body begged to forget dinner and just let Colby slide his dick into me.

Instead, because I knew Colby wanted to experience bottoming before he fucked me, I fisted my dick while rocking my hips, letting my ass stroke Colby’s cock.

“Fuck, Kai, that’s good,” Colby muttered, his fiery eyes flitting between my face and where I stroked myself.

One thing about a life-long crush finally coming to fruition and getting the man of your dreams in your bed is the need to build up stamina. Colby and I had discovered we got off a lot more quickly with each other than we ever did before—which made sense since our fantasies were coming true. It wasn’t a bad thing, just meant we needed to practice.

And practice.

And practice.

Not exactly a hardship.

Speaking of a hard ship, the rocket sliding between my ass cheeks had me nearing blast-off.

“Can you come this way?” I asked, the slick heat of his cock pressing against my hole and balls with each stroke.

Colby grunted and thrust his hips, his fingers still a vice grip on my flesh.

We lost ourselves to the moment. The soft glow of the lights on the tree, the scent of peppermint and sweat, and the soft sound of slick skin filled the air.

“Fuck,” Colby gritted out. Fingers digging into my hips, he cursed and stilled. “Fuuuck…” His cock throbbed between my ass cheeks, wet heat slicking my skin as his release erupted.

The orgasm hit hard and fast, my load splattering Colby’s chest and abs in thick ropes as I rode out my pleasure.

Shifting to bring our chests together, ignoring the mess we’d made of each other, I kissed him. Groaning as Colby’s hand fisted in my hair, I worried my heart would explode from the sheer exultation of being in love with Colby and being able to act on it for the first time in forever.

Breaking the kiss, our lips only a breath apart, Colby’s blue eyes flashed in the holiday lights. “I love you so damn much,” he growled. “With or without this,” he punctuated the words with a thrust of his hips, “I love you.”

“CoJack forever,” I murmured against his lips.

Colby made a strangled noise and crushed our mouths together again.

Maybe, just maybe, he’d been needing this new development in our relationship just as much as me.

“Quick shower and dinner?” I murmured against his neck several moments later when I’d finally emerged from the orgasm haze.

“And then I’m trapping you in this bed and not letting you leave until we head home.”

“I’m not sure that’s the threat you think it is. And it’s not trapping me if I go willingly,” I teased.

“As long as we’re both on the same page,” Colby said, trailing his hand down my back to grip my ass. “Fuck, I love touching you.”

I pushed up on my elbows, bringing my hands to cup the sides of his face. The swell of emotion in my chest nearly choked out my words, but I swallowed and pressed my forehead to his. “I love you. Back then, now, forever. I want to enjoy every single second, but I’m also terrified we’ll lose this. Lose what we’ve always had.”

Colby shook his head, his eyes shiny and bright. “We can’t lose something we’ve had for a quarter of a century. It’s ours, belongs to us. Like we belong to each other.”

Breathing him in, I nodded, my eyes closed as I savored our bodies pressed together in the warm bubble of bliss. “You’ve always owned me, heart and soul.”

Colby snorted and slapped my ass. “Maybe that’s why both of us sucked at dating other people.”

“Valid point.”

We fell into a fit of laughter—hands, lips, and tongues exploring all over as we sank into the easiness of just being together.

This was good. We were good. We made sense like nothing in my life had ever made sense.

Several kisses later, I blew a raspberry on his cheek, and we rolled ourselves out of bed, laughing and wrestling all the way to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, we’d taken a quick shower and dressed for dinner. Walking hand-in-hand to Colby’s truck, I allowed myself to imagine our future.

Like this.

Together.

CoJack forever.

Dinner turned out to be a situation I didn’t know I needed. Colby and I had eaten about a million meals together. But we’d never allowed ourselves to let it feel like a date.

Never held hands.

Never asked for a corner booth in the back.

And never sat pressed so close together in the curved booth as we studied the menu.

Once the waitperson had taken our orders, Colby pulled out his phone. “I can’t wait any longer,” he said with a sheepish shrug.

When I gave him a questioning look, he tapped the video button to call my mom’s phone.

I sighed. “Oh, thank god. I didn’t know how to interrupt our date, but I’m dying to see her.”

Mom answered and immediately moved to the living room where my dad and Elsie were playing on the floor. Elsie squealed, blew raspberries, and reached for the phone while Colby and I made complete fools of ourselves talking to her in our daddy voices.

She lost interest fairly quickly when my dad sat her up between his legs and she started grabbing for a soft rattle he handed to her.

Mom assured us Elsie was doing great and everything had gone smoothly so far. “Your dad and I, and Tom and Allison, decided to get a bed for the guest room and a bed for Elsie’s room. We’ll send you the pictures and you can tell us if you hate the styles, but they can be delivered tomorrow. Dad and Tom can get everything set up. When you boys get home, Elsie can start taking naps in her own room.”

“Mom, you didn’t have to do that,” I started.

“We were going to get things set up soon,” Colby added.

“We all wanted to help,” Mom said. “Consider it Christmas.”

“You already got us gifts; I’ve seen them under your tree.”

Mom waved away the protest. “Then a celebration gift for you two finally getting together.”

Knowing there was no use arguing, I told my mom thank you, let Colby do the same, and then made sure they were set for overnight with the baby.

About two minutes after we disconnected the video, my phone buzzed with a text from my mom. There were about ten pictures of a queen-sized bed and a baby bed with a message stating, “If you don’t like these, go to this link, and pick out what you prefer. I want to order before bed so they can get it here tomorrow.”

Our drinks arrived along with a basket of rolls as we studied the two beds.

“Do you like them?” I asked.

Colby gave a disgruntled look but nodded. “I wanted to hate them so we can tell them no, but they’re great.”

I took his hand. “We don’t have to get them. I’ll tell her we want to do it ourselves if you’d rather.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s really nice of them. I think I’m just not in love with the idea of Elsie having her own room. Which is dumb because I know she needs to have her own space.”

“Baby steps,” I assured him, my thumb rubbing over his knuckles. “We don’t even have to start with her taking naps in there.” Leaning in, I breathed deeply of his soap, cologne, and the natural scent of Colby. “Plus, there’s a bed in the guest room now. Nap times just got a lot more comfortable for our…um…activities.”

Colby shivered and pressed into me. “Good point. We can take things as they feel right.”

I texted my mom to let her know we were good with her selections and put my phone to the side. When a large group of diners filed past our table, I instinctively let go of Colby’s hand on the off chance we’d know someone—we were barely outside of Peppermint Hollow. “Sorry,” I muttered.

Colby shot a glance toward the group and back at me before grabbing my hand and lacing our fingers together. “Don’t be sorry about shit, Kai. I’m not ashamed of you or us. If we’re doing this—and I’ll be damned if anyone tries to tell us we aren’t doing this—we’re doing it right. I’m all in.”

I gave his fingers a squeeze. “Just didn’t know where you were with being in a relationship with a guy. Didn’t want to out you if you weren’t ready.”

Colby leaned in and kissed me. “I think it would take a little getting used to if I were trying to date just any guy, but not with you. We’ve been attached at the hip since we were five. People have always thought we were a thing anyway.” He frowned. “Oh shit, I’m sorry. Would you rather not be open about being in a relationship with a guy? Or with me?”

Unlacing our fingers, I studied his face, keeping my features neutral.

Then I dropped a hand to his thigh and squeezed hard enough to make Colby grunt. “What the fuck, man?” he asked with a chuckle as he rubbed his leg.

I gripped his chin and brought his face to mine, nose-to-nose. “Don’t be a dumbass. I’ve wanted to be able to hold your hand, kiss you, and call you my boyfriend in public since I was sixteen.”

“Okay, okay,” Colby said, bringing a hand to my side for a soft caress.

Just as I melted into the moment, he jabbed his fingers into my ribs.

Before we could break into full-on wrestling in the booth, our server arrived with a tray of food.

We straightened up in our seats, both looking like children who got caught doing something wrong. Colby cleared his throat. I covered a cough.

Our server smirked and placed our food on the table.

We lingered over a light meal, savored our wine, and eventually ordered dessert to go. Holding hands as we made our way to the parking lot, I knew our first date of the rest of our lives would always hold a special place in my heart.

Back at the cozy little rental, I opted for the hall bathroom and told Colby to take his time in the big bathroom off our bedroom. I’d packed us both prep supplies, and I knew Colby had practiced prepping a few times, but I wanted him to have as stress-free a first time as possible.

Passing him on the way to the hall, I pulled him into a kiss. “You can change your mind at any time. None of what we are hinges on sex. Top or bottom, now or never, nothing changes what I feel for you.” Brushing the pads of my thumbs over his cheeks, I pressed our foreheads together and just appreciated the warm scent of Colby in my arms. “You got me?”

He nodded. “I know. I’m not nervous—” He broke off with a nervous laugh. “Okay, I’m nervous, but it’s more excited anticipation than bad nerves. I want this with you so damn bad. Been wanting it for years if I’m honest. It’s almost… it’s like being with you like this is the missing part of what we’ve had for so long.”

I shook my head. “Sex doesn’t solve everything,” I started.

“I know.” He shut me up with a kiss. “I’m not looking for this to solve anything. But there’s been an empty space in my heart since…forever. The only time I’ve ever felt close to being whole is when I’m with you.” He kissed me again. “Taking this step may not fill that space, but there’s no one I’d rather share this with than you.” Colby rubbed his nose against mine. “You got me?”

Grinning, I nodded. “I got you. Now, go get ready ’cause we’ve got plans.”

Colby cocked a brow.

Gesturing toward the bed, I nodded. “Bed, lube, you, me…”

Colby groaned and we lost ourselves in another long, slow kiss.

We finally separated for our showers, both of us taking time to ready our bodies for a level of connection we’d never shared with each other.

When I walked into the bedroom, a fire burned bright and warm in the fireplace. The bed was turned down. And the scent of shampoo, body wash, and peppermint hung on the air.

Colby stood in the middle of the room in nothing but boxer briefs. As I closed the door behind me, he tapped something on his phone and placed it on the bedside table.

A song from long ago filled the air.

And I knew this man was my forever.