Page 44 of The Christmas Accomplice

“That can be remedied.” Reece kissed him on the lips, then got up to bring a warm, wet washcloth from the bathroom. He cleaned away their spend, tossed the washcloth into the bathroom, then pulled back the covers and prodded Welton until he moved around enough to get beneath them. Reece slid into bed beside him and held him close.

“You’re going to make me fall asleep,” Welton said through a sudden yawn.

“Good. You’re on vacation.”

“What about you?”

“I work here.”

Welton squinted at him through one eye. “Is this part of your job description?”

“Only for sexy nerdy guys.”

“Get many of us here at a ski lodge, do you?”

“None that compare to you.”

Welton blushed and rolled away, turning his back on him, but smiling when Reece scooted close to spoon him.

What the hell are you doing? Enjoying myself!

He slipped into a deep sleep as Reece rested his hand on his chest.

“Hey.”

Welton was in a deep sleep. He’d been dreaming about Reece, and the soft, masculine voice calling him awake made him smile and sigh. He ran his tongue around his dry lips and snuggled in deeper beneath the covers.

“Hey, Welton.” A hand shook his shoulder, lightly at first, then a little more roughly. “Welton, wake up. Oh my God, are you sleeping in the nude? You never do that.”

That got his attention. He rolled over, blinking in the glare of the lamp. Dean stood beside the bed, smirking down at him.

“Dean? What the fuck are you doing here?” Welton sat up and the covers dropped into his lap, exposing his bare torso. He quickly pulled them back up, high enough to cover his chest as he glared.

Dean made a face. “Are you kidding me? We lived together, for God’s sake. You don’t have to cover your nipples around me.”

“What are you doing in here?” Welton looked around the bedroom. “Where’s Reece?”

“He left to go to work,” Dean said. “I passed him on the path and said hello. I think he’s a little suspicious of me.”

“Gee, I wonder why. Turn around.”

“Why?”

“I’m going to get dressed.”

“Oh come on, it’s not like I haven’t… Fine, fine.”

Dean turned his back with a melodramatic sigh. Welton slid out of bed and scurried to the dresser where he pulled out a pair of flannel house pants and a long-sleeved pullover. They were warm, and he realized the dresser drawers were heated. He didn’t even know that was an option. How much was he paying for this cabin again?

“Are you decent?” Dean asked with a sneer in his tone.

“Yes, I’m decent.”

Dean turned and smiled at him with his arms crossed. Welton waved him off and started to turn away, but then he noticed a touch of sadness in Dean’s expression. He didn’t really know what to say or do about that, and he wasn’t sure he even wanted to open that kind of conversation. The relationship they’d had was in the past. This weird holiday trip mix-up seemed to put them on a completely different trajectory. If this was an RPG, he might think of it as a secondary quest with a couple of anti-heroes who may someday get their own stories.

This trip is my story. I need to remember that.

“What?” Welton finally said.