Snowstorms and Second Chances Read online

  His cheeks still warm, Erik zipped the pocket shut and turned his attention to the other items. Most of it was in packing cubes, and when he squeezed them, he felt nothing but soft fabric. There were also wrapped gifts, undoubtedly presents for Seth’s family, and a few other zippered pouches.

  He picked up one of them and squeezed it experimentally. It was heavier than expected, but there was something flat and rectangular inside. That could be cards. He opened it and peered inside. The flat item was definitely not cards. It was a small box of condoms. He cleared his throat. Well, that was good. Seth was clearly prepared and careful. But Erik’s eyes widened when he noticed one of the other items inside. It was a sex toy. Made out of sleek stainless steel and curved with round knobs on each end. Interesting. Erik was fairly sure he knew where that was supposed to go, but he’d never seen anything quite like it.

  A sudden image of sliding it inside Seth made all his blood rush south, and he bit his lip as he wondered how it would feel to have Seth use it on him. He could see Seth grinning at him from between his thighs as he teased Erik with it and slid his mouth down over Erik’s dick ... Erik shifted a little as his cock hardened, pinching inside his underwear. He bit his lip a little harder as he spotted the fourth item in the bag. What looked like a cock ring. A vibrating cock ring. That only added fuel to the fire. Erik had used one before on himself years ago, and it had been quite enjoyable. But the thought of using it with someone else ... Wow.

  The sound of the keycard reader beeping made him hastily zip the pouch shut, fling it inside the suitcase, and stand. He stared, wide-eyed, as Seth walked inside.

  “I come bearing treats. Any luck finding a movie?” He frowned at the still-dark screen, then gave Erik a curious look. “Everything okay? You have the oddest look on your face.”

  “I’m fine,” Erik croaked. Seth cocked an eyebrow at him in disbelief. “Just couldn’t find the cards in your suitcase.”

  “Oh, I see.” Seth’s expression turned knowing. “You stumbled across my toys.”

  “Uh. Yeah.” Erik licked his lips.

  “Sorry.” Seth didn’t look terribly sorry though. “I hope you know that wasn’t why I asked you to go through the bag. Actually, I meant for you to check my carry on. I think they’re in one of the outside pockets of that.”

  “Oh, that’s why I didn’t find them. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

  “No,” Seth protested. “How would you know? I wasn’t clear. I’m sorry.”

  He cleared his throat again. “Nothing to be sorry about. I’m a big boy. It’s not like I haven’t seen sex toys before.”

  “But have you used them?”

  “Not ... really. I mean, a few times but ...”

  “I feel like there’s a story there.”

  “One time was fun. The other time ... not so much.” Robin had sounded horrified and disgusted when he’d suggested they use them together. The ones he’d bought for her had never even come out of the packaging.

  “Oh, well, forget that. Though feel free to let me know if you want to make some new memories.” Seth winked at him. “But, barring that, let’s get our drinks mixed and get this celebration started.”

  Erik glanced down to see Seth carrying a tray with two mugs and an entire plateful of cookies.

  “Cookies too?”

  “It’s fine. The week between Christmas and New Year’s should always be a lawless wasteland of nutrition,” Seth said cheerfully.

  “Why do I feel like that’s something you saw on social media?”

  “Because it probably is.”

  “And my question had more to do with where you found the cookies than the fact that you’d brought them.” He snagged a frosted sugar cookie from the plate. “I wasn’t complaining.”

  “Oh. They had them out in the lobby on an enormous platter and the woman said there were more in containers. I guess Doreen made them?”

  “Who’s Doreen?” He took a big bite of the cookie. Mmm, it was soft and buttery and not too sweet. Definitely homemade.

  “The housekeeper. Probably the lady we saw in the courtyard. And the one who cleaned our room earlier.”

  “Oh, we should leave her a nice tip. I mean, we should have anyway since she left us all those blankets, but now I’m feeling doubly grateful.”

  “Good idea.” Seth set the tray on the nightstand. “I’ll find the cards, so you don’t get scarred for life again. Think you can handle finding the movie?”

  “I don’t know,” Erik said with a laugh. “I might accidentally run across the softcore porn channel or something.”

  Seth snorted. “I’m only up for watching that if it’s holiday-themed.”

  A few minutes later, they were set up on Seth’s bed, the cookies and drinks within arm’s reach, and the movie playing in the background. Seth ran through the rules for rummy, and Erik nodded his head. “Yeah, okay, that’s all coming back to me.”

  Seth took a sip from his mug and frowned. “Damn it, I forgot to add the booze.”

  Erik stirred his with the peppermint stick Seth had stuck in it. “Does bourbon and peppermint really go together anyway?”

  Seth grimaced. “Not in my mind.”

  “We may have to enjoy our card game totally sober.”

  Seth laughed and held up a hand. “Well, before things get too dire and we have to rely on drastic measures like sobriety, I may have a solution.” He hopped off the bed, and Erik had to grab for Seth’s mug before it tipped over.

  “Careful there. You almost lost your drink altogether.”

  Seth grinned at him over his shoulder. “What can I say? I’m a wild man in bed.”

  “I can see that.”

  Seth rummaged through his suitcase before he held up a wrapped gift. “We’re breaking into this.”

  “You’re cannibalizing a gift for your family?”

  “My mom will understand it’s going to a good cause.” He tore off the wrapper to reveal a bottle of coffee liqueur. “Now, this will go well with it.”

  “It will,” Erik agreed. “Though I’m slightly concerned that you don’t want to spend time with me sober. I know I was kind of an asshole yesterday, but I thought we’d put that behind us.”

  Seth laughed as he cracked open the lid. “It’s just a holiday tradition in my family. Everyone either lives within walking distance or is spending the night anyway, so we enjoy drinks throughout the day. I don’t mean to push it on you though.”

  Erik held out his mug. “I was just teasing. Top me off.”

  After Seth added a glug of liquor to each mug, he placed the bottle on the nightstand and settled down across from Erik again. “You know, you seem like a totally different person than when we met yesterday.”

  “I was thinking the same thing myself,” Erik admitted. “It’s been odd. I think ... I think I’d forgotten who I actually was. I’ve been so wrapped up in work and raising Jo and dealing with the divorce that I haven’t really let myself just enjoy life. This has been good for me.”

  “Sharing a room with a strange man who makes you wear Christmas socks and play card games?”

  “Exactly.” Their gazes met and held, and once again, Erik had the urge to lean in and press his lips to Seth’s. He had to take a deep breath before he could look away. His gaze landed on the screen, and he squinted at it for a moment. “Isn’t this the same movie you watched yesterday?”

  “No.” Seth shook his head. “In the last movie, she was dating the guy who owned a Christmas tree lot. This one owns a bakery.”

  “Right.”

  “I still haven’t sold you on these movies, have I?” Seth asked with a laugh.

  “You have not.”

  “Ehh, Christmas isn’t over yet.” Seth nodded at the bottle on the nightstand. “Besides, I can always bring in reinforcements, if necessary.”

  “It always comes back to getting me drunk and taking advantage of me, doesn’t it?”

  “If you’re lucky.”

  Chapter Seven


  “Rummy!” Erik slapped the cards down onto the bed. “I win. Again.”

  “I should have picked another game,” Seth grumbled. He pushed his hair off his forehead as he shot Erik a dirty look. The color in his cheeks was bright, and he’d stripped out of his sweater. Apparently, they’d fixed whatever the heating issue was, because it was very warm in the room now. Or at least, Erik felt warm. He’d shed his sweater too.

  It was either the heater or the way Seth sprawled on the bed on his side, one knee lay flat on the bed and the other pointed toward the ceiling. His pants stretched taut across his thighs, and Erik’s gaze had wandered to the spot between them far too many times for it to be normal. Every time Seth caught him doing it, his lips curved up into a little smile.

  “I should have suggested we wager something,” Erik said.

  Seth frowned. “I only have enough cash to leave tips for the housekeeper and a driver to the hotel. I’m afraid I don’t have much to wager with.” He toyed at the top button of his shirt. “Unless you’re suggesting strip rummy.”

  Erik licked his lips. They’d been flirting a little through the whole game—at least he thought they were flirting; he was so damn rusty at this—and the need inside him had been building the whole time. Seth had topped off his drink several times, and the shots of liquor should have relaxed him, but if anything, he felt strung tighter than when they’d begun. “I was thinking more like poker.”

  Seth snorted and began gathering up the cards. “Strip poker? Hell, no. I’d be out of my clothes in two minutes. I’m terrible at poker.”

  “You say that like it would be a bad thing.” The words left Erik’s lips before he could stop them, and Seth froze, staring at him.

  Unsure what to say or how to take Seth’s sudden silence, Erik reached blindly for the cards. His heart beat loud and hard, thumping in his chest as he gathered them up. He glanced up to see Seth’s gaze still trained on him, bright and eager. Before Erik could blink, Seth reached out and grasped Erik’s shirt, pulling him closer.

  Erik had to brace his hand on the bed to keep from pitching forward as Seth pressed their lips together. Shocked, for a moment, Erik had no idea how to respond. Seth went still against him and pulled back.

  “Oh, God! I shouldn’t have done that. I should have asked you if you were okay with that.” He groaned and covered his face. “I apologize. I swear I won’t do it again—”

  The thought of that finally jolted Erik into action. No, that wouldn’t do. He desperately wanted to make sure it did happen again. He grabbed Seth’s wrist and tugged his hand out of the way. Erik took a deep breath and leaned in, pressing his lips to Seth’s again. It was clumsy at first, and this time, Seth took a moment to respond. But then he let out a little groan against Erik’s lips and curled his hand around the back of Erik’s neck in a heated kiss.

  “Are you sure?” Seth asked breathlessly when he finally pulled back. “I mean ...”

  Erik nodded. “I’m sure.”

  “You’re a little drunk and ...”

  “I’m not drunk.” Erik licked his lips. “And I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

  Seth smiled. “Yeah?”

  Erik nodded. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but I want to know.”

  Seth brushed the pad of his thumb against Erik’s neck, sending a shiver through him. “Tell me what you want to know.”

  “I want to know if ... if this is ... ifI’mbisexual.” The last part came out in a rush, but Seth’s eyes widened.

  “So you’ve really never ...”

  “I have a vague memory of kissing a boy when I was very young, but that’s it, and now I don’t know ... I’ve never ... I just ... I just want to know.” Erik had never been so inarticulate in his life. But he’d never wanted anything so badly either. And it tied his tongue in knots.

  “And you want to find out with me?”

  Erik nodded and wet his suddenly dry lips. “I think so. I mean, I definitely do but ...”

  “But this is new and just a little bit scary?”

  Erik nodded. Admitting it to himself was hard enough. Verbalizing it out loud was infinitely worse.

  “If you do want to … explore things, I promise that whatever happens in this room doesn’t have to go further than that,” Seth said softly. “What we do in here is ours. Not for anyone else.”

  “Thank you.” Erik swallowed hard. “I don’t quite understand why you’d do this though.”

  “No?” Seth grinned. “You can’t imagine why I’d like the idea of spending the next few days showing you just how good sex with a man could be?”

  Erik shrugged, unable to articulate it. It felt like Seth was doing him a favor, and he didn’t like to be indebted to anyone.

  “Because I think you’re sexy as fuck.” Seth rose up on one elbow. “And it’s even hotter that you’ve never done this with a man before.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Mmhmm.” Seth licked his lips. “So if you want it, I’m all in.”

  “I want it,” Erik said hoarsely. His palms were sweaty, and his heart was pounding, but there was no denying he wanted it. “I’m just nervous.”

  “So let’s take this slow.” Seth traced his thumb down Erik’s cheek, then pressed their lips together in a brief, chaste kiss. “And any time you want to stop, you say stop and I will. It’s as easy as that.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Erik agreed breathlessly.

  “I just want you to do one thing for me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Let go.” Seth pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Don’t second guess it. Don’t get all up in your head about what it means. Do what feels good. It’s just you and me here in this room. No one else.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Good.” Seth placed his palm against Erik’s chest, pressing him back until he lay sprawled on the bed, staring up at Seth.

  Erik’s eyelids fluttered shut as Seth closed the distance between them again. Seth kissed him slowly, soft pecks at first, then little teases of his tongue, coaxing Erik to open before darting away. Erik felt himself straining for more, wanting more pressure, more connection. He chased Seth’s tongue with his own, eager to taste him. The first real touch of Seth’s tongue against his own was like a lightning bolt, lighting him up from the inside out. He could feel the soft scrape of Seth’s beard against his chin as the kiss deepened, which made him tighten his grip on Seth’s hair. It was short, nothing like the long sweeps of hair he’d felt when kissing a woman, but still soft and long enough to grip. He liked it.

  Seth made a little noise of pleasure every time Erik tugged at his hair. He shifted forward, resting his chest against Erik’s as they kissed more deeply. Feeling a little bolder now, Erik ran a hand up Seth’s back, enjoying the solid musculature and the weight of his body over top of Erik’s. When Seth slotted his thigh between Erik’s, Erik groaned. Seth drew back with a little frown.

  “That okay?”

  “Yeah.” He stared up at Seth with a look of wonder. “That was ... I liked it.”

  “Good. We’re just getting started.” Seth kissed his jaw, then sat upright. “Take off your shirt,” he ordered, and Erik raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you trust me?”

  “In theory.” But oddly enough, he did. So he sat up and stripped the shirt off, tossing it on the empty bed next to them. He felt a flutter of nerves as he lay back down, but the heat in Seth’s gaze as it raked over his torso quieted them.

  “Mmm. You look amazing.” Seth trailed his fingers across Erik’s chest. The feather-light touch made Erik shiver.

  “For a forty-three-year-old man?” he asked drily.

  “No. For anyone. You’re sexy as hell.”

  Erik flushed. No one had called him sexy in years, much less another man. This was all so new. But there was no denying the way Seth looked at him. Or how hard his dick was against Erik’s thigh. That couldn’t be faked. When Seth traced his fingertip slowly around Erik’s nipple, then lightl
y pinched it, Erik let out a small groan. Seth had hardly touched him, yet he felt blood flow into his own cock until it lay thick along his thigh and pushed up at the fabric of his pants.

  Seth aimed his gaze lower and licked his lips. “Mmm, I’m looking forward to exploring that later. But for now ...” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Erik’s collarbone. It was ticklishly pleasurable, and Erik let out a little moan as Seth teased his tongue along it. Erik tilted his head to give him more space and Seth took it as an invitation to explore. He used his lips and tongue to lightly work his way up Erik’s neck to the spot behind his ear.

  Erik shivered at the feathery brush of lips against the sensitive skin, which made Seth chuckle softly. “You like that, huh?”

  Erik nodded, but he didn’t have the words to explain that it was as much about the time Seth was taking to explore every inch of him as it was about where he lingered. Seth flattened a palm on Erik’s chest and stroked up and down his torso, inching lower and lower with every sweep of his hand.

  “Seth, I ...” Erik choked out, his head spinning with desire. Blindly, he turned to the side and met Seth’s mouth with his own again. The kiss was slow but needy, fueling the fire of arousal that had already settled low in his belly. Panting, Erik drew back. Seth bit his ear, sending a sharp jolt of pleasure to his cock. Erik reached out, gripping Seth’s shirt, unsure if he wanted it off or wanted it there to hold on to. Seth shifted, settling his body half on top of Erik’s so he straddled Erik’s thigh again. The firm press of Seth’s thigh against Erik’s balls tore a low, guttural sound from Erik’s lips that he couldn’t have stifled if he’d tried.

  Seth flicked his tongue across Erik’s nipple before he sucked on it, and a shock of pleasure filled Erik’s body. Before he could think or say anything, Seth ran his palm up and down Erik’s length. Even through the fabric, his skin felt warm, and Erik made another loud, embarrassing noise of pleasure.