Letting Ella in first, he climbed into the pickup, driving slowly through the wall of white, the plow attached to the front of the truck clearing the way. As he neared the house, a dark smudge appeared, and he slammed on the brakes, the pickup jolting.
“Who the hell—” His heart skipped. It had to be Hunter, and Nick couldn’t fight the pulse of eagerness at seeing him again. He realized he was smiling, for fuck’s sake. With a grumble at himself, he wiped his expression blank. He’d told Hunter not to come, and that should have been the end of it. This was a distraction he didn’t need.
He climbed out, Ella racing ahead, and called, “I told you to forget it!” before stomping over. “Why—” He halted a few feet from Hunter, blinking at him, Ella nosing around Hunter’s knees.
Hunter was covered in snow. It topped the pom-pom on his dark woolen toque and the blanket wrapped around him, and dusted across his red, wind-raw face, his eyelashes actually white. He shook, his teeth chattering.
Nick looked beyond him and asked, “Where’s your car?”
“In a ditch a few kilometers before the turnoff for your road.” Hunter’s voice was thin in the howling wind, his breathing labored. “I tried to tell you, but you hung up on me.”
Fuck.
Despite the wind’s bitter chill, shame and pure disgust at himself heated Nick’s face and neck, bile in his throat. It was true—he had hung up before Hunter could explain his lateness. Christ, that had been hours ago! In the snow squalls, Hunter could have easily lost his way and frozen out there. Hell, he looked close to it now. Nick knew better than most how quickly nature could be fatal.
Shoving away the jagged, razor-sharp memories, he asked, “Are you hurt?” He took hold of Hunter’s arms as if he’d be able to feel injuries.
Hunter shook his head. “Sorry to bug you. The OPP is closing roads, and I kept trying to get a signal, but it won’t connect.”
Nick shepherded him to the house. “Don’t be sorry. Come on.”
Inside, Nick flipped on the overhead light. Usually the big window in the open living room and the kitchen window off to the right beyond the little foyer and closet provided plenty of natural light, but in the blizzard, the house was dim. It did feel warm, at least, even though Nick kept the thermostat low and hadn’t lit a fire yet.
On the wide mat inside the front door, he eased the snow-crusted blanket from around Hunter, who shivered. Nick tossed his own heavy work gloves and hat into the corner and tried to shoo away Ella, who lingered curiously, sniffing their rare guest eagerly as Hunter toed off his boots before easing free his gloves and snow-crusted hat and scarf. His fingers trembled as he pet Ella’s head, and then he struggled with the zipper of his ski jacket.
“Here.” Nick unzipped it for him and pulled it free of Hunter’s arms, hanging it on a wall hook. Damn it, he should have listened when Hunter had called. He’d been far angrier than the situation called for, and now guilt clawed at him. He yanked off his own boots, then his waterproof pants and jacket, and the fleece he’d layered over a plaid flannel shirt and thermal work pants. “How long have you been here? Why didn’t you come inside right away?”
Hunter only watched him warily, shuddering, hugging himself.
Nick realized he’d sort-of yelled the questions. He cleared his throat and added more calmly, “I just mean that it wasn’t locked. I would have wanted you to come in.”
Ella pushed eagerly against Hunter’s legs, and Nick snapped his fingers and pointed to her dog bed in the kitchen corner. “Ella, go. Now.” With a single bark of protest, she did.
“I thought you’d probably kill me if I broke into your house,” Hunter whispered hoarsely, his teeth clacking.
More shame flowed through him, digging into corners with sharp teeth. Nick nodded. “I can see why you’d have that impression. Jesus, you’re frozen. Are you sure you aren’t hurt? You didn’t hit your head?”
“No,” he rasped. “I wasn’t going fast.” He added, “I know how to drive in the snow!” as if he was waiting for Nick to accuse him of recklessness.
“I’m sure you do. We have to around here, especially with storms like this blowing in with hardly any warning. Then when we do get warnings, there will only be a couple centimeters of snow and it’s nothing.”
Brow creased, Hunter looked up at Nick as if trying to figure out a puzzle. “Yeah.”
“Let’s get you warmed up.” He thought of Eric’s old first-aid lessons. “If you have hypothermia, warm water could bring on arrhythmia, so a hot shower’s out.”
He put a hand on Hunter’s tense shoulder and guided him to the thick rug by the couch in the living room. The wooden house had been built in a rustic cabin/chalet style, with a vaulted ceiling and the second story hallway open along the back with a bedroom on each side. It was decorated simply, although Nick had splurged on the thick navy-blue rug in front of the stone fireplace.
He guided Hunter there and gazed down at him, suddenly aware of how small Hunter was. Yes, Hunter was shivering from the cold, but Nick suspected he was also cowering because Nick had been judgmental and cruel when he’d hung up on him.
Making an effort to soften his tone, Nick said, “Those jeans look wet. How’s your sweater? You should take them off. I’ll get you some other clothes. Hold on.”
After a long moment, his eyes wide, Hunter nodded.
Nick dashed upstairs for a sweatshirt, flannel PJ bottoms, and thick socks. Hunter was shivering where he left him. Keeping his gaze averted, Nick helped him undress. The green sweater was damp around the collar and wrists, and any wetness was the enemy to warmth.
Nick lifted the soft material over Hunter’s head, trying to ignore how deliciously red Hunter’s nipples were. He knelt to tug off Hunter’s socks, which were damp either from sweat or snow getting in the tops of his boots. Hunter grabbed Nick’s shoulder to keep his balance, his hand shaking.
Peeling the cold, snow-wet denim down Hunter’s legs, Nick’s fingers brushed pale hair, and he wondered if the hair around Hunter’s groin was as blond before forcing his focus back on first aid.
He left Hunter in his gray boxer-briefs, tearing his eyes away and helping him into too-big PJ bottoms and sweatshirt. He tugged the drawstring on the pajamas tight, knotting it so they’d stay on Hunter’s slim hips.
He knelt with the soft, black wool socks. “Here you go.”
Hunter held onto Nick’s shoulder again, fingers sharp and trembling. Nick brushed his ankles as he pulled up the socks for him. He stood to grab the thick red fleece blanket folded on the back of the brown leather couch and wrapped it around Hunter’s shaking shoulders.
“Are you thirsty?” Nick asked. At Hunter’s nod, he went to the kitchen and poured a glass of room-temperature water from the pitcher on the counter. Ella whined softly, and she looked back at Hunter, clearly longing to meet him properly. Nick squatted and scratched behind her ears before giving her a kiss. “In a little while. Stay.” He tossed her a treat, which she gobbled down as always.
Hunter was still standing where Nick had left him, apparently not wanting to sit. He took the water gratefully, gulping from it. Nick stayed close by in case Hunter’s fingers were too shaky to hold the glass, but he seemed able to manage it.
Kneeling on the stone hearth, Nick struck a long match and held it to the twisted newspaper shoved under the waiting logs and kindling. Every morning in winter, he prepared the fireplace so it was waiting to be lit when he came home.
Then he took the empty glass from Hunter and set it on a wooden side table. Hunter’s lips weren’t blue, which was a good sign, and his winter gear had seemed good quality. Still, he’d been out in the growing blizzard for too long. Nick’s driveway off the dirt road was a long walk in good weather, let alone snow squalls with deep drifts and that biting wind.
Knowing skin-on-skin was best for reheating, Nick rolled up his flannel sleeves and blew into his hands. “We should make sure you warm up enough. Better safe than sorry, right?”
; Hunter blinked, clutching the blanket around him. “Uh…okay?”
“We’ll start with the trunk and move out toward the extremities.” He tried to imagine he was a doctor like Eric had been, professional and detached as he slipped his hands under the blanket and sweatshirt, wrapping them around Hunter’s ribs, ignoring Hunter’s little gasp and the way his blue eyes flared dark. That wasn’t desire. No. It was cold, or shock.
“Oh!” Hunter laughed shakily. “You mean… Right. Um, thank you?” He had a habit of making statements into questions.
Nodding, Nick rubbed up and around Hunter’s back, warming his trembling flesh. When he swept one hand over Hunter’s stomach, Hunter jolted and swayed, grabbing onto Nick’s shoulder. Their eyes locked, and shit.
Hunter was going to be a complication in Nick’s perfectly ordered life. No doubt about it.
Dropping his head, Nick concentrated on rubbing warmth back into Hunter’s torso. He had to face that he’d been so angry when Hunter had called that morning because he’d been so pathetically disappointed. While he’d felled, baled, and stacked grids of spruce from one of the back acres the day before—when he should have been reveling in being alone after two solid days of people—he’d looked forward to seeing Hunter again. Looked forward to getting to know him. Teaching him.
He’d let himself be…excited.
In the eight years since Eric, Nick had fucked other guys, but few more than once, and he’d rarely been excited about it. And there was no guarantee Hunter even wanted to fuck him, although Nick’s instincts insisted he did. Hunter intrigued him with his flashes of spirit and anxious, jittery energy. There was something about him Nick wanted to soothe. He craved it in a way he hadn’t in a long time.
He’d planned out how he’d teach Hunter about harvesting—how he’d show him how strong he really was. When Hunter had called, Nick had felt like the biggest fool and hadn’t listened. Christ, he’d actually endangered the young man’s life because of his own pride. He brought his hands up over Hunter’s blanketed shoulders, looking down into his wary blue eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Nick said. “I should have listened to you when you called. What happened with the car?” He took hold of Hunter’s arms, pushing up the cotton sleeves and rubbing, wanting to feel skin again. The fire burned steadily now, the musky smell of burning wood tangy in the warm air. Hunter had stopped shaking and chattering, and was likely just fine now, but Nick didn’t drop his hands.
“Um, I hit some ice,” Hunter said quietly. “I wasn’t speeding, but I skidded right into the ditch. After you hung up, I lost the signal, so I couldn’t call CAA. And I couldn’t get the car out alone.”
“I really am sorry.” And he was. He squeezed Hunter’s hands gently, chafing his fingers. “You’re sure you weren’t hurt?”
He nodded. “It was just…” Now a tremor rippled through him. “Kind of scary.”
The shame flared. “I can imagine. That wasn’t an easy walk.”
“I figured if I was going to die, I wanted to tell you that you were an asshole first.”
There was a beat of silence aside from the crackling fire warming the air. Hunter sucked in a breath, his eyes big as he opened and closed his mouth. He looked stunned at his own words, his fingers trembling now as he added, “I—I… What I mean is…”
Instead of a burst of anger, Nick had to laugh—a loose, joyous eruption. “Honestly, more people should probably tell me that. I deserve it.”
The apprehension that had darkened Hunter’s face transformed into a smile that lit up his blue eyes and creased his freckled, ruddy cheeks. He laughed, a little giggle of delight and release that was utterly charming and genuine. He looked so young and intoxicatingly beautiful, his golden hair a mess from his hat.
Ella barked impatiently, and Hunter jumped, laughing nervously. “She’s cute.”
Nick grunted and muttered, “She’s lucky she is,” but he smiled at her fondly. “She thinks I’m hogging you.” He whistled softly and nodded, and Ella rocketed over, practically flying, brownish ears flapping and her nails skimming over the wood floor. “Ella, this is Hunter.”
Laughing, Hunter dropped to his knees on the plush blue shag rug, the blanket slipping off his shoulders to pool around him. Nick’s old Banff sweatshirt hung loose on Hunter, the wide neck low over his collarbones. Nick had the absurd urge to stroke his thumb over the knobs of bone.
“Hey, girl. Nice to officially meet you.” Hunter scratched behind her ears, and she licked his chin eagerly before flopping over. “You want tummy rubs, huh?”
Nick watched them, a strange sensation swelling in his chest.
That sensation is actual happiness at the company of another human, for the record. You’re not having a heart attack or stroke, I assure you.
Nick smiled wryly to himself at Eric’s imaginary comment.
Hunter scratched Ella’s belly. “She’s awesome.”
“Yes. She is.” She was splayed on the rug, in absolute heaven, completely innocent and guileless. Sometimes Nick loved her so much he could barely stand it.
He cleared his throat. “Did you want to use the land line to call anyone?”
“Oh. Right.” Hunter withdrew from Ella almost guiltily and stood. Ella rubbed against his calves. “Um, I’ll call CAA and get out of your hair? Unless you wanted to do some work?” He glanced at the window.
Nick squinted at the swirl of white. “Not happening today.” He frowned. “And I’m not throwing you out. I just thought your mother might be worried.”
Hunter sucked in a breath. “Shit, she probably is. That would be awesome if I can call.”
“Of course.”
It occurred to Nick that it was time for breakfast, his stomach growling. He usually only drank black coffee in the mornings before returning from the trees for a hearty brunch.
He asked Hunter, “Are you hungry?”
Hunter’s face lit up, and goddamn, he was pretty. “Starving.”
“Bacon and eggs sound good?”
“Definitely. Are you sure… It’s just that—” He shook his head. “I might have inhaled a little carbon monoxide, so maybe this is all some fever dream since you’re being weirdly nice now? I’m probably actually unconscious and near death in my car knowing my luck.”
Nick had to laugh—and once again, it felt good. “This is real, I assure you.” Hunter’s joke registered with a tug of concern. “Are you serious about the carbon monoxide?”
“Yeah, I had the engine on for a couple of minutes and the tailpipe was definitely blocked, but then I realized and got out of the car fast.”
“Good boy.”
He’d said it without thinking, the words flowing naturally. Nick was about to apologize in case it came across as condescending, which truly hadn’t been his intent. But the words died as he watched the way Hunter’s breath caught, his body rippling, tongue darting out to lick his lips.
Oh yes, look at that, Eric murmured in Nick’s mind. He likes it. He wants to be a good boy for you.
Nick had felt horribly guilty about wanting sex after the fog of grief had slowly lifted in the first few years after Eric’s death. But over time the Eric in his mind had encouraged him. While the grief would never fully leave him, it had ebbed and flowed and transformed as the years passed.
Before he knew what he was doing, Nick stepped close to Hunter, who watched him like a deer in headlights. Nick said, “It’s been hours, so I’m sure you’re fine. But let me take a closer look to check that your pupils aren’t dilated.”
“Oh. Okay.” Hunter stared up at him as Nick leaned in.
The pupils in his lake-blue eyes looked normal, or at least not massive the way they would if something was amiss. The wind-burned red on Hunter’s face had faded, and the pink tinge to his skin looked like healthy warmth now—or arousal and embarrassment, not carbon monoxide.
“Looks normal.” Nick tried to think of the other symptoms. “You haven’t been dizzy or drowsy? Sick to your stomach?”
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Hunter shook his head, still staring up at Nick. Their bodies were only a few inches apart, and it wasn’t simply heat from the fireplace Nick felt coursing through him. He blurted, “Lips.”
Adam’s apple bobbing, Hunter rasped, “What?” Then he licked said lips, making them glisten again.
Nick managed a smile. “Cherry red lips. That’s another sign.” His gaze dropped to Hunter’s mouth, and he clenched his fingers to resist the urge to touch. “Yours are more pink. I think you’re safe.” He forced his eyes back up to Hunter’s, his skin prickling at the clear desire shining from those blue depths.
“Okay.” Hunter nodded. “Thank you. I think I’m good. Unless my dying brain is just being generous by letting me enjoy this fantasy.”
A spark of anticipation flickered through Nick. “Fantasy?”
The blush in Hunter’s cheeks darkened now, and he fidgeted, trying to laugh, his gaze dropping. “Oh! Just, you know. Um, being warm?” He motioned to the fire before dropping to the rug to pet Ella again, much to Ella’s slobbery delight. Hunter still didn’t look up at Nick as he added, “And having a sweet dog to pet. Also bacon. Bacon is amazing.”
“It is,” Nick agreed, trying not to smile.
Oh yes, this pretty boy wants you. No doubt about it. What a shame you’re trapped here together in such terrible weather with nothing else to do…
Nick could imagine the light in Eric’s brown eyes and his mischievous laughter. Nick’s own smile faded, one of the other things Hunter had said nagging. “I really am sorry about earlier, and if I wasn’t overly friendly to you at the mall. I don’t…” He exhaled noisily. “I’m generally not great with people, but I don’t want it to be ‘weird’ if I’m nice.”
Hunter did look up then, his eyes widening. “Oh, I didn’t mean—”
“No, don’t apologize. I was an asshole, as you said.” He impulsively added, “Will you let me make it up to you?”
“Um, well…” Hunter took a shallow breath, his voice going hoarse, his hand frozen on Ella’s back. “How?”
Gay Romance Holiday Collection Page 23
