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  Vincent’s forehead wrinkled in concern. He rested his hands on a table and leaned back while he listened.

  I said, “It happened the day before we went to the symphony. That seems like forever ago now, and it was less than forty-eight hours.”

  “We’ve packed a lot into the last few days.”

  I nodded in agreement. “It was after our first date. I slept in, and I woke up with a huge smile on my face. How could I not feel that way? I’m dating the best man in the city. Arguably, the best man in the world.”

  “No, that’s not true!”

  “No?”

  Vincent said, “I’m dating the best man in the city. You’ll have to settle for second best.”

  “Damn, you’re so sweet.” I leaned forward and kissed the side of Vincent’s neck.

  “Don’t stop telling your story. I’m curious now.”

  “Well, I cooked a hearty breakfast, and I received a wonderful text message from you.”

  Vincent smiled as he remembered. “Yes, those were short but so sweet and sexy.”

  “Then I received another text message that I expected. It was from my friend Jerry on his cruise.”

  “Oh, how is your buddy? I hope it’s going well.”

  “He’s sailing along on cloud nine. I’m not sure that he spends much time outside of his stateroom. He has a new love on the ship named Alan.”

  Vincent rubbed his arm. “Oh, how romantic. Look, I’ve got goosebumps. This story isn’t over, is it?”

  “I’m just getting to the interesting part. After I ate breakfast and received the two sets of text messages, my phone rang.”

  “Uh oh. I hope it wasn’t any bad news from relatives. That’s what I always worry about. It also seems to happen a lot at this time of year.”

  “It was Sal Whetstone.” I paused and waited for the information to sink in.”

  “Sal? I don’t get it. Why would he call you?”

  I smiled and swept my fingers up the side of Vincent’s cheek until they tangled into his coarse, wiry hair. He inclined his cheek toward my hand.

  I said, “I’ll tell you the entire story later, but the short version is he asked me out on a date over the phone.”

  Vincent pulled back and put his two hands up. “Okay, whoa now. Hold back. I’m confused. He’s out on the West Coast with an ailing aunt. At least that’s what he said he’s doing. That was the reason he gave me to you.”

  “I don’t know why, but that’s what he did. He called to ask me for a date. He’s slimy, Vincent. He doesn’t hold a candle to you.”

  Vincent scratched his head. “You mean you aren’t going out with him. Did you…” Vincent started to choke up. “Did you choose me over Sal Whetstone?”

  “He’s not in the same ballpark with you. Of course, I chose you.” I felt a small tickle in the back of my throat about not mentioning the conversation with Jerry, but I knew that I would eventually explain the whole story.

  Vincent reached out for a hug and crushed me against his powerful body. I struggled to breathe.

  Maeve re-entered the room. “Okay, guys, kiss break is over. We’ve got work to do. Santa Claus is out there huffing and puffing, and the two of you are slacking off. Move it.”

  Relaxing his grip, Vincent said, “I guess we heard the orders. Time to get to work.”

  I followed Vincent to the back door with a massive smile on my face. For the first time in years, I daydreamed about a future as part of a couple.

  We returned to the parking lot in time to see Dot slap Santa’s white-gloved hand. She said, “Those are for paying customers. The box for the help is back inside the building. Leave those alone.”

  Santa replied, “But they look so incredibly good. I’ll leave you a few dollars on the counter. I have to have one more.”

  I stepped up close to see what had Santa’s attention. They were simple macarons. I asked, “Are they amazing?”

  “Oh man, I think they’re better than that. I know you get these at so many places now, but these are perfect. They have a sweet vanilla filling, and the outside is perfectly crisp. I have to close the box, or I’m going to eat them all.”

  I asked, “Has it been a good year for business, Dot? I hear people talk about your place now and then. I think you sell your bread to some restaurants. I’ve seen the name on menus.”

  Dot said, “It’s my best year yet. In fact, total sales are nearly double what I did last year. I’m seriously considering opening a new location and looking for a culinary school student to manage it as a first post-graduation job.”

  Vincent chimed in. “Wow, that’s exciting. You could open it across the street from the gym. We’ll ping-pong the business back and forth. When your customers eat your goodies, they’ll come to me to work off the extra pounds. When they’re back in shape, they’ll return to you, and so forth.”

  “What an evil plan. I understand why Maeve thinks you’re a master villain in disguise.”

  I added, “A sexy one at that.”

  Maeve reappeared and asked, “Why am I the only one actually doing work now? There are still tables inside that need to be set up. The counter display is only half full, too, and I’m not sure where Santa is supposed to greet the kids.”

  Dot put a hand on Maeve’s shoulder. “Aw, sweetheart, you sound overworked already. Take a deep breath. We’ve got it all under control.”

  Vincent and I helped create mouth-watering displays on the tables inside, and we found a couple of old wood pallets out back to build a small platform for Santa. We covered the pallets with red tablecloths that Dot pulled out of a closet and checked to make sure the chair we placed on top was sturdy enough. Vincent and Steven both sat atop the pallet platform, and it didn’t collapse. I said, “I think we’re safe for any kids that come our way.”

  With five minutes left before opening, Vincent whispered in my ear, “I’m going to have a sad expression on my face the rest of the morning if I don’t get to do one more thing before we open.”

  Turning to face him, I asked, “What’s that?”

  “Follow me.”

  Vincent slipped inside Dot’s office, and I checked to make sure no one was watching us before I joined him in the tightly-packed space. I asked, “Are you wanting what I want?”

  “I hope so.”

  Vincent sat in Dot’s desk chair and pulled me down onto his lap. I whispered into his ear.

  Vincent beamed. “I’m not sure Santa brings that, but I’ll see if I can help out. Do we have a date for Christmas Eve?”

  “There’s nowhere else I want to be than with you. We have to promise to go to bed, or else Santa might not visit.”

  “Is Santa insisting that I spend time with you in bed, Desmond?”

  “I think that’s precisely what’s happening.”

  Vincent gripped my face in his big, beefy hands and planted a kiss squarely on my lips. My passion bubbled over, and I unbuttoned one button on his shirt so that I could reach my fingers inside. He moaned when he felt the touch of my fingertips against his bare flesh.

  I whispered, “Shh, we don’t want to draw unwanted attention.”

  “Then kiss me to keep me quiet.”

  I twined my tongue tightly with Vincent’s and pushed hard against his body. I wanted to take him to bed immediately, but I knew we only had a minute or two remaining. The index finger of my right hand teased a firm nipple while the fingers of my right hand reached up and raked into Vincent’s hair, gripping tight, and slightly tilting his head to the side.

  Vincent pulled back from the kiss breathing hard. “Oh, fuck, Desmond, I want you. Now. And I can’t have you. I’m going to be rock hard over you all morning.”

  I nibbled on his earlobe and said, “That makes two of us.”

  After one more kiss, we stood up. I buttoned Vincent’s shirt and gazed up into his eyes. I said, “I can’t wait for Christmas Eve. I already feel like a little kid who can’t wait for the annual visit from Santa.”

  Vincent said, �
�I think Santa came early to me when he dropped you into my life. It’s the best gift ever. I didn’t know it was what I wanted, but Santa sometimes knows us better than we know ourselves.”

  I said, “Let’s go see how our hired Santa is doing. They should be opening the doors to the bakery any time now. He has an excellent outfit. Your friend looks the part.”

  “He’s perfect for it. Steven started playing Santa when he was in college. Underneath the clothes and the padding, he’s actually a slim guy. He’s taller, but I doubt his waist is any bigger around than yours.”

  19

  Vincent

  We decided to celebrate Christmas Eve at Desmond’s place. He said that he was eager to show me his decorated apartment, and I was excited about everything else. As we stepped inside, I gasped, “Wow! It looks like a professional designed all of this. I don’t think you get to see my place until after the holidays.

  Desmond snickered softly. “Oh, I’m confident your place is fine, but yeah, my friend Jerry helped me out on a few things. I’ll start a fire in the fireplace.”

  Stepping up behind Desmond, I slipped my fingers into his hair and kissed the side of his neck. “We can generate a lot of our own heat.”

  “Jerry came up with the idea…oh fuck, I felt that you know where.”

  Wrapping one arm around Desmond’s body, I pulled him back up against me. My tongue teased his earlobe, and he released an irresistibly sexy moan. “I don’t think I can hold out much longer. It’s Christmas Eve. Why don’t we make a little holiday magic together?”

  “We can do the grand tour later, and who cares about the fire? Would you like to see the bedroom?” Desmond reached his arms behind and rubbed them up and down the sides of my thighs.”

  I pointed down a hallway to the right. “Is it that direction?”

  “Yep, it’s a short distance down there, and it is the first door on the right. The second is my home office. I’ll show you.”

  Desmond yelped when I scooped him up into my arms. He reached up and held onto me around my neck while I kissed his sweet lips. As I took off down the hall with my Christmas dream in my arms, I said, “I hope you don’t mind.”

  Desmond was too busy kissing me to respond. He placed both hands on the sides of my face while he flooded my lips with an infinite well of passion. He had to stop momentarily when we reached the bedroom and open the door for both of us.

  I thought about tossing my man onto the bed that I found, but I was a little gentler than that. Paintings and posters of orchestras and string instrument players decorated the walls. I pointed at one slightly abstract work. It was recognizable. “Is that you, Desmond.”

  As I laid him in the center of the bed, He said, “Yes, it is. A student at the university asked me if he could create a portrait of me for his final portfolio, and I agreed. I loved that. I think it captured a little…something.”

  We were both still fully clothed, and I dove onto the bed at his side. “It’s awesome.” I wanted the rest of the world to go away and leave only the two of us spending time together forever. I said, “I’m going to confidently say that you’re the most fascinating person I’ve ever known. Tell me any stories, and I’ll happily listen for hours.”

  “That’s a danger zone. Ask anyone who knows me well. I can talk some of the most experienced storytellers under the table.”

  I smiled and said, “Go right ahead. Meanwhile, I’ll engage in a little exploration.” Desmond raised up on his elbows as I tugged his sweater up and off over his head.

  “Where do you want me to start? If you want to hear hours and hours of stories, I can start with childhood and my few short years at school before they figured out that I needed glasses.”

  I pulled open all the buttons on Desmond’s shirt in quick succession before pressing my face against his chest. His body was more fit than I expected. It was slim and nicely muscled for a man who did little in the way of regular workouts. He had a lightly hairy chest, and he yelped when my lips and tongue found a nipple.

  “Umm, I always hate to bring this up right at this kind of moment, but my testing is up to date, and it’s all negative, and there are condoms in the nightstand…”

  I held a finger to his lips. “We’ve covered the bases then. I’m tested and negative, too, with the equipment in my jeans pocket. It sounds like we had the same thing on our minds.”

  Desmond stared into my eyes and said, “There’s one other not-so-little thing we’ve never discussed.”

  I said, “I’m versatile. I’ll do it any old way you’d like.” I hoped that Desmond saw the twinkling in my eyes as I spoke.

  He said, “I want to fuck you.”

  I already loved Desmond’s audacity, and I knew that I’d grow to appreciate it even more. No one who weighed about fifty pounds less than me ever fucked me in the past. Desmond would be my first, and I grew rock hard at the thought.

  Thirty seconds later we were both naked with me on my back and Desmond kneeling between my legs. His cock wasn’t huge, but it was thick and long. I knew that it would hurt penetrating me. It was more than a year since the last time I’d been on the receiving end.

  I helped unroll the condom down over Desmond’s handsome dick. He said, “I hope this is only the first of hundreds, even thousands, of times. I don’t know how I ever got this lucky, but I hope it lasts.”

  “If you know how to use it—then you’re perfect.”

  He knew what he was doing. Desmond gripped my thick, muscular thighs and pushed them wide before his cock found its target and thrust hard. I gritted my teeth when he pushed inside. A wicked smile spread across Desmond’s face as he said, “It’s okay to yell. Don’t hold it inside.”

  He grunted as he thrust harder and began to rock forward and back. Desmond braced himself by gripping my powerful pecs with each hand. I growled, “Oh, fuck,” and then I let it out. I was like a beast roaring its approval, and I knew we’d only begun.

  Desmond took charge, and I fell into the rhythm like I’d finally found my way home. When his fingers wrapped tightly around my cock, I slammed my head hard against the pillow. It didn’t take long for him to take me right to the edge and then hold me there.

  While he continued to slowly rock deep inside me, Desmond pulled his hand back and then massaged deeply along my inner thighs. I opened my eyes and stared into his handsome face. He still had his glasses on, and it made me smile.

  He said, “We can do this every day forever.”

  Minutes later, Desmond was at the edge. He plunged deeper and fucked me to his own rhythm, sometimes stopping and then picking up speed until he found himself close to humming and slowed down again.

  I reached down to jerk my cock, and Desmond shook his head no. He took over with his slim fingers and brought me to the edge once again. It felt like only seconds later that I shot hard in a huge arc over my chest.

  Desmond stopped breathing for a moment, and then he came, too. “Oh, fuck, Vincent!!” His chest and shoulders flushed red as he threw his head back and rocked into the orgasm.

  I reached out for him and effortlessly pulled him down to my side before wrapping him tightly in my arms. Desmond was my man, and I didn’t want to ever let him go.

  We kissed feverishly before tangling our legs together with Desmond’s cheek resting against my pounding heart. He blurted out one word that sounded both perfect and a woeful understatement about what’d just happened, “Wow!”

  We lay there for a few more minutes. Then Desmond suddenly looked up to the ceiling. He asked, “Do you hear that?”

  I listened again, and finally, I heard it, too. The sound was something like a scraping noise. It was an impatient sound, and it lasted a few seconds before silence took over again. Then the scraping returned.

  We both jumped when a loud clatter followed. It lasted for only a moment before everything was quiet once more. I wrapped Desmond in my arms, stared into his eyes and asked, “Do you think it’s what I think it was?”

  “The cl
atter of hooves?”

  I nodded. “It is Christmas Eve.”

  20

  Desmond

  When I first woke up on Christmas morning, I was surprised that my relationship with Vincent wasn’t all a dream. I expected to wake up some morning like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and find out that my world was a figment of my imagination. Fortunately, when I opened my eyes, I saw Vincent lying flat on his back with his muscular chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. It was a peaceful picture, but I had to wake him up.

  Pushing hard against his shoulder, I said, “Wake up! Merry Christmas! It’s time to get up and see what Santa left for us!”

  Vincent opened one eye and slowly turned his head in my direction. “What time is it? I only fell asleep five minutes ago.”

  “It’s 4:00, but we slept five hours. Don’t you get up early on Christmas morning? I never can wait. I even got up this early on the couple of Christmas mornings I spent on my own.”

  Vincent rolled over onto his side and reached out folding me into his arms. “Why don’t we stay right here for another three or four hours. We can go back to sleep and then get up later and have breakfast. I’ll even cook for us if you have something in the fridge. I’m no genius in the kitchen, but I can cook breakfast.”

  It did feel fantastic wrapped in Vincent’s strong arms, and I smiled when he rested his chin on my shoulder. But it was Christmas!

  Squirming against the grip, I said, “No, we can do this every other morning, and we’ve got thousands more of those to come. I think Santa probably left something special under the tree. We have to go and check it out.”

  “Santa? How could he do that? We were both in bed together all night. Weren’t we?”

  I twisted in Vincent’s grip and rolled back to face him. “I guess you’ll have to get out of bed and check for yourself.”

  “You don’t play nice. Okay, I guess it is Christmas. Let’s get up. I need to brush my teeth first. I don’t fully wake up until my mouth feels clean.”