Page 53 of Salvaging Christmas

“Yes?”

“Lock the door.”

“Why? You don’t think he’d try and come in here?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. I just know I’ll feel safer if we’re locked in here together. Tonight, I want to get in bed with you and wake up next to you. Totally undisturbed.”

“Sounds perfect.”

Chapter Fourteen

Santa Baby

A light sleeper, Trevor was awoken by a soft clunk just after midnight.

At first he dismissed the noise as imagination, or a creak in the bones of the lodge, or maybe snow falling from the roof. But then the same sound came again, this time from inside the room. Next to him, Rudy lay fast asleep, breathing evenly, a possessive arm draped across Trevor’s waist. Without waking him, Trevor raised his head from the pillow and, using the soft glow of his phone display, illuminated the door. Very slowly, the handle moved downwards then back to its resting position. After that, soft footfalls padded away.

Trevor fell back into the pillow, awake now, and thought back to the previous evening. No matter how famous, rich and charismatic Ingram was, Trevor didn’t give two hoots because Rudy had chosen him over the man. And yes, they had only spent two nights together, but already Rudy’s body felt wonderfully familiar.

Trevor had never met anyone so considerate and selfless in bed. Not only had Rudy remembered all the things that had turned Trevor on the first time, but he had tested out new ways to give his body pleasures he could never have imagined. Last night they’d fucked long and slow, Rudy kissing and licking and nibbling, eventually sending them both over the edge by pulling Trevor’s right foot from his shoulder and sucking on the toes. For someone so polite and formal by day, nothing in the bedroom appeared to be off-limits. After the second round, what was supposed to be a pre-slumber spooning session with Rudy’s warm body aligned along Trevor’s spine soon became something more. Trevor put everything down to making up for lost time. Gently fucking him from behind, Rudy had pulled Trevor’s head around for a deep kiss, occasionally licking and nipping at his skin. Even as worn out as he was, Trevor’s body had come alive again and hit boiling point as Rudy had thundered his own orgasm into him. After that, even though exhausted, neither could sleep for a while.

“Trev, can I ask you a huge favour?”

“Anything.”

“Really?”

“Anything, Rudy. I owe you. You’ve made this Christmas special for me.”

“Well, back at the house, with Millie’s help, her husband Tam usually puts up our traditional decorations for the Hogmanay ball. They’re fine, you know. Pretty tired now—the decorations, not Tam and Millie—because we’ve used them for the past fifteen years. But to be honest, they could do with a wee bit of freshening up, and I wondered if you might—”

“Of course I’ll come and help. Can I add some new ones? I’ve got a ton left over that I didn’t use. So long as I can watch your gorgeous bum going up and down the ladder.”

Rudy had hummed with humour and rubbed his nose into the back of Trevor’s neck.

“The other thing—and I need to get your opinion on this—is that I told my mother about you all, and she wants to invite everyone to the ball. It’s just…they tend to be a tad formal, and I wasn’t sure everyone would be up for that.”

“If you’re there, of course I’ll come. And I think the best thing is to ask at breakfast tomorrow. Get their opinion. But I’m guessing that if Ingram’s going to be there, Frank and Mary will come, which means Johnny and Karl will be there too.”

“Hmm,” Rudy had sounded doubtful.

“What?”

“To be honest, I hoped Damian would go home. Hoped he took the hint and has decided to head back to his friends in England. Even though my mother will be disappointed.”

“Even if he does stay, we can manage him, Rudy. If they’re going back to the house tomorrow, will you need to go and stay with them?”

“Not necessarily. Millie can feed them. And my brother and sister-in-law are supposed to arrive tomorrow. Mother and Father the day afterwards. As long as they can get through the snow.”

“Let’s sleep on it. And if the weather’s good tomorrow, let’s go for one of your early morning hikes before anyone wakes. Deal?”

“Trev, I can think of nothing nicer.”

Minutes later, they had both fallen into a deep sleep.

Trevor sighed into the night as Rudy stirred next to him and murmured something inaudible. When Trevor leaned in close and asked him what he’d said, Rudy giggled in his sleep and pulled Trevor closer. Unable to resist, Trevor breathed out a sigh and snuggled in close, and within moments, slumber had taken him.

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