Page 29 of Sexted By Santa
He took a couple of swallows, wheezed, then cleared his throat. “Good grief, did you have to go there?”
I grinned, not even a little repentant. There was something fun about getting under Christian’s skin. I’d always considered him to be inflexible, uptight, and prickly as both a faculty adviser and a neighbor. But he flustered more easily than I would have imagined. I’d gotten my first hint of that at the nursing home, where he’d been out of his element in that Santa costume. But I could see it again tonight. And this time, I could see that it wasn’t the situation…It was me. I rattled him.
I leaned in over the table. “You saw my dick. I think I deserve more than a ‘friendly neighbor’ designation.”
“Nothing friendly about you,” he muttered.
I barked a laugh. “Ditto.”
Christian frowned. “So, what now?”
I wanted to throw caution to the wind and suggest he clean my chimney. But I could sense Christian wasn’t ready for that. I shrugged. “How about we eat dinner?”
He sighed. “At least the food is good.”
“As opposed to the company?” I clasped a hand over my heart. “Ouch. Break my heart, why don’t you?”
He looked disconcerted. “I didn’t mean it that way. You’re quite…well, you’re…those photos…”
I felt my lips tugging with the urge to smirk. It seemed Christian liked my body. I wasn’t a gym rat, but I’d managed to stay fit with a job that required me to be on my feet all day and regularly lift people who were no longer ambulatory.
He frowned again. “Your hair was longer in the pic. Another lie.”
“Not a lie,” I countered. “I’ve just gotten a haircut since then.”
“It’s at least two years old,” he protested.
Well, well. Christianhadbeen paying attention, hadn’t he? How long had he noticed me? I’d moved in when Tori was still a toddler and Christian was married to a gorgeous man who looked like he could be a fashion model. I’d noticed because even then, when I’d not yet done more with a guy than a bro job while we both pretended to be straight, I’d known deep down that my sexuality wasn’t set in stone.
Christian seemed to realize he’d tipped his hand. He carried on as if he hadn’t given away his close attention to me over the years.
“I’ve got to come up with a date for a faculty party at the college,” he said. “That’s the only reason I was on the app. After our talks, I didn’t bother looking for anyone else because I’d hoped it would be you. Now I’m back to square one.”
“You didn’t chat anyone else up?”
He averted his gaze as he took a sip of wine. “I didn’t see the point,” he said evasively.
Holy shit.I think Christian really liked me. Well, he liked CasualDad anyway. He’d decided he didn’t like Jaxson Hicks years ago. The feeling had been mutual, but now…I had mixed feelings. We’d clicked so seamlessly online. If we’d met under different circumstances, could it have been the same in person?
The server arrived, setting down plates of savory food. I sampled everything, and all of it was amazing. The potatoes were lava spicy, but seriously delicious. One of the other dishes included goat cheese, which was creamy heaven. How did I not know how amazing it was? Bold flavors exploded on my tongue, one after the other.
“Damn, I never eat this good,” I said with a decadent moan. Christian was silent as I pigged out. I forced myself to slow down. “Sorry. I’m being rude.”
“No.” He looked considering. “You’re just a man enjoying a meal.”
I licked a splatter of sauce off my bottom lip and saw his gaze dart to my mouth. Oh, this man wanted me. He might notwant to, but he did.
“So about this party date. How important is it?” I asked. “And will there be good food?”
Christian looked surprised but far less prickly. “Not as good at this, but pretty decent. It’s a family event. There’s booze, but also gifts for all the kids.”
I perked up. An extra gift for Tori? A situation where she could enjoy the holidays beyond our little band of two? That was some major incentive to play with fire.
“I’ll go with you if Tori can come along,” I said.
He looked surprised. “You’d do that?”
I nodded. “Yeah, why not? Tori would enjoy the party. And I wanted to thank you, anyway, for playing Santa for her. I know it’s not your favorite thing to do.”
