Page 13 of A Beginner's Guide to Christmas Miracles
Nach laughed at that. He almost wondered if Alan knew, but then he realized it was just because Nach had played Santa yesterday at the center.
“Well, I’ll leave you guys to it then. I’m going to get a bit of work done, and then I’ll be out for the evening. I’m heading to Mom’s for dinner. I assume you’ll be staying here?” he asked Beck, waggling his eyebrows a bit.
Beck nodded enthusiastically. “Text when you’re on your way home! Take your time!” he called out, and Alan laughed, heading out of the room and toward what Nach presumed was his office.
“Well, I’ll clean up since you cooked,” Beck stated, getting up and grabbing some plates to bring to the sink.
“Oh, no. Cooking wasn’t really any trouble. Not at all,” he admitted. “I can help with clean up.”
“Nope, I got it,” Beck insisted, then he walked over and leaned down, pressing his lips against Nach’s. “I just can’t seem to help myself around you. I hope you don’t mind,” he whispered, their faces still pressed close.
“I don’t mind at all. Kissing you is more lovely than milk and cookies,” Nach admitted, because it was, and he didn’t think there was much topside that was better than sweets. But Beck was his own kind of sweet.
Beck chuckled and swept in for another kiss, their tongues softly dancing together, their breaths intermingling. Beck still tasted of sweetness and joy on Nach’s tongue, and he couldn’t get enough.
On a sigh, Beck pulled back. “I’m not going to ravage you on the kitchen table. At least, not with Alan home,” he winked.
Nach’s face went hot at the thought of being ravishedanywhere, never mind the kitchen table. He was uncomfortably turned on, more than he ever remembered being. It felt quite unfulfilling, to be quite honest. But he had the sense that finding fulfillment with Beck would be worth any wait.
Beck looked over and groaned. “Stop looking at me like that, Nach, or we won’t make it shopping. Go get dressed. I’ll be ready to go in twenty minutes, if that works for you.”
“Yes, ok,” Nach agreed, and he headed off to the spare room, where he found his jeans, his boxers, and his green sweater neatly folded. He blushed a bit at thinking about Beck washing his boxers, but if anyone could appreciate the Christmas themed underclothes (little Santa Clauses in their little sleighs, of course), it was Beck.
He sat down on the bed. It was hard to believe it had been less than twenty-four hours since he’d met Beck. They’d shared meals, caught snowflakes, shared kisses, and he’d had the sexy elf on his lap, and he was looking forward to quite a bit more of that. He realized, rather belatedly, what it meant that Alan wouldn’t be home tonight.
Oh. Oh my. How lovely.
Nach sighed. Yes, he should head back, but he wouldn’t. Hecouldn’t. It was like something was tethering him here, to Beck, and he had absolutely no desire to fight it.
He had never been so full of joy in all his life. He knew it would end, but he would enjoy it while it lasted, and he’d savor every moment with his elf. Perhaps all these golden snapshots together would last him through the decades or centuries of paperwork he’d have on his return.
It would be worth it. Beck was worth it.
With that thought, he shook off his worry and started dressing. He and his elf had shopping to do, and he’d never looked forward to anything more in his entire life.
CHAPTER8
Beckett
They strolled downthe sidewalks of main street holding hands, and Beck knew he was probably glowing. A decent number of boyfriends hadn’t wanted to hold hands; either they didn’t want to call attention to the fact they were with a guy, or they just hadn’t been into holding hands in general. Apparently there were a lot of people who didn’t enjoy that, but Beck adored it. He loved strolling along, hand in hand with someone else. It was romantic. It was a connection.
Nach’s hand was warm and soft in his, and he held a bunch of bags in his other hand, which he had, of course, insisted on carrying. God, they were like something out of a Hallmark movie at this point. Meet cute? Check. Holiday atmosphere? Check. Romantic kisses? Check.
Beck just hoped there wasn’t a villain or switched identities in the picture, although he really didn’t think that Nach was the prince of some faraway country no one had ever heard of who had escaped his bodyguards to try out a normal life for a few days before his arranged marriage to a princess he’d only just met.
Ok, so he really liked those sappy Christmas movies. Really, who didn’t? (Aside from Alan, but even though hesaidhe didn’t like them, he more often than not ended up on the couch critiquing them as Beck watched them.)
The point was, the afternoon had been perfect. Nach had even helped some little old lady in one of the stores. She’d thought she lost her wallet, but Nach managed to find it for her. In another store, he’d helped some harried dad find a toy the store thought they were out of. The dad had been praising Nach up and down, swearing he saved Christmas. Not that Beck blamed the guy—no one wanted disappointed kids on Christmas morning.
Nach really was too good to be true. It was like the guy was made of good luck. Even at the coffee shop, his favorite barista had been all down in the dumps, because apparently the person she’d been seeing had broken it off. Then while she was making their coffee (well, hot chocolate with peppermint for Nach), her phone had pinged. She’d checked it, looking like Christmas morning had come early, and when she brought the finished drinks over she’d whispered excitedly that her best friend had just confessed interest in her now that she was single. The barista had seemed over the moon about it, and Beck had gushed and gossipped with her until another customer had walked in. Nach had seemed just as happy for it, even though he didn’t know her.
“Oh!” Beck stopped, so distracted by his thoughts that he’d almost missed the police station across the street. “We should cross! We can file a report about your lost belongings.”
“Ah, yes, the police station,” Nach agreed, looking a bit wary. “No need for it, really. I’ve already taken care of everything.”
“You were there yesterday? Geez, they didn’t even set you up with a hotel? I thought better of our local police,” Beck grumbled. They’d just taken his report and then set him out? Beck was almost of a mind to go over there and tell them off. Where was their Christmas spirit?
“No, no,” Nach assured them. “Your police are lovely, really. I wasn’t looking for assistance.”
