Page 34 of Christmas Spirit
“Georgie.”
They spoke at once, and fell into silence at once.
Georgie swallowed. The dancing, waxy light threw shadows over Roland’s face, pockets of darkness against pockets of light, shifting and undulating, and all the time his eyes shone bright and glittering.
“You—you go first,” Georgie said, stumbling over his words.
“I want to say thank you. For everything you’ve done for me, since the accident. Your concern, it was…”
In the shifting light, Roland shrugged. The movement was small, almost nothing, but there was a sadness in the simple raise and drop of Roland’s shoulder that reached deep into Georgie’s chest, and squeezed his heart.
“Still reckon you should have seen a doc, to get checked over.” Georgie cleared his throat, suddenly rough, dry, and thick.
Roland laughed, rich and deep, the sound spilling down Georgie’s backbone.
“Then it was just as well it was a minor accident, because we couldn’t have got to a doctor, and one couldn’t have got here. In case you’ve not noticed, we’re stranded. Honestly, Georgie, I’m fine. You really should trust me.”
Roland smiled, but Georgie couldn’t smile back. With blood running from his pale and lifeless face, and slumped over the steering wheel, Roland had looked… He swallowed.
“For a moment, I thought—I didn’t find your pulse, not at first—”
“I’ve taken more than my share of knocks over the years so maybe I’m tougher than you seem to think.” Roland sighed. “But thank you. Your concern was touching, and rare.”
Sadness. Like the shrug, Roland’s words were brimming with sadness, and a bone-numbing loneliness, as cold and deep and fathomless as the ocean. Georgie wanted to take that sadness away, to lift its weight from Roland’s shoulders, if only for a moment, because he knew what it was to be sad and alone. With no thought, with only instinct to guide him, Georgie leaned into Roland and, cupping his hands to the back of Roland’s head, eased him down into a kiss.
It was little more than a brush of lips. It was a kiss of comfort and care, of wanting to make something right. It was the softest, most heartfelt kiss Georgie had ever given, because all he wanted was to ease the sadness Georgie knew, justknew, wound itself around Roland’s soul.
Georgie stared up at Roland. Under the wavering candle light, Roland’s eyes were dark and shadowed, unreadable. And he was still. So, so still. Georgie’s heart beat a fast and wild rhythm.
What had he done? Roland was his boss… if he needed a reason to fire him, this was it… Roland would think he was coming onto him, making a pass… and he wasn’t. Was he?
Georgie ran a shaking hand down his face.
“Oh—oh, God,” he stammered. “I’m so sorry. I—I didn’t mean—I mean I did, but not because—”
“I think the staff handbook says kissing the boss is a sackable offence,” Roland said, his voice even and measured. “I’ll have to insist Julia changes the rules.”
Roland pulled him in tight, and Georgie gasped as Roland crushed his lips to his. The gasp turned to a moan, then into a kiss that was hot, hard, savage in its intensity. And Georgie wanted more, he wanted more now, with this man.
He wanted Roland.
Georgie crushed his body to Roland’s, whimpering into the other man’s mouth as he clamped his hands to Roland’s arse, hitching him forward and grinding their steel hard cocks together.
Roland whined, the sound begging and needy. A tiny thrill of triumph rippled through Georgie. Roland wanted him, the man whose disdainful and contemptuous gaze had made him feel like nothing,wantedhim. Roland was his, to say yes or no to. For once in his life, he,Georgie, was in control.
The power was heady, intoxicating. It felt so damn good.
It felt wrong.
Because in his arms, Roland was trembling.
It was want, it was lust, it was need and desire, because wasn’t he feeling those things too?
But it was more, something else, something deeper.
Sadness, and loneliness.
Georgie’s heart clenched hard in his chest, and he eased himself back, putting a hair’s breadth of distance between them.
