Braden grabbed Wes’s jacket from the closet and tossed it to him. Wes caught it and Braden grabbed his own. Once they each were clothed in coats, beanies, and gloves, he opened the door for Wes, who stepped out.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“Not far. You looked like you were ready to bolt on my sister and dad, so I figured you needed a break. Plus, I really want to show you something.”
They were silent as they walked through the dark, around the backside of the house, and up the small hill. The air around them was cold as hell, but he ignored it. A few minutes later, they made it to the top of the hill and Wes froze in his tracks. Braden couldn’t help but smile. He wrapped his arms around Wes’s waist from behind as they looked down at the lights of the city below. At the oversized Christmas tree in the center of it, lit up with different colors, and the snow on top of businesses.
“Jesus, man. It looks like a postcard or something,” Wes whispered.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I used to sneak out here at night sometimes when I was younger. I’d spend half the night looking at it...well, I don’t really know why. But yeah, I always liked it.” Leaning forward, Braden rested his chin on Wes’s shoulder. “Wanted you to see it.”
He felt Wes stiffen a little, but then his body relaxed. He laid his arms over Braden’s, which were still around him. “Aww, are you a closet romantic, Braden?” he teased.
“Do you want me to be?” Braden countered.
It took Wes a minute to reply. “I don’t like the fact that I’m pretty sure I’d like you no matter how you were.”
His body suddenly wasn’t cold anymore. In this moment, he felt like nothing could harm him. “You say shit like that to me, Wesley, and you’re going to make me want to claim you.”
“I’m sure you tell all the guys...and girls that.” There was a forced playfulness to his voice that Braden knew he tried to put there.
“Whatever you have to tell yourself.” He kissed Wes’s neck. The man turned around immediately, his mouth coming down on Braden’s this time. His gloved hands held the sides of Braden’s face as Braden’s arms wrapped around his waist again. It was a slow, sensual assault, a slow dance of tongues, probing then pulling back for the other to lead. He tasted mint, and wondered if Wes had chewed gum or brushed his teeth after dinner. He felt the warmth of man, making the cold evaporate.
Braden sucked Wes’s lip into his mouth then gently bit it. When he tried to pull back, Wes nipped at him. “Come back here,” he whispered, and then they were kissing again. He let his hand slide down to cup Wes’s ass, swallowed the moan that pulled from Wes’s throat.
He reveled at the feel of Wes’s facial hair against his own. His cock got hard even though he knew he wouldn’t get to use it tonight. Wes would be in Braden’s old room with Jessie, and Braden was sleeping on the futon in the office. He wouldn’t get to use it on this trip at all unless he was alone. But this right here? For the first time in his life, this was enough.
***
The house was even more hectic the next morning than it had been the night before. Emmy was in the kitchen making a huge breakfast. There was a table full of kids drinking hot chocolate and pretty much yelling over each other so they could all speak at the same time—Jessie right in the middle of them. She fell right in with Braden’s family, like she’d always belonged. That had a lot to do with the Roth clan. He was pretty sure they were some of the most incredible people out there and that they’d make anyone feel at home—like they belonged.
The way Braden does with me...? Wes pushed those thoughts aside.
It was noon before everyone was dressed, fed and ready to leave. Apparently it was a Roth family tradition to go into the woods and cut down their own tree on Christmas eve.
“Why do you do it so late?” Wes asked as they drove.
“My parents have always done it that way. They say the tree should be special, and it should be about Christmas. If it’s up for weeks ahead of time, then it doesn’t feel new, like something special for that specific day.” He chuckled. “I don’t know. It’s something Mom came up with when we were kids, and Dad always says a happy wife makes a happy life.”
Those words soured Wes’s stomach, though he wasn’t sure why until Braden said, “Though, I like ‘A happy spouse makes a happy house’ better.”
The fact that his words helped made Wes feel like an idiot. “You’re cheesy.”
“You like me that way.”
He did.
A little while later, the vehicles were parked and the army that was Braden’s family stomped through the trees, looking for the perfect one. It wasn’t a short walk, and no one could seem to agree on which one they wanted.