“Nope.” Nick didn’t even have to think all that hard, just react as he lifted Teddy off him and set him back down a safe distance away on the couch.
“So that’s a no on reindeer games?” Teddy seemed neither that put out nor that surprised at Nick’s reaction.
Nick had to laugh, because the alternative was to groan. “Do those cheesy lines usually work for you?”
“Sometimes.” Teddy shrugged. “I’m pretty irresistible.”
Tell me about it. Nick had to admit that the combination of warm fire and hot stew had thawed some of his usual reserve, making Teddy’s come-on tempting. He was funny and kind, and it had been a damn long time, which was exactly why Nick had lifted Teddy off before he could get comfortable, before he could enjoy his weight and nearness.
“I’m not interested in starting something,” Nick said with a conviction he didn’t quite feel. But really, it would be foolish to get involved, even for a night. All it would do would make for an awkward morning and uncomfortable few weeks. And it didn’t matter how often Teddy did this—having boxers that fit someone Nick’s size would point to him having frequent overnight company—but Nick had never been the best at casual hookups and wasn’t about to start now.
And there was the minor matter of Teddy being far from Nick’s usual type—an optimistic young spirit like him deserved some equally exuberant hot young thing. In Nick’s experience, younger men tended to flock to each other, even if someone like Nick was good for a diversion, ultimately young and fun won out. Besides, it would be just his luck to start something and end up accidentally squashing the guy or otherwise being a disappointment in the sack.
“Your loss.” Teddy bounded off the sofa and headed for a cabinet that turned out to hold a small toy store’s worth of board games. “I got this new game off a crowd-funding campaign. You can help me try it out. There’s grumpy giants trying to protect their gold—should be right up your alley.”
“That’s it? You’re not going to try to change my mind?” Nick was getting whiplash at the abrupt change of direction.
“Why would I?” Teddy dragged the tray tables they’d used for eating together and opened the colorful game box. “If I’m not your type, I’m not your type. I mean, I’m not promising to not offer again at some point, but the hard sell isn’t really my style. It was worth a shot to see if you wanted to play, but I’m not the kind of guy to pout just because you don’t want to fool around.”
“It’s not that you’re not cute—”
“Save it.” Teddy’s laugh had turned ever-so-slightly bitter. “I really don’t need the ‘it’s not you’ speech. Sex would have been fun, but I’m just as happy to game.”
“I’m not really a board game player,” Nick admitted.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.” Teddy winked at him and then passed him a little booklet. “These are the directions. You can read them while I get the board set up.”
Nick tried to remember when he’d last played a board game. Had it been when Jacob had still been alive? Probably. Maybe some silly teen thing after that, but he hadn’t had much patience for games by that point, and in the military he’d played plenty of cards, but not board games. He wasn’t sure whether Teddy meant read silently or aloud, but he figured making sure they were on the same page with the rules was a good thing, so he read the instructions out loud while Teddy punched out tokens and sorted cards.
“You must be something else giving orders at work.” Teddy’s voice was warmer than the fire crackling away in front of them. “You’ve got me both scared of messing up and certain I can remember the rules—weird combo.”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to be harsh.” Nick knew his tone needed work, but he really didn’t know a different way to be other than commanding.
“Didn’t say that.” Teddy gave him an easy smile. “You’ve got a nice voice. You’d make a good teacher or professor, I think.”
“Oh God no.” Nick shuddered at the thought. “Give me a good interrogation over a classroom any day. My hat’s off to teachers like Commander Grace’s husband, but I couldn’t do it.”
“I’m not sure that dealing with tourists would be preferable to a classroom,” Teddy said as he passed Nick the dice.
“Yeah, but I’ll be outside, and they’ll be paying me cash. It’s different.” He looked down at the dice. “I’m going first?”
“You’re the guest.” Teddy waited for him to take his turn, which took more deliberation than Nick had expected. These goblins were serious business, several variables to be weighed, and his natural competitive streak was coming through, trying to make sure Teddy wouldn’t be able to take advantage on his turn.
“You and those cousins of yours play a lot of games as kids?” he asked Teddy after finishing his turn.
“Oh yeah.” Teddy’s grin widened. “And my brothers and sisters too. There were six of us. My mom was pretty strict about TV, so we had plenty of game nights. And in college, I had a group of friends who played regularly. The game store near campus is one of the only things I miss about Syracuse.”
“I can see you with a lot of friends,” Nick mused, contemplating his next move on the game. He could play it safe, hoard his existing gold, or go for a risk. But a risk might give Teddy an opening... Decisions, decisions. Teddy was the sort of extrovert Nick found not unlike an alien race. Give Nick a quiet Friday night anytime. “And what was that Rhonda said about you singing? You do that in college too?”
“Yup. Glee club in high school and then a men’s a cappella group in college. You need tenor harmony on an oldies song, I’m your guy.” Teddy ended by humming the chorus to “Jolly Old Saint Nick.” And he deftly took advantage of the opening Nick had left him in the game and collected more gold.
Nick had to laugh, something he seemed to do around Teddy with alarming regularity. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
He concentrated on the game for a few more turns before curiosity got the better of him. “So for such an extrovert, I would have figured you for living right downtown like your cousin. Why are you all the way out in the country?”
“Because I can’t say no,” Teddy groaned. “When I first moved back from Syracuse after grad school, I lived at home. Good cooking and can’t beat the rent. But then my mom started making noises about wanting a quilting room, and next thing I know, she and one of my aunts concocted this plan whereby I move in here while my aunt and uncle try retirement down south. They bought this place intending to fix it up and retire here—the land is the real draw with a big apple orchard. But apparently they started having second thoughts. Must be something in the water, everyone thinking Florida retirement sounds good.”
“It does. Bet they got tired of this—” Nick gestured at the snow still coming down outside the windows. “A boat and some sun sounds about perfect right now.”
“Actually I was thinking hot chocolate.” Teddy sounded more hurt than he had when Nick had turned down his come-on. Lesson learned. Don’t insult the weather.
And before Nick could apologize, Teddy had scampered off to the kitchen where sure enough he rustled up two steaming mugs of hot chocolate for them to drink while they continued the game.
“Thanks. The marshmallows are a nice touch.” Nick figured a compliment would help smooth things over, even though he hadn’t drunk cocoa since he was a kid, and even then, it wasn’t exactly a staple in Phoenix. “So you’re watching this place until your aunt and uncle make up their minds?”
“Pretty much. I keep thinking I might like to buy something myself, close to town like you said, but the longer I live here, the more of a down payment I’ll have.”
“That’s sensible.” Nick was impressed—Teddy was far from the flighty kid he’d first assumed. He had a plan for his future, and Nick could admire that. And out of the elf costume he was infinitely more appealing. He liked Teddy all cozy in his sweatshirt and flannel. He did still look way too young, but he had a good head on his shoulders, as further evidenced by how he was trouncing him at the game.
“Boy, you sure don’t go easy,” he complained.
“Older siblings. I learned to take no quarter.” Teddy grinned up at him. “And admit it, you’re having more fun with the game than you thought you would.”
“I am.” Nick could admit when he’d been wrong. “Way better than TV. I barely turn mine on.”
“Yeah? What do you do when you’re not on duty?”
“Work out. Depending on what base I’ve been stationed at, I’ve done some power lifting competitions.”
“Wow.” Teddy took the opportunity to squeeze Nick’s biceps, and his touch was warm and welcome, even through the robe. Nick couldn’t resist flexing a bit. “I bet you’ve got a stack of medals.”
“I win some. And I read. Crime procedurals mainly, but I like a good classic mystery too. Some historical biographies too. I listen to audio books or podcasts when I work out, then I finish with reading a book in print at home.” Nick knew his life sounded a little boring, but he didn’t bother getting defensive. He’d lived more than enough years to know that he liked what he liked, and what he liked was his alone time. And sure, he occasionally got a pang, wondering what it would be like having someone in the house puttering around while he read. He missed that about Micah, missed being in the hammock on the deck of their place in Hawaii, reading while Micah cooked or painted or practiced his guitar. But Micah had called him dull and old beyond his age and bemoaned their lack of social life, and Nick had no doubt someone else would do the same. No, he was perfectly fine alone, with his books and workouts and the job.
But you won’t have the job forever, a stern voice reminded him and Nick barely suppressed a sigh.
“What? Hot chocolate too sweet?” Teddy’s forehead creased.
“No, the drink is good.”
“I put peppermint schnapps in mine, which means your chances of winning just went up.” Teddy grinned at him, then turned more serious. “But you okay? Worried about the truck?”
“Nah. It’s just a truck, you know? I don’t do sentimental value.” He busied himself taking his next turn in the game so he could pass the dice to Teddy. “Your move.”
“Okay, you’re going to hate me...” Teddy’s eyes sparkled. “But I think I can win with my next move. Or I can spot you another turn? Let you try to catch up?”
Nick scoffed at the notion that he needed to be coddled. “Come on, then, show me your stuff. Win it.”
Which Teddy did in spectacular fashion, clearing the board with a complicated series of moves, ending up with the final cache of gold, half Nick’s gold, and several bonuses too. “Rematch or bed?”
“Sleep. You got a pillow I could have for the couch here?”
“You’re not taking the couch.”
“I said I wasn’t—”
“Sharing is absolutely an option, but that’s not what I meant. I’ll take the couch. No way are you fitting on this all night long.”
“I’ll be fine.” Nick’s voice was gruff. “Not kicking you out of your bed.”
“Oh?” Teddy stood and gestured at the couch, which yeah, was a little short. But Nick could deal. “Show me. Stretch out.”
It was entirely possible that standing in Teddy’s office in his drawers was less humiliating than trying to squash himself onto the couch. He narrowly avoided rolling to the floor, but ended up in a sneezing fit because up close and personal, the couch smelled like a combo of woodsmoke and fabric cleaner of some kind. And his neck and thighs were both cramping, but he tried to not groan aloud.
“Yeah. You look totally comfy.” Teddy shook his head at Nick as he finished putting the game away and banking the fire. “Come on. Bed. I’ll even turn on the electric bed warmer for you.”
“We can share,” Nick said decisively. He’d slept next to men on planes and in various mission situations. Surely he could survive the temptation that was Teddy in a warm bed.
“Excellent.” Teddy’s eyes went dark and hot.
“To sleep,” Nick clarified.
“Darn. Can’t blame a guy for hoping?” Teddy gave him a smile over his shoulder as he led the way up to a cozy sleeping loft. A large, high sleigh bed that still looked too small for both of them dominated the room, piled high with colorful quilts. Teddy clambered onto the bed, crawling across it, muttering something about finding a controller but Nick was too transfixed on his bouncing ass to pay much attention to his words. It was surprisingly round and high and rather bitable and...
“See something you want?” Teddy glanced over his shoulder.
Busted. And he must have not been able to wipe the want off his expression fast enough because Teddy crawled back across the bed to kneel in front of where Nick stood, looking like some angelic offering. An offering Nick wasn’t sure he could turn down a second time.
“How about...” Teddy pitched his voice low and seductive, almost a whisper. “I get it, I’m not your type, but maybe I could turn off the lights and you could... I dunno...pretend? Just for tonight?”
“Never said you weren’t my type,” Nick said, voice like sandpaper. True, he’d been thinking just that an hour earlier, but Teddy not being his usual didn’t mean that Nick didn’t see his appeal or that the chemistry wasn’t there. And fuck, it would be so much easier if the chemistry between them didn’t crackle like the downstairs fire. His hand was apparently done taking orders from his brain that evening and reached out to stroke Teddy’s smooth jaw. “Just that it was a bad idea.”
“It’s an excellent idea.” Teddy stretched like a cat under Nick’s touch, eyes drifting shut, like he was every bit as hungry for Nick’s touch as he was to give it. And Nick gave up the fight with a groan. This was a terrible idea for all sorts of good, logical reasons, and things were likely to get awkward, but hell if he could bring himself to stop touching Teddy. He buried his hand in those golden curls, which were far softer than they looked.
And Teddy knew he’d won, closed the remaining distance between them and looped his arms around Nick’s neck. “Now do I get to tell you what I want?”
This time Nick laughed, long and low. “Yeah. You do.”
“Goody.” Teddy beamed at him. “But it’s probably gonna be easier to show you...”
With that, Teddy leaned in, slow enough that Nick could have stopped him if he’d been so inclined. Which he wasn’t. No, he’d made up his mind to have this thing. He’d deal with the consequences—and there would be consequences—like an adult, but for tonight, he was going to let himself have Teddy.