ELVIS

“Whaaaaa?” A buzzing woke me up. I looked around the dim room utterly confused as to where I was until I remembered Pete had dropped us off at a random hotel last night. I was in a big comfy bed, wrapped around Jonah’s hot, in every sense, body and if it weren’t for the incessant annoying buzzing of his phone, I wouldn’t have moved. Jonah was still dead to the world, so I slipped out of my side to retrieve his mobile. Of course, it was locked but the home screen displayed part of the incoming message from Nico. Wake up, you lazy bastard. You have a house to go live in…

“A house?” I muttered. Suddenly, the conversation from the early hours came flooding back making my brain ache. I groaned. Was I really going to risk my future on a three-day fling? It seemed too good to be true, like something that only took place in fairy tales.

“Ungh,” Jonah grunted and turned from his stomach to his back.

“Nico is messaging you about the house.” I passed him his phone. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. Unlocking the screen, he squinted at the illuminated words, then thrust the phone at me.

“You read it.” His voice was all sleepy, sexy, gruff.

I sat on the bed, cross legged, and opened his WhatsApp. “Wake up, you lazy bastard. You have a house to go live in…Is he always so personable?”

Jonah snorted. “Wait until you meet Nico; you’ll realise this is him being personable.”

“How delightful, I’m sure.” I went back to the messages. “Solicitor finalising details this morning by 11am. Will pick up keys and sort the house. Call you when you can move in.”

“Told you he’d sort it.” Jonah looked very pleased with himself.

“Hold on there’s more. Once you’ve finished fucking ‘forever boy’, read your emails. Need to approve funds for purchase.” I narrowed my eyes at Jonah. “What is he on about?”

“Nico seems to think you’re it for me, clearly.” He shrugged, grasping to get a hold of me. I shook him off and shifted down the bed.

“He hasn’t even met me!” I huffed.

“But he knows me.”

“A little too well, it would seem.” I crossed my arms over my chest. I wasn’t jealous of Nico, but his familiarity with Jonah was mildly irritating. I hated that he knew him so much better than me.

“What time is it?”

I looked at his phone. “Half past seven.”

“Hmm, plenty of time before you have to get to work. How’s your head.” Jonah tilted up onto his elbows for a better view. The sheet dropped down to his waist, exposing his furry chest. I had the urge to rub my face in it. I bet he was all warm. I shivered. “Come and have a cuddle with me. Let’s order a room service breakfast and stay in bed until the very last minute.” Jonah held up the sheets for me to join him. It was too tempting and I was feeling chilly, so I scrambled back in with him. “Argh! You’re bloody freezing!” Jonah wrapped me up in his arms instantly suffusing me with his body heat. He smelled musky and manly; an intoxicating mix.

“Joe?”

“Hmm.” He was sucking at my throat making it hard for me to concentrate.

“Tell me this isn’t a rich man’s Christmas indulgence. Make me believe you really want to get to know me. I’m not going to move in with you right away – I’ll stay over the holidays, but I think we at least need to date a bit before making such a huge commitment.”

Jonah licked up my throat. “Order some food.”

“I’m being serious.”

“I’m sure you think you are, but I know what I want. You. And food.”

The man was exasperating. I was trying to be the sensible one; not something that ever usually happened, and he was being dismissive. I wriggled from under his grasp all the way off the bed. “Hey!” Jonah complained. “I was enjoying you.”

“I’m sure you were.” I pulled on my shorts. I grimaced at the feel of them against my bare junk. Not too pleasant without the barrier of the tights, but they were long gone. I yanked my Harley Quinn t-shirt over my head and shoved my bare feet into my boots. “I’m going home to get ready for work. I’ll meet you for lunch, when hopefully, you’ll have come to your senses.”

I left the room with Jonah scowling rather devastatingly at me. He was far too handsome for his own good and altogether too tempting a package, lying there naked, however, I had to establish some independence if we were ever to work.

“Why? For the love of God, do I have to sabotage everything before it’s even had a chance to start?” I was blabbering to myself all the way down the hall to reception, where I tripped over my feet at the assault on my eyes.

“Oh, my goodness.” I blinked. I couldn’t wait for Jonah to see this. I couldn’t decide if it was Christmas kitsch heaven or hell. Four huge, heavily decorated fake trees stood in the corner of the space. A huge Nativity scene took up the central atrium of the glass domed lobby. Santa on a sleigh led by two enormous reindeer accompanied by various little elves danced alongside it. Fake snow covered the floor. The entire area was both adorable and despicable, but certainly festive. My feet were rooted to the spot while I took it all in.

“Well, that’s very, umm, Christmassy?” Jonah’s deep voice rumbled through me from behind. I turned to look at him. He should have looked horribly dishevelled being that his shirt was creased, his waistcoat hung undone and his tails hung askew. Yet, he took my breath away. He looked more fucked silly than hurriedly dressed, and it suited him. “Pete will take you home. Come on.” He took my hand and led me out to the car.

We sat in silence the entire way back to my house. When we arrived, Jonah gave me a little kiss on the cheek and told me he’d see me at lunch time. He didn’t seem cross, but my stomach was in knots all the same.

“Mum!” I called out as I came in through the front door.

“Elvis! Did you have fun, honey?” Mum was in the kitchen faffing with cereal boxes and dirty plates. She was in her trackies, so obviously not on early shift. “Bloody hell, you look rough.” She gave me a sceptical look followed by a frown. “Sit down, let me make you a cup of tea. Tell me all about it.”

My siblings, Janis and Freddie, seventeen-year-old twins, had left for school already, giving me a chance to have some quality time with my Mum, which meant me telling her about Jonah so she could dish out some advice.

“Fuck me!”

“Is that all you’ve got?” I implored.

“Well, love, it’s a bit extreme, isn’t it? This time last week we were planning to go to the pub on Boxing Day, and now you’re telling me you’re moving in with a millionaire to his, sorry, your, country estate.”

“It’s a converted barn; don’t exaggerate.”

Mum tutted. “You know what I mean. It’s a lot to take in, Elvis.”

“You’re telling me!” I threw my hands in the air.

“Ian!” My mum yelled up the stairs to my dad. “Let’s see what your dad thinks.” We heard him thumping down the stairs, when the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it.” A muffled exchange was followed by the familiar sound of the front door closing. “It’s a delivery for you, Elvis.”

Dad entered the kitchen holding a huge Christmas bouquet. A variety of fragrant red flowers were tied in a luxurious spray. I noted lilies, carnations and roses, mixed with pine and holly. Dad handed me the card.

Elvis. Thank you for a wonderful week so far. I never want it to end…Joe x

Tears welled up in my eyes. The fact he’d signed it Joe, and not Jonah, made it very personal. Mum laid a hand on my arm.

“I’m gonna go with a yes on this one, love.”

“How the hell did he manage to get these delivered so quickly?” My dad mused, ever the romantic.

“Nico, the Ninja PA,” I laughed.

“Get the big vase from the lounge, Ian. I’ll make some toast, while Elvis gets his head out of his arse and remembers his manners.” I chortled at my mother’s admonishment. I tapped out a short message to Jonah, deciding to thank him properly at lunch time. “Son…” My mum caught my attention. She wore a sweet smile on her beautiful face. “You’re twenty-five, not fifty. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Grab life by the horns sweet boy, and take every opportunity you’re given.”

Her words of wisdom made me feel like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. She was right; I had nothing to worry about at this stage. I was going to go for it. “I love you, Mum,” I told her, as I dashed upstairs to get ready for work.

The day passed quickly. There were only four and a half shopping days left ‘til Christmas, and customers were flooding into Kent Village thick and fast. A delivery arrived with Zapato’s donation to the LGBTQ+ kids, and Mateo Garcia himself called to see how things were going. All in all, lunch time came and went without a chance to go and see Jonah. By six o’clock, Shelly had thrown up four times resulting in me sending her home, opting to cover the late shift myself. I sent Jonah a text to let him know. Shortly after, a Starbucks order was delivered for all the staff, including several coffees, mince pies and other cakes. I was learning that Jonah was an extremely generous man who did special things to make his recipients feel better, not merely as an indulgence on his part.

The busy night drew to a close. Maddy and George began tidying, while I cashed up. We had taken far more money than Mateo had targeted us with, leaving me with an immense feeling of satisfaction. Our product range was good quality and very trendy, but I was convinced it was my team that went all out to make good sales. I pondered on what to reward them with while I punched in our figures to the spreadsheet that was shared by all the Zapato store managers. Despite being the only Zapato Outlet, we were top of the list. I felt great. Moments later my phone rang. My eyes went wide at the number on the display.

“Mr Garcia, sir, what a pleasure.” I was a little nervous speaking with the big boss.

“Elvis, I wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic day of sales. Well done.” Mr Garcia had a heavy Spanish accent, but his English was good.

“Thank you. I have a very good team.”

“And they have an excellent manager.”

I chewed on my lip. “About that…” I might as well get it over with. “I’ve been offered another position. Here at Kent Village, actually.” I went on to explain the situation and how I was going to be the new Vera Kingsley. Mateo took it remarkably well and even congratulated me. He promised to consider my recommendation of Maddy for manager, which made me very happy.

“Anyway, I must go now, I have a flight to catch.”

“Ok, sir, thank you for calling. Have a Merry Christmas.”

Rich laughter tumbled down the phone. “I’ll see you Sunday, Elvis. Mr Woolf invited me to attend the event.”

“Oh, wow!” The call cut off, leaving me stunned. If I’d have known Mateo was visiting, I might not have been so quick to tell him I was leaving. I hoped it wouldn’t be awkward.

My phone vibrated with an incoming message.

Urgent business meeting in London first thing – not going to make it tonight as heading up there now to prepare. Miss you. See you tomorrow. Joe x

I was disappointed not to see Jonah after work, but perhaps the little break would give me some much-needed breathing space.

Jonah arranged to pick me up after closing on Friday night. Maddy and Shelly’s Christmas gift to me was the day off on Saturday, even though it would be manic. They promised me that Mateo had authorised it. He told them that we had so far exceeded his expectations, that it was the least he could do. I was pathetically grateful. I desperately wanted to spend time with Jonah and I was dying to see the house. Now we had time to put up Christmas decorations, I was really excited.

“Fucking hell – that is one sexaaaaay man.” Maddy was peering out the front window with Shelly hanging off her back.

“Lucky son of a bitch,” she snarled at me. I flipped her the bird. It was all good natured. I nudged them away to see what they were leering over, when a tall, broad man, dressed head to toe in motorcycle leathers, waved at us.

“Is that…” I clutched my chest and pushed down on my groin.

“Yup – Mr Insta-stiffy,” Maddy nodded. “

“I’m gonna faint,” I squeaked. “Oh, my, dayssssss.” I pretended to swoon, fanning myself as Jonah approached. His muscular thighs encased in leather were a sight for sore eyes. Definitely something to be stored away for jerk-off material.

“Evening.” He’d raised the visor of his helmet.

“Hi, Mr Kent,” Maddy replied with a slightly manic hitch to her voice.

“’Lo,” was all Shelley could manage. They blushed furiously before making their escape amid loud and frequent giggling.

“Sorry about them.” I cocked my head in their direction.

“No need. They’re both cute.”

I couldn’t stop myself from reaching across to stroke the soft leather covering his chest. It was warm to the touch. “You came back from London on your bike?”

“It was quicker than the car, and I’d already granted Pete some time off for Christmas shopping. He’s going to help Izzy and Adam with the kids on Sunday, so it made sense for him to stay in London.” Jonah tugged his helmet off.

“There you are,” I whispered, falling into his arms. “I missed you.”

“You did?”

“Uh huh. I thought I needed the space, but I hated not seeing you yesterday.”

“Me too.” He kissed my cheek. “You’re sweet.” He nuzzled my nose. “And you smell so good.” I scrunched my nose at his compliment, because after a busy day at work, I was a touch ripe. “Let me take you home. I want you to pack a bag and stay over at the barn house.” I smiled at him.

“The Barn House. Is that what we’re calling it? I like that.”

“Henceforth, I declare it shall be herewith known as.” Jonah was being all Shakespearean. He was funny.

“Right, well, follow me then.” I left the girls to lock up. “My Mini is parked in the staff car park.”

“I know, I left my bike next to it.”

Jonah followed me home. I was super anxious because my entire family would be there huddled in front of the telly, but I guessed it was as good a time as any to introduce them to him. I parked in my spot on the driveway in front of my house. It somehow looked smaller than usual, and a little run down, if I’m honest. Mum and Dad had been meaning to do some repairs this year, but Janis, Freddie and I insisted they go on holiday instead, which they needed more. I was babbling away trying to explain all of this to Jonah, before we went inside.

“It hasn’t been decorated in a while because, well you know, it’s expensive raising a family. The twins are spoilt rotten. I pay rent, but my parents won’t spend it. They want to save it for me. For when I move out…” I bit my lip. It was only a couple of thousand quid – Jonah had suits that cost more than that.

“Hey!” He pulled me into his arms. “Stop whatever doubts are running a mile a minute through your mind. I’m not judging.” He kissed me softly. “Come on, let’s go meet the Smiths.”

“I’m home!” I called out over the volume of the television blaring from the lounge. “And I’ve brought Jonah with me.” Everything went eerily quiet. I grinned at Jonah, gesturing for him to follow.

The light in the lounge was low. Mum usually lit a few church candles and set them in the fireplace. This month they were red and smelled like Christmas. Our tree was in the back of the room by the French doors that lead out on to the garden patio. Ornaments and baubles added over the years, hung off every branch haphazardly. An ever-growing pile of gifts sat at the base. I cast my eyes around the room and chuckled. It actually looked like a grotto, but I loved it. Any worries I’d had about bringing Jonah home dissipated in the face of so much love in the room. Mum and Dad sat on the couch. Dad was rubbing Mum’s weary feet. Janis and Freddie sat in armchairs either side of them. Someone had made tea – empty mugs and biscuit crumbs crowded the big pine coffee table, along with newspapers, magazines, and a bowl of festive pot pourri.

Jonah shifted behind me. He’d left his helmet in the hall and undone his jacket. Mum and Dad jumped up from their sofa and welcomed us in. They weren’t much for worrying about appearances. Dad was in his usual comfy house gear of baggy gym shorts and a t-shirt. Mum wore black leggings and a huge sweat shirt. Janis and Freddie were in matching jeans and t-shirts – they were weird like that.

“Welcome to our home, Jonah.” Dad held out his hand and Jonah shook it. He leaned down and gave Mum a kiss on the cheek. It was cute to see her blush.

“Very pleased to meet you both.” His deep voice boomed loudly in the cosy room. Janis and Freddie cleared their throats. “Hello.” He turned his killer smile to my siblings, who both seemed to wilt under the glory of it. I wondered fleetingly if Freddie was gay, or maybe bi. I’d have to have a chat with him. Judging by the way he was blushing, it was entirely possible.

“Sit, sit.” Mum guided Jonah to the couch. His big body took up a lot of space. “We’ve heard so much about you.” Jonah raised his eyebrows at me.

“I’ll, er, go get my stuff.” I pointed to the ceiling and dived upstairs. I could hear conversation punctuated with laughter wafting out of the lounge while I packed, and it made my heart sing.

“So, we’ll see you both on Christmas Day.” Mum came to the door to see us off. Jonah donned his helmet, straddled his bike, and waited for me to follow him. “He’s so fit,” Mum giggled, pretending to swoon.

“Yup!” I agreed, laughing at her antics.

“He seems like a good man, Elvis, love. I’m happy for you.” She hugged and kissed me hard, hanging on for an extra-long moment. My heart squeezed again. It felt like so much more than a simple goodbye. I was leaving.

“Love you, Mum,” I told her as I jumped into my Mini and followed Jonah home.

The house was everything Nico had shown us, and so much more. It was a work of restored beauty. The family who’d owned it had spent thousands doing it up and hadn’t lived in it for more than three months before they were called overseas. It was a great find. Jonah and I spent the entire night fucking all over the house, finally falling into an exhausted slumber in the master bedroom. The next day, after fucking in the shower and over the kitchen island counter, we went into Oxford City Centre to buy Christmas decorations. Nico had a real tree installed yesterday and we spent the afternoon dressing it. I plugged my phone into the surround sound system setting my Christmas playlist on repeat. We ordered in Chinese take-away which we ate in front of our brand new 80-inch TV. Netflix had some great Christmas flicks that I made Jonah sit through. We ended up on the rug in front of our roaring log fire. Then we lost our clothes; then Jonah took me to heaven.

Being fucked by Jonah took me to heights of euphoria like nothing I’d previously experienced. He knew just the right angle to peg my prostate, edging me until I thought I would go mad. When he finally allowed me to come, I invariably blacked out from the power of my orgasms. It was an intense 24 hours where we got to know one another’s bodies intimately, with alarming frequency. Sunday morning rolled around all too quickly before we’d even had a chance to properly discuss living arrangements, or our relationship. Jonah promised we would make time on Christmas Eve. I suspected he was being deliberately evasive, having gotten everything he wanted, i.e. me!

“Are you all set for our guest shoppers?” Jonah asked me as we got dressed for the day. I was off to work; he was going to a pre-shopping party with his friends and the kids from The Woolf-Cohen LGBT Centre.

“Yup. The special delivery arrived last week. Mateo sent over some fantastic goodie bags too. He’s a real softie. Oh, I forgot to mention, he’s going to be here today. Came over especially for the event.”

“Hmm, that’s nice of him.”

I side-eyed Jonah. He was acting weird. Still, I was in a hurry and I had to get to the shop in time to change into my Christmas outfit. Maddy had bought us all matching Santa dresses from Primark; I couldn’t wait to see George in his.

Jonah’s Jag had been brought to the new house. Apparently, Nico had driven it up. I was curious to meet him later. We took our separate cars to work as we wouldn’t be leaving at the same time, but we parked next to each other for a final kiss before we went about our daily business. The last-minute shoppers were literally buying like crazy, and it was all hands-on deck to assist on the busy shop floor.

The day flew by, and true to Sunday trading laws, the Village shops were duty bound to close at 5pm. We had a good hour to tidy up and get ready for our VIP shoppers. I filled big bowls with Christmas chocolates and placed them around the store. There were also crackers, mince pies and festive paper cups of non-alcoholic mulled wine.

“And you must be ‘forever boy’…”

My heart thumped at the familiar voice. I was about to meet the infamous Nico. I inhaled deeply and mentally pulled up my big girl panties. Plastering a big smile on my face, I turned to face him.

“Oh, wow.” I clamped a hand over my mouth. Nico was fucking stunning. He was maybe a couple of years older than me, not quite as tall, but equally slim. He was executive smart, wearing an expensive grey suit with a white shirt and blue tie, but it was his face that caught my attention. Nico was Japanese or maybe Korean; I couldn’t tell. His eyes were such a dark brown they almost looked black which matched the colour of his expertly styled hair. He had cheekbones that could have cut glass and skin like porcelain. Not a blemish marred his beautiful face. His slim nose and sculpted eyebrows completed the most perfect visage I had seen outside of fashion magazines.

I was going to kill Jonah. Not only could he have warned me, but now my insecurities were off the scale. “Nico?”

“Darling, Elvis.” To my utter amazement, Nico’s eyes welled up as he pulled me into a big hug. “I’ve been watching you for a bit. You are everything he said you were and so much more. Thank you for taking a chance on Jonah, he so deserves it. I’m in love with you already.” My mouth fell open. Nico was even more affected than I was. “We’re going to be great friends, I just know it. Now come on show me around.” Nico linked arms with me urging me to give him a guided tour. “You’ve done splendidly, Elvis. I’m so impressed. Now, we’re going to have to put in a date to have lunch, I’m sure you have many questions.” Nico pulled out his phone, gesturing for me to do the same and we made a date for late January. I found him utterly mesmerising and could see why Jonah kept him close. I couldn’t wait to get to know him a bit better.

Zapato was the last shop on the list for the kids to visit so by the time they arrived, they were hyped up on all the exciting purchases they’d already made. I was warned in advance of their impending arrival by a serene and stunningly beautiful man, Angel. In his sexy French accent, he thanked me for agreeing to stay open and help. I was truly mesmerised, so much so that I failed to notice Jonah and another man enter the shop.

“Elvis.” I recognised that voice.

“Mr Garcia?” I was shocked. My boss was extremely handsome in a very typical Latino way. Dark olive skin, green eyes, brown hair and a very nicely toned body. He looked exceptionally fit for a man well into his forties.

“I am so glad to meet you.” He shook my hand vigorously, then unrestrained, pulled me in for a hug. He didn’t seem to care that I was in a Christmas dress and heels, lip stick and all. “The shop looks wonderful.”

Jonah was beaming with what I hoped was pride. “I’m sorry to steal your star employee, Mateo, but he has outgrown this position and a vacancy presented itself that was too good to pass by. Elvis will be a great asset to Kent Incorporated.”

“I cannot blame you, Elvis. I am sure that Jonah made a very good case for you to leave us.” Mr Garcia smiled fondly at Jonah, making it obvious that this was not the first time they had met. For some reason, I felt a little anxious about their relationship. “I understand you and Jonah have been seeing each other.”

I gasped. My head whipped from Jonah to Mr Garcia. They wore matching expressions of fondness. Jonah’s was directed towards me, while Mr Garcia gazed at Jonah with an undeniable look of love.

“Oh my God,” I breathed. Jonah started, but I held up my hand. “Give me a minute.”

“Jonah.” Mr Garcia did not sound happy with my boyfriend. “Have you not told him?”

“Yes, Jonah,” I cocked my hip at him. ”Something you forgot to mention?”

Before a startlingly sheepish Jonah Kent could confess to at the very least, shagging my boss, a horde of excitable kids fell into the shop. There was much ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ over the trendy lines we carried, and when Mateo presented them all with their goodie bags, they went wild. My heart felt like it was going to explode with joy. The Jonah and Mateo scenario would be re-visited later, for now I was too caught up in dishing out fashion advice to a bunch of wary tweens. I had a hard job trying not to drool over all of Jonah’s friends involved in the charity. I was looking forward to meeting everyone at Jason Greenall’s house later that evening. He’d invited everyone over to have dinner. The kids would go back with the two older couples; Izzy and Jason’s parents.

Jonah grabbed me as they were leaving laden down with boxes of trainers and boots. “I’ll see you back at our house and we’ll head over to Jason’s around eightish. Is that ok?”

I threw him the look of an utter diva. “Yes, dear. Just like we already arranged this morning.” I rolled my eyes. “Was this your way of seeing whether I’m speaking to you?”

“Are you?” His eyes darkened. His voice had dropped dangerously low.

“Depends.” I turned away, swishing my hips, leaving him wanting.

I arrived at home before Jonah, which I was pleased about. I had something special to wear tonight. I wanted to impress Jonah, but was also conscious of doing him proud in front of his friends. I ditched my ever-faithful skinny jeans and t-shirt for a suit. I had splurged on something more expensive than I would usually buy. I knew Reiss was hardly in the same leagues as Jonah’s designer labels, but it was the most I could afford, along with a shirt and brogues. I twirled this way and that, studying my reflection in the mirror of our dressing room. The slim fit, Oxford check suit hung perfectly. I hated the look that many young men wore where the suit looked two sizes too small, I wanted to feel like an adult.

“You look incredible.” Jonah startled me; I hadn’t heard him enter the dressing room. He was leaning up against the open doorway looking devastatingly handsome in his own beautiful suit. He was wearing a tie, unlike me, and looked more business-like than fashionable, yet he was so damn sexy, he stole my breath. But, he had some explaining to do before I allowed myself to be misled by his adulation.

I played with the cuffs of my shirt. I had borrowed a pair of my Dad’s cufflinks. They were plain silver; understated elegance, in my opinion. Not something one would usually associate with Elvis Smith, but we all had to grow up sometime.

“Still in a huff?” Jonah cocked his head at me.

“A huff? I don’t think discovering your boyfriend used to shag your boss, is best described as a huff.” I suddenly had a horrible thought. “I used the past tense, but I remember someone telling me not to make assumptions…” I was concentrating very hard on not letting my voice wobble. I picked at an imaginary stray thread on my jacket.

Jonah straightened up to his full height and rather formidably, stalked across the room to grab me by the biceps. “I would never cheat on you.”

I swallowed hard in the face of his utter despair that I would think that of him. I immediately regretted my flippant remark. The truth was, I trusted Jonah implicitly. It was a vile accusation intended to hurt. I was a horrible person. My eyes welled up.

“I’m sorry.”

Jonah released me. “No, it’s me who should be apologising. I should have told you that I knew Mateo.”

“Intimately,” I interjected.

“Yes. That too.” Jonah sighed. “It was a long time ago, and for a very short period. He was always a kind and generous man. He’s a very good friend now, although I don’t get to see him very often.”

Jonah made it sound as if Mateo had been there when he’d needed him. A stab of hurt pierced my chest. He was always so stoic and independent, I hadn’t given a thought to the fact that he might not have always been like that. Especially having been rejected by his family when he was so young.

“Joe. Really, it’s not my business who you used to go out with. It’s clear Mateo is very fond of you still.”

“Likewise.” Jonah kissed my lips sweetly. “Is that ok?”

I had another slightly disturbing thought. “You and Mateo didn’t orchestrate this whole thing, did you?” I pointed my finger back and forth between us.

“No sweets, but when I told him I thought I was falling in love with one of his store managers, he was more than a little curious.”

My heart melted. I know we had declared our love for one another the night after the Christmas party, but it hadn’t sort of been mentioned since, and I wasn’t confident Jonah hadn’t been drunk at the time. Hearing him tell me he’d already run it past an old flame was reassuring. And wonderful. I hugged him on impulse. His strong arms embraced me and we stood together silently for a few moments. I think Jonah sensed I was feeling overwhelmed. He took a step back while holding my chin in his hand.

“You are it for me, Elvis Smith. My blue-eyed boy. I waited a long time for you, and I promise never to lie to you again, even by omission, if I can help it.”

“Same,” I rasped. Jonah was being extremely intense.

“On New Year’s Day we’re going on a holiday. Mateo has arranged for someone to come in to support Maddy in her new role as Manager, and Nico has agreed to work from Oxford so that he can oversee Kent Village while you’re gone.”

I gasped. I hadn’t been away for a couple of years, preferring to save my money. I had wanted to move away from home as soon as possible. Now I realised I had made that dream come true, just by falling in love with a man who happened to be rich and generous.

“Oh wow! Where are we going?” I was practically bouncing with excitement. “Somewhere hot, I hope?”

“Caribbean cruise sound ok to you?” Jonah grinned. I clutched my chest. It was my all-time ultimate dream.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Have you been speaking to Maddy?”

“Possibly.” His eyes crinkled with suppressed laughter. “You also mentioned it in one of your breath defying rants.”

“Oh my God, I don’t know what to say!”

“Say, I love you, Jonah.”

“I love you, Jonah.”

“Merry Christmas, my beautiful boy.” Jonah kissed me. It was all consuming, passionate, needy and dominant. It was everything I needed to prove how much he loved me back.

Dinner at Greenall Manor was amazing. The old house was spectacular, and our host, Jason, made us feel very welcome. He had indulged his flair for the dramatic by decking out his halls with boughs of holly and a heap of other Christmas themed props. I felt like I’d entered a winter wonderland; it was awesome.

Jonah knew most of the people there. He wasn’t close to them, but then he’d confessed, he didn’t have many proper friends because he moved around so much. Now that he intended to stay in Oxford, he thought perhaps we should become better acquainted with what he considered a great group. Over the course of the evening, it became clear these men were more like family. They were an eclectic bunch hailing from all walks of life. They were all gay, although their sexual preferences varied.

Izzy was a Master Dom, but only played with his husband Adam nowadays, unless specifically commissioned. Adam was huge, but went against typical stereotype by being Izzy’s Boy.

Jason was seeing a scary French dude called Remi, and the ethereal Angel. Their triad was intriguing. As was Rob, Liam and Sanjay’s. Rob and Liam were policemen. Sanjay worked as the manager of an exclusive men’s BDSM club. Liam was the dominant in their dynamic, but apparently, only Rob was submissive. Sanjay just sort of fitted in.

A quiet boy, going by Bastien, stayed next to his man, Tal, all night. They seemed very close. Then there was a pair of stunningly handsome black twins who really drew my attention. They answered to the initials G & T, which was hilarious. Not that anyone would ever laugh at them, being that they were both enormous. And very fucking sexy. I was initially shocked that they had a thing for each other, but imagining them together soon morphed into an embarrassingly obvious arousal. In my tight suit trousers, it was difficult to hide how turned on I was.

“Don’t worry. They have that effect on everyone.” Adam Cohen bent down to whisper in my ear. For a man who should have come across as exceedingly menacing considering his size, I discovered he was quite the opposite. It helped he was wearing a collar and leash and tiny leather boy shorts. His mane balanced precariously in a bun on the top of his head, secured by a leather thong. I hoped at some point it would fall out. His husband, Isadore Woolf, held the leash loosely. He was in deep conversation with Jonah. I sighed. The pair of them together were unbelievably sexy. Powerful, dominant and successful was an intoxicating aphrodisiac.

“How do you cope?” I asked Adam. “Do you get used to it?”

“Being around this level of sexiness, you mean?” Adam swept his hand across the room.

“Yes!” I exclaimed. “It’s almost unbearable.” I pushed down on my groin.

“Why do you want to get used to it? Don’t you like being turned on?” Adam brushed his hairy face across mine, depositing a sweet kiss on my cheek. Izzy scowled, tugging on the leash hard, causing Adam to stumble. He chuckled. Jonah grinned at their dynamic. He shook Izzy’s hand and walked over to me.

“I think Adam just used you to get a punishment from his master.”

“I can’t cope.”

“Have another drink.” Jonah grabbed me another Porn Star martini from a passing waiter. He poured the prosecco shot into it first. I drank it down quickly.

“Delicious.”

We worked the room, meeting and chatting with the other guests. Remi was belligerent; Angel serene; Liam and Rob were hilarious; Sanjay was distinguished elegance; Tal and Bastien stood slightly apart from the crowd looking devastatingly handsome; G & T were mesmerising, and then there was our host. The Good Lord.

Jason was utterly pissed and totally inappropriate with everyone. It was so entertaining to witness and I found myself cracking up at his antics. Several times, Angel had to hold Remi back from berating their boyfriend, especially when he took all his clothes off and ran around with a huge sprig of mistletoe. We all got a taste of him. It was great fun.

Mateo arrived accompanied by Nico. Apparently, they were also great friends and occasional lovers. I’d asked Jonah if Nico was gay and he’d shrugged. “He’s what I think is called pan. Doesn’t really care about gender; just goes with whoever he fancies.” I was enthralled. It further fuelled my desire to spend time getting to know this charismatic and fascinating man.

Mateo and Nico stayed for a quick drink but made their apologies for dinner. I got to spend a little bit of time chatting with them. Mateo told me to look after Jonah, and promised we’d meet up again soon. I marvelled at how Mateo had gone from boss to friend in such a short time. Being around Jonah was having an amazing impact on my life, making me beyond excited for our future.