could just tell Rom
you’re interested.”
Lon froze. “No!”
Wod shrugged. “It’s the best way. Then there’s no chance he’ll misunderstand
or overlook you.”
“No. You can’t.”
Wod watched him as he slowly sucked icing off one index finger. “Why not?”
46
Jet Mykles
Lon tore his eyes off Wod’s finger to meet his eyes. “That’s not… No.”
Instinctively, he reached for Wod but managed to stop his sticky fingers before he
grabbed the bigger man’s wrist. Hand hovering above Wod’s, he pleaded with his
eyes. “Please. Promise me you won’t tell him.”
Wod glanced down at Lon’s hand, then back up at his face.
“Please.”
“All right.”
Relieved, Lon pulled his hand back. Instead of sucking on his fingers, he
picked up a cloth napkin that lay neatly folded next to his plate and used it.
“Okay. How about if I arrange a time for you to be alone with him? Or we could
go over there now. I’m sure his playmate’s gone by now.”
Lon spread his palms on the table and stood. “I’ve got to go.”
“What?”
“No.” Lon backed away from the chair. “Thank you for offering to help…”
Wod stood. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know but I… Just no.”
He spun and fled. A part of him knew he wouldn’t make it to the front door.
Or, at least, out the front door. He managed to grasp the handle before Wod’s larger
body closed in behind him, pressing him up against the solid pine of the door.
“Stay and finish your breakfast, Lon.”
Heat. Lon closed his eyes, trying not to wish that he wasn’t wearing his jacket
and shirt so he could experience just how good Wod’s bare skin would feel against
his. That was just frustration talking. “No, thank you.”
“Did I do something to upset you?”
Yes ! “No. I… I just need to…to think.”
Reindeer Games
47
Wod’s heat eased back, and Lon pried his eyes open to see the other man
stepping away. Wod appeared in plain view in front of him, to lean against the wall
beside the door.
He grinned kindly. “Don’t think too hard, Lon.”
Swallowing, Lon opened the front door. “I…won’t.”
He didn’t want to know why Wod started laughing at that. He just left.
48
Jet Mykles
Chapter Seven
Lon couldn’t avoid seeing anyone as he walked home, but he did manage to
skirt Santa Claus Lane for most of his way down the hill by walking behind the
bushes. Most of the reindeer’s yards were more or less connected closer to the Lane,
so there were only a few times when he had to shimmy through some narrow spots
in the foliage. When he reached the bottom of the hill, he emerged on Peppermint
Avenue, and the few people who saw him didn’t even look twice.
Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he put his head down and did
some serious thinking during the short walk to his cabin. He’d spent the night in
Wod’s cabin. Wod, Dancer, the second-in-command of Santa’s reindeer. True, Lon
had set his sights on Dasher, but as he’d yet to truly spend time with Rom, Wod was
the highest-ranked elf he’d ever spent time with. Although, if he was to believe
Wod’s overtures, he could have been with him. Imagine, all that caramel skin
available to touch, the man’s delicious weight settling on him as he drowned in
exquisite kisses. Just the thought of those kisses made Lon lick his lips, as though
to capture the taste of Wod again. Some of his favorite fantasies of Rom danced into
his head with Wod now in the lead, and Wod fit them perfectly. A new fantasy even
appeared, an echo of what Lon had seen between Rom and Tym but with himself
spread over the deck and Wod buried deep within him.
Startled, he shook himself. But that was wrong. He couldn’t just switch his
feelings like that. He wasn’t that capricious. He’d been pining for Rom for so long
now. He couldn’t just give that up.
Could he?
Reindeer Games
49
Answers were not forthcoming, and
you’re interested.”
Lon froze. “No!”
Wod shrugged. “It’s the best way. Then there’s no chance he’ll misunderstand
or overlook you.”
“No. You can’t.”
Wod watched him as he slowly sucked icing off one index finger. “Why not?”
46
Jet Mykles
Lon tore his eyes off Wod’s finger to meet his eyes. “That’s not… No.”
Instinctively, he reached for Wod but managed to stop his sticky fingers before he
grabbed the bigger man’s wrist. Hand hovering above Wod’s, he pleaded with his
eyes. “Please. Promise me you won’t tell him.”
Wod glanced down at Lon’s hand, then back up at his face.
“Please.”
“All right.”
Relieved, Lon pulled his hand back. Instead of sucking on his fingers, he
picked up a cloth napkin that lay neatly folded next to his plate and used it.
“Okay. How about if I arrange a time for you to be alone with him? Or we could
go over there now. I’m sure his playmate’s gone by now.”
Lon spread his palms on the table and stood. “I’ve got to go.”
“What?”
“No.” Lon backed away from the chair. “Thank you for offering to help…”
Wod stood. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know but I… Just no.”
He spun and fled. A part of him knew he wouldn’t make it to the front door.
Or, at least, out the front door. He managed to grasp the handle before Wod’s larger
body closed in behind him, pressing him up against the solid pine of the door.
“Stay and finish your breakfast, Lon.”
Heat. Lon closed his eyes, trying not to wish that he wasn’t wearing his jacket
and shirt so he could experience just how good Wod’s bare skin would feel against
his. That was just frustration talking. “No, thank you.”
“Did I do something to upset you?”
Yes ! “No. I… I just need to…to think.”
Reindeer Games
47
Wod’s heat eased back, and Lon pried his eyes open to see the other man
stepping away. Wod appeared in plain view in front of him, to lean against the wall
beside the door.
He grinned kindly. “Don’t think too hard, Lon.”
Swallowing, Lon opened the front door. “I…won’t.”
He didn’t want to know why Wod started laughing at that. He just left.
48
Jet Mykles
Chapter Seven
Lon couldn’t avoid seeing anyone as he walked home, but he did manage to
skirt Santa Claus Lane for most of his way down the hill by walking behind the
bushes. Most of the reindeer’s yards were more or less connected closer to the Lane,
so there were only a few times when he had to shimmy through some narrow spots
in the foliage. When he reached the bottom of the hill, he emerged on Peppermint
Avenue, and the few people who saw him didn’t even look twice.
Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he put his head down and did
some serious thinking during the short walk to his cabin. He’d spent the night in
Wod’s cabin. Wod, Dancer, the second-in-command of Santa’s reindeer. True, Lon
had set his sights on Dasher, but as he’d yet to truly spend time with Rom, Wod was
the highest-ranked elf he’d ever spent time with. Although, if he was to believe
Wod’s overtures, he could have been with him. Imagine, all that caramel skin
available to touch, the man’s delicious weight settling on him as he drowned in
exquisite kisses. Just the thought of those kisses made Lon lick his lips, as though
to capture the taste of Wod again. Some of his favorite fantasies of Rom danced into
his head with Wod now in the lead, and Wod fit them perfectly. A new fantasy even
appeared, an echo of what Lon had seen between Rom and Tym but with himself
spread over the deck and Wod buried deep within him.
Startled, he shook himself. But that was wrong. He couldn’t just switch his
feelings like that. He wasn’t that capricious. He’d been pining for Rom for so long
now. He couldn’t just give that up.
Could he?
Reindeer Games
49
Answers were not forthcoming, and
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