15. Dalton
Chapter 15
Dalton
I roll over in the bed, my body seeking the warmth of Asher but instead of finding the enticing body of my favourite person, I find an empty spot on his side of the mattress. A shuffling from behind me has me rolling onto my stomach to follow the sound. The sight that greets me is nothing short of amazing.
Asher stands, fully clothed, his hair messy and his eyes bright. His lips are stretched wide as he moves his hands to the masterpiece behind him. Paper snowflakes hang from the low ceilings, a few balancing against the windowsill, and more have been pushed between the leaves of our Christmas ‘tree’. A string of popcorn, pinecones and twigs of berries are wrapped around the top of the tree, winding through the spindly branches. A paper star, coloured with yellow marker sits precariously at the top, tilted slightly to the side.
“Merry Christmas,” Asher beams and the chuckle that leaves me is full of warmth as I scoot myself up and off the bed. Still naked from the night before, I run a hand down my chest and over my morning wood, watching as Asher's green eyes narrow, tracking the movement. With all that happened the night before, I completely forgot it was Christmas Eve and I feel momentarily guilty that I sidetracked our efforts, leaving him to do this all alone.
“Merry Christmas, Ash. When did you have a chance to do all of this? It looks… wow!” Slowly, without taking my eyes off of him, I slip into my clothing, wishing so much that I could quickly shower before putting on this same outfit for yet another day.
“I got up early. I wanted you to wake up in a Christmas wonderland,” he shrugs, as if getting up with the sun to make this morning special isn’t the most amazing fucking thing anyone has ever done for me. Beate limps into the room, and I laugh at the string of popcorn she’s dragging behind her. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, not again. Where did you pull this from?” Asher mutters, taking the string from the dog. It’s then that I look around the room and see that not only has he decorated the area near the windowsill where our tree stands, he’s also placed pinecones, popcorn and snowflakes on the mantelpiece above the fireplace and paper stars on other surfaces.
“It’s amazing,” I say as I walk closer, placing one hand on Asher's hip, watching his Adam’s apple bob as I slide it to his waist and pull him closer. Using my free hand to tip his head up, I meet his eyes and press our foreheads together. “It’s a perfect Christmas. Thank you.” He licks his lips and my eyes watch as his tongue makes a second lap over the glossy pink skin. It would be the easiest thing in the world to move closer and seal my lips to his.
I wasn’t lying when I told him that this means something to me - that being with him is not some fun way to pass the time while we’re stuck here. I, very quickly, accepted that the feelings I have for Asher run deeper than friendship and once we leave this cabin, they won’t change. I'm more certain about that than I've ever been about anything.
The only other thing I am sure of right now is this: I want Asher. I want to be with him and I really want to kiss him.
Moving my hand from his waist, I cup his cheeks then slowly ghost my lips over his, loving the way his breath hitches as I apply more pressure, erasing all the distance between us. Fireworks erupt inside me as our lips meet. My blood sizzles and the moment is time stamped as the most incredible one of my life. Asher grips my waist tightly, moaning as he deepens the kiss, taking control and swiping his tongue along the seam of my lips until they part, allowing him access.
Sliding my hands down his face, along his neck, over his shoulders and all the way down to his ass, I squeeze then lift him, never breaking the kiss. He gasps and wraps his legs around me then bites my bottom lip. The pain catches me off guard and I pull away, looking into his forest green eyes. Asher’s lips are kiss-swollen and wet, curved up on one side into a playful smirk, and I take a deep breath just as he slams them back to mine. This kiss is rougher, harder, deeper than before and I massage the globes of his ass as I let him take control, letting him own this kiss and me.
Kissing him feels like everything good. Like that feeling you get when you walk into your house after a long trip - that comfort of being back in your own space.
Asher feels like comfort.
And he tastes like mine.
We’re both panting and breathless, our cocks hard, rutting into each other by the time he pulls away, allowing us both some much needed oxygen.
“That was…” Asher’s words trail off before he presses a soft kiss to my lips. “That was so much better than I ever expected.”
“Worth waiting for?” Still carrying him, I take a seat on the sofa and he straddles my waist. His eyes are blazing as he takes my hand and links our pinky fingers together. This close, I can see the tiny freckles that dot his nose and I lay playful kisses up and over the bridge, loving the way he giggles and shifts his weight on my lap.
“So worth it. I’m glad I saved my first kiss for you. It was never meant to belong to anyone else. You're perfect Dalton McKenzie. Everything about you is a dream.”
His words wrap around my heart like a warm blanket. This boy has held my heart in his hands for as long as I can remember - first as my best friend but now as… more.
It's the third time I've circled the small room, looking out the window longingly then back at Asher, who is sitting with a book on his lap. I feel restless. I want to go outside, kick a ball, ski, do something. Asher is the best company I could have asked for, but my body needs action and to expel some of this energy bubbling inside.
“Hey,” Asher says as he puts his book aside and climbs to his feet. “Let's play a game.” He looks around the cabin until his eyes land on the coat cupboard next to the front door. Without another word, he opens it and starts rifling through the items inside. I know from looking earlier when I was hunting for string that it's home to a mop, a broom and a clothes drying rack as well as a few boxes of forgotten items from past guests.
Asher drags out one of the boxes. “Did you go through all of these?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I found the things we needed in the front box so didn't dig to the back.”
Asher pulls out another box then starts pulling everything out of the closet. A mountain of discarded items starts to build at his feet as he determinedly digs further into the closet .
“Perfect!” he exclaims, spinning around to show me the object in his hand. It's a rather sad looking ball that may once have been a football or quite possibly, a volleyball.
“What did you have in mind?” I ask as he throws me the ball. His reply is a cheeky grin and I want to stride over to him and kiss his entire face. Lap at him like a puppy because he's just so fucking adorable.
“Penalty shoot out?”
I look around the cabin, noting a few breakable items. “In here?”
“Sure. Let's move some things to the bedroom and set up a goal. I have some terms though.” He purses his lips and I can't hold back my chuckle.
“Of course you do. Let's hear them."
“For every goal I score, you have to read two facts about…” Asher walks over to the sofa and picks up the book he was previously reading as well as another from the pile. “The weather, which would be my choice.” He holds up a book about meteorology before showing me the second option. “Christmas traditions.”
Rolling my eyes affectionately, I'm reminded of the first time we played this game. How Asher was far better than either of us expected and how I'd kept up my end of the deal, reading line upon line about British trees. It was the first thing we ever did as best friends, a part of our origin story.
“Okay, my cloud boy, you're on.”
We move things around in the main room until we have a goal set up using two chairs and a sheet, then he stands with his legs spread and his arms out and waits for me to take my shot. We don't have much space for a run up and I'd rather not take out the window, so I kick the ball gently and he stops it. Cheering, he motions for me to swap places.
We switch around like this until the light outside has faded and the score is in my favour. By the time he's completely out of breath, he's scored enough goals to mean I'll have to read an entire chapter about Christmas traditions in Europe but it's so worth it.
My best friend knows me like no one else does. He knew what I needed, and even stranded in a cabin, somewhere in a snowy forest, he made it happen.
After throwing more logs on the fire, we’re sitting on the sofa picking at the least festive meal I have ever had. A selection of sausages from a jar, olives, popcorn and some close to stale crackers, black coffee and salty flatbreads that Asher mixed up with flour, water and salt then fried using the last of our gas. Outside the sky is dark and I can just make out the slow sway of the trees in the fading storm.
“Are we going to keep us a secret?” Asher blurts out before adding, “That’s if you want there to be an ‘us’ when we’re out of here.” I mull over his words for a fraction of a second because I know for a fact that I want there to be an us, so I don’t need to think too hard about it.
“You’re not a secret to keep, Asher. So no. I’m happy for our families to know that we’re… together. Is that what you want?”
He nods. “Yes! That’s all I’ve ever wanted but only if you’re sure. I don’t want to pressure you into anything.” Removing my plate from my lap, I grab him and pull until he's straddling me.
“No pressure. I want you.” That is the truth. I know it’s sudden but then maybe it isn’t. Maybe the only sudden thing is that I finally understand my feelings for my best friend. That all this time I craved being close to him, the times I took comfort from lying on his lap, holding his hand and having him near were just moments in which I fell harder for him.
“I made you something,” Asher says, breaking me from my train of thought. His lip is trapped between his teeth and I lean forward and use my own lips to release it.
“You’ve already done so much for me today, and I’ve done nothing for you.” I wish I had a present to give him. I think back to the special edition book I have wrapped back at the villa, one I know he’s been searching for for months.
“That’s not true. You gave me the best first kiss I could have asked for.” He smiles wide enough to reach his eyes then leans in and kisses me again.
It’s been nearly ten hours since we first kissed and Asher hasn’t let us go five minutes without our lips finding a way to each other. If I was the clingy one before, Asher has taken that title for himself, kisses being his new favourite form of affection.
He pulls away and digs in his back pocket, producing a bracelet made from string, plaited with both ends tied together. He slides it onto my wrist then sits back. “I bought you one of those leather ones you wanted, but obviously it’s not here. So, this -” Asher runs his finger along the bracelet before tracing circles on my skin. “This is a temporary stand in.”
“I love it.” This time it’s me who initiates the kiss and I move us until I’m hovering over him on the sofa. I kiss him for a long time, then sit back and let him breathe before kissing him again.
And I do it again and again until we’re both exhausted, our lips tingling and our hearts happy.