Chapter 11
Heath’s phone was buzzing. Yes, it was Monday, but it was Christmas week and, like half the office, he was taking the day off. He’d check in later, maybe catch up on some work tonight. Right now he was warm under the covers with an arm around Parker and he had no interest in talking to anyone.
But his phone was buzzing.
Again.
He sighed and rolled over, sliding it off the nightstand and squinting at it.
Beckett.
Shit, okay. He and Skyler were probably wondering where Parker was. He cleared his throat before he answered, but he still sounded like someone had been fucking his throat all night.
Because maybe someone had been.
“Hey. Good morning.”
“Morning?” Beckett snorted. “It’s one o’clock.”
So what? “Is it?”
“Did I wake you up?”
“You woke them up?” Skyler asked in the background, sounding amused.
“Uh.” The best lies held a little bit of truth. “Yeah, but no big deal. We were up most of the night watching Christmas comedies.” It could have been true. It actually had been the plan for a minute, before the plan had become kitchen sex.
“Mmhmm. Well, the little leak is a bigger leak, so—”
Oh. Darn.
“Well, that’s just terrible.” A horrible shame. Rats. “I’m sure Parker will be disappointed. But we were thinking—uh, we thought we’d hang out here today anyway. Parker’s still not quite thawed out from yesterday.”
“Oh? Poor guy. Well, you take good care of him. I know he needs a friend.”
Maybe that wasn’t exactly what Parker needed…
“Will do. Are you able to get the truck looked at for him?”
“No problem. We’ll take care of it.”
“Tell Parker we said hey!” Skyler was laughing at God knew what.
“You bet. Will do. We’ll check in…uh, tomorrow morning?” He couldn’t promise anything today; they had plans to have no plans.
“Good. Great. Have a…nice day.” Beckett snorted and was laughing as he hung up the phone.
Were they high? Not with kids in the house, surely.
Maybe one of the kids was being cute as hell.
Warm hands slid across his chest and down his belly.
He put his phone down and rolled back over. “That was Beckett. I told him we weren’t going to be there today.” He spoke quietly, just above a whisper.
“Mmm…good deal. Poor frozen cowboy,” Parker chuckled softly.
That made him grin. “You heard that, huh?”
“It’s a great idea—to stay warm and happy.” One hand curled around his balls, which were a little sore this morning. They’d been well used last night.
Heath tried not to groan, but he didn’t really succeed.
“I was informed that it’s one o’clock. So we’re right on schedule for not caring what time it is and doing whatever we want.”
“Perfect. We were up late, yeah?” Those fingers dragged over his thighs, back to his balls.
“Up late, up early, up in between…” He didn’t even bother to stifle the little hiss that escaped him this time. Parker had the most amazing touch, he somehow knew what was just enough without being too much.
“I like when you’re up…” Parker’s grin stretched against his shoulder.
“You have that effect on me.” Probably not for a little while yet though. “I have a confession. I haven’t been with anyone in a really long time. You have been pretty amazing.”
“No? I think you’re hot as fuck. I don’t see how anyone could not jump your bones. You’re…” Parker squeezed in on him with his elbow, the hug blessedly not echoed in the hand around his nuts.
He didn’t ask Parker to finish that thought, he was pretty sure he understood. Instead, he slid an arm under Parker and hugged the cowboy back. “It’s nice, not being snowed in by myself. Are you hungry? We could try to not screw up pancakes.” He had some frozen sausages too.
“We totally could. I mean, they don’t have to be pretty, just cooked through.”
Someone sounded like he knew what he was talking about.
“Yep, and I have this great buttermilk pancake mix. You just add water.” He tapped his temple. “Smart, right?”
“Brilliant. I love this idea.” Parker grinned at him, eyes lit up and happy.
He kissed the cowboy, lazy and slow. It felt good that he could make Parker happy. God knew the man was miserable just a couple of days ago. He started to climb out of the covers and quickly covered up again. The stove was out, he’d bet. He didn’t usually stay in bed this long.
“Okay, poor frozen cowboy, it’s cold out there. You stay here a minute and let me get the fire going and turn up the heat.”
“Do you not need help?” Such a brave man, peeking out of the covers.
“Fuck, yeah. With the pancakes. But let me warm things up—outside the covers—first.” He dove out of bed and into his red and black flannel PJs.
They were matching top and bottom and he looked like a lumberjack in them but they were warm.
He pulled his robe on too for good measure and wiggled his toes into his slippers.
“God, that’s adorable. I could eat you up.” Parker’s eyes were dancing for him.
“You may laugh, but you will not be as warm as I am.” He smoothed his hands over the lapels of his robe like it was a tuxedo.
It didn’t take him long to get the stove pumping again. He started the coffee first so it was ready by the time he was done. He also turned the thermostat up a few degrees warmer than he would normally for himself before heading back upstairs with two coffee mugs.
Parker had created a little nest, his teeth chattering. “I got my clothes on, but damn.”
He laughed out loud. He couldn’t help it. “Oh my God. You’re either going to die in this weather or you’ll grow balls of steel. The jury is out. Here. Coffee.” He held out a mug.
“Thank you, and I’ve been bashing my balls against a bull for years. They’re as hard as they’re going to get.”
He couldn’t stop giggling. He ditched his robe and sat next to Parker in bed, not feeling the least bit chilly anymore. “You’ll warm up in a minute. I can lend you a sweater too.”
“Can you? You’re a sweetheart.” Parker’s cold hand slipped under his flannel and stroked his belly.
“Ho, chilly fingers, man. Drink your coffee.” He leaned over and gave Parker a quick kiss. “So. Plans. Breakfast. Then Christmas movies, cocoa, popcorn…a little snuggle on the couch? I hate to be that guy, but I’m going to have to do a little work later too. It’s Monday. Technically.”
“Oh yeah? I can do stuff, if you need it.” Parker grinned. “I can read you your emails…”
“Oh, that’ll be a big help. They’ll put you right to sleep.”
“Do you like it? Lawyering?” Parker drank deep, humming over the coffee.
“I love it.” He shrugged. He just did. “I do estate law, so I help people with wills and things. I’ve done adoptions too. And some other random things.” He sometimes did pro bono work for legal services in Burlington, and that could mean just about anything.
“That’s cool. That’s like feel-good work, adoptions.”
“It is. It’s the best work. My favorite. It’s not enough billable hours by itself, but it’s a heavy focus for me. I helped Skyler and Beckett with Noah and Charlie. Terrible circumstances, but good work.”
“Oh God. I remember that, and then the little one came early…” Parker shook his head. “But it all worked out in the end, right?”
“They’re all happy. That’s seems like a win to me.” He nibbled Parker’s shoulder. “Warming up?”
“I am. You’re amazing that way.” Parker leaned into him. “My lawyer-jack.”
Heath rolled his eyes, grinning. “Great. That’s something I’ll never live down. You want to get some breakfast? It’ll be warmer down there near the woodstove.”
“I do, and absolutely. I totally want to.” Parker handed off his coffee, which he set on the nightstand. Then the cowboy pushed up into his arms, and eased him up off the bed.
Parker pulled on the sweatshirt while he hurried and found a sweatshirt and another pair of warm wool socks. “That sweatshirt is just a little bit big on you.”
Just a little. Parker looked like he was in college.
Except for the morning stubble.
“Yep, but it’s cozy and comfy.” Parker winked at him as he wiggled his ass.
“Put your socks on,” he said with a laugh and leaned in close. “Use the head, and I’ll see you downstairs.” He gave Parker another kiss and picked up their coffees to take downstairs.
He couldn’t stop smiling. Seriously, his cheeks hurt from grinning.
Beckett wasn’t going to let him live this one down. Not after all the shit he’d given Beckett about living with a cowboy. It was all in fun, but he already knew it was coming back to bite him.
Parker was going to be very bad for business, but Heath thought it might be worth it.