14. Harlan
14
HARLAN
R eid insisted on picking me up and driving into town. I couldn’t readily remember a time when someone had done that.
When someone had wanted to do that.
The fact that Reid does fills my chest with a warm kind of ache—weird but not unpleasant. Maybe it’s just been a long time since someone cared enough about me to put that small amount of effort in, but in this moment, I’m glad it’s Reid.
He looks over at me and smiles, giving me the rundown of the best local shops and places to visit as we drive. His voice is soothing, the cadence settling something inside me that had felt like a nail rattling around a tin can. Without thinking, I reach over, placing my hand on his thigh.
It’s not like last night at the lodge where we each pushed to see just how far the other would go. It’s a gesture of contentment at its most basic form.
Is this what it’s supposed to be like?
The thought has my mind whirling at the possibilities because if it is then it couldn’t be more obvious just how wrong Dante and I were for each other.
I’d been blinded by his charm and the way he couldn’t wait to get me naked, but I’d been a distraction and the rest had been a lie.
Reid’s hand covers mine, his smile soft, like he knew I needed the contact. The reassurance is everything, and I let myself bask in his warmth, as he drives the rest of the way into town.
“Growing up there was this little shop in my town, and the shopkeeper would let me and a couple of other kids shovel his parking lot for cups of hot chocolate. You know, the kind with milk? And he used to give us candy canes and marshmallows to mix in. It wasn’t a lot, but to us, there was nothing better.” I sigh, rolling my head to the side to look at him. Reid grins like he knows I have no idea why I’m telling him this story but he loves it anyway.
“Milk is pretty fancy. Wren usually does a hot chocolate bar a couple of times a month when she’s feeling festive.”
“Like a party?”
“No, just us. In our house.” He snickers. “She’s a lot.”
“I’m beginning to see that.”
“But also you haven’t lived until you’ve had white hot chocolate.”
“I didn’t even know that was a thing.”
Reid narrows his eyes at me before pulling into a side lot and parking just off Main Street and turning off the ignition.
“Well, Mr. Frost, you are in luck today.”
“I think I’ve been pretty lucky since I landed in Wintervale,” I say, nostalgia making my lips a little looser than I’d normally allow.
“Blow jobs in the barn will do that to a man,” Reid deadpans as he pushes out of the truck.
Laughter bursts from my chest, as I follow him onto the sidewalk, grabbing his hand and pulling him in for a kiss. He seems startled at first, but it only takes a second before he’s angling himself closer, his tongue sliding against mine.
“Save that for later,” he murmurs before pressing a kiss to the corner of my mouth and leading me down the street.
Reid’s hand holds mine as we walk, but while my hand is bare, his is tucked inside one of those mittens that’s also a glove with the fingers cut off. For whatever reason, I find it incredibly endearing.
The man is addictive and I like it.
Vendors have booths set up along both sides of the street while Christmas music plays through the speakers. Large wreaths with red bows line each street light, the whole space looking like something out of a movie.
It’s idyllic and like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life.
“Where are we going?” I laugh as Reid hustles us through the crowd, the man clearly on a mission as he weaves around tourists and locals alike.
“Ta-da!” he says with a flourish, waving his arms around like a gameshow host at the cute little hot chocolate stand. “ White hot chocolate. It’s the best. You’re either on board or you’re wrong.”
Reid’s eyes are bright and his cheeks are flushed, and I’ve never been more attracted to a man in my whole life.
“But— peppermint. ” My pout is real, and honestly it’s not so different from a frown so I’m able to pull it off without much effort. Reid has to bite his bottom lip to keep from laughing, and it takes everything in me not to pull that lip away with the pad of my thumb.
Later.
Later I’m going to enjoy the fuck out of this beautiful man.
Turning to the vendor, Reid makes small talk before turning back toward me with one of those cardboard trays holding four lidded cups.
“You got us a flight of hot chocolate?” I ask as I follow him to an unoccupied bench.
“Are you making fun of me? Because I have no problem drinking all these by myself.”
“I find you incredibly delightful, Christmas.”
His eyes narrow. “I still can’t tell if you’re making fun of me.”
Leaning forward, I brush a light kiss against his cheek. “Promise, I’m not.”
“Well, all right then,” he says, handing me the first cup, “this one is salted caramel.”
“I can’t try the white first?”
“Saving the best for last.” He winks and I take a small sip, trying not to scorch my tastebuds on the hot liquid.
“It’s good but I think it’s a little sweet.”
“All right, next is dark chocolate with a raspberry crème.”
“You Wintervale folk are awful fancy,” I tease and he rolls his eyes.
“We love the holidays.”
“This is really good,” I say, handing it back to him. The bitterness of the chocolate is complemented by the sweetness of the raspberry. Reid nods as he takes a sip and places the cup back in the holder.
“Definite winner. And now we have hot chocolate with peppermint.”
Just the smell transports me back to my childhood, and the taste is even better. It’s like a warm hug of all the best memories in my life.
“This is perfect,” I confirm. “You can have a taste, but this one is mine.”
“Please hold all final votes until you’ve tried this one.”
He grins as I take a sip of the white hot chocolate, his expression falling when I scrunch up my face. “That is really sweet.”
Snatching the cup out of my hand, he cradles it against his chest as he gapes at me. “Some people don’t appreciate good taste.”
“I thought you tasted pretty good this morning,” I murmur, casually taking a sip of the peppermint hot chocolate and watching his mouth fall open.
“It’s amazing how turned on I am by your filthy mouth.”
“It’s a gift.”
“You’re not kidding,” he mutters, his cheeks pink as he looks heavenward.
Moving the tray to the other side of him, I wrap my arm around Reid’s shoulders and relish in the way he curls into me.
“Thank you for this,” I say, pressing a lingering kiss to his temple, the air filled with a joyous energy that even I can’t ignore.
“Thank you for giving me the chance to do it.”
I pull him closer, thankful for this time together, because no matter what happens, he’s already given me some of the happiest memories of my life.
And I’ll cherish them even when I’m gone.