Slippery Slopes (Winterhaven Series - Vol. 1)

Chapter 48

Nolan pushed against Lane's hard body, the heat of his skin radiating out through his clothes. The firm softness of Lane's mouth sucked at Nolan's lips, tender and sensual, as their tongues wrapped one another. Nolan shivered and slipped his hands under Lane's shirt, palms pressed tentatively against the skier's rippled abs.

"I'm not," Lane trembled when their kiss paused. His breath puffed out unevenly, his eyes hazy with want and desire.

"What?" Nolan whispered against his lips, his own eyes heavy, barely open.

"I'm not...ashamed. Of this...of what we've done...what we're doing now." He softly caressed Nolan's face, being extra tender with his bruised cheek. "I know that maybe it looks like I am because I'm hiding it from my friends...from everyone. But I'm not." He pressed a soft kiss to Nolan's mouth. "It's just..."

"I know," Nolan breathed and kissed him. "I know. I was never 'in the closet', so I never had to go through this. But it doesn't mean I don't understand how hard this can be for others. I know how people are, how they look at you and treat you when you're different from them."

Lane sighed and rested his head to Nolan's brow. "I am ashamed of that," he murmured. "That I was one of those people."

"You're better now," Nolan smiled warmly and gently tugged his lips. "No hard feelings."

"None?"

"Nope."

Lane lowered his hands to Nolan's hips and pulled him closer, snuggling their crotches. "There seems to be a hard feeling down there."

Laughing quietly, Nolan murmured against his mouth, "Okay, so maybe there's one hard feeling."

Lane chuckled and kissed him, sliding his arms around Nolan's waist, pushing deep into the kiss.

Why can't you just stay here at Winterhaven with me? Nolan hugged him tight and let himself plunge into the depths of Lane's passion. We could hibernate for the rest of the winter, and come spring...you would be a new man, ready to blossom and show the world your beautiful colors. His heart ached at the thought of Lane going away so soon; he wasn't ready to be out there on his own yet. I need more time. Just a little more time. But there wasn't any time left. Just one more night.

"Are you okay?" Lane murmured.

Nolan opened his eyes, hardly aware the kiss had faded as their lips trembled close together. Dampness distorted his vision, and Lane's face shimmered before him. "I'm going to miss you," he whispered with a sudden thickness of emotion.

Kissing him again, Lane said softly, "I bet this is the first time you've felt that way." A small smile formed. "Before, I bet you were thinking instead 'goodbye to bad rubbish'. Huh?"

Shaking his head slowly, Nolan swallowed and buried his face in Lane's neck. "Surprisingly, no," he trembled. "Despite everything...I was never glad to see you go."

Lane held him closer. "Oddly enough," he whispered. "I was never glad to go."

"What do you think that means?"

"Don't know," Lane sighed then smiled against Nolan's hair. "We're both a little crazy?"

Nolan raised his head. Crazy for you, he thought achingly as he gazed into Lane's beautiful aqua eyes. "You have to be a little crazy to survive this world."

"True."

Rubbing his hands up Lane's back beneath his shirt, Nolan pressed a soft kiss to his throat. "Spend the night with me tonight?" He felt Lane tense a little, and added quietly, "You can say no. I won't be mad. I know it's taking a risk, especially with Rodney and Tonya around." He caressed Lane's warm skin and laid his head on his shoulder. "It just feels so good having you in my bed...making love to you..." The words slipped out so naturally and were already free before he could consider whether he should have used that term. He stiffened in Lane's arm, waiting and wondering if Lane would correct him, tell him they had fucked...not made love.