Cael had gone off to the kitchen to prep dessert, seeing as how everyone would be waking up from their turkey-induced coma soon, and Ash decided to join him. His hands were shoved into his jean pockets, and he tried his best to appear casual.

  “Hey. Need help?”

  “Sure. I was about to remove the pies from the oven if you want to grab them for me. Just pop them on the counter.” He went back to sorting out leftovers into Tupperware containers and stacking them in the fridge. Ash removed the pies from the oven where they’d been keeping warm and placed them on the counter beside Cael.

  “Anything else I can do?”

  “Cabinet up top and to your right, there’s some serving dishes. Could you take half of each pie and place them on the dishes? The rest goes in the fridge.”

  “Why not just leave out the whole pie?” Ash asked curiously.

  “Because then Dex will eat the whole pie.”

  Of course. “Where the hell does he store it all?”

  Cael shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  “Then again, the way his mouth runs, he’s probably burning mass amounts of calories.”

  Cael chuckled. “And this is news to you?”

  They went back to their duties, and the room went quiet again. It was driving Ash nuts. Cael was being quiet, and Ash had no idea what to say to break the silence. What the hell should he talk about? What had they talked about before? It was like he was in uncharted territory, which was absurd. He’d known Cael for years, and they’d never had any trouble holding a conversation. Even when neither of them spoke, the silence had been comfortable.

  Cael caught Ash’s arm, took the pie from him, and placed it on the counter. “This is ridiculous. We’ve never been uncomfortable around each other. I know things have changed between us, but has it changed that much? I miss my friend.”

  He searched Ash’s eyes, pleading. All at once, Ash felt himself relax. He smiled down at Cael and put his hand to his cheek.

  “I miss my friend too.”

  “How about for the holidays, we put a hold on all the complicated stuff and just enjoy each other’s company? Do whatever feels right, and we’ll take it from there. No expectations, no waiting for the other shoe to drop, no overthinking things, and no pressure. Let’s relax and have some fun.”

  “I like the sound of that.” Just when he thought he couldn’t be more amazed by the wonderful young Therian before him, he was proven wrong. How could Cael be so insightful to his needs, so unselfish and understanding?

  “Good. Now let’s join the others before Dex eats all the cookies. He always hogs all the macadamia chocolate-chunk ones.”

  Cael narrowed his eyes, and Ash chuckled.

  “I’ll make sure he leaves you some.”

  Cael turned away to pick up one of the pie dishes when Ash gently caught his arm and pulled him back.

  “Question.” He should probably give more thought to what he was about to say, but fuck it. He couldn’t let Cael put in all the effort. Ash had to do his part, so he went with his gut.

  “Yeah?” Cael cocked his head to one side, and Ash hoped his face wasn’t as red as it felt.

  “If I get the urge to sneak a kiss at any point, would that be okay with you?”

  Cael brightened, and Ash’s silly heart did a flip.

  “I’d like that.”

  “Me too.”

  Ash pulled him into his embrace and kissed him. Not the peck on the cheek or the brief press of lips Ash had been expecting to give, but a kiss that had him all but dropping to his knees. It was sweet, warm, and tasted deliciously of Cael. Ash never wanted it to end. He felt Cael’s tongue against his lips, and Ash opened his mouth, inviting Cael to taste and explore. To his delight, Cael accepted, deepening their kiss. He pulled Cael against him, his arms wrapped tight around Cael as if he might try to escape. A low rumble of a moan reverberated from Cael’s chest, sending a shiver up Ash’s spine. So much adoration and need, with more passion than Ash could have imagined. Tentatively, Cael wrapped his arms around Ash, his fingers digging into the firm muscles of his back. Damn, it felt so good.

  As much as he told his heart not to give in so quickly, it was no use. Having Cael in his arms, feeling his strength, knowing the depth of Cael’s affections, had Ash surrendering himself without a second thought. He left himself bare. Every nerve ending, every vulnerable, tender inch of him. Ash brushed his lips over Cael’s as he pulled away, his thumb caressing Cael’s cheek. “You’re blushing,” he murmured breathlessly.

  “Sorry.”

  “I like it. I especially like that it’s because of me.”

  That certainly didn’t seem to help poor Cael’s blushing situation. His cheeks burned crimson. “It’s always because of you.”

  “I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re so beautiful. And the best part is, you’re not even aware of how wonderful you are.”

  Cael shrugged bashfully. “I guess you bring out the best in me.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” Ash took Cael’s hand in his and placed it to his heart. “You bring out the best in me. I had no idea what my life was missing before I met you.” He felt it down to his core. What he was, what everyone thought of him, meant nothing compared to what Cael believed of him.

  “Are the pies ready?”

  Ash quickly pulled away as Dex entered the kitchen. He was torn between wanting to tell Dex what he could do with his pies and picking his heart up off the floor. This was how it had to be for now. For a slip of a moment, it had all been so perfect and right. Dex reminded him of the reality of their situation. Ash was grateful Cael had taken the first step in moving their relationship forward and reminded himself he couldn’t mess this up. For years he’d been denying to himself what he felt for Cael. Even when he’d resigned himself to the fact nothing could ever happen between them, the tiny flicker of hope never went out. Having Cael in his arms, kissing him, was more than he’d ever thought possible. Patience. He needed patience.

  Dex looked from Cael to Ash and back. “Shit. I interrupted something, didn’t I?”

  “No,” Ash replied, though he knew Dex would be able to see past his smile to the “I’m going to kick your ass later” look.

  Cael smiled sweetly, and Ash actually took a step to the side. Uh-oh. He knew that look. Cael was the sweetest guy he knew. He was also a little hellcat. Those claws were damn sharp. Ash had found himself at the receiving end of those razor-sharp claws and knew firsthand the sting they were capable of leaving behind.

  “Now that you’re here, you can go wake Dad from his nap.”

  “Aw, man. Seriously?” Dex whined. “Come on. You know he won’t throw anything at you. Why do I have to do it?”

  Cael folded his arms over his chest. “Tough. I called it. Go.”

  “Fine.” Dex stomped off to wake Maddock, which from the sounds of it was no easy feat.

  Cael turned to Ash with an apologetic smile. It had been so good while it lasted. With a smile, Ash motioned toward the pies.

  “You want me to help with these?”

  “Thanks. I’m going to grab the ice cream.”

  Ash took the pie dishes while Cael fished out spoons, bowls, paper towels, and the ice cream from the freezer. Together they walked into the living room, a loud thump causing Sloane to sit up in concern.

  “What was that?”

  “That was Dex falling over. Dad gets very cranky when woken up from his nap. It’s all cute and bearable when your kids are little and jumping on your bed to wake you, not so much when they’re thirty-five years old. My guess is Dad pulled the covers from under him.” Cael placed everything on the large coffee table and turned to Sloane with a big grin.

  “Expect lots of pouting.”

  Just as Cael had predicted, Dex entered the living room with his bottom lip jutted out as he rubbed his arm. “He could have at least pulled the blankets out when I was facing the carpet.”

  “That’s what you get for not waking me up like a normal person,” Maddock growled, dropping himself onto one of the armchairs. “Grown man,” Maddock mumbled, “jumping on the bed like he’s five. You wanna jump, I’ll give you jump. Just don’t come bitchin’ to me when you hit the hardwood floor.”

  “It’s the only way you’ll wake up,” Dex groused, snuggling up to Sloane with a pout. “I hurt my arm.”

  “No he didn’t,” Maddock countered, pointing to the pecan pie. “He’s just saying that so you’ll coddle him. He used to do that when he was little and he’d done something he wasn’t supposed to so he wouldn’t get in trouble.”

  Dex gasped. “So not true.”

  “Really?” Maddock scooped up some ice cream and plopped it down on his plate next to his pie. “When you took apart the VCR to see how it worked and I yelled at you, you started crying and saying your head hurt because the video shelf fell and hit you.”

  “It did fall.”

  “You were in the dining room, and the shelf fell two days earlier.”

  Ash couldn’t help joining in the laughter with Cael and Sloane. Dex and Maddock continued to argue over Dex’s convenient ouchies until Sloane did them all a favor and distracted Dex with pie. In the end, Dex got his way and then some, with Sloane coddling him and feeding him. Ash had a feeling that had been Dex’s intention the whole time. He’d give the guy credit. He was damn sneaky.

  After they all had their pie, Cael grabbed Dex by the ear and pulled him along to the kitchen to help him with the dishes, stating he wasn’t getting away with it this time. Apparently Dex was an expert at avoiding chores. He’d somehow managed to get away with it since they were kids.

  The rest of the evening was filled with fun and laughter. They played games and teased each other. Soon Maddock had said good night and turned in. Sloane and Dex would be staying in Dex’s old bedroom. Ash said he’d be fine on the couch. It was big enough for him. Maddock had brought plenty of blankets and pillows, and the heating would keep him warm. Dex was fighting sleep, so Sloane declared it was time for bed. Soon it was just Ash and Cael. The TV was on, and they were watching some holiday movies.

  Ash opened his duffel bag and fished out his pajamas. “I’m just going to change and brush my teeth.”

  “Me too. Meet back here for some TV?” Cael asked hopefully.

  “You got it.”

  Ash used the guest bathroom downstairs, in the basement outside Maddock’s office. He changed into his pajama bottoms and T-shirt and sat on the couch with the Therian-sized fleece blanket pulled around him. He waited to see which pajamas Cael would be wearing. He had almost as many pajama bottoms as he had socks, and they were all quirky, ranging from bacon pattern to Angry Birds. He’d seen plenty of them while crashing at Cael’s after a night of boozing at Dekatria.

  The house was completely silent for the first time since Ash had arrived. It was nice. He watched TV until he heard Cael’s socked footsteps drawing near. Cael leaped over the back of the couch and landed gracefully beside him. This time around, he was wearing his Captain America pajama bottoms and T-shirt. Ash took hold of the blanket and opened his arms.

  “Come on. It’s warm in here.”

  Cael smiled and cuddled close, his legs pulled up on the couch. Ash brought his arm around Cael with the blanket, holding him against him and covering them both up. It wasn’t as though they hadn’t sat together watching TV before, though this was the first time they sat so cozy together. It felt right.

  “I like your pajamas,” Ash said, giving him a squeeze.

  “Thanks. I always pictured you more as a boxers and T-shirt kind of guy for PJs.”

  “Nope. Actually, I don’t wear anything to bed.”

  Cael pulled back and stared at him. “You sleep naked?”

  Ash nodded. “I thought you knew that.”

  “Why would I know that? Anytime I’ve crashed at yours or you’ve crashed at mine, you’re always awake before I am and dressed.”

  “Oh.” Ash shrugged. “I sleep naked.” It wasn’t really the sort of thing he went around advertising. Who the hell cared how he slept? Except for Cael. He seemed particularly interested, which was fine with Ash.

  “So you go commando, and you sleep naked.”

  “I don’t like underwear. It’s too constricting. And sleeping naked is more comfortable.”

  Cael turned to face the TV. Ash waited for him to say something, but he just sat there, staring at the TV, but not really watching it.

  “You okay?” Ash asked. Had he said something wrong? Was it weird? He was hardly the first guy to go commando or sleep naked. He liked how the sheets felt against his bare skin, and he hated feeling hot. He especially hated collars or tight things around his neck.

  “Sorry, I’m rebooting my brain because you just short-circuited it with that information.”

  Ash chuckled. “I have?”

  “Well, yeah. I mean, I know how you look in your PJs, and then I find out you don’t wear anything at all to bed, and that’s just…. You, sir, are a meanie.”

  “How am I a meanie?” Ash asked, amused by Cael’s pout.

  “Because now you’ve put these images in my head, and I can’t get them out, and they’re going to drive me crazy.”

  Ash chuckled and tried to pull him close, but Cael was having none of it.

  “Aw, come on. Don’t be mad. You’re the one who brought it up. What’s the big deal?”

  Cael got up and turned to face him, his hands on his hips. “What’s the big deal? I’ll show you what the big deal is, Ash Keeler.”

  Ash cocked his head to one side, wondering what Cael was going on about. He opened his mouth to ask when Cael stepped up to him, shoved his knees apart, and stepped between them. Ash’s eyes widened, and his pulse shot up. He wanted to ask Cael what he was doing, but nothing came out. His brain ceased to function. Cael removed his T-shirt and threw it onto the couch. A strangled noise was all that escaped Ash as he sat there, mesmerized by Cael’s smooth, sinewy torso. He was so distracted, he hadn’t realized what Cael was doing until Cael had straddled him. Oh sweet Jesus.

  Cael took hold of Ash’s hands and placed them on his ass before thrusting down against him, his hard erection pressed up against Ash’s now-stiff dick.

  “This is the big deal,” Cael said in a husky tone. “You have no idea how bad I want to touch you, taste you, feel you. Do you know how long I’ve dreamed of being with you? Years, Ash. For years I’ve tortured myself with thoughts of you kissing me, taking me to bed, making love to me, fucking me.”

  Cael thrust his hips down against him, and Ash groaned. Oh God, this wasn’t good. It felt good. Fuck, it felt so damn good.

  “I’d close my eyes and picture myself running my hands over you.” Cael slid his hands up Ash’s chest. “If you knew all the things I dreamed of doing with you….” He pressed himself against Ash, his arms wrapped around Ash’s neck.

  Ash’s fingers dug into Cael’s plump asscheeks. Oh fuck. There was nothing but thin cotton between them, and Ash could feel Cael’s hard cock against his own, the sweet pressure. A rolling wave of desire thundered through him, and he wanted nothing more than to throw Cael down onto the couch, to taste and feel every inch of his beautiful body, to bury himself in between these gorgeous cheeks. Cael’s lips touched Ash’s neck, drawing a gasp from him. The most delicious shiver went up his spine, and he slipped his hands up Cael’s body, feeling the contours of his back, the curve of his spine, his firm muscles and soft skin.

  Just do it. Give in. You want him. He’s yours. He’s offering himself to you, so take him.

  “I can’t.” Ash took hold of Cael’s shoulders and gently pushed him away. “I’m so sorry, Cael, but this is…. I can’t do this right now.”

  Cael nodded, and Ash could see him trying his hardest to put on a brave front.

  “Guess it’s going to have to remain a dream a little longer. Excuse me.” He pulled away from Ash and got up. He picked his T-shirt up off the couch, swiftly tugged it on, and made for the stairs.

  “Cael, wait.”

  “Good night, Ash. Sleep tight.” Cael hurried toward the stairs, and Ash couldn’t stand to see him go, especially not upset like this, so he followed him.

  “Stay. I’m begging you.”

  Cael stopped in his tracks, remaining there silently for several seconds. Straightening, he took a deep breath and released it slowly. He turned around, his heartache and disappointment hitting Ash hard. It was all there on his sweet boyish face for the world to see.

  “I’m sorry I broke my promise. I said no pressure, and then I push you like that. I’m really sorry. I am. It was too much too soon. It’s probably best if we sleep in separate rooms tonight. I hope you won’t be angry with me in the morning.”

  “Never. And don’t apologize. It’s me. It’s all me.”

  Cael shook his head. “That’s very sweet, but it’s not. I’d like it if we could pretend this never happened and just move on.”

  “Cael—”

  “Please, Ash. I’m feeling a little humiliated right now, so please, don’t make it worse.”

  Ash swallowed hard and nodded. “It’s forgotten.”

  “Thank you. Good night.” Cael turned and disappeared upstairs.

  It took several seconds before Ash could get himself to move from where he stood. He walked back to the couch and sat down. Damn it. Everything had been going so well. All he’d wanted was to watch some TV with Cael and maybe fall asleep together, something they’d done countless times over the years. God, he was such an asshole. Cael had put himself out there, taken a chance, and he’d made the guy feel like shit for it. The worst part was that he’d wanted it. He’d wanted Cael so bad it hurt. And then his fucking brain had to mess things up by panicking. They were safe. This was Cael’s childhood home. The only people here were family. It wasn’t like they were going to have sex. At least he was pretty sure Cael had no intention of having sex on his dad’s couch, but even with that in mind, Ash couldn’t bring himself to give in.