“I knew you’d come in useful for something. Forty-five minutes of freefall and now in me.”
Jonty looked at Devan who was staring at him as if he’d seen something that scared him.
“What is it?” Jonty whispered. “Is there a monster rising from the lake behind me? Not a freshwater shark! Is it after your itsy bitsy worm?”
Devan put his hand on Jonty’s cheek and let his fingers drift over his mouth. “Say something else.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want itsy bitsy worm to be what came out of your mouth before I tell you something.”
“I wouldn’t let your itsy bitsy worm out of my mouth.”
Devan growled.
“Okay. Er… My mind has gone blank. It never goes blank. What’s happened? Is this snow radioactive? Or is it alien snow? Which steals our thoughts and—”
“I give in. I love you.”
Jonty gaped at him. Oh God. For once in his life, he had no words. Maybe that was a good thing because saying the wrong thing now could spoil the moment. But he had to say something and he didn’t want to say I love you too even though he did. Are you sure? hovered on his lips but that was stupid because Devan wasn’t the sort of guy to say things he didn’t mean. He’d thought about this. Waited to say this. But for how long? Stop thinking and say something!
“I’ve found a way to silence you. Do I want to know what just went on in your head?”
Jonty swallowed hard. He still had no idea what to say but he had to say something soon or Devan would be stupid and think Jonty didn’t love him back.
“I don’t want to just say it back,” Jonty whispered. “I want it to be a perfect, special moment. Just like this one is, while you’re showing me all the places you jerked off when you were a kid.”
“Oh God.”
“I might learn how to say it in fifty languages, but unless it was a language you knew, I could be saying anything. Like you’ve not got a small dick.”
Devan laughed. The snowflakes were falling more heavily now, landing on their beanies and jackets and eyelashes. Devan caught hold of Jonty’s chin, tilted his head and kissed him. It was a kiss that stole Jonty’s pulse, the air from his lungs and his ability to think. It liquified the bones in his legs and made his heart leap in his chest. This is a he loves me kiss. Devan pulled him in tight and the rest of Jonty dissolved. Then Devan was mumbling against his lips and it took Jonty a moment to make out what he was saying.
“I love you so much. I love you more than my life. I can’t live without you. You make me happier than I ever dreamed I could be. I need to thank Griff for saving me from Ravi, though I’m not sure I’ll ever get those words to come out of my mouth. But from the moment I saw you, my world started to turn in the opposite direction. Not love at first sight, but something at first sight that’s turned into love. I want to shout it out. I want everyone to know.”
The snow began to fall faster and Devan tipped back his head and yelled out across the lake, “I love Jonty Bloom.” Then louder. “I love Jonty Bloom!”
Jonty pouted. “Nobody answered. Not even that bull shark.”
Devan tucked Jonty’s hand into his pocket with his and they kept walking.
“What’s in that big box you’ve bought for my father?”
“That’s seven times you’ve asked me and my answer is the same. You’ll have to wait and see.”
Devan whined.
“Don’t worry. He’ll love it and your mum will definitely love the Pornhub subscription.”
“I really wished I was sure you were joking.”
“But you told me she liked watching gay sex. No hens in it.”
“I never said that.” Devan paused. “The box isn’t a sex swing is it?”
“Don’t guess. You’ll spoil the surprise.”
“Remember there are going to be children around.”
“They’ll be able to play on it. They won’t know what it is.”
“Oh fuck.”
“You can open your presents in our room. Probably better open the one Major Bagshott gave us privately.”
Devan laughed. “You think an eighty-year-old is likely to give us something embarrassing?”
Jonty shrugged. “He was our age once upon a time. I’m really glad he and the other residents at the hotel are happy in their new home and like the live-in guy who’s helping them.”
“It’s made it easier for my company that there are no sitting tenants when we take over.”
“I know you did more than you needed to for them, and in helping a lot of the staff find new jobs.” Jonty squeezed Devan’s fingers. “Thank you.”
“Are you going to be sad watching the hotel get pulled to pieces?”
“In a way, but the architect’s plans are amazing. I’m excited about how it’s going to look.”
Devan tugged Jonty away from the lake and up into the woods. “I want to show you something up here.”
“Your willie?”
“No.” But Devan made a choked sound. “Then we better head back or they’ll send out a search party.”
“Will they?”
“Possibly, and headed by Cato who always has to know what’s happening or he feels short-changed. Look up.”
Jonty gasped. “A tree!”
“What else?”
“The sky?”
“And?”
“Snow?”
“And?”
Jonty was always amazed by how patient Devan was. “Is that a zip line?”
“Yep. My dad had it put in for the grandkids. It takes an adult’s weight.” Devan pulled the circular seat down from where it had been safely lodged and handed it to Jonty. “Climb on, hold tight and keep your feet up.”
“I know how to do that.”
Devan smiled. “Yeah, you do.”
Jonty hauled himself up and wrapped himself around the rope while Devan kept hold of him.
“I’m going to pull you back up to the start, then let you go.”
Devan dragged him until his back was to the tree, then pushed and Jonty shot down the hill.
“What happened to ready, steady, go?” he yelled. “How do I stop?”
“You just do.”
“By falling off?”
It was such a rush zooming through the trees towards the lake, that Jonty whooped as he flew down. He jerked to a stop far too soon. I have to do that again. He pulled the seat back up the hill to Devan, slipping on the snow that had started to settle. By the time he reached the top, he was panting. Devan was doing something on his phone.
“Again,” Jonty gasped.
After the third climb back up the hill, he passed the rope for Devan to have a go, but Devan took it from him and secured the seat.
“You just discovered the downside,” Devan said. “What goes down, has to come up.”
“And vice versa.” Jonty leapt at him, pushed him back against the tree and unzipped Devan’s jacket.
One kiss and Devan was moaning into Jonty’s mouth, clutching at his back. Jonty dropped to his knees and fumbled with Devan’s trousers, mouthing his dick through the material while he struggled to open the button.