The Mistletoe Phenomenon

The Mistletoe Phenomenon by Serena Yates Dreamspinner Press www.dreamspinnerpress.com Copyright ©2009 by Serena Yates...

Author: Yates Serena

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The Mistletoe Phenomenon by Serena Yates

Dreamspinner Press www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Copyright ©2009 by Serena Yates First published in 2009, 2009 NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others. This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.

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CONTENTS Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve ****

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Chapter One Lance Rivera could have done without the jolly Christmas music oozing from the store's loudspeakers. For the first time ever he couldn't get into the holiday spirit. Unfortunately, working at Holiday World required a happy smile. He snorted as he shelved mistletoe this and mistletoe that into the appropriate spaces in the backroom. Maybe Katie should rename her store Mistletoe World, as much as his sister loved the stuff. When the little bell above the front door tinkled he pasted a friendly smile onto his face and made his way back to the main room. He did this job because he needed the money. Not that his family wouldn't have supported him; his parents had even offered his old room back, but he had his pride. It was about the only thing left after Brice had taken their savings and vanished once he no longer needed Lance as a source of a regular income. "Good morning. How may I help you?" The words had left his mouth before he'd had a chance to look. He might not have been able to utter a single syllable if he had. The man who stood before him was a true vision of male beauty, all six feet four inches of him. Silver-blue eyes were set in a broad face with a square jaw and a wide nose, topped off by blond wavy hair that was cut too short for his taste. Wide shoulders and what looked like a well-developed chest under a thick sweatshirt tapered into narrow hips. Strong thighs and long legs completed the picture. While the man's 4


coat was open, there were still too many layers of winter clothes to see any more details. "Hello." The man's deep baritone rumbled its way straight into Lance's heart. "We're here to buy some Christmas ornaments and decorations." We? Oh, there was a little boy next to the vision. Maybe eight or nine years old with the same blond hair and wide nose but sky-blue eyes. He looked even more serious than his father. Why were the nice ones always straight? "You've definitely come to the right place." More like the only place in Mistletoe, Wyoming, with a worthwhile choice. "There's a great selection over there." The man looked where Lance pointed and nodded. "Thank you." The man turned toward the little boy but didn't move from his spot next to the door. "Go on, have a look, Jakob. You can get anything you want." Well, that was generous. But how was the little guy going to see or reach the top shelves? Not that it was any of Lance's business but the boy looked so lost when he trudged over to the display, he just couldn't ignore him. "Here, Jakob." He grabbed a shopping basket and followed the boy. "I'll hold this for you and you can put the things you want inside. If there's anything you can't reach, just tell me and I'll show it to you." "Thanks." The boy smiled hesitantly. "There's a lot of stuff here. Can you please help me find some red and white candy ornaments? And we need something for the tree. I don't really know what to get." 5


"Sure, I can help you. But maybe your dad knows better what you need?" Why wasn't the man over here helping his son anyway? He still stood by the door like a big log. "My- my dad?" A tear rolled down the little boy's face. "My parents are dead. My dad can't help me anymore." Oh, shit. He'd really put his foot in it now. The little guy was trying so hard not to cry, his lips quivering with the effort. "I'm so sorry." That was true but totally inadequate. "Come here." Lance dropped onto his knees and opened his arms. The little boy hesitated for a moment, looked over at the now very uncomfortable looking man near the door and hurled himself into Lance's arms. Lance held the back of his head and stroked his hair until the sobs and sniffles stopped. His shirt was wet but the boy had calmed down. "My brother and his wife died in a plane crash in Africa eight months ago." The deep voice came from right next to them and a handkerchief appeared in his line of sight. "I'm his guardian and we're moving here so I can combine my work with his needs for schooling." "I'm very sorry to hear about their deaths." Lance dried Jakob's tears and made him blow his nose. He tried to let go of the boy so he could get up, but Jakob clung to him like a limpet. He shrugged and kept him in his arms as he rose to return the now very wet piece of cloth. "What sort of work do you do that you'd move to Mistletoe?" "It's not the center of the universe, is it?" The man smiled for the first time, making him look even more attractive. "I'm 6


a glaciologist. I used to go on expeditions to the Arctic and Greenland, but that's no longer practical. So I retrained as a Park Ranger. I'll start working for the Grand Teton National Park in January, focusing on their glacier research and educational programs." "A glaciologist, huh?" He never even knew such a profession existed. "Yes. Uncle Magnus is a very good glaciologist. He studies ice shelves to see if they grow or shrink and how that will affect the weather and sea levels." Jakob was clearly proud of his uncle. "And he promised to teach me how to be one too." "Did he, now?" Lance suppressed a grin. "Yes. And he says it's very important to keep your promises." Jakob grinned. "I did." Magnus nodded. "And right now I need to keep my promise of getting you some Christmas stuff, don't I?" "Yeah." Jakob looked sad as he looked up at his uncle. "But I don't know what we need. And you can't really help, can you?" Magnus shook his head. "What?" Lance almost left his mouth open. "Uncle Magnus doesn't believe in superstitions." Jakob frowned. "So you've never kissed under the mistletoe? You don't know what you're missing." What had made him say that? He felt himself blush in embarrassment. Magnus looked at him, silver-blue eyes twinkling and both eyebrows closer to his hairline than could be comfortable. 7


"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." Lance wished a convenient hole would appear in the ground and swallow him up. "Why not? It's true." Jakob tilted his head. "My mom told him that too." "Jakob!" Magnus shook his head. "Kissing under the mistletoe is just an old tradition. Some people like the excuse to kiss strangers, and that's total nonsense." "And why would that be nonsense?" Katie's voice from the end of the aisle almost made Lance jump out of his skin. She must have snuck in through the back door when she returned from her lunch break. "Katie! Don't." He turned around, Jakob still in his arms. "You may be my sister but that doesn't mean you can come in here and- and say stuff like that." "What? I just want to know how someone who's never kissed anyone under the mistletoe can be so sure it's nonsense." Katie's impish smile made her look even more like a pixie than her small upturned nose and her slim figure. "It- just makes no sense." Magnus looked totally flustered. "I think you can't know that until you've tried it." She grinned. "Have you never been tempted to kiss someone you found attractive and wished for an excuse?" "Well, not really." Magnus's eyes flitted to Lance, then back to Katie. "Aha!" Katie clapped her hands. "I knew it." "Really?" Jakob stared at Katie, and then looked at his uncle and back at Lance. A smile made his cheeks dimple. "Could you put me down, please? I think my uncle needs to 8


conduct an experiment. And I don't want to see any of that mushy stuff." "An experiment?" Lance put Jakob down and watched him take Katie's hand. He was too embarrassed to think straight. Just the thought of those strong arms around him and those full lips on his had him almost shaking. What was it about this man that made him want to trust again, despite all the disasters which were his love life so far? "Yeah. Uncle Magnus says that if you're not sure about something you conduct an experiment to see if it's true or not." Jakob pointed at the ceiling in the corner and looked up at his uncle. "There's enough mistletoe up there for you to try and see if it works." "Good thinking, Jakob." Katie picked up the shopping basket and turned Jakob toward the shelves. "Come on, I'll help you pick out some stuff while Lance and your uncle conduct their experiment." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Two MAGNUS CARSTENS was stunned. He'd been out of his depth regularly in the last eight months, trying to cope with the changes in his life. Numbers and logic had always been his forte; glaciers were as close to a passion as he was comfortable with. The sudden responsibility for raising an eight-year old boy who'd so recently lost his parents had added emotions to his life and he wasn't sure how to cope with them. But this current situation was ludicrous. Yes, he was attracted to the lean but strong store employee—Lance—who looked up at him with deep brown eyes. He was maybe five feet ten, had olive skin, and straight dark brown hair. His face was almost pretty, with high cheekbones, a narrow nose, and a strong chin. His lips looked very tempting. Magnus really wanted to kiss him. Lance was not only the complete opposite of Magnus's usual tall and muscular physical type, he had a very different emotional disposition too. He'd had no issue relating to Jakob and seemed to have intuitively known what the boy needed. Jakob had responded to that like he'd never responded to Magnus in all the time they'd spent together. "We don't have to do this." Lance looked down and Magnus missed the warmth of his brown eyes. Huh? What was that all about?

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"You don't want to run the experiment?" Of course Lance wouldn't. Magnus hadn't even sent any signals that he was interested. "I'm not a science project." Lance looked up, pain in his eyes. "I'm a human being." "I know. I'm sorry. I don't know how to do this." Magnus ducked his head. "Do what? Kiss? Treat me like I have feelings?" Lance shrugged. "I do want to kiss you. I don't know why." Magnus sighed. "As for the feelings, I know you have them. I do as well. I just don't know what to do with them." "What to do with them?" Lance suddenly grinned. "That's easy. You follow them." "Follow them?" Magnus shook his head. "I've never done that before. My father taught me to put facts and logic first. My mother lived to regret sacrificing her career for love. So it looks to me like emotions are likely to mess up everything." "You are not your parents. It might be totally different for you." Lance took his hand and a jolt went through him as if he'd touched a live wire. "Come on, let's find out." Before he knew what was happening he was standing in the corner Jakob had pointed at, the bunch of mistletoe overhead looking like a small forest. Lance slid his arms up around Magnus's neck and leaned in, lips temptingly parted. Oh, what the hell. He put his arms around the other man and bent down. Brushing Lance's lips with his, he moved them back and forth until Lance sighed and opened up. He slid his tongue 11


along the full red lips as heat pooled low in his belly. Giving in to the need to explore, he slipped his tongue all the way inside. Soft, warm, and sweet, the kiss quickly deepened when Lance's tongue moved hesitantly to play with his. Back and forth they chased each other until the need for air made him stop. "Wow." Lance stepped back, eyes shining. "Uhm." He was glad for the distance or Lance would have noticed how hard he was. From a kiss! Was there something to this mistletoe legend after all? If so, it was a phenomenon worth closer study. "Yeah." Lance smiled. "So, what did you think?" "Think?" When exactly would he have had time to think? "Yes, think. You've never kissed anyone under mistletoe, right?" Lance grinned. "So, was it different?" "I- I think so." Could he sound any more stupid? "But it's really too early to tell." "It is?" Lance's eyebrows went up. "Yeah, I need more data—I mean experience—to be able to judge." Magnus knew he wanted this man around, irrational though that was. "So I have a proposition for you. How about helping Jakob and me pick out everything we need for a perfect Christmas and then helping us set up the house when we move in on Monday?" **** TWO days later Magnus still didn't know what had made him ask, or why Lance had accepted. The whole situation was a complete mystery to him. Jakob had squealed with joy 12


when he'd told him that Lance was going to help them decorate the house. The two of them had raided the store's shelves while Katie had stood by with a smile on her face. He'd just stood there, contemplating the change that had made Jakob so happy. They'd ended up leaving the two large boxes at the store because they wouldn't fit into their small room at the bedand-breakfast next door. On Saturday, they got a first look at the National Park—with Lance in tow because Jakob had asked. Magnus's new place of work had made him feel at home. Magnificent views of the Grant Teton range and some of the glaciers he was going to study had reassured him that all was not lost for his career. Now it was Sunday, and he'd taken Jakob to the National Elk Refuge a few miles out of town. The tour in a horse-drawn sleigh had allowed them to admire the magnificent animals from a safe distance. They'd both enjoyed the cold weather, and he'd shared his observations about the ice and snow around them with a very interested Jakob. It was now time for lunch and they were headed back into town in his new snow-safe SUV. "Why didn't Lance come with us today?" Jakob sounded sad. "We didn't ask him." Magnus had wanted to, though. There was just something so easygoing about the other man. "Why not?" Jakob frowned. "I don't know." Magnus shook his head. Was it fear of the emotional entanglement? "That's a stupid reason." Jakob pouted. 13


Magnus grinned. The boy was right; not knowing wasn't a reason at all. "He's nice, isn't he?" Jakob wasn't giving up. "Yes, he is." Magnus blushed remembering the kiss. More than nice. "Can we have lunch with him? Please?" Jakob sounded hopeful. "He might be busy." Magnus hoped not. "But we can go by the store and check." An hour later they'd dragged Lance out of the shop, a laughing Katie assuring them that she and her fiance Adam were more than capable of handling everything. Lance had recommended a small family-owned restaurant with a tiny dining room. "So, what did you guys do this morning?" Lance leaned back in his chair after they'd given the waitress their food orders. "We went to the elk refuge." Jakob's eyes lit up. "There was a sleigh ride outside and a great exhibit at the visitor center. But the best part was Uncle Magnus telling me about all the different types of ice and snow around us." "Sounds like you had a great time." Lance smiled. "Yeah, we did. But we missed you." Jakob used his big blue eyes on Lance and Magnus could see the man melt. "I'm sorry you missed me." Lance shrugged. "But I had to work." "Why?" Jakob tilted his head. "Katie said she was okay on her own." 14


"She did. But only because Adam is there this afternoon." Lance took a sip of his soda. "And I do have to work, you know? I already took yesterday off to be with you." "I hate that." Jakob huffed. "What?" Lance looked puzzled. "Adults always have to work. And then they can't be with me." Jakob closed his eyes, his voice all soft. "And sometimes they don't come back." Shit. There it was again. Jakob's fear of being abandoned after his parents had died on a work-related flight was to be expected, but how to deal with it? "Yeah, sometimes they don't." Lance took one of Jakob's hands in his, elegant fingers caressing the boy's. "But they still have to make money, right?" "I guess." Jakob nodded. "And some adults, like doctors, have important jobs because they help others." Lance watched the little boy carefully. "They can't just stay at home, right?" "My mom was a nurse." Jacob looked at Lance, eyes widening. "Does that count?" "Yes, Jakob, that definitely counts." Lance smiled as Jakob perked up. "So sometimes the job's so important that it's worth taking a risk?" Jakob's eyes were luminous. "That's right. It still hurts that your mom isn't coming back. But that's okay because she was your mom." Lance gripped Jakob's hand tightly as the boy nodded, a relieved smile on his face caused by new understanding. 15


How had Lance done that? How had he known what to say? And how would Magnus keep Lance around to help him deal with the next problem? [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Three Lance arrived at Magnus's house with two large dishes of homemade casserole and another with pre-baked rice pudding in the trunk of his beat-up car. It had been Jakob's idea to have him bring lunch, which had embarrassed Magnus to no end. Apparently the man was no good in the kitchen. Not that he'd have needed that skill to become one of the best glaciologists around, at least according to the articles about him available on the internet. Parking on the driveway next to Magnus's SUV, Lance admired the ranch-style house with its covered porch that wrapped around the house from the double-car garage, to what looked like a sizeable garden in the back. Bright yellow window and door frames contrasted with the darker wood of the house. The moving van parked on the curb was almost empty. Two large and burly men dressed in blue coveralls opened the front door. "Hi." Lance got out of the car and opened the trunk. "Ready for lunch?" "If you're offering, sure." One of the men grinned and helped him with the food, while the other returned to the van, took two boxes, and vanished back into the house. Lance followed his helper inside and was pointed straight through the foyer to the living room in the back of the house and the kitchen. Passing what looked like a home gym and the dining room, he made his way there. Despite all the boxes 17


it already looked more like a home than Lance's tiny studio apartment. "Hey, I'm glad you could make it." Magnus had been hanging framed black and white photographs of—what else— glaciers in the living room and came over to greet him, closing the door to the foyer and the cold air coming in from outside on his way. "No problem. I love cooking, so this is no hardship." Lance put the dishes on the work surface next to the oven to shake Magnus's hand. "They'll take a few minutes to re-heat and then we can feed the hungry masses." Magnus took his hand, making it tingle. With a shy smile he pulled Lance with him until they stood next to the door. With his free hand Magnus pointed up to where a small bundle of mistletoe had been attached to the wooden frame. "Jakob is upstairs. The movers are busy carrying all my boxes with books up there." Magnus grinned and stepped closer. He looked slightly uncertain but opened his arms in a clear invitation. "We've got a few minutes to ourselves and I'd like to spend them exploring the mistletoe phenomenon in more depth." "Mistletoe phenomenon?" Lance almost giggled; that was too cute. He leaned into Magnus's chest and lifted his head for a slow exploration of lips and mouths that made them both pant within seconds. Something about the intriguing mix of slightly-awkward-scientist and wildly-attractive-man just did it for Lance, and he sighed when they parted to get some much needed oxygen. Magnus held on to his hands as they looked into each other's eyes. 18


"Hm, it seems to work here as well or better than in the store." Magnus looked serious, but his lips twitched. "I think I still need more data before I can draw any valid conclusions." "I'll be happy to help." Lance's heart was still beating faster than normal. He'd never been one for experiments before, but this was different. "There are several more locations in the house set up for exploration." Magnus grinned and gently squeezed his hand. Jakob chose that moment to noisily come down the stairs and burst through the living room door. "Hi Lance." Jakob looked up at him chewing his lower lip. "Hi Jakob." Lance smiled and opened his arms, almost falling over backwards when the boy barreled into him. Magnus watched their hug with a wistful expression. The hungry movers helped them finish off the food before clearing out the van and left after Magnus signed for receipt of his stuff. Jakob was helping Lance load the dishwasher when the doorbell rang. "Oh, our first visitors!" Jakob ran out of the kitchen, Lance following more slowly. A pudgy man in a dark suit with a tie stood next to a mousy-looking woman with dark blonde hair done up in a bun. "Uncle Brian? Aunt Nancy?" Jakob had stopped in his tracks. "Hello, Jakob." Brian squinted at Jakob through large horn rimmed glasses. "I hope you are well?" "I'm okay." Jakob inched towards Magnus in the other corner and took his hand. 19


"Why are you here?" Magnus hadn't moved from his spot or invited them in. "Is that any way to greet your sister-in-law's brother and his wife?" Brian shook his balding head. "We've come all the way from Florida and you won't even ask us inside?" "I didn't invite you. We've never gotten along before. You made life very difficult for me during the reading of the will with those accusations." Magnus fisted his hands, his shoulders tense. "I don't understand why you'd want to see me after that. We're very busy, so unless you can give me a reason for being here, I'll ask you to leave." "You have no manners. Not that a cold-blooded scientist with no social skills like you can be expected to have any." Nancy's voice was shrill, red blotches appearing on her pale cheeks. "We only have the child's best interests at heart. Staying with someone who has dubious parenting credentials and has dragged him out into the middle of nowhere isn't it." "If this is about me being appointed Jakob's guardian then I have nothing further to say to you." Magnus glared at them. "Are they going to take me away from you?" Jakob's eyes were big. "No!" The word came out as a bark and made Jakob flinch. God, what a mess. Lance looked from one to the other, the palpable tension making him cringe. But he was a total stranger with no right to say anything so he made himself shut up. It was hard. "Now, look here." Brian drew himself up to his full height, which wasn't very much compared to Magnus's massive frame. "I'm the boy's uncle just as much as you are. Just 20


because my deluded sister and her crazy husband chose you as his guardian doesn't mean we have to accept that arrangement. It's so obviously wrong to have someone who has no experience with children take care of a young boy that we urgently need a better solution." He was calling Jakob's parents idiots in front of the little boy? What sort of a man did that? Jakob had gone very pale and was clasping Magnus's hand so hard that his knuckles had gone white. Magnus didn't seem to notice. "On top of all that, it's not right to let the child grow up without a mother's influence." Nancy's slim frame was shaking with anger. "What we offer is a normal home in an area with excellent schools and lots of boys and girls his own age from good families. None of which you can give him out here at the back of beyond. What were you thinking, moving the child to a godforsaken place like this? Hasn't he suffered enough with his misguided parents making him live in a deprived and primitive place like Nairobi, Kenya?" A few tears had appeared on Jakob's cheeks. Enough was enough. Magnus obviously didn't understand the effect this was having on his nephew. Lance couldn't let them go on like this anymore. "Excuse me." He swallowed when three adults' eyes turned on him, none of them too friendly. "Do you think you could take this argument into the living room while I take Jakob upstairs? I don't think he needs to be exposed to all this uncivilized bickering, do you?" [Back to Table of Contents] 21


Chapter Four Magnus was reeling from the most emotional attack of his life. He didn't know how to defend himself. He had no facts at his disposal. The Tabbarts were right about his lack of social and parenting skills, but he knew that keeping Jakob with him was essential to the boy's well being. Jakob had repeatedly confirmed that he wanted to stay with Magnus after he'd found out that's what his parents had wanted for him. He was grateful that Lance had intervened. He'd been about to lose his temper and hated the feeling. He'd shoved a sputtering Nancy and her fuming husband into the living room, told them to stay there, and closed the door to gain some breathing space. Lance was upstairs trying to calm down Jakob. Magnus had a few minutes to consider his strategy. He saw exactly one option. "Jakob will be okay." Lance came down the stairs with a frown on his handsome face. "But you and I need to talk." "Please." Magnus swallowed. He was turning into an emotional wreck. What had happened to his well-ordered organized life? "I think I need your help." "That's a step in the right direction." Lance's frown vanished. "What do you need?" "I- I just have no idea what to say. All the facts are on their side. I have no social skills because I've never learned any. My parents pushed my academic development rather than letting me spend time with my peers and I never 22


questioned that— until now. I have no experience with children other than that of an uncle. I cannot and will not provide a mother for Jakob." Magnus ground his teeth. "So why should Jakob stay with you?" There was a small smile on Lance's lips. "What?" Magnus thought that's what he'd just asked Lance. "If all the facts are on their side, why should Jakob stay with you?" Lance sat down on the second lowest stair, resting his arms on his thighs. "You think he shouldn't?" Magnus's stomach roiled. "That's not what I said." Lance shook his head, his big brown eyes watching him. "But— but...." Magnus sat down on a chair next to the table with the phone on it, totally confused. "Magnus, something inside you is telling you loud and clear that Jakob should stay with you." Lance took a deep breath. "If it's not facts, what do you think it is?" "It's just a feeling." A very strong one, though. "There's no 'just' about it." Lance finally smiled, clearly satisfied with Magnus's answer. "Your heart is telling you what you need to do. You're just not listening to it." "Okay, yes. My heart is telling me that Jakob needs to stay here, not go with them. They're cold and nasty—did you notice they didn't even use Jakob's name, just kept referring to him as 'the boy' or 'the child'?" Magnus had always been a good observer. "You noticed that, huh?" Lance looked proud. "So, what are you going to do?" 23


"Are you suggesting I tell them to go away based on my feeling of what's right?" Magnus thought the floor had been pulled out from under his feet. "Now you've got it." Lance nodded. "But I can't argue based on a feeling!" Magnus was sure about that. "Oh, but you can." Lance rose and pointed at the door to the living room. "Those people in there are totally emotional about taking Jakob with them. I don't know why it's so important to them; it doesn't look to me like they have any feelings for him at all. But for some reason they're desperate to get their hands on Jakob. They're just using so-called facts to argue their case because it fits their purpose for now." "So you want me to use my emotions to counter theirs? Because that's what's behind their demands?" That was just brilliant. Why hadn't he seen it? "That's part of it, yes. Emotions can be just as good a reason to do something as so-called 'objective facts'. So you should use them as arguments when Jakob's well-being is at stake." Lance ran his hands over his face. "More importantly, though, Jakob likes you and wants to stay with you. His parents knew that and made you his guardian. You obviously love him as well, even though you don't show it to him enough. Those are excellent reasons why you should stop them from taking Jakob." Magnus was flabbergasted. Using feelings as arguments? What a novel idea. Well, to him at least. Lance seemed to think it was perfectly normal. And what was that about him not showing Jakob that he loved him? That sounded like 24


something he needed to follow up on. It might explain why he hadn't really been able to connect with Jakob. He still wasn't sure how to do it, but at least he now had someone he could ask. Someone he trusted to give him the right answer, even though he'd only known him for a few days. **** Lance had no idea how he'd gotten roped into going Christmas tree shopping with Magnus and Jakob. Not that he minded, but the speed with which Jakob had "adopted" him as part of his little family was dizzying. Then again, maybe he shouldn't be surprised. When Magnus had told Jakob that he'd kicked Brian and Nancy out of their new home, Jakob had run up to his uncle and hugged him around the middle. Magnus's shocked face had shown this wasn't normal behavior. It had confirmed Lance's fear that Magnus wasn't communicating his love to the little boy. "Are we there yet?" Jakob's voice piped up from the back of the car, pulling Lance back into the present. "Not yet." Magnus rolled his eyes, maintaining a firm grip on the steering wheel. "It's only about another five minutes." Lance sat in the comfortably heated front seat. Magnus was driving them to some obscure little tree farm close to nothing in particular. He'd said a future colleague at the Park had recommended it as the best place to get blue spruce in the area. "If we can find the right turnoff from Route 191, that is." "If I can navigate around the Arctic, I'm sure the wilds of Wyoming will be more than manageable." Magnus mock25


glared at him and slowed down the car. "Here we are, Big Trail Drive, just like Peter said." "Yippee." Jakob started bouncing in his seat when he saw the small cabin with the big sign that announced "Best Douglas Fir in Wyoming." They piled out of the car, putting on their coats as they went. Magnus insisted he was fine in a thick woolen jumper. Lance had lived in L.A. for too long and was still trying to adjust back to a high of around thirty degrees on most winter days. An old man in thick padded boots, a brown fleece-lined jacket, and a red woolen cap on his white hair greeted them with a friendly smile. Magnus paid the fee, picked up one of the bow-saws, and they set out into the forest, following the man's directions. Many trees later Jakob had made a selection and they stepped back while Magnus started cutting the beautiful Douglas fir. His thigh muscles bunched as he moved the saw back and forth with a strength that almost made Lance drool. Too bad the man's biceps weren't visible under his thick clothing. "Okay, one Christmas tree for our new home." Magnus picked up the felled five foot tree as if it weighed nothing. "Maybe we're a day late for Saint Lucia, the official start of Christmas in Sweden, but the house just wasn't available until today." "And in Sweden you're not supposed to have the tree up before Christmas Eve anyway, right?" When Magnus nodded 26


Jakob looked thoughtful. "Mom and Dad always said we should make our own traditions." "Yes, they did." Magnus turned and looked at his nephew, his gaze soft and warm. "And you'll need to help me make ours because I only know the few my parents taught me. And that was a long time ago." "Can Lance help too?" Jakob looked at Lance, hope in his sky-blue eyes. "If you want me to." Lance's heart lurched with hope. Magnus had trusted him enough to ask for help. He'd always longed for a partner to take care of and to love. He'd never dared hope this would include a child. Most of his previous lovers hadn't even been willing to stay in a monogamous relationship. "Yeah, I want you to help. I think you'd be really good at it." Jakob took his hand and squeezed it through their gloves. "And we need all the help we can get, right Uncle Magnus?" "Yes, Jakob. I think you're right." Magnus looked at Lance with a silver-blue intensity that made Lance's knees weak. "We need all the help Lance is willing to give us." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Five Magnus verified that his mistletoe decoration over the front entrance was big enough to be visible. There was one on the outside too; one could never be too thorough when setting up an experiment. He checked his watch. Lance had said he'd be here for lunch, only Magnus had forgotten to ask exactly when he thought that was. It was just before one p.m. and surely time for the midday meal. He'd already sent Jakob back to making Christmas decorations twice. His nephew was just as impatient for Lance to arrive as he was. Magnus went back to setting up the workout equipment in the new home gym. Meant to be a study, the room was too small to contain all his books so he'd decided to make the big room upstairs his study and Jakob's playroom. That way they could spend more time together, maybe become closer. The doorbell made him jump when it finally rang. A squealing Jakob streaked past him and opened the front door almost before he'd made it out of the gym. "Lance! You're finally here." Jakob threw his little arms around a grinning Lance who'd hunkered down so the boy could reach. "I'm sooo hungry. What did you bring? Can you stay after lunch? I want to go ice skating but Uncle Magnus said we'd have to ask you if you know how and if you want to go and...."

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"Whoa, Jakob." Lance laughed and hugged the boy tightly. "You're supposed to let me answer one question before asking the next." Lance pulled back a little and smiled up at Magnus, making his stomach flutter and his groin tighten. Crap. The joy on that face was doing things to him he hadn't thought possible from a mere look. "Come on in, Lance." Magnus cleared his throat. "Leave your boots outside on the porch; I'll take your coat and then I'll greet you properly." Lance's eyes went upwards and his eyes lit up. Good, he wasn't the only one who wanted to "experiment." When Lance had taken off the snowy boots, he closed the door and handed over his coat. Magnus put it away, his musky scent not helping to reduce the problem with Lance's pants being too tight. "Here, Jakob, can you take the food to the kitchen for me, please?" Lance handed the boy an insulated transport bag. "I'll be along in a bit to help you unpack." "I can do it, Lance." Jakob grinned. "You say a good hello to Uncle Magnus first." Magnus's cheeks were suspiciously warm as Jakob skipped along in the direction of the kitchen, even closing the door behind him. He turned back to Lance who was admiring the mistletoe decorations; a good-sized bunch hung over every doorframe leading from the foyer into the rest of the house. "Looks like you're planning on doing a lot of experimenting." Lance stepped closer but didn't touch. 29


"Not without you, though." Magnus's voice was an octave lower than normal. "This is strictly a one-man experiment." "Good." Lance lifted a hand and cupped his check, eyes suddenly serious. "I'm not into multiple variables." "Neither am I." The thought of another man touching Lance made him feel sick. How had this happened so quickly? He opened his arms and pulled Lance closer until they touched from chest to thigh. It was a good thing their clothes were in the way. If not for their minimal protection, he might have embarrassed himself right then and there. The other man's hardness pressed against his own, making him groan when he bent down to press his lips against Lance's. With a small sigh, Lance slid his arms up around his neck and closed his eyes. Magnus licked the soft lips open and let his tongue slide against Lance's in a slow caress. Oh, this was good. Lance tasted like mints and man, his lips and tongue responding to Magnus's advances with a gentleness that almost did him in. He'd never known touching and kissing could feel so good. It had never been like that with any of his previous lovers. This, this was like coming home. After a while, Magnus made himself pull back. Lance opened his deep brown eyes, long lashes framing his unguarded gaze. "I'm beginning to like mistletoe." Lance gave him a last peck on his swollen lips and stepped back. "Come on, we've got a little boy to feed and afternoon plans to discuss." "Can you really stay?" Magnus didn't want to let Lance go. "I feel really bad because Jakob keeps asking you and I know 30


you have to work. You don't have to say yes. I'd hate for you to get into trouble." "It's okay." There was the briefest hint of darkness in Lance's eyes but it was gone before Magnus could be sure. "Katie's been very supportive. She's got Adam and our parents helping her as well." What about money though? Magnus wanted to ask but wasn't sure it was his place. He had more than enough income from his books and the occasional well-paid speech or lecture he gave. He was willing to share, but what would Lance think about that? **** Lance swallowed the fear about his financial situation. He'd already applied for a position as masseur with several of the area's ski resorts. He'd thought his qualification as physical therapist was enough, but they'd all told him he'd need to requalify as a sports masseur. Working in Katie's store was his only choice for now. He'd need to start saving so he could take the necessary classes and exams. Katie insisted on paying him a fixed salary whether he was working or not, and he really needed the money. He'd had to borrow from her to be able to pay the deposit and first month's rent for his studio apartment as it was. His food budget was beginning to look tight as well with all the extra stuff he'd made for Magnus and Jakob over the last few days. He refused to let that interfere with doing what felt right. He really liked them and they needed someone to take care of 31


them. He could always live on Ramen noodles the rest of the month. Deciding to forget all about his problems, he focused on enjoying the meal with Jakob and Magnus. They loved the simple lamb and broccoli casserole he'd made. He'd brought pumpkin pie and whipped cream for dessert, and the happy smiles on both faces had been reward enough. "Now we need to find a proper way of saying thank you, don't we?" Magnus smiled at Jakob. "What do you suggest?" "I think we should invite him to go ice skating with us." Jakob grinned, pleased he'd found a new angle to getting what he wanted. "And take him out to dinner." "It's a good thing you don't have to go to school tomorrow." Magnus chuckled. "When you start the new semester in January, stuff like this can't happen during the week anymore. But for now I agree that we should spoil Lance as much as we can to show how grateful we are." Lance blushed and his cheeks felt warm all the way to the Grand Targhee Ice Rink. It even had skate rentals. Most people around here owned their skates. They quickly found the right sizes and were soon zipping along on the ice. It took a while for him to find his balance, but after a few rounds under Magnus's careful guidance, it all started coming back. Lance hadn't had so much fun in years. "Where did Jakob learn to ice skate like that?" Lance was watching Jakob race along with a few other kids his age as if he'd been born to it. "You said he lived in Nairobi, Kenya with his parents, right? I can't imagine they have many ice rinks there." 32


"You're right, they only have one." Magnus laughed. "What? I was joking." Lance almost stumbled. "No joke. It's solar powered and has proven to be quite the attraction since it opened in 2005." Magnus grinned. "But most of Jakob's experience with ice and snow comes from spending a few weeks each year with me. He's quite a good skier as well." "I'm impressed." Lance looked at Magnus with new respect. "You've actually got more of a connection with Jakob than I realized." "Yeah, but it's not close enough." Magnus sighed and kept them circling around on the outer edge so they wouldn't run into anyone. "I know that there's something missing. Seeing you relate to him so easily made me realize that. What am I doing wrong?" "You're not doing anything wrong." Lance stopped to make Magnus look at him. "Jakob respects and adores you. He's dealing with his parents' death as well as can be expected and that's largely due to you. You obviously love him and will fight for him. He just needs to hear that from you. He's still at an age where he needs to be held and cuddled. He's very insecure right now because his entire world has changed. Anything you can do to help him over that insecurity will help make your bond even stronger." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Six The next morning Magnus was clearing away the last moving boxes when the doorbell rang. What now? Jakob wasn't due back from his visit with Lance at Holiday World until this afternoon. When he opened the front door there was a sheriff standing on his porch. "Good morning, sir." The man had a smooth voice. "You're Mr. Magnus Carstens?" Magnus nodded, stunned. What was going on? "My name is Douglas Scofield and I'm the local sheriff." The man looked at him, waiting for a reaction. "Good morning." Magnus was too dumbfounded to know what to say. The dark-haired sheriff had a neat beard and was a couple of inches shorter than him. Several laugh lines around his eyes hinted at a sense of humor. "I'd like to talk to you about your nephew Jakob." The sheriff smiled. "Do you mind if I come in?" "No. No, of course not." Magnus stepped aside. As the sheriff walked past he saw a dark blue sedan parked on the curb. Brian and Nancy sat inside, grinning at him triumphantly. "Did they send you here?" Magnus whirled around as he slammed the door closed. "Those people in the car out there, did they send you?" "Please calm down Mr. Carstens." The sheriff took off his coat and folded it over an arm. "I'd like to discuss this with you in a civilized manner. You need to calm down." 34


"Right." Magnus took a deep breath. "May I take your coat?" The sheriff nodded, and Magnus put it away before motioning him inside the living room toward the couch. Accepting a glass of water, the sheriff took a few sips before putting the glass onto its coaster. "I'll get straight to the point, Mr. Carstens." The sheriff scratched his beard as if looking for words. "Mr. and Mrs. Tabbart came into my office yesterday to lodge a complaint. They're concerned that the arrangement Mr. Tabbart's sister made for you to become Jakob's guardian in the event of her death isn't in Jakob's best interest." "I can't believe they did that." Magnus sat back, air whooshing from his lungs as though someone had punched him in the gut. Shit, they couldn't take Jakob away from him. "Well, as Jakob's other uncle, it is Mr. Tabbart's right to ask questions." The sheriff held up a hand when Magnus opened his mouth. "Please hear me out, Mr. Carstens." When Magnus nodded, literally biting his tongue to stay quiet, the sheriff continued. "It's my job to listen to your side of the story. We have no local social services in Mistletoe. I'm checking the situation so I can decide if their office in Jackson needs to be contacted. Do you understand?" The sheriff tilted his head, waiting for an answer. Magnus nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He didn't want to say anything that made it worse. God, these emotions were a bitch to deal with. 35


"Okay." The sheriff sat up straight. "I've already made some preliminary inquiries into your background, just to confirm what they told me. They seem to have the facts right. We'll go through each of the three points they made. Is that okay?" "Sure." Magnus could see where this was going. The facts were not his friends in this case. He'd have to let it play out and see where it got him. "First, they accused you of having no social skills. On top of which you've moved Jakob to a remote location where they think there won't be enough opportunities for him to learn those skills. Secondly, you have no parenting experience. Thirdly, you're single and cannot provide a woman's influence." The sheriff now held up three fingers of his right hand. "That's all they said?" Magnus wasn't surprised they hadn't brought up their love for Jakob; he just wanted to confirm that it seemed to remain irrelevant for them. "Yes." The sheriff nodded. "I'd like to hear your response, please." "Certainly." Magnus made himself relax so he'd be able to think and speak clearly. "As for their first point, it's true that my 'social skills' are unproven since they're not a requirement in my job as a glaciologist. That doesn't mean I don't get along with people. Just ask the other participants of the Arizona Park Ranger training program." "I have. I've also spoken to a few colleagues from university and the picture, quite frankly, is mixed." The sheriff folded one finger in half and grinned. "But not hopeless." 36


Huh, that was a surprise. Encouraged, Magnus continued. "As for Jakob being moved to a remote location: I think Mistletoe is large enough for him to have more than enough opportunities to interact with kids his own age." Magnus smiled. Jakob had made contact on the ice rink yesterday without any problems. "They may not be of the exalted circles my sister-in-law seems to think he needs, but Mistletoe isn't exactly a backwater." "Indeed." The sheriff's smile widened and the first finger was folded in completely. "As for parenting credentials, I'd like to see them show what they've done in that area. They have no children of their own and have never, as far as I know, been involved in any child-related volunteering or activities. I've had Jakob with me a few weeks every year since he turned three. They've never spent a single day with him because my brother and sister-in-law couldn't stand them." Magnus watched the sheriff frown but fold away the second finger. "And yes, I'm single and cannot miraculously produce a 'mother' for Jakob. Nor do I intend to get married just to have a woman in the house." Magnus was sure the sheriff didn't need to know the real reason. "But there are many single parents in this country who do a great job raising their children, so that alone can't be a problem." When the third finger was folded away and the sheriff opened his mouth to speak, Magnus held up his hand. "I'm not finished." The strongest arguments, the ones Lance had taught him about, were yet to come. "They didn't mention once what Jakob wants and needs. He's gone 37


through a major emotional trauma and is just beginning to recover. He's said again and again that he wants to stay with me. That should count for something." The sheriff nodded and silently raised the first finger of his left hand. "Above all, though, I love Jakob and will do everything I can to help him grow up and reach his potential. I may not be his biological father, but I already feel like a father to him. I will do anything in my power to defend him against attacks from loveless, selfish people like the Tabbarts." Magnus was amazed. For the first time in his life he'd spoken from his heart and it was unbelievably freeing. The sheriff raised the remaining fingers of his left hand and grinned. "Looks like I need to go out there and tell Mr. and Mrs. Tabbart that I won't be following up on their complaint. You've made good points and made them well." The sheriff finished his water and rose. "However, I'll tell you this, father to father: trying to raise children without a partner is asking for trouble." Magnus shook his head. He wasn't interested in some woman moving in with them just to make them a "normal" family. "I'm not telling you to get married tomorrow, but I am asking you to think about getting help. Whether it's a nanny or a good support system of friends and neighbors doesn't matter. But with you starting a new job and possibly being away more than you may think, and Jakob being so recently traumatized, it would be foolish, in my humble opinion, to 38


attempt this on your own. Just think about it, please?" The sheriff held out a hand which Magnus shook, silenced by the advice he'd just been given. When the sheriff was gone Magnus returned to the living room and sat on the couch, staring out into the snow-covered garden for a long time. He already felt so close to Lance that he'd begun to wish the other man would be around all the time. He'd never felt a connection like this with anyone. On top of that Jakob adored Lance and the man had shown he returned those feelings. Lance was a great cook, had done a wonderful job with their Christmas decorations, and struck Magnus as a real nurturer. But would he be interested in moving in with them? Would he still want his own job or would he accept Magnus paying him a salary? Magnus sighed. There was only one way to find out. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Seven Lance was bone-tired. The store had been a madhouse today. It was almost closing time, but he wasn't looking forward to going home. Last night, after spending most of the day with Magnus and Jakob, he'd realized that his studio apartment wasn't home and likely never would be. It may have proven that he was able to stand on his own two feet, but that wasn't really what he wanted. He sighed as he started sorting toys back into their spots in the play corner. What he wanted was a family to take care of. If he was honest with himself, he'd always wanted that. But everyone had expected him to go to college and earn a living. He hadn't wanted to disappoint his family so he'd gone along. Now look where it had got him. "Nobody should look that sad when handling toys." The deep voice behind him made him jump but strong hands caught and held him, stopped him from falling. "Magnus!" Lance leaned into the other man's strength for a moment before he pulled himself together and turned around to look up into the silver-grey eyes that felt like home. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Magnus didn't let go of his shoulders. "It's okay; I was just thinking." Lance took a deep breath and rose, Magnus's hands sliding down his arms until they reached his and squeezed briefly before letting go. "Looked more like worrying to me." Magnus frowned. "Is something wrong?" 40


Inside his head Lance was yelling "yes" but he couldn't just come out and tell Magnus about his revelation—could he? So he shook his head as he looked down. "Something is wrong, isn't it?" Magnus stepped closer. "Am I that transparent?" Lance tried to step back but the shelves were in his way. "You are to me." Magnus frowned. "I don't know why, but I just get this sense of how you're doing when I'm close to you. You've taught me to listen to my feelings where Jakob is concerned, and now I'm doing it with you as well. I can't turn it off." "I'm sorry. I don't want to burden you with my problems." Lance swallowed. "That's not what this is about." Magnus smiled. "I think there's something going on that's eating at you and I want to know what that is. I can't resist a puzzle and I'm a problem solver, Lance. This isn't going to go away by you ignoring it, okay?" "I hear you." Lance looked up. "But I really can't talk to you about it. I'm sorry." "Oh, shit, this is about me or Jakob, isn't it?" Magnus blinked slowly. "How did you...."Lance bit his tongue. "It was just a suspicion." Magnus's shoulders slumped. "I was afraid we'd crowded you. You have a life of your own and we've been monopolizing your time." "No!" The anguished sound was out of Lance's mouth before he could stop it. 41


"But we have." Magnus looked back up with pain in his eyes. "Yes." Lance nodded, desperate to make it better. "But that's not the problem." "It isn't?" Magnus sighed. "I'm sorry Lance, I'm new at this stuff and I don't get it. You'll have to help me understand." "Okay." Lance sighed. "Just not in the middle of the store?" Magnus nodded. "Tell me why you're here?" Lance put the last toys away, trying to keep his hands busy so he wouldn't touch Magnus. "And where's Jakob?" "Jakob's up front helping Katie." Magnus smiled. "I wanted to ask you if you want to have dinner with us. Jakob and I missed you today. We'd get take out so that you don't have to cook. But now...." "I'd love to spend the evening with you guys." Lance was so relieved it hurt. He'd wished for this all day but he hadn't felt like he could just invite himself. "You would?" Magnus's eyes lit up. "Of course I would. I love spending time with both of you." Lance's world was all right for now; he'd deal with the rest later. Later came sooner than he wanted. They'd had a great Chinese meal and had taught Jakob how to use chopsticks. Two rounds of Cluedo later Jakob was falling asleep in his chair and they'd put him to bed. The little boy had insisted on kissing both of them goodnight, and it had made Lance feel very warm inside to be accepted like this. 42


Now they were sitting on the soft rug in front of the lit fireplace, leaning back against the couch and sipping glogg, the Nordic version of mulled wine that Magnus had made. "Can you tell me why you were so sad earlier?" Magnus looked up. "Please?" "The problem isn't that you've been taking me away from my own life." Lance sighed, his stomach in knots. He wasn't ready to tell Magnus that he had no life without them, but he had to tell him something. "The problem is that I want to spend more time with you and Jakob." "You do?" Magnus sat up, eyes wide. "A lot more time." Lance nodded. "But that's great." Magnus put down his empty mug. "It is?" Lance's heart was surging in hope. "Yeah." Magnus smiled and leaned forward. "Remember Brian and Nancy and their threats of 'dire consequences' when we kicked them out on Monday?" "Sure. How could I forget?" Lance shuddered. Those people were a little scary. "Well, I found out those 'consequences' when the sheriff came around this morning. They'd lodged a complaint about me being an unfit guardian! I think they expected him to take Jakob and turn him over to them right then. But you know what? Your technique of using emotions as arguments worked perfectly." Magnus grinned. "It did?" Lance was light-headed, he was so relieved. "Yeah. I convinced the sheriff that I was a very fit guardian. He did make me think about something, though." Magnus rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "He said 43


that he wouldn't recommend trying to raise children on my own. He said it would be better if there was a second person around to help carry the burden. I'm sure he meant a woman." Where was Magnus going with this? "But I have no intention whatsoever of getting married to some woman to provide a mother for Jakob." Magnus fisted a hand, and then relaxed it. "I do want help with Jakob, though, and was wondering if, well, if you might be interested in the position?" "What? As Jakob's nanny?" God, that was so close to what he really wanted. "Position" just sounded so cold. He'd be living with them, he assumed, but would that be enough? "Well, I don't know what you'd call it." Magnus narrowed his eyes in thought. "I don't think 'nanny' is quite right." "So you're doing this just for Jakob?" Lance's heart hurt at being so close and yet miles away from what he really wanted. "No, not just for Jakob." Magnus looked him straight the eyes. "Look, I know we only met six days ago. But there's something going on between us that I'd like to explore. The fact that I need help with Jakob just means I'm asking you to move in with us faster than I normally might. If it's not what you want, that's not a problem, we can take it more slowly. But you said you wanted to spend more time with us, so...." "What about my job?" Not that Lance really wanted it, but he needed to find out what Magnus was thinking. "Do you really like that job?" Magnus tilted his head. 44


"No." Lance sighed. He might as well tell Magnus everything. "My last lover dumped me on Thanksgiving. Cleared out our bank account and vanished. The police told me since it was a joint account, there was nothing they could do." "What?" Magnus knit his brows. "Yeah. I had no choice but to come back here since there were no jobs available in L.A., and I thought the ski resorts around here might need a physical therapist. Turns out they don't, and I'm not qualified as a sports masseur. So I'm stuck in a low-paid job with an apartment I can hardly afford until I can save enough to pay for retraining." Lance didn't dare look at Magnus. "Do you want to work as a masseur?" Magnus's voice was soft, careful. "Not really." Lance shook his head. "But I have to make a living." "What if I paid you a salary?" Magnus put a finger under Lance's chin and made him look up into those silver-blue eyes. "You would do that?" It wasn't what he wanted but he couldn't really ask Magnus to consider him his partner and share everything. "Of course!" Magnus sounded determined. "Okay." Lance smiled when Magnus's eyes lit up with joy. Moving in with them was a first step. He'd see if it could become more soon enough, especially given all the mistletoe all over the house. [Back to Table of Contents] 45


Chapter Eight Magnus was over the moon that Lance had said yes. The discussion about money had been awkward. Something didn't feel right, but Lance hadn't said anything, so he'd ignored it. "Uncle Magnus?" Jakob sounded like he was a couple of aisles over. "I'm in the play corner, Jakob." Magnus grinned. "Huh? What are you doing there?" Jakob walked up to them and his face lit up when he saw Lance. "Hi, Lance. Will you have dinner with us?" "Yes, I'd love to." Lance hugged Jakob. "He's going to do more that have dinner with us very soon." Magnus almost couldn't contain his happiness. "Is he going to stay for a sleepover?" Jakob's eyes sparkled. "A sleep- sleepover?" Magnus blushed at the pictures appearing in his head. "Actually, I've asked him to move in with us so that we can spend more time together." "You have?" Jakob turned to Lance. "And you said yes?" Lance nodded and Jakob launched himself at the other man, trying to hug the stuffing out of him. Magnus wanted to do that too. Why hadn't he? "Can you stay tonight?" Jakob let go of Lance. "The guestroom is all set up!" "I'd love to stay tonight but I need to pack." Lance looked over at Magnus. "If that's okay with you? It's not too fast?" 46


"The sooner the better." He nodded. "Do we need a trailer?" "I haven't got much." Lance looked embarrassed. "The studio is furnished, so there's nothing big to transport." "No problem." He grimaced; Lance had told him how tight money was for him. "Let me go talk to Katie about my job here." Lance frowned. "I don't want to leave her in the lurch." **** Magnus was grateful to Katie for letting her brother go right away. He hadn't expected that, had been ready for a transition period where Lance would still go to work every day. The store was really busy with Christmas now only a little over a week away. But she'd insisted that Lance's new life was more important than her store. Lance's eyes had lit up. Magnus had been surprised that she hadn't called it a job like Lance did. Now it was Saturday evening, and Lance had already lived with them for three days. They had been some of the best days of Magnus's life. It wasn't just that their food had gotten better since Lance had taken over in the kitchen; they'd had fun exploring their new environment during the day and their evenings were filled with laughter, whether it was playing board games, reading books, or singing Christmas carols. Lance had encouraged Jakob to open up, letting him talk about his parents and how much he missed them. That was helping the little boy to accept what had happened and move on, without feeling that he was abandoning his parents or his 47


love for them. Magnus had been carefully included in all of it. He was in awe and depended on Lance's presence and judgment more every day. Hell, who was he kidding; he was falling for Lance faster than an avalanche came down a mountain. The connection he'd felt since that very first kiss had only grown. Their "experiments" under the mistletoe all over the house had been fun, but Magnus wanted more. Research had its purpose, but he'd drawn his conclusions and was ready for action. He glanced around the living room, making sure everything looked as seductive as possible. Candles all over the room replaced the ceiling lights, he'd bought extra pillows and placed them on the couch, and he'd drawn the curtains. He was particularly proud of the mistletoe garlands he'd strung across the ceiling while Lance was upstairs, making sure there wasn't an uncovered spot to be found. He made himself comfortable in a corner of the couch, ready for Lance to finish the phone call with his parents which he'd taken in his room. **** Lance had been tired and ready to call it a night when he went downstairs. Now he stood and stared. The living room looked like a scene from a romance novel. The intent was clear, even without the mistletoe garlands that had appeared along the ceiling. Magnus's silver-blue gaze was filled with desire, making his smile and open arms a clear invitation. 48


None of his lovers had ever gone to this much trouble for him. Was this a sign that it was okay to trust Magnus with his heart? He already trusted the man with everything else. Lance swallowed and walked over to the couch. He sat down next to Magnus and took his hand to twine their fingers. "Magnus?" Lance had wanted more than a "position" as Jakob's nanny. But was that what Magnus was offering here? "What's this about?" "I wasn't sure how else to tell you that-that I want more with you." Magnus's gaze didn't waver, but a muscle in his jaw twitched. "I'm not very good at talking about my feelings. I've never needed to because I was never emotionally involved." "That's sad." Lance couldn't imagine a life like that. "It probably saved you a lot of heartache, though." "Maybe. It also suddenly feels like I missed a lot." Magnus lifted Lance's hand and kissed it. "You've changed that. You've made me realize that I can listen to my feelings and follow them. You've helped me get closer to Jakob, which I'm more than grateful for. And now I can see that our 'experiments' with the odd kiss here or there are nice but not enough." "What do you want from me?" Lance wanted everything; he just wasn't sure Magnus was ready to give it. "I want you to teach me how to make love." Magnus closed his eyes for a moment before returning his intense gaze to Lance's. "I know how to have sex, but I don't know how to make it mean something." 49


"Oh, Magnus. That's not something I can teach you; making love is about how you feel about the other person, not about what you do." Lance almost chuckled at the scientist's attempt to understand with his brain what could only be felt with the heart. "It is?" Magnus's eyes were big, the pupils dilated. "Well, in that case, I have something to show you." Magnus lifted his free hand and cupped Lance's cheek. He moved their heads closer together until their lips were touching, just a light back and forth, until Lance sighed and opened up, needing more. Magnus slipped his hot tongue into his mouth and tenderly caressed every surface. Lance thought he'd died and gone to heaven when the hand cupping his cheek moved along his jaw to the back of his neck and started caressing his sensitive nape. Waves of arousal chased each other down his spine. His cock was hard in seconds. He slid his free hand around Magnus just to have something to hold on to. Magnus let go of his hand and pulled him over his lap so Lance straddled his thighs. A hard erection touched his through too much fabric. He ground his own against it, moaning in bliss. Not letting go of his nape Magnus used his other hand to open Lance's pants. A hot fist enclosed his throbbing cock, making him groan. He pulled back from their wild kiss. "No, not alone." Lance managed to open Magnus's pants with a supreme effort. He pulled out the thick cock and closed his own fingers around it as far as they would go. 50


"God, alskling, what you do to me." Magnus groaned and dove back into their kiss, pushing his hips up and his cock into Lance's hand. Lance wanted to know what alskling meant, but he was too busy pushing his own dick into Magnus's tight fist. "Too fast." Magnus pulled back and panted. "I wanted this to be slow and gentle." "We can do that next time." Lance hadn't known how starved he was for another man's touch—Magnus's touch—on his dick. It felt too good to slow down. "Oh, God." Magnus renewed the kiss and his movements grew frantic. Lance couldn't have held back for anything. With Magnus squeezing his dick even more tightly as he approached his own orgasm, Lance lost it. His balls drew up and he came in spurts of release that were almost painful. More heat splashed against his shirt and skin as Magnus followed him over the edge with a low growl that made him tingle all over. Too tired to move, he collapsed against Magnus's broad chest, his eyelids heavy with sleep. Magnus's arms cam around him protectively, and he closed his eyes. The next thing he knew he was in Magnus's arms and being carried upstairs. God, the man was strong. He was put onto a soft mattress, felt a pillow under his head. "Sleep well, min alskling." Magnus brushed a soft kiss across his temple and pulled the blankets up over his shoulders. Lance's mind was foggy with sleep but he knew something was wrong. When Magnus walked away and a door clicked 51


softly closed, he realized that he was in the guestroom. He turned onto his side, curled up, and let the tears flow. He was still alone. Even after the first true lovemaking of his life, he'd ended up alone in his own bed. He was so close to having the love and family he'd always wanted and yet it kept escaping him. [Back to Table of Contents]

52


Chapter Nine Magnus read the note he'd found attached to the fridge with widening eyes. His heartbeat sped up, and for a moment he couldn't breathe. Fuck! Lance's flowing script made the devastating message look deceptively beautiful at first glance. He'd gone to see his parents for their biweekly Sunday family lunch and he'd be back in the afternoon. It looked simple enough. The fact that Lance had just walked off like that after what they'd shared last night, though, spoke volumes. Something must have been seriously wrong for Lance to do that. Magnus suspected it was something he did or didn't do. But what? He'd tried so hard to make sure Lance knew how much he meant to him, yet somewhere he'd failed—and failed spectacularly. For Lance to exclude Jakob and Magnus from this visit was another indication that something was off. They'd done everything together, were growing into a family, so why didn't Lance take them with him to meet his parents? Magnus didn't need his recently developed sensitivity to emotions to see that there was a problem with this note. Hell, half the problem was that there was a note instead of Lance coming to talk to him. He suspected he'd need to understand Lance's feelings better if he wanted to solve this problem. And he'd need to do it before he went to see the man or he wouldn't even know what to say to him without making things worse. 53


Wondering why Jakob wasn't awake yet, he went upstairs and quietly opened the door to the boy's room. The curtains were drawn but there was enough light for Magnus to see the curled up shape of the little boy under the covers. Yesterday's snow-shoeing expedition must have exhausted him more than Magnus realized. He grinned and closed the door again. Best to let him sleep for now. Back downstairs he made some coffee and toast, and then sat down at the kitchen table to think. The pad of paper they used for the grocery shopping list was close if any points needed writing down. He was going to figure this out and find a solution, as sure as the biggest glacier on the planet was the ice sheet on Antarctica. After going over the last few days with a fine-toothed comb he came up with two potential clues. One was Lance's unease when they'd discussed money, which remained unsolved because Magnus hadn't thought it urgent enough to get back to. The second was Lance's happiness when Katie had referred to him moving in with Magnus and Jakob as a "new life," rather than the "job" Magnus had originally seen it as. But that was in the past, wasn't it? Ever since Lance moved in, it had been obvious that he wasn't "working" for them, he was "living" with them. Magnus already saw him as part of the family. And then it clicked. Fuck, why hadn't he seen this before? Lance had apparently wanted more than just a job with them, so getting paid must have felt uncomfortable. But since Lance had no money to speak of, he'd probably seen no choice but to accept a "salary." So when Katie referred to the move as 54


Lance's new life, she'd actually named what Lance wanted but thought he couldn't get. To top it all off, Magnus had then made love to Lance without telling him he loved him in so many words. So Lance might even feel like he'd been paid to have sex with Magnus, especially since he'd found himself back in the guest room instead of Magnus's bed. All Magnus had wanted was to make sure that the man got a good night's sleep, which was surely best achieved in your own bed. Or maybe not? Which reminded him—why was Jakob still asleep at ten in the morning? That just wasn't right. Relieved that he had at least a working hypothesis where Lance was concerned, he decided it was time to wake Jakob. He walked into Jakob's room and opened the curtains so the meager winter sunlight would help rouse the boy, but when he turned around his breath caught in his throat. The huddled shape under the covers he'd seen earlier wasn't Jakob at all; it was a pile of pillows shaped to look like a body. Jakob was gone. **** Lance had never felt this miserable when visiting with his parents. He'd retreated to his old room after lunch, feigning tiredness. He just couldn't go on pretending everything was okay when his heart hurt so much. Normally this family time was happy and relaxed, an occasion where all of them reconnected and made sure they didn't lose touch despite their busy lives. But nothing could cheer him up today. 55


Sure, he'd been depressed when he first returned from L.A. and was trying to get over Brice. He'd succeeded surprisingly quickly, making him suspect that he hadn't loved the thieving bastard as much as he'd thought. This crushing distress over Magnus returning him to his own bed last night was worse, because he'd come closer to having his dream come true than ever before. Now he was scared that it would always elude him. He sat up and hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. His old bed creaked in protest at the sudden movement. Was it his destiny to be unhappy? It couldn't be. Did he have to just accept what happened to him? Surely not. Was there a natural law that prevented him from going after what he wanted, fighting for it? There bloody well better not be. He couldn't believe he'd almost fallen into the same old trap yet again. He'd done what others expected him to do all his life. Hadn't he vowed to change that, just a few days ago? Hadn't that already led to moving in with Magnus and Jakob, and him becoming the homemaker he'd always wanted to be? He was closer now than ever before to making his dreams a reality. There was only one part that was still missing. Maybe because the other parts had fallen into place so easily he'd been blind to the need to work for what he wanted. He was the only person who could make it happen. Magnus had wanted to make love, not have sex, so what had gone wrong? He should have been looking for the reason behind the misunderstanding, not running away to lick his wounds. 56


Energized and armed with a whole new level of determination, he jumped up from his bed and tore open the door. He stormed downstairs ready to get into his coat and drive back to Magnus's house, where he belonged. He was going to go and fight for his man. The shocked faces of his family as he stormed past the open door to the family room on his way to the front door made him stop for a moment. The phone rang and interrupted his attempt to say a quick goodbye. His father picked up the receiver and looked surprised. "Yes, he's here. Hold on." His father motioned for him to come over. "It's for you." "Who is it?" Lance didn't have time for this; he was on a mission. "Just take the call." His father handed him the receiver and sat back down on the couch, right next to Lance's mother, where he always sat. "Hello?" Lance couldn't think of a single person who'd phone him here. "Lance. Thank God you're there." Magnus's deep voice made Lance weak in the knees, even filtered through the phone line. "I'm really sorry about whatever I did last night to piss you off. Can you please set that aside for a moment, though? I desperately need your help." "Sure." Lance didn't hesitate. Magnus's voice sounded heartbroken. "What's wrong?" "They took Jakob." Magnus's voice broke and there was a soft sob. "Brian and Nancy took Jakob in the middle of last night. Got in through the side door of the garage we'd never 57


used, which apparently had a broken lock. They grabbed him from his bed and vanished." "What? God. Please, no!" Lance almost dropped the receiver from the shock. He slowly slid down to the floor, the wall against his back the only thing holding him up. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Ten Magnus was shaking with fear for Jakob and anger at his own inability to do anything to help find him. He was pacing up and down the length of the living room, feeling like a caged polar bear. If Lance didn't get here soon to calm him down, he'd lose his mind. When the lock finally turned and a very pale and shaky Lance walked in, he ran into the foyer. He slid his arms around Lance's waist under the coat to be as close to him as possible. Lance's arms moved up to twine around his neck. When he'd buried his nose between Lance's neck and shoulder and breathed in the man's musky scent for a few moments, he started to relax a little. At least he had half his family back. Jakob missing felt as if there was a hole in his heart. "God, Magnus." Lance sighed and squeezed back. "Please tell me that there's some news. I can't take much more of this uncertainty." "Come on; take off your coat and we'll sit down." He stowed Lance's coat and walked them to the couch. "The sheriff's been a great help so far. When I realized something was wrong because Jakob still wasn't awake around ten, I called him, and he was here twenty minutes later. He had a look around the house and found the broken lock. He called his team, and they turned up to take fingerprints, just in case. When they were reasonably certain it was a kidnapping, 59


and because they suspected Brian and Nancy would take him back to Florida, they got the FBI involved." "How could Brian and Nancy do that?" Lance's eyes were red-rimmed as he leaned into him. Magnus tightened his embrace and held on. "Take a little boy like that, and probably scare him half to death? After everything he's been through?" "I don't know." Magnus took a deep breath, trying desperately to stay calm. "I have no idea what they think to accomplish with a stunt like this. I'm not even sure they thought it through. It may just have been an impulse." "Some impulse." Lance snorted. "Has the FBI found anything?" "Yeah, they used the rental car's tracker. It was returned to the rental company's Salt Lake City airport office around nine this morning." Magnus sighed. "They're still trying to find out where they went from there." "Salt Lake City?" Lance frowned. "That's not exactly on the normal route between here and Florida, is it?" "You're right. The agents think Brian and Nancy may have wanted to throw off any pursuers by not taking the direct route back to their home. Or they may have wanted to get out of all the ice and snow as quickly as possible, since that's an unfamiliar situation for them." Magnus shook his head. "I have no clue since the whole situation makes no sense. I mean, they must know they'll get caught, right? "Maybe they figure they can convince Jakob to say that he wanted to go with them? That he doesn't like staying with you after all?" Lance's frown got deeper. 60


"No way. Jakob would never want to stay with them." Magnus was certain. "Not after being so happy here, especially since you moved in." "I know, but they probably don't see it that way." Lance heaved a sigh. "Okay, so what do we do?" "We wait." Magus hated it, but they could hardly get in the car and start driving around to try and find those bastards themselves. "All we can do is sit here and wait until the sheriff calls with some news." **** Magnus rubbed his aching eyes with one hand, too tired to sleep. They'd been up half the night waiting for news. Lance had made them a meal some time during the early evening. Not that they'd been hungry, but they had to keep their strength up to be there for Jakob once he was found. Now the grey light of a long winter morning filtered through the living room windows. It wasn't going to get much brighter than this, not on the shortest day of the year. Not that it would feel short; more interminable waiting was sure to follow. They'd never made it upstairs. Somehow staying on the couch, dressed and ready to go had felt right. Magnus grimaced; it hadn't made any sense, and his aching back was telling him so loud and clear. He was going to get them a more comfortable couch very soon. He looked down at Lance, who'd been sleeping fitfully in his arms, snuggled against his chest most of the night. His hair was tousled and morning stubble darkened his jaw. God, 61


but his alskling was sexy in the morning. They'd never gotten around to talking about what had happened on Saturday night to drive Lance away. The worry about Jakob had kept both of them too anxious to start an important discussion like that, but Magnus was going to get to it as soon as Jakob was safely back with them. When the phone rang, Magnus almost jumped out of his skin. He needed both arms to keep Lance from falling off the couch as he startled awake. "Magnus Carstens." He held his breath as he checked his watch. Eight a.m. was about time for the bihourly updates the sheriff had given them, just to let them know they hadn't been forgotten. Illogical, but definitely reassuring. "Douglas Scofield." The sheriff sounded as tired as Magnus felt. "We've got good news for you, Mr. Carstens. They found Brian and Nancy about an hour ago as they were having breakfast in a diner next to their motel near Las Vegas. They'd left Jakob in their room, but we've retrieved him and he's all right now." Tears of relief started running down his cheeks before he could stop them. Lance's eyes widened in shock, so he quickly reassured him. "They found Jakob. He's okay." Magnus slumped back onto the couch, dragging a smiling, if teary-eyed, Lance with him. Now they could both hear what the sheriff was saying. "They're going to put Jakob and an agent on the ten thirty flight via Salt Lake City." The sheriff rustled with some papers. "You can pick him up at Jackson airport at two thirtysix, off Delta flight 4480." 62


"We'll be there, sir." Magnus wiped his eyes with his free hand. "We'll most definitely be there." **** By the time Jakob finally made it out of the secure area and into the baggage claim part of the small airport, Magnus was ready to strangle someone. Why did everything take so long when you were impatient for it to happen? Jakob was pale and subdued as the female agent holding him by the hand walked up to them. He wore an unfamiliar pair of jeans and a warm red sweater that looked large on him. He didn't even look up from the floor. Shit, the little guy looked much worse than Magnus had thought. Lance gasped next to him and took his hand for support. He wanted to pick Jakob up and hold him in his arms, but Sheriff Scofield stopped him. "He needs to take this all in at his own speed." The sheriff completed the handover paperwork with the unsmiling agent and then nodded at her. "Jakob, remember how I promised you that you'd see your uncle Magnus at the end of our trip?" The agent spoke softly but remained standing so she wouldn't invade Jakob's personal space. Jakob nodded but still didn't look up. "Well, this is the end of our trip." The agent started pulling her hand back from Jakob's and the little boy didn't resist. "Your uncle Magnus is right here and would like it very much if you said hello." 63


Finally Jakob looked up, his blue eyes troubled and red from crying. He stared at Magnus for a few seconds, still not moving. Then he looked over at Lance and took a deep breath as his gaze traveled back to Magnus. "Are you real?" Jakob's voice shook. "Yes, Jakob, we're real." Magnus held onto Lance's hand so he wouldn't shake apart with relief. Very slowly, as if it was too much effort, Jakob took one step toward him, then another. The little boy's eyes never left his as he lifted his arms and came even closer. Magnus went down onto his knees and opened his arms in response, embracing Jakob tightly when he'd slid his little arms around his neck with a heartbreaking sob. His own tears flowed unhindered as he held half his life in his arms. Lance's warm hand squeezed his shoulder and his world was whole again. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Eleven Lance closed Jakob's bedroom door, Magnus right behind him. It had taken a while to get the little boy to fall asleep, tired though he'd been. He'd clung to one or the other of them for most of the afternoon, ever since they'd left the airport. He'd had trouble letting go. They'd spent the afternoon reassuring Jakob and getting him to talk about his ordeal. He hadn't said much, but they'd started the healing process. The rest would take a little time. Then they'd tested the alarm system the sheriff's deputy had put in for them in the morning. Even though Jakob knew that Brian and Nancy were in prison and he was safe, he made Magnus and him try to enter the house several times. Jakob hadn't been satisfied until the alarm had proven to be reliable. Lance smiled. "What's so funny?" Magnus took his hand and pulled him close. "I was just thinking what a scientist Jakob already is." He looked up into those silver-blue eyes he'd never get enough of. "Oh?" Magnus slid his arms around him. "He wasn't happy until he'd seen enough evidence that the alarm was going to keep him safe." Lance laughed. "He even made us use the same doors a few times to make sure the experiment led to the same results every time." 65


"You're right." Magnus chuckled. "Behavior like that is so much second nature for me that I hadn't even noticed." "I'm sure it'll help him follow in your footsteps and become the glaciologist he wants to be." Lance could well imagine the expeditions those two would go on together. "I don't know that I want him to be a scientist." Magnus frowned. "It's been a pretty lonely life for me so far, and I'd like to think we can spare him that burden." We. Magnus had said "we" so he wanted Lance around for the long haul. But in what capacity? Now was the time to find out why Magnus had put him into his own room the other night, making him feel so rejected. The man had probably had a perfectly good reason. Lance just wanted Magnus to understand what effect that logic had on him, and see if he was willing to change his behavior so Lance would feel loved and accepted. "Which reminds me...." Magnus hesitated. "I'd like to talk about what happened the other night. I obviously did something that made you think you weren't part of the family." "Why do you say that?" It would be a lot easier if Magnus had figured it out already. "Because...." Magnus shook his head. "Can we sit in the study for this rather than stand in the hallway?" "Why don't you go activate the alarm while I get us something to drink? I'm kind of thirsty." Lance did as he'd suggested and Magnus went to secure the house. They cuddled into the wide loveseat with him sitting between Magnus's legs, his back leaning on the man's strong 66


chest and surrounded by his warm arms. Lance twisted so he could lean his head onto Magnus's shoulder and look at him as they talked. "I'm hoping this will be a really short conversation." Magnus grinned. "This position you've wiggled your tight little ass into is really making me consider other activities. More importantly, I'm hoping that you'll accept my apology for what I've done." "It's not like I didn't make mistakes as well." Lance ducked his head. "Okay." Magnus laughed. "Maybe we've both got some explaining to do before we get to the good stuff." "All right." Lance leaned back. "Here goes." Magnus cleared his throat. "I think my biggest mistake was that I didn't tell you that I love you. And I'm truly sorry for that." "You love me?" Lance's heart started beating faster. "Yes, very much." Magnus kissed the tip of his nose. "I want you to be part of our little family as my partner. You're not here to do a job and get paid. From now on, I want us to share everything. Whether that's the responsibility for raising Jakob or the money needed to run this household, I want it all to be 'ours'." "Oh, Magnus, I want that too." Lance sat up. "I was even ready to fight for it. For the first time in my life I don't care what others expect of me; all I want to be is your partner and take care of you and Jakob." "Why would that be a problem?" Magnus frowned. "If that's what you want to do?" 67


"It sounds easy, I know." Lance shrugged. "But I've always done what my parents and friends expected me to do. I didn't want to hurt or disappoint anyone. So I went to college and got a job to earn money while all along what I really wanted was to be a house-dad. Not very manly, huh?" "It's plenty manly for me." Magnus cupped Lance's crotch with a large hand, almost making him squeal with the sudden arousal. "This right here tells me all I want to know. No woman can offer a package as sexy as yours. None could possibly look as good wearing an apron as you do. None could care for Jakob as well as you do." "You really mean that don't you?" Lance let all the worry of the last few days go with a long exhale. "So when you put me into my own bed the other night, making me feel so alone and rejected...." "God, is that what you thought?" Magnus's eyebrows went up to his hairline. "Shit. I just wanted to make sure you got a good night's sleep. And I thought the best way was to let you sleep in your own bed." "That's silly." Lance giggled. "The best place for me to sleep is in your arms." "I know that now." Magnus looked crestfallen. "I'm so sorry I put you through that alskling. I promise not to do it again." "You called me that before." Lance wanted to know. "What does it mean?" "Alskling?" Magnus's gaze softened. "It's Swedish for darling, beloved, sweetheart." 68


"Oh." It was all Lance got to say before Magnus bent his head and sealed his mouth with his hot lips. Magnus's agile tongue caressed his own in long strokes which matched the soft movements of his large hand over the growing tent in Lance's pants. The hard cock Lance felt pressing against his lower back got even harder until Magnus let go of his mouth. "Time to take this to the bedroom, okay?" Magnus's pupils were dilated with desire. Lance nodded, and before he knew what hit him, Magnus moved off the couch, lifted him in his arms as though he weighed nothing and deposited him on a king-size bed in his bedroom across the hall. He switched on a bedside lamp before closing and locking the door. The next long minutes were spent with Magnus slowly undressing him, kissing and licking every bit of naked skin he encountered. Lance returned the favor, and they were soon both naked and panting with need. "I want you." Magnus sat up next to him and pulled a condom and a small tube of lube out from under a pillow. "I need you." Lance had never been so ready in his life. "I'll go slow." Magnus sheathed himself, then opened the lube and squeezed until his fingers were covered. "You can go slow once you're inside me." Lance grabbed his legs, lifted them up and spread them as wide as possible, just to make sure his lover knew what he meant. "Fuck, you're sexy." Magnus scooted between his legs and slid his slick fingers along Lance's skin, balls to hole and back a few times, making him moan. 69


When Magnus's first finger pushed into him, he almost came. It was thick and hit his gland on the first try, making him squirm with the need to come. "Magnus!" Lance fought for control, wanting his lover inside him when he came. Magnus grinned and pulled his finger out almost all the way. When he pushed back in it was with two, and the burn was so good it made Lance scream for more. Magnus scissored his fingers as he moved in and out, soon adding more lube and a third finger. When he pulled out completely to lube his cock and get in position, Lance whined with the need to be filled again. Magnus quickly put his broad cockhead against Lance's hole, barely touching him. "I love you, min alskling." Magnus's eyes blazed a bright blue as he slowly pushed his thick cock inside Lance's waiting channel. "I love you, too, baby." Lance groaned as he was split so wide he thought he was going to die, it felt so good. When Magnus was all the way inside, he waited for a few moments to give Lance time to adjust. He needed them, and when he'd finally relaxed enough, he squeezed his ass muscles and made Magnus groan in turn. "Fuck!" Magnus's whole body shook. "What the hell was that?" "That, my darling, was the signal for you to move." Lance did it again, just to see his lover break out in a sweat as he started to move. 70


Slowly at first, as he'd promised, Magnus made love to him. He bent down and they kissed, their tongues moving in sync with their bodies for the longest time. As their arousal rose, Magnus increased the speed of his thrusts, and Lance couldn't hold back anymore. "Magnus!" Lance's body shook and he sprayed his release between their sweating bodies without a single touch to his cock. "Lance!" Magnus thrust a few more times and then stilled as he came inside Lance's still spasming channel. Magnus pulled out before Lance was ready for him to go. The condom came off, was dropped over the side of the bed, and Magnus pulled him into his arms with lighting speed. "I'm never going to let you go now, alskling. That was the most amazing sex of my life." Magnus pulled up the covers and pushed a leg between his for a closer fit. "Not going anywhere, baby." Lance was already half asleep, dazed and exhausted but he'd never been happier. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Twelve Magnus looked at the sleeping man in his arms and wondered how he'd gotten this lucky. He'd never believed in luck before, but meeting and falling in love with Lance—and having the sexy man love him in return—sure made him reconsider. Or maybe it was all due to what he'd started to call the "Mistletoe Phenomenon" after all? He couldn't really get himself to care right now. He'd much rather wake his lightly-snoring partner and start Christmas morning the right way. Lance's sleep-mussed hair and relaxed look made him hard every time. This was the fourth morning they'd woken up together, but it was still new and exciting. The newness might fade over time, but he suspected he'd never get enough of his alskling, and that it would always remain exciting. He placed feather-light kisses all over Lance's face, starting with his forehead and eyelids, moving across his cheekbones, down his cheeks and along his jaw line. When he turned his attention to the kissable mouth, Lance was smiling. "This is nice." Lance opened his eyes, and Magnus wanted to drown in them. "It's a special Jul greeting between lovers." Magnus winked. "Oh, silly me, I thought that it was saying God Jul for everyone." Lance mock-frowned, lips twitching. "We need a new Swedish dictionary if ours is broken." 72


"You looked up 'Merry Christmas' in the dictionary?" Magnus was touched. "I didn't even know we had one." "We do now." Lance grinned. "Just like we've added gingerbread biscuits to the tree decorations and have changed Christmas Eve dinner to include smorgasbord and Risgrynsgrot. God, that's an awfully difficult way of saying rice pudding, by the way." "Have I told you how much I appreciate all the effort you've put into including some of my childhood Christmas traditions into the way our new family celebrates the holiday?" Magnus had been happiest when Jakob was the one to discover the almond in the Risgrynsgrot, entitling him to a special wish. The little boy had closed his eyes and scrunched his face, he'd wished so hard. "It's only fair." Lance lifted a hand and cupped his cheek. "Jakob and you said you'd make your own traditions, so I wanted to make sure everyone gets to contribute." "Jakob also said he wanted you to help. I'm glad you did." Magnus bent down and kissed those soft lips, finding Lance responsive and ready to play. Lance stretched into the kiss, sliding his hands up along Magnus's abdomen until they reached his nipples. When his lover's nimble fingers started to stroke and lightly pinch the tightening buds, Magnus felt his erection grow. He pulled back with an effort. "I want you, min alskling." He groaned when Lance bucked his hips against him, ensuring that there was no doubt that he was equally aroused. "I want you to make love to me this time." 73


"But, I've never done that." Lance looked shocked, had even stopped moving. "Not ever?" Magnus couldn't believe his luck at being able to give his alskling the opportunity to do something new. "Nu-uh." Lance blinked, clearly stunned. His cock was quietly pushing against Magnus's thigh, insisting Lance had no problems with the idea. "That's a good fit, then, because I've never done it before either." Magnus hadn't trusted any of his previous lovers enough. And unlike them, he'd felt that trust was needed to let someone into his body like that. With anyone other than Lance it would have felt like he was making himself vulnerable. "And you want me to be the one?" Lance's eyes were luminous. "There isn't going to be anyone else from now on, alskling. So yes, I want you to be the one." Magnus kissed the trembling lips carefully, trying to reassure his suddenly nervous lover. "I love you and I trust you. So if it's something you want, all I can say is 'yes, please'." "God, Magnus, I love you so much." Lance had tears in his eyes but he was smiling. "I'm going to make it good for you, I promise." "I know you will." Magnus turned onto his back, pulling Lance on top of him. "There, that gives us a head start." Lance laughed, and that got rid of the tension. Lance started kissing his way down Magnus's body, lingering at the nipples, then laving his bellybutton with a soft tongue, making him laugh because it tickled. Lance kissed up and 74


down his swollen cock before moving down to lick and suckle his balls. God, that felt good. Magnus was ready to come now and said so. "Not yet, baby." Lance's voice was husky. Lance took a condom from the drawer, sheathing himself and giving Magnus hope that he would be inside soon. But then he bent down again and returned to licking and nipping Magnus's ever-tightening sac. Then the hot tongue moved lower, slid along his perineum, and made him shiver with delight. When it reached his sensitive hole, Magnus actually screamed, it was so good. With a deep chuckle, Lance continued licking the area around his hole, occasionally stabbing it with a pointed tongue. Finally Lance pushed his tongue inside, and Magnus knew he was in heaven. Lance licked him open slowly but inexorably, adding a finger, then two, to make sure Magnus was ready. By the time Lance sat up and positioned himself between his legs, Magnus couldn't even think, he was so aroused. His dick had been steadily leaking onto his stomach, and when Lance saw this he drew a finger through the little puddle, lifted it to his mouth, and sensuously licked it clean, all the while staring at Magnus like he was Lance's next meal. "Please!" Magnus wasn't above begging at this point. "I need your cock inside me, alskling. Please!" Lance smiled and started pushing inside, eyes on his the whole time. Magnus winced with the initial burn, and Lance stopped moving. 75


"Don't stop!" Magnus ground his teeth and bore down. "Don't you dare stop." "If you're sure?" Lance redoubled his efforts, and before they knew it, he was buried balls-deep inside him. "Fuck, that feels good." Lance panted and put his arms on Magnus's pecs to support himself. "Fuck's right." Magnus lifted his hands and gripped Lance's shoulders for added stability. "If you don't start moving, I'm going to come on my own here." "Oh, no. We can't have that." Lance shook his head and pulled back, almost all the way out before pushing back in hard enough to make Magnus grunt. He thought the top of his head was going to fly off when Lance started to thrust as though he'd done it all his life. Long, powerful strokes that grazed Magnus's prostrate every single time. Beads of sweat on his forehead, Lance left Magnus speechless as he went deeper than he'd ever thought possible. It was too much. "Can't— Can't hold it...." Magnus arched his back, trying to make it last just a little longer. "Come for me, baby." Lance slid a hand down his stomach to grip Magnus's cock and it was all over. Magnus screamed his lover's name as he came harder than he'd ever come in his life. His vision went grey around the edges. His balls contracted, and spurt after spurt of hot semen covered his chest and abdomen in white as he shuddered through his orgasm. 76


"Love you!" Lance pushed as far inside as he could go and started shaking as his hot cock throbbed inside Magnus's clenching channel. Magnus was still not sure is vision had returned when Lance pulled out, removed the condom, and collapsed onto his heaving chest. "God, alskling, you're going to kill me." Magnus lifted his arms to hold onto his exhausted lover. "Huh?" Lance lifted his head. "This was even better than I could have imagined." Magnus chuckled and kissed Lance on the lips. "If you're this good on your first try, I'm not going to survive it once you take your training wheels off." "Seriously?" Lance grinned. "Cool!" Magnus turned them onto their sides and snuggled closer, taking in their mixed scents and Lance's supple skin against his trembling body. This was the best Christmas he'd ever had, and it was all with thanks to the "Mistletoe Phenomenon." It may not have been the most scientific of explanations for all the good things that had happened to him since that first kiss in Katie's store, but Magnus wasn't going to complain. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Serena Yates is the pen name for a night owl who starts writing when everyone else in her time zone is asleep. She has loved reading all her life and spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book. Although she always wanted to be a writer, financial independence came first. Twentysome years and a successful business career later, she took some online writing classes and never looked back. Living and working in seven countries has taught her that there is more than one way to get things done. It has instilled tremendous respect for the many different cultures, beliefs, attitudes and preferences that exist on our planet. Serena likes exploring those differences in her stories, most of which happen to be romances. Her characters have a tendency to want to do their own thing, so she often has to rein them back in. The one thing they all agree on is the desire for a happy ending. She currently lives in the United Kingdom, sharing her house with her vast collection of books. She likes reading, traveling, spending time with her nieces and listening to classical music. She has a passion for science and learning new languages. Visit Serena's web site at www.serenayates.com. You can contact her at [email protected]. [Back to Table of Contents]

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The Mistletoe Phenomenon (C)Copyright Serena Yates, 2009 Published by Dreamspinner Press 4760 Preston Road Suite 244-149 Frisco, TX 75034 www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors' imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Design by Mara McKennen This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite 244-149, Frisco, TX 75034 www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ Released in the United States of America December 2009 79


eBook Edition eBook ISBN: 978-1-61581-342-1

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The Mistletoe Phenomenon

The Mistletoe Phenomenon

Mistletoe

The Mistletoe

The Phenomenon of Man

Under the Mistletoe

Under the Millionaire's Mistletoe

Under the Mistletoe

The Coenzyme Q10 Phenomenon

The Ethnic Phenomenon

The Oprah Phenomenon

The Detonation Phenomenon

The Detonation Phenomenon

The Dipteroid Phenomenon

Baby Under the Mistletoe

Midnight Under the Mistletoe

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect

Under the Mistletoe

Under the Boss's Mistletoe

Under the Mistletoe

The Mistletoe Wager

Under the Boss's Mistletoe

Miss Mistletoe

Mistletoe Mischief

Millionaire Under the Mistletoe

The Mistletoe Mistress

Under the Mistletoe

Baby Under the Mistletoe

Millionaire Under the Mistletoe

The Mistletoe Mistake

The Mistletoe Phenomenon