Page 21 of Mr Winterbourne's Christmas
“Be careful!” Adam exclaimed. “It’ll be slippery!”
“I’m fine.” Lysander kept climbing. When he reached the clump of mistletoe, he broke off a good few sprigs, tucking them into his pocket, then he turned to wave his triumph at Adam...and promptly lost his footing.
Adam’s heart stopped for a whole, endless second. He felt rooted to the ground, unable to move, and then suddenly hewasmoving, rushing forward in a sliding stumble as Lysander tried—and failed—to right himself. And then Lysander was falling. Falling as Adam ran forward to catch him. Adam reached up to Lysander as the man tumbled down, taking his weight full force so that they hit the ground together in a whoosh of winded lungs and tangled limbs.
“Oh, God, Adam!” Lysander gasped, hastily righting himself till he was kneeling over Adam who lay, breathless in the snow, trying to signal somehow that he was all right, only winded.
Lysander brushed Adam’s hair off his forehead, his gaze moving worriedly over Adam’s face till Adam finally managed to wheeze, “I’m fine!”
The relief on Lysander’s face was gratifying, and when he dipped his head to press their mouths together, Adam sighed, parting his lips, welcoming Lysander’s passion and need.
Adam was lost in the kiss when a sudden noise—a snapping twig—pierced the haze of love and desire surrounding him. He froze and Lysander did too, yanking his head back, eyes wide with alarm.
“What was that?” Lysander hissed.
Adam sat up slowly. “Probably nothing,” he said, but as they got to their feet, they both gazed around, listening intently for any betraying sounds.
There was nothing. But then, the trees were thick in this part of the woods—it would not be difficult to hide.
When Adam glanced at Lysander, he saw his lover’s expression was troubled and that made his chest ache. He wanted Lysander never to have to worry, always to be happy and content.
“It’s all right,” he said, adopting a tone of confidence he didn’t truly feel. “I’m sure it was nothing. But perhaps we should go and find the others now.”
Lysander nodded. “Yes. Let’s do that,” he said. But though he gave Adam a reassuring smile, there was a hint of worry in the depths of his gaze.
Chapter 8 - Lysander
Lysander and Perryended up carrying all the greenery that had been collected back to the Abbey. Great branches of holly and long trails of ivy, and yes, the sprigs of mistletoe in Lysander’s pocket.
Lysander hoped to get Adam alone with one of those sprigs, later.
Not that he was having much luck getting Adam alone. A stolen moment in the dining room last night, then their kiss in the snow—all the while with the threat of discovery looming. Lysander had tried to arrange things so that he and Adam could walk back to the Abbey together, quietly sorting the greenery into two bundles while everyone else joked and laughed. He was going to wait for just the right moment...but Perry had seen what he was doing and had lifted the second bundle before Lysander could even suggest that Adam help him.
Now Adam was walking with Althea back to the Abbey. They were just ahead of Lysander and Perry, with Gwen and Simon at the front, and Bella, Anne and Sir Edmund bringing up the rear.
Perry had been very quiet since they’d set off, responding to Lysander’s conversational gambits with monosyllabic answers, till Lysander had given up. They’d been walking in silence for several minutes when Perry sighed heavily.