Page 87 of Under the Mistletoe with You

When Nash wakes, he finds Christopher curled up against him, like the world’s gangliest little spoon.In the weak morning light, he counts the freckles that start behind Christopher’s ear and run down his shoulders to the soft curve of his stomach, a constellation of dusted cinnamon.Nash can’t help but look at his long eyelashes and listen to the soft not-quite-snores he makes as he sleeps.Thankfully, Christopher is also radiating enough heat to keep both of them warm.

Sleeping with him was probably not the smartest idea Nash has ever had.After all, it’s only just Christmas Eve, and they are guaranteed to have to get through another few days with each other until it’s time for Nash to go home.

Hopefully they can stick to their usual bickering and not make too big a deal out of things.It’s just sex after all.Surely they can just carry on the way they were, even having seen each other naked.That’s all Nash wants.But the way Nash watched Christopher’s soul repeatedly try to exit his body over just sharing a bed makes him suspect it’snotgoing to be so casual.Probably because Christopher’s baseline behaviour is always a little awkward.He’s not just gangly; he’semotionallygangly and misplaced and too big for the room.

Perhaps it was an inevitability that Nash would get swept up by those big blue eyes the minute Christopher turned his normal bossiness to something much more fun.Nashhas always been a sucker for big guys who like to be bossed around in the bedroom.Turns out Christopher seems into it too.

Plus, it was really hot.

Likereallyhot.

Who knows if it will happen again.Really, they probably shouldn’t.First rule of being slightly famous is, don’t sleep with your fans, though he’s not sure if that counts when they’re so begrudgingly a fan of your work once they’ve met you.

Either way, he kind of hopes they get to do it again, even if they shouldn’t.He’d like to.It was fun.

Christopher’s soft snores form a gentle rhythm that his own breath matches.Nash wonders if they were like that in their sleep, just naturally in tune with each other.In some ways, it does feel as if they are.

His mind wanders back to last night, to the way Christopher’s long hands trailed his body.To the little gasps Christopher made when Nash went down on him.

He’s not had a connection like that for ...well, quite a long time.Yes, there’s been good sex, but this felt likereallygood sex.The kind of sex you have with a good friend or an ex you still like, or if it’s a one-night stand, the kind you stretch out over a weekend.Almost as if ...no, he’s not going to go there.

It was just blowing off steam.

Blowing offsomething, anyway.

What a great nearly-Christmas present to end up in bed with a hot Englishman.He did always have a thing for the Hugh Grant type.

Christopher’s alarm goes off on his phone, and he grumbles, patting the bed around him in order to turn it off.For someone that everyone else reads as affable and polite, it’s quite funny that he wakes like an angry little creature who has been personally affronted by the morning.It’s as if they swap personalities in their sleep.

But then, he’s seen all sorts of sides of Christopher in the last few days.

Christopher wriggles away and a rush of cool air punctuates the separation of their bodies as the alarm stops.

‘Morning,’ Nash whispers and Christopher flinches.

Just as expected, there is no way this man is going to be casual about the fact they slept together.But at least that means Nash can have a little fun with it.

‘Um, yes, good morning,’ Christopher replies, looking very invested in whatever is happening on his phone screen.

‘I’ll make some coffee, shall I?’

Still not looking over to Nash, Christopher nods, pressing his lips firmly together.

‘What was that?’

‘Yes.Please.Thank you.’

Oh God, he’s reverted to basic programming.A post-coital C-3P0.

Nash decides to make the coffee and give him some space, but when he comes back into the bedroom with steaming mugs and plates of toast for two, Christopher is somehow showered, fully dressed and has made the bed.And when he takes the cup and plate, Christopher just returns with a little nod and quiet thanks and goes to eat them on the couch.

So, he’s going with stiff and distant.All right then.

This is the worst kind of awkward Christopher could have opted for, and if Nash is honest with himself, he feels a bit peeved.Like, man, is it that bad that Christopher slept with him?Shouldn’t Nash be the one feeling weird?God, he doesn’t even know how to feel now that Christopher is basically ignoring him.

He shuts the bedroom door and takes a hot shower, though it’s only hot for approximately two minutes.British plumbing is not something he could ever get used to.Or British central heating.Or the weather in general.

He sits on top of the covers still in his towel.The bed is still kind of warm with their heat, and he has to resist the urgeto clamber back in soggily.He quickly dries himself off and puts on some fresh underwear before deciding he needs to slow down.