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“It has to be here,” Maverick said, stopping at an open archway. I couldn’t smell any cookies or sweets, which made me hesitant, but we had followed Andrew’s directions. They weren’t all that difficult.
This should be it.
“Alright, let’s check it out.” I grabbed Mav’s hand and we walked through the archway.
And our jaws dropped in unison, surprised sounds of absolute delight escaping from my mouth.
CHAPTER 6
Maverick Gold
Zane and Enzo really outdone themselves setting this place up. From the Christmas maze in the basement to the holiday themed hallways and oversized ornaments hanging off the mansions many columns and towers, everything inside of the gates was touched by the spirit of Christmas.
And yet I still didn’t expect the room we just stumbled into.
It was a domed-space, large and bare of any furniture with a couple arching windows that had their thick blinds drawn and tied shut. Not that it mattered because the windows were barely visible underneath the Antarctic projection that covered every inch of the walls and the ceiling and the floor. It looked like we were crossing over the threshold of a magic portal, instantly transporting us to the northern most point on the globe.
And that wasn’t all. There was a fake snow machine that let out a rain of convincing white flakes and the temperature was notably colder in this room than just outside in the hallway. Around the room were three considerably sized igloos, each with heavy black curtains draped down their tunneling entrances. Theo looked at me as if he were a kid lost inside of a candy store, and I felt an equal amount of wonder.
Not only was the holiday season naturally infused with a certain kind of magic, but somehow Zane and Enzo captured that magic and magnified it. I started to feel the same kind of giddy emotions I used to hold as a kid coming down the stairs on Christmas morning, seeing a stack of wrapped gifts for me and my siblings and the beaming faces of my moms watching us in their holiday flannel pajamas.
“This is insane,” Theo said, looking around the room. The blue of the cloudless sky bounced off the white of the igloos, casting a filter-like effect on Theo’s wide-eyed smile.
I just had to kiss him. Fucking hell, what was it about him that made me always want my lips on his?
“Think there’s a clue in one of these?” I asked after I got in a quick kiss, happy that I got to taste Theo even for just a second.
“Let’s check. You go into that one, I’ll check the other one and then we’ll meet in the middle one?”
I nodded and gave him a slap on the ass. “Solid plan.”
He gave me an even harder slap on my ass, leaving my backside tingling as he turned around and disappeared behind the curtain that hung over the igloo’s entrance.
I crouched down and scuttled into the short tunnel that made the entrance of the fake igloo. Inside, the space was large enough for me to stand and stretch my arms out without touching either side. There was a small lounge area made of cloud-like blue cushions, a tiny round table holding a bottle of champagne and two flutes. There wasn’t a clue from what I could see, but the area was clearly made as a spot to relax in.
The next igloo was the exact same. Theo took his time searching the first igloo he entered, only coming into the middle one after about five minutes of me already being inside.
“Anything?” I asked him.
“Nothing, you?”
“Nope,” I said, looking around. There was more than enough room for two grown men to stand and have a conversation, making me even more impressed with Zane and Enzo’s party planning skills. They really didn’t hold back any punches with setting this place up.
“Guess we should at least have a glass, no?” Theo was already pouring before I gave him my answer. He handed me a glass and lifted his in the air. We clinked them together and gave a cheers to us. Theo looked down at the comfortable lounge area, wiggling a brow in my direction.
“Maybe we can chill for a few minutes.”
“I hate you,” I said. “Chill? Really?”
He shrugged and sat down on the lounge, his laughter bouncing off the odd acoustics, making everything sound a little more echoey than normal.
Theo and I crawled onto the lounge, sitting with our backs up on the pillows. I put an arm across Theo’s shoulder and rested my head against his. Our feet tapped together, and his hand came to rest on my thigh, his thumb making soft circles over my pants. I soaked in this moment, wanting to absorb every last second.
“You know, babe,” Theo said, his breath tickling my forehead as he spoke. We set our glasses of champagne down on the table and cuddled in tight. “I’ve got to admit, I don’t think I’ve ever had such an incredible Christmas. I’m usually more of a summer kind of guy, but I think I’m changing my mind.”
