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“Probably.” Greg shrugged. “I can’t really imagine being any place else, and as much as Monica loves it here and helping my mom and dad with the inn, she lives in Aurora, and her husband works in Denver.”
Holden nodded in response. He could see it. The love Greg had for this land was evident in the way he talked about it, looked at it, his smile wide, his eyes bright, his whole demeanor relaxed, engaged, open.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” Holden said.
Greg reached out and snagged Holden’s hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed his knuckles. “Thank you for coming.”
They rode for another hour on a trail that wound itself along the river—which Greg told him was the Roaring Fork River. Although it looked calm now and ice lined its banks in places shadowed by trees, Greg assured him that when spring hit and the snow on the mountains started thawing, the waterway would live up to its name.
“Maybe we can come back and do some whitewater rafting,” Greg said.
“I’d like that.”
They stared at each other for a moment, and then they both grinned, and Greg gave his hand a squeeze. Holden’s heart beat a little harder in his chest, his mouth suddenly dry at the thought that they were talking about something that sounded like the beginnings of a relationship and how very much he wanted that to be true.
Chapter fifteen
Greg
Theygotbacktothe cabin after dinner with his parents, and Greg immediately suggested a glass of wine in the hot tub. Holden hadn’t said anything, but Greg could tell he was a bit stiff from that morning’s ride. As they settled into the bubbling water, Greg took a moment to really look at Holden. It stunned him how easily they’d gone from strangers to…lovers? Boyfriends? This was definitely more than a one-and-done, but they’d only known each other for a handful of days, they lived on opposite sides of the country, and the demands of their jobs would make seeing each other difficult. Especially if Holden had to be careful about any of his coworkers seeing them together when their destinations coincided.
On the trail, the invitation for whitewater rafting had slipped out of Greg’s mouth before he’d recognized he was suggesting they had a future in which there would be more trips back to Aspen. He’d nearly grabbed those words back, but the look on Holden’s face had stopped him. His smile had caused Greg’s heart to stutter with fear that he was trusting too quickly once again, but the warmth of Holden’s hand in his, the feel of their entwined fingers, had made him answer with a smile of his own. They were definitely on the same page.
After they returned to the barn, Greg took Holden into Aspen proper for lunch and a bit of sightseeing and gawking at the shops. They didn’t spot any celebrities, but Holden had found a leather bracelet he liked a great deal in an upscale Western wear shop. Liked it until he saw the three-thousand-dollar price tag. Laughing, Greg had taken him to a quirky shop that showcased local artisans, where he’d been able to find something similar for a lot less. So much less that he bought a matching one for Greg.
Greg took a sip of his wine, eyeing the dark leather that encircled his wrist. It was simple but rugged, just like the man who’d fastened the clasp when Greg wasn’t able to do so because of the bandage on his injured hand. They’d been laughing at Greg’s attempts, but when Holden took Greg’s hand in his and placed the bracelet around Greg’s wrist, something had shifted. Greg looked into Holden’s eyes and saw the same awareness as Holden licked his lips and swallowed.
“Is this okay?” he’d asked, and Greg nodded, watching as Holden careful fastened the clasp, then raised Greg’s hand to his lips. There seemed to be a promise in his eyes as he let Greg’s hand go and leaned in for a kiss. A promise and hope. For the first time in a long time, maybe even forever, Greg found himself hoping as well as they’d kissed, hands entwined, wrists encircled by matching bracelets.
Greg touched the leather band, then shifted his gaze to the man now stepping through the door wearing nothing but a fluffy, white robe, which he’d left open. His heavy cock swung between his legs, and Greg let his eyes scan Holden from head to toe.
“Mr. Mercer, how scandalous of you,” Greg teased as Holden stepped through the open door onto the deck. “What will the neighbors think?”
“Hopefully, how lucky you are to be with me.” Holden slipped the robe from his shoulders and placed it on one of the deck chairs before stepping onto the hot tub’s platform.
Greg took another sip of wine and hummed. “Well, I won’t deny that you are definitely nice to look at, which just makes me happier that there are no neighbors.” And wasn’t that the truth? Holden might be nearly fifty, he might have a sprinkling of gray in his chest hair and the dark hairs that framed his cock as well as on his head and in his scruff, but he was gorgeous from his well-muscled legs to his flat abs, broad shoulders, and well-chiseled jaw. Add in those amazing hazel eyes that sparkled with humor and warmth, his sensual mouth and ability to kiss, and the depth of his compassion and understanding, and Greg was feeling things he’d never felt for any other man.
“The feeling is mutual,” Holden said as he descended into the water with a sigh, then waded across the tub to where Greg sat.
For a moment, Greg wondered if he’d given voice to his nascent feelings but then realized Holden was merely responding to his compliment. He handed Holden his glass, then chimed them together. “To a day well spent with the most pleasant of company.”
They both drank, and Holden settled next to him. Greg looped his arm around Holden’s shoulders and drew him closer, kissed the side of his head, the tip of his ear, nipped at the soft skin of his earlobe, and then nuzzled into his neck. Holden entwined the fingers of their left hands and rested them on the side of the hot tub. The matching bracelets lay side by side. It had been a bit of a challenge getting into the water, keeping his injured right hand dry as well as keeping his left wrist from submerging, but he’d done it, and the payoff was watching Holden play with the beads strung on both leather bands.
“I thought your mom’s eyes were going to fall out of her head when she saw the bracelets,” Holden said. “I hope it’s not going to cause problems for you.”
Greg rolled his eyes and stroked his thumb along Holden’s wrist. Rose had been positively giddy when they’d walked into the restaurant hand in hand, but she didn’t say anything until Holden excused himself to use the restroom. Then she’d gone on the offensive and grilled Greg about how serious things were with Holden. It had taken his father to rein her in, but thankfully, she’d still been so distracted she hadn’t even commented on the bandage on his right hand. “I’ll talk her down tomorrow. Here’s hoping she hasn’t ordered wedding invites yet.” He lifted his glass.
They fell into an easy silence, the water bubbling around them, steam rising from the surface into the chilly air in thick clouds. The night temperature hovered in the mid-thirties, but with most of his body in the hot tub and Holden leaning against him, Greg didn’t feel the cold. Quite the contrary as he felt a warm glow within his chest.
The past two days had been the best time of his life, Holden had said, and Greg had to agree. In less than seventy-two hours, they’d gone from complete strangers to…what? What were they? And what would they be after they both went back to the real world?
“How are we going to make this work?” Greg asked.
Holden sat up, looked at him over his shoulder. “The same way anyone makes a relationship work these days: texts and video calls.” He traced the side of Greg’s face with his fingertips. “Even if we didn’t live on different sides of the country, we still have jobs that keep us traveling a lot of the time. I don’t have a lot of control over my schedule, but I do have some, so we can figure out ways to see each other. I’m definitely willing to give it a try if you are.”
“I think I am,” Greg said. “I mean, I’m not going to lie. I’m scared it will blow up in my face, and I’ve got a little bit of a voice in my head telling me I shouldn’t take the risk, but I think my heart’s telling it to be quiet.”
Holden smiled and turned all the way to face Greg. He tried to straddle Greg’s lap but ended up nearly falling backward into the water until he got his arms around Greg’s neck. Holden scooted forward so he could loop his legs behind Greg’s back and settle on top of him. It meant Greg’s cock was nestled against the crack of Holden’s ass. The hot tub’s jets caused Holden to rock slightly, his body shifting on top of Greg. As they got themselves settled back into place, Greg’s cock twitched, sending a small tingle shooting up his body. He rocked forward a bit, feeling the drag of his dick against the underside of Holden’s balls. Holden sucked in a breath.
