Jason has one rule when it comes to holidays -- work his shift behind the bar and then find a willing body to distract himself with. One night is long enough to satisfy his needs and still walk away with his heart intact. It has worked out fine for most of his adult life, but this Easter, he's trying something new. He's leaving the city to visit his friend Aiden, who recently moved in with his boyfriend in the middle of nowhere, but one unfortunate incident leaves Jason without a place to sleep.<br><br>Tom doesn't just not do relationships, he rarely does hook-ups, either, and never too close to home. Living on his own without attachments is easier than having the whole town knowing about him. As the holiday approaches, his lonely house grows even quieter than normal -- at least until his friend Tristan dumps an arrogant bartender in his lap.<br><br>As soon as Jason lays eyes on the gruff lumberjack whose home he'll be sharing, he knows who'll warm his bed for the weekend and help chase away any pending holiday gloom. Too bad Tom doesn't want to get with the program. As much as he wants to let Jason close, he won't risk outing himself for a weekend fling. Will Jason trust Tom not to break his heart if he stays longer than a couple of days? Will Tom value their relationship higher than the town gossip?

The Egg Hunt

He jumped at the sound of Tom’s voice but didn’t turn around to look at him. His eyes stung. How could he be so stupid? If there was one thing his mum had taught him, it was not to get involved, to not let anyone close. And how idiotic of him to think about breaking his principles simply because Tom had been kind to him on a few occasions. He needed to get out of here before any other foolish notions clouded his judgement.


“Stop it.” A large warm hand landed on his arm. “You can’t drive home now anyway.”


“I can, and I will.” Jason tried to ignore Tom as he came up to stand behind him, but he brought a warmth with him. It seeped into the very core of Jason, making him want more. How could his body betray him so? He had to fight the urge to lean back against Tom’s chest. It would be easy, but he couldn’t allow himself the comfort Tom offered.


Chapter 34