waist. His wet hair stood up in all directions and a little smirk was on his lips, but Winter’s main focus was on the collection of bruises that covered his face. The swelling had gone down some around his eye and lip, but it would be days before he was completely healed.
“Don’t give me that look,” Fox said, pointing his finger at Winter. He waved his hand at his face. “This…is all temporary. I’ll be back to my usual sexy self in a matter of days. You think you can wait that long?”
Winter grinned at Fox because that was what he did when he was with Fox. He smiled, laughed, and groaned. Sometimes he wanted to strangle the man, but that always gave way to more laughing and smiling. Fox was joy.
“I don’t think I can.” Winter slowly stalked closer to the bed, coming to a stop at the foot with his thumbs hooked on the waistband of his sweat pants. “I need my Fox right now, bruises and all. There will never be a time when I don’t need my Fox.”
His lover’s expression brightened, and he held out his hands, beckoning him onto the bed. Winter was happy to oblige. He shoved off his pants and crawled up the bed. As he went, he placed kisses along his body. A soft one on his ankle and then another on his calf. Inside of his knee. He paused when he reached the towel. Carefully, he peeled it off his lover, smirking up at him. “You’re better than Christmas.”
Fox’s giggle wrapped around Winter’s heart, squeezing it as he kissed up his thigh. Winter released his own chuckle when Fox whined at Winter’s deft avoidance of his dick while kissing up to his hip and across his stomach.
“You totally missed an important part,” Fox groaned.
“Nope,” Winter murmured against one hard nipple. He licked it, then let his hot words dance over the damp flesh. “I like to save my favorite parts for last.”
“Evil fucker,” Fox snarled. He squirmed underneath Winter. Those magical hands finally stopped gripping the blankets and started to rub across Winter’s chest. They drifted up and tangled in his hair, pulling Winter to the promised land of Fox’s wonderful lips. “Missed you so much.” Fox finally kissed him.
Winter moaned into his mouth, thrusting his tongue deep inside. They tangled and fought and rubbed. He swallowed each of Fox’s whimpers. The kiss grew hungrier and more desperate. Winter tried to press even closer, but Fox’s grunt of pain had Winter pulling back, ending the kiss.
“No, don’t. I’m fine, I promise,” Fox said a little too quickly. Winter knew better. There were bruises forming on his ribs to match those on his face. He needed to be careful with his precious Fox for at least a few days.
Carefully wrapping his arms around Fox, he rolled them so that Winter was on his back and Fox was now straddling his waist. “I’m thinking this might work better while you’re healing.”
Fox pressed his hands into Winter’s chest and grinned. “Oh, I like this. I can make this work.” He inched backward, wiggling his ass against the head of Winter’s hardening cock.
“Smart guy like you. I figured you’d have some ideas.”
Lifting one eyebrow, Fox’s smile turned a little more devious. “But we might have to first go through some questions and answers.”
Winter froze. This was not what he was expecting. He just wanted to be buried deep inside his moaning lover. What the hell did he have in mind?
“It would seem you were busy while I was hanging out with the devious Damon,” Fox said in light tones.
“What do you mean?”
“Did you have an important conversation with your family?”
Winter’s heart started up again, and he breathed a little more easily. “I told them everything. The ghosts, the ring, how much you mean to me.” Winter reached up and ran his fingers over the uninjured part of Fox’s cheek. “Though the last part was easy to see. I was a fucking wreck without you.”
Fox closed his eyes, smiling as he rubbed his face against Winter’s palm. “That would explain it.”
“Explain what?”
When Fox opened his eyes, there were unshed tears shimmering there. “Why each one of your brothers came up to me, hugged me, and thanked me for saving your life. I wasn’t sure if they were talking about the ghost thing or—”
Winter pulled Fox down for a slow, draining kiss that tasted of tears, heartbreak, and healing. “They were talking about everything. You accepted everything