His Christmas Wish (3 page)

Chapter Five

The sound of Daniel's laughter woke Josh from a troubled dream. It had taken forever to settle down in his lonely bed. He had tossed and turned, pretty much miserable the entire time he lay awake there. His attraction to his nephew's nanny weighed heavy on his mind. Then there was the constant worry that he wouldn't do the right thing with Daniel. He felt like he made one mistake after another trying to raise him.

Once he had finally fallen asleep, Josh dreamed about Jolene and Roger. They sat on the end of his bed and informed him what a terrible job he had been doing with Daniel since they had been gone. He tried to reason with them and point out the things he and Daniel did together, but they insisted he was a lousy uncle and they were disappointed in him.

He wasn't upset about waking up to the sound of his nephew's laughter at all. It was much better than being bitched out by his sister and brother-in-law, any day.

Sometimes he was his own worst enemy.

Knowing he couldn't rest any more, he stumbled out of bed and glanced at the clock. It was only a little past noon. He should probably go back to bed for a few hours and get some more rest, but he didn't think he would sleep well or, God forbid, he'd risk a continuation of the bitch out session dream with Jolene and Roger. He grabbed his favorite faded jeans, slipped on a black long sleeved t-shirt and his socks and shoes.

He walked into the living room and stopped in his tracks when he saw Daniel and Nick sitting in the middle of the living room floor, playing what looked like Old Maid. He stood unnoticed and watched the game being played.

Daniel presented his cards to Nick. He held one card out in the front, a little away from the others, almost begging for Nick to pick it.

Josh grinned, observing as Nick pretended he would pick that card, then change his mind and act like he would choose another. Just as he was about to pick the wrong card, he would pull away and scratch his head, pretending to really think about which card he would pull.

"Hurry up and pick, Nick!" Daniel practically vibrated with excitement.

Nick tapped his chin thoughtfully for a few seconds then hesitantly reached over and picked
the
card from Daniel's hand.

"Oh… no!" Nick rolled his eyes and moaned dramatically.

Daniel clapped his hands and squealed.

"You got the Old Maid!"

Nick tossed the cards aside and grabbed Daniel and started tickling his sides.

The cards in Daniel's hand flew across the room and scattered in different directions. He laughed hysterically and tried to squirm away from Nick's wriggling fingers.

Nick kept tickling Daniel and started laughing himself.

Josh closed his eyes and allowed their laughter to flow over him. The contentment he felt at hearing their happiness made his heart lighter somehow. When the laughter died down to giggles, Josh opened his eyes and noticed Nick and Daniel sitting on the floor, smiling up at him.

Welcoming him.

"Uncle Josh! You're awake. You wanna play Old Maid with us? Right now, Nick is the Old Maid, but we can start the game over if you wanna play." Daniel gave Nick a quick hug then jumped up and ran over to Josh; practically leaping into his arms.

So many things about Daniel reminded him of Jolene. He had the same bubbly personality, zest for life, and ability to find joy in little things. Josh realized his sister's antics and memory would live through her beloved son, his adorable nephew. He held Daniel's small body and hugged him tightly for a few minutes before he set him back on his feet.

"Well, we could play Old Maid, but I thought we might go pick out a Christmas tree and maybe grab a pizza to eat while we decorate the tree this afternoon." Josh gently pushed some of Daniel's wayward red hair out of his eyes.

The boy definitely needed a haircut.

Daniel clapped his hands excitedly and bounced a little on his toes. "Can we get pepperoni pizza with pineapple on it? I want a big tree; can we get a big tree? Can we put lots of lights on it? Will you let me decorate the tree, too?"

Josh laughed. Daniel's excited chatter and enthusiasm for their outing was definitely contagious.

"Of course, little man. Go get your jacket on and we'll go pick out the biggest and prettiest tree we can find."

Daniel gave Josh another quick hug and darted out of the room. The boy was obviously anxious to do some tree shopping. Josh chuckled at his nephew's behavior and looked over at Nick, who was snickering and picking up the scattered Old Maid cards. Nick gathered up the last card and then glanced up at Josh.

"Will you come with us? I know you don't get a lot of time to yourself, but we'd like it if you came along, too." Josh watched Nick stand up with athletic grace. Long and lean, Nick moved with deliberate ease and Josh could easily watch all day long without getting bored.

Nick set the cards down on the coffee table and took a couple of steps toward him.

"Are you sure, Josh? If you and Danny want some family time alone together, it won't hurt my feelings to stay behind."

Josh shook his head. "I'm positive, Nick. You're an important part of our little family. I know Daniel would love for you to be with us… and so would I."

Nick eyes held concern at first, but as soon as Josh finished his sentence, they lit up and he smiled happily at Josh.

Josh's heart beat faster at being the reason for the beautiful smile. He returned it with one of his own and Nick took a hesitant step toward him. Josh's feet seemed to move of their own accord and before he knew it he stood close to Nick. So close he could smell Nick's citrusy aftershave and the faint cinnamon smell of his warm breath.

The man smelled delicious.

Deliberately pushing aside any negative thoughts, Josh placed a shaky hand on Nick's smoothly shaven cheek. Nick closed his eyes and covered Josh's fingers, lightly leaning into his touch.

"Uncle Josh, are we ready to go?"

Daniel's voice made both men jump away from each other. Josh spun around and saw Daniel bundled up in his red coat, a surprised look on his face. The boy stared at Josh for a few moments, then up at Nick, and a happy grin fell over his face.

Josh's face flushed— a combination of embarrassment at getting caught touching his nephew's nanny and from excitement due to Nick's positive reaction. There were a hundred good reasons to not get involved with Nick, but looking into Daniel's happy smile made him forget every one of them.

Maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe they both needed Nick after all.

"Just about, little man. We'll go put our coats on and head out, okay?"

Daniel nodded and clapped his hands excitedly.

Josh and Nick laughed. Daniel's obvious excitement about their outing became contagious, and both men hurriedly put on their jackets. They all got buckled up in Josh's older SUV and were off on their adventure.

Chapter Six

Nick followed Josh and Daniel as they walked up and down the aisles full of fresh cut trees at the garden center. The smell of fresh pine reminded Nick of happy Christmases he had as a child. Josh stood another tree up for Daniel to inspect, and he hoped this Christmas would be a very happy one, too.

He fought a grin when Daniel shook his head back and forth and pointed to another tree. Josh put down the one he held and stood the other one up. This had gone on for a while now; it became comical watching Josh and Daniel pick up and look at the same trees over and over, never quite getting the right one.

It felt good, Josh and his nephew spending quality time together. It was apparent they were having a good time and that both of them loved each other. They looked lighter and happier. Almost as if the weight of the world didn't sit on their shoulders anymore. Nick hoped it was a positive sign for things to come.

He glanced beside him and noticed a fairly large tree in a crowd of much smaller ones. He carefully stood it up and gave it a good once over. One side was full and almost perfectly formed, but the other side had a huge gap in it.

Wasn't that they way Christmas trees were supposed to be?

He looked up, and Josh and Daniel stared at him with sparkling, pale green eyes and almost identical smiles on their faces.

"What do y'all think of this one? One side is a little bare, but we can fix it up with a bunch of lights and ornaments." Nick asked.

Josh and Daniel exchanged a glance for a moment, and then focused back on him. Daniel ran over and walked around the tree, giving it a critical once over before he looked up at Nick and nodded.

"I think it's a perfect tree, Nick! I can't wait to get it home and decorate it. It's going to look so beautiful when we're all done with it."

Nick smiled down at Daniel, then looked over at Josh and winked.

An impish grin covered Josh's face. He walked up behind Daniel and ruffled his hair. "I think the boss has spoken, Nick. We'll get this one home and make it the prettiest tree we've ever had."

They carried the tree over to the cashier and paid for it, along with a shiny red and green tree stand. The men tied the tree to the top of Josh's black SUV with some rope until they thought it would be secure enough for the trek to the pizza parlor and back home.

Neither Nick nor Josh thought pineapple on their pizza sounded very appealing, so Daniel got his very own small pepperoni and pineapple pizza. Nick and Josh decided to share a large meat lover's between the two of them.

They went home and quickly took the tree inside the house and placed it in its shiny new tree stand. They shuffled the furniture around and made space for the large tree in the corner of the living room, making a point to set the bare side in the back.

They warmed up their pizza and sat down at the table and ate. Daniel chatted about how he wanted the tree decorated and about the presents he hoped to find under the tree. Both men listened to him with contented smiles on their faces. They finished their meal, brought the lights and ornaments out of the basement, and started decorating the tree.

It took a while to get everything on. Nick and Josh strung the lights and watched Daniel put on the ornaments. Josh made some of his delicious hot chocolate. The combination of the faint Christmas music playing the background, the twinkling, colorful lights, his full belly, and the warm drink had Nick so relaxed his eyes soon became heavy. He reclined on the floor and fell asleep.

A light, warm touch on his lips woke him from his comfortable slumber. He blinked a few times to get his eyes to focus;, hazily remembering that he fell asleep looking at the colorful lights of the tree. Josh knelt beside him, eyes sparkling. Josh's light touch felt good against his lips. Nick could smell the faint aroma of the spicy hand soap they used on his hands, making them smell clean and delicious.

"Hey, sleeping beauty. You looked so peaceful I almost didn't wake you up." Josh smiled down at him and reached up to brush a stray lock of hair out of Nick's face. "It's after midnight, and I know you'll be more comfortable sleeping in your own bed than on the floor." The deep tenor of his voice smoothly flowed over the faint Christmas music still playing in the background.

"Oh, Josh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you guys. You and Danny must think I'm terribly rude." He reached up and placed his hand lightly on Josh's chest, feeling the strong beat of Josh's heart.

Josh snorted. "Nick, don't worry about it. Daniel conked out not long after you fell asleep. I put him to bed a few minutes ago and he never woke up. Although I think that boy could sleep through World War III and never wake up."

Nick grinned and nodded. "That's true. He is a heavy sleeper." He absently rubbed Josh's chest, feeling his nipple harden through the heavy black t-shirt he wore. Nick's prick hardened and pushed against the zipper of his jeans.

They hadn't even kissed yet, had barely touched each other, but just being around Josh was enough to make him crave the older man's affection. Nick hoped Josh felt the same. He could feel the electric chemistry flowing between them, but there was more to it. Nick knew this would be much more than two people just being attracted to one another. He felt the budding affection and possibly other, stronger emotions between them.

Nick had a feeling this would lead to something special. He'd never felt such a pull to be part of another man's life before. He remembered praying that one day he'd find his own 'once in a lifetime' love, and had a suspicion he was looking at him right now.

Josh's heart beat faster under his palm. His green eyes looked at Nick's mouth for a few moments before he nervously licked his lips, leaned down and delicately pressed his warm, moist mouth against Nick's own in a tender kiss. Nick slid his other hand up Josh's arm to the nape of his neck and pulled the smaller man closer to him to deepen the kiss.

Nick felt the vibrations of Josh's moan against his mouth as it pressed harder against his own. Nick swept his tongue across Josh's mouth and gently nipped at his bottom lip. They were intoxicating and tasted a little like the hot chocolate he had drank earlier. Josh opened his mouth and met Nick's tongue with his own and Nick pulled him closer, their tongues tangling around each other; exploring and reveling in the taste.

Josh eased his body down until it rested fully against Nick's. Nick relished the feel of Josh's body and wrapped both arms around the smaller man, hugging him tightly.

Nick slowly explored the moist recesses of Josh's mouth and eased his legs apart as he cradled Josh's hips. They moved their erections together in a lazy, deliberate rhythm. Their hands gently ran over each other's bodies in a slow, sultry exploration.

Josh's body felt so good rubbing against his own. Even though both were aroused from the passion they had for one another, neither seemed to be in a hurry to rush things along. They were content, putting their passionate feelings aside to enjoy the intensity of getting used to the way they felt in each other's arms.

* * * *

Josh pulled his mouth away from Nick's lips and looked down at him with a gleam of lust. His peaches and cream complexion, flushed with desire, highlighted the five o'clock shadow on his cheeks and angular chin. His moist lips were slightly swollen from their shared kisses, and his dark hair stuck up in all directions from Nick running his fingers through it. It gave Josh a sexy, disheveled look.

Josh had never looked more gorgeous than he did at that moment. Nick's heart beat faster when he noticed a flash of vulnerability that resonated from Josh's jeweled colored eyes.

Nick couldn't believe his luck. This somewhat shy, intelligent and amazing man looked at him like he had something precious within his sight. Nick felt an overflow of happiness throughout his body. Suddenly lighthearted, he couldn't stop the huge smile that spread over his face. He was happy and content in Josh's arms, and he wanted to show it.

Josh's eyes widened slightly, but he returned Nick's happy smile. His white teeth shone against his full lips and flushed face, making him look several years younger than he had just moments before.

Happiness was a very sexy look on him.

"I tried to fight this overwhelming attraction I have for you, but I can't. There is something about you that makes me want to hold you and bring you fully into my life." Josh murmured before he gave Nick a soft kiss on his lips.

"Me, too. I've never felt this way before, Josh. I'll admit this scares me a little, but I'd be even more afraid of what I know I'd miss in my life if I didn't touch you, kiss you, and hold you close to me." Nick ran his fingers over Josh's shoulders to his face. He traced the slightly stubbled curve of Josh's chin line and across his cheeks to his arched eyebrows, trying to memorize every texture and different shapes of his handsome face.

"I don't jump into things lightly, Nick. Even before Jolene's death, I'd had very few relationships and even fewer one night stands. I've always been a serious person and never one to not to think things through. Now, I have Daniel to think about, too. I don't want him hurt, Nick. It's obvious he cares about you. You've brought joy back into his life and you don't know how much that means to me." Josh's voice became quieter and softer with each word he said. By the end of his statement, Nick had to practically strain to hear the last few words spoken.

Nick's heart fluttered anxiously within his chest. Did this mean Josh would try to pull away? That he didn't want to take a chance on him?

"What are you saying, Josh?" He managed to croak out.

A concerned look crossed Josh's face. He pressed a gentle kiss against Nick's forehead before he reluctantly pulled away and sat up to straddle Nick's hips. Normally, Nick would have rejoiced from being in this particular position, but Josh's words had him worried.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is… if you don't see this going anywhere between us, we don't need to pursue it any further. I have Daniel and his happiness to think about. If taking a chance on me and possibly being a big part of our family scares you too much, or isn't what you really want, we need to stop now before we get too involved and everyone gets hurt." Josh murmured.

Nick reached over and grabbed Josh's hand. He lifted it up to his mouth, pressed a gentle kiss on his knuckles and once again found his smile. "I love that Danny's well-being and happiness is so important to you. It's one of the reasons I'm so crazy about you, Mr Thomas."

Josh's face flushed even rosier, and a small smile formed on his kiss swollen mouth.

"You're crazy about me?" he asked almost shyly.

"Of course I am! How could I not be? The dedication and love you have for Danny is amazing, Josh. I know you've both been through hell since Jolene and Roger's deaths. You didn't put the responsibility of raising Danny on someone else's shoulders. You've stepped up to the plate and have given him a chance to still have a wonderful life. Danny is truly blessed to have someone who loves him like you do. I'd be so lucky to have a chance to be a part of both of your lives."

Josh stared with intense green eyes, weighing the importance of Nick's words. Nick held his gaze for several moments, knowing they'd come to a crossroads in their budding relationship. Either they'd take a chance at the happiness they might find within each other's arms or they'd just remain friends and everything would stay the same.

Suddenly it looked as if the burden had eased off of Josh's shoulders. He smiled and leaned forward until their faces were about an inch apart.

"I'm the lucky one to have met you, Nick. I'll never forget that either." Josh once again pressed his mouth against Nick's welcoming one. Soft, sweet kisses followed as they took pleasure in each other's arms.

Josh ran a trail of kisses down Nick's face and lightly nibbled on his ear. The moist warmth of Josh's breath gave Nick chills. Nick's hands made their way down Josh's back and over the softly rounded curve of his ass. Nick squeezed lightly and spread his legs to cradle Josh's slim hips between them again.

Nick started breathing faster when Josh began to grind his straining jean-covered erection against him. Josh's hot mouth sucked gently on Nick's neck and he moaned, rubbing his cock more firmly against the smaller man's erection. Josh teased along his neck and his lips, slipping his tongue into the deep recesses of Nick's mouth. Their tongues passionately explored, and they continued to grind their lower bodies together almost in a frenzied passion.

Between the taste and smell of Josh and the friction they created between their bodies, Nick felt his balls tighten up, pre-cum leaking into his boxers. Moments away from orgasm, Nick wanted to make the passionate moment between them last forever, but couldn't hold out much longer.

He reluctantly dragged his mouth away from Josh's heated kisses.

"Baby, you're so hot… you're about to make me come in my pants like some adolescent schoolboy," he managed to pant out.

Josh looked down at him, his green eyes filled with lust.

"I want you to come." He began to grind his cock even harder against Nick's, amping up the heat. "I want to see your face when you lose it for me." His voice had gone deep and raspy.

The delicious friction and Josh's sexy, deep tone pushed Nick over the edge. He latched his mouth over Josh's in a hot kiss and his body shook, releasing spurt after spurt of semen into his pants.

Josh groaned against his mouth and the smaller man's hips jerked quickly against him as Josh reached his own orgasm. Nick felt satisfied and content. Gently pulling his mouth away from Nick's, Josh gazed down with passion-hazed eyes. His dark hair stuck to some of the sweat on his forehead, his face and neck flushed with arousal.

"Oh god, baby, you're so sexy and that felt so good." Josh practically collapsed on top of Nick. He laid his head on Nick's shoulder and grabbed one of his hands.

Nick smiled and held him closer. "Can you imagine how it's going to be when we actually get naked?"

Josh snickered and then groaned. "You're going to kill or at least maim me, baby."