Saturday, December 18, 2010

Christmas Freebies...

By Em Woods (Guest Blogger)

Wow. Coming up with a blog post this time of year that hasn’t been done over and over is just a touch bit difficult! So I pondered my situation and finally came up with an answer.

A free Christmas story…with the chance to win…a free Christmas story!

This post is the first of the two freebies…I hope you enjoy it. Now, the second comes in like this – read my story, post a comment below telling me why you liked it, and on Sunday I will draw one commenter’s name to win a free copy of my current release Christmas story, Chasing Alex from the Yule Be Mine collection at Total-e-Bound.

Sound good?

Great. Let’s get started…

Andy’s Christmas Gift by Em Woods

Andy jerked awake, his heart racing. He strained his ears, listening for what had dragged him out of his eggnog-induced sleep.

Was something coming down the chimney?

He ground his teeth together, cursing silently as his imagination ran amuck. Just when he thought he had himself under control again, every muscle in his body tensed when he heard quiet, carefully placed footsteps circling around the living room. The fine hairs on the back of his neck crept up as the creaking of the floor neared his bedroom.

His hand slid under his pillow and his fingers curled around the miniature Braves baseball bat hidden there. A guy couldn't be too careful these days. The soft slide of the wood against the cotton sheets was the only noise he made as he rolled carefully out of bed, then crept toward the door.

He rolled his head, stretching tight neck muscles. Andy had a feeling he knew who was lurking outside his door. The question was why. His eyes narrowed. He better not-

A loud crash echoed from the hallway.

-break anything.

Crap. That had to be the crystal vase he’d just put on the vanity table. Couldn’t that klutz do anything without knocking shit over?

Andy took a deep breath, blowing out slowly to ease his nerves, then tossed the bat down on the recliner chair in the corner. As he crossed back to the door, he caught a glimpse of his own lanky frame in the mirror hanging on the closet door. His hair was a disheveled blond mess and his chocolate brown eyes were highlighted with dark circles, showing his lack of sleep during the holiday season.

He opened the door just a enough to see if he was right. Resting his head on the door jam, he shook his head. Just as he’d thought, the vase was in a million pieces, scattered around the hardwood floor.

A slight movement caught his eye and left him staring, speechless. Underneath a furry Santa’s cap was a gorgeous specimen of male perfection - with wavy brown hair, green eyes, and nothing but skin- bent over cleaning up the mess, offering the smooth curves of his ass like a display at a buffet line.

And fuck if Andy didn’t want to drop to his knees and treat himself to what was hidden between those delicious cheeks. He sucked in a breath, stifling the moan that wanted to escape.

The man froze briefly at the tiny noise Andy must have made before turning rounded eyes in Andy’s direction.

The deer-in-headlight look tripped Andy’s heart and he knew he must have interrupted something. As the dread slid over his heart at his roommate possibly having a lover stashed somewhere, he pasted a smile on his lips. "Chad. Doing some late night remodeling?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to break your... thing."

Andy felt his face heat as Chad’s eyes traveled down Andy’s bare chest and the boxers he’d chosen to sleep in.

Chad tilted his head a little, like he was trying to make out what was twitching under the thin material.

"You've destroyed every vase I’ve put there. How did you hit it this time?"

"I was distracted." Chad shrugged.

At the reminder his roommate might not be alone, Andy pulled back. "You’ve got company. I'll see you later."

"Andy."

Something indefinable in that one word, his name, stopped Andy from closing the door the final inch. His hands shook as he waited for whatever Chad had to say.

When it came, the tenor of Chad’s voice surprised Andy. Low, husky, and bedroom sexy. "Don't you want to see what I got you for Christmas?"

What? Chad was naked, presumably with someone waiting for him, and he wanted to exchange gifts? Andy gave himself a mental shake. "You're busy."

"Please." The pleading in Chad’s tone broke Andy’s resolve to play it safe and stay the hell out of the way.

"O-okay. What is it?" He intentionally left the door like it was. He only had so much will power, after all.

"You have to open the door, Andy."

Oh no.

Before Andy could stop him, Chad pushed the door open and leaned against the molding. Andy tried to keep his eyes locked with Chad’s, but the slight quirk of his lips said he knew Andy was struggling. “There’s no one else here, and the only company I want is right here.”

Andy flicked a glance down Chad’s body and his eyebrows shot up at the obvious interest displayed there. His mouth watered to taste the shiny bead of pre-cum sitting so pretty on the tip of Chad’s cock. Andy clenched his fists and stepped away from his friend.

It has to be the brandy we put in the eggnog. It has to be.

Where are you going, baby?”

Andy’s breath hitched in his chest and he sputtered, trying to get an answer, a protest, anything, past the lump in his throat. “Wha-what?”

Chad stepped forward, closing the distance between them, one hand sliding around Andy’s hip, the other around the nape of his neck. “I asked where you were going?”

Back to bed.”

Mmm.” Chad leaned closer, leaving only a tiny breath of air between them. “That sounds like a fabulous idea.”

Alone.” Why the hell am I protesting?

Chad’s tongue swept along Andy’s lips, then he nipped at Andy’s chin. “Can’t give you my present if you’re there alone, Andy.”

Oh, sweet God. Andy had dreamt of Chad doing precisely this for months. But now he wasn’t quite sure how to handle him now that Chad was coming on to him.

A sinful smile played at the corners of Chad’s mouth, like he knew the turmoil raging inside Andy. He dropped to his knees at Andy’s feet, slid his fingers into the gap of Andy’s boxers and pulled Andy’s cock through the opening. Slowly, maddeningly, Chad stroked the length of Andy’s erection, humming in appreciation.

Andy blindly reached for something to hold on to, but only found the smooth, steady stretch of Chad’s shoulders. Giving up on sanity and thoughts of lost friendships, Andy dug his fingers into the muscles there and arched his back, pushing his prick into the heat of Chad’s mouth.

Chad swallowed him down like he had been sucking Andy’s dick for years. His tongue swirled along the pulsing underside of Andy’s cock, dipping into the slit at the top when he pulled away.

Andy’s hands slipped from Chad’s shoulders to tangle in the dark curls on his head. He held Chad in place and drove his cock deep into Chad’s throat, earning a moan that vibrated up his shaft to pool in a tingling mass in his balls.

When Chad didn’t protest, Andy began fucking his mouth in earnest, wanting to make the most of his Christmas present, not wanting to think it would be the only time it happened.

Andy’s hips bucked when Chad curled his fingers around his balls and playfully tugged them as he slurped at Andy’s pulsing cock as it slid out of his mouth.

Chad stared up at him, questioning Andy without even saying a word.

Off the floor.” Andy waved a hand toward his king-size bed. “Hands and knees.”

Chad sprang from the floor like a cocker spaniel getting ready for a treat. Andy chuckled as the younger man landed in the center of the mattress on all fours, looking over his shoulder with hunger blazing in his emerald eyes.

Andy skimmed his hands lightly over the firm flesh displayed before him. Both men groaned, the easy touch causing both of their cocks to leak with need. Andy felt the urge to thrust into that perfect ass down to his toes, but Chad had offered himself up like a meal and Andy was going to take him up on it. Keeping his eyes locked with Chad’s, Andy leaned forward and buried his face between Chad’s cheeks, tonguing the tight pucker exposed for his play.

Chad pushed back against him, cursing and whimpering with each breach of his hole with Andy’s tongue.

Quick moments later, Andy grew impatient. He stretched to his bedside table and dug for the lube. Making fast work of it, he slicked two fingers and pressed through the clutching muscle guarding Chad’s ass.

Chad relaxed back onto Andy’s hand, fucking himself when Andy froze in wonder at the heat and constriction threatening to suck his fingers in completely.

Christ, man. Fuck me already.” Chad’s labored breathing sounded harsh in the near-silence of the room. And it served to give Andy the kick he needed. He pumped his fingers in and out of Chad’s chute, curling his fingertips to hit Chad’s gland with each withdrawal. Soon Chad was babbling, begging, for Andy’s prick inside him.

Pulling away, Andy snatched a condom from the still-open drawer and rolled it over his engorged cock. He added more lube, grabbed Chad’s hips and pushed into Chad’s hole with one smooth stroke.

Andy fell forward, breathing hard, inhaling the spicy scent of Chad’s cologne while he waited for Chad to adjust to his size. Jesus, he’s made to hold my cock. Andy pressed his forehead to Chad’s back, hiding his face from his new lover. It wouldn’t do to scare the man away with proclamations of love on their first time out of the gate.

Chad wiggled his hips, pushing back onto Andy’s dick. “Move, baby.”

And that’s what Andy did.

Picking up a fast rhythm, he pounded into Chad’s ass, twisting just a bit every so often to give a little extra stretch and burn to the already demanding pace he’d set.

Harder.” Chad seemed to struggle to get even that one word out but Andy was happy to oblige. He changed the angle of his thrusts and hit Chad’s prostate with each pass.

Chad grunted and his ass squeezed down on Andy’s cock. His head snapped back and every muscle in his compact body pulsed with the orgasm ripping though him.

Andy watched in amazement the sheer joy on Chad’s upturned face, and when Chad called his name, Andy fell over the edge, his cock throbbing with each spurt of cum filling the condom.

When his body gave back a bit of control, Andy pinched off the edge of the condom as he slid out of Chad’s body and slumped to the side. Andy rolled to the edge of the bed and dropped the spent condom in a small trashcan there. He curled back into Chad’s side, worried a bit when Chad kept his face averted.

Wow. That was some Christmas gift.” Andy kissed Chad’s neck, inhaling the musky smell of satisfied sex.

Oh, that wasn’t the present.” Chad’s breathless reply was muffled by the sheet balled in the corner of the bed.

Andy became very still. Had he read him wrong? No way.

Don’t freak out, okay?” Still muffled.

Andy licked his suddenly dry lips. “Okay.”

Chad tossed a bit on the mattress until he was facing Andy, their bodies flush against each other. “We’ve been friends for so long, Andy. I don’t even know where to start to make this be okay.”

Andy swallowed. Shit. Shit. Shit. Is he ending it already? They’d just gotten started, for fuck’s sake. He nodded, hoping the smile on his face was encouraging and not just plain scary.

Chad glanced down at where his free hand was toying with the silver chain that hung around Andy’s neck. “But…the thing is…”

He trailed off and Andy couldn’t help but feel cheated. “Just spit it out.” He snapped the words more harshly than he intended and he knew by the hurt in Chad’s gaze that he’d wounded the other man’s feelings. Andy took a deep breath. “Make it as simple as possible, and just say it. We’ll figure it out from there.”

The relief was palpable in the way Chad relaxed next to him. “Fine. I love you. I have since tenth grade when you kicked Aaron’s ass for sending me a fake rose on Valentine’s Day at school.”

Andy stared at Chad, his mind going a hundred miles an hour, but stuck on only one thing. He loves me? Oh my God. He loves me!

A shift in the mattress alerted him to Chad moving toward the end of the bed and he realized he must have stayed silent too long. Andy propped his head on one arm so he could watch Chad and gage his reaction. “Hey. Where you going?”

Chad stopped, turning his head to see Andy out of the corner of his eye. “Back to my room.”

Andy quirked one eyebrow up. “Indian-giver.”

Chad turned to face him fully now. “What are you on about now?”

You just gave me your heart, and you’re already taking it back?” Andy sniffed. “That’s hardly fair, don’t you think?”

The other man stayed silent, hope warring with fear in Chad’s face.

Andy launched himself forward to wrap an arm around Chad’s waist and pulled his friend - his lover - back up to lie down. He braced himself over Chad, their mouths inches apart. “But it’s too late. I won’t let you.”

Hope won and love shined from Chad’s eyes. “Why’s that?”

Andy lowered his mouth to settle on Chad’s, reveling in the immediate surrender as Chad parted his lips to welcome in the heated slide of his tongue against Chad’s. When they broke for air, Andy nuzzled in the crook of Chad’s neck. He took a deep breath and let the woodsy essence that was Chad wash away the doubt. “Because I love you, too. And I won’t let you go, now that you’re here.”

Chad framed Andy’s face between his palms, pressed their lips together, and whispered, "Merry Christmas, baby."

~~The End~~

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Author info:

Em Woods is a working mom of two very active little boys who writes during the vampire hours. She writes gay romance for Total-E-Bound Publishing and her latest release came out on December 13th, titled: Chasing Alex.

Feel free to visit Em at her website/blog – www.em-woods.com for more information, or follow her at: Facebook.com/emwoodsauthor, Twitter.com/emwoodsauthor, and Goodreads.com/emwoods

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URL: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1016

CHASING ALEX BLURB:

Just returning from an eye-opening trip to Colorado, photographer Victor Schwartz knows planning a nature shoot in November to the Michigan Upper Peninsula is risky. However, trapping Alex Merit, his personal assistant, in a remote cabin with no one to focus on but him is exactly what Victor thinks will get the job done. He wants Alex to realize that there can be more between them than a working relationship. A lot more.

Alex can’t believe Victor is making him go on this damn trip. He has a to-do list a mile long, starting with submitting portfolios to impatient magazine editors and ending with putting a stop to lusting after his sexy boss. And that’s not to mention the snowstorm about to bury the Midwest.

Even though being stuck in a small cabin with Victor might not be at the top of Alex’s to-do list, Victor certainly stars in all of his dreams... so when dreams become reality, will they be able to get the ending right?

13 comments:

Lisabet Sarai said...

Hello, Em,

Welcome to Beyond Romance! Thanks for livening up the season with this spicy tale! And good luck with the release!

Warmly,
Lisabet

Kari Gregg said...

Thanks for the free read, Em! I looooooooved Chad's clumsiness. Makes me wonder how many vases the poor guy's destroyed, LOL.

Em Woods said...

Lisabet, thanks for letting me take over your blog for a day! :)


Kari, Chad is a cutie, isn't he? lol.

Robin Covington said...

Em - my friend - wonderful read. Chasing Alex is on the top of mt TBR pile when my vacation starts on Tuesday! This definitely whet my whistle!

Kate said...

That's a Christmas story: They both got the gift they wanted most - Chasing Alex's on my list. I love HEAs! . . . guess it's past time to explore your backlist !

Colleen said...

Em thank you so much for the free read! I always enjoy a friend to lovers story... it makes me smile to see everyone get their HEA!
Happy Holidays! :)

Unknown said...

Em -

You've got a great way with words. Tender and sizzling hot at the same time. A wonderful play between the characters as well, we got their history and comfort with each other in so few words. A nice, spicy Christmas read. I'm thinking it's recharged my writing batteries!

Thanks for sharing, and happy holidays to you!
Hank Edwards

Em Woods said...

Thanks guys! This story was fun to write and I am super happy that you all enjoyed it.

Anonymous said...

Em-

What a great short story. Have to be honest and say I haven't read many M/M. This makes number three and you;ve made me rethink my idea of romance. You gave us just enough sizzle and heat to make you need a cold glass of ice water.Keep it up.

Happy Holidays and A Wonderful New Years.

Emily Allen

She said...

I liked how you set the story up with fear of an intruder to knowing who it is to finally admitting they loved each other. There was humor in the broken vase. A good story.

Gabriella Hewitt said...

Thanks for the Christmas read. This was my first M/M read. I enjoyed it and it had all the elements I love in a good romance. Happy Holidays!

Em Woods said...

Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments! I did a random number draw and KATE! You've won a free copy of my Chasing Alex! Congrats! Make sure you email me so that I send it right over...

emwoods @ rocketmail dot com

:)

Lisabet Sarai said...

CALLING KATE!!

Em drew your name to win a copy of Chasing Alex. Please email me at lisabet [at] lisabetsarai.com so I can forward your information to her!

Best,
Lisabet

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