Page 29 of Trapped for Christmas

“That’s not . . . I’m not sure . . . fuck! I don’t know what to say.”

They all laughed.

“At worst, you just get a weekend away in a gorgeous cabin in a sweet small town. There’ll probably be snow. It’s one of the few places I’ve been that gets proper seasonal changes,” said Felix.

Zeb knew Ryder had taken Felix to the cabin several times over the past year. Ryder was looking to buy their own place, given how much Felix loved it, but properties didn’t come up often. Mason didn’t go often, but Zeb knew the last thing he’d want to experience when he was having a break from the city would be Ryder as a neighbor. Zeb smiled, imagining Mason scowling when Ryder knocked on the door to borrow something. His request would probably be for lube rather than sugar.

“What are you smiling at?” asked Hunter. “Imagining Mason doing dirty things to you in his sex cabin.”

“I don’t think he refers to it as a sex cabin.”

“Ryder does,” said Felix.

They all laughed again. Zeb had missed this when he’d been with Kaden—being with his friends and gossiping. It was a shame the others weren’t here, but Charlie was in London and Paolo was working. He believed he’d made the right decision in not pressing charges against Kaden. His belongings had been collected from the apartment. It was something Deacon had arranged, and Zeb suspected Sebastian had something to do with it as well. He’d been surprised Kaden hadn’t gotten rid of his stuff, but he had it all back now.

The clothes Kaden had bought him had gone to goodwill, and a few of his old clothes were comfortable, so he’d kept those. Most of his wardrobe was new, thanks to Charlie and Sebastian. Zeb had few personal possessions, but he’d got those back. Most of it was personal gifts from his friends. There was nothing from his childhood or time on the streets. He’d been forced to leave home with nothing, just the clothes on his back. It was only because he’d had some money hidden away from the allowance his grandpa used to give him that he’d survived that first week.

He’d been on the streets for a couple of years before he met Hunter, who was older than him but had an equally shitty family. A couple of years ago, Hunter had been in an abusive relationship and gotten away, thanks to Charlie and Sebastian. That was the same night he’d met Deacon. It had taken some time, but those two were meant to be.

Not long after, Zeb had unknowingly ended up with the same guy. Brandon had physically abused Zeb, although Hunter had experienced the worst of it. Brandon was now doing a ten-year stretch in prison because Zeb and Hunter had testified in court. It had been a horrendous experience, but he’d done it for Hunter rather than himself. He never wanted to go through something like that again. Kaden hadn’t physically hurt him, it had all been head games, and that he’d lost his career was enough for Zeb. He hadn’t really felt comfortable doing that to him, but he knew Mason might do something stupid if there were no consequences for Kaden. He hadn’t been expecting Ethan to go that far, but he didn’t feel guilty about it. Did that make him a bad person?

“Why don’t you ask Mason if you can use the cabin yourself?” asked Hunter, pulling Zeb out of his wandering thoughts.

“Wasn’t your aim to get us alone together in the woods?”

“Exactly. There’s no way he’ll let you go on your own. He’ll have to accompany you.”

“Or he could just say no. It’s the busiest time of the year at the restaurant.”

“You just need to put your ‘please, Daddy’ eyes on, and he’ll agree instantly.”

Zeb shook his head, but couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He could imagine Mason’s face if he called him “Daddy,” which wasn’t his thing. He liked men taking control in the bedroom, but that’s as far as it went. Zeb was determined to never let a man control any other aspect of his life again, and he knew in his heart that Mason would never do that to him.

“Ryder knows the woman who keeps an eye on the cabin,” said Felix. “She’s a fan of his work. She can help get the cabin ready.”

Zeb chuckled. He didn’t doubt that Ryder had many fans in all corners of the world.

“What do you mean by ready?”

“Make sure there are plenty of supplies for when things develop.”

Zeb felt his face heat. They couldn’t do something like this, could they? It felt manipulative. Should he be considering this when it hadn’t been long since he’d left Kaden? Mason had talked about therapy, but Zeb wasn’t convinced it was for him. He’d had johns beat the shit out of him when he was on the street, but as soon as his bruises had healed, he’d been out earning money again. It was that, or he wouldn’t eat. He’d had friends who looked after him when he was out of action, and he’d done the same for them. Kaden had messed with his head and brought up all his insecurities, but there were no bruises this time. There was nothing to “process” as far as he was concerned.

“Won’t Mason be upset if he knows Ryder has been involved?” asked Zeb.

“He’s always upset with Ryder,” said Felix, with a loving smile on his face.

Ryder Quinn was a big guy with a big personality and no filter. To see him all soft with Felix was adorable, but it hadn’t stopped him winding his friends up by making inappropriate comments all the time. Mason was his favorite, as it took little to push his buttons. Although he never used his annoyed voice with Zeb.

“What am I supposed to do if he comes to the cabin and doesn’t make a move?” asked Zeb.

“Just drop a few subtle hints.”

“Like what?”

“Walk around in a jock. Accidentally leave a few toys out for him to find.”

“I can’t do anything like that. What if he laughs at me?”