Modern Day (set before Jason and Gideon's wedding)

There was little that Gideon loved more than going into his bedroom, which had been such a quiet, lonely space for so long, and seeing his fiancé there. The sight of Jason, shirtless in bed, propped against a heap of pillows, focused on the book in his hand, damn near made Gideon's heart explode.

Every time he reminded himself that this amazing man had chosen to spend his life with Gideon, it was like a precious gift, being given over and over again.

Jason looked up and smiled. "Hey, you," he said.

"What are you reading?" Gideon asked, sliding into bed beside Jason, shoulder-to-shoulder. Jason's skin was warm against Gideon's.

Jason held up the book. The cover was bright with oranges and reds, the colours coalescing around a bare-chested man who stared out at Gideon with smouldering eyes.

"It's a romance about a fireman who falls in love with the guy he rescues from a burning building," Jason explained. He waggled his eyebrows. "It's pretty steamy."

He handed the book to Gideon, who started flipping through the pages, pausing every now and to read a paragraph.

"At first our hero is afraid to commit to someone because his job is so dangerous. He thinks that he can keep the man he's falling for safe by not being with him." Jason nudged Gideon. "Remind you of anyone?"

It was meant as a joke, but Gideon winced a little.

Before Jason had proposed to him, Gideon had broken Jason's heart when he ended their relationship. At the time it had made sense to Gideon. Jason being with him had attracted the attention of People Over Vampires, a group of extremists who hated vampires and anyone connected with them. They'd abducted Jason's sister in an attempt to get to him, and it had worked, until Gideon turned up to fight them off. Gideon had thought that if Jason was no longer with him, then no one would want to hurt Jason anymore. Instead he'd hurt Jason, more than anyone else had ever done.

A particular passage caught Gideon's eye, and his face felt suddenly warm.

"Oh, yeah, that's a good bit," Jason said, leaning in. "That's the first time they have sex."

"It's . . . very graphic," Gideon said.

"Told you."

Gideon couldn't help reading the passage again. The sex scene was graphic, possibly more so than anything he'd ever read, but the author had captured the growing emotional connection between the two men, along with the physical passion. It was surprisingly beautiful.

"If you're very good, maybe I'll read some of the other steamy bits to you," Jason said, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

The thought of Jason reading aloud what Gideon had just seen in the book made his stomach churn, but in a good way.

He turned a few more pages, then paused again.

"Ah, the massage scene," Jason said, dramatically clutching his chest. "I do love a good massage."

"I know," Gideon said.

Jason had mentioned it a few months ago, expressing the hope that he and Gideon could get couples' massages together some time, and Gideon had to admit he was intrigued. He'd never had one before, and though part of him recoiled at the thought of being so vulnerable around a stranger, about letting that stranger touch him like that, another part wanted to know why Jason liked them so much.

Which was why he'd been doing something in secret recently. He hadn't been sure when it would be time to try it out, but that time had to be now.

He closed the book and put in on the nightstand.

"Lie down," he said softly.

Jason bit his lip, his eyes sparkling even more, and Gideon felt that sparkle in his heart, in his soul. How was it possible to love someone like this?

Eagerly, Jason wriggled down the bed until he was lying on his back, looking up at Gideon with those beautiful blue eyes.

"Roll over," Gideon instructed.

Jason did.

His skin was more tanned than when they'd first met, a warm golden colour. Gideon loved it.

He reached across Jason, to the drawer in the nightstand where they always kept a bottle of massage oil. Until now, they'd never actually used it for massages.

"Are you doing what I think you're doing?" Jason asked.

"I am."

Jason made a little noise that was part surprise, part excitement.

Gideon wished he felt the same, but his stomach was a knot of nerves. He knew what he was doing in theory, but practical application was very different.

He tipped the bottle over Jason's back, watching oil trickle out. It glistened against Jason's tanned skin, and Gideon swallowed. The emotional connection he shared with Jason was like nothing he'd ever felt before, but so was the physical connection. No man had ever affected him like this. Jason wasn't doing anything but lying quietly on the bed, but the sight of that golden skin, the oil accentuating the shape of Jason's muscles, made the blood in Gideon's body rush south.

He put the bottle back on the nightstand and then straddled Jason, his knees on either side of Jason's thighs. His hands trembled slightly as he rested them at the base of Jason's neck, Jason's spine between his thumbs, and he felt an answering tremble run through Jason.

Gideon glided his hands down Jason's back, loving the slick flex of muscle beneath his palms, until he reached Jason's hips, then he slid his hands up the sides of Jason's chest until he reached his shoulder-blades.

Belatedly, he realised he should have put a towel down beneath Jason, to keep the sheets from getting oil on them, but he couldn't bring himself to stop now.

He worked Jason's muscles with the palms of his hands and his thumbs, and he could feel Jason relaxing beneath him, becoming limp and boneless and contented as a cat.

"This feels amazing," Jason said, his voice slightly muffled against the pillow he was resting on.

"Good." Gideon felt a surge of satisfaction.

Jason braced himself on his elbows suddenly, and twisted his head to look at Gideon.

"Where did you learn to do this?" he said.

"Watching YouTube tutorials," Gideon admitted.

Ever since Jason had brought up the subject, Gideon had secretly been watching these videos, listening to technical instruction on how to do it, and memorising the various techniques.

Jason spluttered out a laugh. "Wait, seriously?"

Gideon nodded.

"You've been watching YouTube massage videos?"

"Yes. I didn't know where else to get the information."

Jason's face softened. "This is the cutest thing, thank you."

"I'm just glad I'm doing it right." Gideon placed his palm on the back of Jason's neck and gently pushed his head down.

Jason settled back on his pillow with a happy little sigh. "If you liked the tutorials, wait until you discover cat videos."

Gideon's hands stilled on Jason's back.

"Oh my God, you've already found them, haven't you?" Jason said, twisting around again.

"Maybe," Gideon said.

"You've been watching cat videos? I love you."

"I didn't mean to," Gideon said. "They're just . . ."

"Hilarious? I know! if I'd known you liked them, I'd have been sharing them with you every day."

"They do seem to be popular," Gideon said.

"Okay, I have to know if you've seen this one." Jason reached for his phone, but Gideon grabbed his wrist.

"I'm trying to give you a romantic massage, in case you've forgotten," he said.

Jason gave him a rueful grin. "Sorry. I'll wait."

He settled back down, resting his head on the pillow.

These were the moments that Gideon loved with his whole heart. The sensuous glide of his hands on Jason's bare skin had made him hard as a rock, and maybe when the massage was over, they'd find another use for that bottle of massage oil.

Or maybe they'd snuggle up together and watch cat videos in bed.

Gideon Hartwright had never been someone who reached for the stars, and he didn't care about big, dramatic adventures. All he wanted was this man and a quiet life together.