The Solstice Mistletoe Effect (5 page)

with it, and I decided never to get myself in that situation

again.” Magnus tightened his grip and kissed Lance on the

temple. “Don’t worry, älskling, I’ll keep you entertained and

awake.”

“Looks like Jakob’s going to have a harder time of it.”

Lance smiled as he looked at the boy, who was fast asleep.

“I’m sure he’ll be wide awake as soon as he sniffs fresh

air.” Magnus grinned. “He hasn’t been here for two years, so

a lot of it will seem new to him. Exploring the house and the

garden will keep him busy this morning. And I was thinking

we should take him into Gamla Stan after lunch.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Walking through the Old

Town should also keep us awake, right?” Lance had

practically memorized the tour guides and all other

information he’d pulled off the internet. Magnus wouldn’t be

surprised if his lover showed him new places that he’d never

been to.

“Yep, that was part of the reason I suggested it. He loved

the statue of George and the Dragon, not to mention the

Royal Palace, last time we were here.” Magnus smiled; Jakob

had told wild made-up stories for days.

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33

“Sounds good to me.” Lance sat up when they entered

the driveway. “Oh my God, is that your parents’ house? It

looks more like a mansion.”

Lance stared out the car window with wide eyes, taking

in the neoclassical monstrosity that had been built in the

1920s. The square building had been painted a light pink,

which was set off by bright white window frames and four

columns that framed the raised vestibule. Three steps led up

to the central entrance door. The two garages were located to

the left and the right on the ground floor, the one on the

right leading to the kitchen, the one on the left used for

storage.

“I guess it does qualify as one, even though it’s only

about a hundred years old.” Magnus was slightly anxious

about Lance’s reaction to the interior. It always made him

uncomfortable, and he’d lived in this house. Lance was going

to need his support.

“Are we here?” Jakob raised his head, having detected

that the car had stopped with some innate sense that he’d

always had.

“Yes, we’re here.” Magnus opened the door and stepped

out onto the driveway.

Jakob tumbled out after him, immediately making a

beeline for the main entrance. Lance followed a little more

slowly, still wide-eyed, a small frown making him look very

young and confused.

Magnus gave the limo driver a tip and asked him to

carry their suitcases and travel bags to the front door. Then

he took Lance’s hand and squeezed it for comfort before

following the others.

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“You’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Magnus nodded at Jakob to

let him know it was okay to knock.

His mother opened the door, and Magnus grinned in

greeting.

“Farmor Carine!” Jakob was in the woman’s arms before

she could utter a word.

“Jakob!” Her blue eyes lit up as she embraced the boy.

“I’ve missed you so much.” Jakob withdrew from the

embrace and looked up at his grandmother. “Can I have my

old room back, please? Have you still got the frogs in the

pond? Can I play Sorry! with Farfar Enar tonight?”

“Whoa, Jakob, let me say hello to your Uncle Magnus

first, okay?” His mother looked up and smiled at Magnus,

ignoring Lance. She looked older than Magnus remembered,

thinner and with a few more wrinkles around her eyes and

mouth, betraying the sorrow that his brother Mikkel’s death

had caused.

“Hello, Mother, it’s good to see you again.” Magnus

embraced her briefly before stepping back to introduce

Lance. “This is my partner, Lance Rivera.”

A brief frown formed on his mother’s forehead before

she held out her hand for Lance to shake. What was that all

about? It wasn’t as if they hadn’t spoken on the phone.

“Welcome to my home, Lance.” His mother’s voice

shook, but she managed to smile briefly.

“I’m glad to meet you.” Lance smiled his devastatingly

beautiful smile, and Magnus wondered how anyone could

possibly resist such friendliness. His mother seemed capable

of it, however, because she didn’t react at all.

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“Please, come on in.” She stepped aside and pointed

inside the house. “You can each have one of the bedrooms

above the garages, and Jakob will be in the garden bedroom

he was in last time he stayed here. I’ll be in the kitchen

finishing brunch preparations. We’ll eat when your father

returns from his errands around noon.”

“Yeah, thank you, Farmor Carine. I love that room.”

Jakob grabbed his small suitcase and stormed up the stairs

to their right.

Magnus took the remaining two suitcases while Lance

picked up their travel bags, a confused expression on his

face. He wasn’t the only mystified one. Had Magnus heard

right? Had his mother mentioned separate bedrooms? There

was no way he was going to be in a different room from his

älskling. Not on general principle, and definitely not during

their summer holiday.

He watched his mother vanish into the kitchen and

pointed toward the right, letting Lance know which bedroom

he intended to take. They were halfway up the stairs before

Lance stopped and turned around.

“Did she really want us to take separate bedrooms?”

Lance’s eyes were big, and his olive-toned skin looked pale.

“I think that’s what I heard, yes. But I have a hard time

believing it. And I certainly have no intention of following

that ‘instruction’.” The more Magnus thought about it, the

more he wondered what had prompted his mother to say

such a thing.

“You don’t?” Lance looked hopeful.

“Of course I don’t!” Magnus shook his head and pointed

his chin upwards to indicate he wanted to get to their

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bedroom. He wasn’t going to have this discussion on the

staircase. “You’re my partner, and we haven’t spent a single

night apart since the night you moved into our bedroom just

before Christmas. I don’t intend to start now.”

“But you didn’t say anything when your mother brought

it up.” Lance turned back around and continued up the

stairs, walking into the front bedroom that had once been

Magnus’s.

“I wasn’t about to start a discussion with her in the

foyer with Jakob right under our noses.” Magnus put their

suitcases on the bed and opened them so they could

unpack. “But we’re definitely going to have it out with her as

soon as we’re settled in.”

Lance had stopped next to the door and was looking

around the room with wide eyes. Luckily, it had been

redecorated since Magnus had left home. Sharing his

childhood posters and various trophies from school

competitions would have been very embarrassing.

“Wow, this is a nice room. Was it always yours?” Lance

moved forward and put their travel bags onto the floor next

to the bed.

“Yes, it was. But I like this new look better.” Magnus

started putting clothes into the walnut wardrobe and

matching dresser.

“That’s

too

bad.”

Lance

grinned.

“About

the

redecoration, I mean. I would’ve loved to have seen your

childhood room.”

“I bet!” Magnus grinned back. “But you wouldn’t have

been very comfortable in the narrow bed, especially not with

what I hope we’ll be getting up to over the next two weeks.”

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“You don’t mean that!” Lance looked scandalized.

“Surely not with your parents in the same house.”

“Why not? It’s a big house. I’m sure they won’t hear

anything, especially since their bedroom is in the other half

of the house and downstairs.” Magnus wasn’t going to avoid

touching his lover just because he was staying at home.

“Magnus!” Lance sat down on the bed, staring at him.

“What? My parents don’t run my life. In fact, they

haven’t had that right ever since they gave me a hard time

when I told them I was gay. I’ve forgiven them, but I decided

never to let them make decisions or determine what I do ever

again.” Magnus sat down next to Lance and took his hand.

“You and Jakob are my life now, and nobody can make us do

anything we’re not comfortable with. And that includes

sleeping arrangements.”

“Okay.” Lance sighed, a tentative smile on his lips.

“Thank you. I don’t think I could sleep without you next to

me, especially in a strange house.”

“No problem. I’m not going anywhere, and the sooner

my mother understands that, the better. In fact, why don’t

we finish unpacking so we can go downstairs and talk to

her?” Magnus lifted Lance’s hand, turned it around, and

pressed his lips against the soft skin on the inside of his

lover’s wrist.

Lance nodded, and they finished settling their stuff in

record time. It looked like they were both anxious to get this

misunderstanding cleared up. That was surely all it was.

By the time they made it downstairs and into the

kitchen, Jakob was already there, helping his grandmother

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prepare brunch. Magnus hated having to wait to have their

discussion, but there was no point in doing it now.

“Would you like to explore the garden?” Magnus looked

at Lance, hoping that his lover would understand he was

looking for a place for them to talk.

“I would love that, yes, please.” Lance looked relieved

and followed Magnus out onto the back terrace from which

steps led down into the garden.

Magnus ignored his mother’s frown as he took Lance’s

hand to lead the way. He followed the winding path all the

way to the back, not saying anything until they’d reached the

octagonal gazebo with its view of the archipelago.

He sat down on the bench that ran along the entire

inside and pulled Lance into his lap, his lover’s legs spread

along the outside of his thighs. Magnus loved this position

for extended cuddling sessions because it gave him great

access for kissing, touching his lover’s gorgeous ass, and

rubbing their groins together.

Lance sank down with a small whimper and pressed

himself against Magnus’s chest, his head on Magnus’s

shoulder and his soft lips pressed against the side of his

throat. Lance’s arms went up around Magus’s neck. Magnus

slid one arm around Lance’s middle. The other hand went

behind his head to stop him from moving while he kissed

him senseless.

Finally they both came up for air.

“I love you, min älskling.” Magnus looked into Lance’s

eyes and saw nothing but love and trust in their deep brown

depths.

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“I love you too, baby. So much.” Lance leaned back into

Magnus and held on.

For a long time they sat there, looking at the water and

just breathing together. It was one of the most intimate

moments they’d ever shared, and Magnus wished that it

would never end.

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Chapter Five

LANCE couldn’t remember ever having been this tired in his

entire life. His head hurt, his eyes burned, and his limbs

were so heavy he was having trouble getting dressed for

dinner. He shook his head as he fastened the top button of

the most formal shirt he’d taken with him. It had been a long

day, but that wasn’t the only reason he felt so exhausted.

“Are you okay?” Magnus turned away from the mirror

that he’d used to fasten his tie. He looked good enough to

eat, and Lance felt himself perk up a little just looking at his

lover.

“I think I’m all right. As much as can be expected after

the long flight and all the new impressions.” Lance stopped

fumbling with his tie and held it out to Magnus. His lover

had a lot more experience with the darned things, having