Cold Feet
by Jay Northcote
Genres: Contemporary, M/M, Romance, New Adult, Holiday
Best friends snowed in together. When the heat rises, will they get cold feet?
Getting snowed in at a remote cottage in Wales with someone he’d fancied for ages isn’t exactly how Sam expected to spend Christmas. His feelings for Ryan are pointless. Ryan’s straight-or so he thought.
Until now, Ryan’s kept his feelings for Sam buried. Why ruin a friendship over what might only be gay experimentation? Playing it cool seems safer, until a cold snap makes sharing body heat vital. In their Welsh safe haven, anything seems possible.
As Ryan’s reserve melts away, Sam wants more than stolen kisses under the mistletoe. But a sudden thaw means making decisions. They could face the New Year together-unless one of them gets cold feet.
In keeping with the theme of her latest release, Jay stopped by to play a round of Wintertime This or That!
Socks or slippers when the floor is cold?Slippers. I have a lot of laminate floors in my house so if I wear just socks I have to skate. Plus I’m a chilly person so I live in sheepskin slippers around the house in the wintertime.Hot Chocolate or Hot Apple Cider?Neither—can I have a mug of tea instead? (typical Brit)Hockey or Figure skates?I’ve only been skating once in the last twenty years (last week as it happens), and I just used the hire skates. I was just happy to stay upright for the whole session!Cinnamon or Peppermint?CinnamonIt’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street?It’s been so long since I watched either, I can’t remember which is which, but last year I watched Make the Yuletide Gay. That was cute. I recommend it!Mittens or Gloves?Definitely gloves, preferably with touchscreen friendly fingertips.Hat or Ear Muffs?Hat, sloppy beanies are my favorite.Jingle Bells or Jingle Bell Rock?Neither. I’m not a fan of Christmas music in general… although I do have a secret soft spot for Sleigh Ride. “Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too…”Fudge or Caramels?Neither. I’m more of a dark chocolate truffle girl.Best sled: classic rectangle or flying saucer?
We so rarely get any decent snow in the UK I haven’t had a chance to compare and contrast. We often end up sledging on tea-trays or plastic bags, because when we do get enough snow the shops have usually sold out of sleds.
Afterwards, Sam denied he’d started it.
He’d been aiming for the tree behind Ryan, not at Ryan himself, he insisted. But whatever its intended target, Sam’s snowball hit Ryan perfectly on the back of his neck, exploding on impact and sending powdery snow down the gap between beanie and jacket.
After that, mayhem ensued. Snowballs flying as they ran and ducked, laughing and trash-talking each other. They were in a small copse with a few trees and bushes for cover, but as soon as one of them ventured out in search of a new patch of snow to make missiles with, the other would take the opportunity to release a fresh barrage of snowballs.
Finally, frustrated by Sam’s surprisingly good aim, Ryan reverted to his rugby skills and tackled Sam, knocking him full length into the snow with an “Oomph!” Of course, Ryan went down too. But by then he was too wet and cold to care.
They were on a slope, and the impact caused them to roll together, over and over until Ryan wondered if they were going to turn into a giant snowball like characters in a cartoon. But they finally came to rest, panting and laughing as the slope levelled out.
Sam ended up pinned beneath Ryan, laughing out loud. He’d lost his hat at some point in their tumble, and his hair was in his eyes. Snow crystals had caught in it, glinting in the sunlight. His smile was wide and infectious, and Ryan laughed too, dazzled for a moment. Then Sam’s gaze drifted over Ryan’s shoulder and focused on something above them.
“Is that mistletoe?” he asked.
Ryan pushed himself up and offered a hand to Sam to help him back onto his feet. Then he tilted his head back to squint at the spherical tangle of leaves in the bare branches of the tree above them. “I think so.”
Ryan met Sam’s eyes again, then realised he was still holding his hand. They each had gloves on, and Ryan wished they didn’t. He wanted to feel Sam’s skin. They stared at each other for a moment, and Sam licked his lips. They were pink, a little chapped from the cold, and Ryan’s gaze locked onto them. His heart surged, and panicky heat flooded him.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sam knows it's a terrible cliche but he just can't help it- he's fallen in love with his straight best friend. Most of the time it isn't too bad, and he's able to deflect his feelings by focusing on other things, like their mutual love of video games and constant bantering.
Ryan has never had a problem with his best friend being gay, it means there are more women left for him. He doesn't understand what's happening as it slowly gets harder to focus on the ladies, and he is especially confused when his eyes are drawn to Sam and start noticing him in ways they never have before.
Spending a few days with friends over the holidays seems like the perfect way to get their friendship back on familiar ground, but when Sam and Ryan find themselves snowed in alone, the seemingly brilliant plan has the potential to backfire in unexpected ways!
COLD FEET is a sweet and engaging novella that celebrates friendship, laughter, love and the spirit of Christmas. Jay presents readers with a well written story that features touching emotionalism and tender sensuality. It's the perfect story to pair with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winters day.
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Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.
She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.
Having a fire in the chimmenia outside with a hot cup of coffee!
ReplyDeletelove the snow
ReplyDeleteI love that its cold. I can get warm by putting things on. One of the reasons I hate summer is I can only take so much off. Thanks for the post and giveaway
ReplyDeleteHmm tricky as even though I prefer the cooler weather of winter I am not fond of the chaos that is caused by snow, as I was caught driving in a snow storm for over fifteen hours before I got home which would normally be a half an hour journey. However I like the cosy feeling of snuggling up in front of fire, eating hot roasted chestnuts, and a chance to bake more and make stews and soups
ReplyDeleteBeing able to have fire in the fireplace and curl up in a blanket with a book and some tea.
ReplyDeleteit's cooler than summer...which is nice but we don't get snow so that's something I've only experienced once in my life
ReplyDelete