title: Once in a Forest
author: Grand, Ofelia
description: Jason has one rule when it comes to holidays - work his shift behind the bar and then find a willing body to distract himself with. One night is long enough to satisfy his needs and still walk away with his heart intact. It has worked out fine for most of his adult life, but this Easter, he's trying something new. He's leaving the city to visit his friend, Aiden, who recently moved in with his boyfriend in the middle of nowhere, but one unfortunate incident leaves Jason without a place to sleep.
  Tom doesn't do relationships, he rarely does hook-ups and never too close to home. Living on his own without attachments is far easier than having the whole town knowing about him. As the holiday approaches, his lonely house grows even quieter than normal - at least until his friend, Tristan, dumps an arrogant bartender in his lap.
  As soon as Jason lays eyes on the gruff lumberjack whose home he'll be sharing, he knows who'll warm his bed for the weekend and help chase away any pending holiday gloom. Too bad Tom doesn't want to get with the programme. As much as he wants to let Jason close, he won't risk outing himself for a weekend fling. Will Jason trust Tom not to break his heart if he stays longer than a couple of days, and will Tom value their relationship higher than the town gossip?
  In this series:
  Once in a Snowstorm (Nortown #1)
  Once in a Forest (Nortown #2)
  The Empty Egg (Nortown #2.5)
  * * *
  Content warning: this story includes scenes of explicit intimacy between consenting male adults