There was a change in Easton. He was no longer reserved and all hands-off.
“Okay, then!” I said, clapping my hands together and backing up to get my own body under control. “Let’s go!”
“Wait, where are you going dressed like that? If I’m going to chop down trees, you’re not gonna to last any time outside in that short dress and heels.”
I looked down at my outfit, disappointed that he was right.
“Why don’t you go back there and find something more suitable? I’ll wait.”
“What?”
“Go back to the closet and find something that you can fit. I’ll sit out here and wait for you,” Easton suggested.
“Your...your sister’s clothes?”
Easton nodded. I smiled and stared at him briefly before he turned his gaze away from mine.
“Oh, by the way,” he called over his shoulder, causing me to stop in the doorway and turn around to look at him. With his back to me I could see a glimpse of his profile from the sun drifting through the windows.
Pulling his hand through his shock of blue-black hair, he said, “Not sure if you’re interested or not...but, you passed that round of interview testing.”
There was a slight turn of his head, not allowing us to look one another in the face, but just enough that I could see the smile hovering at the corners of his lips.
A warm flush crept up my neck and cheeks as I felt a pool of desire melting from my belly and down in between my thighs. With a gulp, I quickly disappeared to the bedroom to gather my thoughts.
I took a few minutes looking through the items in the closet before I found a pair of jeans that fit but were skin-tight and a pullover cashmere sweater. A pair of brown lace-up boots completed my ensemble.
“I’m ready,” I said when I returned.
“All right. Let’s go chop you a tree,” he declared.
10 – CHRISTMAS CAROLERS
The lady wanted a tree, so a tree she got. It took about an hour to find the right tree because she was so selective, and another hour to get the damned thing chopped down and back to the house.
Why in the hell did I need a big sixteen-foot tree in my home? I had no idea, but it appeared to make her happy. For the first time since she’d been trapped here, the sadness in Noelle’s eyes disappeared. Her face lit up with the same smile that was on her lips.
By the time we returned to the house, I had trimmed the tree and shook it free of all the bugs, critters, and loose leaves while she went inside to prepare a quick meal for us. When I stepped into the kitchen, she looked nothing like the woman that roamed the halls of Timbers Pharmaceutical.
Domesticated.
That’s the word that I would use to describe Noelle at that moment, and it scared the living daylights out of me. Because she looked perfectly at home in my kitchen, she was a perfect fit, something I wasn’t even looking for.
And the fact that I would equate her with domestic and a perfect fit didn’t sit right with me. But I struggled to keep those feelings shoved down. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t be a jerk to her again. She didn’t deserve it.
The only reason I’d truly been an ass in the first place was because I was trying to quench my reaction to her. Now that I was no longer working on that, I had difficulty keeping my feelings to myself.
And that damned kiss. I couldn’t control myself. Not when she’d been sitting there looking all sad and had me wanting to kick Timbers’ ass and make her feel better. Maybe not the best way to do it, but what the hell. It was the only way that I knew how to make a woman better.
And those juicy pouty lips begged to be sucked.
Now I just had to figure out how to act normal around her. Whatever the fuck that was.
“Smells good in here,” I said, washing my hands.
“I just prepared a quick meal of blackened salmon, asparagus, and couscous,” she said, offering me a piece of the salmon.
I chewed it and nodded my head, enjoying the zesty lemon and honey taste.
“Who taught you to cook?”
Smiling, she said, “My mama. She always had me by her side on Sundays and every holiday. Although she didn’t cook the same type of meals I cook, I enjoyed our time together. I cherished every moment.”
“You’re still close to her?”
“Yes, I am.”
“That’s good. Being her only child and all, I’m sure she appreciates you.”
Noelle’s head whipped around as she shot me a curious glance. “How did you know that? I didn’t tell you that.”
Sighing, I said, “We have to do an extensive background check on all employees when we first get the contract. And anyone hired between those times undergoes a background check, as well. Then we have to do another one three years later.”
“So, what all do you know about me?” she asked, those molten chocolate eyes flashing furiously at me.
I walked towards her and grabbed one of her locs. For some reason, I felt drawn to her fire as much as I did her sadness.
“I know that you’re feisty, and you’re a fighter. You don’t let nothing back you down, and you’re not afraid of anything.”
She lowered her head shyly, looking away from me. I tilted her head up once more and stared into her eyes.
“I know that you taste sweet and warm. Your body is soft and pliant, and when you’re kissed, you release these soft little moans.”
“No, I don’t,” she argued unconvincingly.
I cupped her jaw with my hands and took control of her lips again. This kiss was a bit gentler than the previous one. I didn’t want to rush anything, but I let her know what I was feeling while slowly enjoying the heat of her mouth.
My tongue swept through her mouth as I bit her tongue softly, our teeth clacking and mouths and heads moving in slow circles. Within seconds those sexy, soft moans escaped between the little space I left between our mouths. Barely enough room to breathe.
And then I pulled back. Winking at her, I said, “Told ya.”
Noelle’s lips fell open in a smile of disbelief. “I can’t believe you!” she said, slapping me on the arm.
“What?”
“You’re kissing me to prove a point?”
“No, I’m kissing you because I like the way you taste.”
I grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to me, pinning her between me and the counter. My lips instantly went to her neck, licking and nibbling it as I slowly worked my way down to her shoulder.
As the soft moans and purrs fell from her lips, I grasped her neck with my hand, squeezing tightly as my finger trailed its way over her belly. Reaching further up, I tweaked a nipple, provoking a gasp from her. My fingers fiddled with the button of her jeans, increasing her breathing.
And just as her jeans came undone and my hands slipped between her thighs and into her warmth, my buzzer on my watched sounded at the same time my internal house alarm went off.
The alarm was silent so as not to alert trespassers of their presence.
“What the fuck!” I muttered, frowning.
Noelle’s eyes widened, and she instantly began fixing her clothing.
“What’s wrong?”
“We’ve got company,” I growled.
“Were you expecting anyone?”
“No,” I replied gruffly.
“How do you know someone’s here?”
“The buzzing you hear are alarms,” I said, pointing at the ceiling after I clicked a button on the side of my watch. I tapped in a code, causing my watch to tap into my external cameras.
I could see a small group of people making it up the driveway and I cursed myself for leaving the gates unlocked after I’d gone on my escapade to see what was going on with Noelle.
That was a mistake I never made. But I also never had distractions here in the form of Noelle Riley.
Even more reason I had to be alert and vigilant.
“I thought you said no one could get through the roads.”
“They can’t,”
I muttered, wondering where they’d come from.
Peering into the camera on my phone, I saw a small group of people walking up the driveway. They appeared harmless if the pamphlets in their hands were any indicator.
I clicked the camera off. “Shit!”
“What?” she asked as I headed across the way to my office and pulled up my monitors with bigger cameras that would allow me to zoom in closer on their faces.
“What?” she repeated, stopping in the doorway of my office.
“Carolers.”
“Huh?”
“Those are Christmas carolers who’ll be at the door in a couple of minutes.”
“But...how?” she asked, squinting her eyes and shaking her head at me as if once again I’d lied.
“I don’t know,” I replied.
“Well, we have to go open the door!” she exclaimed excitedly.
“Wait!” I shouted, holding a hand up and opening a drawer at the bottom of my desk. I removed two handguns, placing one in my waistband.
When I looked up, she was eyeing me skeptically, her mouth partially open.
“What?”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit much, Marc?”
“You can never be too prepared. I take it you don’t know how to shoot.”
Shaking her head, she replied, “Not interested in learning.”
“Maybe one day you’ll change your mind,” I refuted, following her to the living room again.
We argued back and forth about the wisdom of my guns and my dramatic reactions before the doorbell finally rang.
“Well, aren’t you going to open the door?” she asked.
Frowning, I said, “I’d rather not,” as I sat the gun in my hand on the entry table in the foyer.
“Marc, please, open the door. I think it’s sweet,” she begged.
I followed her instructions to see the small group on the bottom of my stairs. Three women, two men, and two teen girls.
They instantly launched into a rendition of Silent Night.
“Uh, we don’t—”
“No, let them finish!” Noelle chided, grabbing my arm as I prepared to close the door.
Glaring at her, I looked back at them and then at her. Was she kidding me? I was just about to dive into that ass, and she stops me for this?
Frowning, I turned back to them. Their smiling faces, stupid ugly Christmas sweaters, bells around their necks, and idiotic elf hats pissed me off. They had poor timing, that was for sure. Why did they have to stop at my house at this moment?
Resting one hand on the doorframe, I glared at the carolers. But they didn’t drop those cheesy grins on their faces. Did they think they were making me happy right now?
Noelle grabbed my free hand, intertwining our fingers and stood by my side. I could hear her softly singing along with them and wished she’d pipe up so that her lovely voice could be heard. But she remained low enough only to be heard by my ears.
Their selection switched to Angels We Have Heard On High. If I weren’t in such a pissy mood, I’d have to admit that they sounded pretty good. But their pretty good was keeping me from pumping Noelle’s plump juicy ass.
One glance at her face had me changing my attitude, though. She was really into this shit, and it seemed to bring a smile on her face and brightness to her eyes. Maybe she needed this with the burden that she had on her shoulders.
I took a moment to mull over that. Why did I give a damn? This was so unlike me.
Shaking my head, I chalked it up to being horny.
When they’d finished their selection, Noelle politely thanked them and looked at me with curiosity.
“Hey, excuse me,” I shouted after the group.
They turned around, smiles still intact.
“How’d you get up here? The roads are shut down.”
One of the men spoke up. “Oh, we live just up the road there. About a quarter of a mile. Joan, my wife here, was going insane being stuck inside. We got with our neighbors, Pete, Sharon, and their daughter Kristy and decided to go out caroling. This is my wife, Angie, I’m Joel, and this is my sister, Kate, and our daughter, Aubrey,” the man introduced.
“I’m Noelle, and this is Easton,” she said, pointing at me.
“It’s nice to meet you guys,” Joel said along with the other excited greetings.
“So, you guys walked a quarter of a mile just to sing to us?” Noelle asked.
“Yes, we’re only twelve days from Christmas, and we wanted to spread a little Christmas cheer. To make sure that no one else gets depressed,” the woman identified as Angie said.
“We recently heard reports that they should make their way up here tomorrow to clear the roads,” Pete said.
“Yes, Pete’s brother works for the county road crew,” his wife Sharon piped up.
“So, we’re clear to drive again tomorrow?” Noelle asked.
I couldn’t tell if the urgency in her voice was regret or excitement. Was she looking forward to returning home? And when she did, would she seek out Tucker again? Would she fall for his lies and tricks one more time?
I wanted to find him myself and kick his ass, telling him to stay the fuck away from her. But I knew that had to be her decision. If she wanted me, she had to come freely, not because he pushed her away and was scared to come around. If that were the case, I’d never hold on to her, never get her heart. And it surprised me that I wanted to.
Maybe it was time for her to leave, after all. All this jolly, happy, merry Santa shit was getting to me. Driving me out of my damned mind.
“Thank you, that’s so sweet of you guys.”
“Well, we’ve got a few more houses along the way, and then we’ll turn back and head home,” Joel said.
“Do you guys want to join us?” his sister, Kate, offered.
Noelle looked at me, beaming. I quickly shook my head, pulling her against my side. “No, thanks, we’ve got a tree to decorate. And it’s pretty big. So, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us and need to get busy,” I said.
“Okay, well, it was great meeting you guys. Have a Merry Christmas,” Angie called out.
“Merry Christmas,” Noelle and I said at the same time.
After I closed the door, she placed her hands on her hips.
“You’re pretty good.”
“What?” I asked innocently.
“You told me that we weren’t decorating the tree until tomorrow. And you think you got off the hook about what all you knew about me with that kiss in there, Mister,” she said, wagging a finger at me.
“Did it work?” I asked, pulling her against my side again, forgetting that I’d just wanted her gone so I could regain control of my senses.
Pushing against my chest, she said, “No. Not really. I’m feeling strange because you know so much about me, and yet I know nothing about you.”
“You know everything you need to know,” I said, reaching for her again.
Avoiding my grasp, she shook her head, laughing. “No, big fella. Don’t try that. You’re stealing all of my good kisses, and I know nothing about you.”
My face grew somber for a moment. “You know more than most, sweetheart.”
“I want to know more,” she proclaimed as her face grew somber. “Come on. We can talk while we bake.”
I’d forgotten I promised her we would work together on a new sugar cookie recipe.
My arousal instantly disappeared at the thought as I groaned internally.
11 – CINNAMON STICKS & J.D.
I’d returned to the cottage last night after we’d eaten. I had to put some space between Easton and me. As much as I enjoyed his kisses and being in his presence, I needed to make sure that I wasn’t making a mistake and that I wasn’t getting involved with him for the wrong reasons.
As the night neared an end, I told him that I wasn’t feeling well and needed rest. The look in his eyes was full of disappointment, but I wasn’t certain if I was reading anything into it or not. It was hard walking away from him like th
at, and it bothered me.
But I knew I needed to think with a clear mind. If those carolers hadn’t shown up when they did, there was no telling what would have jumped off between the two of us.
Marc Easton was one fine man. He was a big, sexy ass guy with gorgeous, raven-colored hair that curled back from his forehead. His dark, olive coloring tended to give off Italian vibes, but I knew that he wasn’t. Thick, black eyebrows that arched at the ends just a little set over gorgeous, gunmetal blue eyes.
A slim, gorgeous Greek noseset prominently over a wide mouth with rose-colored lips. The hairs of his beard and mustache, dark and sleek, silky to the touch with a lightly scruffy feeling. Simply put, the man was beautiful.
I guess you’d call him the dark, brooding type. But now, knowing his history, it made sense. He answered many questions about his life last night but not delving too far into his career with the bureau. I sensed there were a lot of secrets there I’d probably never learn. And I was okay with that.
What I wasn’t okay with was developing feelings for the man I’d known for a short time. A man who had a contract with my ex. That somehow seemed like a conflict of interest, but it didn’t stop me from putting my coat on and following him back to his house the next day around noon to decorate the tree.
“Thought I’d come over here and check on you since you haven’t made an appearance yet,” he said, standing at the front door of the cottage house.
“Oh, I’ve just been busy. Doing a little research on your computer here if that’s okay.”
Turning his lips down, hands stuffed in the back pockets of his jeans, he shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. Unless you’re researching ways to take a former agent out of here.”
“Not funny,” I said as I followed him along the trail to the big house.
The man had a sexy pair of assets on him, I thought. He stopped just before we got to the door and turned around, looking at me.
“What?” I asked, staring wide-eyed back.
“You were checking out my ass,” he accused.
“No, I wasn’t!” I said, feigning indignation.
“Yes, you were. You were watching my ass. Want a private show?” Easton asked as he stepped up to the door and pushed it open.
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