Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 45966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45966 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Her lips parted to say something. “Do you want your gift?”
“How about we gift each other later and get started on eating your cookies?”
She threw her head back, laughing. Before she could leave to get dressed, I kissed her.
I devoured her, beckoning her to do the same, her lips to open for me. She released a soft moan as my tongue slid into her mouth. I’d always been a man of few words. To me, actions always spoke much louder and clearer than any sentence ever could. Yet there I was, laying it all out for her.
Word by word.
Sentence by sentence.
Making my thoughts and emotions known.
Slowly easing back, I added, “Go get dressed. Wear something festive for me.” I pecked her mouth one last time before releasing her.
She smiled and ran into the bathroom.
An hour later, she was dressed in a reindeer getup with knee-high boots and thigh-high stockings. I resisted the urge to bend her over the table again and remind her who drives her sleigh, but she insisted we needed to get going to get done in time for the town to make their way through.
Several hours later, we just finished cooking another batch of chocolate chips when I asked, “What was your major in college?”
“A double bachelor in business and finances with a minor in accounting.”
“Wow. Two bachelor's degrees. That must have been a lot of studying.” I nodded, licking the batter off her face.
Did I forget to mention that the second we started baking, she came out wearing nothing but a Grinch apron with stockings and boots. We spent the first hour of the morning making a mess with cake and batter mix in places where it probably shouldn’t go.
“I had to prove to your grandfather that I could handle this place.”
“When did you decide to go to work for him?”
“Pretty early on. Part of me always wanted to take it over.”
“What happened after college?”
“I worked my life away until you came back in it.”
I smiled, winking at her. “Ditto.”
“So no women in your life?”
“They were meaningless.”
“I’m sure they didn’t think that.”
“They knew what they were getting themselves into. I never lied about any expectations when it came to them.”
She smiled. “You always know the right things to say.”
“It’s called honesty.”
“Okay, Mr. Honesty, how many kids do you want?”
I jerked back, surprised by her question.
“I mean, we never talked about those kinds of things, so now I’m curious.”
I responded, “Three.”
“Three?” Her eyes widened.
“How many do you want?”
She ignored my question.
“Do you want a boy or a girl?”
“I’d like a baby girl who looks exactly like you.”
She blushed.
“I keep finding myself envisioning a life with you.”
“What kind of life?”
She looked down at her stomach.
“You’d be an amazing mother.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I don’t think I’m very maternal.”
“You’re the most loving person I know.” I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind her to help her with the cookie dough in front of her.
“This is very Patrick Swayzee of you in Ghost except here comes Santa Claus wasn’t playing in the background.”
We’d been listening to Christmas music, and I’d never be able to hear Rudolph the red nose reindeer without envisioning Noelle on her knees in front of me, wearing her reindeer getup.
“This is where I belong.”
CHAPTER 28
NICHOLAS
“Ican’t believe you’re making me do this…” I complained, looking in the mirror.
“Oh, come on… you look so cute, though.”
There I was, wearing The Grinch costume.
“Now, if you can stand at the door and hand out cookies, please and thank you.”
“Oh, how lucky.”
She giggled, running away before I could catch her.
For the next several hours, I played the role of The Grinch until I couldn’t take it anymore and had to take the damn thing off. Thankfully, I was about to get Noelle on the skating rink before it opened. I may or may not have ordered the staff to leave us alone so that I could fuck her in the rink.
A fantasy I didn’t know I had until I saw her on skates in her Rudolph outfit. She was the cutest reindeer I’d ever seen. I told her to run and chased her around the rink wearing The Grinch costume before I proceeded to get on my knees and show her a very merry Christmas.
She loved every second of it.
By the time we got back to the bakery, the town was packed, and I made my way through the crowd, looking for my family. I knew they’d be around. They usually like to stay close to the bakery. The Saint Clair’s had one hell of a sweet tooth.
“Holly!” I called out, finding them where I thought.
“Nicholas!” She hugged me.
We spent the next hour just hanging out, shooting the shit about nothing in particular until I pulled my brother aside for a minute.
“What’s up?” he questioned.
“I have a Christmas gift for you.”