Chapter 13
All I Want For Christmas Is His Two Front Teeth
I’m reviewing a new whiskey supplier proposal when my door flies open and Casey barrels in.
“Boss, you might want to co—”
“I put the rocking chair in your office,” I say without looking up. “Once the baby arrives, I’ll stop by and engrave the name on the headrest.” I pause, flipping to the next page of the document I’m reviewing. “Let Noelle know I’ll be right out. I’m just finishing up.”
I don’t plan on stopping by High Noon again until after the new year.
I’ve got far more pressing matters demanding my attention.
Christmas is only three days away, and Noelle’s flight back to New York is soon after, leaving little time for a holiday miracle.
She’s been a good sport about staying in a cabin without decorations or twinkling lights, but I’ll be damned if she doesn’t get the Christmas she’s been wishing for.
I push aside the thought that by this time next week, she’ll be gone for good.
All I can do is give her fond memories to take with her.
I blow out an exasperated sigh when I notice Casey is still standing in the doorway.
“What is it?” I glance up to find him staring at me with wide eyes.
“You might want to get back out on the floor to check on your friend,” he suggests with a smug smile.
I shove my chair back and stand, tension coiling in my shoulders. “What’s wrong? Is Noelle hurt?” I curse myself for not making her come back here with me.
Casey rubs the back of his neck, giving his head a small shake. “It’s nothing like that, man.”
I narrow my eyes. “Then what the hell is going on? Where is she?”
“On the dance floor,” he says nonchalantly.
I grit my teeth, unable to hide the suspicion creeping in. “With who?”
“A handsome fella from town asked her to dance.”
Of course, someone asked her. The woman’s a fucking vision.
“And you didn’t step in?” My tone edges toward panic as I move across the room. “What happened to keeping an eye on her?”
“We got busy, and I was helping the bar staff while Noelle watched the band from the side near the stage. But y’all are just friends, so her dancing with another man ain’t a big deal, right?” He hooks his thumbs in his belt loops and rocks back on his heels, shooting me a smirk.
When he asked me who Noelle was earlier, it caught me off guard.
I didn’t miss the hurt flicker in her eyes when I said she was a friend.
What I feel for her is far more complicated, and I wasn’t sure how to explain it to someone else when I can’t even put it into words myself.
I’ve spent all my energy resisting the magnetic draw toward her and haven’t confronted the reality of how much I want her.
One thing is certain: What I want to do with Noelle goes far beyond friendship.
“It’s none of your business,” I grunt, pushing past Casey.
“Don’t expect me to babysit your livestock if you get your ass hauled off to jail,” he calls out after me.
Goddammit.
Noelle is going to be the death of me. She knows exactly how to push my buttons, and I swear every decision she makes is designed to torment me. She’s all sunshine and laughter, but hell hath no fury when she’s riled up, and it seems I bring out that side of her often.
I’m both terrified and exhilarated by how easily she can bend me to her will with a single glance or smile. Even now, the thought of someone else touching her makes my blood run hot.
I stride into the main hall, brushing past bodies as I scan the crowd for Noelle. Being a head taller than most folks should make it easier to spot her, especially with her blonde hair and that red dress. The band plays a slow country ballad as dozens of couples dance near the stage.
There she is.
Noelle is at the edge of the dance floor, and my pulse spikes when I see she’s with Thatcher Hall, a local ranch hand.
He’s a regular at the honky-tonk, notorious for his flings with women passing through.
He’s holding Noelle’s hand while his other one rests on her back.
I clench my fists at my sides, fighting to stay calm.
But when his hand dips a few inches lower, I snap.
I move in their direction with determination, aware of the wide berth the crowd gives me as I pass.
As I approach, I step beside Thatcher and firmly tap his shoulder. He jerks his head around, panic flashing when he sees me. Good. My reputation precedes me.
I ignore his uneasy stare, turning to Noelle. “We’re all finished here. Let’s head home now.”
Thatcher frowns, giving her a puzzled look. “Please tell me Shep isn’t your uncle or something. God, I knew I should have asked who you were visiting.”
Noelle covers her mouth to stifle a laugh. “I can see why you might think that with the silver streaks at his hairline.” Clearly, testing my patience is her new favorite pastime.
“We’re not related,” I grit out.
Thatcher raises a brow. “Are you two dating?”
“Nope. We’re just friends,” Noelle interjects, batting her lashes. “Isn’t that right, cowboy?” She turns, giving me a patronizing pat on the chest.
If we were alone, that heart-shaped ass would be mine.
I scowl at Thatcher, whose arm is still draped around her. My first warning must have gone over his head, making a more direct message fitting.
“If you don’t take your hands off her, I’ll kick you out myself,” I rumble.
My words might be for him, but my gaze is fixed on Noelle, who’s wearing a cheeky grin. The little minx is enjoying every second of this.
Thatcher yanks his hand to his side, stumbling back. “I didn’t know she was off-limits.”
“Now you do,” I bite out. “Find someone else to warm your bed tonight or consider yourself banned from High Noon.”
He scurries away, disappearing into the crowd. A quick look around shows everyone averting their eyes, pretending they weren’t just watching our exchange like it was a damn soap opera.
“Must you always be so grumpy? You’re going to end up with permanent wrinkles,” Noelle teases, reaching on her toes to trace the lines on my forehead. “No wonder Thatcher assumed you were my uncle.”
“Woman, now isn’t the time to test me,” I say, my tone clipped.
She drapes her arms around my neck. “What are you going to do about it?” Her eyes sparkle, daring me to act.
Not one to disappoint, I bend low and hoist her over my shoulder in a fireman’s hold, tuning out the gasps rippling through the crowd.
“Better hold on to your hat, Sunshine,” I warn.
“Shep, be reasonable.” Noelle grips my waist to steady herself with her free hand. “I’m wearing a dress, for crying out loud. Everyone is going to see my backside.”
“Nobody will see a damn thing,” I grumble, tugging down the hem of her dress and adjusting my hold to keep it in place. “Now, behave.” I give her a playful swat on the ass.
She blows out an exasperated huff. “The least you can do is buy me a Bootylicious Blitzen for putting up with your mood swings.”
“You’re enough trouble sober,” I mutter.
“Funny, I thought it was because I’m accident-prone,” she retorts.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. Noelle is dismantling my last frayed nerve. Goddammit, why does she have this power over me? One look at another man’s hands on her, and I’ve lost my damn mind. Our age gap, her fleeting stay, and her city roots mean nothing in the blur of my envy.
I don’t slow my pace as I stride out of the main room. It’s no surprise to find Casey waiting in the hallway, hands stuffed in his pockets, and a cheeky grin plastered on his face.
“Thatcher Hall is banned,” I bark.
Casey tips his hat. “Got it, boss.”
“You said he’d only be banned if he didn’t walk away,” Noelle chimes in unhelpfully.
“I changed my mind.”
“Sounds like a reasonable response for him dancing with your friend.” Casey smirks.
I grunt, stalking past him to my office, glancing in the mirrors lining the wall as Noelle pushes off my back to look at him. “Thanks for ratting me out. You’re a lifesaver,” she exclaims, blowing him a kiss.
Casey chuckles at her enthusiasm. “Sure thing, sugar. Don’t push the old man too hard. He doesn’t handle stress well.”
“You’re really fired this time,” I growl as I enter my office.
“I’ll clear out my things before I leave tonight,” he deadpans, then adds, “Have fun, you two,” as I shut the door behind me.
I lower Noelle to her feet, and her mouth presses into a thin line as she studies me with an unrelenting gaze.
She’s so damn beautiful it hits me like a punch, stealing my breath.
In the span of a few days, she’s torn down the last of my walls, leaving me defenseless and wanting.
I was stupid thinking I could rein in her effect on me by holding back.
Instead, it’s intensified the longing and fueled the fire of jealousy raging through me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispers.
I take a step toward her. “Like what?”
“Like I belong to you.”
I walk us backward until she’s pinned against the door. “Let’s get one thing straight, sweetheart. As long as you’re in my bed, wearing my clothes, you’re mine.”
She shakes her head with a dry laugh. “Hate to break it to you, cowboy, but I’m not doing either of those things right now.”
I put my hands on either side of her head. “Are you forgetting whose hat you’ve got on?”
Noelle grips the collar of my shirt, then runs her hand down my chest.
“Yours.” She exhales softly. “Does this mean you’re done pretending you don’t want me?”
“I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you on my porch, peeking through my window.”
Her breath hitches, pupils blown. “Then why fight what we both want? Or am I imagining how strong this connection is?” She rests a hand over my racing heart. “Maybe I’m better off tracking down Thatcher before he’s booted from the premises. I’m sure he’d have no problem giving me what I want.”
I let out a low growl. The woman has another thing coming if she thinks I’d allow that. She’s off-limits to every other man as long as she’s here with me.
I’m down to two choices: I can play the coward, hiding behind my fears, or I can make the most of being the lucky bastard Noelle wants and not waste a single minute I’ve got with her. The decision is made for me when her stormy blue eyes catch mine, holding me captive.
“Fuck it.” I frame her cheeks with my palms. “The only man who can give you what you need is me.”
“You sure about that, cowboy?” she murmurs.
“You. Are. Mine,” I growl.
All the need I’ve buried crashes through me like a storm tide rising, fierce and relentless, dragging me under without mercy.
My hat falls off her head, toppling to the ground as I angle her face and slip my tongue past her parted lips, the sweet taste of her flooding my senses.
She lets out a soft sigh, tightening her grip on my collar.
Noelle wanted me to cave, and she’s about to get what she wished for, along with every possessive, jealous, and overbearing tendency I have. It’s all hers, and there’s no undoing what she’s unleashed. Even if it’s temporary, she belongs to me, and it’s damn time she knew it.
I shove the fabric of her dress past her hip and hike her leg around my waist. When she tugs me closer, I shove her panties aside, running my fingers through her wetness.
Teasing her pussy, I find her skin bare beneath my hand.
“You’re fucking soaked.”
“It’s all for y-you,” she moans.
Holy. Fuck.
It makes me feral knowing that I’m the reason she’s dripping all over my fingers.
Noelle arches against me as I sink a finger inside her tight pussy, her warmth drawing me deeper. I run my tongue along the column of her neck, grazing my teeth along her collarbone.
“More. Please give me more,” she begs.
“I’ve got you, baby. Hold on tight like a good girl.”
She wraps her arms around my neck, threading her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck.
I thrust a second finger inside, her strained cry colliding with the ragged tempo of our intermingled breaths. My cock is painfully hard, but it’s a reminder of the pleasure I’ve denied us both these last couple of days.
With my free hand, I slide along the neckline of Noelle’s dress and pull one of her bra cups down to reveal her breast. I run my finger along her nipple, the pink bud puckering at the slightest contact, before I lean down and run my teeth along it.
“Shep,” she cries out.
“Easy, Sunshine, keep that up and the whole honky-tonk will hear what I’m doing to you.”
The flush on her cheeks deepens and she lets out another needy sound when my thumb moves to her clit. I catch her mouth with mine, muffling the noise.
Her reaction to the thought of being overheard is hot as hell, but even her broken moans belong to me alone. Even if Casey’s probably blocking off the hallway to make sure we’re not interrupted, I’m not risking anyone else hearing a single note of her pleasure.
I grind against her, my boxers sticky with precum as I wind her tighter with every plunge of my fingers.
“Don’t stop. I need this. I need you,” Noelle begs loudly.
“Not until you come for me.”
Wanting to give her the push over the edge she desperately wants, I apply pressure to her clit, sending her shattering around my hand. She lets out a strangled cry that I swallow with another kiss.
She’s stunning, closing her eyes as she surrenders to the fading waves of ecstasy. I’ve imagined her like this countless times, with my hand wrapped around my cock while I’m in the shower, but no fantasy compares to seeing it in person.
As she drifts down from her high, she goes slack in my grasp. I hold her up with one arm as I slowly pull my fingers from her. A sated smile crosses her face as she clings to me. I can’t help but smile back, her contentment contagious.
Her lips curve up when she shifts her gaze to the patch on the front of my jeans—evidence of my own release.
Fuck, it’s like I’m a teenager again instead of a forty-five-year-old man who’s supposed to have discipline.
Good thing I keep a spare change of clothes in my office for the rare times I meet a band manager or supplier in person and want to ditch my shirt and tie afterward.
“That’s so hot,” Noelle whispers.
“I’ve got no control around you,” I groan against her mouth.
“Does that mean we’re doing this again?” There’s a hint of excitement in her voice.
“This Christmas, you’re mine,” I promise.
Now that I’ve seen her fall apart in my arms, I’m hooked. We only have a few more days together, and I want to memorize her body and learn all the ways to make her come.
“So definitely not my uncle then,” she sasses.
“You’re going to pay for that later,” I vow.