Chapter 13
Chloe
“We’re not too far away. I can bring you some clothes to wear. We’re about the same size,” Ellie said.
I shook my head. “You don’t have to do that.”
She countered, “I do. Three days in that little elf costume and you’re likely to drive Tex crazy. And the roads aren’t supposed to clear up anytime soon. You’ll be stuck out here for at least two more days.”
“No. I have to be back in Fernwood for Christmas. I can’t take more time off work.”
Ellie gently told me, “You might want to prepare to be disappointed, sweetie. Snow doesn’t leave the roads around here easily.”
That’s when the guys came back in.
Holt was chortling loudly, and Tex had a tiny smile on his lips and a light shining in his eyes. Whatever his friend had said to him had raised his spirits.
Ellie said, “Hon, we should go back now. I’m going to bring Chloe some supplies.”
Holt cocked his head. “You don’t want to hang out for a few minutes first?”
“Sure. We can do that. As long as we leave enough time to get home and back again.”
I’d put on some music after Tex left. His collection was surprisingly old school, and the sound of James Taylor played through the cabin.
Ellie settled down on the loveseat next to me, making room for the guys in the living room.
Holt sat down in an old easy chair and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. “So what do you think of Red Oak Mountain, Chloe?”
I darted a glance over at Tex, then looked away quickly. “I like it here. I might never go home.”
Holt grinned. “That’s the spirit. We need new blood here on the mountain. Where are you from and why would you leave it all for this place?”
The four of us ended up talking for hours. Ellie and Holt were curious about me, so they peppered me with questions.
Tex hung back, quiet, drifting in and out of the room from time to time. But I could feel a sense of ease in him.
It was obvious he was close with his friends, and it was nice seeing him interact with other people. I felt like I was getting to know him better.
After they’d been here for half the day, they headed back to their place, then showed back up while Tex was cleaning up after dinner with a few changes of clothes for me.
Ellie was the patron saint of women, because she’d brought me a cozy lounging outfit, a fresh bra and panties, and a tiny nightgown that didn’t quite match the season but was sexy as hell. She knew how to read a room.
After I’d expressed my eternal gratitude, they’d turned around and snow-shoed back home.
Then it was finally just Tex and me.
Tex eyed my new outfit. It was the fanciest thing I’d worn in over a year, even if it was just sweatpants. But it was one of those cashmere sets in a soft shade of butter yellow.
“Ellie must have money to fling these around to people she just met.”
Tex nodded. “She has some kind of work-from-home computer job. Gets paid decent. And Holt’s wine has been getting more and more popular. He quit the factory and does his winemaking full time again.”
“He’s a winemaker?” His friends were fascinating, just like him.
Tex picked up a bottle I hadn’t noticed before. “Best elderberry wine in a four-state territory.” Then he uncorked it, pouring us both a glass. “A bottle of his wine is pretty rare these days. He wouldn’t have brought this over if you hadn’t been here.”
I tried hard to suppress the grin that wanted to pop out on my face. “Your friends seem like they might be trying to set us up.”
He raised his eyebrows playfully. “Yeah. Ellie knows I have a thing for women in sweatpants.”
I swatted him playfully on the shoulder. “Hey. These are special sweatpants. Feel them.”
Tex hesitated for half a second, then reached out and stroked my thigh. “Oh, shit. You’re right. It’s like petting a cat.”
“Right?”
He handed me a glass of the wine, then kneeled down in front of the fireplace, stoking the fire higher.
It was warm and cozy in here, and it felt like Christmas Eve even without any decorations.
I settled down on the loveseat, sipping my wine. He was right. It was the best wine I’d ever had.
My eyes stayed on him as he worked the fire.
When he was done, he joined me on the loveseat.
His voice was warm and rough, sending a delicious thrill through me. “Is this how you imagined spending your Christmas Eve?”
“Definitely not. I thought I’d be soaking in a hot bath after a crazy shift at the diner. We’re always busy during the holidays. Even if the roads are bad, people will find a way to get there.”
I bit my lip and added, “They’re going to be pissed if I don’t make it in tomorrow. They went easy on me today.”
Tex wrinkled his brow. “But the roads are covered in ice. It’s out of your control.”
“You haven’t worked for anyone else for a while, have you? They’ll blame me for going out-of-town when there was a chance the roads could get bad.”
“What, like you purposefully trapped yourself out here?”
Shrugging my shoulder, I said, “Managers suck.”
He took a sip of wine, and I realized he’d already finished his whole glass and started on a second. “My manager is awesome.”
“What do you do?”
“Construction plus other stuff in the wintertime.”
“They don’t get mad if you miss a day?”
He shook his head. “Naw. They know if I miss a day, it’s for something real. It’s not like I play hooky for the fun of it.”
We settled into conversation, and the wine flowed until the bottle was empty.
By that time, we were laughing and getting handsy, making tiny excuses to touch each other. If we kept this up, we were going to fuck tonight.
I wasn’t sure if that was what I should do. But I knew it was what I was going to do.
I’d never slept with anyone before, and being around Tex made that seem like a crime. I needed to make up for lost time.
The fireplace was burning brightly, and a cozy feel filled the cabin.
Tex kept stroking me, claiming it was because of the cashmere. I didn’t mind. That man could put his hands all over me if he wanted. In fact, it would be better if he did.
“Tomorrow’s Christmas,” I whispered. “Tell me what your Christmas wish is.”
His eyes danced across my face. “I don’t have a Christmas wish.”
“Sure you do. It’s a tradition that Astrid taught me. Every year, you make a Christmas wish and reveal it to someone close to you. Since we’re the only two people here, we have to reveal it to each other.”
He swallowed hard, his face hinting at pain. “You better go first.”
I made a bold move and snuggled my way into his arms. Tex was surprised at first, but then he quickly relaxed into it and wrapped me in a loose bear hug. I could feel how strong his muscles were.
Quietly I told him, “I wish that my life could be simpler next year. This was a bad year in a lot of ways, but it was a great year in others. I left a tough situation, which was the good part. But I’ve been struggling to make my way ever since.
I need to stop working seven days a week for one.
And on top of that, I need to find a way to enjoy life again. ”
He stroked my back. “I don’t know how to simplify your life. But maybe my Christmas wish can help with the last part.”
I looked up at him curiously. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, now that I’ve had a chance to think about it, there is one Christmas wish I can think of.”
Grinning up at him, I said, “Tell me! You can’t leave me in suspense.”
A sly smile popped out on his lips, probably prompted by the elderberry wine. “I don’t want to offend you.”
“With your wish? Don’t worry. I won’t get offended.”
He rumbled out a laugh. “All right then. My Christmas wish is a simple one. I want to fuck the Christmas elf.”
My mouth dropped open. “And I assume you’re referring to me?”
Tex stroked my cheek, his eyes taking on a warmth I hadn’t seen before. “You’re the only Christmas elf in a hundred-mile radius, Chloe.”
I forgot to breathe for a second as my brain caught up with the change in him. I could tell that Tex didn’t mean we should sleep together at some point in the future. He meant right here. Right now.
My heart hammered in my chest, and my pussy did somersaults.
There was no need to mull it over in my mind. I’d wanted him since the first moment I’d laid eyes on him back at the sleigh ride. Whether it was just for tonight or something more would be in his hands.
On my end, I was ready to quit my job and move in with him, which was crazy.
When I didn’t say anything in response, he asked, “Did I take it too far?”
“No. No. Not too far,” I told him, feeling shy for the first time since I’d been here.
He cleared his throat. “Would you be willing to put your elf costume back on? It’s sexy as hell.”
“You mean these cashmere sweatpants aren’t getting you riled up?” I joked, covering up my nervousness.
“You look good in them, too. I have a feeling you’d look good in anything you put on, Chloe.”
Looking into his eyes, I could see he was serious.
My cheeks flushed warm, and I stammered, “Let me go get changed then. I’ll be right back. But Santa might need to come out to play. Do you still have your Santa hat?”
He chuckled. “You want to take it that far? All right. I’ll be your Santa tonight.”