Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Ridge
When the fiery redhead with kind green eyes and adorable freckles asked me to cut her down a Christmas tree, I couldn’t resist. Just like the tree, she was coming home with me.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off the sexy curvy red head. With her long wavy hair, tight leggings, fluffy vest, hat, and boots, she was fucking adorable.
And I wanted her. Now.
My sisters would be beside themselves. My mom would scream.
I was nearly thirty and hadn’t found the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. So maybe I was picky. Or maybe I just trusted my gut.
I was going to go with the latter.
Because now here she was. In the flesh. I had no doubts. Everything felt right. And I was about to make her mine.
I handed her the axe and picked her tree up easily. “Let’s go, then.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to get someone to help?”
“Nope.” I said firmly as I strode over to my tree. “Do you mind holding the axes, though?” I set her tree down next to mine and handed her my axe.
“Of course. It’s the least I can do.” She smiled gratefully.
I hoisted my tree up first onto my shoulder, considering it was much larger and heavier.
Then I picked hers up with my free hand, wrapping an arm around it before forging ahead with both.
“I have a big cabin and like to fill the space with a pretty tree. What can I say? Christmas only comes around once. My family always made a big deal of it. Go big or go home, right?”
“Exactly! I love Christmas. My friends and my sister think I’m over the top. But like you said, go big or go home.”
I knew she was the one.
“That’s my girl.” I mumbled while hoping she heard it at the same time.
I caught her grinning to herself. She must’ve heard. Blood rushed to my cock, and I prayed I didn’t get a boner in these jeans.
After paying for both of our trees, I stopped at my truck parked by the entrance and set my tree down beside it. She placed my axe down next to it. “Where’s your car?”
Crimson pointed at the red Toyota in the second row. “Please let me pay you back for the tree, Ridge. You didn’t have to buy it.”
“I know. I wanted to.” I said. She tried stopping me earlier, but it was useless. When I wanted to do something, I did it.
“Fine, then let me buy you dinner.” Crimson offered.
“How about I buy you dinner?” I said as we reached her car. I lay the tree down next to her car and moved closer to her, our faces close, only inches apart.
She blinked. “I’m not letting you pay for everything, Ridge.”
“You’re not. I want to. And trust me, Crimson, when I say I want to do something, I will do it.” I moved closer, my eyes falling to her sexy pout. I wanted to kiss her so badly my body ached with desire. As if I were starving and couldn’t find any food. A desperate and needy man for her affection.
Crimson leaned the axe against the side of her front tire. “Okay. Doesn’t mean I won’t pay you back. Because I do what I want to, too.” She challenged me back, and I loved her fiery spirit. It turned me the fuck on.
“Good. You should.”
Kiss her. Kiss her now.
Do it already.
What are you waiting for?
“Do you two need any help? I’ve got string.” An employee in a fluorescent vest stopped in front of us and held up a spool.
I backed away from Crimson and scratched at the back of my head, a nervous tick I developed back in elementary school. “No, thanks. I’ve got some.” I reached into the pocket of my jacket and pulled out a spool. The worker nodded and walked away.
Focusing on tying the tree to the roof of Crimson’s car, we worked together, securing it on tightly. “You’re good at this. I take it you’ve bought a real tree before?”
Crimson nodded. “Every year, my father took us. He showed me how to tie it so many times I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”
“My dad liked a real tree, too. Only went a few times, though. My mom hated all the pine needles.”
She laughed as we walked back to my truck. “Can’t say I blame her.”
“They get messy, but that’s all part of the fun, isn’t it? I’ll just vacuum every day.”
“You vacuum every day? Are you for real?” Crimson touched my arm and an electric shock soared from the tips of my fingers up to my shoulder. My chest tingled. Her touch…
“Yeah, I like a neat place.”
“Marry me.” Crimson teased. I knew she was joking but my head snapped her way, anyway.
“Only if you promise you’re neat, too.”
She threw her head back in laughter. “Can’t.”
“Why not?”
“You’ll just have to see.”
“Okay, a bit of suspense. I can handle it.” I licked my lips as I watched her sexy ass climb into the back of my truck.
Fuck, I wanted her. So fucking bad.
We’d drive around and see Christmas lights, catch some dinner, and then she’d follow me in her car, back to my place. Two trees weren’t a problem. My cabin was big enough. We could put it in my bedroom and stare at it while we fucked. I didn’t care.
“I’ll bring you back here later?” I asked, not wanting to put too much on her right now. What if I scared her off by asking her to spend the night already?
“Sure, that works.” Crimson smiled and held her arms out wide. “Let’s get this bad boy up here. I’m starving.”
I quickly climbed inside the truck, turned it on with the heat high, and stored my axe away. For the next ten minutes, we tied the tree to my truck, Crimson tying better knots than I ever could.
With the task finished, I helped her into my truck and got behind the driver’s wheel. “I thought I could pick up some takeout at the diner and drive around? Maybe find a place to park.”
“Sounds perfect to me.” Crimson smiled, her eyes twinkling. Her full, pouty lips begged to be kissed. “Reminds me of when I was a kid. My parents always took my sister and I out to look at the lights.”
“My parents did too.” I said quietly.
How was she so damn perfect?
Green eyes, red hair, freckles…our kids…oh my God, fucking adorable.
I couldn’t stop myself, nor did I want to.
My buddies would laugh.
My family would react.
But I didn’t care.
I was ready to fall to my knees for this woman.
I wanted to fall to my knees for this woman.
Soon, I would no longer hold back.