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Chapter 13
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Holiday Hearts Chapter 14
"You're spoiling me rotten, you know," Shelby said as she sat cross-legged on a plush Persian carpet while Noel carefully combed the tangles from her wet hair."Yeah, but I'm having fun doing it." He paused while she took the last sip of her hot tea. As soon as she set the cup down, he resumed his task.A tea tray had appeared on the table while they'd luxuriated in the tub. It had been a tight fit for two, but being snuggled up against Noel's broad chest and having him wash every inch of her skin had been wonderful. After the bath, they'd wrapped up in their robes and sprawled on the rug in front of the fire with the tea tray and gobbled down scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream - or so Noel had told her - before he'd picked up the comb and told her to turn around."So, are you going to see your mother for Christmas?"She was so relaxed from the bath and the food and so soothed by his hands on her hair that she'd almost dozed off. As it was, it took her a minute to shake h
Holiday Hearts Chapter 15
Shelby was running scared. She had been for the last two days.Noel wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one - he hoped it was good. Not for the first time he wished he had his sister Summer's sense of strategy. Not one of them had ever been able to defeat her at board games or even cards. If ever there was a campaign that needed to be won, it was Noel's battle for Shelby's heart. She was meant to be his, damn it. She just didn't know it yet.Noel had grown up in a household filled with love. His parents were practically stupid with it, even after thirty-five years of marriage. Okay - thirty-five and a half. Noel would be hitting that birthday on Christmas and his parents had been married a whole six months when he was born. Yet never once had either of them hinted that they'd been forced, or that they regretted it - or him - for a second. Nope, they'd just loved each other and all their kids with a warmth that colored every aspect of their lives. His father might put on his
Holiday Hearts Chapter 16
"It doesn't have to be the end, you know." He leaned down until they were nose to nose. "I don't want it to be the end.""I don't either, Noel. But it has to be, don't you see? This has been - well - magic. But it's not reality. In the real world, you're the boss's son and I'm an employee. You're the rich, good-looking artist and I'm the boring number cruncher with no social life. It would never work, Noel. In your heart, you know that. But thank you. It means the world to me that you even thought about it.""But, Shelby..."She laid her mitten-covered hand over his lips. "Stop. Let's just enjoy what little time we have left. Please?"She felt him sigh before he nodded. When she moved her hand, he kissed the tip of her mitten before he spoke. "I'll stop talking now, sweetheart. But as soon as we're back in Charleston, you're fair game. I'm not giving you up. Eventually you'll figure that out."Shelby shook her head. "As soon as you're back in your glitzy world with your models and
Holiday Hearts Chapter 17
They helped each other undress, piece by piece, moving silently, slowly, almost as if in a dream. Where before they'd just tossed their clothes aside carelessly, these they folded or draped carefully over a chair while accessories were left in a neat pile on the dresser. When they both stood before each other, naked, Shelby broke the solemn mood by turning toward the bed and giving Noel an impish grin back over her shoulder."You know," she murmured, "We never got around to using those silk scarves. How about it? You want to tie me to the bedposts?"No red-blooded male could resist that. Noel didn't even try. He gave her a wolfish grin. "Yep." His already-rigid cock got even harder as he thought about how to arrange her for maximum enjoyment. "Lie down in the center of the bed.""Okay." She pulled back the covers and scrambled up onto the mattress. "Now what?""You'll find out." He padded over to her nightstand and drew out the pile of scarlet silk, carefully sorting each of the lo
Holiday Hearts Chapter 18
Noel was trying to kill her. Death by incredible sex.Shelby felt him shift and knew he was reaching for something else. She wiggled against her bonds, but she wasn't bothered by them a bit. Having him go down on her while she couldn't see or move had been erotic as hell and she couldn't wait to find out what he was going to do next."Oh!" This time she recognized the object he used to trace circles around her nipples. The jade dildo was cool to the touch and had a distinctive shape. Next he laid it on her belly and rolled it down to her groin before running the tip along the creases of her thighs. Her pussy clenched, wanting to be filled. The toy wasn't as big as Noel, but she knew they'd get to that as well and having him fuck her with the dildo first would be fun."All this lovely cream," he whispered as he ran the object between her swollen folds. "All for me." With exquisite gentleness, he inserted the tip of the dildo into her pussy and eased it all the way inside. He stroked
Holiday Hearts Chapter 19
Shelby woke in her own bed, in her own apartment - alone. Noel had been wrong. She was stark naked. Without him in the bed beside her, she was also cold.Sunlight filtered in between the slats of the blinds, so she knew she'd slept deeply. A glance at the clock told her it was after ten. Wow, she hadn't slept that late in ages. Good thing today was a holiday. Her brown tweed suit - the modern version - was draped over the one chair in her bedroom, looking just as if she'd taken it off the night before. Her purse was on her dresser, just like always.Had it all just been a really elaborate dream? The bottom fell out of her stomach at that idea and she squeezed her eyes shut. Surely not.Before she could panic further, she heard her cell phone chirping out a Christmas carol. Quickly, she scrabbled for her purse, biting her lip when the phone display showed an unknown caller."Hello?""Hey there, sweetheart. You get home all safe and sound?" Noel's voice was as silky as melted chocol
Holiday Hearts Chapter 20
Part 2: Like Bunnies"Are you sure you don't want company up at the cabin?"Ostara Holiday looked up from her desk at her sister Summer's concerned expression."No," Star said, shaking her head with a fond smile for her older sister's mother-hen tendencies. "I really, really just need some time to myself.""But Saturday is your birthday. You shouldn't be alone on your birthday. A girl only turns thirty once."Star shuddered. "Don't remind me, please." She didn't know why she dreaded the big three-oh quite so much, but she did."Infant," Summer scoffed from her own point of view at the advanced age of not-quite thirty-two. Her sky-blue eyes studied Star carefully. "If you're sure you'll be okay, honey, I'll back off. But if you need anything, promise us you'll call."Star gave her sister a three-fingered salute. "Scouts' honor. Now let me double check those Halloween card proofs then get the hell out of here for my long weekend.""All right." Summer was the director of marketi
Holiday Hearts Chapter 21
Theo's nagging guilt turned into terror as he rounded a bend in the back road leading to the cabin. There was Star's lime green hybrid, nose down in the deep ditch alongside the road."Son of a bitch." His stomach clenching, he parked his SUV on the shoulder and got out to check Star's vehicle, breathing a deep sigh of relief when he saw that everything was switched off and there was no sign of Star, or her purse, which she never went anywhere without. She'd been well enough to get out and walk. Thank god.He climbed back into his SUV and started toward the cabin, going slowly enough to watch for any movement along the side of the road.There. He stopped and peered through the rain at the movement.It wasn't Star, just a bunny.But what was a walnut brown, lop-eared rabbit doing out here in the woods? Native cottontails were light, mottled brown with perky ears - this had to be a lost pet. Worse yet, it was clearly dragging itself along without the use of one of its back feet.He
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