part0011

“ I was thinking maybe today we could go find a tree for Gabby’s party?” I suggest as Nick and I work together to clean the lodge guest rooms.

Smoothing over the red plaid throw at the end of the king-size, wooden, four-poster bed, I place the stack of freshly laundered towels on it and set a piece of Mistletoe on top.

Grabbing our cleaning supplies, I head out of the room as Nick refills the coffee and tea sachets. “Sounds good. We could also check out Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, if you’d like?”

Spraying some spiced apple air freshener into the room, I close the door. “Sure. Sounds good. Let me just go clean up and then we can head out, okay?”

Nick asked a friend of Gladys' if he wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on the place until we get back. Mark has been offering his services for a while, but being the stubborn woman she is, Gladys always refused him.

Nobody’s due in or out today, and most of the guests are out exploring, so he'd only have to keep an eye on the place until we get back.

“You ready?” Nick asks twenty minutes later, threading his arms through a light blue denim jacket. He’s wearing a dark green beanie, and he looks hot as hell.

“You’re going to freeze in that.” I point out as I put on my own jacket and beanie. “Are we going to need ropes or anything? A saw?”

“I’m a big guy, Holly. I can handle a little snow.” He helps me wrap my scarf around my neck.

I roll my eyes as he places a hand on my lower back and ushers me out the door. “Don’t come crying to me when you get frost bite.”

Nick unlocks his car and we jump in. He turns on the heater and I buckle myself in. “I grabbed some ropes and a saw while you were getting ready.”

“Damn, Mr. Grinch. I’m kind of impressed that you’re so organized.”

“Jeez, woman. Do you have to be such a ball buster?”” He groans, laughing.

Pulling out of the lodge, we start on the icy roads toward town.

“You love it.” I wink, sassily.

Nick looks over at me, a serious look on his face. “Yeah, I think I do.”

“ Y ou sure you know how to do this?” Nick questions anxiously as we weave our way through the array of Christmas trees at Santino's farm.

Holding the saw in one hand, I march through, determined to get this done. Gabby’s birthday is in two days, and we’ve literally done nothing. No music. No food. No guests. Nothing.

Some best friend I am.

“How hard can it be? We choose a tree and cut it down. It’s hardly rocket science.”

“No, it’s not. But there are safety logistics to think about before you chop down a seven-foot tree.” He follows close behind me. “We could just grab an already prepared one.”

I come to a stop in front of one. It’s perfect. Tall, bursting with life and greenery. The cedar fragrance emanating from it takes me back to my childhood. Cold winter nights, sitting in front of the roaring fire, with the lights twinkling on the tree.

“This,” I say with conviction.

“You sure?” I give him a look and he holds his hand up in surrender. “I’m just checking.”

Crouching down, my knees sink into the snow and I shiver. Placing the saw at the base of the tree, I keep my angle straight.

“Maybe you should let me take over.”

Craning my neck, I glare up at him. “Would you chill? It’s not like I’m going to hurt someone.”

“ Y ou could’ve seriously hurt yourself, Holly,” Nick berates me for the umpteenth time since we got back to the lodge.

“I’m sorry, okay?” I say, grabbing the first aid kit from the cabinet. “I thought I had it.”

I feel awful. I’d nearly injured us both just because I’m a stubborn bitch who doesn’t like to relinquish control. I’d thought I was doing well, but when the tree started to fall onto me, Nick yelled out my name and jumped in front of me, pushing us both out of its path.

He cautiously takes off his jacket, wincing as the skin around the wound stretches. “Yeah, well, next time let me do it.”

Tears gather in my eyes as I take a bandage and some antibacterial wipes from the kit. Bracing my hands on the counter, I sniffle. “I really am sorry. The last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt you.”

“Hey,” his gentle voice murmurs from behind me. Taking my wrist, Nick brings me into him. “Don’t cry.” He brushes my tears away with his thumbs and cups my cheeks. “I just need you to be safe, Holly. It would kill me if anything—” Nick stops himself, his jaw working furiously. “I just... I need you safe, okay?”

I nod meekly. “Why don’t you jump up onto the counter, and I’ll get that cleaned up.” I motion to the blood seeping through his shirt.

During his heroic attempt at saving me from being crushed, the pines on the tree caught his skin.

“You don’t have to. I can clean it myself.”

“Please?” I tilt my head. “It’s the least I can do.”

His eyes dark back and forth between me and the wipes. “Alright,” he concedes, hopping up onto the counter and removing his shirt in one swift movement.

When my eyes settle on his perfectly sculpted torso, I practically swallow my tongue.

Ripped. Hairless. Perfection.

“You good?” Nick gives me an amused smirk, and I snap back to reality.

Embarrassed that I’ve been caught ogling him, I quickly set about cleaning him up. “Uhh... yeah... I’m good.”

I can’t help it. I want to run my fingers over each mouth-watering ab. I want my write my name on his chest with my tongue.

I tug my hair behind my ear, take a wipe and lean down. My fingers gently press on his skin.

Hissing, Nick clenches his eyes shut. “Fuck.”

I wince and softly dab at the wound. “I’m sorry. It won’t take me long.”

Groaning, his fingers curl around the lip of the counter until his knuckles go white. “Trust me, sweetheart. I’m not hissing because of the pain,” he growls and his magnificent body tenses. “I’m a man. Getting scratched up is what we do. However, having a beautiful girl put her hands all over me is testing every strand of restraint I have.”

“Oh,” I whisper dumbly, secretly loving that he’s in such a mess over me.

Stifling a smile, I quickly clean the rest of the cut, making sure there’s no dirt inside. Placing a bandage over the area, I decide to test that restraint a little more by pressing a soft kiss to his stomach. “There. All better.”

When I look up, Nick’s eyes have grown dark with hunger, and I see his chest heaving heavily. “Jesus, Holly, you just made it a thousand times worse.” Combing his fingers through my hair, he cups my neck and urges me closer.

I look up at him coyly. “I thought I eased the ache.”

My heart’s pounding in my chest as we close the small sliver of distance between us. Nick’s so close that I can feel the warmth of his breath drift across my cheeks.

“Not even close,” his coarse voice murmurs huskily as he leans in.