Noel sat down at a table in the hospital cafeteria and waited for the barista to finish preparing her iced coffee. Strangely enough, her thoughts had been consumed by a tall, dark and handsome grey eyed man. Luke Winters was a genuine surprise. Nothing had prepared her for his offer to join her for dinner. She shouldn’t have agreed, but something wouldn’t allow her to do anything but accept.
Warmth flooded through her veins as she pictured him in the doorway of her office. His devilish grin had wicked written all over it, but there was also something magical in his eyes that had her toes curling in her high heeled shoes. A tremor swept through her as she remembered the feel of his hand within hers—a heated connection she craved more than she was willing to admit.
“Here you go.”
Startled, she gasped, eyeing Katie as she handed her the coffee.
“I’m so sorry, Noel. I didn’t mean to startle you. Did you drift off to some place nice?”
She inhaled a calming breath and judging from her jumpiness there was a good chance she didn’t really need any caffeine. “You could say that,” she replied.
“Anything worth mentioning?”
Yes. “No, just work stuff,” she said, shifting in her seat and feeling warmer than normal.
A part of her was eager to rattle off the details of her encounter with Luke, but she didn’t really know more about him than his hockey stats and his yummy sex appeal. Her cheeks burned as her thoughts turned primal. With a sigh, her belly swirled like a young girl’s who’d just found the boy she was about to start crushing on. Hard. If she did talk about him, she’d probably sound silly and giggle a lot—that nervous laughter that always accompanied flirtatious behavior.
“You must be excited about the Christmas party tomorrow night.” Katie clapped her hands together. “I know it’s going to be so much fun.”
She inwardly groaned at the reminder. Again, the mention of Christmas left a bitter taste at the back of her throat. “I’m sure it will be fun for the kids.”
Katie frowned, a deep concern etched around her grey eyes. “Ms. Green, is everything all right?”
She was surprised by her question. Were her emotions that transparent? “What do you mean?”
“You seem distracted.” The dark haired woman pulled out a chair and sat across from her. “Is something bothering you?”
The last thing she wanted to do was spill her guts all over the table for the older woman to see. Talking about her feelings wasn’t her style. Not anymore. Not since the accident. Talking about the past hurt too much.
As pleasant a person as Katie was, Noel couldn’t bring herself to talk about her life and her mistakes. She had spent years wallowing over the past. Claire’s life was forever ruined because of her. What did it matter how she felt? Her life was normal and Claire’s was shattered. Talking about the past would never change that and could never erase the damage she had caused.
She cleared her throat as unease rested on her chest like a twelve ton elephant. “I think the holiday chaos has made me a little frazzled.” There was truth in her words, just not full disclosure.
“That can happen to the best of us, my dear. Take it easy and enjoy things as they come. This is the season for joy and happiness. Stop stressing.”
If only I could. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Noel stood, grabbed her coffee and headed back toward her office. Once she got there, she saw Luke Winters waiting for her. He was leaning up against the wall, reading something on his phone. A flutter of butterflies swarmed inside her as she drank in the sight of him. His tight blue jeans had her pulse pounding and the moment his grey eyes locked onto hers, she swallowed the apple sized lump in her throat.
“There you are,” he said warmly. “I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind.”
His sexy grin and hypnotic eyes forced a strange sensation to surge down her body and radiate toward her most intimate body parts. Shaking off the emotions that had her head spinning, she arched a brow and pretended his appearance did little to affect her. Yah, right.
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered it.”
He chuckled and once again her body stirred. “I do love your honesty.”
Even though her office was warm, she would’ve loved to have had a sweater to cover her body as her nipples beaded through her shirt with arousal. “Sorry. I’m just not big on Christmas.”
He furrowed his brow. “You’re the event director of the largest children’s hospital in Dallas and you don’t love Christmas?” His lips parted in a mock gasp. “December is the biggest event planning time of the year.”
She shrugged, stepping past him. The warmth in her body slowing subsiding as they continued to discuss the one time of the year she disliked most of all. He might be one of the sexiest men she’d ever met, but if he didn’t stop shoving Christmas down her throat, he might find himself going solo to someone else’s family dinner. “I know,” she said irritatingly.
The corner of Luke’s mouth curled up as his eyes fixed on hers. Once again her body tingled all over. “Was it a scumbag?”
She narrowed her gaze, almost shaking her head at his question. “A scumbag?”
His expression grew serious as he folded his arms over his chest. His arms bulged with the allure of mouthwatering muscles. He resembled a bouncer from a nightclub—a hot, sexy, panty dropping bouncer.
“Do you want me to shove a hockey stick up his ass?”
After a moment of pause, she laughed out loud and so did he. “Thank you for the offer, Mr. Winters, but it wasn’t a man.”
He frowned. “Now that surprises me. It’s always a man,” he muttered as he followed her to the elevator. “If it wasn’t a scumbag then what was it?”
Her breath caught in her chest as he stood dangerously close to her, his scent filling her nose and teasing her senses. Even with the clear attraction burning hot between them, she wasn’t about to unload her deepest and darkest secrets to him. “Mr. Winters—”
“Luke,” he corrected, his eyes trained on hers.
She smiled politely, holding his gaze as the elevator doors opened. “Do you go on many second dates?”
He arched a brow and a slow grin pulled at his lips. “Ouch.”
Clearly, he understood that she didn’t want him prying any further into her life. She didn’t share her thoughts and feelings with her family. So she sure wasn’t about to with a man she’d just met. No matter how charming he was.
* * * *
Noel Green hated Christmas.
Luke couldn’t believe that the first woman he had taken an interest in didn’t like the one holiday that warmed his heart. When she mentioned it, he thought that she might have experienced a bad breakup. Perhaps she had been dumped around the holidays, maybe even recently. But she said it wasn’t that and he could tell she wasn’t lying about it either.
He pressed his lips tightly together to restrain himself from asking more questions. He was curious about her. He couldn’t help it. She intrigued him. From the soft sweep of her sandy blonde hair that draped over her shoulders, to the deep blue of her eyes which made it nearly impossible to look anywhere except directly at her. In those blue depths, her soul was visible. He could see her pain and feel her fear. Something was keeping her heart locked up. He could sense it.
“I’ll warn you now,” she said, breaking the silence. “My mother and brothers will harass you…which is why I accepted your offer to join me. I figure if you’re there they’ll leave me alone.” She winked at him in the reflection of the elevator doors.
His heart skipped as he caught a glimpse of something breathtaking in her eyes—a playfulness that he’d longed to explore deeper and more permanent. Alarm overcame him. He’d never had thoughts like that about a woman. No one had ever gotten close enough for him to consider sharing more of himself. Especially his secret.
He shook the notion away as quickly as he thought it. Craving and desiring love was one thing. To think his kind could have it with a woman who didn’t like Christmas was something altogether different.
“I’m glad to be of service,” he said, forcing the smile back on his lips.
When the elevator doors opened, he headed straight for his vehicle and stopped, realizing she wasn’t beside him. He inclined his head in her direction. Her expression was unclear.
“Is everything all right?”
She scowled. “You own a motorcycle?”
He nodded, sensing that she wasn’t as thrilled as he hoped she would be. Didn’t all girls swoon over men who rode a steel horse?
“You expect me to ride on the back of this thing in December?” She shook her head. “I know we live in Texas, but it’s still cold.”
His leather coat was draped over his seat. He moved toward her, placing it gently on her shoulders and pulled the collar around her neck. “If this coat doesn’t keep you warm. I will.”
He held her gaze for a long moment, his eyes dropping to the soft pink of her mouth. Her chest rose and fell with quick breaths, drawing his gaze to the swell of her breasts. He turned back to the bike and grabbed the extra helmet he had stashed in the saddle bag, praying she hadn’t seen his untimely erection.
“Wear this,” he said, holding the helmet as she jabbed her arms into the jacket that seemed to swallow her up.
She looked down at herself and sighed. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”
“Still trying to figure out a way to cancel on me?”
She pressed her lips together in a tight line. “That’s not it. I’m wearing a skirt.”
His raked his gaze over her, lingering on her mid-thigh grey skirt. His pulse thundered in his ears and his mouth went dry as he pictured her long, toned legs wrapped around him on the motorcycle. But she wasn’t facing his back. She was kissing him like a woman who wanted him as bad as he wanted her.
“I promise not to peek,” he told her, locking on to her alluring blue eyes. “Unless you want me to, that is.”
He expected her to continue arguing with him, but she didn’t. “How do I do this?” she asked, moving up alongside the bike.
He slid his leg up over the motorcycle and settled onto the seat. “Use the foot peg. Place your left foot on it and slide your right leg over the back.”
She slowly pulled up her skirt so that she could do as he instructed. He would have liked to have been the perfect gentlemen, but he couldn’t help but watch as more of her smooth flesh was revealed. He sucked in a sharp breath as she pressed herself up against him and adjusted on the seat.
With her helmet on, she wrapped her arms around his waist. He glanced down and saw her sexy, bare thighs pressed against his jean covered hips. Closing his eyes briefly, he prayed for the strength not to crash his bike and ravish her right in the parking lot.
“I’m not going to be very happy if I turn into a Popsicle,” she warned.
He grinned. “Then I suggest you hold on tight. I’ll keep you warm.”
Her arms came around him in a snug clasp. Her knees tightened against his sides and as her breasts pressed against his back. His blood heated, singeing his veins. Oh holy Christmas. His cock stirred.
“Is this too tight,” she asked, leaning her chin on his shoulder.
Her fingers dug into his waist, biting into his flesh. He placed his hand over hers and gently caressed her skin. The connection was electrifying. Even if her touch felt like ice upon his flesh, he didn’t think he could tell her to release him. He would rather suffer certain death to keep the fire blazing between them.
“No,” he told her, struggling to keep his voice even. “Hold on as tight as you wish.”
* * * *
The cold wind rushed past them, but didn’t bite into Noel’s skin like she thought it would. Instead her body was warm and comfortably nuzzled up against Luke. The hard plains of his stomach invoked a curiosity she explored in her mind. Her throat constricted and her fingers itched to touch him. Her attraction to him was turning her self-control into a distant memory. She moaned as the open palms of her hands glided from his low abdomen up to his pectorals. The firm ridge of muscles had her core growing damp with desire.
“Are you all right,” his voice tore her from her naughty thoughts.
Her cheeks heated as she realized she had actually been feeling him up. She wanted to bury her head in the sand. “Yes,” she hissed, pointing over his shoulder. “My parents’ house is the third one on the right. It’s the one that looks like Christmas puked up all over it.”
He chuckled and she couldn’t help but smile. The deep vibrations of his laughter warmed her soul and helped her to not feel as embarrassed as she should. He hadn’t seemed bothered by her explorations of his body. In fact, he seemed to have rather liked it.
As they parked along the curb, she noticed her brother’s cars in the driveway. They were all present and accounted for and waiting on her. She blew out a ragged breath as she slid off the seat, her fingers molding into the firm muscles of his shoulder.
Dear Lord. Is there any place on his body that’s not hard like a rock? Her cheeks flooded with warmth as the vision of his impressive erection appeared in her mind. Stop that!
He extended his arm out, steading her as she quickly shimmied her skirt back into place. Her body quivered as she noticed his hungry gaze devouring her. He swallowed hard, his Adams apple dancing provocatively in his throat. Her lips burned with the need to press against the flesh she was sure would be warm under the caress of her mouth.
“You have great legs,” he told her, his tone a husky growl.
A shiver chased up her spine as she removed the helmet and returned it to the saddle bag. “We should get this over with.”
He arched a brow. “You really don’t enjoy going on dates do you.”
“You’re not my date,” she reminded him. “You’re my plus one.”
With a smile, he offered her his hand. “Shall we?”
She instantly laced her fingers with his as if she’d held his hand a million times before. As they reached the front door, her mother was already waiting. She wore her traditional white holiday apron that was splattered with Santa Clause and his reindeer.
“Noel,” she cried, opening the door completely to greet them. Instantly her wide blue eyes darted toward Luke. “You brought a date.”
“Colleague,” she corrected, but could tell the word went unheard.
“Holy crap,” said a soft spoken voice. “You’re Luke Winters.”
Her eyes lowered to her nine year old nephew. His big, crystal blue eyes were beaming with excitement. “Hi, Mikey,” she said, waiting for him to notice her.
“Hi, Aunt Noel.” Mikey hugged her quickly. “Thanks for bringing Luke Winters with you.” He grabbed hold of Luke’s hand and jerked him inside the house. “This is the best Christmas present ever. Dad, guess who came with Aunt Noel?”
“Nice to meet you,” Noel’s mom shouted after them as Mikey pulled him deeper inside the house and they disappeared into the living room. “Be sure to introduce Luke to the rest of the family.”
“Okay, Grandma,” Mikey shouted.
In a blink, he was gone and she was trapped in the foyer with her curious mother. She groaned as her mom wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. She kissed her cheek tenderly and pulled back with a broad smile on her face.
“I’m so glad you brought…a friend.”
She sighed, shrugging out of her mother’s monstrous grip. She held her hands. “He’s a colleague, Mom.”
Her mother gently brushed Noel’s hair back from her face and nodded. Her lips pressed together in a tight line. “Okay, honey.” She paused, and then said, “Come see your brothers. They’ll be thrilled to see you.”
“You mean torture me,” she muttered.
Her family had grown over the years. Her older brothers, Joseph and Cameron, settled down and started families years ago. Their fertile wives produced sons. Four for Joseph and three for Cameron, but there was one more on the way. The women of the family were seriously outnumbered.
A shudder of fear rocked her as she thought about being without her family. The memory of the loneliness that consumed her the day she and Claire had fallen over the edge of that cliff into the heavy snow left her lungs struggling for air. Her stomach flipped as the cold darkness took over. Her ribs and arm ached as the phantom ghost pains returned.
She bit the inside of her mouth, forcing herself to return to the present. As she entered the living room, her heart fluttered in her chest. Catching sight of Luke had her breath hitching in her throat. He was holding Joseph’s youngest son in his arms like a man who had years of practice taking care of infants. He was also entertaining Mikey and the other children with holiday hockey stories. Luke was a natural with children.
The image of him carrying that giant red sack into her office filled with toys for the children at the hospital flashed in her mind. She couldn’t fight the smile on her face if she wanted to. The first delightful holiday thought she’d had in years.
Her mother rubbed her back in a comforting gesture. “He seems like quite a nice man. He’s got those kids under his spell,” she shared.
Nodding, she swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure the children were the only ones affected by the magic of Luke Winters. She’d been entranced by him since the moment she’d met him. Resisting his charms had been impossible.
Collecting herself, she asked her mother, “Where’s Dad?”
“In the kitchen, finishing up. Why don’t you get your friend and have everyone head into the dining room. Dinner should be ready in a few minutes.”
“Okay,” she said, stepping further into the room. “Come on everyone. It’s time to eat.”
“Leave it to you to arrive just as the food is served,” Joseph said with a crooked grin. He moved toward her and gave her a big hug. “Thanks for bringing over the pro hockey player. Now no matter what we give Mikey, it won’t be able to compare.”
She snickered. “That was my evil plan.”
“So it’s game on then,” Cameron said from over her shoulder, kissing her cheek.
“If I remember correctly, I owe you both a serious beating from the last time we were together. I don’t think there is enough time in the world for me to catch up to the amount of abuse I’ve taken from the two of you over the years.”
Cameron laughed. “It comes with being the youngest.”
“And the only girl,” Joseph added.
She shook her head. “You better be nice to me or I’ll make the awesome pro hockey player go home. Then you’ll be forced to entertain your own children.”
Both her brothers raised their hands in a form of surrender. “Okay, Sis. You win,” they said simultaneously.
She heard a hearty chuckle from behind her and the deep rumble had her pulse racing. She turned and found herself face to face with Luke’s sexy as sin grin. Warmth crept up her neck and into her cheeks.
If just looking at him does this to me, what would kissing him be like? She gasped at her thoughts. Stop that!
“Aunt Noel, can I sit next to Luke at dinner? Please?”
She smiled, meeting Luke’s gaze to be sure he was okay with her nephew’s request. His grin never wavered.
“Sure, Mikey.”
* * * *
The worst possible outcome happened. Luke wasn’t sitting beside Noel. Like a teenage boy on his first date, he had hoped to steal a few caresses under the table and maybe even raise the temperature of the room with the subtle brush of his fingers over the palm of her hand. Perhaps he would accidently slide his fingertips over the smooth skin of her hand as he reached for a glass he had purposefully placed too close to hers.
Instead, he sat across from her at the dining room table, staring directly into her lovely blue eyes—a sight that proved better than he ever imagined. His chest tightened as he watched the delicious smile play at her lips—a mouth he wished to thoroughly taste.
Even though he knew he was supposed to be the shiny new toy that would distract her family from tormenting her, he couldn’t help but feel slight regret for not having a moment alone with her. She did something to him, something he couldn’t describe and was more than eager to explore.
“I’m curious,” he said, locking gazes with her and then shifting to meet her brother’s stares. “What was it like growing up with Noel?”
She choked a little, dropping her fork onto the plate in front of her with a loud clanking of metal against ceramic. All eyes shot in her direction as she scowled at him. He thought he might actually enjoy the pleasure of watching her squirm.
“Luke,” she bit out in warning.
“Well,” started Joseph, “Noel was sort of a geek growing up.”
Her fingers drummed heavily on the table. Her jaw clenched tight as she said, “Joe, please don’t embarrass me.”
“Come on, Noel. You know it’s true. You spent so much time with your nose in your books.” Cameron chuckled. “She even wore glasses. She was the picture of the perfect nerd.”
She glared at her brother.
“Aunt Noel, I don’t think you’re a nerd now,” Mikey said. “You’re too pretty to be smart.”
The room erupted into laughter.
Noel’s eyes widened and her gaze snapped to Joseph. “What are you teaching this child?”
Joseph shrugged. “Don’t blame me. He attends public school.”
“You should hear the things these kids say when they come home.” Cameron shook his head. “It’ll make your head spin.”
“So Noel wasn’t a big dater then, huh?” Luke asked, keeping the subject on her.
She raised her gaze slowly to meet his and his heart lodged in his throat. Warmth swirled in his stomach and crept up into his chest. She was gorgeous and burning him alive with her eyes. His mouth went dry. He couldn’t tell if she was flattered, excited or pissed off by his question. Either way, it was turning him inside out.
“Noel was focused on her career,” her mother chimed in.
“I see,” he replied and he wasn’t surprised. She was a strong, independent woman. He had sensed that the moment he had met her. But he also felt her loneliness—a forced solitude.
He hadn’t turned on his many charms for anyone in a long time. He hadn’t felt the desire. But now he found himself dangerously in need of Noel. The more he gazed upon her face, the more his passions roared to the surface.
Dinner at her parents’ house was supposed to be a kind gesture to help her enjoy the evening. His curiosity to discover why she didn’t enjoy Christmas forced him on a mission. Now all he could think about was touching her and kissing her and getting her into bed. Suddenly, everything inside him shook nervously.
“After graduating college, she got the job at the children’s hospital and within a few years moved into the director’s role. She’s great with kids and can organize an event like nobody’s business.” Her mother was clearly proud of her daughter. “I just wish she’d take time to enjoy life again.”
“Mom,” she warned. “That’s enough about me.”
He was stunned by Noel’s abruptness. He couldn’t make out what was wrong with what her mother had said. If he had to guess, he would assume that Noel was a workaholic, but he could sense there was something more to it. He could feel the tension in the room climbing. His skin prickled with its negative energy.
“This dinner is amazing, Mr. and Mrs. Green. Thank you so much for allowing me to join you,” he said, taking the heat off of Noel. Sure he wanted to know what caused her jaw to twitch the way it was, the compression of muscles that told him she was uncomfortable with the topic, but he also didn’t want to ruin the rest of the evening. “Will any of you be attending the holiday party at the hospital tomorrow night?”
All at once the kids all said yes and the joyous sound forced smiles onto the faces of every adult in the room. There was something special about the sound a child made when excited. That was one of the main reasons he loved Christmas.
“Will you be attending the event?” Mr. Green asked.
He shook his head. “Unfortunately no, but I hear Santa will be there.” He winked at Mikey, and then gazed at Noel who was wearing the most curious expression. He grinned.
“I thought you were coming,” she said, picking up the napkin from her lap and placing it on the side of her plate.
“Something important came up.” She nodded, her gaze lowering. “But I planned to make an appearance at the hospital on Christmas to see the kids. I do it every year.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Mrs. Green said. “I’m sure they’ll love that.”
“I want to come too,” Mikey said, darting his wide eyes toward his father. “Dad, can we go to the hospital to see Luke again? Please.”
Joseph laughed. “I think you’ve created a monster,” he said to Luke.
Luke rubbed Mikey’s head, messing up his short blond hair. “I’ll give the information to your aunt, and if you can make it, that would be cool.”
“Oh, boy,” Mikey shouted. “This is going to be the best Christmas ever.”
He couldn’t agree more. His gaze instantly locked onto Noel’s. She was studying him in a way that had his pulse quickening. Shifting in his seat, he believed in his heart that if she lowered her guard just a little, he could show her exactly what made Christmas a season to celebrate.