Page 113 of Christmas Criminal

"You're right," I say, running my fingers through her hair. "That was all me."

She turns onto her back to grab her phone from the nightstand, herI heart mathT-shirt stretching across her chest in a way that makes my mouth water. "Ugh. It's not even worth closing my eyes again," she says, throwing the covers back and swinging her legs over the side of her bed. When she throws her arms above her head to stretch, it pulls her T-shirt up enough to expose her perfect ass underneath.

Fuck me, it somehow keeps getting nicer.

I swallow, willing the boner away. We fucked three times last night to celebrate her new apartment, and she has a big day ahead of her. I need to keep my hands to myself.

At least until tonight. Then all bets are off.

When Noelle started planning for her move closer to Snow Falls, Hank quickly devised a plan to get Noelle to teach a webdesign class at the library. She was hesitant at first, but he wore her down over time by ordering food from her favorite places whenever she stopped by her mom's.

Eventually, she came back to my house one night and threw her hands in the air. "Hank fucking won, okay? He fucking won," she told me, before explaining to me that she didn't even know how he did it because one moment, she was eating pad thai, and the next she was exuberantly agreeing to teach a bunch of people who don't want to learn how to make websites, how to make websites.

I didn't have the heart to tell her that it's common knowledge in her family that if you're trying to get Noelle to do something she doesn't want to do, you give her something she really wants to eat.

Noelle pads into the bathroom, and a moment later the shower starts. She's heading over to the library early today to make sure everything is set up in the way she needs it.

And half an hour later, she emerges like the spritely goddess she is. She's wearing theI heart web designT-shirt I got her after she agreed to the class with a pair of jeans that hug her curves in all the right ways.

She leans over to kiss me, her wet hair dragging across my chest. "I'll see you there?"

I nod. "Let me know if you need anything once you're there."

"Thank you, Saint Nick."

"Anything for you," I say, my fingers brushing the underside of her chin as she presses her lips to mine.

She lets out a long breath as she heads to the door and rests one hand on the frame. "Well, wish me good luck. Or a quick death. I'll take either right now."

"Good luck, Criminal."

She rolls her eyes at me. "You'rethe criminal, here."

I shrug. "Yeah, but the nickname suits you better."

She shakes her head. "Bye!"

"Love you," I shout, as she turns and heads down the hallway.

"Love you, too!" she calls back. And a few moments later, the front door shuts behind her.

I’m meeting her there closer to the start of her class, so I take my time getting ready. She's about an hour early, so I shower and throw on a matchingI heart mathT-shirt, and make her a quick breakfast of eggs–because that's a running joke at this point–and the microwave mini sausages she loves so much.

By the time I get in my car to leave, there's a text from Noelle on my phone complaining that the library promised her an assistant but told the assistant to be there at start time–and what good does that do if all the setup needs to be donebeforethe class starts?

Whoopsie.

I punch the gas to get there as quickly as possible, but when I arrive a few minutes later, Noelle seems calm and collected. Christina, Naomi and Cassidy are in the front row, standing behind three computers, and they chat easily like the close sisters they've become. Christina's in a different cast now–one that she takes on and off as the muscle in her leg builds up–and all four of them wave to me as I dart to Noelle's side with her breakfast. Behind me, a few attendees I don’t recognize filter into the room, picking out computers and settling in their seats.

Her eyebrows jump up. "Oh, Nick. Thank you." I grin as she opens the lid and starts picking. "Oh man, I needed this. I was feeling grumbly this morning."

"You always are, in the morning."

She gives me a look that has Naomi and Cassidy snickering.

"What can I help with?" I ask. "You sounded panicked in your text."

She shakes her head, waving me off. "No, that was me being dumb. I happened to sit down at the one broken computer and I thought all of them were going to be like that. I took the chair away from it and left a note that it shouldn't be used. And honestly, the fact that they're even providing help for this is a godsend. Just somebody to close the door and make sure everybody is following along as needed? That's more than helpful."

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