Page 39 of Under the Mistletoe
I nod, knowing safety is of utmost importance.
“What?” Jessica nervously looks between us.
“We’re snowed in. At least for tonight."
“Snowed in?” Her eyes widen.
“We’ve managed to book the last room here, but everything else is at capacity,” the driver tells me, and I nod. I thought as much. The conference goes for a few days. My participation was only for the keynote today, so I wasn’t planning on staying and hadn’t booked anything for my team.
“What? Where will we stay?” Jessica looks panicked, and I rub her lower back slightly to soothe her. She turns toward me, leaning back into my hand just a little. Enough for me to notice.
“I’ve got a place on the lake where we can stay.” I’ve had the house here for years. It was part of my father’s portfolio and where Mom and I would come sometimes for short breaks. Although I haven’t spent time here in a while.
“We?” she asks, biting the inside of her lip.
I swallow. “Well, there’s a room booked here you can have, if you prefer?” I wait with bated breath for her answer. If she said she would prefer it, then I would accommodate her here and sort out something else for my pilot and driver. But I sure would rather have Jessica in my home than two men.
“No,” she rushes out. “I’m fine going with you. We have some work we need to get through anyway.” She smiles, looking at the men who look between us like they are missing something.
“I can take you, but we’ll need to go now. The roads aren’t entirely blocked yet.” My driver leads the way to a truck parked out front and we jump in, starting the drive. “I’ve already called ahead. The kitchen is stocked, fire’s on,” he adds, and I’m grateful for the staff I have, anticipating my needs before I tell them.
“It’s so beautiful here…”
I look across at Jessica, whose face is glued to the window, and I follow her gaze. I’ve been here so many times, I take it for granted. But I try to look at it through her eyes, the tall pines, the snow falling, the streets already covered in white. Then I look back at her. I’ve never brought anyone here. The few times I’ve been here since Mom and Dad passed have been a solo adventure. To get away from the life that consumes me. To just breathe a little.
“It’s just as beautiful in the summer.”
Her head whips around to look at me. Her smile offers me warmth.
“Have you spent a lot of time here?”
“A little. More so as a kid. I don’t really have a lot of leisure time these days.”
“I’ve never been out of the city. It’s nice to see something different.” She looks back out the window, and my gaze remains on her.
“The air is nice and crisp up here. It’s quiet.”
“Does it give you the space you need?”
I nod. “It’s secluded. No neighbors, surrounded by forests. The closest neighbors are across the lake.”
“So no one would even know you’re here…” She looks at me in a way that has my dick twitching.
“No. No one.”
She nods contemplatively, then looks back out the window, and my stomach flutters at what this could mean.
I’m not sure how much more of this tiptoeing around each other we can do. But I’m almost at my breaking point.
16
Jessica
The truck pulls up to what can only be described as something out of my dreams, and not a moment too soon as the air between us here in the back seat is getting thin. I have no idea how it happens, but every time we’re together, it feels like we’re on the edge of a cliff, ready to jump. I take a deep breath to center myself and look up at the large stone and timber mansion before me. It’s surrounded by trees just like Donovan said. Tall pines, thickly planted, cover every angle until they hit the water. Where the lake is so still, it looks like glass. There isn’t any wind as the snow continues to fall, coating the ground, the trees topped with white. It’s like a Christmas fairy tale, and I’m completely smitten.
“Wait here.” Donovan steps out from the truck. I have no idea what’s happening, but I need the space. It might be freezing outside, but I’m burning up. My heart’s racing, and I swear I’ve never felt my pussy pulse like it does when I’m around this man. I’ve tried to rein it in. I’ve tried telling myself that it’s a stupid crush, just a silly little fantasy, but with every lingering touch, with every smile he gives me and every flick of his hair, I melt a little more.
I’m not a jealous person. I’ve never really wanted something so bad that I felt competitive over getting it. As a kid, I was used to going without, never being picked for the school teams, never being popular and always missing out, and it’s something that I’ve carried all my life. But when I saw that woman place her hand on Donovan’s arm, I went green with envy. I couldn’t stop myself from walking over. For all I know, she was a woman he dated. Maybe he still does; I haven’t questioned his love life. But just like he didn’t like Marcus Jasper close to me, I didn’t like Carrington Noble close to him. Something he seemed to take great pleasure in seeing.
